The Cross: The Hour of Darkness Matthew 27: 32-44

Intro: My bus training…it’s driving me nuts at times….

Constructive criticism…we may hear 10 negative things but if there is one hidden gem, we need to hear it and make those changes.

When we look at the world we can easily see ten problems, but what is the one that causes the other nine?

With all the problems in the world, is there one that causes the others?

Yes! It’s called sin or human nature.

Jesus dealt with the particular problem, the fountainhead of all others, on the cross.

When the problem was addressed, Jesus declared, “It is finished.”

The question comes to us, “What was finished?”

What happened on the cross that makes the cross such a big deal?

As Christians, we emphasize the cross all the time/everywhere.

Text: Matthew 27: 32-44

Big Pic: The cross has more deep meaning than most people realize. It is pivotal in our understanding of human nature as well as the nature of God. Without it, we are hopelessly lost.

The assessment of Jesus’ death on the cross by the religious leaders was correct. Jesus could not both save himself and save us also.

Here were the options: (only 2)

He could save himself and leave us in eternal jeopardy.

He could save us and lose his own life on the cross.

Who can define “algorithm” for me?

“A set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, as for finding the greatest common divisor.”

The algorithm of God is that God restores life to the world by the death of his Son.

The cross reveals both the holiness of God and the severity of sin.

That God is holy is a foundational truth of the Bible, presented from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation.

Holy means to be set apart, to be unique; God is totally and utterly different.

Our holy God cannot look on evil because our sin absolutely disgusts the holiness of God. Habakkuk 1:13; Revelation 3:15-16.

(“spit out” means “vomit”)

We never hear on the news, “Well, the world’s problem is sin.”

We hear about government, business, education, psychology and sociology. Not a word about sin.

Holy God does not pretend our sin is a mental lapse or condone our sin as simple stubbornness.

God hates sin and cannot turn a blind eye to it.

I know hate is a strong word, but when you think of God’s pure holiness and righteousness, that leaves no room for sin.

God will not compromise his holiness by indulging our sinful behavior.

God’s stern holiness operates from God’s infinite love.

God will both honor these two strong emotions—his fiery holiness and his tender love; God’s holiness and love function together.

I know that is hard to understand. It’s quite the dichotomy.

How can a loving God reject sin and sinful people?

It has to be that way. Imagine if God tolerated our sin.

Just like you want a good fair judge or cop or teacher or parent…

If God were only holy, we would be destroyed; if God were only love, a lack of discipline and correction would destroy us.

We always need to emphasize both sides of God.

God’s holiness and love combine to do something unimaginable: God becomes a human being and saves us from ourselves.

God as human leads a sinless life.

God as human dies on the sinners’ place.

God as Jesus is the only perfect sacrifice for our sins.

This is the great and very important drama of the cross.

Matthew 27:45-54; John 19:28-30

Jesus was forsaken by his heavenly father so that we might be forgiven and received by a holy God—this is the beauty of the cross.

Jesus became sin as all the sins of the world were placed by God on Jesus.

The sinless righteousness of Jesus Christ can now be ours.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Application/conclusion:

On August 16, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed on take-off in Detroit, Michigan, killing 155 passengers. Only four year old Cecilia survived, found walking among the wreckage totally unhurt. Just prior to the crash, Cecilia’s mother, Paula, unbuckled her seat belt and knelt in front of Cecilia with her arms wrapped around her daughter for protection. Paula took the devastation of the crash and Cecilia lived. Paula took the fall for her daughter that she loved.

God sent his Son, Jesus, who wrapped his arms around you and me, took the horrible fall with all its sin so that in the midst of the wreckage of this world, we might live.

God is holy and God is love. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.

Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?

12 ordinary men

Ordinary men doing extraordinary things. Mark 3:13-19

Intro… Superhero’s and comic books have been popular for years. Why? Because of the story line of the average guy doing superhero stuff.

Jesus picked average guys to carry on his ministry. Matt. 4:18-22, 9:9

Text: Mark 3:13-19 12 points today…12 disciples…

Big Pic: If God chose 12 ordinary men to do extraordinary things and to carry on the future of the Christian faith, he can use you and me to accomplish his goals in our lifetime.

