THE CROSS EMPTIED John19:13-22, 33-42

The triumphal entry began a week that would include Jesus teaching about His second coming (Matthew 24 and 25), His high priestly prayer (John 17), and the institution of the Lord's Supper as well as the agony of Gethsemane and the passion of the cross. Palm Sunday marks the first of that week, but today we will focus on the end of that week of passion (passion: a Latin term coined to describe sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death ).

Our Christianity has become so neat and sanitized that we lose sight of the lengths to which our Holy God has gone to reconcile mankind to Himself. We overlook the gore of the physical sacrifice Jesus made for us. We overlook the blood sacrifices that were paid by early believers and continue to be paid by believers today. In our effort to keep everything neat and clean, we fail to allow strugglers to share burdens which we can help bear (Galatians 6:2). God wants us to see the mess that Jesus came into; the mess that we are in; the mess that we are; the valley of the shadow of death through which Jesus, our Shepherd walks with those who are in relationship to Him.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CROSS

• Excruciating Pain (Latin: from the cross)

  • The Garden Luke 22:44 "hemohidrosis" or "hematidrosis"

  • Scourged Matthew27:26 skin stripped away from back and probably front of body. No limit to number of lashes Romans could give. Isaiah52:14 beaten beyond recognition

  • Crown of Thorns Matthew27:29, 30 Driven in to scalp by blows to the thorn covered head.

  • Stripped and nailed to the timbers of the cross.

• Humiliation

  • Carrying the cross member (patibulum) Luke23:26 Jesus apparently too weakened.

  • Outside the city of Jerusalem for reasons of sanitation

  • Public as deterrent to criminals

• For a detailed description of Jesus' crucifixion go to: http://www.blueletterbible.org click on commentaries and then Terasaka M.D., David and you will see the link to Medical Aspects of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

DILEMMA OF MAN

• Sinful and self centered Isaiah53:6; Roman3:10-18

• Just Penalty for sin Romans2:6-9, 6:23

• Iniquity

• Worldly Sorrow 2Corinthians7:10 reaction of proud heart – worldly remedies: 1) learn from mistakes and grow. 2) turn up the music. 3) deny guilt and dive into the cause of sorrow. 4) blame others. 5) hate self/ sabotage self = death.

DEMAND OF GOD

• Repentance (does not equal guilt)

  • Starts with reality – Sin brings sorrow / shame – even if you are agnostic. (not socially imposed)

  • Godly Sorrow – brings repentance to salvation.

  • Understands that God is offended Psalm51 (re. 2Samuel chapters 11&12) When David looked at Bathsheba, he had contempt in his heart toward God. (“God, you and what you have given me is not enough.”)

  • Internal change of mind that leads to external change of living. Amos5:21,ff-”Stop playing religious games.” Matthew23:25-28-”Clean the inside first.”

• Regeneration Exodus20:1-6

  • Jealous God = because of relationship / betrothal - not insecurity.

  • Heart is empty outside of that relationship. No other lover/god will do.

  • New creature 2Corinthians5:17;

  • No condemnation Romans8:1-14

DELIGHT OF THE SAVED Romans3:23-26 Because Jesus paid my debt (the cross is empty), I can have a relationship with God. He has caused me to have hope.

The Image: Becoming the same flesh -eat his body and drink his blood.

Messy: recurring offenses; family help; need for constant “gardening”/digging and dunging.

Because we are imperfects in a growing relationship w/ God.

You can have a car and never drive it. You can have money and never spend it. You can have knowledge and never display it.

However...

You cannot have a life without living it. If the activity of your life does not show the influence of Jesus (fruit) then you do not have the life of Jesus.