8 th january 2012. the cross of christ introduction the historicity of the cross the awfulness of...
TRANSCRIPT
8th January 2012
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
INTRODUCTION THE HISTORICITY OF THE CROSS THE AWFULNESS OF THE CROSS THE THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS THE OUTCOME OF THE CROSS THE CHALLENGE OF THE CROSS
Introduction
TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE SIMPLE PARDON OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS
1] Patent unfairness. Justice has not been done. The judge has not been just.
2] No reason to alter character or to reform attitudes, behaviour or practice.
Introduction
Two immense questions: 1] How can a holy, fair, just, true, loving
and completely righteous God deal with sin and with the sinner and remain true to both his justice and to his love?
2] How can the sinner be made sinless and be given the power to change his heart and his behaviour ?
The historicity of the cross
Roman writers: Tacitus, Pliny the younger, Seutonius, Phlegon
Jewish writers: Josephus, The Mishna, The Gemera
The Samaritan writer Thallus
The New Testament
The awfulness of the cross
“He grew in favour with God and men” Luke 2.52
“Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” Mt 4.25
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him” Lk 5.5.15
The awfulness of the cross
“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” Jn 6.66
“Then all the disciples deserted him and fled” Mt 26.56
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mt 27.46
The awfulness of the cross
“My God, my God why have you forsaken me?
“He is not far from every one of us – for in him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17.28
The theology of the cross
The two irresolvable questions: 1] How can a holy, fair, just, true, loving
and completely righteous God deal with sin and with the sinner and remain true to both his justice and to his love
2] How can the sinner be made sinless and be given the power to change his heart and his behaviour ?
The theology of the cross
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God” II Cor 5.21
The theology of the cross
“When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died, my guilty soul is counted free,
For God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me”
Charitie Bancroft
The theology of the cross
“Pilate had a notice prepared…. JESUS OF NAZARETH: KING OF THE JEWS….the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.” Jn 19.20
The outcome of the cross
The solution to question 1? How can a holy, fair, just, true, loving
and completely righteous God deal with sin and with the sinner and remain true to both his justice and to his love?
“He was delivered over to death for our sins……. ” Rom 4.25
The outcome of the cross
The solution to question 2? 2] How can the sinner be made sinless
and be given the power to change his heart and his behaviour ?
“He was delivered over to death for our sins…….
….and was raised to life for our justification” Rom 4.25
The outcome of the cross
Freedom from the penalty of sin Freedom from the power of sin “Let the water and the blood from thy riven
side which flowed be of sin the double cure – cleanse me from its guilt and power” Augustus Toplady
“He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.” Charles Wesley
The challenge of the cross
“We preach Christ crucified” I Cor 1.23
The challenge of the cross
“He bore our sins in his body on the tree so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” I Peter 2.24
The challenge of the cross
I take O cross thy shadow for my abiding place
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face.
Content to let the world go by, to know no gain or loss
My sinful self my only shame – my glory all the cross! Elizabeth Clephane