The Apostle Paul calls us Jars of Clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). As followers of Jesus we must allow the Word of God to fill us with it's message of Truth and Grace. In this way, we become a "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

His Crucifixion - March 5, 2017 sermon


By Pastor Greg


A poor vagabond, traveling a country road in England, tired and hungry, came to a roadside Inn with a sign reading: "George and the Dragon."  He knocked.  The innkeeper's wife stuck her head out a window.  "Could ye spare something to eat?" he asked.  The woman glanced at his shabby clothes and apparently poor condition.  "No!" she said rather sternly.  "Could I have a pint of ale?"  "No!" she said again.  "Could I at least sleep in your stable?" "No!"  By this time, she was fairly shouting. The Vagabond said, "Might I please... ?"  "What now?" the woman interrupted impatiently.  "D'ye suppose," he asked, "I might have a word with George?"
Did you ever look back on your life and wish you could have a “do-over”?  Boy, I do.  I am haunted by careless words spoken and selfish deeds; they were so disrespectful and arrogant.  And I hurt a lot of people because of this. I wish I could make these memories go away, or at least go back and do what was right.
But I can’t.  There is no such thing as a time machine. 
Oh, I know we would like one; a device that allows us to go back and right our wrongs.  But this simply cannot happen.  These moments of sin are a blemish which has stained the portrait of our lives.  What was once beautiful and innocent has become tattered and torn.  They will be with us forever.
Or will they?
(John 19:17-27) 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
21 Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
22 Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.
25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. [1]
Please do not overlook the significance of the cross.  All four gospel writers mention this event.  God spoke of this throughout the Old Testament.  The Cross on which Jesus died was no accident.  It was all part of God’s plan … which means it had a purpose.  Actually, God says the crucifixion of Jesus is a good thing.  He says that in the end, Jesus will be satisfied by what He accomplished on the cross (Isaiah 53:11). 
700 years before it even happened, Isaiah used words like “pierced” and “crushed” to describe the Messiah (Isaiah 53:5).  Isaiah says the Lord’s Servant would be “scourged”; that He would be killed at a young age – the prime of His life (verse 8).  Isaiah says this Servant would be executed as some common criminal but would be buried as a rich man (verse 9).  However, it is Isaiah 53:6 that really grips my heart.  This “suffering Servant” would be “punished for all the evil we have done[2]; for all the evil I had done.
The Crucifixion of Jesus was not an accident.  He was not taken against His will.  Jesus was not overpowered by a group of bad men.  He allowed Himself to be killed so our sin could be forgiven.  Therefore, Jesus gave up His spirit on April 3, 33 A.D., at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.[3]  He allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross so we would be given an opportunity to have our sin forgiven.
And he did this 1,927 years before I was even born; before you or I had the opportunity to make a mess of our life.
Have you ever read the words of Paul in Romans 5:8?  “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners,[4] which means that God planned to forgive our sins – to take those who are tattered and torn and make them whole again.
God knew we were utterly helpless.  He knew we could not repair the damage.  He knew we would mess up our lives.  But at just the right time, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:6).
Could it be that there is hope for sinners like you and me?  Is it possible that God would forgive all the careless words spoken and selfish deeds?
Absolutely!
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!”[5] (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Paul also exclaims “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me[6] (Galatians 2:20).
This is what His crucifixion accomplished.  By His death, we are made whole.  We now have the opportunity to start a new life, to become someone different; someone who no longer makes the same mistakes or says the same careless words.  By His crucifixion, Jesus grants us a “do over.”  He erases the debt of our past sins, cleanses us – washing us whiter than snow – and grants us a life no longer marked by sin and death.
Unfortunately, we live with the consequences of our actions in this life.  We can’t take away the hurt and pain caused by our deeds and words, but the penalty for them has been lifted from us and carried to the cross by Jesus.  We must work hard to regain trust or mend broken relationships caused by our sin, but the good news is that Christ has provided this opportunity in the first place all because of His Crucifixion.  He lets us start over again.
And that is really good news.


[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Jn 19:17–27). Carol Stream, IL.
[2] The Everyday Bible: New Century Version. (2005). (Is 53:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[3] Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 184–185). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Ro 5:8). Carol Stream, IL.
[6] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Ga 2:20). Carol Stream, IL.

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