Sermon Cloud

Good Friday. John 19:1-6, 14-18.
Atrocity of the Cross – There was not a more brutal way to die. Barbaric. Cicero, Roman philosopher and orator, “a most cruel and disgusting punishment…To bind a Roman citizen is a crime, to flog him an abomination, to kill him is almost an act of murder: to crucify him is – What? There is no fitting word that could possibly describe so horrible a deed.” He said the very word “cross” should be removed from the Roman citizens thoughts, eyes and ears. Not just the Romans; the biggest stumbling block for Jews embracing Jesus was the very fact that he was crucified as a common criminal. The law said that everyone who hung on a tree was cursed by God. The Savior could not be one who was condemned, stripped, mocked by God’s enemies and hung on a tree. There was nothing more gruesome, brutal, barbaric, cruel, shameful and humiliating as the cross… And yet, this is the way that Jesus died. Jesus. The sinless Son of God; the one full of grace and truth, the embodiment of divine love and compassion; the one who healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, lifted up the crippled. The one of who it was said a he would not snuff out a smoldering wick and would not break a bruised reed. He loved, forgave, restored, delivered. Yet he, God in the flesh, was delivered over to be unjustly condemned by a human court, mocked, spat upon, beaten beyond recognition, scourged and brutally executed. And in his dying moments cries out with a loud voice and gives up his spirit. Martin Luther said, “Even if it were an animal, the onlooker would be deeply moved, but when it is an innocent man and when he is the Son of God! If one should properly consider this, one’s heart would burst that God’s Son, creator of all things, should let out a cry of death. This is above all sense and understanding. We cannot get to the bottom of it our life long.”

Yet, this is the Greatest Thing that has ever happened. Without it we would have no hope of forgiveness, no hope of being lifted out of our own shame and guilt, no hope of being freed from the condemnation our sin justly deserves. Without we could not look God in the eye, or even look ourselves in the eye. The cross is our only hope. This moment is such a glorious moment that God prepared the world for it, giving us a preview of it in his dealings with the people of Israel, more specifically, in the Day of Atonement – At Onement. The day God would restore his people to oneness with him.

Two Goats; High Priest lay hands on them. One has a scarlet thread tied around its head and is sent away – Away with it – sins carried away, removed from the presence of God so that he no longer looks upon them. This is called expiation. Second Goat – slain as a substitute so that God’s just displeasure against the sins of the people is satisfied. This is called propitiation. Jesus is the fulfillment of this day. Read John 19. There Jesus stands before the people, with a crimson ring around his head. What do the people say, “Away with Him.” And, “they led him away.” Simon of Cyrene leading him out. He is crucified. He is our Expiation – the one who removes our sin; He is our Propitiation – the one who turns away God’s just wrath by bearing it himself. He is our substitute. And this was God’s doing.

See the Atrocity of the Cross. We put ourselves where only God should be; God put his Son where only we should be. He was delivered over for us. I deserved what he received. See the Greatness of it. Our sin laid upon Him and fully dealt with in Him. Full Forgiveness, all our sin and shame taken away; our guilt paid for in full. The power of sin broken in our lives. The punishment that we deserved fell on him so that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

What do you do? The benefits of Christ death will be yours if you will lay your hands on him. If you will put your trust in him and his cross. If you will throw yourself upon his mercy and his mercy alone. Like the thief on the cross – you must feel yourself a sinner and look to Christ as Savior. That is faith. It includes repentance – turning away from the very sins for which Jesus died and turning full face toward him. Then, profess your faith in Jesus in baptism. Then, love as you have been loved, forgive as you have been forgiven, serve as you have been served.

Maybe you are saying, “How do I know that the cross is enough? How can I be sure that Jesus really can forgive sins and free us from sin?” Sunday will assure of this. I invite you to join us.