What Happened on the Cross?

What Happened on the Cross?

Various Texts

©Rev. Bruce Goettsche March 21, 2008 GOOD FRIDAY

For Christians, the cross is a cherished symbol. It reminds us of the suffering of our Savior which He willingly endured for our redemption. Some say it is foolish to wear a cross which symbolizes execution. However, that’s not what it symbolizes to the believer. In some respects, the Christian wearing a cross around his neck is very similar to the mother who wears a locket that contains pictures of her children. It is not a symbol of torment; but of love.

This evening we want to spend some time reflecting on the cross. We want to understand more fully what Jesus did for us there. Our goal is not simply to gain information. We want to better grasp the nature of what Jesus did for us and so come to love and trust Him more than we do now.

I am indebted tonight to R.C. Sproul who has written a little book called “The Truth About the Cross”. Sproul’s comments have greatly informed my message tonight.

Before we can ever fully understand the cross of Christ and why it was necessary, we need to understand something of the character of God. God is holy and just. This means He will not negotiate on truth or on what is right and wrong. He is perfectly consistent. The Bible says there is “no shadow of turning with Him”. (James 1:17 KJV) God cannot be bought or conned into changing His standards. He is the perfect judge.

Such a ruler gives a sense of stability and dependability. We always know right where we stand with someone who has such a character. However, God’s consistency is also our biggest problem.

Suppose you campaigned and voted for a Judge that you knew was unwavering when it came to the law because the man was your friend. You know that he applies the law fairly to all people. So one day you break the law. You have good excuses (you think) and share them with the Judge. You appeal to your friendship. If he “lets you off” then he is not really consistent. If he is consistent and true, you will face the consequences in spite of your relationship.

As human beings we have violated God’s standards, we have transgressed His justice, and we are on the wrong side of the law. We can’t even appeal to our friendship! God’s perfect consistency means we are in trouble.

The Bible describes our problem with God in at least three different ways.

WE ARE DEBTORS

In the Lord’s prayer we are familiar with the words, ‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’. There are several images in the Bible that picture us as debtors to God. Because God is Sovereign; because He is our creator as well as the Ruler of the Universe, we OWE God our obedience.

Compare this to our lives. If you were to purchase a home you would probably owe a debt to the bank or lending institution. You would be set up to pay monthly installments on that debt. Over the course of 30 years, if you made all your payments you would pay off your debt.

Suppose, for sake of argument, that your lending institution allowed you to continue to add to the amount of your home loan so you could furnish your home, buy a new car, take a fabulous vacation, and purchase season tickets for a professional sports team and so on. Suppose you added to your debt several times a day! Your debt would be more than you could possibly ever pay. You would eventually lose everything through foreclosure.

This is what has happened in our relationship with God. Every time we act in a way that is contrary to God’s law we add to our debt. We are the debtor, God is the Creditor. He is the One to whom the debt is owed. If you will, He owns the “note” on our life. He is the One who has a right to demand payment at any time.

We are told that on the cross, “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”(Hebrews 7:22) Jesus is the one who, if you will, guarantees our future relationship with God by paying our debt. He is the One who has sufficient resources to make us spiritually solvent once again.

On the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished”. N.T. Wright comments,

the word “finished” was what you wrote on a bill when it had been settled: “Paid in Full!” ….With his shameful chaotic, horrible death he has gone to the very bottom, to the darkest and deepest place of ruin, and has planted there the sign that says ‘Rescued’. (Wright, Christians at the Cross p. 57)

WE HAVE A SHATTERED RELATIONSHIP

The second image of the cross is found in Romans 8:7, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” In several places in the Bible it talks about sinful people “hating God”.

Two people can be friends for years. If one betrays the other by telling lies, distorting facts, violating confidences, bringing financial hardship or by creating a wedge in the family, that relationship is often shattered. It is difficult to rebuild what has been torn to pieces.

When we sin, we violate our personal relationship with God. Instead of communicating love, affection, respect, and gratitude to our Creator (which he deserves), we offend Him, slander Him and rebel against Him. As a result, the relationship between God and man is destroyed.

God is the one who have been violated. It is His reputation that has been stained. It is His authority against which we have rebelled. The more we sin, the more damaged is the relationship.

Into this strained relationship Jesus becomes our mediator. Sometimes a marriage that seems to be hopelessly shattered can be restored through hard work with a patient counselor. Sometimes friendships can be restored if someone will work to bring the two parties together. This person will need to help the two sides work through their differences to allow the barrier between them to be removed. We see this all the time in labor disputes. A mediator is brought in to rebuild a relationship between the workers and management.

Jesus is our spiritual mediator. He is the one who restores our relationship with God. The Bible tells us that there is only one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:25) In Romans 5:10 we read,

For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

When sharing your faith with others you can sometimes explain the gospel by drawing two ledges that face each other with a wide chasm between them. On one side you write “God” on the other you write “man”. The chasm is caused by sin. Sin erects a barrier between us and God that we cannot bridge by our all-to-infrequent good works. The next step in the diagram is to draw a cross in between the two ledges with the arms of the cross touching each side. You then explain that Jesus erected a bridge between God and Man through His death on the cross.

