THE AGONY

AND
THE GLORY
OF THE CROSS
Lesson 5

THE APPEAL
OF
THE CROSS!

CONSIDER PAULS WORDS:

But far be it from me to

boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by
which the world has been crucified
to me, and I to the world.
(Galatians 6:14)

SOME RELEVANT THOUGHTS:

1. By the standards of the world,
JESUS LIFE was a FAILURE!
2. After Jesus DEATH, Only 120
disciples were in Jerusalem
waiting (Acts 1:11-15)
3. The apostles had been told to
WAIT!
(Continued)

And while staying with them he

ordered them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the
promise of the Father, which, he
said, "you heard from me;
for John baptized with water, but
you will be baptized with the Holy
Spirit not many days from now."
(Acts 1:4, 5)

4. After the FIRST gospel sermon,

the number began to increase
(Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7)
And more than ever believers
were added to the Lord,

multitudes of both men and

women,
(Acts 5:14)

5. Christianity is NOT just an

idea or philosophy! It is a
PERSON!
It is NOT JUST what God SAID,
BUT what GOD DID!
6. The Golden Rule is very
GOOD, but it CANNOT SAVE!
SALVATION DEMANDS A CROSS!

THE APPEAL OF THE CROSS

1. The CROSS appeals to our
DEEPEST EMOTIONS
After Jesus was lifted up, He
would DRAW men to Himself
And I, when I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all people to
myself. (John 12:32)
HE WAS SPEAKING OF THE
CROSS! (John 12:33)

The CROSS arouses our ANGER!

The CROSS stirs our
ADMIRATION!
The CROSS BREAKS OUR
HEART!
A heart without the CROSS is a
mission field
A heart with the CROSS is a
missionary

2. The CROSS appeals to our

HUMAN DIGNITY
God could FORCE men to obey!
But, He DOES NOT! He INVITES!
God is NOT a BULLY!
The closer we get to the CROSS,
the more POWERFUL it is!
There should be SYMPATHY,
EMPATHY, ANGER and JOY!

Great is the mystery of

GODLINESS!
Great

indeed, we confess,
is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit, seen by
angels, proclaimed among the
nations, believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
(I Timothy 3:16)

3. The CROSS appeals to our

sense of MORAL OBLIGATION
No one can remain NEUTRAL at
the CROSS! Make a DECISION!
Jesus draws men!
No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him.
And I will raise him up on the last
day. (John 6:44)

It is written in the Prophets, 'And

they will all be taught by God.'
Everyone who has heard and
learned from the Father comes to
me
(John 6:45)
THE CROSS IS THE GREATEST
STORY EVER TOLD!

EXAMINING THE STATEMENTS ON

THE CROSS!
Introduction:
1. Jesus made SEVEN statements
on the CROSS
2. The FIRST THREE focused on
OTHERS
3. The LAST FOUR focused on
HIMSELF

FORGIVENESS
Father, forgive them. (Luke
23:34)
This was a PRAYER, NOT a
declaration
Jesus first and last statements
were addressed to the FATHER!
Father, forgive Father, into
Thy hands

THINK ABOUT THIS: JESUS WAS

PRAYING FOR HIS KILLERS!
NOTE:
"You have heard that it was said,
'You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.
But I say to you, Love your
enemies and pray for those who
persecute you,
(Matthew 5:43, 44)

TRULY,
THE CROSS
IS
FORGIVENESS!

SALVATION
Today, you will be with Me in
Paradise (Luke 23:43)
Sin-soaked sinners are
saved by a blood-stained
Savior!
Jesus had power on earth to
forgive sins! (Continued)

But that you may know that

the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive
sins --he then said to the
paralytic-- "Rise, pick up your bed
and go home.
(Matthew 9:6)

CONCERNING THE FORGIVEN

THIEF
Is it not TRUE that it is easier for
GOD TO SAVE THE
UNRIGHTEOUS than it is to
SAVE the SELF-RIGHTEOUS
and ARROGANT?

RESPONSIBILITY
Woman, behold your son
(John 19:26, 27)
MARY was the woman, and
JOHN was the son
NOTE that Jesus DID NOT call her
Mother! People beatify her
nevertheless!

Mary was called by God to bear

Jesus (Luke 1:26-33)
Simeon, the prophet said to Mary:
and a sword will pierce through
your own soul also.
(Luke 2:35)
IS IT NOT TRUE THAT MOTHERS
ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE?

