The Daily Messages of Holy Week:

On Friday They Crucified Our Lord.

Palm Sunday

Sermon Notes:  April 1, 2007

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248

(480) 895-8766

 

Matthew 27:27-54 NRSV

27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him.  28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head.  They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.  31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.

32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.  33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him.  37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.  39Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”  41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.  43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”  44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”  that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”  48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.  49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”  50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.  51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  The earth shook, and the rocks were split.  52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.  53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.  54Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

 

A.  Introduction

    1.  Julie O’Neal at Preschool

        a.  When she was just a little gal, we eagerly enrolled our daughter Julie into the Preschool at Trinity United Methodist Church.  It was a great program and parents were encouraged to be involved.  I remember the first time I went to Preschool with Julie.  She nearly wore me out!  Her teachers used the learning center model.  The “kids” had choices and were expected to choose two or three of the four to sometimes even six learning centers.  Julie, however, was determined to do every one of them!  Now she did each activity thoroughly, but she, also, did them fast, and old dad could not keep up!  Finally as I lost all of my fruit loop “necklace” pieces on the floor, I asked Julie, “Must we go to every learning center?”  She replied, “No Daddy, but I like to do them all!”

        b.  Friday of Holy Week is, also, like Thursday of Holy Week in that there is so much happening.  And while we may want to cover it all, there is more here than can be discussed in one sermon.

    2.  Good Friday Scripture

        a.  There are so many events:  On Friday of Holy Week, Jesus is still being questioned and tortured by the religious leaders.  Late Thursday or early Friday Peter denies Jesus.  Early in the morning on Friday, Jesus is taken to Pilate.  Judas kills himself.  The Lord is taken to King Herod, who treats Him with contempt.  Jesus is sent back to Pilate.  The Roman soldiers mock and flog Jesus.  The soldiers force Him to carry His own cross to the place of execution.  Jesus falls down, and the soldiers make a man from the crowd help.  Jesus is crucified.  People abuse Him with insults.  The Lord speaks seven times before He dies.  The soldiers pierce his side.  Jesus is buried in a “borrowed” tomb.  The tomb is sealed shut, and guards are placed at the tomb.

        b.  In addition, there are so many questions for which we seek answers.  A few of these are:  What did Jesus go through?  Bible commentaries and movies like THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST remind us that Jesus went through the worst torture imaginable.  Why did Jesus say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 NRSV)  Some scholars suggest that this reflects His humanness.  Others believe that this was the moment at which He bore our sins and felt our deserved forsakenness.  And finally, some scholars remind us that this is the beginning line of Psalm 22 which foretells the events that would happen to the Messiah.  This Psalm ends in hope, and is reflected in Jesus’ last words when He says, “It is finished!” (John 19:30 NRSV)  These are the words that the winning athlete would shout as he crossed the finishing line in a race.  And there are things we might not realize without study, such as the torn curtain in the Temple symbolizing that now all people have access to God in the New Covenant. 

        c.  As last week, we will focus on a specific area.  This morning, I will talk about what Jesus did for us on the cross.

 

B.  On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins.

    1.  Judge pays fine!

        a.  Walter Forrest was once again before the same Judge for drunk and disorderly conduct.  In the past, Judge Brown had sentenced the man to several 12 step programs.  The Judge had even thrown the book at him the last time he got drunk.  Now the Judge was tired and eager to go home.  Judge Brown was retiring and this was his last day and his last case.  So the Judge asked, “Well, Walt, I’ve been easy on you and real tough with you.  What is going to get your attention enough to change your behavior?”  Walt replied, “I don’t know?  Surprise me!”  So Judge Brown said, “I’m retiring after twenty years on the bench.  So to celebrate and get things done, I am not sentencing you to any jail time and I will pay your fine.  Court’s dismissed.”

        b.  Judge Brown paid the fine of a guilty man.  Jesus Christ has paid the price of our sins.  It cost Judge Brown several hundred dollars.  It cost Jesus His life.  Walt Forrest would go home and think about the gift he received.  It would lead him to getting active in AA, and becoming sober.  It would eventually lead him to going back to college and becoming a caring teacher.  In what ways does Jesus gift motivate you?  I hope, first and foremost, that you have received Him as your Lord and Savior.

