THE POWER OF THE CROSS

CONFLICTING VIEWS ON THE CROSS

Offence to some, Punishment for the worse criminals,

Cruelty of the cross, Shame of the cross, Futility of the

cross, Abuses of the cross

What does the cross and death of Christ on the cross

mean to you?

Good news...before He died on the cross, He instituted

the new covenant through His blood shed on the cross

and body broken ...Telling us the Power of the cross, The

Freedom of the cross

ISAIAH 53:1-5

PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also

in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the

form of God,did not regard equality with God a

thing to beg grasped, but emptied Himself,

taking the form of a bond-servant, and being

made in the likeness of men. Being found in

appearance as a man,He humbled Himself by

becoming obedient to the point of death, even

death on a cross.

JOHN 10:18

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on

My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I

have authority to take it up again.This commandment I

received from My Father.”

WICKEDNESS DEMONSTRATED

Wickedness of Herod when

Christ was born (Matt 2:1-18)

Wickedness of religious

institutions (Matt 12:8-14, Jhn

11:47-53, Matt 26:1-5)

Wickedness of human greed

Wickedness of Roman Cruelty

Wickedness of Pilate in gross

injustice

THE SCARLET ROBE

THE WOODEN CROSS

FROM THE VIEW OF JESUS MOTHER

Visitation of Angel Gabriel on the birth of Jesus (Luke

1:26-38)

She remembered the visit by the wise men from the East,

the shepherds at the birth of Christ, the turning of water

into wine, the crowd that followed Jesus

No mother would like to see a child die before their eyes,

yet alone a painful, slow death and agony...many things

ran through her mind but she knew this has to happen

(Luke 2:25-35)

From the eyes of God, The Father

1. Justified by Jesus’ blood - Romans 5:8-11

2. Jesus tasted death for us - Hebrews 2:9

3. He took our sins to the cross - Isaiah 53:5,11

4. He was our propitiation – he turned away God’s

wrath against us - I John 4:9-10

FROM THE VIEW OF THE SON

• He learned obedience - Hebrews 5:7-9

• Jesus submitted to the Father’s will - Matthew

26:39, 53-54

• He endured the cross - Hebrews 12:2

• He humbled himself - Philippians 2:8-11

WHAT IT MEANT TO PAUL AND BELIEVERS

Power of God unto Salvation - Rom 1:16

Demonstration of God's power unto Salvation,

righteousness, sanctification and redemption -

1Cor 1:18-30

Crucification free us from sin - Rom 6:6-14

There is victory over sin and death- Rom 6

WHAT IT MEANT TO THE ROMAN CENTURION

A man who watched Jesus be scourged by the cruelty of

soldiers, mocked and abused Him and probable enjoyed every

minute of it

A man who was responsible for the death and to torture of

Jesus....he saw the contrast of many whom he had

crucified....usually swore and cursed...He noticed the tender

mercy in the voice of Jesus to the penitent thief...He was

amazed to see Jesus amidst His suffering telling John to take

care of his mother

When Jesus gave up His spirit, there was violent earthquake

...and this man confessed this was the Son of God and certainly

was a righteous man

IT IS FINISHED

In John 19:30... Jesus last words "It is Finished"

In Greek ' tetelestai' it is an accounting term....paid in

full...Jesus was declaring that the debt of sin has been

paid in full by what He has done on the cross.

Because of He has finished at the cross, we can begin

a new life in Him and reconciled to God through the

second Adam, Jesus who gave us a new life in Him

CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

FROM 2 VIEWPOINTS

John Gospel convey to us the wonder of God's

Glory and Grace and Love in the death of Christ

John 3:16

Matthew approaches the cross from the

standpoint of the wickedness of men. It is

wickedness unmatched ( Acts 2 Christ was

killed by wicked hands/ Jer 17:9)