Key Text: "¼how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures."
I Corinthians 15:3.
Inspired men of God wrote the Bible as they were anointed by the power of God and guided by the Holy Spirit. That is why the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God. Here are seven of the most gracious words, I have ever read in the Bible, "how that Christ died for our sins¼" I Corinthians 15:3. They are seven words that give us the good news that Christ paid the sin debt. They tell us we can have the free gift of salvation. Here are seven words precious to the sinner as he makes his way to God with true repentance to have his sins forgiven. "¼God be merciful to me a sinner." Luke 18:13. These seven words teach us that sinners can come to God and pray for their sins to be forgiven.
The first step to having our sins forgiven is CONVICTION, conviction with a godly sorrow that we are sinners. The second step is the one the publican took in Luke 18:13. "¼God be merciful to me a sinner." Friend, those two steps may seem simple, very elementary, but they are the only two things you need to know to be saved from your sins. Christ died for our sins. He paid the sin debt full and complete, and our salvation is the free gift of God. Why not review the seven words in Luke 18:13 and the seven words in I Corinthians 15:3?
Here is what happened at Mount Calvary when Jesus died. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that His death was necessary to provide forgiveness for our sins and the complete pardon of all past sins and guilt. Jesus knew, for "...without shedding of blood is no remission." Hebrews 9:22.
On the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He paid in full the redemption price and bought us from the servitude of Satan and sin and moved us from Satan’s family to God’s family. Why? He did it willingly out of love for you and me. Although His death was totally undeserved, there was no other way He could save us.
"There was no other way to cleanse me from sin, and no other way my redemption to win, Christ Jesus must take my guilt upon Him, and die upon Calvary." – Christiansen
Understand that Christ paid a debt He did not owe to cancel a debt we could not pay.
"Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation." (The Desire of Ages, E. G. White, p. 753.)
In January and February 2001, we printed the first two sermons on the Biblical Truth of the Gospel. Part I and Part II were on the "Life of Jesus Christ". The sermon for this month is, "Jesus Christ, our Lord, Died on the Cross". Again, I bring to the sermon of the month our three-point outline. First, Jesus would not COME DOWN from the cross. Secondly, Jesus would not COMPROMISE the Father’s will. Thirdly, He would not CONDEMN His enemies.
I. Jesus Would Not Come Down From the Cross
"And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that
destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son
of God, come down from the cross." Matthew 27:39-40. Let us notice here that
these chief priests and scribes, the church leaders take the same words that Satan
used in the wilderness temptation. "If thou be the Son of God¼" Matthew 27:40.
The temptations on the cross and the wilderness temptation are the same because both temptations are presented over the question as to whether or not Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus was asked in the wilderness temptation to prove that He was the Son of God. On the cross, He is asked to prove it by coming down.
Jesus would not yield to the voice of the crowd and come down. To come down would have disregarded the perfect life He lived, and it would have destroyed the purpose of His coming to earth. The perfect life He lived would avail nothing, and the will of God would have been defeated; the whole plan of salvation would have been lost. From all eternity, our Creator God, the sovereign, Almighty God of the universe saw His Son on the cross giving His life. Jesus did not come to save His life, but to give it as a ransom for sinners. In Titus 2:14 we read this:
"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." In I Peter 1:18,19 we find this verse: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:..." Christ is "¼the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:8.
The Father sent Christ into the world. This sending of the Son was the consequence of the Father’s affection for His people. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all three as one God to
save us from sin. The Father ordained the plan, the Son died to pay the redemption
price, and the Holy Spirit does the work of bringing us to Christ.
So precious was the death of Christ on the cross, He could say, "¼It is
finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30. In Luke’s
gospel we find these words, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the
ghost." Luke 23:46.
Friend, there on the cross our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, took the sinner’s
place, paid the redemption price, and became the substitute for every sinner that
has come or will come to God by the way of the cross. Christ died for our sins.
Once and for all He has paid the sin debt. He took our place on the cross and
because of His place and because of His position, His perfect life is given to us.
We are complete in Him. "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of
all principality and power:..." Colossians 2:10.
When Christ said, "¼it is finished," He was telling the universe that He had
done the work of God and the will of God. He was saying in context and substance
that no stone had been left unturned, no trip was deleted from His schedule, no
sermon went unshared, and no sinner had been turned down who came to Him
seeking forgiveness of sin. The sick had been healed and the dead had been raised.
"Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which He
came to do, and with His parting breath He exclaimed, ‘It is finished.’ John 19:30.
