Crucifixion: Word of Forgiveness•
I. WORDS AT THE CROSS
A. THE SOLDIERS
1. CRUCIFIXION
Mt 27:35a And when they had crucified Him
also Deut 21:22-23 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.”
Phil 2:7-8 “[He] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
2. CLOAK
Mt 27:35b they divided His clothing Jn 19:23-24 into four parts, one part for each soldier; also His cloak. But the cloak was woven in one piece . . so they agreed not to tear it, but cast lots for it.
3. CUSTODY
Mt 27:36 Then they sat down and kept guard over Him there.
B. THE POLITICIANS
1. CHARGE
Mt 27:37 Above His head they put the charge against Him, which read
2. CLARIFICATION
Jn 19:20 in Hebrew, Greek and Latin: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”
also John 19:21-22 What I have written, I have written
C. THE THIEVES
1. CRIMINALS
Mt 27:38a Then two robbers were crucified with Him
2. CONDITION
Mt 27:38b one on each side.
The callous soldiers and uncaring politicians did their worst. Jesus was within hours of death from the horrible beating and procession to the cross. Tortured and mocked, it was time for another level of pain for Messiah. Oh, they need forgiveness, but they remain ignorant of the penalty for their sin. But that will not stop the love poured forth from the lips of Jesus:
II. WORDS AROUND THE CROSS
A. THOSE WHO HATED
1. CROWD
Mt 27:39 And those who passed by hurled abuse at Him, shaking their heads
2. CHALLENGE
Mt 27:40a saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself!”
also Ps 22:6-8 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make faces at me; they shake their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
John 2:19-21
3. CONDEMNATION
Mt 27:40b If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
B. THOSE WHO DIDN’T CARE
1. CONCERN
Lk 23:35a And the people stood by, watching
2. CONFRONTATION
Lk 23:35b but the rulers scoffed
3. CAUTION
First the soldiers, now the crowd clamoring for blood is the setting for the first words from the lips of Jesus on the Cross. They did not care; they reveled in hate. They did not see the need for forgiveness. But that is exactly what Jesus prayed as we finally hear His words coming down softly thru the pain of the cross:
III. WORD FROM THE CROSS
A. CHRIST IDENTIFIED WITH THE PEOPLE
Lk 23:34b “FATHER, forgive THEM”
1. COMMITMENT
also Isaiah 53:12 “made intercession for the transgressor”
Heb 7:25 “seeing He ever lives to make intercession”
Rom 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
I Tim 2:5 “there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus”
2. CARE
also Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good for those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”
B. PEOPLE IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR SIN
Lk 23:34c “for they DON’T KNOW WHAT they are DOING.”
1. CONDUCT
also Jn 7:44 “No man every spoke like this
Jn 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (not just Jews)
2. CONSEQUENCE
also Rom 3:23 “all have sinned, coming short of the glory of God”
Rom 6:23 “the wages of sin is death”
Heb 9:27 “it is appointed for all men to die and after that the judgment”
Ezek 18:4, 20 “The soul who sins shall die. . . The soul that sins will die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself”
C. SIN IDENTIFIED WITH FORGIVENESS OF GOD
Lk 23:34a THEN Jesus said, “Father FORGIVE”
1. CONSUMMATION
also I Cor 13:7-8 “Love suffers long, yet is kind. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thing. Love never ends.”
Rom 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness that I have done”
Romans 4:6-8 David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
2. COMMAND