The Cross of Christ
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Good Friday:
Mark 15:33-39
BI: God judged Jesus for our sins so that we can have free access to God
Well good morning everyone. Welcome to church. Just so good. Sing God’s praises, hear God’s word read. Awesome to see you. This is highlight as followers of Jesus. Good Friday. The amazing message of God’s love for us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. Introduction
Some actions in life are not what they seem at first glance.
Take pruning right. I had this huge lemon tree. Absolutely overgrown. We had just moved into this house recently. My mum came over one Saturday and she was feedbacking me on the state of the tree. Brian you need to cut that right back. That’s how you’ll get good lemons. We had these huge lemons that taste like water. Pruning. it looks like hacking the tree but actually it encourages, helps, causing plant to grow and produce good fruit.
Or what about manure. It stinks. That’s right. But manure in the garden. It does wonders. You need it. Had a mate, migrant parents. Growing up his folks house watch horror movies. The got right into manure thing. Their garden just reeked. But you know, manure gives nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Good for plant growth. I enjoyed their tomatoes growing up.
You can tell I’ve been thinking about the garden just a little lately.
Or another one closer to home, what about disciplining a child? Its no fun for child, parent. I mean, it is so much easier to say I’ll give you want you want. But discipline. That’s hard. Timeout. Explain to me what you did, why was it wrong, say sorry. In fact nurturing loving a child, you need to discipline. It’s hard at the time, but it shapes our children in truth and love doesn’t it?
Some actions in life are not what they seem at first glance
Same with the cross of Christ. We’re here today Good Friday to remember the cross. It’s about Jesus, not eggs and bunnies. Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. The cross looks like defeat but it is in fact spectacular victory. The cross looks like weakness but it’s a demonstration of God’s power. It looks foolish but it is the wisdom of God. It looks like cruelty but is the ultimate act of compassion and love. Jesus death on cross looks like end, but it’s act of new life. The Cross of Christ, reveals life, eternal life. New life access to our great God.
We are in Mark 15:33-39. I hope you will see how great, how loving your God is this morning. I want you to know: Jesus died for our sins so that we can have access to God. This is the most wonderful truth, the best news. have you grasped it?
1. Jesus died for our sins (15:33-37)
Let’s zoom right into that day. It’s the final hours before Jesus dies. Our Lord Jesus is hanging on the cross, and it gets very dark. Come to verse 33
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Jesus had been crucified at 9am, at 12pm that’s the 6th hour see it there, look what happens, darkness covers the whole land. It goes till the 9th hour, that’s 3pm. 3 hours of darkness. Like I get how in Melbourne we have 4 seasons a day, hot, cold, windy, cloudy, I don’t particularly like it. This is not Melbourne weather. Here it is darkness for 3 whole hours from 12 - 3pm. the sun should be shining it’s brightest. But its pitch black. And it’s Passover time so there’s a full moon. It can’t be a solar eclipse. Don’t miss the point. There’s no natural explanation. It’s not what it seems at first glance.
Actually, God is telling us something highly significant is happening. What is it? Well darkness in the Bible represents God’s judgement. Do you remember the 10 plagues in Egypt? God judged Pharaoh. Why? He didn’t let God’s people worship him. Refused to let his people go. So he sent these devastating plagues to reveal his glory. Plague after plague…and do you remember the second last plague? What was it? Darkness. A darkness that was felt. No one could see anyone else. No body went anywhere it was that dark. This was God’s judgement. See throughout Scripture darkness represents judgement. God is light. Jesus says John8:12 I am the light of the world whoever follows me Who not live in darkness but have the light of life. When God the light shines on you he is showing you favour, but if he turns his face away, it’s darkness. darkness is judgement.
Here everyone is witnessing Jesus on the cross. And it goes dark. You can imagine the soldiers, the witnesses, Jewish leaders, Jesus’ family, the crowds gathered. what’s going on? they would’ve thought. They would have felt the darkness. Afraid. God wants us to take notice. Watch here this is significant.