    2.  The MORAL SATISFACTION MODEL of Understanding the Cross of Jesus.    [This understanding was eventually said so well by Anselm the Archbishop of Canterbury (1033-1109 A.D.) that some call it the “Anselm Theory of Atonement.” Some, also, call this the “Objective Theory of Atonement.”]

        a.  The Bible tells us that we sin, that this sin separates us from God, and that Jesus is our only hope to be reconciled with God.  In Romans we read:  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 RSV)

 

 

Romans, also, tells us:  “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23 RSV)  Further, we read:  “Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.  It is by his wounds that you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:24 TEV)  And then Colossians tells us:  “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20 NRSV)

      b.  When we sin, we affront God’s dignity and disobey God’s moral laws.  A price must be paid.  There must be suffering to atone for our sin.  God made us for fellowship with Him, but we rebelled, and sinned.  This dishonors God and makes us unfit and unworthy to be in God’s presence.  We must repent and repay, or refuse and be punished.  However, no human being is able to pay the kind of sacrifice that is worthy enough to buy us back into God’s favor.  The only option left to God is to punish us.  However, if all people end up being punished by being sent to Hell, then all are lost to God, and God’s purposes for the world would be defeated.  Thus God faces a dilemma:  God cannot treat sin lightly, nor does God want to lose anyone forever.  So what can God do?  God cannot simply ignore sin; a price has to be paid.  So God pays the debt Himself through His Son Jesus. 

 

C.  On the cross, we see most clearly God’s love!

    1.  Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

        a.  In Victor Hugo’s great novel Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving children.  After nineteen years in prison he is released.  Unable to find work, he begs at the home of a kind old Bishop.  The kind pastor gives him supper and lodging for the night.  Yielding to temptation Jean steal the Bishop’s silver plates and slips out.  He is soon caught and brought before the bishop.  If convicted a second time, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.  With head bowed he expects the Bishop to condemn him.  Instead the kind Bishop says, “Why I gave them to him.  And Jean, you forgot to take the candle sticks.”  Jean was astounded at such kindness, and this would ultimately bring about his salvation.

        b.  As we look at the cross of Jesus, we are astounded by the love of God for us!  The love of Jesus melts our hearts, moves us to repentance, and leads us to follow the Lord Jesus.

    2.  The MORAL INFLUENCE MODEL of Understanding the Cross of Jesus.    [Medieval scholastics favored this understanding as did a man named Abelard (1079-1142 A.D.).  And because Abelard said it so well, some scholars call this the “Abelard Theory of Atonement.”  Some, also, call this the “Subjective Theory of Atonement.”] 

        a.  Again the Bible and Jesus’ own words specifically tell us that Jesus upon the cross is the greatest example ever demonstrated of God’s love.  Romans 5:8 tells us:  “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (RSV)  In 1st John we read:  “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We love because he first loved us.” (I John 4:10, 11 & 19 NIV)  And Jesus Himself in John’s Gospel says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 RSV)

        b.  The MORAL INFLUENCE understanding of the cross says that Jesus’ death is the supreme example of God’s love for us.  What happened on Calvary in no way changed God’s attitude toward us.  It revealed it.  In the cross, we see just how much suffering our sin costs God.  When we survey the wondrous cross, our hearts are melted within us, and we feel drawn back to God, and away from our sin.  The Creator’s sacrificial love in the cross moves us to respond to God’s love rather than be frightened of His wrath.  In the cross, we recognize the transforming power of God, repent of our sins, and seek to live a life of sacrifice and love.

