Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 27:33-54

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

London’s - The Cross

 

The geographical heart of London is Charing Cross.

All distances are measured from it.

This spot is referred to simply as the cross.

A lost child was one day picked up by a London bobby.

The child was unable to tell where he lived.

Finally, in response to the repeated questions of the bobby, and amid sobs and tears, the little fellow said, */If you will take me to the cross I think I can find my way from there.

/*/In fact the Cross of Christ is the only place where lost sinners can find their way home.

*Have you been to the cross?

*/

 

Easter speaks of the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Today the cross has become a sign of hope.

You see crosses placed on Churches, hospitals, and schools.

They are used profusely in cemeteries or along the road side at the location of fatal accidents.

/Why do people use crosses this way?

Why does the cross give us such hope?

Has it always provided hope?/ No, it hasn't.

In the ancient Roman world the cross was a sign of cruelty and death.

Crucifixion was reserved for criminals and rebels, outcasts in society.

It was used to discourage people from rebellion.

Yet through Christ's death on the cross we have hope.

*/The strange thing is that Jesus Christ conquered death by dying./*

He turned what looked like defeat into victory, rising from the dead.

This morning we will look at 4 things nailed to the cross of Christ.

*/They are/**/: The/* */Savior, A Sign, Our Sin and God’s Statutes.

/*

 

1.

The Savior

 

*Matthew 27:38-44: */Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, *save* Yourself!

If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, He *saved* others; Himself He cannot *save*.

If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

He trusted in God; let Him *deliver* Him now if He will have Him; for He said, I am the Son of God.

Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing./

/ /

The */First thing/* nailed to the cross was the */Savior/*.

Israel misunderstood the work of the Savior.

When Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross most people mocked Him.

Golgotha was next to a public highway.

The place that He was crucified was open for all to see and many travelers passed by this place.

They blasphemed Him shaking their heads.

They told Jesus to come down from the cross and save Himself if he was really the Son of God.

The high priests joined in mocking Christ also.

They said that He saved others but could not save Himself.

They told Him to come down from the cross and save Himself if He was the King of Israel.

Such a miraculous deliverance would convince them that He was the promised Messiah.

Then they would believe.

But Jesus came to die for us.

The cross was the purpose behind the cradle.* 1 John 4:14:* /And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

/A Savior doesn't save Himself, he saves others.

Jesus Christ could have called twelve legions of angels to help him.

He could have come down from the cross if head had wanted to, but that wouldn't have saved us.

No, instead Christ laid down His life for you and me.

Tragically, most of the people didn't understand what He was doing.

While the people hurled insults and ridicule upon Him, Jesus asked His Father/ to forgive them/ for their ignorance and sin.

Jesus willingly took the punishment that we should have received.

*Hebrews 2:9-10:* *says:* /But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

/

/ /

Story Of A Lifeguard

 

Lifeguards rescue people from drowning at the beach.

But to do this they have to risk their own lives.

They swim out through the same waters that are drowning the swimmer.

They identify with the struggling swimmer by going to where he is.

Not only must lifeguards be able to swim through the water they must be able to save others in trouble.

Jesus was not a helpless man dying on the cross.

He was the powerful Son of God who yielded Himself to death in our place.

The /good news/ is that Jesus */died/* for our sins according to the Scriptures.

His death */was not passive/* like the thieves*/ but active/*.

1n *1 Corinthians 15:3* the verb */die/* is /active/ not passive.

Death was not forced upon Him.

*/He chose to die./*

They misunderstood the Savior's work.

*/The first thing nailed to the cross was the Savior./*

2.

A Sign

 

*Matthew 27:37:* /And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: /THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

/ /

/a.

Royalty/

 

The */Second thing/* nailed to the cross was a*/ Sign/*.

*/Firstly/* the sign pointed to Jesus' royalty.

The full inscription from the four Gospels is, */This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews./*

Pilate instructed them to place this sign upon the cross.

*/What was the purpose of this sign?/*

Signs are used to give direction or explanation about something.

This particular sign is called an /accusation/.

It declares the crime Jesus committed.

He was accused of being the King of the Jews.

*/Remember Pilate said that he found no fault in Jesus Christ 3 times in John chapters 18 & 19/*.

He was innocent and should have been released.

The chief priests charged Christ for His claim to be King of the Jews.

Jesus is called King 10 times in John 18 & 19.

/Were these claims true? Hadn't he healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead and fed hungry people?

*Hadn't Jesus Christ fulfilled every Old testament prophecy concerning the Messiah?* /In fact many of the people believed Him to be Messiah.

Most of the people of Israel wanted Jesus to reign and set up the Kingdom.

Jesus Christ told the people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand.

The account of the triumphal entry brings out His Kingship.

*Matthew 21:4-9:*/ All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!