What prophecy did Daniel give about the
Messiah? Daniel 9:25
From the issuing of the decree....until the
NOTE: This prophecy has been studied
extensively in previous lessons. The point we need to notice here is
that Daniel clearly predicted the coming of Jesus. The prophecy appears
in the very heart of the book of Daniel, indicating the centrality of
the cross even in the predictive part of the bood of Daniel.
What was to happen in the midst of the
seventieth week of this prophecy? Daniel 9:27
He will put an end to
NOTE: Daniel predicted the end of the
sacrificial system by the death of Jesus on the cross. We must never
forget that underlying all the prophecies of Daniel is the centrality
of the cross of Jesus.
How central was the cross to the writers of
the New Testament? Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the
NOTE: The cross was central in the thinking of
New Testament writers. What a thing to glory in! In Bible times the
cross was the means used to put criminals to death. It's like saying we
glory in the electric chair or the gas chamber. Why glory in the cross?
Because the cross was the means chosen by God to bring redemption to
lost mankind. Today the cross is a venerated object in many parts of
the world. Many times we forget its ugly side, but the cross still must
be central in our thinking, for it is only by the cross that redemption
comes to lost mankind.
GOD'S SYSTEM
The devil is never happy when God's people
uplift the cross. He knows how important and central the cross is to
the Christian faith; therefore, he would never dare to attack the cross
openly. Christians would rise up against any overt attack on the cross.
Instead the devil works insidiously by introducing theories and
teachings that, if accepted would nullify or destroy the
all-sufficiency of Jesus's sacrifice on the cross. The devil would like
us to think that we can get to heaven by some other means apart from
Jesus.
While Satan has tried to introduce a
counterfeit system that either destroys or nullifies the cross of
Jesus, God's last-day message is going to all the world today. That
message restores truths that Satan has tried to weaken, hide or
destroy. In restoring these truths, God's last-day message uplifts the
cross of Jesus, showing that man cannot be saved by his own efforts but
needs Jesus. It restores the centrality of the cross to the Christian
faith. We notice that in Satan's system, the focus is self-centered and
the foundation is salvation and sanctification by works or man's own
effort. In God's system, the focus is Christ-centered and the
foundation is salvation by grace and sanctification by grace as a gift
from God.
Which of these teachings uplifts the cross of
Jesus? Check one: Creation Evolution
NOTE: The doctrine of evolution teaches that
all life began as a one-celled organism, split into two cells, four
cells, etc., and gradually evolved through millions of years until
humans came into existence. Its basic tenet is the natural progression
of mankind apart from God. However, if people are progressing
naturally, ever advancing and getting better all the time, then they
would have no need of Jesus and the cross. The doctrine of evolution
destroys the need for the cross, for it says that people can lift
themselves up by their own bootstraps and solve their own problems.
Thus they do not need Jesus or the cross.
Thus while evolution teaches that people are
getting better and better and can solve their own problems, creation
teaches that people started out from the hand of their Creator perfect,
fell from their high estate and desperately need the cross and the
relationship with Jesus to lift them up from the mire of sin and
restore them to that lost estate. Evolution is salvation by man's own
works and progress. Creaton says that in order to be saved, people need
Jesus, this is salvation by grace. Evolution is a single cell crawling
out of a "cold mud puddle." Creation teaches that we were created with
a noble heritage in the image of God. Evolution teaches that our lives
are controlled by the impersonal forces of accident and chance.
Creation teaches us that our future is in the hands of a loving Savior.
Evolution teaches that change takes millions of years. Creation teaches
that we can have new life right now.
Which of these teaching uplifts the cross of
Jesus? Life sustained independent of God Life only through a relationship with Jesus
NOTE: Man in sinful rebellion has sought to
deny God's existence, sovereignty and life sustaining power. If we deny
that He exists, that He created us, and that there is no higher
authority than our own wishes we then become a law unto ourselves. We
do not recognize our true condition, for there is no standard by which
to judge and everyone else is in a similar condition. In this way we
become our own judge, our own "god". The devil is perfectly happy to
have us ignore God, His claims and especially His life-changing power
that is ready to be freely and lavishly given. Thus blinded and kept in
ignorance we become enslaved to the passions of the world with its
resulting destruction ( 1 John 2:15-17 ). If we can be kept
either through ignorance, fear, pride or any number of means from
turning to God, experiencing His love and entering into His plan for
our ultimate best happiness; then the devil has retained our allegiance
even without us knowing it ( Romans 6:16 ).
