Encounters with Jesus
At the Cross
March 28-29, 2015
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John 19:23-37
What a great truth proclaimed in that song. About a year ago as a
church we started partnering with an organization called IJM. What
IJM does is pretty unique and incredible…
We chose to partner with them specifically in Ghana a small
country in West Africa where young boys were being forced into
slavery to fish on lake Volta. The head of that operation is a man
from Flagstaff, so the partnership made a lot of sense for a lot of
reasons. Kaign and his wife Jean have been in Ghana since last
August and this past week the first rescue operation was
undertaken. 10 boys were rescued from slavery. Here is a picture
of them with new clothes on, eating snacks as they begin the
journey toward healing and freedom. If you go to our website,
Facebook, or Twitter you can find a copy of the story! I want to
start tonight by thanking God for the success of this operation.
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At the beginning of this series of weekends, Encounters with Jesus.
Pastor Jim challenged us to read 1 chapter in the book of John
each day. I hope you have been doing so, if not grab a book mark
and start. If you were on schedule yesterday you read this:
John 12:32-33 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to
myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.1
This week is called Holy Week, because it is the week that leads
up to Easter. In the Gospels, the accounts of Jesus’ life on earth,
much more attention is paid to this last week of Jesus’ life, starting
with what we know as Palm Sunday. The day that Jesus road into
Jerusalem on a donkey while his followers proclaimed that he was
sent here directly from God!
In John 12 Jesus indicates that he will die and that in that death
he will “draw all people to himself” In John 19 we have the account
by an eyewitness of Jesus being crucified…
John 19:23-27
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When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four
shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was
seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
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“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get
it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.
1
The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 12:32–33). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple
whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and
to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into
his home. 2
We all end up at the foot of the Cross
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Jesus died on a Roman Cross- at some point in your life you will end up there. In
the reality of God and his perspective we are there right now. God lives outside of
time so the cross is as right now as it was that first Good Friday for those at the
foot of it. God is there, Jesus is there hanging on his way to death. We are there as
well.
We all end up at the foot of the Cross. The question is truly, at the moment you
realize you are at the foot of the cross, what will your reaction be? When you and I
are reminded that this Holy Week we are at the foot of a cross will we in our
busyness pass it right by to get to Easter, oh Easter- the Ham, the Easter Eggs, the
hiding eggs, the finding of Eggs. The dresses, the trip to a relatives house, heck
even one church in Phoenix rented a football stadium to celebrate Easter…Easter is
awesome. But let’s not miss on the Encounter of the Cross- it’s not just an
Encounter for those who were eye-witnesses to the sacrifice of the final Passover
Lamb, Jesus himself.
When we get to the cross what are our motives?
Crucifixion was for this squad of soldiers a business enterprise. Dividing the
clothes was a matter of sharing the basic garments, undoubtedly like sandals, a
belt, and perhaps a head scarf, and so forth. But the seamless tunic (chitōn) caught
their attention, and they agreed that rather than ripping it into four pieces, they
could enjoy a game of chance and see who could win the prize by challenging each
other in “casting lots.”3
2
The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 19:23–27). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
3
Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B, p. 267). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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Are you and I in some ways coming over and over again to a foot
of the Cross and asking Jesus to meet our needs, to give us
something we desire or deserve?
Are we in very subtle ways looking to profit from the death of
Jesus?
Is the crucifixion our meal ticket to cheap grace, religious
superiority, to a prosperity gospel, to remove my guilt?
I often find myself coming to the Cross for what I want Jesus to do
for me.
Are we like the soldiers or are we like Mary?
Look back at John 19:25, besides the soldiers, we see a group of
Jesus’ followers there at the cross.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple
whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and
to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into
his home.
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While you and I are at the cross looking to gain from Jesus, his
main concern is for his mother. How human of him. How
compassionate. Crucifixion is most painful way we have figured out
how to execute each other. In the midst of that pain, in the midst
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of all that led up to the cross, Jesus fulfills the very cultural
responsibility to take care of his mother. He tells her that John will
be his replacement as care taker.
The comparison between Jesus and the Soldiers could not be any
more stark. The comparison between the Soldiers and Mary could
not be any more stark either. They came to the cross to profit and
she came to cross to grieve and in her grieve the Son of God met
all her needs.
Her need to forgiveness, her need for the Holy Spirit, her need for
a personal connection to God the Father. Her need for Grace. Her
need for a son to take care of her. Her need for a home.
We need forgiveness, we need grace, we need our guilt
removed…but do I come to profit or to receive?
We all end up at the foot of the cross- will you and I approach it
like soldiers or like Mary?
John 19:28-37
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Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture
would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so
they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted
it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With
that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
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Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath.
Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the
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Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The
soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified
with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found
that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers
pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The
man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells
the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so
that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and,
as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” 4
The evidence of the Cross is that God cares for you.
The miracles and story of the Gospels tell us that he cares for us.
This whole thing is based upon the idea that God cares for you.
That is the point of the cross. WE don’t have to come to the cross
looking to profit from Jesus’ like a bunch of soldiers gambling on
his underwear. We are his precious children that cares for as much
as he cared for his own mother!
Next Steps
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The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 19:28–37). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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Quit doubting the evidence
John 20:30–31 (NIV) The Purpose of John’s Gospel
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Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
If you are ready to stop the doubt, either the doubt that Jesus
really did the things recorded here or whether or not that God
cares for you. If you are ready to quit your doubt, to trust that
small still voice in your heart that says, “the truest thing you’ve ever
heard is that God cares for you.” If that is you, here is what I want
you to do: take out your bulletin and write your contact info on it
and then write Quit the Doubt. Your NH pastor will call you and set
up a time to talk.
Give testimony to your Encounter with Jesus!
John says, that he was the witness to these events. He saw water and blood flow
out of the side of Jesus. He saw the crucifixion, he saw Easter, and he took Jesus’
mother into his home as his own mother.
He gave testimony to his Encounter with Jesus.
Will you do the same? Invite cards so that you can bring someone with you next
weekend.
Evaluate your motives when you encounter Jesus
Are you and I here like the soldiers or like Mary. Trying to profit or
to simply receive what Jesus has for us?
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Communion, is a time of self-evaluation built into the rhythm of our
lives when we attend services here at CCoF. As the ushers come
and serve the elements you’ll find bread and juice, take them and
hold onto them, Steve will you come and provide a little background
music…We can together take a few moments of quiet to evaluate
our motives- we once again find ourselves at the foot of a cross
with the Son of God paying the price for our sin- are we here to
profit from his sacrifice or to receive his free gift?
Use these few moments of quiet to evaluate your motives. I will
pray and we will take these elements together.
Pray for Communion.
Now as we continue in this mindset/atmosphere of prayer, look at
our prayer points for this week.
During this season of Easter God give us the courage to stop doubting the
evidence.
Pray that our Easter Weekend events will Strengthen our relationship with God.
Pray that our friends and neighbors will join us this next weekend!
Close Prayer points time.
Announcements/Offering
As we prepare for our time of offering…Easter insert
Ushers
Back of bulletin- activities for students and kids.
Intro to song By His Wounds…
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