My subject this morning is entitled,
What Do You Think of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ? I'm
reading from John 19, verse 17 and 18. The Scripture says, And
he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place called the place
of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. where they
crucified him. Our Lord Jesus Christ was in
the garden with his disciples praying when a band of men and
officers led by Judas, who had been sent there by the high priest,
came and arrested him. They took the master to Annas,
first of all, who was the father-in-law to the high priest, and there
he was questioned and mocked and ridiculed. And then Anna
sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. And from there,
our Lord Jesus Christ was taken to Pilate, to the judgment hall. And Pilate turned him over to
the soldiers to be scourged. And you've read many times how
the master was beaten, how he was spit upon. And how he was
mocked of the soldiers. They put a crown of thorns on
his head and a reed in his hand and mocked him as the king of
the Jews. And then they brought him back
to Pilate. And Pilate was willing to release him. But when the
Jews said two things. First of all, they said he made
himself the son of God. And this frightened Pilate. And
he took the Lord Jesus back into the judgment hall, and he said,
who are you, and where did you come from? And the master would
not answer him. And Pilate brought him back out
before the people, and again he was willing to release him.
But the people said something else. They said, this man made
himself king, and if you release him, you're not the friend of
Caesar. And the scripture said, then
delivered he, him, therefore unto them. That is, Pilate then
delivered Christ into the hands of the multitude to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him
away to a place called Golgotha, and there they crucified him
between two thieves. Now I ask you this morning, this
is my question, what do you think of all this? What do you personally
think of the cross of Jesus Christ, of the death of Jesus Christ? What do you personally think
about all that transpired on this hill called Calvary? Now, I'm not asking you if you
have respect for the Bible. Most people do. I'm not even
asking you if you believe the Bible, because most people believe
much of the Bible today. I'm not asking you this morning
if you attend a place of worship. Some of you do, some of you do
not. Some of you attend regularly,
some of you attend once in a while. I'm not asking you if you've
made a profession of faith and been baptized, or if you're a
church member. Most people are. I'm not asking
you today if you live a good moral life, but I'm asking you
one question, and I want you to face it, I want you to consider
it, and I want you to do something about it. I'm asking you, what
do you personally think? of the cross of Jesus Christ. Let's isolate our minds and our
thoughts on this one thing, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. What do you think of the cross
of Jesus Christ, of the death of Jesus Christ? What do you
think about it? Now, Paul said in 1 Corinthians
1 18 that the world is divided on this question. He says the
preaching of the cross of Jesus Christ is to them who are perishing
foolishness, sheer nonsense. But unto us who are being saved,
the preaching of the cross is both the wisdom of God and the
power of God. Way back in the Old Testament,
the prophet Jeremiah, speaking by divine inspiration, speaks
for God, for Christ, and asks this question, what is it to
you? What is it to you? All ye that
pass by, and behold my sorrow, and see if there's any sorrow
like my sorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the
day of his fierce anger. That's the question Jeremiah's
asking. What is it to you? What is all
this to you? What do you think of the cross
of Jesus Christ? Now believe me, This is the most
important question that you can face in your entire lifetime. Now the cross of Jesus Christ
is not mere religious tradition and ceremony. The cross of Jesus
Christ is not merely a point where men may agree or disagree. The cross of Jesus Christ is
not just the death of another religious martyr such as Buddha
or Confucius or Mohammed or some of these fellows. According to
the Word of God, according to the Scripture, the cross of Jesus
Christ, and what you feel about it, and what your opinion is
concerning it, and what your relationship is with this person
on this cross, spells the difference between forgiveness and condemnation. He that hath the Son of God hath
light. He that hath not the Son of God
shall not see light. The cross of Jesus Christ spells
the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation. He
that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life. He
that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life, but the
wrath of God abideth on him. The cross of Jesus Christ spells
the difference between blessings and cursing. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, He that believeth not shall be
damned. The Scripture says in 1 John
5, 12, this is the record, God hath given us eternal life and
this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. In Hebrews 9, 22, the Scripture
plainly declares, without the shedding of blood, there's no
remission of sin. So this is the most important
message I can possibly present to you today. This is the most
important question that you can deal with, that you can consider.
