WHAT IF?
GALATIANS 3:13
Introduction:
1. We often play this game with ourselves and I want to ask you this question this Easter Morning.
2. We know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and He defeated death and arose on the third day.
3. But, what if Jesus would have said, "Never mind, you are
not worth it"?
I. Our Worth Romans 3:10-18
"As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit,
The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
A. Scripture shows what we deserve.
Romans 6:23a: "For the wages of sin is death;"
1. We deserve death.
2. What if Jesus would have said, "Forget it, you all get
what you deserve for ever. Death"!
B. Scripture shows why we deserve death.
Romans 6:20-21: "For when you were slaves of sin, you
were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have
then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the
end of those things is death."
Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God."
Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away."
Romans 6:23a: "For the wages of sin is death;"
1. Why? Simply because sin equals death.
2. Even if it is just one sin your whole life, it is death.
C. Scripture shows where we deserve to go.
1. Although Hell is not intended for humans, but for
Satan and his followers, that is where we deserve to
go.
a. Let me give you a small glimpse of the punishment awaiting those in Hell.
Revelation 20:10: "The devil, who deceived them was cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the
false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night
forever and ever."
Matthew 8:12: "But the children of the kingdom shall be
cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth."
2. Without a Savior to make us righteous before God,
guess where we would go, Hell!
a. For those that say things like, "Well I’ll be with
my friends down their and we’re going to have
one big party everyday"; what a surprise.
b. Hell is no joke, and that is where we deserve to
go.
3. If this alone was not enough reason for Jesus to say
"Never mind", how about my second point this
morning.
II. Our Treatment Of Christ
A. The way Christ was treated, He had every reason to say,
"You are not worth it".
Luke 23:18-25: "And they all cried out at once, saying,
"Away with this Man, and release to us Barabas"- who had
been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the
city, and for murder.
Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out
to them. But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify
Him!"
Then he said to them the third time, ’Why, what evil has He
done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will
therefore chastise Him and let Him go."
But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He
be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief
priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be
as they requested. And he released to them the one they
requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown
into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will."
1. Jesus, God’s perfect Son, was hated so much that a
criminal was chosen over Him.
2. Why die for people that did not care one ounce for
Him?
3. You may say well I wasn’t there, but Jesus, God in
flesh, knew that even 2000 years later that humans
would still choose many other things and people
over Him.
a. That includes you and I!
B. Jesus’ own followers abandoned Him.
Luke 22:54-65: "Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."
But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."
And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."
But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"
Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him of the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him."
C. Although He was God, He never owned anything here on
this earth.
1. He began His earthly life by borrowing a manger
when He was born.
2. And now He was going to have to borrow a tomb to
be buried in.
3. He left Heaven for all of this? Why?
a. Let me tell you why in my last point this
morning.
III. Our Undeserving Love From God John 3:16-21
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
A. Praise God! Jesus did not quit!
1. Jesus did go ahead with His Father’s plan and died
on the cross for our sins.
a. As our text tells us in Galatians 3:13:
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having
become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree"),"
2. Blood had to be shed for our sins.
3. Let me read to you a very important passage for you to understand more of why Jesus had to die. Hebrews 9:16-10:18
B. As thankful as I am that Jesus died for all people, I am
also thankful that Jesus defeated death and arose.
1. The old hymn tells us "He Lives".
2. He still lives today.
C. This Easter Morning, you can live for all eternity with
Jesus if you will allow Christ to live within you.
1. He died for you and I.
2. You might ask, what must I do to accept this eternal
life?
Romans 10:9-10, 13 says this: "That if you confess with
your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
3. I never again want you to take Jesus’ death on the
cross lightly.
a. This portrayal of the crucifixion may make this
a little more real to you, I pray it does.
[RUN JESUS VIDEO CLIP WHILE SHAWN AND
JASON SING "O LORD MY GOD"]
Conclusion:
1. If you have never believed in Jesus, repented of your sins,
and confessed Him as Lord; when are you?
2. You may already be a Christian, but there is no evidence
to prove it by the way you are living your life.
a. Is Jesus’ death that insignificant to you?
3. If you will allow God to cleanse you of your sin, you can
start new today. I pray you do.
