What The Cross Brings

 

Every Sunday when gather to worship God we partake of the Lords Supper. Many times we reflect up on how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. It from this concept that I started thinking more and more about what Jesus death on the cross brings for you and me. So this morning and evening we are going to examine 8 different blessing that we receive from Jesus dieing on the cross.

 

Christ Death on the Cross Brings Redemption

 

The word Redemption means to buy back or to set free. During the 1st century when Christianity began the word redemption was associated with slavery because slavery was a part of everyday life back then. If any person was willing to pay the price, a slave could be redeemed and set free. Since the time that Adam and Eve committed the first sin in the garden of Eden the human race has always been a slave to since. Even God chosen race in the OT know as the children of Israel  struggled every single day with sin.  Sometimes they were faithful to the lord and others times they would completely turn their back on him. When you think about it every generation since the beginning of time has one thing in common we have all sinned. I think Paul sums up it up best in:

 

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Also notice what John says about this topic.

1 John 1:8   8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

There should be no doubt everyone who has ever lived and will ever live is a slave to sin. Of course this excludes Jesus. So we see a great need for the human race to be redeemed from the slavery of sin. But before redemption can occur a price must be paid. Therefore, the only way that Christ could bring redemption for the human race was to pay the ultimate price by allowing himself to be sacrificed on the cross so that we could be redeemed from our sins. You see there was no other way that we could be redeemed. In fact listen to what Peter says about this in:

 

1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  

 

Notice we are not redeemed by anything that can found on this earth. Even if you took all of the most valuable possessions that we have they could never ever redeem us. Peter also makes it clear that our man made tradition certainly cannot redeem us. No it was only the precious blood of Jesus that is valuable enough to pay for our redemption.

 

Did we deserve this redemption? Did we do something for God in such away that he owed us favor?  Absolutely not!  If a rich man of the first century observed a slave that was honest, obedient, and a perfect model of a slave, he might say, “That man deserves to be free! I’m going to redeem him.” But this certainly is not the case when it comes to the human race. Man was guilty of sin, and didn’t deserve to be free, therefore our  redemption came through wonderful grace of God.

 

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7 Paul also wrote, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? (Romans 3:24).

 

Under the law of Moses, there was a continual struggle to deal with sin. God set up a priesthood, and the High Priest would offer a blood sacrifice from animals to deal with the sins of the people year after year. This was a very important system to the OT Jew, however true redemption from sin could not come from these animal sacrifices. True forgiveness or true redemption could only come through our high priest Jesus Christ.

 

But how does man gain access to this wonderful blessing of redemption that comes from the cross?

 

Romans 6: 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?  17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

 

So in order to be redeemed from sins we must obey the gospel. The Bible makes it real easy for us to choose what we will be a slave to. If we continue to be a slave of sin then it will lead to spiritual death and you will find yourself sharing a room with the devil and his angels. However if you choose to be a slave of righteousness that is one who will serve God and do their to obey his will then you will find yourself in heaven itself sounded by the glorious light of God where you will spend eternity in peace and love.

 

Christ Death on the Cross Brings Love

 

In John 3 Jesus encounters a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. Jesus tells the man that he must be born again or he will not be able to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus did not understand this and he ask Jesus what he means. Well, after Jesus explains this new birth to him he goes on to explain the motivating force behind salvation.

 

John 3: 14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

In verse 14 Jesus is talking about how he would die and how salvation would come. At one point the children of Israel had rebelled against God out in the wilderness and he sent fiery serpents out to bite the children of Israel. Moses prays for them and then God instructs Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and put it on pole and if someone get bitten then all they have to do is look at this bronze serpent and they would not die. Do you see the symbolism? Jesus had to be raised up on the cross before we could have forgiveness of sin.  The word loved used in verse 16 comes from The Greek word “agape” which is the strongest word in existence for love. It is a love that unselfish. A person who has this kind of love will put other people’s needs above their own. Jesus speaks of this kind of love in:

 

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

 

Let me give you a example of this kind of love.