What do you think of the cross of Jesus Christ? That's where
it all is. That's the difference between
forgiveness and condemnation. It's the difference between life
and damnation. It's the difference between blessing
and cursing. And what I'm asking is this,
what do you personally, not what does your church or your pastor
or your denomination think, but what do you personally think
of the cross of Jesus Christ? Now the apostle Paul, who was
the apostle to us Gentiles, the man sent of God to bear God's
message of redemption to you and me, to the Gentiles, declared
in no uncertain term, now listen to Paul, He declared in no uncertain
terms, this is the man who's responsible for the writing of
12 or 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. This is the man
whom God used to found many churches. This is the man whom God used
as an apostle, one of the 12 apostles. He was one born out
of due time. But he said in 1 Corinthians
1.17, for Christ sent me not to baptize. He's not discounting
the importance of baptism, nor is he discounting the blessings
of baptism. He is simply saying that God
didn't send him to organize or to promote, God sent him on a
mission. And that mission was to preach
the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
be made of non-effect. He said, I've got to preach in
such a way that the cross of Christ shall be prominent that
it shall be lifted up, that it shall be the main topic, and
in no way is the cross of Christ to be set aside as an afterthought
or as a part of our message. It is our message. And then he
said in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 2, I am determined, and he's
speaking here to the city of Coven. He said, I am determined. He's speaking to this great city
of wealth and philosophy and education. He says, I am determined. to know nothing among you, save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified." The cross of Christ. Galatians
6.14, listen to him again. But God forbid, but God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.
God forbid. that I should glory, that is
boast, take pride in, exalt, anything. Now what could Paul
have gloried in? Well, he could have gloried in
his ancestry. He was a Jew, a Hebrew of Hebrews,
born of the tribe of Benjamin. He could have boasted in his
education. He was a most highly educated
man. In other words, one of the leaders
said to him one day, much learning hath made you mad. You've studied
too much. You've lost your mind. He might
have gloried in his position. He was, after all, an apostle.
He might have gloried in his gifts. He said, I speak with
tongues more than you all. He's a man who healed folks,
had great power. God gave him great gifts and
power and ability. He might have boasted in his
office. He might have boasted in his revelations. He was a
man who not only wrote scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit,
but had been taken into the third heaven and saw things he said
it was not lawful, possible for him to utter. But no, he said,
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, when we say we preach the
cross of Christ, what do we mean? When we say that we glory in
the cross of Christ, What are we talking about? When I ask
you today, what do you think of the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ? What, actually, am I asking you? What is this cross? Well, now, sometimes in the Bible
the word cross means the tree on which Christ was crucified.
I'll give you two or three examples. It says in Philippians 2 that
he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. That's talking about the type
of death, the ignominious, humiliating death of shame on a Roman tree. That's the cross in that scripture. Again it said, and he bearing
his cross went forth to a place called the place of the skull,
Golgotha. That's the cross that he bore.
Now sometimes the scripture uses the word cross referring to that
cross on the hill. That's not what I'm talking about
today. And then sometimes the word cross means the trials and
afflictions of believers. The scripture says, take up your
cross and follow Christ. Well, I'm not supposed to take
a wooden cross and drag it around the street like I've seen people
do, you know. That's not what we're talking
about. That word cross there is talking about trials and burdens
and afflictions. In this world ye shall have tribulation. But when Paul said, I glory in
the cross of Jesus Christ, When Paul said that the preaching
of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness, to
us who are being saved, the power of God. When I ask you what do
you think of the cross of Jesus Christ, I mean this. Now listen
to me. Listen. Be quiet now. Listen.
I mean the atonement made by Christ when he suffered on that
tree. The atonement. The atonement
of the Master. I'm talking about the sacrifice.
I'm talking about the sin offering which he accomplished on that
tree. I'm talking about the all-sufficient, redeeming work of our Lord Jesus
Christ in taking the place of, dying in the stead of, bearing
the sins of, suffering under the affliction of the wrath of
God for believers. That's what I'm talking about. Now, listen to some scripture
in Ephesians 1, 7. It says, "...in whom we have redemption through
his blood, through his death, through the blood of his cross,
the forgiveness of sins." That's what we're speaking. What do
you think about that? In Ephesians 2, 16, it says that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by his cross. God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto himself on that cross. That's what I'm talking about.
