Sermon Tone Analysis

A man named Jones took his car to the mechanic for repairs.

Jones ignored the signs posted in the garage that told customers to keep out of the working area.

He kept looking over the mechanic’s shoulder, getting in the way.

The mechanic had had a rough day, and he was getting frustrated.

Finally he took Jones by the shoulder and led him out of the working area.

He said, “Let’s play a game.”

He drew a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk and said, “The rules of the game are that you stay inside this circle while I fix your car.

I’ll bet you can’t do it!”

“It’s a deal,” said Jones.

The mechanic went back to the car, but before he went back to work, he glanced up at Jones, Who had a silly grin on his face.

The mechanic thought, “I’ve had it with this dumb yokel.”

He felt like he had to relieve his tension.

So he picked up a sledgehammer and smashed it into the fender of Jones’ car.

He looked over at Jones, who was cracking up with laughter, still inside the circle.

That made the mechanic angrier yet.

He smashed the car two more times with the hammer, and looked over again at Jones.

Jones was doubled over with laughter, but still inside the circle.

The mechanic was furious with rage.

He started smashing Jones’ car all over with the hammer.

Jones was rolling on the floor and holding his sides from laughter, but still inside the circle.

The mechanic couldn’t believe it.

He went over to Jones and said, “Why are you laughing while I’m smashing your car?” Jones got control of his laughter long enough to reply, “While you weren’t looking, I stepped outside the circle three times!”

You say, “Jones was crazy!” You’re right.

Jones was crazy.

He was taking seriously something meant to be taken lightly, and he taking lightly something that was rather serious.

But many who would laugh at Jones and call him crazy are doing the same thing on a far more serious matter.

This morning is Easter.

It is Resurrection Sunday.

What is the big deal?

Why does it matter?

Why is the Church trying to take my family day and the fun of Easter?

The answer to all of that lies in the centrality of the Easter to the Gospel.

I.

The Foundational Truth

In our text verses Paul reveals the very foundation of the Gospel.

In a few, short statements, he beautifully sums up the Gospel.

While it is not complicated, we must understand each element involved to properly receive, respond, and live according to the Gospel.

The first element of truth is:

A. The Identification (3)

(Jesus Christ)

Paul emphatically declared that Christ died.

Understandably, one must believe that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of the living God.

He is the central figure for all of time and humanity.

His life upon the earth cannot be disputed.

Biblical and historical records affirm without question that Jesus Christ lived and died upon the earth.

For the Gospel to have any significance, leading to a complete transformation, one must believe that Jesus Christ was more than a man.

You must see Him as more than a great teacher, prophet, or miracle worker.

You must agree and believe by faith that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God.

But we sometomes try to justify our creating and recreating Jesus into our image of Jesus.

• There's the Republican Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values and owning firearms.

• There's Democrat Jesus—who is against Wall Street and Wal-Mart and for reducing our carbon footprint.

• There's Starbucks Jesus—who drinks fair trade coffee, loves spiritual conversations and drives a hybrid.

• There's Touchdown Jesus—who helps athletes fun faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of Super Bowls.

• There's the Gentle Jesus, the Hippie Jesus, Yuppie Jesus, the Spirituality Jesus, the Platitude Jesus, the Protest Jesus, the Guru Jesus, and the Boyfriend Jesus—who wraps his arms around us as we sing about his sweet love.

And then, there's Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God… the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

(Kevin DeYoung, "Who Do You Say That I Am?" from his DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed blog, posted 6-10-09)

If you reject the truth that Jesus was the Son of God, deity incarnate in flesh, then you have denied a foundational truth of the Gospel and will be unable to receive salvation.

Many passages affirm this, and one of my favorites is from John’s gospel.

,

• There's the Republican Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values and owning firearms.

• There's Democrat Jesus—who is against Wall Street and Wal-Mart and for reducing our carbon footprint.

• There's Starbucks Jesus—who drinks fair trade coffee, loves spiritual conversations and drives a hybrid.

• There's Touchdown Jesus—who helps athletes fun faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of Super Bowls.

• There's the Gentle Jesus, the Hippie Jesus, Yuppie Jesus, the Spirituality Jesus, the Platitude Jesus, the Protest Jesus, the Guru Jesus, and the Boyfriend Jesus—who wraps his arms around us as we sing about his sweet love.

And then, there's Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God… the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.

(Kevin DeYoung, "Who Do You Say That I Am?" from his DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed blog, posted 6-10-09)

B. The Crucifixion (3)

(died)

Once you have accepted the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, come to earth as a man, you are ready to embrace the second truth of the Gospel –Jesus died upon the cross.

Following a ministry of some three and half years, Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of His own, and sold for thirty pieces of silver.

He was arrested, tried, and condemned to death upon a Roman cross.

He lived a sinless life, never once disobeying His heavenly Father or having a need to repent of sin.

He was condemned because of the hatred of sinful men.

They denied that Jesus was in fact the Christ, and accused Him of blasphemy because of His claim of being the Son of God.

Blasphemy was punishable by death.

Since these believed Jesus was a blasphemer, they called for His immediate death on the cross.

Jesus was crucified on the cross, where He willingly laid down His life.

– And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

You cannot embrace the Gospel apart from the death of Christ upon the cross.

You cannot embrace the Gospel apart from the death of Christ upon the cross.

C. The Substitution (3)

(for you)

Following your acceptance of Christ’s death upon the cross, you must embrace the reason for His death.

Many will agree that Christ died upon the cross, but they refuse to accept the reason for His death.

Paul wants to highlight not merely the historical fact that Jesus died.

He is much more specific.

“Christ died for our sins” This is the language of atonement.

We have been looking briefly into atonement in our study of Leviticus and we will be looking at it even more in the coming weeks when we get to the day of atonement.

But for now what is atonement?

Reconciliation; sin has alienated humanity from God and provoked God’s anger.

God has responded by providing the means of restoring this broken relationship, bringing both sides to a place where they are at one again (“at-one-ment”).

Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).

With the idea of atonement also comes the idea of propitiation.

1 John Now I know that these are not words that we use everyday so I will help us define them.

Now I know that these are not words that we use everyday so I will help us define them.

Propitiation is a theological word

...that speaks of appeasement.

Specifically it speaks of the satisfaction of divine justice.

or to say the same thing differently, a “propitiation is a sacrifice or offering that placates the wrath of God against sinners.

John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Paul (Nashville: Nelson Books, 2017) pg. 12

...Paul’s point in is not that Christ died because of our sins.