As Christians, we are his disciples today.

A follower of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought

As his disciples today we need to:

Cast a wide net. Matt. 4:18

Let’s not limit ourselves on who we can and cannot reach for Christ.

Ask God to bring people into your life and share the gospel in a variety of ways.

The wider we throw the net, the more we catch.

Let God do the sifting.

Become fishers of men. Matt. 4:19

Whatever skills you’ve acquired over the years in regards to influencing people, now use that skill for Jesus.

For the disciples, they went from fishing for fish to fishing for men.

Sales, teaching, coaching, organizing block parties, room mom, party planner at work, throwing great parties, etc.

Drop everything and go (immediately). Matt. 4:20

There are times in our lives when we recognize the urgency of something and we drop everything and go.

Fire, earthquake, emergency’s (LilyAnna choking)

When it becomes evident to you that you need to follow Jesus, you need to be willing to drop what seems so important and go.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Follow the master. Matt. 4:20

We need to make sure we are following the right leader.

There are plenty of people out there with great ideas looking for followers.

Any kind of godly leadership is worth following.

Jesus CEO

What a great thing to say to others, “I’m following Jesus…”

God calls those whom he desires. Mark 3:13

We need to listen to God’s calling and come to him.

Like I mentioned earlier about letting God do the sifting…God has predestined who will come to him.

Instead of getting all freaked out over that, let’s assume everyone we come in contact with is predestined…

God has sent us out to preach. Mark 3:14

You may not preach in front of a church every week, but your audience is just as important as those who gather with us on Sunday mornings.

And, our preaching doesn’t always have to be verbal.

Be different, counter cultural, but not to be rebellious, be a rebel for Jesus.

Jesus was a rebel.

He helped people think about life in a different way.

When we live moral, godly lives, we are “rebelling” against societal norms.

Leave a legacy.

When you look up “disciple” in the dictionary… “one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.

Any other professed follower of Christ.

What do you want to go down in history for?

Sell out for Jesus.

He/she’s a sell-out…normally not a good thing to be known for.

“Jesus freak” DC Talc

Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”

Be willing to give your life for the cause.

Most of the disciples died for their belief in Jesus.

World Mag. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

Here’s some of the things these ordinary men/disciples accomplished because they were willing to drop everything and follow Jesus:

Andrew: preached to the Scythians [modern day Georgia] and Thracians [modern day Bulgaria], and was crucified, suspended on an olive tree.

Bartholomew: preached in India the Gospel according to Matthew, and was crucified with his head downward.

James, Son of Alphaeus: “ When preaching in Jerusalem, was stoned to death by the Jews, and was buried there beside the temple.

James, Son of Zebedee: The brother of John, the disciple "that Jesus loved".

According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, James was killed by Herod:

Act 12:1-2 And at that time Herod the king threw on his hands to oppress some of those of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

John, brother of James and son of Zebedee: John was one of the few disciples that did not die a cruel death, but of "old age".

John was banished by Domitian to the Isle of Patmos, and later died in Ephesus

Matthew: Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could."

Simon/Peter :

Peter and Paul founded the Church in Rome:

Peter was put to death under Nero in Rome:

It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day.

(Paul was a Roman citizen and couldn’t be crucified but got an "easier" death sentence)

Philip: Philip preached and was executed in what today is eastern Turkey:

Philip preached in Phrygia, and was crucified in Hierapolis with his head downward in the time of Domitian, and was buried there.

Simon the Zealot: Simon the Zealot was the second Bishop of Jerusalem.

Thaddaeus son of James: preached to the people of Edessa, and to all Mesopotamia, and fell asleep at Berytus, and was buried there.

Thomas: An active missionary, he met his fate in India:

And Thomas preached, he was thrust through in the four members of his body with a spear and was buried there.

Judas: We all know what happened to him...

Most of these guys had things happen to them that will never happen to us.

Yet so many people today are afraid to be identified as followers of Jesus or Christians.

