Meeting Jesus - The Crucifixion
Last week, we took a look at the prayer Jesus prayed in the Mount of Olives. Then, Judas led the Religious Leaders and the Roman soldiers into the Garden, betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and Jesus was led to three separate trials, beaten, scourged, and condemned to die a criminal’s death on the cross.
Today, we take a look at the Crucifixion of Jesus.
Luke 23:26-47
26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 44 By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. 47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”
If you are a follower of Jesus, this sermon is going to be a little uncomfortable.
The first thing I want us all to understand is that…
THE CRUCIFIXION WAS THE CUP OF SUFFERING FOR SIN
As we looked at last week, when Jesus was in the Garden and was crying out to God, he said…
Luke 22:42 (NLT2)
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We do not understand the phrase “cup of suffering” the way the Jewish people did back then. In the Old Testament “the cup” is often used as a metaphor for the wrath of God.
Isaiah called it a cup of terror.
Jeremiah called it a cup filled to the brim with God’s anger.
Habakkuk called it a cup of the Lord’s Judgement
In the New Testament, the Apostle John writes about what it will be like in the end days for people who are facing God’s Wrath because they never surrendered their lives to Jesus. He writes:
Revelation 6:15-17 (NLT)
15 Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”
People without Jesus would rather be crushed to death by rocks than to face God’s wrath over sin and throughout the Bible we see glimpses of God’s Wrath:
God’s Anger over sin is seen in the great flood that destroyed the earth…
God’s wrath destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.
God’s wrath is seen in the 10 Plagues upon Egypt.
In Romans 2:8 we read that CUP was filled with the ANGER and WRATH of GOD toward sin.
Romans 2:8 (NLT)
8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
It was not the physical agony of the beatings, the scourging and the crucifixion that Jesus so dreaded. It was the spiritual agony He would experience as he drank every last drop of God’s wrath that we deserved. The Crucifixion was the CUP of SUFFERING that Jesus prayed he would not have to endure.
When he prayed, ‘Father take this cup of suffering away from me” He was staring at this moment, when he was crucified, that he would experience God’s anger, wrath, and fury of our sin.
When the Apostle Mark described Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, he described it like this:
Mark 14:33-36 (NLT2)
He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
In the original language it reads:
“And having gone a little farther, he was falling on the ground and he was praying…”
This is a picture of Jesus staggering and stumbling under the fear of the CUP OF WRATH until he finally collapses to the ground the whole time praying in agony.
Crushed by agony of GOD’s coming WRATH.
Crushed by fear of God’s coming TERROR.
Crushed by grief of God’s coming JUDGEMENT.
The Wrath of God would be released on Jesus at the Cross!
The FEAR and the AGONY were so great he could not stand up…and he CRIES out “DADDY!” Crushed to the GROUND, yet still PRAYING, he addressed his prayer to His ABBA Father.
JESUS knew that WITH GOD anything was possible. Therefore, he cries out to his DADDY in heaven – PLEASE IF THERE IS any OTHER WAY – do it! Let this cup pass!
Jesus asked that GOD would allow the CUP of WRATH to PASS. And then, as he lay on the ground in the Garden – he uttered the words – nevertheless – NOT MY WILL but YOURS be DONE.
He said – Daddy – Don’t do this! Find another way… but if this is the only way – let YOUR WILL BE DONE.
And at the cross…
Jesus drank every last drop of the FURY of GOD for our sin.
Jesus drank every DROP of GOD’s WRATH of for our sin.
Jesus DRANK every drop of GOD’S ANGER for our sin.
HE TOOK IT ALL! All of GOD’s WRATH was poured out on his SON JESUS.
That means,
THE CRUCIFIXION PROVES GOD’S LOVE
The Crucifixion of Jesus is God PROCLAIMING to the world with a VOICE that reaches into the past, speaks into the present, and shouts into the FUTURE. GOD LOVES the human race. All people. Everywhere.
When you read about the crucifixion…
When you think about the crucifixion…
When you watch movie scenes depicting the crucifixion…
I hope you understand how much God Loves you. Listen to the Word of God proclaim his love:
1 John 4:10 (NLT2)
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
This is love.
God loves you. I know you may not FEEL God’s love. Sometimes we even doubt God’s love. But just because we doubt something, it doesn’t mean that it is not true.
He knows you.
He knows your strengths.
He knows your weaknesses.
He knows your sin.
And HE LOVES you in spite of the mess you may have made in your life. And before you can say PROVE it…he already has.
Romans 5:8 (NLT2)
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
The Crucifixion proves God’s Love for us, and…
THE CRUCIFIXION PROVIDES FORGIVENESS (2 Cor. 5:21)
Jesus was fully God and fully man. He never sinned. He lived a perfect life on this earth which is why he was able to pay the price for our sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What happened in that moment on the cross, was an EXCHANGE. Jesus the innocent, BECAME sin and WE the sinner became RIGHTEOUS.
When the full wrath and anger of God over sin was poured out on Jesus – Jesus became the full, twisted, ugly, corpse of sin.
And – if you place your faith in Jesus and you surrender your life to Jesus, you put on the INNOCENCE of Jesus. You are forgiven.
Because the Cup of Suffering was poured out on Jesus at the Crucifixion – if you surrender your life to Jesus, you are forgiven!
The Crucifixion PROVES that God loves us.
The Crucifixion PROVIDES forgiveness to us…
And…
THE CRUCIFIXION PROMISES HOPE
From the cross, Jesus declared “It is finished” the victory is won.
On that cross, Jesus defeated sin, death and hell.
His death and resurrection means that everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life – the promise of heaven.
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus followers of Jesus do not have to fear death, or what comes next. We can live faithfully & courageously because Jesus won the victory.
If you’re living defeated, depressed, in pain & sorrow - we want you to know Jesus offers hope.
If you feel like a failure, insignificant or unwanted – Jesus offers hope.
Our Savior can change anyone – including you.
John 5:24 (NLT)
24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
Romans 10:9 (NLT)
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.