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Sermon of 04-14-01 The
Cross – God’s Gift to you and me by
Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
"The
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 The
Cross. Should we preach on it today? I have heard that we should not
have crosses on our churches or preach about them because it bothered
some to hear that Christ died on an instrument of torture. But today,
you cannot turn any direction without seeing one. You see them perched
on top of churches. Carved on graveyard headstones. On rings and hanging
from some ones ear. You see them around people’s necks. On walls,
hats, tattoos and pictures. You
see the Crosses in museums, and believe it or not, you will even find
them at some public schools. Rare any more, but they’re there. Crosses
can be found almost everywhere today. My favorite author once wrote this
about the cross. “The Spirit is constantly seeking to draw the
attention of men to the great offering that was made on the cross
of Calvary, to unfold to the world the love of God, and to open to the
convicted soul the precious things of the Scriptures” {AA 52}. When
you and I learn of Jesus through the light of the cross we see
mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness. We hear the words coming from Him
that gave us all He had; “Live, sinner, live!
You that believe on Me, live! I have paid a ransom so you can live with
Me and the Father forever.” Around
the world the cross is the universal symbol, emblem and insignia of
Christianity. But when you really think about it, it’s sort of odd
that a tool that was used for torture would symbolize hope to a hopeless
world. But that is exactly what the cross does! Our
Jewish brothers and sisters wear the six-pointed star of Jerusalem.
Those of the Islam faith have the crescent moon. In Buddhism they have a
lotus blossom. Yet in Christianity, we have a cross. The symbol of one
of the most hideous ways of executing someone. How
many of you would even consider wearing a small emblem of an electric
chair around you neck? Or hang a picture of a gold-plated hangman’s
noose? How many of us would use a firing squad as our logo on a business
card? You know some people make the sign of the cross when they pray?
How would you feel if they made the sign of a guillotine instead? You
know, a karate chop across the palm of their hand or a thumb across
their neck? Doesn’t quite seem to have the same feel does it? Yet, my
fellow saints, that is exactly what we do when we use the sign of the
cross. Why
do we as Christian have such a draw to the cross today some 2,000 years
later after it was used to crucify our Saviour? For the answer we need
to look at the cross. Two
boards – one beam horizontal, one vertical. Look at the design. One
reaches up to heaven. Pointing upward. Expressing the only hope we have!
One beam sideways, showing God and His love for us. One represents
God’s width of love while the other reflects the height of His
Holiness. The cross is the intersection where God forgave His children
without lowering His standards. Friends,
it was the cross, the instrument of shame and torture, which brought
hope and salvation to this sinful world. (see AA page 77) The Bibles
says in 2 Corinthians 5:21; “For he hath made
him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.” I
like the way the Commentary English Version says it; “Christ never
sinned! But God treated Him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us
acceptable to God.” But why would God do this? Why treat His Son
the way we should be treated? Listen to Isaiah 53:5: "But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his
stripes we are healed." Friends,
when Jesus suffered the penalty of the law for our transgression,
justice was fully satisfied. The law cannot be changed. Christ's death
on the cross testifies to that fact. God spared not His only-begotten
Son to show the depth of His love for us. The Bible declares this about
Jesus in John 1:29: "Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world" Friends,
we must behold Jesus dying on the cross. Behold Him the One that is
equal with God. Behold Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane when He battled
with the devil fro us. It has always been the Father's prerogative to
forgive our transgressions and sins. Why? Because Christ has taken upon
Himself our guilt and pardoned us. Jesus imputed His own righteousness
to us. His sacrifice satisfies fully the demands of justice. But today,
too many feel that their faults and weakness of character make it
impossible for them to meet the standard that Christ has established. But
the Bible declares that all anyone has to do is humble him or herself
and ask for forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says: ”If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But 1 John
1:10 adds; “If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Friends,
our Saviour does not judge or estimate anyone by the amount of work he
or she does or doesn’t do! No! He loves us so much that He died for
us. And the Father loves us too. How much does the Father love us?
Listen to John 3:14-17. “And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but
that the world through him might be saved.” Aren’t
you glad John 3:16 doesn’t say; “God so loved the rich?” Or “God
so loved the famous?” Or “God so loved the thin?” Or “God so
loved the Europeans or Russians?” Or “God so loved the clear-headed
and sinless?” Or “God so loved the successful?” No the verse
reads, “God so loved the world!”
Friends,
God gave His Son for us. Jesus died so we could live. He suffered the
death which was our so we wouldn’t have to. How
many here honestly would give their own son or daughter to die for
another? I feel pretty confident when I say not a one of us. I know I
wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I don’t have that strong of love for others.
Yet this is what our Heavenly Father did for us. We cannot comprehend
that kind of love. How will we ever understand that kind of love? We
can’t! In fact listen to these words from Selected Messages Vol. 3
page 126; “The plan of salvation … is an exhaustless theme into
which … will be the prime topic of study through the ceaseless ages of
eternity.” To
those who believe we should not have crosses on our churches or preach
about it because it bothers them to hear that Christ died on an
instrument of torture. All I can do is repeat the words of Paul and
declare that I am "determined not to know
anything, … save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1
Corinthians 2:2. From
Acts of the Apostles page 209 we read; “To remove the cross from
the Christian would be like blotting the sun from the sky. The cross
brings us near to God, reconciling us to Him.” In
Christian Ed. Page 81 we find; “We can receive light only as we
come to the cross.” Friends,
it is from the cross we learn how much our heavenly Father loves us. Can
any of us still wonder why Paul exclaimed in Galatians 6:14, "God
forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
It is our privilege also to glory in the cross! Our privilege to give
ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us. Then, and only then,
will that same light that streams from Calvary shine in our faces too so
we may go forth to reveal this light to those in darkness.
Easter
is about Jesus. But my friends it is also about God the Father. The One
that loves us too. That us why; "The
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 Should
we preach the cross today? You better believe it! (Additional
reading see AA - Chap. 20 - Exalting the Cross).
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Printed From Texarkana SDA Church Website http://www.tagnet.org/texarkana |
