The Cross Has The Final Word, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ were like processing when you were neglecting to not know that this is kind to us that part of the meeting will be able brush right here made simple but it is unbelievably I don't think there's ever been any method earth to execute the pain from this been crucified by the Romans joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work day. She said yes. They said no firstborn child Saints want to Super Bowl him for all of humanity. What's the best day to an interesting thing because a lot of times you think about, historically, so incessantly do the wart beginning or ending the war. FDR December 7, 1941 a day that I live in infamy. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor V-E Day V-J Day Napoleon had his Waterloo sometime so it's about the things we build or accomplish the seven wonders of the ancient world.

There's only one great damage only when it still in existence when about the Eiffel Tower Empire State building, the Golden gate Bridge were never finished. These are great days for humanity, the things we discover, accomplish, Mme. Curie Jonas Salk, penicillin and heart transplants.

The day we went into space. They walked on the moon. What was the single day that accomplish the most for humanity, not even close is not a single data compares. In fact, it wasn't even a whole day.

It was six hours on one Friday six hours asserted jut up on the plane of human history like Mount Everest in the Sahara desert.

All the hope of mankind was on display by one single act, open your Bibles to John 19 verse 17, I would look at this day, mostly from John's perspective. The reason is we been in John for the last seven weeks, dealing with the seven signs of the son of God in John treatise a little bit different than the other Gospels, but at the same event and I want to say if I have one idea for you today. It's this that everything that happened on that Friday was God's doing everything I met often we think about microvascular question who crucified Jesus so I think the Romans that it was none of the Jews are behind it. Some of your spiritual will take responsibility for yourself and save wiping my sins that it is all true but you know who did it. Got this is God's doing this whole idea of the crucifixion to see different perspectives how the Scriptures are fulfilled assignments on Jesus had the love that he demonstrates on the cross and his complete control over his death. Verse 16 says so he pilot then handed him over to them to be crucified, and they took Jesus therefore anyone out is typical yet understand some things here when someone is about to be crucified by the Romans. There's an awful lot of hysteria. A lot of screaming, a lot of fighting to try to get somebody to a place to crucify him is an effort and of itself. It usually requires a lot of whipping people are going to go and experience that kind of death on their own. That just doesn't happen. But it says they took Jesus therefore and they went out is an amazing thing in Mark 15 and Luke 20 it says the Jesus followed them out didn't drive a mile. It is let them out and he walked right behind him. Isaiah 53 verse seven says 700 years before this event, it says that he was led as a sheep to the slaughter.

Jesus wasn't driven, he was led in a follow-up in Isaiah's that is just like a sheep to the slaughter, and he says he went out if you knew the Old Testament weathers Exodus 29 or Leviticus 4 the sacrifice for sin. The sacrifices are made outside the camp outside the city. Hebrews in the New Testament. Chapter 13 says he suffered outside the gate there taking them as you see in just a moment here.

He went out bearing is crossed of the place called of the skull and it says that which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. That's what they're doing with Jesus and then John says something unusual.

He says there they crucified him just like a matter fact living crucified. Why do some crucified people they never crucified anybody family can stone people, but they crucified but it back in John three Jesus said this, the Son of Man will be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. So he said with the Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus said in John three, just like Moses, remembering me Old Testament with Moses. The people were being bitten by poisonous snakes and they were dying, so as they were dying when ended up happening was that Moses created us a snake or serpent want to stop and he held it up and if you would look to the staff. You wouldn't die and Jesus said in John three, he said, just as Moses lifted up, I'm gonna get lifted up. So why was Jesus crucified because that's exactly what God wanted to do with Jesus. Goodbye from another point of view curses. Everyone who hangs on a tree over and over again you see in the Gospels of the Jews tried to stone Jesus.

They want to just get rid of and always slipped out of their midst.

This is the moment your something else.

He says that as he goes on, they crucified him, and with him to other men, one on either side and Jesus in between. We know the scene why on one side you could argue because member Barabbas was supposed to get it, but other people rather have Barabbas than have Jesus. But the real reason is 700 years earlier.

Isaiah 53 says in death. He will be numbered with the transgressors.

So we already know that God again orchestrating that you realize how excruciating crucifixion is I'm not sure, Christians are very good at this. I don't offend anyone but Christians. Many of you may do this, but we were like process around her neck reveled across sky natures were Christian's across the me ask you when you were an electric chair around her neck a noose, would you wear that on not know that. But this is kind of romantic well it is to us. I can get that as part of the meeting as well be able cross right here is a great symbol but it is unbelievably excruciating. I don't think there's ever been any method on earth to execute people. That compares with the pain from this are being crucified by the Romans in this case. This whole thing is illegal. If you follow Jewish law. Jewish law said that if you're trying someone for a capital offense, then you after you prosecute them and make your argument.

