The cross of Christ

 

1)      Now is the time of year when many are thinking about Jesus.

2)      Long before December, Christians sing songs about Jesus coming to the earth.

3)      For instance, Why did my savior come to the earth and to the humble go?

4)      This and other songs should cause us to ask an important question.  Why did Jesus come?

5)      Mark is one of the New Testament writers who tells us why Jesus came.

6)      We heard the scripture reading from Mk. 10, especially verse 45.

a)      Jesus came to “give his life a ransom for many.”

b)      This is a nice way of saying “die on a cross for the sins of mankind.”

 

7)      Cross is just one word—a very short word—but it pretty much sums up the Bible.

8)      Jesus came to die on a cross and then return from the dead and ascend to heaven.

9)      This morning we want to study some passages that use the word cross.

a)      In addition to the scripture reading, we were asked to hold 2 Cor. 5:18-19 in readiness.

b)      These two verses are especially interesting.

c)      Let’s read them and then make some observations – READ

 

10)  When we think about the cross we often simplify what took place.

11)  Man is guilty of sin, sin breaks his fellowship with God, Jesus died on the cross and is the remedy.

12)  That is a very simple message and it is certainly accurate.

a)      In 2 Cor. 5 Paul allows us to probe what happened on the cross a little more deeply.

b)      It was through the cross God was “reconciling” the world to Himself.

c)      To let the force of this sink into our minds we might ponder a question.

 

13)  At the present time who would we say is America’s number one enemy?

14)  We might all have a different answer for that; I am going to use *****.

a)      He is a man who wants to destroy as many Americans as possible.

b)      He is a committed and determined enemy.

c)      What would it take to reconcile ***** with the United States?

d)     How could there be peace between him and the US?

e)      Most would say that peace between the two is impossible.

f)       You cannot reconcile with someone who is completely committed to destroying you.

 

15)  The rift between God and man was a million times bigger than ****** and the U.S.

16)  For God and man to be brought together, there had to be unification that almost defies explanation.

17)  If this happened in the world, we would expect to see years of negotiations and treaties.

18)  2 Cor. 5 says everything came together at one time:  at the cross.

a)      The one who gave His life on the cross shared in the human qualities we have.

b)      As deity in the flesh He also perfectly represented heaven.

c)      Deity and humanity were blended into a body that was offered one time for a sacrifice.

d)     This human and divine process was the means God used to “reconcile” the world to Himself.

 

19)  Without a cross, there is no salvation.  No cross means heaven is closed to sinners.

20)  No cross means eternity with the devil.

21)  The cross is at the heart of the gospel.

a)      If this is true, and it is, it helps us understand something.

b)      Early Christians partook of the Lord's Supper every Sunday.

c)      Acts 2 says Christians  engaged in acts of worship, including the communion, “steadfastly.”

d)     Acts 20:7 says there a Sunday arrived and Christians partook of the Lord's Supper.

e)      1 Cor. 11:20 shows that when Christians met, they brought the supplies of the Lord's Supper.

 

22)  The early church had the Lord's Supper each Sunday and we may ask why they did that.

23)  They had the Lord's Supper each week because this was part of the “apostle’s doctrine” (Acts 2:42).

24)  God instructed the apostles to have the Lord's Supper each Sunday because of the cross.

a)      The cross brought man and God together and we remember that event Sunday after Sunday.

b)      Jesus’ death is about the most significant event in history we can find.

c)      The resurrection is right up there with it, but the cross is no less vital.

d)     In the Lord's Supper we have a continuing remembrance of Jesus’ death.

e)      When partaking of the Lord's Supper we do not have Jesus’ literal blood and body.

f)       We have fruit of the vine to represent His blood.

g)      We have unleavened bread to remind us of His body.

h)      We use these emblems every Sunday because what happened at the cross is so important.

 

25)  Religious groups have tried to argue that once a year communion “makes it special.”

26)  Some of us have also heard this argument:

27)  “If we have the Lord's Supper Sunday after Sunday, it will become common.”

a)      God did not put the Lord's Supper on a quarterly or yearly basis.

b)      We need to observe it weekly because this is the example in the New Testament.

c)      Too, remembering Jesus’ death will never become common if we really understand what it is.

d)     When we comprehend the cross, we can readily understand every Sunday communion.

 

28)  To the ones who say the Lord's Supper is not necessary each week, we might say:

a)      “Study the cross of Christ.”

b)      We need to ask people how the Lord's Supper can NOT be part of worship every Sunday.

 

29)  If we have to observe the Lord's Supper just once a year to “make it special,” what about worship?

30)  Should we not worship just once a year so our worship never becomes routine?

31)  The logic that proves one also proves the other.

