At the Cross Where I First Saw the Light!

Hello this is Matt slick from the match looked like podcast ready from the Christian faith and lay out our foundational truths of God's word for chosen Truth Network podcasts of starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away, thereby faith. I received my site and now I'm happy all the day the cross of Jesus is front and center in our journey through Luke I'm Stu Epperson this is experience true the last little segment of our national radio program called truth talk and express truth, we go through the books of the Bible. It's really an outgrowth of a weekly Bible study a bunch of guys lead it.

I'm a part of this ministry at a restaurant called Dario across North Carolina. It's a wonderful ministry to wonderful outreach.

We are in Luke were in Luke chapter 23 versus 26 to 24. Robbie read the Scriptures and you can even pick up maybe in verse 29. It will take us all way through the end and will wrap up the side so at this point time Simon is Irene is carrying the cross and the women are weeping and Jesus is instructing them so easy is that there is no morning form for indeed, the days are coming, in which they will say Blessed are the barren wombs that never bore and breasts that never nursed then they will begin to say to the mountains fall on us and the hills cover us, for they do these things in the Greenwood. What will be done when it's dry. There were also two other criminals led away with him to be put to death. And when they come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the criminals on one on the right and the other on the left and then Jesus said, father forgive them for they do not know what they do and they divided his garments and cast lots. Okay, so going back to these weeping women. These daughters of Jerusalem. Some interesting things there. Ultimately, the bottom line on that is, Christ deflects all their pity and he goes put it right back on them. He didn't want to receive their pity and it's really interesting Robbie in our culture from Renaissance art. All the web to modern-day depictions even broadcast television, art media, there is this verities depictions of the passion of Christ. There's there's these depictions of the bloodied Jesus cause all kinds of people to be sad just it's sad to watch the watch the movie by Mel Gibson. The passion it's just heartbreaking right is just devastating.

People weep. Sadly, people that wept those tears walked out at the Ater never repented of their sin and follow that Jesus that they wept in Jesus Christ. Bottom line, he doesn't want your pity. He wants you to weep over your sin he wants you to weep over the sin of your children. He wants you to weep over the sin that caused his pain. What killed Jesus who killed Jesus was it the Romans, the Jews was a pilot. No, it was you knew it was me and until you can come if that's something that he wants us to weep over. That's something that you're blessed if you mourn over that and you will be comforted because his salvation will comfort you. So he are, he came because of our sin, our sin causes pain. Our sin caused caused his his suffering and so he doesn't want to be sentimentally pitied, all poor. Jesus was meek and lowly know he wants to be worshiped. And he wants to believe that he is he is Lord. What you make in order not, but he is calling you to follow him.

He died so that we could live this is the first time he came his first coming and we see how he came as a suffering servant course he cannot agree will cover that in a few weeks on experience.

Truth is we get into Luke further but when he comes again the second time he's gonna come as a conquering king, and he gives these devastating prophecies Robbie about your to be barren. The barrenness is considered a curse.

And in that culture, especially really in any culture but was really bet wood down there, but in judgment. Barrenness will be a blessing because the judgment will be so bad. You'll be glad that your progeny you glad you don't have kids because because it's getting so bad being buried alive would be better than the coming apocalypse. He's talking about this judgment and there's gonna be a bloodied judgment. He speaking about 87 he possibly do, which is 1 million Jews would be slaughtered and thousands would be crucified. All outside the city of Jerusalem. So there's any mass crucifixions just decades after this moment, so Christ is given them a lot, pause here for for concern in is not over his dying, he's dying to redeem the world but you better. There's a day coming and you read the book of Revelation. It's a very, very, you know, dark, morose time now verse 31 the Green Tree versus the dry treatises at common apocalyptic reference to an ancient proverb contrasting how there's you to be a season of dry death, suffering, drought untruthfulness, which had been that the case of Israel and but there's gonna be a time of green and that's Jesus Christ.

He's the healthy he's the vine that produces fruit right over his fruit and it's a beautiful thing and so one commentary said about this green versus dry Robbie says a fire is more likely to consume a dry forest than a green wet one yelling and even John the Baptist. We talked about the fire that's coming right I that has water east of the batters is a far Holy Spirit. But there's also fire coming that's gonna burn up all the chaff all the waste and all the tears and separate then from the week so here you have this beautiful apocalyptic language, but this very foreboding prophecy of Jesus Christ and so then we get into these final questions you Robbie start without right there.

This is really richer. Why were his first words from across words of forgiveness. So the very first word know this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53 be in the company of of of you know, thieves eat in his death he would be with corrupt people, thieves, here is dying between two thieves. The middle cross, you have a you have all three people in history that hug was a lot my my first book last words of Jesus represented at Calvary's cross. You have the unredeemed and 10 thieves you have the redeemed and the others.

Even the other side who will hear from a little bit and then you have the Redeemer write the man in the middle on the middle cross, Jesus. So this is a fulfillment of what prophecy said and of in a word, how you know how really how he would die and he says these profound words that you can break down each of these words and we could spend a lot more than just one broadcast on experience truth of this, but this idea of father is first words out of his mouth. After all the beating and the and that the absolute torture kata nine tails.

