truths about the cross

7/28/2019 Truths About the Cross

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THREE MAJOR TRUTHS ABOUT BEING

HUNG ON THE TREE(CROSS)1. PAIN, TORTURE AND DEATH

(HELL ON EARTH)John 19:31-37

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, andthe next day was to be a special Sabbath.

CRIMINALS were used to hunged on the cross

for 3 or more days . It depends on thecriminal if he still alive or not devoured byany carnivorous animals.


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2. SHAME

Because the Jews did not want the bodies left onthe crosses during the Sabbath.

During that time it was a raised Cross,that everyone who passed by couldsee and stare at the persons hung.

Prophecies fullfilled :John 19:37

37 and the other Scripture that reads,"They will stare at the one theypierced.


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3. CURSEDDEUTERONOMY 21:23

CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO

IS HUNG ON A TREE..


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I. Jesus Could Have Avoided

the Cross but He Did Not

A. He had the power to avoid it.

1.He explicitly stated so in John 10:18: "No man

taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down ofmyself. I have power to lay it down, and I have

power to take it again. . . ."

If you had this kind of powerwould you ever voluntarily die?


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B. If He had avoided it, He would

not have realized the verypurpose of His incarnation.

John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwellingamong us.

Why? Because blood is in the flesh andwithout the shedding of blood there canbe no remission of sin (Heb 9:22).


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People do not come into theworld merely to live, for that isno better than being an animal.

We also have "spirit" in additionto a soul and body.

To fail to accomplish thepurpose for which God destined

us, is to miss the real joy of life.


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Can you imagine Christianitywithout the cross and theconsequent resurrection? It

would be only one of many

religions. It would not be the

transforming "power of God unto

salvation" (Rom 1:16).


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II. Jesus Spoke about the

Necessity of the CrossA. The little word "must" in Matt 16:21;

Mark 8:31, and Luke 9:22 is arresting. InGreek it is the impersonal deiwhich

means "it is necessary.

He did not die because the situation

was unavoidable.


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It was necessary thatHe die because this was

how He would redeemus and bring us into

fellowship with God. Itwas the "must" of duty.


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III. He Made His

Announcement Only after

Peter's Great Confession about

His Being the ChristA. He was recognized as the divinely

anointed of God.

B. As a mere man He would not havedied while He had the power to live.


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C. As people indwelt by God and

participants in the divine nature (2

Peter 1:4), we choose duty before life,

the cross before pleasure and

enjoyment of this world. If we are notcharacterized by this divine nature, we

are none of His. This is clearly stated in

Mark 8:34, "Whosoever will come afterme, let him deny himself, and take up

his cross, and follow me."


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D. Those who believe thatthey can bypass the cross are nottruly Christ's. Jesus called Peter

"Satan" because he rebukedJesus for not escaping death

although He possessed the

power to do so (Matt 16:22,23).


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IV. There Were No Short-

Cuts to Success

A. The first one to suggest success andachievement without the cross was Satanhimself.

B. Jesus objected to the miracles Satan wantedHim to perform. Satan suggested that Jesusshould change useless stones into useful loavesof bread (Matt 4:3).

C. We should watch out for those who havefollowed Satan's suggestion to perform"miracles" and have not "taken up their crosses"

to follow Jesus


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D. Satan wanted Jesus to acquire instant

fame and he quoted Scripture to

persuade Him to do so. Satan suggested

that God would perform a miracle ifJesus would only cast Himself from the

pinnacle of the temple.

h d h ill i


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V. He Who Had the Will to Die

on the Cross Had the Power to

Rise from the Dead

A. No other person on earth has ever

said what Jesus said and accomplished

it: "The Son of man must suffer many

things, and be rejected of the elders and

of the chief priests, and scribes, and be

killed, and after three days rise again"

(Mark 8:31).


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B. Would the world be better had

He chosen to live on, escapedeath and not exercise His

power to rise from the dead?


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NO CROSS- NO DEATHNO DEATH- NO RESURRECTION

NO RESURRECTION- NO GLORY


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C. As in His case, so in

everyone He indwells:". . . to live is Christ,

and to die is gain"Phil 1:21

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