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THE CROSS OF CHRIST - WHY??
I. Many at the cross must have asked - "WHY?"
A. Pilate -
couldn't understand WHY the Jews so determined
1. Tried
to have Him released
2. Found
no fault - WHY??
"I have found no fault - neither did
Herod" (Lk
B. Pilate's wife
- "suffered many things in a dream" (Mt 27:19)
-- WHY??
C. Barrabas - "WHY release Me??"
WHY??
D. Those passing
by - wagging their heads - WHY??
E. The two
thieves - WHY??
F. The Centurian - "Truly this was the Son of God" Mt. 27:54
WHY??
G. Jesus cried
from the cross "Eli, Eli...." "My God, My God…”
H. Each of us –
Why – cruel death?
Why – Son of God?
Why not kill the “bad”; or each pay; or just forgive???
II. Because sin condemns us - Separates us - YOUR sin
A. Romans
B. Rom. 6:23 - "The wages of sin is death" (separation)
C. Isaiah 59:1-2,
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated YOU from your God; and
YOUR sins have hidden His face from you."
D. GOD DOES NOT
WANT YOU TO BE LOST
--- We are condemned by sin ---
---i.e. condemned prisoner---w/o
hope; condemned------we are w/o hope; condemned---
III. The Cross of Christ reveals ''DIVINE LOVE”
A. 1 John 4:10 – “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." ---(Propitiation = Sacrifice; Conciliate)
B. Ephesians 5:2,
"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
C. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.”
D. WHAT GREATER
ACT COULD GOD DO THAN TO:
1. SEND
HIS OWN SON - Perfect - to pay for our sins
2. Not
just "Lip service" - GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS LOVE
---Revealed in the cross---
IV. The Cross of Christ reveals the GRACE OF GOD
The Cross of Christ IS
THE GIFT OF SALVATION
A. Ephesians 2:8,
"For by GRACE you have been saved
through faith; and that, not of yourselves, it is the GIFT OF GOD.”
B.
Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
C. THERE
IS
WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE?
---Grace = unmerited favor---
---We were helpless – w/o hope---
---God did not have to do anything---
---God w/o man is still God – Man w/o God is
nothing---
V. On the Cross Jesus became the SACRIFICE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO
MAKE -
THE DIVINE JUSTICE OF GOD HAD TO BE SATISFIED
JESUS
TOOK OUR SINS ON THE CROSS WITH HIM
A. I John 2:2, "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; not for ours only, but also for
those of the WHOLE WORLD.”
B. Isaiah 53:11, "He (God) shall see the travail of His (Jesus’) soul, AND BE SATISFIED. - By His knowledge My
righteous
servant
shall justify many, for HE SHALL BEAR
THEIR INIQUITIES-----(Note the GREATNESS of Jesus)
C. Jesus paid the
great price for us
JESUS TOOK OUR SINS AND PAID THE PRICE
GOD'S
DIVINE JUSTICE SATISFIED - (Price = Purchase)
---The FULL price was paid ---
---What do I have to do to
pay for my sin? NOTHING ---
---BUT THAT PRICE IS PAID ONLY FOR God’s FAITHFUL CHILDREN ----
VI. Jesus became the PURCHASE PRICE - TO BUY US BACK FOR GOD
A. Mark 10:45, "The Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve, and to give His LIFE a RANSOME for many.”
B. 1 Peter
1:18-19, "You were not REDEEMED with perishable things
like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your
forefathers, BUT WITH PRECIOUS BLOOD, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.”
C.
We are LOST without Christ - Jesus
went to the cross to REDEEM us back
again.
---Redeem – “To be bought back”---
VII. Jesus went to the cross so that we can have FORGIVENESS OF OUR
SINS
A. Hebrews 9:22, "According to the Law, one may almost say,
all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is NO FORGIVENESS."
B. Ephesians 1:7,
"IN HIM we have redemption through
His blood, the FORGIVENESS of our trespasses, according to the riches of His
grace."
C.
WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD --- WE CAN
ONLY BE FORGIVEN BY GOD THROUGH JESUS
----FORGIVENESS – because you hurt someone; because you made them mad at
you; because you severed a
relationship ----
---PRODIGAL SON --- Father
could have taken him back --- but
love was restored, too
VIII. Jesus went to the cross to RECONCILE US BACK TO GOD
RECONCILE
= "MAKE FRIENDS AGAIN WITH"
A.
Colossians 1:19-20, "For it was the Father's good pleasure for
all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him
RECONCILE all things to Himself,
having made peace THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS;..
"
B. 2 Cor. 5:18-19, "Now
all these things are from God, WHO RECONCILED us to Himself through Christ, and
gave us the ministry of RECONCILIATION, namely, that God was in Christ RECONCILING
the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has
committed to us the word of RECONCILIATION."
C. God extended
His hand to us - to make us friends again - through the cross of Christ
Without the Cross - we could only remain enemies
of God
----God’s hand is reaching down to us
(demonstrate)
We can only reach it --- by the cross
IX. WHY THE CROSS OF CHRIST??
A. Because Sin Condemns us
- Condemned the world
B. Because God
hated that fact - God loved us
& wants us to be saved
C. God, then, offered the greatest gift that the
world has ever seen - His Son
D. Sin could not
just be swept under the carpet. The Divine justice of God had to be met. A great price had to be paid. Jesus became that price.
E. When Jesus
went to the cross - He redeemed us back
to God
F. Jesus lived
the perfect life; sacrificed; Those who obey HIS GOSPEL
will receive forgiveness of their sins
G.
Then we are RECONCILED BACK TO GOD; Made friends again --- can be brought home
---That’s why –
But it has nothing to do with
you unless you accept. -