I. The Cross is an instrument of Death. 1 Corinthians 1:18

A. The Cross an emblem of suffering and shame.

1. A statement of guilt

a. Crucifixions happened by the side of a street. Not on a hill far away, but at the crossroads so that everyone could see.

b. Mark 15:28

2. Warning to anyone else who might think about trying to get by with what these — being crucified — had done.

a. Matthew 27:39-40

b. Come down from the cross and we will believe.

c. Show us a sign and we will believe. Matthew 27:41, 42

3. A means of torture

a. Hebrews 12:2

b. Slow death, some hung on crosses for four and five days before they died. John 19:31-37.

c. Weekly and annual Sabbath falling on the same day.

d. Didn’t want their bodies hanging on the cross over the Sabbath.

e. The Sabbath was a low spot in the life of the disciples.

f. Was about to become a high day for the rest of their lives.

4. Despised the shame.

a. A dishonorable death

b. Revelation 3:18

c. John 19:23, 24

d. Sin is exceedingly sinful when it is homicide, but it is most sinful when it turns into deicide, and kills its God. The vilest deed sin ever did was when it nailed the Savior to His cross, and there let Him hang — the murdered victim of sin.

e. If Christ, who had only imputed guilt, must suffer like this, how we will suffer! We have our own sin. If He, the Perfect, the Pure, the Spotless, must suffer so fearful an amount of agony, how shall escape if you neglect so great a salvation.

A. When I survey the Wondrous Cross On which the Prince of Glory died — 2 Corinthians 5:21.

1. Christ became sin for us.

a. Story of the serpent in the wilderness.

b. Christ’s words to Nicodemus. John 3:14, 15 — "If I be lifted up I will draw all men to Me."

2. We become the righteousness of God in Him. Romans 5:19

a. Healing the paralytic.

b. Mark 2:1-12

c. Sick as the result of his own sinful life.

d. Could do nothing but believe in Christ. Sin forgiven — peace came to his heart. Rise take up your bed and walk.

3. It is God that justifies.

a. Romans 8:33, 34.

C. Made Perfect in Christ — Colossians 1:28.

1. "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Thy cross I cling."

2. Do not try to pump yourselves up into a certain degree of love to Christ by some extraordinary means. Go and live with Him, meditate upon Him continually, picture to yourself His sufferings for you, and then you will love Him — it will become easy to you, and He will lift up your hearts. There is no such thing as having an interest in the blood of Jesus, and holding fellowship with Him, and yet living in sin. Be not deceived concerning this. Sin has murdered my best friend; therefore I cannot but hate it, and make it the work of my life to destroy it.

A. Our Glory in the Cross — Galatians 6:14.

1. The best preaching is, "We preach Christ crucified." The best living is, "we are crucified with Christ." The best person is a crucified person. Nothing puts life in a person like a dying Savior. But my dear friend, if you would have Christ’s crown you must have Christ’s cross. The more you live with Christ the more you will love Him.

2. Reasons to glory in the cross

a. It is the blood of redemption. Revelation 5:9

b. It is the blood of remission or forgiveness, Hebrews 9:22: New Testament forgiveness I can never extend to my own child. I cannot free my child from guilt to wrong done. I cannot cleanse my child from the pollution which has gathered upon his mind as a result of wrong done. I cannot break the power of habit in my child through forgiveness. Whenever I try to illustrate Divine forgiveness in human terms I fail. If Christ had not shed His blood on the cross, we would never be forgiven of our sins. There would be no Divine forgiveness.

c. It is the blood of reconciliation. Ephesians 2:13. That is why many of you are in deep distress. You make money, but you are not satisfied. You have glamour, you go to amusements, you drink alcohol, but you do not have satisfaction in yourself. Your soul was made in the image of gold, but your sins and iniquities have separated you from your God. This is the only way to find peace and forgiveness is at the cross.

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