Good Friday
The foolishness of the Cross
After the supper, Judas went out to hand Jesus over to the leaders
Zec 11:12
The time had come; God’s timing was perfect
Prophecies were to be fulfilled
Is 53, Ps 22, Gen 3 and many more
The garden scene:
· Jesus prays
· The disciples sleep
· The guards arrest Jesus
· Then the courtyard betrayal by Peter
(Give a brief overview of the events leading to the cross)
The religious leaders had a problem: they were afraid of the people.
Jesus was a popular teacher
They had to kill him because of his growing popularity
First they tried to trap him, but Jesus answered all their questions
Then they were publicly embarrassed because they could not answer his questions.
They continued to look for a way to get rid of Jesus.
The Pharisees were Jesus’ main opponents, but here the chief priests, took over because they had the political power
As we look at the political powers today we also see how they are taking away the truth and watering down the message
The scribes were the legal experts who doubtless were needed as they attempted to build their case against Him
Satan was involved in this deception (Luke 22:3 Satan entered the heart of Judas)
The Crucifixion involved more than the jealous ambitions of a few religious leaders and the disillusionment of one disciple; it involved a cosmic battle between God and Satan, a battle in which Satan was completely defeated
Colossians 2:15 and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross
To the high priests and the teachers of the law, Jesus was dangerous; He had to be eliminated
They presented false charges against Him
Pilate saw through their blatant lies. He knew Jesus was innocent
They pressurized Pilate with threats of a rioting
He couldn’t see any way out
A riot would jeopardize his leadership
He sent Jesus to Herod
Have you noticed how people who don’t know what to do with Jesus pass him over to someone else?
Or they compromise
They make excuses as to why they should pass Him by or reject Him
The Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus on theological grounds—blasphemy—but because this charge would be thrown out of a Roman court, they had to come up with a political reason for executing Jesus.
Their strategy - present him as a rebel who told the people not to pay their taxes and who claimed to be a king and thus a threat to Caesar.
The charges against Jesus in the Roman court were rebellion and treason
The very charges of man against God
The first accusation: Jesus was subverting the nation
The second accusation: Jesus opposed payment of taxes
The third charge: he was claiming to be Christ, a king
Like Jesus, we shall be wrongly accused at times, those who walk the way of the cross always will be
They had wanted a king who would lead a rebellion; Jesus did not fulfill this
What expectations do people want from Christianity?
They want to see a sign; they want something, which looks in the eyes of man strong and manly
They expect God to answer their every beck and call like a puppet on a string
But Jesus was different; he showed true power and strength by His actions
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter Is 53 (reading)
Those who were executed were supposed to say, “May my death atone for all my sins”; but Jesus confesses the sins of those who falsely convicted him
The preaching of the cross is central to the gospel
So what exactly does the death of Jesus represent?
You will never understand the significance until you know ‘who’ was hanging there
Why did Jesus have to die?
Why did God die?
How does God solve the separation with his creation?
We hear the solution from John the Baptist; he only preached one sermon
‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’
Jesus had one purpose in mind, to reconcile the world to God Rom 5:6-11 (reading)
The OT is full of animal sacrifices
By laying hands on the animal, the transferred their sin to it; they then killed it and shed the blood
Passover lamb type and symbol of Christ
The cross and his death was central to Jesus’ own teaching
The Jews stumbled over it because Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah they wanted.
1 Cor 1:17-23 (reading)
Their interpretation was of a messiah who would come and overthrow the world power, a military figure
Jesus didn’t fit their ideals; he was unwilling to fight
Dying on the cross didn’t look like success or power
It didn’t look like victory
It looked like weakness
It looked like failure
It looked like defeat
So they kept stumbling over it and the cross, got in the way
Not only did they have a false concept of the Messiah, they also had a false concept of salvation
They thought that the way to salvation was through their own righteousness. So they were busy keeping the Law
People think that through their own efforts they can earn favour with God
The natural man doesn’t want to believe in something he/she doesn’t understand
Illustration: Charles Wesley said, ‘Tis mystery all, the immortal dies.’
