Crucifixion

This rubbish reformer John Knox said to remember Jesus is remember.

First of all is cross that in your notes and write that task. Use would been singing and reflecting about the cross this morning.

Have you been to the cross is at the cross where your sins are forgiven is the cross we were saved as of the cross where we first see the light is on the cross when we are transformed and were never the same again. So this morning were coming to the cross. I want you to meditate on the cross of Christ this morning as we have already done and would hear serrated bits from the Lord, in the view of the last few weeks, months been demoing in sin. Anyone here has a cold heart.

Anyone who feels that your faith is rather stale got into a routine adult routine in your Christian life.

Anyone who hereby done by anxieties and worries and when you're struggling with spiritual doubts anyone wondering this morning I might truly an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. The answer to all of these questions and many more as funds at the cross acid to open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27 were consecutively going through the gospel of Matthew and were almost at the end of the second last chapter, and we are reading at Matthew chapter 27 were being taken to the foods of the cross are subject is crucifixion Matthew 27 verse 27 then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters and they gathered the whole battalion before him, and they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and twisting together kind of thorns, they put it on his head and put out read in his right hand and kneeling before him. They mocked him, saying hello King of the Jews and they spit on him to go to either instruct on that when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out to find a man of citing Simon by name.

They compel this man to carry his cross, and when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means place of a Cisco they offered him wine to drink mix withdrawal, but when he had tasted that you would not drink it, and when they had crucified him. They divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and Watch over him.

There and over against his had to put the charge against him, which read this is Jesus, the King of the Jews and two robbers who were crucified with him one on the right of one of the left and those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and say you who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross, so also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him, saying he saved others, he cannot save himself is the king of Israel come down now from the cross and we will believe in him to trust in God but God delivered him know if he desires him, for he said I am the son of God. The robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. See the cross reveals our sinfulness is that the cross we see what we man and woman sinful men and women do to Christ, we see our Lord Jesus Christ experiencing immense cruelty the hands of sinful man and of the Roman soldiers. They mocked Jesus they become they spit on him.

They crucified Jesus Christ's mocked him pale King of the Jews.

They don't realize that in their midst.

Not only is there the king of Jews. That is the king of the universe. They put a scarlet robe on him. They thrust on his head a crown of thorns and mockery for the scepter.

They put out read in his right hand and kneeling down and mockery. We take this beat him on the head there started to do notice they spit on. They don't realize it, but in so doing they are fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy.

I gave my back to those who strike in my cheeks to those who pool the beard. I had not my face from disgrace and spinning Isaiah 50 verse six, Isaiah 53 verse three written 750 years before the event.

Isaiah talks of the coming Messiah. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Who is Jesus to the Romans. He's a bit of a joke someone that we can market faster time, as we crucify this man think of the shame and humiliation of our Lord.

Isaiah writing in the wonderful start of a song writes in Isaiah 52 verse 14 as many as were astonished that you his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and has fallen beyond that of the children of man kind is people look at Jesus there shocked is almost unrecognizable as a human being can recognize him because of what he has endured that we don't know how long this mockery. Life lasted the breathing is spitting the radicchio but we read in verse 31. They led him away to crucify him. Paul is going to say as he reflects on these events in Philippines two is going to say, the Lord Jesus Christ was a belligerent to the point of day.

Yes, that on cross crucified is a fiction's out of a couple of purpose is number one. It punished for criminal and a very sadistic way of prolonging the pain and ignominy for as long as possible is not a quick dead is not that by hanging our death by lethal injection of death by the firing squad crucifixion is designed to be sadistic was crucifying a person can't indulge themselves in their sadistic torture. Cicero said crucifixion was the most cruel and shameful of all punishments. Secondly, they present crucified was publicly exposed as a warning as a deterrent to others on behave like this person are you to will be crucified.

Victim is what I do on the way to crucifixion is paraded through the streets carrying his cross without a placard with a crime of which he was supposedly convicted.