Because what happens after the darkness? At 3pm, the darkness clears. Jesus is judged. Jesus is forsaken. He faces God’s full wrath. He dies for our sins. Look at Verse 34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Why is Jesus saying this? It’s not what it seems at first glance. He is not accusing God. It’s not the tone of… Why haven’t you saved me? What are you doing, God? He’s not doing that. How do we know? He has just prayed the night before at the Garden of Gethsemane. What did he pray? He prayed in anguish in Mark 14:36, flip back a page. Jesus is praying…
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Friends, Jesus willingly submitted to God. Our Lord went willingly to the cross. It looks like Pilate, the Jewish leaders are in control. they’re not. Jesus chose to go. And here at the point of his greatest need, he’s not accusing God here.
So why is Jesus saying this? Jesus is crying out because he was truly forsaken.’ Jesus says exactly what the Psalmist says in Psalm 22 - my god my god why have you forsaken me?
He was forsaken. This means he experienced God’s full wrath, his anger, judgement because of sin. This is why he was forsaken. Let that sink in for a moment. Jesus, God’s Son who has done nothing wrong, never sinned, who has for all time been in perfect relationship with God the Father, with God the Holy Spirit from eternity, here He is forsaken. There’s no break in the Trinity, no no but Jesus was actually forsaken. He didn’t just feel abandoned. He was actually abandoned. Actually separated from God.
Why was he separated? Because He took on sin. All of the ugly disgusting horrible sin on Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says it so clearly
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Friends Jesus took our sins on that cross. he had no sin. he never sinned. but by dying he took our sins. He experienced God’s full wrath. He was separated from God. He was forsaken. This is why he cries out my god my god why have you forsaken me?
Understand the enormity of what’s happening on the cross. It’s not what it seems at first glance. It’s not just another man dying. This is the Lord of the universe, Jesus Christ is dying on the cross. Here, the sin of the world is on Jesus’ shoulders. Jesus felt the full brunt of God’s wrath. Don’t ever think he doesn’t love you.
Darkness was seen. Jesus was heard. Jesus die on the cross. Why? for you, for me, for us. For our sins. So we don’t need to be judged by Gdo. Stop and think now. Do I need forgiveness of sin? So many people think that they are good. They do not understand why sin is so heinous. I was talking to a neighbor the other week. Let’s call him Dave. Older man, probably in his 70s. we’re chit chatting and then we we got talking about God. funny how it gets there when Easter comes around. He’s disillusioned by the Church, used to go to a catholic church. He goes look Brian I’m not perfect, but mate I help others. That’s what its about for me. When I look at how much he helps people. He’s got a point. Honestly, he does. If I were to compare myself to him, absolutely this guy helps others, he spends his time helping others, mens sheds, cleaning gutters, giving me tips on the garden, he even built a water feature for his neighbor. i wish i had a quarter of his skill set. He said: I’m sure the big man knows. Compared to others, I’m up there. Is that how you think? I’m good, God will accept me?
Actually, the bible tells us no one is good. Not even one. We are all sinners. we’ve all rejected God. lived lives our own way. We can’t live up to our own expectations. Let alone Gods. i tried to get off Fb for this week. failed in a day. so Let’s be honest now. You’re getting good Friday wrong if you think Jesus died so I can be a good person. No no, Jesus died for our sins. your sins. He took the punishment for you on the cross. For sin. listen to this list. Surely we can’t sit there and think we haven’t lied either lied, ragEd, cheated, lusted, been selfish, stoled, disobeyed, dishonored parents, fudged tax returns, sped, been jealous, drove and texting, murdered, been proud, been drunk. we are not good. We can’t say to God compared to so and so we aren’t that bad, no We need to listen to God here. he sets the standard. and he says, we are all sinners. in our hearts, we want to reject him. But here’s the good news of good friday. Jesus bore all of those sins on the cross. That’s why the hymn beautifully puts it: Man of Sorrows - Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior!
1.2 A strange response
Don’t get it wrong. Because so many do. Look at the strange response next. The crowd get it wrong. They don’t know what’s going on
And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
It’s possible that they misheard Jesus. They hear him say Eloi Eloi, but think he’s calling Elijah Elijah. There was tradition back then for Jews that Elijah would rescue faithful Jews in times of desperation. Possible to hear and think Jesus calls for help from Elijah. But it is also possible they mocking Jesus, deliberately mishearing him. Either way, they haven’t understood what’s happening. Friends, I reckon there’s warning here. You can be very close but very far away. you come to church, you are here more often than not. But you don’t get Jesus. you don’t get. you don’t believe he died for your sins. These people think the man is suffering. That’s all. We’ll go and help. Many during Easter say yes Jesus suffered but we’ll just reflect on how to be better people. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it?