What do you think of that? Colossians 1.20, it says, and
having made peace, peace with God. Peace between the sinner
and God, God and the sinner, having made peace through the
blood of His cross. That's what I'm talking about,
Isaiah 53, 4. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him. By His stripes we're healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid
on him, on that cross, the iniquity of us all. Now, that's what I'm
talking about. I'm not talking about a cross
that you hang from your Bible or wear on your lapel or around
your neck or stick on the steeple of your church. I'm not talking
about trials and afflictions and burdens which men bear. When
I say, what do you think of the cross, I'm talking about the
cross. I'm talking about the atoning
work, the sacrificial work, the satisfying work, the substitutionary
work, the sufficient work, the redeeming work, the effectual
work of Jesus Christ, which he accomplished on that cross when
he died in the room of, in the place of, in the stead of those
who believe. That's what I'm talking about.
What's your opinion of that cross? Now let me sound a warning, and
this is so important. Beware, my friend, of any religion
Any religion, no matter how beautiful it looks or how sweet it sounds,
beware of any religion if the central theme of that religion
is not Christ and Him crucified. You may read the Bible. You may
study theology. You may approve of the law, you
may do good works, you may talk of peace and love, but I'm telling
you this, redemption is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Redemption
is by the blood of the Son of God, without which there is no
forgiveness. I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus Christ
died and that he died for me. We are redeemed, Peter said,
not with corruptible things such as silver and gold from our vain
conversation received by tradition from our fathers, but with the
precious blood of Christ as a lamb without spot or blemish." It
couldn't be stated any clearer. It couldn't be made any plainer.
Let me sound another warning. Beware of the error of the Galatians. You say, Preacher, what's the
error of the Galatians? Trying to mix human works with
the blood of Christ. Trying to mix law, circumcision,
ceremony with the cross of Christ. It can't be done. Salvation is
by what He did and not what you do. It is by His blood and not
by your works. By the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified. Now there are thousands of churches
today with crosses on their steeples but no cross in their pulpit.
There are thousands of sermons preached every day in which there's
no Christ crucified. And I warn you, do not listen,
do not follow, do not support any religion if Christ crucified
is not the central theme, because that's where redemption is accomplished.
Let me tell you something else. Let me sound another warning.
Beware of any hope, any hope, however sweet it is, however
precious it is to you, beware of any experience or any hope
of acceptance with God or for that matter of any relationship
with God apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ on the
cross. Now I say to you, my friend,
that all religions have their laws and moral precepts. There's
not a religion on this earth that doesn't have strict laws
and moral precepts. All religions have their forms
and ceremonies, and very impressive, most of them. Great, impressive
ceremonies. All religions have their rewards
and their punishments, their future life and future damnation. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ
has a crucified, risen, exalted, ascended Redeemer. Only the gospel
has a Redeemer. In every other religion, you
are your own savior, you are your own redeemer. Christ is
a substitute. And without Christ crucified,
let me sound another warning to all who hear, without Christ
crucified, the church is only a well without water. It has
no cause for existence. What do you do with a well if
it has no water? Plug it up. Fill it up. It has no cause to
exist. It's nothing but a dangerous
place that children fall into. Without Christ crucified, the
church is a stove without a fire. It's of no value. Without Christ
crucified, the church is a lighthouse with no light. It's only a mocking
symbol. It is a comfort to the devil
and an offense to God Almighty. He told his disciples when he
sent them out, go into all the world, preach the gospel. What
is the gospel? The gospel is concerning His
Son. Without Christ crucified, you
call on a God who will not hear. He'll only hear men through one
mediator, Christ Jesus. And Christ Jesus, by His death,
bought that right. Bought that right. He is the
only High Priest, and by His death, He secured that sacrifice
and that sin offering which He brings to God. Without the Lamb,
there's no coming to God. Without Christ crucified, you
stand under a law that's been broken and defiled. Cursed is
everyone that continueth not in every point of the law to
do it. Without Christ crucified, you come to a judgment without
any plea, without any hope. It's appointed unto men once
to dine after that judgment, and if we don't have a mediator,
if we don't have an advocate, we come to the judgment without
a plea. Without Christ crucified, you
talk of a heaven that does not exist. Because in glory, in God's
heaven, the theme of heaven, the song of heaven, the glory
of heaven is unto him who loved us and washed us from our sins
in his own precious blood. Unto him be glory both now and
forever. That's the song. And the population
of heaven are those who've washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb. It can't be any plainer. I'm
presenting to you that which is essential, that which is absolutely
necessary. They said in glory, who are these
and whence came they? And the elder said, you know.
