The Three Messages of the Cross
The Three Messages of the Cross
Utawala Baptist Church
26-07-09
Scripture Reading Hebrews 1:1-5
Introduction
In our scripture today we find God’s messages have been sent into this world.
These messages have increased man’s understanding of the redemption God has offered to every man.
GOD has spoken and continues to speak through His Holy Word the Bible.
The effect of these messages is far reaching!
Man generally believes in some of the knowledge that could only come from the Scriptures.
Many believe in the Biblical Heaven.
But most do not believe in the only way the Bible reveals to enter heaven.
Many believe in Sin
But don’t care for the priceless cure God set for it.
They believe in a holy GOD and that men are sinners.
But they don’t consider the problem of reconciling a Holy Just God and Sinful man!
But God has spoken faithfully on all these things.
It is not enough to just believe God has spoken we MUST
Consider,
Believe
Apply.
His truth is a light into a dark and sinful world.
Matthew 5:14-16
Isaiah 42:6
God has shown himself through his Son!
Hebrews 1:1-5
This Great salvation cannot be ignored without penalty.
Hebrew 2:3
God has shown his being through his son Jesus Christ.
Jesus, God the Son is an outshining of the God the Father
This glimpse of God was made in a way our finite physical minds can grasp.
Remember the words of Nicodemus.
John 3:2.
We see the wisdom and power of God were shown through Jesus Christ.
But we find that theses very things had already been revealed to some extent through Creation. GENERAL REVELATION
Romans 1:19-20
So mankind is without excuse.
At least three messages from God were revealed on the cross.
LOVE!
SIN!
RIGHTEOUSNESS!
LOVE!
John 1:18
No one has ever seen God; but the son of God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
John 3:16
Every moment of Jesus’ earthly life he was a reflection of God the Father’s love.
But one event in the life of Jesus shows God’s love for us!
VERY CLEARLY!
I John 3:16
We see the love of God because He was willing to send His only Son into the world that we might live through Him!
I John 4:9-10 PAYMENT
Romans 5:8
In the CROSS of CHRIST, God has declared His love for us it is a message to everyone!
THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD!
Galatians 2:20-21 makes it very personal.
We must ask what he did for each of us.
This message must be understood by those to whom it was addressed.
ALL MANKIND!
If we use our human reason we struggle.
We can only understand this only through God’s revelation in His Word the Bible. SPECIAL REVELATION
Through our thought and sin nature we have attempted to veil or hide God’s revelation.
God’s thoughts and action exist on a higher level than ours.
Because of this we struggle to understand.
I Corinthians 1:18
But we have no excuse for we do have God’s total revelation in His Word!
A sufficient substitute stood in our place at Calvary.
The righteous judgment of a Holy and Just God were met!
Psalm 40:6-8
Matthew 26:39
What Christ did we are saved from doing!
Christ’s work was effective or successful!
HE DIED FOR US NOT TO SHOW US HOW TO DIE! But in order that we might not die!
Christ’s death was Substutionary that is in place of our death.
But only if we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
The Cross of Christ was God’s final answer to a sin cursed world!
Can you say along with Paul?
Galatians 6:14
Paul has been crucified to the world and the world to him. The world holds no attraction for him!
Galatians 6:15
Sin!
Who put Jesus to death on the Cross?
The Roman soldiers?
The Jews?
John 10:16-18
We find in the bible that Christ made no resistance to His arrest or crucifixion.
In contrast to the struggles of the thief on either side.
Whatever took place no man took Jesus’ life from Him!
Luke 23:46
Jesus’ death was in no way a defeat by human hands.
Not one reference in the Bible assigns Jesus’ death to human sources.
No man can be ignorant of the nature of his own sinful heart. If we have honestly considered the meaning of the sin of rejecting Christ.
We dare not hesitate in receiving God’s grace as offered to mankind in the Cross of Christ.
Righteousness
The Cross of Christ also declares God’s righteousness.
Romans 3:25-26
Romans 3:25 points to sins committed before the death of Christ.
God had always planned a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for sin.
The blood of bulls and goats had never taken away sin.
That blood was merely a symbol of the blood that was to be shed.
Romans 3:26 is the declaration that sins made since the cross are covered as well.
Such justification is for him or her who has faith in Jesus.
Though God loves the sinner.
There are conditions that must be met.
Upholding God’s justice and personal character.
SIN MUST BE TREATED AS SIN OTHERWISE ALL GOD’S STANDARDS OF HOLINESS ANS JUSTICE WILL NOT BE MET!
Can sin be treated as SIN and still have a way of salvation provided for the sinner?
The Cross is said to be the message of God through His Son to answering this divine problem.
Christ was sent so that God might be just and at the same time satisfy His heart of love!
As the righteous judge Jesus pronounced the full sentence against sin.
As the Savior of sinners he stepped down from His judgment throne and became our substitutioanry sacrifice.
The Cross declares the righteousness of God!
All that righteousness can demand had been supplied by the judge JESUS CHRIST!
THE REDEMPTION price has been paid by the very judge Himself.
This is the Good News of the Gospel!
Galatians 2:20
The Damascus Road experience had turned a persecutor into a missionary.
Acts 9:1-6
Roman 5:21
By the Cross God has declared:
Our sin!
His own Righteousness!
AND
His own un-measurable LOVE!
God has spoken to us through His Son!
God’s reasonable requirement is that we believe that message!
This is the only condition in the bible upon which one may enter into God’s saving grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Turn back to the book of Luke in closing!
Luke23:46
Two sinful men died on the cross that day. One on each side of Jesus!
Two men two different choices. One went to a Christless eternity.
The other to paradise.
Luke 23:42-43
Do you need to make that decision today?
What will your choice be a Christless eternity or Eternal Life with the Savior?