Often the causes were strategically placed at a crossroads to produce the maximum number of people who could look on the crucifixion was a punishment. It was a deterrent and in verse 33 we get there from after the mocking the Roman execution squad. The soldiers then lead Jesus to be crucified, and became a place called Golgotha, Golgotha, the place of the skull. Golgotha, the place of shame. Golgotha, the place of agony, Golgotha, the place where the serpent is going to bruise the messiahs you Golgotha. The place that Golgotha, the place of the cross growth a few weeks ago a little boy five-year-old boy came after the service and the ligaments in his motor yacht has a question which had never been asked before as little children do. He asked me what does Calvary me know what Wise is called Calvary church and bicycle company would we delete yet Calvary was talking to good benefit of his Bible and I said the sort Calvary in your in your Bible. She said no it's always Golgotha. Jerome in the fourth century translated the Bible into the Vulgate Latin put up on the screen. Verse 33 freelance colors.

You can read it that it is going odorant in locum predicted to Golgotha court as Calvary.

Locke assesses the place you can understand some of it Golgotha and he says, which is the place of the scout and in Latin skull is Calvary and so we generally refer to the place of the crucifixion as Calvary, but probably more accurately we should get to the automatic and say Golgotha place of the skull condemned prisoner as he goes through Golgotha is generally carrying his cross beam.

In some cases perhaps in the case of the Lord is counting the whole cross. So much so that they recruit this man from Miss Irene Simon to carry the cross. Possibly Jesus was moving too slowly after his breathing after the talk to them after the lashing on the back is moving out too slowly, as is counting this heavy cross as a tree is a piece of wood. Think of something nice.

Some rough piece of wood that is counting in moving too slowly and so they recruit this man Simon become to Golgotha, the place was skull note arrives, they reach the place across clearly is on high Lord of glory and of grace, belief take the wooden cross on the grind Lord would be laid on the cross and the nails through his hands is not very interesting that the gospel writers do not go into the actual method of crucifixion Matthew simply says and we read it and that's 36 and when they had crucified nails through his hands. The speech then the cross is raised upright, possibly by foreclose on this drop in the whole. So the individual's body might be dislocated of some bone. Sometimes a small chair or kind of seed. The loveseat is provided to bear some of the weight of the condemned criminal as he hangs on the tree and also of course with that little rough seek that he can kind of sit on prolonging the act of dying. Death by crucifixion from slowly seared his Savior dying on an old rugged cross crucifixion is reserved for the worst of enemies.

The violence they insult him. Here is the fulfillment of course as he hangs between two tennis robbers is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 53 verse 12. These numbered with the transgressors. He is of course completely innocent read through looks the kinds of the trials and look at 123. I think that our six or seven times. It said by those who tried to choose him. I find no fault in this man, not guilty, but in his innocence but he still crucified the said he's committed blasphemous for pilot trying to get guilty of treason, but it is we who are blasphemous that we would crucified the Lord of glory, and is we who have committed treason. Yes, you and I that we put ourselves as King of our lives.

What blasts me what treason you pushed aside the King of glory, and put yourself in the center of your life is not an act of blasphemy treason.

These are the accusations against our blessed Savior. And then there's these passerby's did you notice Matthew says the religious leaders are there to respond with unmitigated pictures.

They pass by the market may ridicule him is that you could give this a brother you cannot even save yourself the oneness that of the son of God you out. He would come down Savior and instead of responding with repentance. Their hearts are hardened instead of worshiping the Savior.

They mock him instead of humbly kneeling before him and saying he's the king of the lives they ridicule and say are you said you were the king of the Jews that where you are practically speaking, rejecting Christ, marginalizing yourself the center of your life.

God's eternal purposes, and the drama of salvation are being fulfilled here to fulfilled prophecies. If you look at verse 35 it says when they crucified him. They divided his garments among them by casting lots son 22 is sometimes called the Psalm of the cross.

Think about it next week as it begins, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me within Psalm 2216. David the psalmist writes in prophecy appears. My hands and my feet amazing to think of times and years before the birth of our Savior is the prophecy that he is not only going to die.

He's going to be crucified in his hands and his feet pierced, and then some 22 verse 18. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. The Romans are so hard the soldiers fixing a lot. These are tough men marched across Europe for the honor of Rome and having a bit of fun throwing some dice for the because gambling over his clothes.

Read the story the beautiful story of the woman who for 12 years I taught the terrible humiliating disease and she just touch the hem of his close during the Transfiguration that is close listen and brilliant white soldiers.

