Christ Dies for the Church

The crucifixion of Jesus the Christ is the most glorious, and yet the most mysterious event in all of human history. Victims have been tortured before innocent man have been executed before. Many have been crucified before but this death is like no other, the one hanging on the tree at Golgotha 2000 years ago, is the son of God is the Lord of glory is God incarnate, and as we look at the scene of the cross we understand that for three hours. There is darkness and out of the depths of that darkness, we hear an anguished cry.

I cried coming from the middle cross is a kind of separation is a cry of agony is a cry of abandonment. We listen to it, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me Charles Spurgeon writes, I don't think that the records of time, or even of eternity contain a sentence more fool of anguish what's happening. But as many answers to that question, but this Good Friday, I want you to understand that Christ is dying for his church is dying for his own. When we think of the death of Jesus. We usually think of Christ dying for me and that is true. Paul says that the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That is a wonderful truth, but Christ gave his blood for the church listen to a verse that we looked at a couple of Sundays ago from the book of acts as Luke a wherein he is recording the words of the apostle Paul to the elders at Ephesus. He writes in this way, he says to them. Pay careful attention to yourself and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which she obtained, which he purchased with his own blood. And then Paul writes in Ephesians 525. As he tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her every thought of that but Christ dies for his own. He dies for the church is true that God so loved the world, it's true that God loves everyone, but is a special love for his own for his redeemed. John 13 verse one John writes regarding our Savior, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end, Jesus loves everyone. Yes, but is a special love for his own think of of this with meeting this evening, but the blood that was shed on the cross was shed for the church. But Christ loved the church so much that he gave himself up for her. The church he's dying for his own amazing thing is, I want you to consider with me that in dying for his own. He is abandoned by his own Jesus is abandoned is abandoned by his own followers, his disciples, some of you sitting here this evening, nor what it is to be abandoned by someone for some of you. A parent has walked out husband or wife is desire to do a close friend that you've known for many many years has suddenly ended the partnership.

Some of you are doing business have been shocked by the sudden end of a partnership of a business arrangement and you thought it was going so well and the person has ended that they've abandoned you, you know what it is to be forsaken to be on your own to be betrayed by people who you thought you you and even cared for you. I think abandonment is one of the most profound and tragic and difficult of all human circumstances, I was reflecting on that this week and I thought in God's grace I can't. People who I thought were my friends betrayed me, but I can think in all honestly admit absolutely abandoned are being raised in a large family. I really know very little of loneliness, I can say I ever feel lonely.

I think one and one occasion when I was a student. I was 21 setting a Denver University and for the first time in my life I came to North America and I work for several weeks in Canada and Ontario and then I traveled on my own HI King flying into Canada a few hundred 22 by the very cheap deal and I went Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia's Edward Island, Qu�bec province of Qu�bec saw beautiful Qu�bec city and then ended in Montr�al and in Montr�al. I then got the train down to New York City because I was flying out of New York city special planes for British students at a very cheap price and I had five days in New York City and I arrived. I'm sure II seem totally bewildered had never seen such a city's skyscrapers and that I was getting off the train. Looking at my student handbook for some women that shoot city to say realizing that I was surrounded by millions of people and I didn't even know one person, probably for the first time in my life I felt lonely and sad I felt abandoned you, my parents, the left may no cell phones, no emails, no tax in those days and many of you know what it is to be alone to be lonely to be abandoned. In Jesus is abandoned by his followers.

Genre cards in his prologue and John one, that when Jesus came he came to his own and his own received him not.

The sufferings of Jesus, then didn't begin that the cross but as our Lord moves towards the cross.