You have to wait several days for the defense to allow itself to find its own evidence before he could do anything. Romanoff said that you have to wait two days between the sentence in the execution. By the way. That's why Barabbas was in prison he was going be the third guy.

He's waiting.

They were waiting. Jesus is no way so the whole thing is illegal. As I said before, the idea of it is to give you maximum pain for as long as possible.

That's the whole idea of crucifixion.

Cicero said it's the worst extreme of torture possible and it is you have your carrier crossmember. They put you on the vertical pole on the vertical pole. There's a little place right your tailbone that slants and so you can sort of rest against the and you can try to push back against pusher so out the reason you need to do that is you can't breathe Godiva for creation as long as you can keep pushing yourself up you can fill your lungs up with air. This can go on and on and on.

One ancient Roman historian, said that he witnessed someone who took nine days.

The guy on the cross can imagine what that be like almost the whole time. People have strength on the cross hairs screaming going on is unbelievably painful and humiliating and led by the way when they took him to the cross. The matter who you are, including the son of God, they strip you naked. So when you want to across everyone hanging on a cross was naked you get a loincloth or anything like that. It's such a humiliating kind of death in such a painful kind of death. It's an unrelenting agony that got a plan right in the beginning Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross and it said Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews back story.

Pilate hates the Jews. The Jews hate pipe so pilots going to stick his thumb in the right. This is his chance because that's always fun. Remember, he said, I can't find anything wrong with this fellow is he I don't have any. I don't have anything so only a nurse and will he claim to be king exhibit ask about any said his kingdom is an of this world, so I'll put that on, but he wanted to make sure that everyone knew who he was. He said this is Jesus the Nazarene wines that Nazareth is nowhere Nazareth is nowhere. Remember Raymond when he put disciples together. The cypresses can anything good come out of Nazareth. It's a nowhere place. It's a nothing place you know in our culture of authenticity could be from a small town in the Ozarks, or whatever you want to call it. That's Nazareth. This is Jesus, and ease of Nazareth. This is a nobody from nowhere and is King of the Jews that's really is no notice how they responded. Therefore, many of the Jews read this inscription. He said for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and it was written in Hebrew, Latin Creek yellow that there's always people went for Passover from all over the part of the world. I want everyone to be read this I will if you a great read it if you read Latin read it.

If you're Hebrew and read that read it, but I want everyone to know what what I'm saying about that.

So the chief priests and the Jews were saying the pot. I do not write the King of the Jews, but that he said I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered and said what I've written a written he is hated that you understand why pilots been consistently in hot water with the Emperor of Rome Tiberius because the Jews have consistently sent messages to Tiberius complaining about Pilate after the crucifixion they actually get to Tiberius and tell how much they hate Pilate how bad he is and Tiberius brings Pilate back to Rome when he gets them in Rome. He then departs him and isolates him in Gaul, which is modern France and Pilate killed himself in the committed suicide, and so that's what this is all about. He had it written out that way. So it says then then the soldiers when they had crucified him. He says took us out of garments and made for parts a part for every soldier and also attuning other tunic was seamless woven one piece and so they said to one another, let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide who's at Shelby and this was to fulfill the Scripture. They divided my outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Therefore, the soldiers did these things while what happened here. Well when ended up happening here that's become so evident and so clear is that they took us out of garments enters an undergarment you wear, which is the seamless one, and they just wanted to divided up get some out of this if you can, but the seamless garment you can't so that's where they cast lots. So why did all this happen because God said would happen to this thing happen because that's just the way that God said no. This is going to happen. How how long ago did God say that this kind of thing could possibly happen. Well, he actually said it in Psalms, he said in Psalm 69. He said this is exactly what's going to happen. This is the way this whole thing is going to work at the thousand years before Christ, no.

It's interesting that it says they just crucified Jesus in verse 23 and we often I think misunderstand what this crucifixion must look like. There are seven sayings and you saw them on the screen earlier that were said by Jesus on the cross. The first one is father forgive them. I don't know what they're doing.

The second one is today. You'll be with me in paradise. And the third one is mercy in a moment woman behold your son.

