What’s So Good About the Cross?

John Stott said, “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”

Franklin Graham, “It was Christ who willingly went to the cross, and it was our sins that took him there.”

Michael Youssef said, “Only in the Cross of Christ will we receive power when we are powerless. We will find strength when we are weak. We will experience hope when our situation is hopeless. Only in the Cross is there peace for our troubled hearts.”

The songwriter said:

On a hill far away, stood an Ole Rugged Cross

The Emblem of suffering and shame.

And how I love that ole Cross, where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

To the Old Rugged Cross, I will ever be true,

It’s shame and reproach gladly bear.

Till He calls me some day, to my home far away,

Where His glory forever, I’ll share.

Another songwriter said,

At the Cross, at the Cross, where I first saw the light,

And the burdens of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith, I received my sight,

and now I am happy all the day.

Janet Paschal sang a song in 2000 that has seared my soul.  It says:

In letters of Crimson, God wrote His love, on a hillside, so long, long ago.

For you and for me, Jesus died, and Love’s greatest story was told.

I love you, I love you – That’s what Calvary says.

I love you, I love you, I love you – Written in red!

Oh Precious, Is the flow – that makes me white as snow.

No other fount I know – Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Our Lord Himself said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me.”

Someone asked me once, if I could only have one book of the Bible, which one would I take?  Though I would certainly hate to part with the Gospel of John, or even the Psalms, but, I would have to say, I would take the Book of Romans.

Now, as the name of the book indicates, The Book of Romans was written to the Christians, the believers, that were living inside the city of Rome, which happened to be, the capital of the entire Roman Empire.  And the Roman Empire was massive, taking in parts of Europe, and Asia and Africa.  Some believe there could well have been over 100,000,000 people in the Roman Empire at its height.

So Paul is writing to the Christian community inside of Rome to encourage them in the faith.  Of the Pauline Epistles, this one is the longest and most complex.  The central message is the Good News. 

• Jesus Christ came to live a life that we could not live;
• Yet He died a death that we should have died. 

Yet, if we are going to talk about this Good News, then we have to first recognize that there is some bad news.  And that bad news is that:

• “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  And because of that sin, there is a penalty.
• “The wages of sin, is death . . .”

Folks, we are deeply flawed, and so that brings us to the theme of Romans, and that is the Righteousness of God – which you see all throughout this Book.  So in the Book of Romans, Paul sets out to tell us how a deeply flawed people can have the right relationship with God.  And folks, that “Right Relationship” cannot be earned – it has to be received. 

And what Paul sets out to share is that when a person comes to that right relationship with God, our wrongs are transferred to Jesus’ account – and His righteousness is transferred to our account!  It cannot be earned, it is received – it is a free gift, a free pardon of sin. 

Paul seeks to encourage us in this Book by sharing God’s love, and His mercy, and His grace. 

And right in the middle of this wonderful Book, we come to chapter 8.  It begins with No Condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

It ends with No Separation.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come.  Nor height, nor depth, nor any creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

But I want to draw your attention to verse 34, and I want to show you how I think the Apostle Paul was able to find What’s So Good about The Cross!

Now understand with me, Paul understood very well that not everything is good:  I mean:

• Being shipwrecked – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being in perils of the sea, perils of the wilderness and perils of false brothers – that wasn’t a good thing;
• Being in labors more abundantly – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being whipped 5 times with 40 lashes – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being stoned – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being in prison – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being near death often – wasn’t a good thing;
• Being cold, hungry and weary  wasn’t a good thing.

Yet, Paul said in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

No wonder Paul said, “Rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say Rejoice!”

And I believe verse 34 tells us how Paul found What’s Good about The Cross?:  “Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who IS even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

First of all, notice with me:

IT’S GOOD BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST

Now how in the world does somebody find good in the death of somebody?  I mean, when somebody dies, it’s pretty natural that we cry.  It is natural that we weep at funerals.  Yet Paul rejoiced in the death of Christ.

