Beneath The Cross Of Jesus

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Beneath The Cross Of Jesus

• April 13, 2003

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Introduction

• No matter where we may work, there will always be
  different people, but similar attitudes such as
• Lazy, hard-workers, integrity, honest, dishonest,
  caring, ethical, unethical, can-do, cant-do,
  etc.
• Even though we were not physically present
  beneath the cross of Jesus, we see the same
  attitudes exists today.
• Objectives
• Examine the people and attitudes physically
  present beneath the cross of Jesus.
• Determine what type(s) of attitude we may have
  today.

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Background

• Golgotha was
• Strategically located on a hill outside the city.
  
• Close and near some public through fare.
• In a spot visible from afar.
• Due to the Passover, many people were present and
  passed by.
• And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging
  their heads. (Mt. 2739)
• For many, the cross made no real impression.
  Jesus was just another criminal executed.
• Many are passing by the cross today and display
  similar attitudes. Lets look an example.

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Example

• The people killed Jesus.
• But they shouted, saying, Crucify Him, crucify
  Him! (Lk. 2321)
• What sinful conduct motivated the people to kill
  Jesus?
• Envy
• For he knew that it was for envy they had
  delivered Him. (Mt. 2718)
• Look, the whole world has gone after Him.
  (Jh. 1219)
• Self-preservation - If we let Him alone like
  this, everyone will believe Him, and the Romans
  will take away both our place and nation. (Jh.
  1148)
• Ignorance
• Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in
  ignorance, as did your rulers. (Ac. 317)
• which none of the rulers of this age knew for
  had they known, they would not have crucified the
  Lord of glory. (I Co. 28)

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Example

• Because of our sins, we all had a part in saying
  Crucify Him, crucify Him!
• Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness,
  and sin is lawlessness. (I Jh. 34)
• all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
  God. (Ro. 323)
• Christ died for our sins according to the
  Scriptures, and that He was buried, and arose
  again the third day according to the Scriptures.
  (I Co. 153-4)
• Therefore, let all the house of Israel know
  assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you
  crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they
  heard this they were cut to the heart, and said
  to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and
  brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to
  them, Repent, and let every one of you be
  baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
  remission of your sins and you shall receive the
  gift of the Holy Spirit. (Ac. 236-38)
• Bottom line We are guilty of killing Jesus and
  must remove the guilt of our sins by obeying
  Jesus commands.
• Lets Explore the people and attitudes beneath
  the cross of Jesus.

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Scoffers and Mockers

• ..and saying, You who destroy the temple and
  build it in three days, save Yourself! If You
  are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
  Likewise the chief priests, also mocking with the
  scribes and elders, said, He saved other Himself
  He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let
  Him come down from the cross, and we will believe
  Him for He said, I am the Son of God. He
  trusted in God let Him deliver Him now if He
  will have Him for He said, I am the Son of
  GodThe rest said, Let Him alone let us see if
  Elijah will come to save Him. (Mt. 2740-43, 49)
• Well-educated religious people mocked Jesus
  because they had a different idea of a Messiah
  and truth of God. Today, many continue to
  ridicule and insult Jesus and His followers.
• How can we mock Jesus today? By not
  acknowledging the simple truth and total
  teaching of Jesus.
• Heed The Warning!!! For the time will come
  when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
  according to their own desires, because they have
  itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
  teachers and they will turn their ears away
  from the truth ( I Tm. 41-5)

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Scoffers and Mockers

• The sincerely religious people mock Jesus by
  practicing lawlessness.
• Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall
  enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
  will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me
  in that day, Lord, Lord, have we notdone many
  wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to
  them, I never knew you depart from Me, you who
  practice lawlessness! (Mt. 721-23)
• The zealous establish their own system of
  righteousness.
• they have a zeal for God, but not according to
  knowledge. For they being ignorant of Gods
  righteousness, and seeking to establish their own
  righteousness, have not submitted to the
  righteousness of God. (Ro. 101-4)
• Bottom Line There will always be scoffers and
  mockers. Dont ignore, neglect or be ignorant of
  the total teaching of Jesus!
• knowing this first that scoffers will come in
  the last days, walking according to their own
  lusts and saying, Where is the promise of His
  coming?all things continue as they were from the
  beginning of creation. (II Pt. 33-4)

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Unconcerned and Indifferent

• Then they Soldiers crucified Him, and divided
  His garments, casting lotssitting down they kept
  watch over Him there. (Mt. 2735)
• Many are as close to the cross of Jesus as the
  soldiers, yet are num to pain and really dont
  care.
• We can become de-sensitized to sin and its
  consequences. We can sear our conscience by
  persisting in doing wrong.
• Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter
  times some will depart from the faith giving heed
  to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
  conscience seared with a hot iron (I Tm. 41-3)
• Our lifestyle is a reflection of our indifference
  and lack of concern. Some examples are
• Lukewarm I know your works, that you are
  neither cold nor hot, I could wish that you were
  cold or hot, so then, because you are lukewarm.I
  will spew you out of my mouth. (Rev. 315-16)