Don’t mishear what Good Friday is about. Jesus has taken our sins on the cross. Look to him. Trust in him to take your sins away. Please don’t leave thinking Good Friday is that Jesus died but the Christian message is about being a good person. It’s not that. The message of Jesus is stop trying. You’re not right with him if you think you can be good. You need Jesus. You need his forgiveness. That’s why he died. That’s why he was separated from God, judged by God. He bore our sins on the cross! This is love, not that we loved God but he loved us and gave himself up for us. How else can we respond but to believe and worship him?
Friends, we’re seen darkness. we’ve heard Jesus cry to God, and then we witness the death of our Lord in verse 37 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. Jesus died for our sins. And now we can all have access to God.
2. We can have access to God (10:38-39)
Look at what happens next. It’s profound. we can have access to God.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The temple was where God dwelt. It’s where God’s people went to God to worship him. On his terms. Before Jesus died, the Jewish temple had two curtains. One stopped you from going into the main area. The other stopped you into the Holy of Holies. It was the high priest who could go in only with a sacrifice for the Israelites once a year. When Jesus died, this curtain was torn. see the significance?
The curtain is a symbol of separation. You don’t just rock up to God. He’s perfect, God’s people were not. Just like we can’t just go to the sun. it’s impossible. Sin separates us from God. It’s impossible to have free access to God. But when Jesus dies. When he dies for our sins. He pays the price of sin. This curtain is torn in two. Why? Jesus has solved the problem. It’s solved. He’s been separated, we’re in. God says to Jesus get out, Jesus says to us come in. Now we can have access to God. All because of Jesus.
That’s why when you see the cross. On a building. On someone’s neck, think - it’s the great door into being right with God. having access to God. That’s good Friday. we can have access to God.
It doesn’t matter what you have done, good or bad
It doesn’t matter how you feel, ashamed, guilty, hating yourself
Anyone who bows to Jesus, asks for forgiveness, can have access to God, can be right with God, in God’s family
And you see in our passage one man gets it. the centurion – a soldier. He sees Jesus die. He knows it’s not just the death of any man. I mean that’s his day job. he’s makes sure people who should die on the cross, die. But today he is changed forever. Look at verse 39 wow. It’s just awesome.
And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
The solider didn’t care about the curtain. He probably didn’t even know about it. Didn’t know didn’t care. But the fact is, the curtain has split and now he can believe in Jesus. He has access. He understands that this is the Son of God. Everyone abuses Jesus, they mock, scoff, ridicule, they whip him Jesus but here’s a soldier just doing his job, a knock about bloke who looks at Jesus die and says ‘you are the Son of God!” Wow. He gets it. it dawned on him. He understands its not what it seems at first glance. Jesus is the Son of God who comes to take away the sins of the world. Friends, the curtain torn in two had made a door for anybody to come in. You just walk through.
This good Friday, remember Jesus has died for your sins and now you can have access to God.
So have you trusted in Jesus? If you are sitting here today Good Friday is a once a year Church thing you tick off the list. Make it a good Friday. Come to know your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He has died for your sin on the cross. He has given you access to God. and if you chose to rebel against him, one day he will come to judge you. he died for your sins but you gotta trust him. otherwise you’re facing God for your own sins. that’s not going to go well for you. Trust in Him. Don’t wait any longer.
For those who know Christ. Praise God for that. Remember that Jesus died for you! For your sins. Remember what it cost him to bring you to God. Praise God. Though we are prone to wander keep looking to the cross – remember God’s great love for you at Christ’s great expense.
Dwell on these lyrics. we sung it before
Now the curse it has been broken
Jesus paid the price for me
Full, the pardon He has offered
Great, the welcome that I receive
Boldly I approach my Father
Clothed in Jesus' righteousness
There is no more guilt to carry
It was finished upon that cross
Friends, some actions are not what they appear at first glance. Good Friday is not just that a man died on the cross so we can have a nice holiday weekend, be reflective, take stock, live good lives. No. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus died so wretched sinners like us can have access to God. What a great wonderful God we have.
Have a good Friday brother’s and sisters
Let’s pray.