The battle had been won. His right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him the
victory. Was there not joy among the angels? All heaven triumphed in the
Saviour’s victory. Satan was defeated, and knew that his kingdom was lost." (The
Desire of Ages, E. G. White, p. 758)
Where is Christ today and what is He doing? At His ascension, He went back
to heaven and there in the holy Sanctuary, He is continuing His work on behalf of
God’s children. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;..." I Timothy 2:5. "Wherefore he is able also to save them
to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25. Let us look now at our second point:
II. Jesus Would Not Compromise
In the wilderness temptation, Satan did his work of trying to get Jesus to compromise His mission and yield to his (Satan’s) control and authority. Crowds passed by Golgotha, "the place of the skull." This in itself was humiliating, for the passerby could stare and shout bitter mockery at the victims. The Jewish leaders joined the attack. They reminded Jesus of His promise to rebuild the temple in three days (Matthew 26:61 and John 2:19). "If you can do that" they tell him, "you can come down from the cross and prove to us that you are God’s Son." Friend, in reality, it was the fact that He stayed on the cross that proved His divine Sonship.
The Jewish rulers mocked His claim to be the Saviour, "He saved others; himself he cannot save." Matthew 27:42. He had saved others. But if He saved Himself, then nobody else could be saved! Jesus did not come to save His life. He came to die on the cross and give His life as a ransom for sinners.
The world is calling for the church to compromise its standards:
1. Compromise the Father’s will
2. Compromise the Word of God
3. Compromise the way we dress
4. Compromise the way we eat
5. Compromise our way of living
6. Compromise our educational system
7. Compromise our ideas of entertainment
The world is calling for the church to come down. "Why be so different? Come down and join us. Come down and be like us." Let the church remember that Christians are to come out of the world. We are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus prays for the people of God. "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." John 17:15-16.
Friend, the church must be alert and aware of the smooth talkers today. Our generation is filled with such people, and if we are not careful, they will talk us into coming down to their level. Let us not compromise and come down. The world is calling. The world is watching. The devil is waiting. The blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ is praying.
III. Jesus Would Not Condemn¼ Not Even His Enemies
"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do¼" Luke 23:34. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17. While they were nailing Him to the cross, He repeatedly prayed, "...Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..." Luke 23:34. Not only was He practicing what He taught (Luke 6:27-28), but He was also fulfilling Biblical prophecy and making "...intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12.
"The Saviour made no murmur of complaint. His face remained calm and serene, but great drops of sweat stood upon His brow. There was no pitying hand to wipe the death dew from His face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging fidelity to stay His human heart. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work, Jesus prayed for His enemies, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ His mind passed from His own suffering to the sin of His persecutors, and the terrible retribution that would be theirs. No curses were called down upon the soldiers who were handling Him so roughly. No vengeance was invoked upon the priests and rulers, who were gloating over the accomplishment of their purpose. Christ pitied them in their ignorance and guilt. He breathed only a plea for their forgiveness, -‘for they know not what they do.’
"That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live, from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness is freely offered. ‘Whosoever will’ may have peace with God, and inherit eternal life." (The Desire of Ages, E. G. White, p. 744-745)
In closing, let us look at two great theological facts that have come down through the ages. They are as follows:
Fact Number One: It is an historical fact that the grandest event of the whole universe was the weekend that Jesus died on the cross, was placed in the tomb and arose from the dead on the third day. From the days of Adam and Eve until the day Jesus died, the people said, "the Messiah will come and die for the sins of the world." They looked forward to the cross.
Fact Number Two: Since the day Jesus died, we look back to the cross and say, "Jesus has come and died on the cross. He is risen and because He is risen, we shall be resurrected."
At Mount Calvary, there were two thieves crucified with Jesus. There was one on the right side and one on the left. Jesus was on the middle cross. One thief followed the crowd. The other thief had a different frame of mind. He thought if this man saved others, He can meet my greatest need, the need of my forgiveness and salvation. He called on Jesus, the Lord, and was saved.
The man saved was saved wholly by grace; it was the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9. He did not deserve to be saved and he could not earn it. His salvation was personal and secure, guaranteed by the word of the Savior.
So precious does God esteem the death of Christ and the blood of Christ that on account of these alone, without one particle of addition from any other source, He can forgive, save, justify, and accept even the chief of sinners. It is through the blood that He keeps their consciences clean and unburdened, so that, though their sense of sin deepens and augments, their sense of guilt no longer oppresses them as before. By keeping our eyes on Mount Calvary, the death of our Lord and His precious blood, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sins.
Let us close the sermon by meditating on great old hymn written and set to music in 1913 by Pastor George Bernard. The song is familiar to all of -- "The Old Rugged Cross".
"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,¼
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
¼and exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
¼Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
¼and exchange it some day for a crown."