 

D.  On the cross, Christ was victorious over evil!

    1.  There’s a difference between wanting and keeping a horse!

        a.  A tenderfoot from back east moved out west.  First thing he did after renting a place to stay was to go out looking for a horse to buy.  Now everybody wanted at least $50 for a horse except the blacksmith.  He had a horse for only $10.  The tenderfoot thought it was too good a deal to pass up, and he bought the horse.  As he left he said to the blacksmith, “You’re not going to make much money selling horses for only $10!”  Then he hopped on the horse.  It took off like a shot and ran out into the desert.  The horse bucked and the tenderfoot fell to the side with one foot stuck in the stirrup.  He got drug through a cholla cactus patch and back into town.  The horse made a sharp turn and the tenderfoot went flying through the tavern window!  When he awoke he was in the County Hospital, and had been there over a week.  The blacksmith came for a visit and presented the tenderfoot with a bill for $20 for boarding his horse.  The blacksmith smiled and said, “You were right, I don’t make much money selling horses, but I do real well boarding them for injured easterners.  And wait till you want to unload that varmint.  I charge $50 to take him back!”

      b.  Now Satan thought that if he got his hands on Jesus, he could destroy God’s Son.  All the Devil had to do was to kill the earthly Jesus.  In the end, I’m sure old Satan felt like a tenderfoot on a spirited horse!  The Devil got a lot more than he bargained for when Jesus gave His life as a ransom for all of humankind.

    2.  The RANSOM MODEL or VICTORY OVER EVIL Understanding the Cross of Jesus.      [This understanding was prominent in the ancient Church.  Among those who have held this view are:  Paul, Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine and Martin Luther.  Some like to call this understanding the “Classical Theory of Atonement.”]

        a.  The New Testament writers believed that God was in a great cosmic struggle with the Power of Evil.  Ephesians 6:12 sums it up well:  “For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.” (TEV)  They believed, that because of human sin, people and this world had come under the domination of Satan.  The world had become “occupied territory” in the control of the Devil.  God’s great desire was to redeem back lost humankind.  

        b.   Jesus Christ, God’s Incarnate Son, willingly agreed to offer His life to free God’s children from the grip of demonic powers.  Jesus, Himself and Paul both tell us this:  “I, the Messiah, give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 TLB)  “Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” (I Timothy 2:5-6 RSV)  A “ransom” was the price paid for the release of a slave.  Some view what happened in the following “spiritual word picture” images:  On the cross, God paid Satan the ransom of the life of His own Son, Jesus for the lives of everyone else.  In exchange for us, God handed Jesus over to the powers of sin and death.  It sounded like a good deal to the Devil.  To have God’s Son in the grasp of the Devil’s power of sin and death seemed like a way for Satan to ultimately win the battle against God.  Now Satan could hold and torment Jesus as the Evil One had always done with other people in his power.

        c.  However, it was a different matter with Jesus.  Satan the captor was soon Satan the victim!  Because Jesus was without sin things did not work as usual for Satan.  Death could not destroy Jesus, and sin could not even touch Him, who was and is perfect purity!  This is the great paradox that the Devil failed to grasp:  In losing all, Jesus won all!  In giving all, Jesus gained all!  Christ has defeated sin and death!  The proof is that Jesus rose victoriously from the dead!  That is the testimony of the Resurrection!  Because of Easter, the Devil is not alive and well.  Christ has dealt Evil a mortal blow.  It is just a matter of time, and God in Jesus will triumph!  As 1st Corinthians 15 puts it:  “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?  For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!”   (I Corinthians 15:54-56 NLT)

 

E.  Conclusion:  Recap

    1.  On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins.

    2.  On the cross, we see most clearly God’s love!

    3.  On the cross, Christ was victorious over evil!

 

Matthew 27:27-54 NRSV

27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him.  28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head.  They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.  31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.

32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.  33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him.  37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.  39Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”  41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.  43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”  44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”  that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”  48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.  49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”  50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.  51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  The earth shook, and the rocks were split.  52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.  53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.  54Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

 

The Daily Messages of Holy Week:

On Friday They Crucified Our Lord.

 

1.  On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins.

 

2.  On the cross, we see most clearly God’s love!

 

3.  On the cross, Christ was victorious over evil!