If you have your Bibles, turn to Mark chapter 15.
Haven't you been blessed by this music this morning?
Some of you have.
If you've ever been in worship and not been blessed by the music,
you know the difference.
I can promise you that.
And we have been blessed this morning.
Well, the events of the last week of Christ
are the basis of really everything that a Christian places his or her faith on.
And I really don't believe that you get the complete message
from one event without looking at another event
of the events of the last week of Christ.
In other words, to understand the significance of the triumphal entry of Christ
when he rode through on the donkey
and people threw down their garments and palm branches
and shouted, Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
which was on Palm Sunday, which is today.
To understand that, you must see the cross.
And to understand the significance and the depth of the meaning of the cross,
I believe you have to look at the agonies of the garden.
And we've done that together.
To understand the triumph of the empty tomb,
I believe you have to understand the cross of Christ.
Over the last few weeks, we've explored the teachings
and the events of the upper room.
And we've considered the pressing weight of the garden.
And we've even witnessed through Scripture
the midnight, unjust scramble of the courts
maneuvering to do what they needed to do
or wanted to do to Jesus.
This morning, we look at the cross of Christ.
And to be blunt,
it's where all the world changed,
was in the cross of Christ.
Mark chapter 15,
beginning in verse 16.
It says,
And the soldiers led him away inside the palace.
That's the governor's headquarters.
And they called together the whole battalion.
They clothed him in a purple cloak
and twisting together a crown of thorns,
they put it on him.
They began to salute him.
Hail, King of the Jews!
They were striking his head
with a reed
and spitting on him
and kneeling down in homage to him.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the purple cloak
and put his own clothes on him.
And they led him out to crucify him.
They compelled a passerby,
Simon of Cyrene,
who was coming in from the country,
the father of Alexander and Rufus,
to carry his cross.
And they brought him to the place called Golgotha,
which means the place of a skull.
And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,
but he did not take it.
And they crucified
and divided his garments among them,
casting lots for them
to decide what each should take.
And it was the third hour
when they crucified him,
and the inscription of the,
that's about 9 a.m.,
and the inscription of the charge against him
read,
the king of the Jews.
And with him they crucified two robbers,
one on his right
and one on his left.
Now down to verse 33,
and it says this,
And when the sixth hour had come,
there was darkness over the whole land
until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour,
Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
Eloi, Eloi,
lama shebachthani,
which means,
My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?
And some of the bystanders hearing it said,
Behold, he's calling Elijah.
And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine,
put it on a reed,
and gave it to him to drink,
saying,
Wait,
let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry
and breathed his last,
and the curtain of the temple was torn into two
from top to bottom.
And when the centurion who stood facing him
saw that in this way he breathed his last,
he said,
Truly, this man was the Son of God.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father,
I pray today that as we look at the events of the cross
and the significance of the cross,
and we look at the details of it,
I pray, dear God,
that the details of it will not get in the way
of the message of the cross, dear Father.
Lord, I also pray that whatever else
is in our hearts and lives today
that may distract us in the next few moments.
God, I pray that you'll remove those things from our mind,
that in a Holy Spirit sweep,
you'll just allow us to focus
on the cross of Christ together.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
As horrible as it is,
and I do not want to ever look as if
I enjoy talking about such matters,
I believe we need to look into the depths of the cross
and understand the significance of
what the Lord Jesus went through on the cross.
Come with me and let's look at the cross of Christ.
Come and see the physical agony of the cross.
Jesus was battered,
he was bruised,
he was ridiculed,
he was mocked.
On his way to the cross,
they placed a crown of thorns upon his brow,
and they hit him in the head with a reed.
Remember a scalp that was already sensitive and sore
due to a stress-related malady
that he had suffered in the garden.
Gospel writer tells us
that he was sweating drops of blood,
which speaks of hematidrosis,
which is a painful, sensitive matter in the face
that can only be caused by the worst of stress,
and on top of that,
they place a crown of thorns upon him,
thorns of an inch or two long a piece,
drive him into his head
by beating him in the head with a stick.
John 19, 1 tells us that he was flogged.
Flogging was not intended for execution,
but instead often was used instead of execution,
and at times they would do it along with crucifixion,
which they did to Christ.
The purpose of the scourging was not to kill a man,
but to brutally, painfully humiliate the man.
It was meant as a demeaning and a belittling,
so much so that the Roman citizens could not even be flogged.
They didn't allow them to.
They used what they called a flagellum.
It was similar to what the British called the cat of nine tails.
It was a whip with as many as nine strands coming out from the end of it,
and on those leather strands,
they were weighed down with pieces of lead or metal or pieces of bone.
They were intended to increase the impact of the whip hitting the flesh
when brought down in force,
as well the depths of the wounds of such a lash absolutely amazed people.