Now, I have rehearsed in my mind, that scene in the Upper Room, when Christ observed the Passover with His disciples for the last time and instituted the Lord’s Supper. (COMMUNION TIME)

I have traced His steps when He came down from that place and went out the Eastern Gate by the Kidron Valley and He walk by the little mountain called the Mount of Olives, and I watched Him as he knelt praying in the Garden of Gethsemane – it would soon all be over.  I imagine it was quite in that garden.  But then there was a commotion, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver, leads those soldiers and says, “He whom I kiss – hold Him fast.”  Hold His hands – He does things with those hands – I’ve seen it.

• I’ve seen Him run his hands over the eyes of a blind man to let the morning light in.
• I’ve seen Him touch the ears of deaf and allow them to hear the birds sing;
• I’ve seen Him touch the lame and watched them as they took their first steps;
• I’ve seen Him touch the death and watched them rise to newness of life.

Watch His hands, He does things with those hands.

Those soldiers follow, and as Judas betrays Christ with a kiss on the cheek, they lay hold of Jesus and Simon Peter swings into actions, draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of those soldiers.  Jesus picks it up and puts it back on.  Now folks, I don’t know what you would have done, but if I would have come in with those soldiers and saw that, I would of said, “Now fellows, I came in with you – But I’m going out with Him!”

Judas warned them – He does things with those hands!

Jesus is arrested and carried to the house of the High Priest Caiphus.  He is then sent to Pilate, who sends him to Herod, who sends him back to Pilate.

So Pilate then takes a comfy seat and begins to examine Christ.  Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus said, “Thou sayest.” And after his thorough examination Pilate concludes “I find no fault in Him.”  And folks – You won’t either.

And although Pilate found no fault in Him, he condemned Him and sent out to be crucified via the Via Delorossa. 

• Those Roman soldiers platter a crown of throns and shoved it on his head,
• They wrapped Him an a purple rob and paraded Him around saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.”
• They laid that cross on the ground and drove nails in His hands and feet.
• They hoisted up that Cross and shoved it into a hole, sending jolts of pain all through the body of Christ.

Now, how in the world could anybody find something Good in that?

Jesus made 7 sayings from that Cross.  The last being “Father, into Thy hands I commend my Spirit.”  Then His head dropped and He gave up the ghost.

Someone in the crowd said, “He’s dead now.  He’s gone now.”

Why did He die?  Was He a fanatic dying for a cause?  Was he suicidal?

No friends, that was the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and morning Star, dying so that you and I could have life, and have it more abundantly!

Paul said, “Sure I deserve to go to hell.  Sure I deserve to die a sinners death.”

But, “Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died . . .”  Paul realized What was So Good About the Cross was the fact that “God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

It’s Good Because of the Death of Christ, But

IT’S GOOD BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

“. . . It is Christ that died, yea rather, is risen again . . .”  AMEN!

After Jesus died, that secret disciple, Joseph of Arimethea, when to Pilate and begged for the body of Christ.  Then he and Nicodemus took Christ down from that Cross.  Which, by the way, was not an easy thing to do.  They then took the body of Christ and laid him in an empty tomb. 

They washed the blood and dirt from body of Christ then wrapped Him in clean white linen, as was their custom.  Then they did something else, they took a napkin, and placed it over His face (the Shroud of Turan). 

Then, for the next 3 days, I imagined the birds refused to sing, as these were the darkest days the world has ever known. 

The sun didn’t dash over it’s face

But, on the third day, something happened.  God said to an Angel in Heaven, “Go get Him!”  That angel flew from Heaven swiftly, and I imagine that as his foot touched the ground, that stone rolled away.  He walked inside that damp, musky tomb and said to the Son of God, “Your Father wants You.”  Jesus got up and walked out of that tomb.

Up From the Grave He arose, with a mighty triumph over his foes.

He arose a victor from the vast domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign

He arose, He arose, Hallelujah Christ Arose!

“. . . it is Christ that died, yea rather, is risen . . .” 

If you remember when the ladies came to put spices on the body of Christ, and there was an angel who said to them, “Why look ye for the living among the dead?  For He is not here, for He is risen?

The ladies ran quickly back to the Upper Room to tell the disciples.  The Peter and John ran to the tomb and as they went inside, they found something very unusual.  That napkin, that was laid on the Face of Jesus, it wasn’t thrown over to the side, but it was neatly folded. 

