The Cross and the Kingdom

Today – Cross & the Kingdm

Next week – (Easter Sunday) Resurrection & the Kingdom

This series has shown us:

Though the Bible is 66 books

100s of smaller stories

They all fit together to make one big story

Gods’ salvation story

How God rescues a fallen world…

The rescue mission

Is the Kingdom of God

Hero – Jesus

The greatest moment in His rescue mission is the cross!

We only fully understand the Kingdm...

When we fully understand the Cross...

Story begins:

Genesis– Told of Gods good creation

Human beings are created in God image

Adam & Eve – first parent – start well!

Live in the light of God’s love & Leadership

But things take serious turn for the worse:

Tragedy strikes – Believing the lies of Gods enemy (who appears in the form of a serpent)God doesn't want you to be, like him...

They break relationship with God

Because of their sin, all Humanity falls out with God

· All Rebel & Sin against God (Roman 3 v16)

Consequences are tragic:

Though made in Gods image -no longer seek God

We build our lives around ourselves

Building our own little kingdoms

Divorcing ourselves from the one who knows us best & loves us most.

The story of humanity gets worse before it gets better:

Having fallen out with God, we have fallen under the powers of sin, of death, of Satan.

· Sin separates us from knowing God

· Deathseparates us from eternity with God

· Satan (evil spiritual intelligence) - seeks to separate by taking us ever deeper into sin & darkness

The devil deceived Adam & Eve & US!

· Making us believe God don’t want us to have freedom

· Turning away from God – brings no freedom

· Instead - Captivity, bondage, enslavement

God rescue mission to save humanity – Must deal with our two greatest problems:

1. We have fallen out with God

2. We have fallen under the control of dark powers - sin Satan, death

That’s the bad part – Lets now turn to the good part

Turn to: Colossians 2 v13-15

…God made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Pray…

Our first big problem is:

“We have fallen out with God”

Our solution is the Cross…

1. Jesus takes the punishment our sins deserve

v13 God made us alive together with Him…having forgiven us all our trespasses…

V13 speaks of new life with God and Forgiveness…

We need forgiveness & New life because

We have all trespassed (sinned) over the boundaries God set for our lives

V14 …record of debt stands against us with its legal demands.

Record of debt (all the wrong we have done)

wages of sin is death – we owe God our lives.

a host of legal demands stand against us.

These are the commands of God that accuse us…

Charles Spurgeon illustrates this verse well using the Ten commandments.

“Each of the Ten Commandments has, as it were, united with the rest to draw up an indictment against us.

The first commandment says, ‘He has broken me.’ The second cries, ‘He has broken me,’ — the third, ‘He has broken me;’ and the whole ten together have laid the same charge against each one of us; that is the handwriting of the law condemning every man and woman”.

God has every right to demand our blood, but instead of demanding our blood he offers his own…

Paul speaks of ‘the record (can mean ‘certificate’) of debt that stood against us…has been nailed to the cross’

Matthew 27 v 37 helps us grasp what Pauls is saying:

The Romans nailed a record or certificate of the crimes the person had committed who was being crucified.

The top of Jesus’ cross recorded his crime:

And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

The record for the debt has been nailed to the cross

We need to pause for a moment & grasp what Paul is saying:

look closer at the list of Jesus’ sins and crimes…

Do you see it? – they are not Jesus’ sins and crimes nailed to the cross – They are Yours and Mine

Every sin You have committed,

Every sin I have committed

Every sin of the entire Human race has committed

Past present and future.

Lies, harsh words, evil thoughts

Nailed to the cross’!!!!!!!!

As we fix our eyes on the cross, the terrible & wonderful truth hits home…

Jesus hangs there to pay the price for You & Me

2 Cor 5 v21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

· He became the sin bearer

· Absorbing Gods wrath, so we would never have to face it

V14 Paul uses the words ‘set aside’ can be translated as ‘wiped out’

Used in ancient writing to describe:

White washing of walls

Overlaying with Gold

Removal of ink form a parchment

We would say today:

making good as new

wiping the slate clean

Fresh start.

These are images of all Christ has achieved on the cross:

Taking the punishment, we deserved

He Wiped out our sin – so we can start afresh…

The moment we make the choice to trust in all Jesus has done for us, our sins that were like scarlet, are as white as snow…(Isaiah 1 v18)

God sets aside/ totally removes our transgressions places them as far as east in from the west…

(Psalm 103)

So we start afresh with God, a new restored relationship with God

Problem One solved by the cross of Christ…

Our other big problem is:

We have fallen under the control of dark spiritual powers...

Solution is the cross…

2. Jesus has conquered the powers that enslave us…

V15, He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Who are the rulers & authorities Jesus has disarmed?