The sufferings intensified during third think of our Savior at Gethsemane, the garden of Gethsemane. There he is alone Gethsemane, the place of the light of the torches upon the darkness of the night. Gethsemane, the place of the kiss of Judas the traitor Gethsemane. The place of Jesus arrest Gethsemane, the place of prayer Gethsemane for the Lord in anticipation of these that sweat as a word great drops of blood. It was a good sermon. They were the Lord asked his followers to watch and pray I was at Gethsemane, he found them sleeping. They were unable to enter into his preferment suffering. Gethsemane was a place where Jesus suffered alone with about a buffer within the budget from John 19 tobacco. Jesus is alone the bath is the place of the special pavement where violent judges Jesus goodbye thighs the place of indecision. The bath is the place of injustice. Goodbye thighs is where they shout away with him away with him, crucify him a bath is the place of judgment to not do bath or Jesus is alone is abandoned by his own force from the Botha see him lead for zealot island and friends all fled wearing the thorns upon his head early and righteous one to Botha, the place where the Lord suffers alone really is abandoned and then go God. Jesus is alone, Golgotha Calvary comes from Latin Golgotha comes from the automate of the Hebrew Golgotha, Golgotha, the place of the skull. Golgotha, the place of shame. Golgotha, the place of agony, Golgotha, the place where the Romans do their killing. Golgotha is the place where Satan is going to bruise the messiahs feel Golgotha is the place of death. Golgotha is the place of the cross or the disciples and said they would never leave the market would never identify him but at Golgotha. He suffers and dies alone. He is abandoned by his followers, but there's more isn't there because here in the mystery of the cross.

We realize that Jesus not only is abandoned by his own on the cross he is abandoned by his father, God the father is the mystery of the cross isn't from all of eternity, the son of God, is the object of the father's love and delight the father, God the father and God the son of unbroken communion and fellowship for all of the ages of eternity, and in the Lord's incarnation that communion and union which they had always enjoyed his unbroken heart. Every word that our Savior speaks every thought, every action, every attitudes is 100% in the father's will and brings unbroken pleasure to the father. Jesus prophesied that the island would come when his disciples would be scattered, but he says in John 16 verse 32 so he knew his disciples would abandon him and he would be left alone but he says in John 16 verse 32. Yet I am not alone, for the father is with me but hanging on the cross and the moments of his greatest suffering. He is alone this time, there is no voice from the open heavens, as happened when he was baptized as happened on the minds of Transfiguration when the clouds open and the father says this is my son, my well beloved listen to him. No, in that darkness, and the abandonment of it all is that in the our Savior shouts, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me that heavens are close. There's no answer.

Seemingly there is total darkness, a symbol of separation and judgment. What is happening while the judgment of God that you deserve and I deserve because of our sin is falling on the sinless Christ, he is drinking that cup that bitter cup that cup of the wrath and the judgment of God the son is cut off from all expression of the father's love some of you know what it is and what it feels like to be loved by someone. And for that love then to come to an end.

Surely one of the most difficult. One of the profiling the suffering that anyone can experience but imagine the son having experiences unbroken love from all of eternity. Now, seemingly he the man of sorrows is in the unfathomable abyss of sorrow is abandoned and the suffering of soulless abandonment is far greater than all of the physical sufferings John Duncan says that the only perfect innocent in the universe should be the greatest suffering or in the universe. Martin Luther said that no man ever suffered like Christ that helps us somewhat. When we suffer no, not one of us here what ever you experience in terms of suffering can come close to the suffering of God's son, God's perfect son, the man Christ Jesus with them across the father smile is headed is forsaken is abandoned.

Why think you know the answer to to is purchasing the church with his own blood he is giving his life as a sacrifice for you and for me. Can we say this is on the cross, Jesus is giving shedding his blood for the people of Calvary church Charlotte North Carolina as we look at that cross would begin to understand only what sin deserves from the look at Jesus the Christ enjoying we see what God was willing to do to save guilty sinners. Sinners like you and me know the death of Jesus was not an accident.

Choir sang that he was slain before the foundation of the Arthur. This was always in God's eternal purposes is the sacrifice John the Baptist got it right when he pointed to Jesus and says Diebold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Her beautiful to see the Lamb we beholding the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world I Jesus says in John 10.

The great chapter of the good Shepherd, he says. For this reason, the father loves me.

Think of this.

For this reason, the father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

No one takes my life from me. I potently done. I've proud to take it up again. This commandment have I received from my father. Wonderful. He lays down his life and as we will celebrate on Sunday. He lays it down so we can take it up again and that commandment, he says, have I received from my father. Think of this as we break bread this evening. Every sin, yes, every sin that I would ever commit, past, present and future. Every sin that you would ever commit, past, present and future, is credited to their current of the Lamb of God. My incredible eyes blood shed for apostle Peter writes regarding the Messiah, he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree together all of your sins are being laid on the Savior in the Old Testament.