Now, to understand the significance of that, you have to understand something about their culture.  You see, this had to do with the Servant and the Master.  Whenever a servant would set the table, they would place a napkin neatly by the plate, so the master could wipe their hands or face while they were eating.  The servant would then go somewhere out of sight, but where he had a view of the table, so they could quickly clear the table when the Master was finished.  Now, if the Master ate his meal, then took that napkin and wiped his hands and face, then crumbled it up and placed it on the table, then got up to leave, that meant he was finished, and the servant could clear the table.

However, if the Master got up from the table and wiped his hands or face, then folded the napkin and placed it on the table.  The servant wouldn’t dare touch the table.  Because the folded napkin meant “I’m not finished yet – I’m coming back!”

So when Peter and John saw that folded napkin, the Spirit of God spoke to their hearts and said, “He’s not finished yet – He’s coming back!”

Can you imagine how Peter’s heart felt seeing that napkin and knowing that he had just denied Christ, not once, not twice, but three times?  I’m sure he asked himself, “Can He ever forgive me?”  Then he saw that napkin and knew “He’s not finished with Grace, and He’s not finished with mercy.  He’s coming back!”

“Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, . . .”

It’s Good Because of  the death of Christ and It’s Good Because of the Resurrection of Christ, but,

BUT IT’S GOD BECAUSE OF THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST

Jesus went back to Heaven, sat down at the right hand of God the Father, and there – He intercedes for you and for me!

I don’t know about you, but I can say that for Joe Moore, I still stumble and fall at times.  And every time I do, I can see the devil going to God the Father saying, “Look at ole Joe fall AGAIN.  He doesn’t deserve Your love, and he doesn’t deserve Your grace.  He doesn’t deserve Your mercy.”

And I’ll tell you folks, if I had to stand on my own merit, I’d be in a world of trouble.  But thank God this morning that I have and Advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the Righteous.  And every time I stumble, and every time I fall, and every time I come up short, Jesus steps in and says, “Dad, I took care of that!”

• Every time I go to Him and say, “Lord, I failed you again.”  He says, “I Know.”
• “Lord, will you forgive me?”  He says, “I did.”

There is a story in the Bible about Onesimus.  Onesimus was a slave of Philemon.  Onesimus ran away from his master, and sometime later, while he was on his journey, Onesimus cross paths with the Apostle Paul.  Onesimus got Saved.  Later, Paul was sending him to Philemon, and he wrote and said something along these lines:

“Philemon, I’m sending some people to you.  But Philemon, when you receive them, I want you to receive them as if you were receiving me.  If you’re my co-laborer, receive them like you would me.  Give them the respect you’ve given me.  Don’t be mad at him, and if he owes you anything – put that on my account!”

Now, let’s bring that over into the spiritual realm.  And I can see Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession for Joe, and I imagine Him saying something like this:

“Father – DAD – I know he ain’t much.  I know he’s done you wrong.  But when he comes to You, I ask you to receive him as if you were receiving Me.  Dad, I paid for his sins.  If he owes you anything – put that on my account!

“Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession FOR US.”

CONCLUSION:  Let me conclude with this thought.  Isaiah 61:10 begins by saying, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness . . .”

• Maybe you and I can’t rejoice over our circumstances – But we can “GREATLY Rejoice in the LORD.”
• Maybe we can’t rejoice over failed relationships, or failed partnerships, or failed business attempts, but, we can “Greatly rejoice in the LORD.”
• Maybe we can’t rejoice over some of the decisions we’ve made in life, but we can “GREATLY Rejoice in the LORD.”

Isaiah is saying here, “I will greatly rejoice.”  He was saying, “From the depths of my soul I will rejoice.”  “MY joy shall be in my God.”

• “Down in the depths of my soul, I’m gonna rejoice that I’m a Child of the King!”
• “Down in the depths of my soul, I’m gonna rejoice that I have a place at the King’s table.”
• “Down in the depths of my soul, I’m gonna rejoice that my name’s written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
• “Down in the depths of my soul, I’m gonna rejoice that I’ve been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb!”