Eusebius, an ancient historian, said this.
He said,
The lacerations were, and I quote,
Even to innermost veins and arteries,
sometimes the hidden inward parts of the body,
both their bowels and their members were exposed to view.
Bound to a post, stretched out over a frame,
they were beaten from shoulders to legs
until the flesh was literally shredded and the inner parts exposed.
The Jews limited that to only 40 lashes.
And I always say you get your best counting buddy to count for you
when you do that,
because if they gave more than 40 lashes,
they got the same treatment themselves.
So there became a trend for the Jews to stop at 39,
just in case the old boy might have missed one.
But not for the Romans.
They didn't care.
They could whip you as long as they gauged necessary,
and they did.
He was then led out to be crucified.
The one to be crucified,
instead of carrying the whole cross,
as we typically have seen,
probably in reality carried the horizontal cross beam
called the Pertullum,
weighed somewhere between 75 and 125 pounds.
However, he was not able to carry it.
Christ was not able to carry it for long
because of the beating that he had endured.
And, you know,
the Romans loved the exhibition of a man
having to struggle under that.
So sometimes the Romans,
when one would move too slowly with the cross beam,
they'd actually tie a rope around him
and pull him along the way to help him,
to make it more agony.
But for Jesus,
they got Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross from there,
and down the Via Della Rosa,
they went out of the city gate
into a place called Golgotha,
which is Greek for the place of the skull.
Later, and you may be familiar with it being called Calvary,
that's the Latin term for it.
Having reached his destination,
his hands were nailed to the crossbar
right through the hollow spot above the wrist.
If he was actually nailed in the hand,
it would have tore through.
So instead, they found this hollow part
right at the end of what they call the lifeline,
and there's a hollow spot there that they hit
where there's no vital artery
with nails that were about four to five inches long,
very similar to a more narrow railroad spike.
Those nails symbolized Roman cruelty.
Other societies would rope a man to the cross,
but not Rome.
The crossbar had a hollowed-out cup
in the center of it,
and that crossbar was lifted up
and placed upon the stipes
that usually were planted in the ground vertically
and stayed there with a point on the end,
so it just kind of fit like a log cabin fits together.
Or if you don't know what that is, like a Lego.
How about that?
Fit together.
Jesus was then placed in the center
as the chief criminal.
His greatest agony, however, was as he hung.
Jim Bishop wrote a book called
The Day Jesus Died,
and he described the agony of the cross like this.
To be able to breathe,
the victim had to stay in constant motion,
literally dragging himself up and down
until he could no longer.
Each time the pain mounted,
his arms, his legs, entire torso,
screamed in pain.
Slowly and steadily, he was being asphyxiated,
as if two thumbs were pressing against his throat.
Some say the crucified ones died of suffocation.
Others, hunger.
Still others, sheer exhaustion
as their bodies just wore out.
End of quote.
The Roman soldiers were experts in crucifying.
They learned how to do it right,
and they also learned that
when you bend a man's knees
at the proper anger,
you could actually prolong his agony.
When they were ready for them to die,
they would simply shatter the legs of the man
who could no longer pull himself up on the cross
and therefore would asphyxiate.
Death came quickly after that.
Now, you may be thinking,
why do you share all that?
Why all the grotesque?
Why deal with that?
I don't have to,
but I want you to know
what Jesus suffered for our sins.
Come and see.
Not only the physical agony,
but come and see the physical darkness
because while Christ hung on the cross,
the sky strangely turned black,
although the time was noon.
For three hours,
the sky was as dark as night
in the middle of the day
until about three o'clock when Jesus died.
And the moment he died,
the earth began to shake.
The earthquake was so violent,
it says that rocks split.
It was not a rumbling.
It was more than a typical tremor.
And quite honestly,
it had to be somewhat horrifying
to be standing in that area
and to be witnessing
such a horrific experience.
It was a physical darkness.
But quite honestly,
I believe the greatest agony
and darkness of the cross
was not physical,
but instead was spiritual.
Understand and come and see
the physical,
the spiritual agony of the cross.
Understand that Jesus was sinless
and understand that it is sin
that restrains us
from having a perfect
Garden of Eden type experience
with the Lord.
Jesus had never had a conflict
with the Father.
Jesus was never,
never sinned,
was not born into sin,
never even had a hindrance
in his relationship
with the Father.
Never did he suffer
with understanding
what God was up to.
He was literally
the mind of Christ.
He knew exactly
what the Father would have.
Christ was sinless
without any hindrance.
That is until
he became sin
on our behalf.
2 Corinthians 5,
verse 21
puts it this way,
for our sake he made him
to be sin
who knew no sin
so that in him
we might become
the righteousness of God.