There are too many do-gooders who think themselves safe; they are too good for God to condemn
How can God put me on the same level as (whoever)?
The cross dams all our efforts and good-will gestures
It tramples down own fundraising and charity giving
It says, it will never be enough!
It will never put the world to right!
It will never put man’s heart in a right position with the Almighty!
Then Paul looked at the Greeks. Vs. 22 says that the “Greeks look for wisdom." They were the intelligent of the day. They had produced men like Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle. Great thinkers. Many of them we look up to even today
Illustration: Socrates said, "The secret to a successful society is education. If we can just give everybody a good education, then it must follow that the world will get better & better."
They also had a different concept of salvation. The Greeks believed that all souls are immortal. Therefore, when you die, you automatically go to be with the gods. If your life was good enough, then you stayed with the Gods. But if it wasn’t, then you were reincarnated into another body, & you get another chance. And you keep trying until you get it right
That way everybody is finally saved. Nobody is lost. You just keep being reincarnated until finally everybody is one with the gods. They didn’t need a Savior, because, in their thinking, everybody was going to be saved
There is a lot of this thinking in our society today
We will all get there in the end
No! You cannot make it brother/sister on your own
You need a substitute
So when it came to hearing about a cross that was foolishness
Why does anybody have to go to a cross and die?
We’re all going to be saved anyway
Does that sound familiar? We’re hearing some of that same kind of thinking today. It’s not new. It is as old as Mar’s Hill
Illustration. Michael Bird, a minister in Australia, tells about a well-known American preacher who gave some advice to an Australian congregation. He said, “Don’t tell people about the cross, it doesn’t work. Just tell them that God loves them & has a plan for them.”
The crux of his advice was that “The message of a crucified Jew is ridiculous to the modern mind... So move on to something better. A crucified Messiah is stupid, but promise them prosperity, give them emotional experiences, provide them with self-esteem – then you’ll fill the pews.” (Adapted from Michael Bird on SC)
Ted Turner said that Christianity was nothing but a crutch for ignorant people to prop on, or something to that effect.
Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
The events of the cross are exclusive, the highest and most important event in history, never to be repeated
Take a good look at the cross, not a casual glance
Illustration: The hymn writer says, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but lose and pour contempt on all my pride’
‘See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down, did ever such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.’
So what are we to do with this cross?
What are we to do with this Jesus?
Does it offend you?
Or do you glory in it?
1 Cor 2:2 I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus and Him crucified
There are only two positions in life when it comes to the cross
· Glory
· Offence
If you are neither then you are in a dangerous place
The most appalling are those who think the cross something beautiful:
· Touching
· Moving
· An ornament of magical powers
Don’t turn it into something it was never meant to be
Illustration: Dr Martin Lloyd Jones said, ‘If you have never reacted against it, and felt that it is an offence for you, I say you have never known it. It is always an offence to the natural man.’
Nobody is born a Christian in this world
Why is it an offence?
To the mind; man’s ultimate sin is pride it crosses over his/her preconceived ideas, notions and prejudices
People don’t object too much to the saving part, but to the fact that they are lost to begin with; helpless, needy beings with no hope or future
We don’t want to see ourselves as we really are!
We, like Adam and Eve, hide behind our own fig leaf – self, ego etc
But as the first Adam sinned and caused the fall, so the second Adam dealt with it and made a way back to communion with the father
In conclusion:
What does the cross mean to you?
If it’s an offence, then swallow your pride or your pride will swallow you
Or like Paul, do you glory in it?
Throwing yourself at the mercy of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, but the Lord has laid on Him, the iniquity of us all Is 53:5
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom 3:23
And lastly, Jesus’ own words from the cross, ‘it is finished!’
Done, completed once and for all! Amen