That diagram illustrates the fact that the cross mediates the conflict between God and man. Because of Christ we are no longer enemies of God . . . we are His children.

WE ARE LAW-BREAKERS

The third picture of sin is that of breaking the law. Sin is a crime. It is a breaking of the law of God. The term “justification” is a legal term.

Suppose a young person broke into your home and stole something from your house. The police find the person who broke into your home and stole your items. When the young person is caught and arrested the parents of the youth come to you and beg for mercy promising that they will replace the stolen items.

It’s not that simple. The offense is not simply that items were stolen. Someone came into your home, violated your privacy, created a feeling of vulnerability, and trampled on the laws of society.

But let’s suppose you are an extraordinary person with a very tender heart. You refuse to press charges. The parents replace what was stolen and the young person apologizes. How do you respond if that same person does the same thing again? Will you continue to overlook the offense? Not a chance. You would most likely grab that young person by the ear and drag them to jail. Lawlessness cannot be allowed to continue because it leads to greater and greater lawlessness.

Every time we sin we break the law. Every time we sin we rob God of the glory, the honor, and the respect that He deserves. When we give something or someone other than God control in our lives, we commit idolatry. When we attack other people we assault that which belongs to the Lord. When we treat the environment with contempt we are vandalizing God’s masterpiece. When we treat our body or anyone else’s body with disregard we are destroying God’s treasures.

God is the Judge. Since God is righteous and good, justice must be done. He is the Judge with perfect consistency. Our excuses will not hold water. We are lawbreakers and we deserve the sentence of God’s eternal wrath.

In this image of a legal problem Jesus serves as our substitute. On the cross He took our penalty. He experienced the wrath of God. Jesus served our sentence so that our record might be clear before God. Because of this we are “justified”. We are declared “Not guilty”.

One parent drove this point home to his children. The dad had warned the kids that they would be spanked if they continued to transgress the rules. The children didn’t listen. Dad took them up to their room. He slowly took off his belt and told them that he was going to have to spank them with the belt. He was doing this because they needed to know the difference between right and wrong. He affirmed his love for them and asked them if they understood.

The two children with quivering lips said they understood why the punishment was necessary. Then the unthinkable happened. The father handed the belt to his children and told them that he would take their punishment. He required that they hit him with the belt. The children cried as they followed dad’s instruction.

When it was all over and the tears had stopped flowing, dad explained that the crime was now paid for. It was over. And then dad when on to tell them about Jesus and the penalty that He faced for us.

Peter wrote,

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Jesus suffered the penalty He didn’t deserve so that we might live the life we could never earn.

CONCLUSIONS

I hope you can see that the cross which points to a torturous death is really a symbol of love? The cross of Jesus was about much more than a good man who was wrongly executed for a crime. Jesus spoke of His death. He told the disciples that He had to die and rise again. He came to give His life as a ransom for us.

It may be helpful to chart this out.

The Sinner’s Position	God’s Role	Christ’s Role
Debtor	Creditor	The Guarantee
The Betrayer	The Offended	The Mediator
Law Breaker	Judge	Substitute

This is the wonder of the cross. This is what Jesus did for us. So the question remains: How do we respond? First, we should welcome the gift that the Lord offers. Someone can offer to guarantee your loan but you don’t have to accept their offer. Someone can try to reconcile you with another person but if you don’t want to be restored in that relationship, you won’t be restored. Someone can offer to be your substitute but if we don’t accept their substitution, it doesn’t matter what the other person does. Our first step therefore is to gratefully receive the help of Jesus. We must take His help, trust His work, and rest in His intervention. Take some time tonight to reaffirm your love, appreciation and trust in God’s provision for us in Christ.

Second, we should turn from our rebellion and sin. That which sent the Son of God to the cross should be put aside in our own lives. Jesus died to set us free from the sinful nature. He did not die so we could continue to sin without feelings of guilt.

Third, we should worship. I don’t mean that we should go to a church and conduct a service. The worship that God desires is an attitude that permeates the way we live. True worship is seen in our humble obedience, our willing submission, and our uncompromising trust. True worship recognizes God for who He is: the ruler of the Universe; the One who is the only true God. True worship is anchored to overwhelming gratitude.

Fourth, we should tell others. What Jesus did for us is good news. Others who are debtors, estranged, and law-breakers need to know how they can have a right relationship with God.

Finally, we should live joyfully. A person who has had a close call with death because of a life-threatening illness or accident has a new perspective on life. They understand how precious (and fragile) life is. They savor life more fully. They live life more freely. They let the “little things” slide because they better understand how little those things are in the scheme of things.

We have had a close call. By the work of Christ we have been rescued and set free. Our drab lives once again experience color. Despair is replaced by confidence. The smell of spring replaces the smell of death. It is time to live. It is time to enjoy the journey and celebrate the relationship we now have with the Lord of Life.

This is why the cross is so special.