The Message of the Cross

Introduction

We have become too accustomed to the cross. Desensitized to it.

Oswald Chambers said “All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore it.”

1. It is a message of torment

Mark 15:20 (KJV 1900): And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

"And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him."

https://ref.ly/Mk15.24-25;kjv1900

Pain and suffering. Crucifixion was horribly painful.

English word “excruciating” comes from two Latin words which put together means “out of the cross.”

I have heard several kinds of pain described as excruciating - childbirth, kidney stones, etc. Take the worst pain you have ever experienced and multiply it by 1000 and you might be close to understanding the pain Jesus endured on the Cross.

“A medical doctor provides a physical description: ‘The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood.

The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement.

The cross is then lifted into place.

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.

As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain—the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the rough timber.

Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over—the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level—the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues—the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

He can feel the chill of death creeping through is tissues … Finally he can allow his body to die.’ ”

Before He went to the Cross, Jesus was scourged. (15:15) Beaten with a whip. Beard was pulled out. Crown of thorns. (15:17). Carried 100 pound cross 650 yards along Via Dolorosa.

Why would He endure such torment? His love for you and me! Romans 5:8 - God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, He died for us.

The Cross is a message of torture but also...

2. It is a message of tragedy.

Mark 15:26–32 (KJV 1900): And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.”

The tragedy of the Cross was the rejection of Christ by the Jewish people.

The Jews had been given special privilege. They had the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. They rejected Him. John 1:11 - He came unto His own and His own received him not.

They hated Jesus so much they mocked him as He suffered. They railed on him and blasphemed him. They taunted him by telling him to come down from the cross if He is God. They said “He saved others but He can’t save himself.” They gambled over his only possessions which was actually a fulfillment of prophecy in Psalm 22.

If you think man is basically good, all you need to do is look at the cross. Look at the cruelty of these fellow Jews spewing out their hate for Jesus. The ugly depths of humanity are on full display. Man is ridiculing His Creator while His Creator suffers for His sin. There was not one ounce of compassion in these men as they watched Christ die.

The cross was a message of torture and of tragedy but also...

3. It was a message of transfer.

Mark 15:33–36 (KJV 1900): And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

After man had ridiculed and belittled Jesus, God turned the lights out. It was as if God was saying “That is enough.” It was three hours of darkness in the middle of the day.

The prophet Amos had said in Amos 8:9, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day.” God fulfilled prophecy on that day.

Darkness throughout the Bible is associated with God’s judgment. In Exodus, God sent darkness on the land of Egypt as sign of His coming judgment. The Egyptians worshiped a God named “Ra” He was the sun God. God showed His power over Ra by sending darkness.

In those hours, Jesus suffered the most because Our sins were being transferred to him. 2 Cor. 5:21 says He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in him. Is. 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God poured his wrath for all man’s sin on Jesus in those hours. Jesus took our place and suffered our punishment.

But not only was our sin transferred to him, His righteousness is transferred to all who put their trust in Him. Phil. 3:9 - Not having my own righteousness that comes from the law but that which comes through faith - the righteousness of God that depends on faith.

We have no righteousness of our own. All our righteousness is filthy rags. The only way we can live right is a result of this transfer.

The Cross was a message of torture and tragedy and transfer but also...

4. It was a message of triumph.

Mark 15:37–38 (KJV 1900): And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

In that loud cry, John 19:30 tells us Jesus said “It is finished.” He died. After six grueling hours of paying for our sin, He took his last breath.

He did not say “I am finished.” He said “It is finished.” The debt has been paid. Satan was finally defeated. The lamb of God had taken away the sins of the world as John the Baptist said. As Hebrews 9:26 says, “He put away sin by His death.”

The veil of the temple was rent into from top to bottom. This represented access into the presence of God. Before this only the High priest had access into the holy of holies one day a year. But now every believer in Jesus Christ has access to God through prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our mediator.

Jesus was not a victim. He was a victor. This was part of the plan of God from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 says Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4 says God chose us in Him from the foundation of the world.

Every moment in Jesus’ life was designed to lead him one step closer to the Cross. Mark 10:45 says “The Son of Man came to give His life as a ransom.”

This is why we can sing “Victory in Jesus.” He triumphed over sin, death, and Satan by paying our sin debt on the Cross.

The cross was a message of torture, of tragedy, of transfer, of triumph but also...

5. It was a message of testimony.

Mark 15:39 (KJV 1900): And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

This man was saved I believe and so was the thief on the Cross. Every one who has been saved since then gives testimony to this same truth - Jesus is the Son of God.

A testimony is the verbal evidence of a witness by which something is affirmed to be true.

Christian, don’t be ashamed to testify of Jesus! Be a witness for Jesus! Boldly tell others who he is and how he has changed you.

In John 4:39 we read about the Samaritan woman at the well. She met Jesus and she began to testify of Him. John 4:39 (KJV 1900): And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

Conclusion

Tonight, let us glory in the Cross. Galatians 6:14 says “God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

Stuart Townsend

How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.

The Cross of Christ is the dividing line of humanity. On one side is the redeemed who have trusted in Christ as their Savior. On the other side of that line is those who refuse to bow before Him and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

If you are on the side of the redeemed, you should rejoice but if you are on the other side, you should repent. Turn to Christ today and He will save you. It’s not too late to change sides.