Remember, once you become a Christian you are a disciple of Christ and need to represent him accurately to the world.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? Mark 8:27-30

Caesarea Philippi: 25 mi. north of the sea of Galilee, once the center worship of Ba’al and eventually the Greek god Pan (Pantheism or Pantheist) and then of Caesar who was worshipped as a god.

Syrian gods were also worshiped in the surrounding village.

It is in this cross-section of ancient religions that Jesus asked his followers, “Who do the people say that I am?

Many different answers were given to Jesus by the disciples.

Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist alive from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah. Still others said Jesus was one of the great Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah, for example.

Jesus, then, asked the disciples directly, “Now, who do you say that I am?” Peter answered first, saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” The question reverberates through history about Jesus: “Who is this guy?"

Peter, at Jesus’ bidding, walked on water. Peter helped feed over 5000 people. He saw Jesus whip the animals out of the Temple and chase out the money-changers. “Who is this guy?”

Every thoughtful person has to raise and answer this question. Just as in Jesus’ day, there were various popular answers, so there are many answers in our own time.

In The Story, let’s consider some of the answers to the question about Jesus, “Who is this guy?"

Jesus is a real nice guy. (the soft, hippie Jesus)

Jesus was a good person who created “the golden rule,” showing he was a friend of the poor, dependable advocate for the down-trodden, said a lot of great things, everybody’s best friend.

Yet, Jesus kept asserting that he was God as he kept referring to himself as “the Son of Man.”

In the Gospels, there are 80 references to “the Son of Man,” a favorite name Jesus used for himself. Daniel 7:13-14, “the Son of Man” is a reference for a divine being.

This phrase combines in one person both human and divine traits. Other clues: “come on the clouds” “given dominion and glory and a kingdom”, “all nations should serve him”

So, Jesus is more than just a “nice guy.”

Jesus kept using “I AM” statements about himself, a title for God in the Old Testament. John 6:35 & 8:12. Jesus claimed to forgive sins, to be greater than Jonah, than Abraham, than Solomon and even greater than John the Baptist, greater than the Temple and the Sabbath.

Since Jesus made these claims, namely to be God, then you’ve got to do something with that…

Was Jesus just a little bit crazy?

Was Jesus was a megalomaniac of the likes of Adolf Hitler or Alexander the Great, speaking and acting crazy or mentally disturbed?

Did he have delusions of grandeur, power and wealth

Many people were deeply devoted to Jesus, not becoming murderers like Hitler or power-hungry like followers of Stalin.

The disciples gave their lives for Jesus.

Jesus won the admiration of men and women and people from all levels of the social structures. No one led and taught people like Jesus. Jesus did not make people into lunatics; he made them better, with common fisherman writing some of the most revered books in human history.

Some people think Jesus was a deceiving fraud.

Oh, he was just a trickster and a huckster, a pied-piper who led blind followers over the cliff to their destruction. Yet, the miracles that Jesus performed (over 36 different ones recorded in the Gospels) demonstrate that he was not a huckster. He never performed miracles to merely draw a crowd and make a name for himself or show off. He never made a profit or took a penny for his miraculous works. One of the greatest testimonies to the veracity of the truth of Jesus Christ is the historically documented explosion of the New Testament church.

So who is Jesus? Jesus Christ God, Son, Savior. (Christian fish)

Jesus did miraculous things with a wonderful heart, showing that he was a tender, compassionate person who befriended and truly helped people.

Peter said it correctly for all of us, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Jesus went to the cross on a hill named after a human skull, (Golgotha) showing what he thought of us: he loved us deeply and gave his life for us

Application:

Go to your own Caesarea Philippi—a place of many gods: materialism, atheism, secularism, Mormonism, Buddhism, etc. and answer Jesus’ question for yourself, “Who do you say that I am?” Your answer will define your destiny. I’ve said it many times over the years, “You want to cause trouble in a room full of people, mention Jesus.” You can usually mention God and people won’t freak out as much. It’s because of the claims that Jesus made, the things he said about himself. Either he was truly the Lord, or he’s lost his marble. He showed you what he thinks of you by dying on the cross for you and rising from the dead.