The belief in life sustained apart from God
tends to turn our focus on ourselves and on our own desires. History
records countless instances of individuals with no higher ideals than
to please themselves. The unhappiness and disastrous consequences of
such abandonment to self is also recorded. Children left to their own
whims, become selfish, delinquent and totally unhappy.
Recognizing God, as our Creator, Sustainer,
Law-giver and Savior results in a purposeful life focused outside our
immediate selves and uplifts the cross of Jesus. Recognizing our life
only in Jesus brings true meaning, purpose and ultimate happiness to
life here and in Heaven throughout eternity.
Which of these teachings uplifts the cross of
Jesus? Law done away with. Law eternal, a reflection of God's Character.
NOTE: The devil would have us believe that the
Ten Commandments have been abolished, that Christians no longer need to
keep them. The Bible says; "sin is the transgression of the law" (1
John 3:4). If there were no law, then there would be no sin, and if
there was no sin, there would be no reason for Jesus to die to save me
from sin. The teaching that wants to do away with the law of God also
virtually destroys and need for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
The purpose of the law is to show a person that
he is a sinner in need of the cleansing power of Jesus. If there is no
law, there is no sin and thus no sinners. All this is apart from and
independent of Jesus. Whenever the law is upheld, not as a means of
salvation, but to point out sin, it clearly uplifts the cross and shows
a person their need of Jesus. When one looks at the law he realizes he
cannot save himself because he is powerless to keep the law perfectly.
He needs the cleansing power of Jesus. Thus the teaching that uplifts
the law of God really emphasizes salvation and sanctification by grace,
whereas the teaching that eliminates the law makes every person
accountable unto himself and does away with the need for God, grace,
and the cross.
Which of these doctrines uplifts the cross? God's seventh-day Bible Sabbath Substituting
any other day for the Sabbath
NOTE: The seventh-day Sabbath is God's chosen
memorial of His creation, redemption, and great gift to mankind: the
gift of time to be with Him in a special relationship. Billions of
dollars are spent to gain precious time, yet God gives it freely. Those
things that are important to us we take time for, those things that are
not important to us, we say we are too busy for, "don't have the time."
We are so important to God that He sets a particular appointment each
week in His schedule just to enter into and strengthen that special
relationship He has with us. Is He important enough to us for us to do
the same?
By keeping the seventh-day Sabbath we recognize
Jesus as the Creator. By keeping the seventh-day Sabbath we recognize
Him as our Authority and Law-giver. By keeping the seventh-day Sabbath
we recognize Him as our Redeemer.
In six days God created the heaven and the
earth and rested the seventh day. About four thousand years later Jesus
came in the flesh and went to the cross. On the same sixth day of the
week, He hung upon the cross and cried, "It is finished." Then he went
to the tomb and rested on the same seventh-day Sabbath, now a sign of
His finished work of redemption. To introduce the Sabbath on `another
day of the week we would be denying His work as Creator, we would be
denying His authority as our Law-giver, and we would be denying His
finished work on the cross as our redeemer.
Every time God's system of truth is emphasized
we uplift, uphold and exalt the cross of Jesus. The cross is the
central point of the Christian faith. Let each of us make certain that
we are continually uplifting Jesus and the cross, by emphasizing and
accepting those great truths that center in the cross of Jesus.
THE CROSS OF
JESUS Notice now the events of Calvary, as our
Saviour went through with His great sacrifice to secure our redemption
on the cross of Calvary.
