Christians Together Haslingden 24th November 2017
God’s wisdom is hidden in the cross and revealed to us as we enter into the benefits of Jesus’ passion.
As a result of my encounter with the Holy Spirit, and the cross, he has brought me into a fresh study of the various aspects of the cross:
Isaiah used one of the titles of the Christ, Jesus the ‘Branch’ coming from the root of Jesse’s stump.
The redemption through his dying to sin and its causes
From the curses put on man and the woman after they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Healing at the cross.
Dying to self and for today this reading in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1: 18 – 31
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1: 18
The wisdom of the world sees the death of Jesus on the cross as punishment for wrongdoing, public humiliation, shame, fraud, and a painful death.
The world’s wisdom fails to believe that God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus’ death on the cross and in his resurrection three days later, it is folly. Folly – lack of good sense, madness, stupidity, foolish action, without understanding.
Hidden from worldly view in Jesus’ death on the cross is God’s wisdom. We can only access the cross through faith in Jesus.
Worldly wisdom produces in people both good things and bad things: good things like scientists have discovered how laws work governing the universe nuclear energy was used to enable the Rosetta spaceship it to increase its speed so as not to be pulled by gravity into the orbit of a planet before it reached its destination, it took the 10 years to reach the meteor. The achievement was described as like ‘a fly landing on a speeding bullet’. World health programmes that are beneficial to the poor countries saving thousands of lives, and bad things, nations are spending millions on weapons of destruction and the foolishness of the world’s wisdom in disposing of plastic waste into the sea is causing it to gather together on the surface creating plastic islands on the sea.
Both good and bad aspects are coming from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil .
In Romans 5: 12. “Sin entered into the world through one man and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all had sinned.”
Bob Gordon in his book “The Cross” writes, “When God created man, did he create mankind to be mortal-that is, subject to death? The answer is clearly, no
Jesus himself was not subject to man’s death until he took mankind’s sin into himself, because death is the outcome of sin. Jesus himself was not sinful, therefore, he did not live his life under the threat of death.
Bob continues, “Charles Wesley writes with tremendous spiritual insight when he proclaims the depth of this: ‘Tis mystery all! The immortal dies: who can explore his strange design? In vain the first-born seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine.’”
Clearly Bob has resonated with Charles Wesley the fact that Jesus was immortal in all purity and holiness blameless and without sin, he willingly took our sin in himself and became sin and he paid the penalty of his life laid down, to redeem humanity from sin,.
Romans 8: 11 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give you life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”
Our immortality is in the cross, we enter and dwell in our immortality, we are in the family of God. Set free, no condemnation as sin has no more dominion over us.
“No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine.” Charles Wesley “And can it be.”
Our Point of need –is to see God’s wisdom in his saving power of Jesus on the cross
Prayer – Open my eyes Lord, to what Jesus has done for me on the cross to make me right with God, I’ve done good things and bad things, but I know even if the good outweighs the bad, it won’t make me right with God. I understand that I need to recognise that to be right with God I come to the foot of the cross and say sorry and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. Please forgive me Lord for______________and all the sin that separated me from God. Jesus has died in my place to satisfy your holiness, and now I believe that everything bad thing has been taken from me and I thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name Amen.
In the Church of England Common Prayer Book it says we are blessed with all the benefits of his passion.
On the cross Jesus suffered and bore our suffering. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple , “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19: 25-27
From the cross Jesus spoke to his mother, Mary must have been devastated, in bits and Jesus comforted and counselled her
Mary was deeply hurt and no doubt her sister and John, Mary Magdalene were there supporting Jesus and Mary.
But Jesus wasn’t silent he asked John to become his mother’s son, for Mary to adopt John as her son.
Again in Paul’s letter to the Romans he wrote that Gentiles have been adopted into the family of God, God is our Father. Romans 8: 23.
We are blessed with the Father’s devotion and love towards us as his adopted children. The Holy Spirit working with Father God and Jesus, who only wants the best for us, if we suffer then we can be assured that the Father has allowed it for his reasons and purposes.
Point of need – Through the cross we discover our relationship with God, we are his children.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Fatherly love, you searched for me until you found me and changed my rebellious nature to be like yours, the things that used to pleased me no-longer satisfy my longings, I want only to please you and walk with you. In Jesus Christ my Lord God’s name. Amen
Unity in the Cross
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he wrote that Gentiles had no covenants with God, but in Christ, the cross has united Jew and Gentile as one new man, so making peace and both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
The cross is an integral part of God’s plan to unite Jew and Gentile. The church the body of Christ has been given the task of making Christ known as the Saviour who was promised to the Jews, the Messiah.
( Added afterwards: For centuries the Jews were accused by Christians of killing their Messiah. However, this was part of God’s plan that the Messiah would suffer and be killed on a cross. The Jews acted in ignorance, otherwise they would have not allowed their Messiah to die, they were taught from the law that when the Messiah came he would live for ever. ‘The Messiah’s Secret’)
The Lord gives us his Spirit, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bless other Christians and for us to embrace the lost.
Point of need – The Holy Spirit’s ministry. actively uniting people through the cross.
Prayer
Thank you Jesus, for bringing Gentiles into the New Covenant, so that we are one family in God, It is such a privilege to be part of God’s plan, built upon the faith of people like Abraham and Sarah, the shepherd David and the prophets like Isaiah and Daniel. Thank you for Jesus being the fulfilment of the promises of God The Lord would provide a Saviour and in him all the nations would be blessed. Thank you for the faithfulness of Jesus’ disciples and the early church. Help me to be faithful in my witness . In Jesus’ name.
Mary stood at the cross would remember Simeon’s words. “A sword shall pierce your heart,” it became her experience heartbreak and suffering
As we journey with Jesus we find ourselves suffering, whether it’s in bereavement or when we have been hurt by others, we bring our deep hurts to the cross and know that Jesus cares for us, as he cared for and bore his mother’s suffering. He will lighten our load help us work through them and very often heal through repentance.
When we take up our Cross and lose our earthly life, we enter into these victories and many more that Jesus has given to us, we gain an abundance of life.