A Closer Look at the Cross Series a Closer Look at Prophecy and What It Means to Our Coming Lord
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A Closer Look At The Cross Series A closer look at prophecy and what it means to our coming Lord. 1. Jesus: A Lamb Led to Slaughter, Isaiah 53:1-12 A closer look at prophecy and what it means to our coming Lord. 2. "Jesus: His God-Man Lifestyle" Hebrews 4:15 A closer look at the life of Christ and its effect upon mankind. 3. Tried and Tempted A closer look into Satan's last efforts to tempt Jesus at the cross (Jesus' refusal to use drugs). 4. Sanhedrin Sins A closer look at the laws the Jewish leaders broke to bring Jesus to trial and crucifixion at the cross (from the book The Trial of Jesus). 5. An Unlikely Alliance A closer look at the two Roman officials who found no sin in Jesus at the cross (Pilate and Herod). 6. Forgotten Forgiveness A closer look at the apostle who was never at the cross (Judas Iscariot). 7. Sorrow, Celebration, and Self-examination A closer look into the events surrounding the cross...Matthew 27:45-56 8. Female Finalists A closer look at the seven women who stood by at the cross. 9. The Crucified Crowd A closer look at the effect Jesus’ crucifixion had on the crowds at the cross. 10. Frightened Apostles A closer look at the apostles who viewed Jesus from afar at the cross. 11. Sanhedrin Saints A closer look at the two disciples who took a stand for Jesus at the cross (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus). 12. Awe-Filled Adversaries A closer look at the Centurion and four Roman soldiers who recognized Christ at the cross. 13. Sentence Sermons A closer look at the seven last words of Jesus spoken at the cross. 14. The Disciples' Dilemma A closer look at how the disciples overcame the loss of their leader at the cross. 1 A Closer Look At The Cross Series #1 Jesus: A Lamb Led To Slaughter and a Man of Sorrow” Isaiah 53:1-12 A closer look at prophecy and what it means to our coming Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. {2} By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. {3} For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, {4} that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," There it is. Almost too simple. Jesus was killed, buried and resurrected. The part that matters the most in the world is the cross. No more and no less. The cross. It rests on the time line of history like a compelling diamond. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. And, according to Paul, the cross is what counts. What a piece of wood! History has idolized it and despised it, gold-plated it and burned it, worn and trashed it. History has done everything to it but ignore it. That’s the one option that the cross does not offer. No one can ignore it! You can’t ignore a piece of lumber that suspends the greatest claim in history. A crucified carpenter claiming that he is God on earth? Divine? Eternal? The death-slayer? No wonder Paul called it “the core of the gospel.” Its bottom line is sobering: if the account is true, it is history’s hinge. Period. If not, it is history’s hoax. Dying is a dreadful thing from the human point of view; no amount of beautiful music or kind words can soften the blow. We might work to camouflage the pain and deny the reality of it, but it is a grim, harsh, ugly, inescapable fact with which to reckon. What is true for us today was true for our Lord when He faced the facts in His day. Being fully human, He did not relish the ultimate end of His earthly life: a crucifixion death. But He accepted it. Isaiah 53:7: “like a lamb that is led to slaughter." * DEATH WAS A CONSTANT COMPANION FOR JESUS. 1. HIS PURPOSE FOR COMING. The shadow of the cross stretched more deeply across His path every day of His life. He had no other option except to face this premature death at about age 33, a time when most of us are just entering career paths and beginning to smell success in the distance. His goal was to accomplish the mission of redemption... that He go to a cross and be nailed to its splintered surface... that His blood be poured out and that the cross-death be the answer for uniting man with God. Luke 10:10: "For the Son of fan came to seek and save what was lost." Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Han did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Luke 9:28-31: (at His transfiguration: notice what they were talking about). 2 "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. {29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. {30} Two men, Moses and Elijah, {31} appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." 2. COMMENTS DURING HIS MINISTRY. Matthew 16:21-23: "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. {22} Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" {23} Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."" Following the incident in which Peter acknowledged Jesus as being the Christ, Jesus began preparing his men for His imminent suffering, death, and resurrection. Peter's response: "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You" Jesus said: "Get behind He, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in nind the things of God, but the things of men." 3. STATEMENTS TO HIS DISCIPLES John 14:1-3 (read and relate context). (John 14:1-3) ""Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." 4. HIS ARREST AND TRIALS. (Matt. 26:36-46). Read, relate, and notice he repeated this 3 times. (Matthew 26:36-46) "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." {37} He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. {38} Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." {39} Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." {40} Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. {41} "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." {42} He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." {43} When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. {44} So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. {45} Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. {46} Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"" Isaiah 53: This chapter could not better describe the suffering of our Lord at Calvary if it were written after the fact. It also argues for the divine inspiration of the bible.. .for the odds that all these events could have been otherwise predicted were 10 to the 17th power. It has become evident through this prophecy that Someone is coming. That dim and shadowy Figure which appears occasionally in the opening chapters is emerging ever more clearly as we move through this book. Here in the 53rd chapter the Messiah steps out into full and glorious view.