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The Crucifion: The End Of The Beginning
Contributed by Joe Harding on Apr 14, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: JESUS FINISHED THE WORK FOR OUR SALVATION!
THE CRUCIFION: THE END OF THE BEGINNING
PALM SUNDAY APRIL 4, 2004
INTRODUCTION: Here’s why The Passion of Christ is rated "R".
The "R" of course is because of the violence, the gore. In movie terms "R" stands for RESTRICTED, but in this movie "R" stands for RELEVANT, for REALISTIC, for it REALLY happened for a REASON because we were REBELIOUS we needed a REDEEMER, we needed to be RECONCILED, we needed to be RECOVERED, we needed to be REGENERATED. Jesus needed to be REJECTED so that we could have a RELATIONSHIP not just a RELIGION.
The "R" is to REMIND us to REMEMBER what Jesus did to REMOVE our sin to RENDER Satan powerless, to RESCUE us from eternity in hell.
The "R" rating is to show that Jesus was RESPONSIBLE for giving you REST. As a RESULT of his death Jesus RETIRED your debt. The "R" rating means that some will be REPULSED, some will REFUSE to believe, some will be RELUCTANT, and some will think you are RIDICULOUS in believing that a death was REQUIRED. The "R" rating means that the RESULT of sin has been REVERSED and now through faith in Christ your REWARD is eternity and you are now RIGHTEOUS before God because you have RECEIVED him as the RULER of your soul. What a REVOLUTIONARY and RADICAL solution to REDEEM mankind. REJOICE!!
--Author unknown --
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Today is Palm Sunday, the last Sunday before Easter. On Easter, we will celebrate the power of the RISEN LORD. It is always hard for me to make the journey from Palm Sunday, with its shouts of “Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” to the “HE is Risen.” The problem is that right in the middle of these two statements is the Crucifixion. This is also called the Passion and it is R Rated! Today we are going to conclude our discussion of the Crucifixion, for this Lenten season anyway. I want us to focus on what is meant when Jesus says: “IT IS FINISHED.” We could talk about all the prophecy fulfilled, and we have done this to some degree. But I thought of greater importance to us today, is the immediate impact the Crucifixion is to play in our lives and what Jesus and others had to say about it as our lives are affected. SO JUST HOW DID THE WORK GET COMPLETED AND HOW IS IT FINISHED? ALL OF THIS IS THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
THESIS SENTENCE: JESUS FINISHED THE WORK FOR OUR SALVATION!
AS I WRESTLED WITH WERE TO START WITH THIS END OF THE BEGINNING AND WITH “IT IS FINISHED,” JOHN 14 CAME TO MY MIND. HERE THIS TEXT: JOHN 14:1-7.
I. THE END OF THE BEGINNING IS A MATTER OF DIRECTION JOHN 14: 1-7
A. DIRECTION IS A PROMISED PLACE
1. For Jesus to complete the work that had to be done, He called the disciples to trust Him.
2. Trust is an interesting dynamic. He knew that they trusted God, so He told them to transfer that trust on to Him.
3. This trust would revolve around the work that Jesus had done and was GOING to do.
4. He was going to prepare a place for them. Not only was this true, but after going, He was coming back to get them, so that they could be where Jesus would be! 5. A place is prepared by Jesus and unless He went, the place would not be prepared. The real issue is not the place, but the pathway provided.
B. DIRECTION IS A PROMISED PATH
1. The disciples didn’t seem to upset about Jesus leaving, as much as they were confused about where he was going.
2. In verse 4, Jesus has already told them they KNOW the way.
3. In all actuality, THEY DID KNOW THE WAY!
4. The work that Jesus had to complete was the way to get those that KNOW HIM to the Place HE has prepared!
5. The Great News is that He is the Way…
6. Verse 6 makes something very, very clear to us. “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
7. As I wrestled with this understanding of Jesus completing the Task of the Cross and of being able to say, “IT IS FINISHED”, I realized that a part of the task was preparing the way for us to follow to the Place He had Prepared.
ILLUSTRATION: In November 1975, 75 convicts started digging a secret tunnel designed to bring them up at the other side of the wall of Saltillo Prison in northern Mexico. On April 18, 1976, guided by pure genius, they tunneled up into the nearby courtroom in which many of them had been sentenced. The surprised judges returned all 75 to jail.