Take garments come before the foot of the cross and segments. There's apartments in the soldiers miss the central event of all human history.

Amazing that we live in this country can live as if Jesus Christ never came. Their hearts can be hardened to that in reality of the depth of her site using the cross shows, among other things, it shows the depth of human sin.

Then we graphically see a rebellion against God not see you in your different you are not different. We live in rebellion against God and our Lord Jesus dies on an old rugged Cross death of shame and humiliation. A death of unspeakable horror and violence death on the cross is about what what type that was happening. Sin was Christ is building our sins on the cross for you to grasp on the cross, Jesus bears our guys in my place. So Paul says in verse 15 verse three Christ died for our sin.

Peter writes Christ also died for sins once for all the just for the unjust is just as it isn't guilty.

What about his but he dies thought he dies in our place. Sinless Christ is dying for me is dying for John Monroe, JR Jan Oswald writes God's power is at its greatest. Not in the destruction of the wicked, but in his taking all of the wickedness of the into himself giving back. Love to look at the cross, Lord Jesus is completing everything that is necessary for the forgiveness of our sins is four hours is Isaiah 53 verse three he was despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And there's one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. And then verse four. Shortly he has borne our grief's, and carried our sorrows, as was happening. These billing upgrades discounting our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. And then verse five he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are here to he's peers is 100 that is the deliberate assault of mind. The sin against innocent Christ.

What do we do to the Christ we Pearson what's happening is being pierced for our transgressions, was a transgressions in a deliberate crossing of the line. Don't do this, you do it don't do that and you choose to do it.

That's a transgressions is wounded for our transgressions. These crushed for our iniquities are our sins are so heavy that the picture and is out iniquities was and then liquidate liquidate that which is crooked and and mean within us from those we say that someone is as twisted as a corpse. The twisted person that prevented liquidate and all that is put on our Savior, so he is crushed for the upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace we desire that he brings is pleased with his wounds we are healed. Notice it's our griefs, our sorrows, our transgressions, iniquities, the penalty Jew for our sins is paid in full by our Lord Jesus Christ's the demands of God against me because of my sin.

The wages of sin is that the demands have been met in full paid in full by my Lord Jesus Christ. No forgiveness is offered to you regardless in theology, substitutionary atonement pulse is the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I praise God we had the testimonies of those being baptized were saying, the son of God loved them and gave himself for them.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross is when looking at the crucifixion every single sin that I would ever commit, past, present and future as being put to his accounts below says he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree is treated as a Red Cross. He bore our sins on a piece of wood on a tree pierced for me is wounded for me bears all of our sins and listen to Paul as he reflects on this second Corinthians 519. All of this is from God through Christ reconciled us to himself, give us the ministry of reconciliation. There is the world that in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not taking their trespasses against them. How is God, the holy God adjusts God not going to accounts my transgressions my iniquities my deliberate sins, and my rebellions policy know he's not going for that to your account to not only the beauty of the gospel not only the gospel out our sins forgiven not only our sins and out iniquities and their trespasses not counted against the record of debt that did stand against us in the holiness and the justice of God has been put to death on the cross nailed to the cross is Paul's expression in Colossians the date of sin has been nailed to the cross that has been discharged all of my sin has gone there's been taken away. I am totally forgiven the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all of our sin, the burden go. Shame of my sin has all gone and it will never ever be brought before me in some churches it was never again will I face is wound on the beach with my cutie beach right. There you go to pay to park your car I'm driving his car with it into a parking meter pay for it with my carbon we won the lines were driving back to her house and I see that's a piece of paper under my wiper that you get to host and it is a parking ticket, parking violation. Fortunately it's good news. Car with his right car number plate fee $35 unpaid parking $20 total $55 if paid after if paid after 10 days at $65 paid after 20 days is $75 is ridiculous and so was a number you call customer service, which is a joke woman said we don't deal with her. I said you don't remember who the customer service so we don't deal with that.

You need to go on their way back to the tried your web web is working and I said this has been a miscarriage of justice. So finally go online and there's a form you fill.

I am not to appeal against the parking violation.

I filled it in and took a few days. Finally decide we have decided in your case.