And for the first time
in his life
there was a sin hindrance
between Christ and the Father
as the weight of the world's sins
fell upon his shoulders
and hid the face of God
from him
for the first time
and he felt forsaken
by both God and man.
As he was wounded
for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities
and faced hell
so we don't have to,
there had to be
a powerful sense
of the forsakenness
of the Father
and it was absolute
spiritual agony
for the Lord.
I told you
a couple of weeks ago
that that's the cup
that he spoke of
in the garden
and that's what he dreaded
the most.
The spiritual agony.
But in the midst of that
I also want you to see
the,
to come and see
the spiritual darkness.
because while the sinless
Lamb of God
is dying for the sins
of the world
the sky strangely
turned black
although the time
was noon
and stayed that way
until he died.
And in that darkness
the soldiers gambled
for his clothing.
Remember they had
taken his clothing off
and put a mocking
purple robe on him
and beat him with it
and then took it back off
and put his clothes
back on him.
And then as he hung
before he hung
they stripped him
of those clothing.
Scripture tells us
that he wore
a seamless tunic
which is a very nice
piece of clothing.
Normally it was
had seams.
And
while he died
for their sins
they gambled
for that
and the other articles
of clothing
that he had.
While he was dying
for their sins
they gambled
and the sky
turned black.
As well
the very people
that he died for
came by
and hurled insults
at him
made sarcastic
and mocking remarks
that if he was
so miraculous
why don't he
save himself?
The reason why
he didn't save himself
is because he was
too busy saving them.
it was a
dark moment.
We live in a world
of dark moments.
We had a dark moment
last week
or ten days ago
when a crazy person
went to school
in Nashville
killed innocent victims.
Horrible dark moment.
last week
the storms
that rolled
through
the dark
killed two dozen
people in Mississippi
and destroyed
nearly 2,000 homes
and then a revisit
of storms
just this past
Friday night.
That's dark.
But I want you
to understand
there has never
been
one more
than the darkness
of high noon
when the Savior
hung on the cross
for you
and me
and them
and all
the world.
It is horrible
to look at
even 2,000
years later
but I think
you have to
understand
the spiritual
darkness.
I am just
thankful
that it
don't stop
there
because if
it did
I wouldn't
have told
you all
of that
and honestly
I wouldn't
be standing
here doing
what I'm
doing.
I want
you to
come and
see the
spiritual
hope
that comes
from the
cross
because there's
a wonderful
spiritual hope
in this
passage
that I
don't want
you to
miss
at all
and that
is
eternal
life.
It's in
Luke chapter
23 verse
39 and
it says
this
one of
the criminals
who were
hanged
railed at
him saying
are you not
the Christ
save yourself
and us
but the
other rebuked
him and
said do
you not
fear God
since you
are under
the same
sentence
of condemnation
and we
indeed
justly
for we
are
receiving
the
reward
of our
deeds
for this
man has
done
nothing
wrong
and he
said
Jesus
remember
me
when you
come
into your
kingdom
and he
said
truly I
say to
you
today
you
will
be
with
me
in
paradise
I want
you to
understand
the spiritual
hope is
eternal
life
in Christ
he gave
eternal
life
to
a robber
and a
bandit
that hung
beside him
Matthew 27
verse 44
tells us
that the
robbers of
the bandits
on both
sides of
him were
insulting
Christ on
the cross
they joined
in with the
crowd taunting
this so-called
king and
then something
happened one
of them
suddenly changed
his attitude
and thought
and when the
other taunted
he corrected
him
and Luke
23 says
that he said
to him
do you not
fear God
since you're
under the
same sentence
of condemnation
what changed
that man
what happened
in the midst
of that
I believe
it was what
he saw
for the first
time
and that was
he saw a
king for the
first time
he saw the
Christ for the
first time
for the first
time it was
sinking in
that this
God man
was real
but secondly
I want you
to notice
the silence
Jesus never
sparred back
he let them
waggle their
tongues
however
thank God
however it
happened
he saw
Jesus
he submitted
himself to
Christ
asked for
mercy
and Jesus
said
remember
he said
Jesus
remember me
when you
come into
your kingdom
and Jesus
replied
today you
shall be
with me
in paradise
and theologians
have tried to
figure out
where paradise
is
it's fascinating
to hear their
conversation
you know what's
most important
to me
paradise
is where
Jesus is
because he
says today
you shall be
with me
in paradise
salvation
came to that
man that
day
and that
gives hope
to all that
we meet
no matter
your circumstances
no matter
your lifestyle
no matter
the good
choices in
your life
no matter
the bad
choices in
your life
it's not
the will
of God
that any
should perish
but that
all should
come
to have
eternal
life
it means
so much
more to
Christ