Some theologians – Military & Political powers of the day

Many say – Angelic powers that resist God -Satan demonic forces

I would say both – dark spiritual powers & and dark political powers.

Why does Paul use words like: Disarm, open shame & triumph?

This is the way the romans humiliated their enemies.

Returning Generals with their armies wanted to display their impressive victories, over Rome’s enemies.

March in in a long procession

Behind plunder, Prisoners

And at the end the conquered King

Celebrate & execute the King

This is how they triumphed, over them by disarming their enemies and putting them to open shame and disgrace.

This is essentially what Rome did to Jesus:

Didn’t march him back to Rome – because he had no army

Yet he claimed to be a King!

Kings needed to be humiliated

Purpose of writing the words ‘King of the Jews” above his head was to state his crime and belittle & humiliate him…

Romans believed they were triumphing over & disarming Jesus

Satan also believed he was triumphing over & disarming Jesus

Satan hatched the plot to Kill Jesus

Satan drove Judas to betray Jesus (John 13 v2)

As Jesus was publicly flogged, forced to carry his cross

As he was nailed to cross stripped naked, and humiliated

No doubt Satan and his demonic cronies were celebrating their victory…

V15 Tells us the exact opposite is True…He disarmed the rulers & auth...

On the cross Jesus was victorious -Jesus was disarming his enemies…

Andrew Wilson - God stories

God waged a three-day campaign against his most powerful enemies, sometimes referred to as ‘rulers’, ‘authorities,’ ‘principalities,’ and ‘powers’. The main confrontation took place on a rubbish dump outside Jerusalem where God, in his Son, Jesus met Satan, sin, and death head on. A mocking enemy was met by a defiant Son of God, and within six hours the one-sided battle was over, the victory triumphantly announced with the words ‘it is finished.’ On the third day, the victory parade began, as the risen Champion came out of the Tomb to the amazement of earth and the applause of heaven. As Paul describes it in Colossians 2 ,15 God obliterated his enemies in Jesus, took away their Armor, and made a public spectacle of them by parading their corpses though the streets.

In an act of weakness Jesus conquers the greatest power of the time - Rome.

Through His sacrifice he launched a Kingdom of Love that would spread throughout the entire Roman Empire, and out lasts Rome and every other Kingdom.

Through the cross Jesus conquers God most powerful enemies:

all Satan can do is watch as:

Jesus is rescuing billions of people out of the clutches of his dominion of Spiritual Darkness

Brining salvation, Setting the captives free

Through all Christ did upon the cross he has dealt with Humanities greatest problems

· Took Gods wrath for sin upon Himself – Brining You and Me into a right relationship with God

· Conquered Satan, sin, and death – Through Christ we have the victory over the Powers of darkness that seek to enslave us…

We need to grasp hold of both aspects of Christs Salvation:

The cross reconciles us to God and the cross Liberates us from dark spiritual powers.

3. Looking closer at the Life of Jesus:

A) When did the Battle start?

the moment Jesus’ ministry starts:

He is engaged in kingdom warfare, as Satan tempts him in the wilderness, while he is hungry and weak (Matt 4 v1-11/Luke 4 1-13)

Jesus withstands Satan’s temptations and lies – takes the first Victory

STRIKE 1 – to Jesus

Later in the gospels we read of the Disciples success in casting out demons “He tells them I saw Satan fall like lightening from Heaven” (Luke 10 v18)

Later in Matt 12 & Mark 3 Jesus casts out demons, He describes himself as the strongman who binds Satan and plunders his satanic Kingdom, setting the captives Free…

STRIKE 2 – STRIKE 3 – to Jesus

As the cross draws closer, Jesus can already declare:

John 16 v11 …the prince of this world (Devil) now stands condemned.

But these strikes are mere skirmishes that point toward the real Battle with Sin, Satan, and Death, in which Jesus gives the knockout blow winning the Battle at the cross…

1 John 3 v8 –The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil…

B) Lets look closer at the account of the crucifixion in the gospels:

We see Jesus’ cross reveals that Jesus is King:

Soldiers put a scarlet robe on him and a crown not of jewels but thorns and not a sceptre but a reed in his right hand – and kneel to mock him…

He has the crime written above his head ‘King of the Jews’

Pilate, Solders, Jews are all mocking Jesus

some king you are ‘You can’t even save yourself”

We must not miss the staggering Irony:

Jesus truly is the King of the Jews

In fact, he is King of Kings

True King of heaven and earth

His Kingdom really has come into the world

In all their effort to conquer his Kingdom, as they crucify Him, they are in fact unleashing his kingdom…

C) As we look closer at the letters in the NT they reveal Jesus:

As our redeemer through the cross, and he who reigns overall as the divine King

Ephesians 1 v7-10

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and on earth.

