Sermon Tone Analysis

For three years, Jesus had preached the good news of the kingdom to the poor of spirit.

He had healed the sick, touched the lepers, and cast demons out of the possessed.

Hundreds of thousands had heard his teaching and preaching.

Thousands were personally touched by his ministry and healing hand.

Dozens followed him as disciples.

But at the end of his life, as he hangs on a cross, only a small handful of followers are with him.

In John’s gospel we’re told,

/“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister [from Mark’s gospel we learn that this is most likely Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee–which make the apostle James & John Jesus’ 1st cousins], Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”

From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”/(John

19:25–27, NIV84)

The reference to the disciple whom he loved is a reference to the Apostle John—probably the youngest of the disciples.

It took great courage for these few disciples to stand at the foot of our Lord’s cross.

The other disciples had fled.

They are in hiding from Jewish and Roman authorities.

If the authorities were willing to crucify Jesus, they would have little compunction in doing the same to his disciples.

In 1945 Ira and Zelma Stanphill wrote a hymn that came to be a favorite revival invitation hymn.

The title?

There’s Room at the Cross for You.

Which is exactly what the disciple are so anxious over and why they are in hiding!

Only five followers are willing to openly identify with Jesus at his death.

And so it is today.

Many are willing to call themselves Christians and follow Jesus as long as there is no real danger, or personal cost in doing so.

Jesus has many lovers of the heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of his cross.

He has many who desire his consolation, but few who are willing to share in his tribulation.

He finds many companions of his table, but few who will follow him into the garden.

All desire to rejoice with him, few are willing to endure hardship for him.

Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup.

Many reverence his miracles, few glory in the abasement of his cross.

Many love Jesus so long as no adversities befall them, many praise and bless him so long as they receive blessings from him; but when he asks us to pick up our cross and follow him, we suddenly find a myriad of excesses not to.

Billy Graham once said; Following Christ is a hard, rugged life.

There is nothing easy or sissy about it.

The handful who remain with Jesus until the very end teach us a couple of important lessons about faith and courage to identify with a crucified Savior.

!

I. FAITH DRAWS US TO FOLLOW JESUS IN SPITE OF OUR FEAR

#.

Jesus was very clear about the necessity of cross-bearing for those who wished to be his disciples

* /“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”/

(Luke 9:23, NIV84)

* /“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”/

(Luke 14:26–27, NIV84)

#. these were not easy words for the disciples to hear

#. to them the cross was not a piece of jewelry to hang around their neck or a symbol of faith and victory hung in the baptistry or erected on a steeple

#. for them, the cross was a cruel instrument of torture and death and something to be feared and avoided at all costs

#. many still fear the cross—because it still means the same today—death:

#.

Death to self, and dying to self is not any easier today than it was for those few who stood at the foot of our Lord’s cross

* ILLUS.

Dietrich Bonnhoffer was a German clergyman who lived under the Nazi regime.

He wrote a book called, The Cost of Discipleship.

In it he writes these words: /“When Christ bids us to come [to him], He bids us to come and die.

He summons us to give everything we have.

That is the cost of our discipleship to Jesus Christ.”/

#. the cost of discipleship still causes many disciples to be fearful and turn away

#. fear can make a person do strange things

#. it can cause us to flee in terror from that which we are afraid of ... or

#. it can make us confront that which we fear the most

* ILLUS.

One of the truly great military geniuses our country has produced was General George Patton.

Shortly after the conquest of Sicily during World War II, the military governor of the island met with General George Patton.

He praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery.

The general's reply took him by surprise, /"Sir, I am not a brave man.

The truth is, I am an utter craven coward.

I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands."/

Years later, when Patton's autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: /"I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears."/

#. in other words, Patton was one of those individuals who had learned to confront that which he feared the most

#.

hang on to that thought, it's gonna be important in a moment

#. we see in this passage that the cross is the dividing line between belief and unbelief, and between obedience and disobedience

#. on the side of unbelief were the Jewish religious leaders and chief priests, Pilate and the soldiers of the execution squad

#. on the side of belief were four courageous women, including Jesus' mother, the beloved disciple—John, and perhaps Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea

#. each group is representative of how people respond to Jesus in either faith or unbelief

!! A. THE UNBELIEF OF THE PHARISEES WAS DUE TO ANIMOSITY AND RESENTMENT

#. they wouldn't have missed this crucifixion for the world

#.

our Lord's death—by whatever means—was what they had planned for and sought after

* /“For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”/ (John 5:18, NIV84)

* /“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.”/

(Luke 22:1–2, NIV84)

#. that the Romans were doing their dirty work for them was just so much the better

#. as Jesus hung suspended between heaven and earth the Pharisees passed by hurling insults at him /"You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!

Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"/

#. the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders represent the implacable unbelief of the religionist

#. this is the person who's faith is in the rules and regulations of a religious system and not the Son of God

#. they are often motivated by jealousy, prejudice, self-aggrandizement, and self-interest

#. their religion has lost its spontaneity and often becomes a ritual which must be defended rather than a faith that is lived

#. this person is usually the one who says, /"I'm a Christian, but not one of those 'born-again' radical ones."/

#. the problem is—if you ain’t born again, you ain’t a Christian

#. born again is not a term Evangelicals invented in the 70's but an illustration Jesus used in the third chapter of John’s Gospel to describe the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the sinner’s life bringing them to salvation

#. it’s like being born again!

!! B. THE UNBELIEF OF PILATE WAS DUE TO SELFISHNESS

#.

Pilate embodies the unbelief of political expediency

#. in other words, if there’s not anything in it for Pilate, he doesn’t want any part of following Jesus

#. if there is no wealth to gain—why put your life on the line?

#. if there is no power to win—why lay down all to follow Jesus?

#. if there is no social status to harvest—why stand at the foot of the cross?

#.

Pilate might have listened to Jesus more carefully had not his standing with Caesar been at stake

#. he might even have released Jesus if it had been expedient for his own interests

#. but Pilate was unwilling to openly oppose the priests and scribes who dominated Jerusalem's politics

#.

Pilate was the type of man who will believe, provided he does not have to sacrifice his reputation or personal convenience or social ties

!! C. THE UNBELIEF OF THE SOLDIERS WAS DUE TO INDIFFERENCE

#. lastly, there is the Roman execution squad, rolling dice in a helmet at the foot of the cross to decide which of them should possess the meager belongings of their victims

#. they are a picture of callousness and indifference to the claims of Christ on their life

#.

I have a feeling this is where most in our society would fall