Once there was a little girl that needed a kidney transplant to save her life. A search was made, but a donor could not be found that was compatible to her. It was finally discovered that only her little brother’s kidney would save her life. When they asked him about giving one of his kidneys, he thought for a moment and then said that he was willing. They were rolled into the operating room side by side, and a few moments later the little boy asked the Doctor, “How long is it now before I die?” He had agreed to give the kidney thinking that it would cost him his life. This is a great example of agape love.

 

Jesus expressed this same kind of agape love for the entire human and he knew without  a doubt that it would cost him his life!

 

Again we might ask, “Did we deserve this kind of love?” No, instead we really deserve eternal punishment for our sin.

 

Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

 

Love motivated Jesus to go to the greatest depth of suffering, and to drink the bit‑ cup of death so that sinners like you and me might be forgiven our sins. Therefore, every saved sinner can sing, “Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.”

 

The Cross brings Hope

 

After Jesus had talked to the rich young ruler who wasn’t willing to give up his riches to follow Christ Jesus says this:

 

 

Mark 10:25”It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”  27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

 

Jesus makes it clear that you and I do not have the abilty to save ourselves. We have to rely up God for our salvation. It is only through Jesus death on the cross that we can be saved. So from this we can clearly see that the cross has brought hope into all of our lives that we can be saved and have heaven as our home. Without Jesus death, burial and resurection we would be without hope.

 

1 Corinthians 15: 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!  18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable.

 

This would be a sad existence indeed. Could you imagine how different your life would be if all we had was this short existence here on this earth. Could you image facing all the hardships of this life alone. I know it would it make me absolutely miserable. To me this life wouldn’t be worth living with God in my life.

 

But thank goodness Jesus died for us and was raised from the dead so that we can rejoice in the hope he has given us. Notice what Paul says in:

 

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

As Christians we should abound that is to be exceedingly joyful in the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. 

 

1 Peter 1:13  3 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 

1 Peter 1:20-21  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.

 

Let us never forget the hope that cross brings to our lives.

 

The Cross Brings Forgiveness

 

Another important thing that the cross brings to us is forgiveness of our sins. Notice what Paul says about Jesus in:

Colossians 1:14   in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

 

Even when Jesus was on the cross before he died he looked down on all the people that were mocking him and said:

 

Luke 23:34  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

 

What a loving savior we have who would ask the father to forgive these people who had done nothing but hate him. When Jesus died and his blood was shed he made it possible for all to be forgiven that are willing to accept God saving grace by obeying Gods commands

 

When Paul and other missionaries traveled over the country preaching the gospel, they could remind sinners that Christ offered forgiveness. Paul told his audience at Antioch in Pisidia that Jesus had brought to the world forgiveness.

 

Acts 13:38  38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

 

If want to receive the forgiveness of our sins that the cross brings to us then we must obey the gospel call.

 

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

Hear

Romans 10:17   17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Believe

John 8:24   24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Repent

Luke 13:3   3 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Confess 

Romans 10:9  9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Baptism

1 Peter 3:21   21 There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

 

These are all the things that a person must do to accept the saving grace of God. But the Bible gets even more specific at when a person sins are forgiven.

 

Acts 2:38  8 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

Peter speaks very clearly here and says that baptism is the name of Jesus Christ is when a person receives the forgiveness of their sins.

 

Acts 22:16   ‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

 

This talking about Paul conversion to Christianity. Paul at this point had believed in Jesus and called him Lord and we know that he had repented because he had went 3 days with out eating or drinking and he was praying to God continually. But what do we find out about Paul? We find out that he was still in his sins. What did Ananais tell Paul he must do to wash away his sins? He told him to arise and be baptized.

