The Life of On Sunday, April 13 7 pm

The King on His Cross Weekend of April 5/6, 2014

Saul, the King of the Jews 1.The first king of Israel would not have needed a sign over his head, announcing “This is Saul, the King of the Jews.” 2.You would have known him just by looking at him. A.He was a head taller than anyone else; B.He was handsome and good looking; C.Just looking at him you would have said:

Jesus, the King of the Jews 1.But, not so with Jesus. 2.He was not handsome or good looking.  Isaiah 53:2-3 “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him… [He was] like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised.” 3.Jesus was not even recognized by His own people.  John 1:11 “ He came to his own people, but they did not receive him. “

Jesus, the King of the Jews 4.The terrible abuse Jesus endured made Him look so grotesque that He did not even appear human.  Isaiah 52:14 His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness. 5.You and I would have cried loud and long, “Unfair…unfair!” and yet Jesus does not even cry out.  Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.”

Jesus, the King of the Jews 6.So, Jesus needed a sign to identify who He was. 7.He set aside His Kingly might to voluntarily die in weakness and disgrace. 8.Jesus was rich in Heaven, yet for our sakes He became poor, so that we might become rich.

Jesus, the King of the Jews  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:9 “Our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 9.This is what makes the cross of Jesus, as bloody and horrific as it is, so beautiful to us sinners. A.Jesus takes our place, and dies paying the penalty for our sin; B.We receive the forgiveness He earned and the promise of Eternal Life.

The King and His Cross 1.But Jesus did open His mouth a number of times, but not to curse His tormentors, but rather bless those He loved and cared about.

The King and His Cross 2.Jesus spoke to His Father: A.Luke 23:34 reports Jesus saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” B.Jesus cared about those who were crucifying Him and asked for their forgiveness. i.The Romans soldiers, the priests and all the people who cried for His crucifixion; ii.How about you and me? We may not have cried for His crucifixion, but we too are the reason it had to happen.

The King and His Cross 3.Jesus spoke to one of the men being crucified with Him: A.Luke 23:43 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” B.We can only imagine the comfort and hope those word brought this dying man. C.But those words were not spoken only to him, but to everyone of us who are trusting in Jesus and waiting for His Kingdom to come.

The King and His Cross 4.Finally, Jesus spoke to His earthly mother, Mary, to provide for her ongoing care, once this ordeal was over.  John 19:26-27 reports, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple [John] … he said to his mother, "Dear 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.”

The King and His Cross 5.How could Jesus be so concerned about others when He was in so much pain and suffering Himself? A.When you or I are in pain, are we also then more loving toward others? i.Say, you got a terrible tooth ache, are you more considerate toward your spouse or family members then? ii.Say, you got a splitting head-ache and right about that time your neighbor comes over for some help on a project? NOT B.But that’s NOT how Jesus reacted!

The King and His Cross 6.Jesus loved people and us in the midst of His suffering and agony. 7.We can take great comfort from this scene of Jesus on His cross: A.He is shouldering our burden of guilt of all the times we were not very loving, when we were hurting; B.He is carrying all the insults and bitterness we have felt when we reacted with anger and hurt toward people we love;

The King and His Cross 8.And then Jesus said, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 9.From that dead King on His cross, comes a gusher of life-giving water that fills our Baptism font and washes away all our sin. 10.From that dead King on His cross, comes the life-giving blood that fills the chalice here in the Lord’s Supper, that you will drink and cleanses us from all sin.

The King and His Cross 11.The King on His cross, bowed His to give us so much. 12.Now we can lift-up our heads to give Him glory by living for Him.