that he
gave
it means
so much
to Christ
that he
gave his
life
for you
to have
that
opportunity
and if
he'll save
a hardened
convicted
criminal
on his
death
cross
don't you
dare wonder
whether
Christ is
willing to
save you
or not
he died
for you
he bore
the cross
for you
I'm
thankful
for the
eternal
life
that he
gives
but I'm
also
thankful
for the
eternal
access
because when
the earthquake
at that
moment he
died
rocks
split
it was
so violent
that scripture
says
that it
tore
the veil
in the
holy of
holies
in half
that curtain
was 60
feet
long
and 30
feet
wide
and they
say that
it was
as wide
as the
palm of
a man's
hand
and yet
in the midst
of that
earthquake
it split
tore all
the way
and what's
fascinating to
me about
that is
is that
it ripped
from top
to bottom
it would
have made
a lot
of sense
in an
earthquake
if the
ground
split
so much
that it
caused the
curtain
to split
as well
that would
make sense
but the
veil was
ripped
from top
to bottom
the veil
was ripped
by God
as the
earth
quaked
by God
in the
midst of
the darkness
by God
what a
horrible
experience
to live
through
but the
Hebrew writer
tells us
what that
means
Hebrews
chapter 10
verses 19
through 25
says this
therefore
brothers
since we
have confidence
to enter the
holy places
by the blood
of Jesus
by the new
and living
way that he
opened for us
through the
curtain
that is
through his
flesh
and since
we have a
great priest
over the
house of
God
let us
draw near
with a true
heart and
full assurance
of faith
with our
hearts
sprinkled
clean
from an
evil
conscience
and our
bodies
washed
with pure
water
and let us
hold fast
the confession
of our
faith without
wavering
for he who
promised
is faithful
and let
us consider
how to
stir one
another
to love
and good
works
not neglecting
to meet
together
as too
many are
in the
habit of
doing
but encouraging
one another
and all the
more as you
see the day
drawing near
it is because
of Christ
my friend
that we can
approach the
throne of God
forgiven
clean
and we can
enter boldly
we can stand
strong in our
faith
and we can
we can trust
the word of
God
because he
does
what he
says
he'll do
he's faithful
to his
promises
and understanding
that what he's
done for us
and understanding
how he's faithful
to his promises
and understanding
that whatever
tomorrow holds
he's already
there
understanding
all that
it ought to
stir us up
it ought to
change our
lives
and as
Christians
we ought to
stir each
other up
to encourage
each other
in our
faith
it ought to
encourage us
to invite
others to
come to
Christ
through the
work of
the cross
come and
see
the cross
of Christ
it'll change
your life
for all
eternity
with every
head bowed
and every
eye closed
I want to
ask you
if you've
ever surrendered
your heart
and life
to the
Lord Jesus
Christ
has there
ever been a
time when
you can go
back to
where you've
committed your
life to
Christ
confess that
you'd sinned
ask him to
forgive you
and promise
to live for
him
none of us
have done that
sufficiently
living for
him but
it all
begins with
the first
step
and if
you've never
taken that
first step
or unsure
about that
first step
to come to
Christ
I want you
to know
today's the
day of
salvation
if you'll
come to
him today
he'll save
you
he'll change
you
that yearning
that you have
within you
to make a
decision for
Christ
didn't come
from you
it came
from him
he's calling
you to
himself
maybe you're
here this
morning and
you do know
that you're
a Christian
but the
reality is
your life
is not a
life of
the cross
as he told
us to deny
ourselves and
pick up our
cross and
carry it
daily
is your
life reflected
of the cross
Christian
or is today
a day of
renewal for
you
I want
you to know
that you can
renew your
life right
where you
are
you can
have a
pastor pray
for you
or you can
just come to
this altar
and lay it
down before
God
but I
encourage you
to not let
anything be a
hindrance in
your life when
you leave
here and
you'll walk
with the
Lord
maybe you're
here and
you're visiting
with us this
morning and
God's drawing
you to be a
part of this
church how
we'd love for
you to be a
part of our
fellowship
I encourage
you to come
we'd love to
guide you in
that process
or maybe
you're here
and you've
given your
heart and
life to the
Lord Jesus
but you've
never publicly
acknowledged it
it was a
private decision
that you made
and you've
never shared
that with
anybody
you need to
be baptized
you just come
say pastor
I know I'm
saved but I
need to be
baptized as a
believer
and we'll
guide you in
that
we're going
to stand
right after
I pray
and we're
going to
sing but
more important
than singing
I encourage
you to be
obedient and
follow him
heavenly father
I love you
and I thank
you dear God
for the love
that you have
for us and
I ask right
now father
that you'll
work and
you'll move
in the hearts
and lives of
each individual
in this place
and help us
to be obedient
to follow you
as you lead
us oh God
I pray
in Jesus name
amen