 

Now there is nothing magical about the water it simply the place the God has said he will wash away our sins with the blood of Jesus Christ. In fact I believe Paul puts it best in:

 

Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

 

Notice it is by our faith in God that we can know that when we allow ourselves to be baptized we can truly belive that we are being buried with Christ and that  are sins are being washed away. With the same faith in God we can know that when we are raised up out of the water that we are being raised with Christ and all of our sins have been forgiven. With out a doubt baptism is the point that we receive the wonderful gift of forgiveness that the cross has to offer.

 

This is just one aspect of forgiveness. Because once you become a child of God you will still  sin from time to time but you only have to baptized one time. Once you are child of God you must simply repent and confess your sin to God and it will be forgiven.

 

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

 

 

 

What The Cross Brings Part 2

 

This morning we began a two part lesson titled “What the cross brings.” We examined 4 differing things that  the cross brings and  they were redemption, love, hope and forgiveness. Tonight we will be looking a four more that the cross brings. 

 

The Cross Brings A Ransom

 

Paul declares this very thing to Timothy that Jesus brings a ransom.

 

1 Timothy 2:5-6   5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,  6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

 

The word ransom means a price paid for the release or redemption of a captive. During times of war, it was common for prisoners to be captured, and if they were of great value, a ransom would be paid for their release. That’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me by dieing on the cross. He loved enough and thought that we were valuable enough to pay the ransom with his life so that we might be set free from sin.

 

Jesus knew that he was going to do this for us because notice what he says in:

 

Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

Even though Christ paid the price for all, only a few will allow themselves to be set free

 

Matthew 7:14  "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

In 1829, Wilson and Porter were convicted of robbing the US. Mail and were sentenced to death by hanging. Three weeks before the time set for Wilson's execution, he was pardoned by President Jackson. Strangely enough, Wilson refused the pardon. The case went to the Supreme Court and the court finally handed down the decision: "A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if rejected, we have discovered no power in this court to force it upon him."

 

Most people will agree that Wilson acted foolishly by refusing to accept the pardon. Yet many of these same people daily reject the pardon of sin which God has provided through his son Jesus Christ. Paul tells us

 

"For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

 

The idea of ransom also suggests taking the place of another in death, and this was the ransom price Jesus paid at the cross. He didn't deserve to die, we did! He died for our sins, not for his because he didn’t have any.  Those who allow Him to save us are literally ransomed from spiritual death. He died so that we may live.

 

Once two young brothers were playing in an old bell tower and had climbed several feet above a concrete floor. They were hanging on to a joist that broke and as they began to fall, the older brother caught hold of another 2x4 and his little brother grabbed hold of his brother's legs. There they were hanging suspended several feet above the concrete floor. The older brother tried to raise himself up to safety, but with his little brother hanging on, he was unable to do so. After many efforts, the little brother looked up and asked, "Could you save yourself if I were not holding on to you?" The older brother answered, "Yes! " The little boy turned loose and fell to his death so that his older brother could live.

 

Jesus made the same choice for mankind. He gave himself in death as a ransom so that all who accept Him might live. What a precious gift from the cross!

 

The Cross Brings Reconciliation

 

This is another wonder blessing that further shows the importance of the cross. The word reconciliation suggests moving from one state to another. The prefix "re" means again or renew, and the word "conciliate" means to gain friendship. Putting these together means to renew or gain friendship again.

 

 Before sin, God and man were the closest of Friends, but this friendship was destroyed when Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). However, because of God's great love for mankind he provided a way in which mankind could be reconciled to him.

 

2 Corinthians 5:18-19  18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,  19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

 

This reconciliation took place while all were enemies to God.

 

Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation

 

The greatest friendship we can ever have is with God. Friends on earth will often let us down, because many of them are fair weather friends. When the going gets rough, they pull out. Like the Prodigal Son, he had friends as long as his money was in supply, but when it was gone, so were his friends. However God is not like this he will always be there for us even when we turn our back on him.

 

Hebrews 13:5  "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

 

The writer of Hebrews also says this.