These animals were brought sacrifices and to be offered to God as a sacrifice. What happened the offer to put his hand hands on the head of the animal symbolically confessing over the animal the sins of which they were guilty. The animal died as a substitute for the person bringing the animal symbolically, their sins are being transferred to the animals and I was relook at the cross we see there perfect sacrifice. In fact, a sacrifice which is going to and all sacrifice the supreme the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior, and that all of our sins are being laid on him what's happening on the cross what's happening on that old rugged cross, Jesus with his own blood is purchasing the church our somebody he's paying the price for our sin and in so doing, he is abandoned by his father. Here's a great Passover lamb of Leviticus 12 who secures our immunity to distraction is the buttons offering of Leviticus 1 that offering which was offered completely to God, so that the animal was completely burned our Lord Jesus's life is offered as a sacrifice to the Lord is exposed to all of the wrath of the judgment of God because of our sin, he is the scapegoat of Ludovic Lily Leviticus 16, the date, day of atonement, to remember the scapegoats where the sin of the nation was laid on that golden one died in the other is sent out to the wilderness, never to come back just as our sins which are laid on their Savior is bearing her sin to the place where God is at work. Cannot see them, and from which they will never return, because God says your sins and your iniquities. I will remember no more. Some of your content by sins and failures that you committed years ago. You tighten them over in your mind than the devil lobster, rub your nose in it and say that's the kind of person you are. Remember you did that.

Not so with God just as that scapegoats laughed and went into the wilderness and was alone. Never, ever to return to the con so there's all of our sins are gone and are completely gone.

In the depths of the sea separated, says the psalmist as far as the east is from the west.

Why because Jesus purchases the church with his own blood on the cross he's paying our grandson Mark 1045 for even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life for what is a ransom for many. Was Jesus dying on the cross. He's giving his life as a ransom for us.

When someone is kidnapped or a ransom is demanded in payment of that ransom achieves the freedom of the prisoner. Jesus had come to rescue us and to deliver us from sin and to deliver us from the power of the evil one, and to deliver us from the fear of death does he do that through his amazing dad on the cross he's paying our ransom is paying the price for our liberation to live in freedom you're a follower of Jesus, to rejoice in this freedom. We Diebold wants us to be changed end in bondage and joyless Christ comes to liberate. I read from John 19 the placard that was new to the cross by Pilate, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews that's on the cross. But again the cross. What do you see posters on the cross. All of the certificates of debt which were against us are nailed to the cross, will, and that because of her sin with his eyes huge that sin after sin after segment. What happens to that nailed to the cross and received no more pay, paid in full, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end he loved them fully, completely, and he finished his work on Christ on the cross. That's why he's paying the price to purchase the church and to free us from the power of sin. He's taking our place crying of thorns, which we desire is placed on Christ the nails which are the being put throughout hands and feet are put through Christ's the spirit which pierced his side should have been the spear that pierced your side and mine is nothing interesting that when Pilate offers the crowd, Barabbas amount the tenderness we would call them today because you choose Barabbas instead of Jesus.

This man is awaiting death by crucifixion, which you desire that they should have died on the cross we set free because Christ comes in his place dying in his place would like Barabbas and waiting we dethrone God, and we enthrone ourselves we put ourselves where God only deserves to be rebel against God and Jesus puts himself when we deserve to be on the cross is a member of the body of Christ. You really part of the church. Follower of Christ. When you praise him and love him with all of your heart is Good Friday. We love the joy of salvation to overflow you what your flashes we break bread experience, the forgiveness of your sins. Just think of it, all of your sins have gone what we once again celebrate that amazing Grace saves wretches like us who your friends dedicate your life to pursue a life of holiness, a life of service for the Savior will you do that you've never yet received Christ you're here and you're still in the bondage of sin. You may have a bit of religion may have come from a Christian home, perhaps not.

So you've got a veneer of religion, but you don't know Christ. We receive them as your Savior when you place your trust in Christ we repent of that sin to Christ and see the Lamb of God, taking away your sin.

We look to the Savior as we celebrate communion with a member of this amazing sacrifice that we the church purchased with his blood and to assess church, he says as we take a cup this evening. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many praise God is poured out for me is poured out for you. If your trust is in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, father, as we prepared our hearts. No told us we are to examine ourselves we confess our sins return from them. How quickly we fall into sin. Once again, we look to the Savior.

You told us as we confess our sins are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And we do that thank you for our Savior. Thank you for the Lamb of God, thank you that he purchased us with his own blood helper started to remember him and to honor him and his wonderful name