V7 Redemption, forgiveness, blood (cross) - Gods great purpose – Is to reveal to all heaven & earth Christ is the King who unites all things under his headship…

Revelation 5 John heavenly vision reveals Jesus at the centre of the heavenly Throne revealing He is one who is King over the whole cosmos:

Rev 5 v13

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!”

One day every Knee in Heaven, on earth, & under the earth” will bow and “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father” (Phil 2 v11)

The point is:

Jesus is our redeemer through the cross,

Jesus is the one who reigns overall as the divine King

We can’t have one without the other!

One side of the salvation coin

Jesus crucified as our Redeemer

Other side of same coin – Jesus the King of Kings – delivering His Kingdom…

Jesus cross not only redeems us, but deliver us from captivity of dark powers that would enslave.

We have been rescued out of the Kingdom of Darkness and bought into the Kingdom of Light…

Through Christ God victorious Kingdom has broken through into the world and into our lives…

Without Christ – we are slaves to the power of sin

· It robs us of who we were destined to be…

· Hooked into habits that at first seemed to help – know have us in a strangle hold.

· Breakdown of relationships

· We do what we know we shouldn’t, then feel terrible about ourselves

· We find it impossible to forgive who have hurt us

· Driven by Fear – being found out – Fear for the future.

· Fear of death

Without Christ – Satan afflicts and oppresses:

· You may not believe in the devil or evil spirits

· Most people in the world would know exactly what I mean (here in western society Satan strategy is succeeding - he hides his powers from you - that’s how he deceives us)

· Aim is to point you away from Jesus and keep you in darkness

Today you can step into the light with Christ…

· His desire is to save you into his Kingdom…

· As trust in JC with are rescued from dominion of darkness, bought in the kingdom of the Son…

(Col 1 v3)

Question?

Have you put your Trust in Jesus for your deliverance and salvation?

Will you step out of darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus?

Today is the day…

If you have put you trust in Jesus…

Are you living in the victory of Christ?

For many Christians they see Jesus as saviour – but have yet to bow their knee to him as King…

· Praying to invite Jesus into their lives is enough…

(I am saved I can carry on living as I did)

That’s only one side of the coin!

· We need to receive Jesus as King – both sides of the salvation coin…

Lay down our lives – and seek to serve and obey Christ…

· No longer living as we please

· But leaving to please Him…

Our greatest problems have been resolved through the cross

Christ has been victorious over Sins power in your life

Christ has been victorious over Satan’s power in our lives

Your sins are forgiven - Past present future

No more guilt – Satan may try to bring up past sins, can no longer condemn you…

All paid for through the blood of Christ

Problem is we still feel the hooks of Satan, trying too real us back in:

Telling us to Pursue the things of the world…

Tries to convince us we know better…

We will be more satisfied if we follow the ways of the world…

How do we resist?

· Keep returning to King Jesus and His cross…

· When you do, Gods kingdom power will strengthen you…

Not saying you will be perfectly sinless – God will give you the strength and power to sin less and less…

Have the power to forgivethose who hurt you…

The power and strength in Christ to stand strong in your recovery released from the hooks of addiction into freedom

The freedom you have in Christ is far stronger than the lure of Satan & sin and releases you from the hooks…

Greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world…

Satan is still active in the world – Genesis 3 tells us his head is crushed.

He prowls round you like a roaring lion – but has not teeth…

Let us stand our ground:

The Enemy is mortally wounded

Helpless to prevent millions upon millions turning to Christ and being released from his hold…

Every time you trust and obey King Jesus you take more and more away from Him…

We live between Victory and Triumph:

We still will face many trials and challenges – Keep trusting Jesus

The war has already been won – even if the war is not yet done!

WW2

· V day 8th May 1945– the day the war was finally one

· D- Day 6th June 1944 – The allied Soldiers stormed Normandy beach and From that day battles continued, but the fate of the war was already decided…

Brothers and sisters in Christ we are still in a battle – between two kingdoms – Darkness and Light

Cross of Christ – D Day is behind us

The dark spiritual forces mortally wounded

We look forward to V Day – Christs glorious return

When all darkness will be abolished forever.

Let’s do all we can to set the captives free:

· The History books record American and British troops setting the Ailed prisoners of war free…

· They didn’t know the Nazi’s were in retreat -till someone told them – step into the light you are free…

If Christ is your redeemer and King -You are his freedom fighters

We have the same message to tell, our friends, Family… Its time to come out of the darkness and step into the light – Christ is victorious – His Kingdom has come!

Who will you invite to Easter service next week to hear the good news?

PRAY