Intro: there are thousands of sermons that have been preached over the years on the seven sayings from the cross. Father forgive them for they know not what they do, I thirst, My God, My God why has thou forsaken me, it is finished. But another interesting study is the voices at the cross. Today, a study of the voices at the cross will make us aware that these voices are still speaking in our world today.
VOICES AT THE CROSS
I. Voice of Religious Anger—Matthew 27:39-40, you who destroys the temple and builds it back in three days, save yourself. If we understand anything, it wasn’t the publicans and sinners that nailed Jesus to the cross, it was religion, with it’s leaders that placed Jesus Christ on the cross. Today, if we are to battle anything in our lives with all our strength, it is to guard ourselves from becoming religious.
a. religion is offended by Christ that he doesn’t honor our work as much as he honors our faith. Building things for God is never as important as letting Jesus build things in our lives. Many people will do a lot of things for Christ, that won’t submit their lives to Christ.
b. Religion is offended that Jesus rocks the boat—the next thing that caused religion to nail Jesus to the cross, is he was all about change. He did away with the old, to bring in the new. If there is anything that we hate in our lives, is change. Jesus demands change, and you will do one of two things, you will either change, or you will nail him to the cross.
c. Religion is offended that Jesus demands all---the scribes and Pharisee’s wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They wanted religious exercises that demanded performance over death to self, the flesh and the world. Jesus said, anyone who follows me, must be totally surrendered, so religion nailed him to the cross.
II. Voice of Spiritual Pride—Matthew 27:41-44 if He’s the King of Israel, He said, I am the Son of God. The Chief Priests and all the other religious leaders had become accustomed to honor, privilege, and popularity. As Jesus grew in fame and favor with God and man, envy, jealousy and stife came into the hearts of the religious leaders.
a. He took the spotlight off of these leaders, and they couldn’t handle it.
In the church you must always guard against spiritual pride entering into your spirit. If you are not careful, the church won’t be about Jesus and His honor and glory, but my honor, my position, my glory. If the Lord uses someone else in my place, I have to guard against jealousy ruining my spirit.
b. He claimed authority over them—the next area that had polluted religion was power had corrupted them. They didn’t want to submit to Jesus Christ, they said, by what authority do you do these things? We must be careful that power, position, and influence, don’t create a spiritual pride that nails Jesus to the cross.
c. Jesus made everyone equal in the kingdom—the poor, the lepers, the sinners and publicans—were all equal with Jesus Christ. Religion always separates people into categories, some always feel superior to others in any religious system. Jesus didn’t come to make us Lords, but to make us servants. Love one another, submit one to another.
III. Voice of True Repentance—Luke 23:39-43 this is the story of the thief on the cross, the first dead bed repentance recorded in the bible. He also proves that blood not water is the means of salvation, because he never was baptized.
1. he confessed his sinfulness—v.41—we are getting exactly what our sins deserve. The first step in repentance is admitting we are sinners. Until someone confesses their need of Christ, they will never profess their faith in Christ.
2. he confessed that Jesus was sinless—v.41b—I don’t think this thief was a theologian, but he stated one of the important doctrines of the Bible, that Jesus was sinless. The lamb of God that took away the sin of the world had to be spotless, we hear this confession of Jesus Christ at the cross.
3. He confessed the Lordship of Jesus—42 Lord Remember me when you come into your kingdom—all that call unto the name of the Lord shall be saved.
4. this day you will be with me in Paradise.
IV. Voice of Saving Faith—Mark 15:39 Truly this man was the Son of God.
C. S. Lewis states the importance of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ this way: “ the son of God became the son of man so that the son’s of men might become the sons of God.”
The last voice at the cross was that of saving faith.
Romans 10:9—if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in your heart that God raise him from the dead, you will be saved.
Hebrews 11:6-without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Close: today the voices at the cross are still speaking, voices of religious anger, voices of spiritual pride, voices of true repentance, voices of saving faith.
I read a story on the power of the cross that is very powerful. A monk who had not spoken a word in years was asked to preach for a church in the valley that was below the monastery. The place was packed to hear his first words. But at his motion, the lights in the sanctuary all were turned off, and the monk with one lit candle moved down the center isle. He lit another candle at the altar where a crown of thorns were seen by the light, he lit the next candle and three rusty nails were seen by the light, he lit the next candle and a bloody spear was seen by the light, and as he lit the last candle, a cross was revealed at the altar. The monk then proceeded out of the sanctuary and back to the monastery. Those in the valley all said, it was the greatest sermon ever preached.