Hebrews 13:8   8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

If the cross had not brought reconciliation, we could never be friends with God, because it was mankind that that chose to turn his  back on God. Even though God provided the means of reconciliation through His Son, all sinners must be reconciled to God. Paul speaking to the Corinthians says:

 

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.  21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

The cross brings fulfillment of scripture

 

If people willing to take serious look at the word of God I think they would be truly amazed at all the prophecies that were made and came  to pass. I wish we had the time to look at all prophecies in the OT concerning Jesus because he fulfilled everyone them. Jesus knew that he must die on the cross for our sins and he knew that he would be fulfilling the prophecies that were written about him. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead he said.

 

Luke 24:44  "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."

                                    

Knowing the Jesus was fulfilling scripture by dieing on the cross brings to us great assurance that the word of God is true and that the we can have confidence that there is God and that we can be saved according to what his word says. Lets take just a few minutes and quickly examine a few of these prophecies about Christ.

 

Virgin Birth

 

Isaiah 7:14  4 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Lk. 1:26-35

 

Birthplace

Micah 5:2   2 " But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, (eph rawth) Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." Mt. 2:1-6

 

The flight to Egypt

Hosea 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

 

Matthew 2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."  14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,  15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

 

The 30 pieces of Silver

Zechariah 11:12  12 Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. Mt.

26:14,15

 

Psalm 22:16 talks about how his hands would be pierced

Psalm  69:21 tells how Jesus would be offered gall on the cross

Psalm 22:18 tells about how they cast lots for Jesus clothing

Psalm 34:20 states that Jesus bones would not be broken just like on the cross.

 

But the prophecy that stands out the most to me is the one found in Isaiah 53. Listen closely at the chapter describes many of the details that Jesus went through in his short time he spent here on the earth.

 

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.  3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  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.  7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.  9 And they made His grave with the wicked -- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.  11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.  12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

 

So without a doubt the cross brings the fulfillment of scripture.

 

The Cross Brings Grace

 

The word grace is one of the most beautiful words in the English language. We have been singing over the years, "Amazing grace! how sweet the sound! That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see." What is this amazing grace that we sing about? Why is it so amazing? It is amazing because it takes us back to the cross where God's son was offered up so that we could receive gift of grace. Immediately after Paul declared that all have sinned, that both Jews and Gentiles are sinners, he wrote:

 

Romans 3: 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

 

 Grace is a favor that no person on earth deserves, and is a gift of love that was done while man was in sin.

 

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  

 

You see without grace there would be no salvation.

 

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

 

Paul further verifies this truth:

 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

 

 Even though God has asked sinners to obey Him to receive his grace, there is no way that you I can purchase grace because it is presented as a gift. Therefore, to those that have enough faith to obey His will, this unearned favor called grace, is given to us freely.

 

    Again, why is grace so important? Because, without it all accountable people  are 'in a wretched condition. Paul declared to the Romans:

 

Romans 7:24  4 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

 

The answer to Paul's question is Gods amazing grace! Life has many temptations

along the way and the devil uses his power to trap us. No matter how far we find ourselves in sin no matter how strong a grip the old devil has on God amazing grace can save us from sin and the devil and lead us to into eternal home in heaven.

 

Titus 3:7  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

Since  Jesus went to the cross for us so that we could have grace we know have the privilege to boldly approach the throne of God.

 

Hebrews 4: 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Let it be remembered that even though the cross brings grace and it is offered freely, the majority will refuse it! God will not extend His grace to a heart unprepared to receive it. Only a penitent, confessing, and obedient heart can accept this precious gift from God. Yes, the gift is offered to sinners, but they must receive it with the proper heart. Millions will choose the broad way that leads to destruction when grace is so freely offered because they will not turn from their sinful ways to the will of God!

 

 

Conclusion:

 

I believe these 8 points we have looked at this morning and this evening are very important to our spiritual and eternal existence and we should thank God daily for him allowing his only begotten son to die on the cross so that we can live. Let never forget to rejoice at what cross brings to each and every one of us.