In His MINISTRY, Jesus pointed out

that His FAMILY are those who
DO THE WILL OF GOD!
And stretching out his hand
toward his disciples, he said, "Here
are my mother and my brothers!
For whoever does the will of
my Father in heaven is my
brother and sister and mother.
(Matthew 12:49, 50)

PATHOS, SADNESS
My God, My God why have you
forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46)
A heart breaking question!
The FINAL FOUR statements on the
CROSS are concerning HIMSELF!
Jesus evidently shuddered at the
loneliness of becoming SIN for us!
(Continued)

Therefore, we are ambassadors

for Christ, God making his appeal
through us. We implore you on
behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God.
For our sake he made him to
be sin who knew no sin, so that
in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
(II Corinthians 5:20, 21)

JESUS
MUST ENDURE
GREAT SUFFERING

ALONE!

THIRST
I thirst

(John 19:28)

Earlier, Jesus refused a drink that

would dull His senses
Now, this drink would retain His
senses
This was the ONLY PERSONAL
FAVOR HE REQUESTED!

VICTORY
It is finished (John 19:30)
In the Greek language, this is only
one word, tetelestai
Jesus came to do the will of the
Father! (John 6:38)
HE DID IT!
WHAT A GREAT VICTORY!

FAITH
Father, into your hands, I commit
My spirit! (Luke 23:46)
Jesus died in CONFIDENCE and
FAITH, NOT in DOUBT!

He chose WHEN He would die

and be raised! (John 10:18)
He told Pilate that his power
was only what God permitted!

So Pilate said to him, "You will not

speak to me? Do you not know that
I have authority to release you and
authority to crucify you?"
Jesus answered him, "You would
have no authority over me at all
unless it had been given you from
above. Therefore he who delivered
me over to you has the greater sin."
(John 19:10, 11)

JESUS
WAS
IN
COMPLETE
CONTROL!

STATEMENTS MADE BY
OTHERS AT THE CROSS
1. The tormentors of Jesus
taunted Him:
.You who would destroy the
temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself! If you are the Son
of God, come down from the
cross. (Matthew 27:39, 40)

IS IT NOT INTERESTING?
Is it NOT INTERESTING to note
that the people BELIEVED IN THE
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS?
So the chief priests and the
Pharisees gathered the Council
and said, "What are we to do? For
this man performs many signs.
(John 11:47)

IS IT NOT INTERESTING?
Is it not interesting to NOTE that the
Jewish leaders believed in the
healing of the crippled man
saying, "What shall we do with
these men? For that a notable sign
has been performed through them
is evident to all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
(Acts 4:16)

2. The THIEF said, Remember

me. (Luke 23:42)
One of the thieves was NOT
penitent. The CROSS either
makes men BETTER or WORSE
The penitent thief was the only
one who knew what was
happening! He knew that Jesus
could HELP HIM!

3. THE IMPENITENT THIEF SAID:

One of the criminals who were
hanged railed at him, saying,
"Are you not the Christ? Save
yourself and us! (Luke 23:39)
He was HURLING ABUSE at
Jesus!
He was blaspheming!

4. GAWKERS, BYSTANDERS
were saying:
Let us see if Elijah will come to
save Him! (Matthew 27:47-49)
Bystanders want to see
everything, but many times,
understand NOTHING!

5. GAMBLERS: Let us not tear

it, but cast lots for it....
(Jesus garment) (John 19:24)
Jesus was dying for our sins
while men were gambling for His
clothes
Jesus ROBE was more valuable to
them than the LIFE OF JESUS!
Are we any different than they?

6. JOSEPH of ARIMATHEA and

NICODEMUS. Where were they?
Were they present?
They asked boldly for the body of
Jesus and buried it (John 19:38-40)
Joseph was a secret disciple!
Nicodemus had come to Jesus at
night! (John 3:1-5)
Were they there on Pentecost ????

7. CONCLUSION TIME: The

CENTURION said, Truly, this
was the son of God
No doubt, he was an idolater!
What others had missed, this man
saw!
He saw the EARTHQUAKE!
He and his companions were
afraid (Matthew 27:54)

AGAIN,
THE CROSS
IS THE GREATEST
STORY
EVER TOLD!