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Unconcerned and Indifferent

• Lazy But the lord answered and said to him,
  You wicked and lazy servant.And cast the
  unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.
  (Mt. 2526)
• Worldly - Now he who received seed among the
  thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of
  this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke
  the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Mt. 2322)
• Lack of love - Nevertheless I have this against
  you, that you have left your first love. (Rev.
  24)
• Disobedient - in flaming fire taking vengeance
  on those who do not know God, and on those who do
  not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  (II Th. 17-8)
• Bottom Line Those who dont care will care on
  Judgment Day. We will be held accountable for
  our life!
• For we must all appear before the judgment seat
  of Christ, that each one may receive the things
  done in the body, according to what we have done,
  whether good or bad. (II Co. 510)

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Convicted

• Now when the centurion and those with him, who
  were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the
  things that happened, they feared greatly,
  saying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Mt.
  2754)
• Their faith surpassed those who had
  opportunities.
• Many saw the miracles and heard His teaching but
  did not follow.
• Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed
  in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not
  confess Him, lest they should be put out of the
  synagogue for they loved the praise of men more
  than the praise of God. (Jh. 1242-43)
• Some would not believe unless they physically saw
  or touched the Lord.
• Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have
  seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those
  who have not seen and yet have believedbut these
  are written that you might believe that Jesus us
  the Christ, the Son of God (Jh. 2029, 31)
• Bottom line We must take advantage of the
  opportunity to believe Gods word.

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Loving

• Family, friends and loved ones of Jesus were
  present. They followed Jesus to the cross.
• And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee,
  ministering to Him, were looking on from afar,
  among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother
  of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees
  sons. (Mt. 2755-56)
• Gods spiritual family is always near the cross.
• For the message of the cross is foolishness to
  those who are perishing, but to us who are being
  saved it is the power of God For I determined
  not to know anything among you except Jesus
  Christ and Him crucified. (I Co. 118, 22)
• only that they may not suffer persecution for
  the cross of JesusBut God forbid that I should
  glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
  Christ... (Ga. 612, 14)
• Without a physical heart we ceased to live, so is
  Christianity without the cross. The cross of
  Jesus is our cross to bear.

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Loving

• Jesus demonstrated the love of God and man on the
  cross.
• I have glorified You on the earth. I have
  finished the work which You have given me to
  doHe said, It is finished! (Jh. 1741930)
  His work to seek and save the lost (LK.
  1910)
• And being found in the appearance as a man, He
  humbled Himself and became obedient to the point
  of death, even the death of the cross. (Ph. 28)
• Father forgive them, for they know not what they
  do.(Lk. 2334)
• Bottom Line Everything we say or do points to
  the cross.
• We love Him because He first loved us. (I Jh.
  419)
• because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
  an example, that you should follow in His steps.
  (I Pt. 221)
• let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
  which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
  endurance the race that is set before us, looking
  unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
  who for the joy that was set before Him endured
  the cross, despising the shame, and has sat at
  the right hand of the throne of God. (Hb.
  121-2)

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Discouraged

• John, the beloved disciple, was present after
  being discouraged to the point of forsaking the
  Lord.
• Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
  (Mt. 2656)
• When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom
  He loved standing by, He said to His mother,
  Woman behold your son! Then He said to the
  disciple , Behold your mother! And from that
  hour that disciple took her to his own home.
  (Jh. 1926-27)
• When we forsake the Lord, we have two choices.
  We can remain in sin or return to the Lord.
• ..for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this
  present world (II Tm. 410)
• not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
  together as is the manner of some (Hb. 1025)
• Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and
  pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may
  be forgiven you. (Ac. 822)
• Bottom Line Jesus loves those who forsake Him
  and wants them to return.
• For you were like sheep going astray, but now
  returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your
  souls. (I Pt. 225)

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Summary

• Everyone is passing by the cross of Jesus
• What is your attitude as you look to the cross of
  Jesus?
• Which class of people do you fit into today?
• Does the cross of Jesus impress you or will
  continue to pass by?
• We know Jesus died Once, but we can
• Crucify Him again For it is impossible for
  those who were once enlightenedIf they fall
  away, to renew them again to repentance, since
  they crucified again for themselves the Son of
  God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hb. 64-6)
• Trample Him under our feet For if we sin
  willfully after we have received the knowledge of
  the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice
  for sinsOf how much worse punishment, do you
  suppose, will he be thought worthy who has
  trampled the Son of God under foot, counted the
  blood by which he was sacrificed a common thing,
  and insulted the Spirit of grace?It is a fearful
  thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
  (Hb. 1026-31)

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Summary

• What are you saying to God about Jesus today?
• Crucify Him, crucify Him! But they shouted,
  saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him! (Lk. 2321)
• Crucify me, crucify me! I have been crucified
  with Christ it is no longer I who live, but
  Christ lives in me the life which I now live in
  the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
  loved me and gave Himself for me. (Ga. 220)
• Which choice will you make today?
• Therefore, let all the house of Israel know
  assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you
  crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they
  heard this they were cut to the heart, and said
  to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and
  brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to
  them, Repent, and let every one of you be
  baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
  remission of your sins and you shall receive the
  gift of the Holy Spirit. (Ac. 236-38)