What prayer did Jesus pray in the Garden of
Gethsemane? Matthew 26:39, 42
Yet not as I
NOTE: It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that
Jesus prayed the prayer of submission. As he agonized with God, the
Bible says His sweat was like drops of blood ( Luke 22:44 ). Here Jesus was tempted
to leave the world to itself and go back to the Father. But to secure
our redemption he prayed, 'Not as I will, but as you will.' As Jesus
prayed this prayer of submission, the sins of the entire world were
rolled upon His shoulders. He became sin for the human race. As the
weight of sin fell upon Him, He fell prostrate upon the ground.
How did Judas betray the Son of God? Matthew 26:48, 49
with a
NOTE: As Jesus went out of the garden, the
soldiers and multitude were coming up the hillside. Judas came forward
and betrayed the Son of God with a kiss. Jesus was then arrested, taken
to Caiaphas' Judgment Hall, and there went through the mockery of a
trial. Witnesses were hired to lie and testify against Him. And finally
they condemned the innocent Son of God. However, the Jewish rulers were
not able to execute, so they took Him to Pilate to secure his
condemnation.
How did Jesus respond when standing before
Pilate? Matthew 27:12-14
Jesus made no
NOTE: Here was Jesus, falsely accused, falsely
condemned, yet in perfect control. Remember, Jesus had been through the
ordeal of Gethsemane, the agony of the trial, a night without sleep.
His nerves must have been rubbing raw, and yet He stood there in
perfect composure and calm.
How did Pilate react to Jesus in perfect
control? Matthew 27:14
To the great
NOTE: This is no namby-pamy Jesus! He is a real
man!
What choice did Pilate offer the multitude? Matthew 27:15-18 , or
Jesus who is called Christ? Whom did the people ask to have released? Matthew 27:20-22
NOTE: Remember, these were church-going people
who asked that Barabbas be released and Jesus be crucified. Many people
make religious decisions based on what the majority does. Please note
that the majority of church-going religious people in the time of Jesus
asked for Barabbas and called on the authorities to crucify Jesus. We
cannot base our religion on the majority.
What was Pilate's response to the call to
crucify Jesus? Matthew 27:24-26
He took water and
NOTE: Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. He knew
Jesus was falsely accused and condemned. But he feared the crowd. He
saw what was right, but he washed his hands. Many of us are like
Pilate. We examine the truth from all angles. We admit it's right; it's
in the Bible. But do we follow it? Are we like Pilate?
After washing his hands, What did Pilate do? Matthew 27:26
Handed him over to be
NOTE: To not take a stand to follow Jesus is to
take a stand to crucify Jesus. Pilate washed his hands, but in the next
moment he delivered Jesus to be crucified. If an individual does not
make a decision to follow Jesus, it is an automatic decision to crucify
Him.
Before crucifying Jesus, what did Pilate
order? Matthew 27:26-31
But he had Jesus
NOTE: The pure, innocent Son of God is stripped
naked, flogged, a crown of thorns is placed upon His brow, they spit in
His face. He went through all that for us.
What did Pilate say to the multitude when he
brought Jesus out again? John 19:5
Here is the
NOTE: See the Man as He carries that heavy
wooden cross weighing over a hundred pounds up Golgotha's hill. See the
Man as they lay Him out on the cross and nail His hands and feet to the
wooden tree. See the Man as they lift up the cross and drop it into
place, jarring the wounds in the hands and feet. The cross was so
constructed that when a person hung upon it, every joint in the body
would be out of shape, causing the most excruciating pain ever known to
man. Many people on the cross became raving maniacs and the soldiers
would climb up the cross and cut out their tongues to stop the cursing.
What did Jesus cry while on the cross? Luke 23:34 What despairing cry did Jesus utter on the
cross? Mark 15:34
My God, My God, why have you
NOTE: Forsaken by God? Yes. Jesus on the cross
had become sin for the human race. Therefore the Father separated
Himself from the Son as Jesus bore the curse of God upon sin. It was
this that broke the heart of the Son of God. It was not the physical
suffering, but the mental anguish that He went through as He died the
death of sinners that killed Him.
What is your response to the death of Jesus?