He said, these are they that came out of great tribulation
and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. These are not they that worked and strived and served
and gave and offered and walked. They are they who washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. as a fountain
filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners
plunged beneath that blood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day, and there may I and you, though vile
as he, wash all our sins away. Dear dying Lamb, thy precious
blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed Church
of God be saved to sin no more. What do you think of the cross
of Christ? What do you personally think
of the cross of Christ? What is it to you? What is it
to you? All ye that pass by, and behold my sorrow, see if
there's any sorrow like the sorrow which the Lord hath afflicted
me in the day of his fierce anger. What do you think about it? Well,
I'm going to tell you what I think. I like to use the words of the
Apostle Paul in that Galatians 6.14, which I read. God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross. But I see some things
in the cross of Christ, and I'll give them to you briefly in closing.
First of all, I see in the death of my substitute on Calvary's
cross, the Lamb of God, I see the eternal purpose of God fulfilled
in the death of Christ. You know what God says about
His Lamb? He said His Lamb is the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. He says that His surety is the
surety of an everlasting covenant. That the blood that cleanseth,
the blood that atoneth, is the blood of an everlasting covenant.
This is no new thought. This is no new expression. This is the ancient gospel. This
is the gospel of God which he decreed and purposed and provided
from before the foundation of the world. I see that in that
lamb dying on the tree. God's lamb, designated, decreed,
anointed, provided, ordained before the foundation of the
world. Secondly, I see in Christ crucified all of the Old Testament
promises, all of the Old Testament prophecies, all of the Old Testament
types fulfilled in Christ. He is our Passover. Plainness
says that in the book of Corinthians, Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed
for us. It plainly says that that rock
which followed them in the wilderness is Christ, that rock that was
smitten by Moses, That rock that gave forth the cleansing, refreshing,
thirst-quenching water, that rock was Christ. I see Him smitten
of God on the tree and coming forth from His side, blood and
water, to justify and sanctify His people. I see in Christ on
the cross the brazen serpent lifted up. As Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him. did not perish but have
eternal life. In Christ crucified I see every
lamb in Old Testament scripture sacrificed. I see every turtle
dove, every goat, every heifer slain, all the blood that was
poured out on Jewish altars, I see it fulfilled and coming
to a halt in the death of God's Lamb on the cross. I see in Christ
crucified God's love for sinners. But God commended His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I see in Christ crucified God's justice and righteousness fulfilled. God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto Himself. Christ died, He gave His Son
as the propitiation for our sins that He might be just and justify
those that believe on Christ. I see the law honored, justice
satisfied. I see in Christ crucified the
sin debt fully paid. Fully paid. It says, the blood
of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And there's
sins and iniquities. God said, will I remember no
more? Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. Jesus paid it all, all the debt
I owe. Sin left a crimson stain. He
washed it white as snow. In Christ crucified, I see hope
for all who will believe. No hope except in Christ. But
oh, my friend, what a hope in Christ. In John chapter 20, verse
31, it says, But these things are written, that ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, he is the Son of God, and that believing
ye might have life through his name. Jew or Gentile, bond or
free, old or young, male or female, whoever you are, wherever you
are, whatever you see, he is the Savior of sinners. His death
on the cross is able to justify and to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by him. And then 1 John 5, 20, And we
know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding,
that we may know him that is true, even his Son. This, my
friend, is the true God and eternal life. What do you think of the
cross of Jesus Christ?