He's physically exhausted, spiritually sizes all night praying, bleeding drops of blood just gone through all kinds of trauma attacked by Satan directly disciples were sleeping. And then he's been through these trials through the night, which we covered in this program is been through all this. The first words out of his mouth were not father destroy them. Father send Ilya know a bunch Angels of Italian veins destroyed his father forgive them and then you ask your day.

So, do you know Jesus Christ who taught about forgiveness is forgiving his haters and them could be a whole lot of people could be those thieves right there could be the soldiers there who are just making it hell for him to work brutal brutal brutal. The ones a tour just tortured him could be the mob crying out for his blood could be all the leaders there the religious leaders who have just to move led Israel to such a hellish point. It could be the people there's better passive, doing nothing stand to stand by father forgive them to you in agreement. Well, that's right, that's where you ultimately get to racial bone are wrote up on talk about how was I knew it was I right that that swung the hammer that drove the nails you know and and in so he was really praying for us to going down 2000 years down the corridor history was praying for those 3000 would be converted in acts chapter 2 at the preaching of Peter powerful the Holy Ghost. We cannot pray for their forgiveness.

Praying for Peter said that sermon you killed him. You crucified the Lord of life see and they repented they were cut to the heart.

So what we do. He says repent, believe in Christ.

Trust a guy only got radically saved. Acts 5000 mortgage saved so that prayer was unbelievable but it also. We also know that it was a direct hit right next to them because the next words out of his mouth were words of redemption or forgiveness pardon for that lowly thief that he was crucified with. I don't want to miss this kiss. She rinsed his book.

One of the most brilliant things that he points out in my book is a correlation between the last words of Jesus.

Of the seven words in the seven days of creation. And so the first day was light. I let there be light and and so here been all this darkness always hate all these hammer and nails, you name it and also in the middle of all that God says, let there be light left, let there be something that I and and everything changes. After those first work yet.

That's right yet so here he is dying, but here he is giving words of life in and of the subtitle of the book was seven words of life from the tree of death, and he says forgive and they know not what they do what just a profound statement that that we have really no idea the implications of our sin.

We have no idea that are in our sin caused his is is is suffering. Simon, the Sirena carious Cross has a front row seat.

All this, these guys are recklessly gambling overs. This is a trite trivial moment there goofing around gambling overs close is just is just a big joke for them and so there's so much discussed on the theme of of forgiveness the cradle and the cross connected, you know that the carols of Christmas by way connected great lacrosse like none other. You know what's the one opening a good Christian Christian men rejoice and says he is open heaven's door man is blessed forever more Christ in these words opens heaven's door.

There's a chance forgiveness. He came to take away our sin. Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this, Robbie real, very a very last question around the time so what does lacrosse have to do with Christmas. Have you been forgiven and why do I need to forgive and who my sharing the good news with so this is this message of forgiveness P called you he saved you he forgave you, so that you could share that message and call out to others and offer them forgiveness, to whom I take this message with I wrote this poem that I want to share with you. For the first time ever, only ever shared it on the radio program podcast broadcast where your list and good to have your own experience. Truth Stu Epperson with Robbie Gilmore along me fry today going to the book of Luke and were in a critical part of Luke verse 34 of chapter 23.

Looking at the very first of seven sayings of Jesus from the cross is found in Luke 2334 here's a poem I wrote that connects Canada Christmas with the cross in the Christmas trees in the Christmas lights or goes ready Christmas trees full of Christmas lights, but on Calvary's tree on the darkest night was the greatest light in history, the Lamb of God on the middle tree God's gift of life defeated death. He is Jesus the Christmas Christ the greatest ornament so there he was hanging on that tree for you and for me lighting us up.

The one that said, let there be light is the light of the world shining in the darkness to bring us to him. What a blessing he thinks are being with us. Robbie, thank you for hanging in with me. My friend Richard a quote I use and in the book majority says this the only reason we have Christmas is because we needed Easter so he went from that cradle all the way to the cross that he could wear a crown and come back and bring us home one day, but save us.

He came on a rescue mission to save me. Do you know him. Have you been rescued by Jesus. You know you need rescuing your in a very dangerous spot if you don't realize you need the Savior.

It will be very bad for you will be very barren for you just like that very strong up plaintively spoken prophecy of apocalypse upon the women of Israel to daughters Jerusalem.

It will be bad for you if you don't know Christ repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. And if you don't know him, he will throw you into hell. You will burn forever apart from Christ, so trust in him call out to him. He's the reason for not just the season. He's the reason for life is a reason were here and he came to give us life.

He came to fill our empty souls with him. He is open heaven's door and man is blessed forever more. Christ was born for this, he came was born to die so we could live on Stu Epperson. Please share the truth of God's word was someone read the Bible study the Bible memorize the Bible meditate on the Scriptures and live it in the power of the Holy Spirit as you share the good news of Christ was someone today. This is the Truth Network