 

32)  Contemplating the cross of Christ helps us with something else.

a)      In 1 Cor 1:18 Paul said the cross of Christ is “foolishness” to the world.

b)      Who wants to hear about a man who died on some chunks of wood?

c)      The cross will sound like foolishness until people understand 2 Cor. 5.

d)     At the cross the power was created (generated) to forgive every single person of every sin.

 

33)  Our world is always looking for new types of power and energy.

34)  There will never be a more powerful energy source than what was created at Calvary.

35)  We sing songs about “power in the blood.” 

36)  Those song writers knew what they were writing about; there is POWER in the blood.

37)  It would probably not sing well, but imagine a song that said ENERGY in the blood.

38)  There is force, vigor, oomph and the prospect of eternal life in what happened at the cross.

a)      Certainly the cross was not an event for Jesus’ benefit.

b)      Heb. 12:2 says the Lord “endured” the cross.

c)      He went there for you, for me, for all.

 

39)  The power He generated from His crucifixion has some far reaching consequences.

a)      For many years there was one special way to serve God.

b)      We now know that way as the Old Testament.

c)      Jews were the ones who received the system of religion described in the first part of the Bible.

 

40)  We are told in Col. 2:14 that Jesus’ death on the cross removed this system of religion.

a)      One death was enough to wipe out a religion that had lasted for many centuries.

b)      Hear what Paul said in Col. 2:14 – READ

 

41)  If we back up a chapter we find more effects of Jesus’ death.

42)  Col. 1:20 – READ

a)      When we think about the cross, we generally think of it benefitting mankind.

b)      Certainly in this verse Paul does talk about salvation being made available to all people.

c)      Now, instead of the Jews being the chosen people, anyone who obeys can be a child of God.

d)     Paul says something else in this verse:  the cross affected “all things.”

 

43)  There is a sense in which Jesus is a “cosmic redeemer.”

44)  Stated another way, the cross accomplished more than help man with sin.

45)  Our physical world shows the effects of sin.

a)      Jesus’ death has allowed God to one day provide man with a new environment.

b)      Man and his habitation will one day be restored.

c)      This will not take place on the earth; it will be in another realm.

d)     Man and his environment will one day be in harmony with each other.

e)      That is also a consequence of the cross.

 

46)  One would like to think that everyone would be enthused about this information.

47)  Sadly, that is not true.  If you are following along, let’s back up a few more chapters.

a)      Prior to the Colossian letter we have the Philippian epistle; we want chapter 3.

b)      The specific verse is 18 – READ

 

48)  Not everyone is excited about Christ’s cross.  Some are very hostile to it.

49)  Christians are to be people who are energized about the cross.

50)  We do not like the fact that Jesus died, but we are thrilled at what His death accomplished.

a)      In fact, in Gal. 6:14 Paul said he would “glory” in Jesus’ cross.

b)      In one of our songs we sing about “boasting” in the cross; this was Paul’s attitude.

c)      A person might be persecuted because of Christ’s cross (Gal. 6:12).

d)     They might regard it as foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18).

 

51)  The Christian says he or she is not ashamed of the Lord’s cross.

a)      Jesus said we must “bear our own cross” (Lk. 14:27).

b)      This means we demonstrate we are one of His people.

c)      That is not always easy or pleasant.  It is, however, necessary.

d)     In verse 27 of Lk. 14 Jesus said that those who do not do this cannot be His disciples.

 

52)  In view of the passages we have studied, what the Lord said makes a lot of sense.

a)      Who wants to be working at a job while others stand by and watch?

b)      A similar thing is true with the cross.

c)      Jesus came to die and bless the world, but that does not exempt us from personal responsibility.

d)     We need to share in some of the things He faced.

e)      Sometimes that is not going to be easy.  We may not be treated well.

f)       People may be mean to us.  We should expect to be hurt and suffer.

g)      Christianity is associated with cross bearing, not convenience.

h)      This fact often means there will be pain.  It may mean separation from family.

i)        It may mean a job loss.  It may mean we do not attend a school we want to attend.

j)        It may mean we choose not to wed someone that we might like to date and marry.

k)      There are splinters and nails in bearing the cross and if we are a Christian we are going to bleed.

 

53)  Jesus calls on us to suffer those wounds and keep shouldering His cross.

54)  In fact, in Lk. 9:23 He spoke of “bearing our cross daily.”

55)  Taking up our cross means “following” Christ (Mt. 16:24).

a)      We sing songs about that, too.  “Where He leads, I will follow.”

b)      When we sing those words, are they true or are we telling a lie?

c)      Have we taken up the cross of Christ?

d)     If so, have we also laid it down because we have been gouged?

e)      If we met Jesus today would He say we are bearing His cross every single day?

f)       We start the process by becoming a Christian.