2023.06.25.Sermon Notes.The Crucifixion of CHRIST Explained
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Did you ever wonder why JESUS had to die on a cross of all the ways that HE could have died? There is a deep meaning of forgiveness, redemption and restoration behind the Crucifixion of CHRIST on the Cross.
Scriptures: Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Genesis 3:22-24; Genesis 3:15; Psalms 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; Revelation 1:7; Genesis 2:21-23; John 19:31-37; Genesis 3:17-18; John 19:1-4; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19-21;
John 19:28-30; Romans 8:13-17; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
MESSIANIC PROPHECY – HE would take it all upon HIMSELF for you and me
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
QUESTION: THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS. IS IT FOOLISHNESS OR THE POWER OF GOD TO YOU?
OUT OF THE GARDEN – AFTER TAKING OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.
Genesis 3:22-24
22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
ILLUSTRATION:
Adam: GOD, Why would you kick us out of the Garden?
GOD: Because I Love you.
Adam: I get that, but wait, no-no-no, …but if I eat from the tree of life, I’ll live forever.
GOD: NO, because you ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil first…that BROKE you, and if you ate of the tree of life, you would live forever…. BROKEN.
So before you make a bad thing permanent, let me get you out of here.
Because I knew this was going to happen, so I had a LAMB, I had selected a LAMB that would be slain before the foundation of the earth!
The now BROKEN and SINFUL Man could not undo what he had done (sin), and what he had done brought the curse of sin and destruction to all of GOD’s Creation.
Only GOD could Fix, Restore, Redeem, that which man broke. And GOD had a plan, already in place.
1 Peter 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST EXPLAINED
The topic of capital punishment is not something we like to talk about. Over the course of history, many different methods were used to take the life of the offender.
Today’s society accepts its methods as more humane to the offender. Electric Chair, Lethal Injection, hanging, etc. each designed to take the life of the offender quickly.
However, since sin entered the world, death to the offender was made to be torturous and inhumane, to make the individual “pay the penalty” in pain and suffering.
Roman Crucifixion was one of the most inhumane methods of torturous death. Purposely a slow and painful death as a sign to everyone who saw it, to comply with the laws of the land.
(Explain death on a cross) Hanging by nails in hands and feet; joints out of socket, painfully pushing and pulling up for each breath, until exhaustion and finally suffocation. To prolong the pain and time of suffering, the Roman Soldiers added a board so the offender/victim could barely rest/sit on the cross until pushing up for their next breath…All to make a spectacle of suffering public.
JESUS was nailed to and died on a cross between two criminals who were sentenced to death for their actions.
DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY JESUS HAD TO DIE ON A CROSS OF ALL THE WAYS HE COULD HAVE DIED?
• Man stole from the tree from the very beginning.
• So GOD had to put back on the tree for you and me what the first man and woman couldn’t do for a correction, restoration and redemption.
• That’s why JESUS had to die on a Cross…because it was a tree.
WHY DID HE HAVE TO HAVE HIS HANDS PIERCED?
• Because it was our hands that stole from the tree.
WHY WERE HIS FEET PIERCED?
• Because the first messianic prophecy is that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.
• And the serpent would crush the feet of the woman. Think of the fangs of poisonous snake, piercing when it bites.
• Its fulfillment of the Messianic Prophecy in Genesis 3:15 dealing with HIS feet.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Psalms 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS? JESUS HAD HIS SIDE PIERCED, WHY DID HE HAVE HIS SIDE PIERCED?
• Who is the one who led Adam into temptation and sin? It was Eve, the one who was taken from the side of the man to form woman. (Genesis 2:21-23)
• The significance of HIS Pierced side is that HE is making atonement not only for the sin of man but also for the sin of Eve. (John 19:34)
Genesis 2:21-23
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
John 19:31-37
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
HE HAD A CROWN OF THORNS ON HIS HEAD. WHY A CROWN OF THORNS ON HIS HEAD?
• What’s the physical sign of the curse of man’s sin in creation? The ground would produce thorns and thistles. Because of Man’s sin, the very ground he stood on became cursed. (Genesis 3:17-18)
• JESUS literally takes the curse of creation upon HIS head with the crown of thorns to reverse that curse and restore the blessing.
Genesis 3:17-18
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
CROWNED KING OF THE JEWS, BUT NO FAULT FOUND. THE SINLESS, FAULTLESS, UNBLEMISHED LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.
John 19:1-4
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
1 Peter 1:19-21 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
THREE (3) LAST WORDS FROM THE CROSS
John 19:28, 30
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
IT IS FINISHED!
WHAT WAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED, WAS COMPLETED. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE…
HE GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT! To you and to me and to all who will believe in HIM.
HE GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT TO DWELL IN US.
Romans 8:13-17
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
OUR GUARANTEE – SEALED BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS WITHIN, CHANGING US FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS ONE OF REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS AND RESTORATION, that goes back to the very beginning of time, and is for all who will believe in JESUS as LORD and SAVIOR.
Let’s Pray,
FATHER, we come with grateful hearts to worship YOU. Thank YOU for YOUR LOVE and MERCY towards us, by the sacrifice of JESUS, and the guarantee of eternal life through HOLY SPIRIT. Move our hearts to love and live for YOU, in JESUS Name, Amen.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
