The Cross of Jesus, The Christ Matt 26:36-27:56

Thanks for joining together for our Good Friday Observance.

This event completes the last week of Jesus’ life on earth and it completes his mission of peace that began three years earlier.

At his birth - The angels declared, “Peace on Earth to those upon whom his favor rests. “

On Palm Sunday – he rode into Jerusalem on a colt, on a mission of peace.

On Monday – he cleansed the Temple and preserved its mission of peace to the nations, and established himself greater than the Temple

On Tuesday he taught a series of parables, establishing that the rule of the Law and the hierarchy of the law was over – and established his rule among a people committed to the Gospel of peace.

On Wednesday he affirmed the selfless worship of a woman who anointed his body for burial, contrasted with the betrayal of Judas who wanted Jesus, but on his terms.

On Thursday he replaced the Passover memorial feast with his own memorial feast that proclaimed his Gospel of peace.

Now on Friday, at his crucifixion, peace with God is accomplished and offered offered to all who believe and receive his gift of forgiveness by grace through faith.

Friday of this week is often titled, Good Friday

How could a day when such a horrible and violent death of the perfect Son of God be called Good.

Well – because through that cross – the mission of Jesus was complete.

And through the cross, those who believe - who repent and confess their sins, who receive his gift of eternal life by faith - are justified by faith ad have peace with God through the work of Jesus on the cross.

The most evil day in history – became the day of God’s greatest Good.

On this day, the work of Jesus is finished – nothing more is required. We need only trust in what he did.

Accept what he did.

Believe in what he did.

When we do, we have peace with God.

Let’s survey the events that when put together accomplished his mission of peace.

Gethsemane – Matt 26:36-39 (read)

Here we observe the humanity of Jesus.

He was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

In order for Jesus to die for mankind, he had to be a man.

Fully man

With emotions, weaknesses, and limitations

Jesus was born of Mary – he had her DNA, probably looked like her, and had some of her mannerisms.

And in that humanity – with all of his human nature – he dreaded the cross.

Yet he had a mission of peace to accomplish – Yet not my will but thine be done

Jesus arrested – 26:47-56

While they were in the garden, Judas and a band with swords came to arrest him

Yet he was in complete control

When the mob inquired where Jesus was - Just speaking the words – “I am he” and all the soldiers were knocked to the ground

He could have called a legion of Angels to come to his aid

Peter took his own sward and struck one of the servants and cut off his ear.

Jesus responded – Put your sward away – I have a mission of peace to accomplish

Jesus Trials

Before the Jewish Court – Matt 26:57-68

Jesus is questioned - but he gives no defense

Finally he responds in Vs. 64

“But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

Sounds here like he is confident that he will succeed in accomplishing his mission of peace.

Before Pilate – Vs. 11-26

When the governor examined Jesus, he found nothing in him worthy of crucifixion.

So, Pilate brought out Barabbas – a convicted criminal whose crimes were worthy of crucifixion.

I confess that when I read this part of the story, I find myself in the shoes of Barabbas

Deserving the death penalty because of my sin

And standing totally broken before Jesus who committed non.

So when Pilate gave the crowd Barabbas and crucified Jesus – Jesus literally took the place of Barabbas.

And he took the place of you and me as well

This is the mission of peace Jesus came to earth to accomplish

To pay the penalty of death all of us deserved.

The Crucifixion – 27:32-44

Here in Matthew, notice reference to the other events of Jesus last week

The sign nailed above Jesus – This is Jesus, King of the Jews – Vs. 37

Reminding us of the Triumphs entry on Palm Sunday

The mocking people mocking - V41

“You who are going to destroy the temple in rebuild it in three day – come down from the cross

Reminding us of the cleansing of the Temple on Monday

The mocking from the Chief priests and teachers of the Law – Vs. 43

He said I Am the Son of God –

Referring to the owner of the vineyard in the parable of the Tenants Jesus told on Tuesday

Finally look at Matt 27:55

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.

Included in this group was the woman who anointed Jesus with the perfume on Wednesday.

According to Mark 15:25 – it was 9:00 in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross.

At 122:00 Noon – a darkness covered the earth.

A thick darkness that wrapped the Light of The World in the wrath of God

For three hours Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree.

His physical agony was immense – but his spiritual agony was a thousand times worse.

Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani – My God My God why hast thou forsaken me.

In those moments – Jesus was literally God Forsaken

No – they were not separated, as if the Triune God was ripped apart.

My God

Still prayed to his God

Rather, it was as if the Father and the Son were next to each other – and the Father turned away and allowed his full wrath to weigh down his Son.

This is the climax of our atonement.

Finally at 3:00 – to complete the transaction, Jesus gave up his spirit and died – Vs. 50

Immediately - The curtain in the Temple that separated the people from the chamber that stood for the presence of God is torn in two

From top to bottom - signifying that no person tore it from the bottom up.

It was God who tore it from top to bottom.

Mission accomplished.

John Stott, author of the classic study, The Cross of Christ, draws three application

1. Our sin must be extremely horrible.

The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit took extraordinary care to arrange the perfect execution of the perfect plan to deal with our sin.

And it included the satisfaction of God’s holy wrath against the gangrene of human rebellion.

Every detail - from Jesus birth, his life and his death - carefully fulfilling prophecy.

And then the suffering and death of the God/man

Suffering of a man to be a substitute for mankind

Suffering of God in order to be a sufficient sacrifice to satisfy God.

Stott writes – “It is impossible to face Christ’s cross with integrity and not feel ashamed of ourselves.”

And when we do – we are compelled to respond in repentance and faith.

2. God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension. The hymn writer puts it this way

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.

3. Salvation must be a free gift There is nothing more that can be done.

All we can do is respond in repentance and faith

Humble ourselves at the foot of the cross,

Confess that we are sinners and deserve the wrath that Jesus took for us

Then receive his grace – believe that Jesus went to the cross for us.

But tonight I am going to make a suggestion that gives the cross an application for our lives on earth.

The cross not only gives us hope for the future

The cross gives us power to live in the present.