Those are the only three things Jesus said between nine and noon. Those take about 3045 seconds to say the rest of time. He said nothing, but I want to think of what he said now again what the people usually say when on the cross. They don't talk much at her scream a lot if they do talk, they are angry because they realize what's up what's happening to me how terrible this Jesus just says these things. The first one father forgive them. They don't know what they're doing this Pilate, nobody's doing no. Do Jews know what they're doing now.

You see, they don't know I'm the only hope mankind has this death on the cross is the only way sinful man will ever have an eternal relationship with a holy God.

I'm here in a withered that is going to kill me and they think they're doing God's bidding. When they do it. Secondly, though he said today you will be with me in paradise. What an interesting statement that is one of the two thieves you see this in the other Gospels. When Jesus first got on the cross. Typical of other people being crucified, they attacked because they heard what he was like and what they were saying a people say and I think he's playing you know I think he wants to come on if he's the son of God should be able to get rid off across so they jumped on that movie but themselves. But one of them decided to change the reason that he changed so Jesus on the cross, Jesus did not like anyone is completely quiet, and he also some thumbnails they head above their head. The crimes they committed which were capital crimes.

Jesus had above his head. Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews. So what that thief say to him or the zealot, he said, remember me when you come into your kingdom. That's an amazing statement.

He saw the sign he goes look the way this guy is nine remember me when you come in your kingdom.

The other thing he already knows no one gets off across the life.

Everyone dies so it could imply I know whatever's going to happen to you. You see is not of this world, but you remember me now know Jesus gives no explanation. Nothing then asked for any more. He just looks at him says today you will be with me in prayer and about you, but that's a pretty comforting word from being crucified today you be with me in paradise. The people crucified him then. Whether doing the third thing he says is that we see in just a moment here as he says that in verse 26 when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom you love standing nearby, his mother, he said woman behold your son and they said to him, and to the site to the disciple, he said, behold your mother from that hour the disciple took her into his own household well interesting such an interesting thing of all the people who follow Jesus all the people of the sellers miracles all the people that follow him run. There's only five people there at the cross. No one want to get too close to the cross of crucified person if the Romans could put together that you are in some way implied with this other person, you could lose your own life.

There's a spot for women and one guy that's it.

The disciples of head out there hiding there afraid these four women are there now. What I find so interesting about this is that if you notice what he says here he makes.

It is clear he could, but standing by the cross where his mother's mother, sister, that Salome, Mary the wife of Culberson, Mary Magdalene. Now we know in the other can't say that that's she had seven demons were driven out. I want to break your thoughts about Mary Magdalene but there is no historical proof. She was a prostitute.

I hear that all the time when Megan was a I don't know that I don't think anyone else does. But we always save but notice the name it's used here, Mary the wife of caucus Mary Magdalene.

That's a real common name is Miriam as Moses sister's name Miriam it means bitter. There's a lot of Mary's, who wasn't called narrator Mary should not call Mary is simply Mary.

Is this simply said the mother of Jesus. That's kind of an interesting thing then it goes down it says. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he said woman, behold, your son will I talked about this before the words Dunay it's a sign of somewhat respect that doesn't mean woman and we would use it, but it means woman he doesn't call her Mary. He never calls her Mary after he begins his ministry at upper in fact never did. The wedding feast at Cana, miracle, and when he call her their first merit we did woman in car Mary. It's interesting thought during the Gospels when he was doing his ministry he was in a house teaching and someone come in and said Mary, your mother and your brothers and sisters are all outside and Jesus said these are my brothers and sisters.

This is my family continue and give notoriety to that not all you can say that now I'm you see my ministries worldwide are my ministry begins here in Israel. And so you see that now want to think about that because in acts one you get one more reference to Mary just one she's in the upper room right after the death and resurrection of Christ with the other disciples and some other people.

That's the only time Mary is never mentioned. Once in the epistles. Her name never comes up.

Even at this crucifixion. That happened both the other accounts in Matthew and Mark didn't even mention Mary sir. They don't even mention that you Luke does, but it's interesting the moon's point of view and moved to Luke said that when the angel first came to Mary he told Mary that on the basis of his life.

This can be a time when a swordsman appear to pierce your soul stemming from the processor time she's going through that right now.

She's never mentioned by the way, in the book of Revelation. Why is that important when you see the book of Revelation have occasion to get this long glimpse of John about what heaven is like men's never meant not once. How could you be the queen of heaven and never get your name is not. That's an important thing that I think I understand all of this perspective, pastoral give our on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time. Remember the good a great website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as Fellowship in the Word.

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