Not to charge the parking violation. They and their no coming against me to pick is a problem in the system to think of this, I had paid and no bringing the matter before me again, that never happens with God. There's never a failure in the system.

God is always just in my Lord Jesus Christ, as he has paid the price for my sins, I am totally and eternally free but there is more.

Not only are my sins forgiven not only out all of my sins nailed to the cross and credited to my beautiful Lord Jesus Christ transferred to his account. God does something more is this is grace. When you grasp this today God transpires to my current beauty, the righteousness and the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ putting it in theological terms for some of you budding theologians. This imputed righteousness is this all going on of my justification by faith.

How is that I know that I will never ever face my sin again. Why am I so sure that my salvation is secure because of my past. No, absolutely not, because he read the Bible know because I'm sometimes kind of people, absolutely not. The basis of my salvation is this that my Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I have accepted him as my Savior never embrace the Savior client meets will delay and furthermore, my grace is imputes to me puts that my account the righteousness of my Lord Jesus Christ. So the verdict is perfect righteousness.

He takes my sin. I receive his perfect righteousness he pay what I owe and which I could never pay and freely gives me what he has done what I could never in a million years free. Save by grace.

Religion tries to make you good to try religion to change your behavior to make a good religion tries to make you good.

The gospel is Christ died for us and that's incredible good news is because all of us of sin and some of you are still trying this work to work out your salvation.

Did you hear hope you follow wonderful reading by Keith in the baptismal tank in Ephesians 2 verses one through 10. It is by grace, by grace that were say reasons as we can put Jesus dies, he dies between two thieves. Matthew doesn't record but Luke does look says that these problems yes it would've filing Jesus more than one look to Jesus and said, no, no, we we we desire what we receive and what bad people, but this man has done nothing wrong. Lord, receive me when you come into your kingdom in the wonderfully new, but the kingdom with this Jesus say to this man, this wretched man this robber is a character becoming the Calvary church will be calling for security today will be with me in part a nice salvation at the cross, Jesus is at the center robber who was saved reminds us that very bad people can be saved and some of you are very very bad. Those of you who don't think about it even worse than those who acknowledge the bad because at least they know the he dies very bad people, because he comes for sinners violence man with a heart heart transform this elixir. Christ, you may have committed some terrible sense. Perhaps you think that the salvation is not for you.

You think you know I will never be saved think that look to the Savior do with the thief that look to Christ because there's always always more grace in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that is sending you when Cinnabar is grace supported violence very bad people can be safe. Secondly is never too late to trust Christ not noticing leave it to your deathbed because some of us are not going to have a deathbed. Yes there are those who die from terminal illness, with others of us are going to die. Suddenly, without any warning, no but it's never too late to trust Christ, perhaps, have rejected Jesus for a long time you sign these cues come because her husband or wife or your parents or your friend Abbasi to come and and and simply enjoy the service you think the music is as wonderful healing Monroe. I preaches far too long but you keep coming. You've never yet trusted Christ dump you right with God today. No, Don. Tomorrow, don't harden your heart tomorrow you may die just Jesus today. Third, salvation is fines, not in ordinances not in the sacraments on good works, but simply looking to Jesus alone is the gospel look and live.

Jesus said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life.

I sent you to Christ. The thief could do anything he could get baptized. He couldn't join the church.

He couldn't join the company just looked Christ. When the girls get baptized reminded us of the beauty and simplicity of John 316 God so loved. We see the love of God that the cross that he gave his only son. His unique son, that whoever that you know that's me that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ tries will not perish but have everlasting life. One thief looked to Christ today will be with me in paradise. One thief continued in his hardness and was eternally lost with the Christ. For those of you who are: trust us with the cross transformation stop putting yourself as king in your life across we see our Savior see our Lord, we see okay and we realize this is the one that I'm going to follow but I'm going to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be added to help us to do that father under God's throne we are to put ourselves as king in our lives.

Forgive us rejoice that the testimonies of those who baptized a pre-for those who are not yet saved to Christ. Even though shine into the hearts Holy Spirit.

The understand their sin. They can see the beauty of our matchless glorious Lord Jesus Christ's name as we harden from the little boy's name is called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Save some this morning.

I pray in Christ name