Dear Christian friends:
Today we think of the cross as a beautiful decoration. On
our altars and steeples and coat lapels. Make it of gold,
brass, silver and copper.
We easily forget that it was a tool of death. When Jesus
was crucified people did not honor the cross. They thought
of it as you and I think of the electric chair or the gas
chamber or the hangman's noose. The cross was a disgrace
and shameful. It was for murderers and traitors, and
sinners. Such a shameful cross Jesus bore.
Tonight we see:
The Man of Sorrows Bearing His Cross
Jesus bore His Cross for our salvation. We read here that
after Pilate condemned Jesus to die although He found Him
not guilty He gave Jesus to the Jews to be crucified. They
forced Him to carry His own cross and so we read in verse
17 & 18, "Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of
the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha) There they
crucified him, and with him two others — one on each side
and Jesus in the middle."
Jesus is condemned as a murderer and is punished with two
of them. He suffers the shame of a great sinner. But Pilate
found no cause of death in Him. And the Bible says, "He did
no sin."
But we know why He must suffer such shame and bear that
cross. He his suffering the punishment of our sins. "He was
wounded for our transgressions." (Isaiah 53:5) Although
He did not deserve that shameful cross, yet for our salvation
He suffered that.
Surely God's way is strange. God uses the shameful way of
the cross to make a great salvation for all men. What men
despise God uses for His work of salvation. Proud man hates
sickness, pain and death, and the cross. Man honors, youth,
brawn, beauty, riches, power and life. He despises pain,
sickness, poverty, weakness and death. But in Jesus and
His work God used that. "The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone." (Psalm 118:22)
God chose lowly Mary for the mother of His Son, not a rich
princess. Then He lived in lowly Nazareth of Galilee. One
day the Jews were arguing about Jesus whether He was the true
Messiah. One man said, "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this
Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and
Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took
offense at him." (Mark 6:3)
They thought the Messiah should be a prince, rich and strong
and establish God's kingdom with young, strong soldiers and
force as the vain world does. But Jesus knew God's way was
not the way of the proud world. His way is the way of the
cross.
You and I need to remember that. We must also bear the
cross. That means suffer shame, mockery to preach Jesus. Paul
said, "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness."
(1 Corinthians 1:23) Self-righteous man doesn't want to
kneel humbly before Jesus crucified and confess His sins
and look to His blood for remission.
But that is God's way and that is the only way of salvation
for you and for others. Don't be proud and self-righteous or
excuse your sin. Know your sins and confess them humbly
before His cross and trust only in His perfect humble work
for your salvation.
Then, understand that you must bear this cross in
lay-visiting, or witnessing. You can't win men to Christ
by tempting them with cigars or dinners. That's how the
world gets new business. But in the church we get new
members only by God's way, by bearing the cross and letting
others see us bear the cross.
Paul said, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with
you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
(1 Corinthians 2:2) Again He said, "May I never boast except
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Galatians 6:14)
So let us not boast about our job or house or car or dart ball
score, or money. But in this let us boast: Before I was a
lost and condemned sinner, now by His cross I am a redeemed
and saved sinner. In this I will glory because my name is
printed in the book of heaven because He loved Me and died
on the cross for me.
Amen!