Consider the Cross, Part 2

This morning we want to continue our study on the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord. We began last week by talking about the predestination of the cross. That's where we need to begin in eternity past. Now, there was a verse I didn't cover with you last week that I want to cover for you this week. A verse that I think is very important for us to understand: what Jesus Christ did when he died for the sins of the world. It's located in 1 John chapter 2, verse number 2. And I want you to turn there with me for a moment, please.

It says these words very simply. And he him is the propitiation for our sins. And not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. He him is the propitiation. He him is the satisfaction. That is, that the sacrifice of Christ satisfied God's holy justice. In God's wrath against sin. What Jesus Christ did on the cross was satisfy the wrath of God against sin by taking our place at Calvary. And John says very succinctly that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only.

But for the sins of the whole world. Now, that is very important. Why? Because, as we talked about last week, people who have a limited view of the finished work of Christ redefine the word world. They redefine it, meaning the world of the elect or the world of the unbeliever. And they do that with this argument. That is, they go back to verses out of the dealing of salvation, and they go to verses such as Luke chapter 2. And it says, verse number one, that the decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

And they say, well, all the world doesn't necessarily mean everybody in the world. And you know what? They're right. I agree with that. And then they go to a verse like Matthew 10, verse number 22, when it says that you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. And they say that not every man in the world hates you because of your faith. And to that, I would say that's correct. Or they go to a verse like John 12, verse number 19, after Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead. And the Pharisees said of Jesus that the world has gone after him.

And they would say, that doesn't mean everybody in the world went after Jesus. And to that, I would say, you're right. I don't disagree with that. In fact, I agree. With all those interpretations. But here's the problem: Is it scripturally And is it logically, in that order, always true to restrict Every usage of the words all, whosoever, and world in the salvation context. That's the question. You see, if you say that, that means that every time the word world is used, you must say it doesn't mean the entire world.

Everybody who believes in the limited work of Christ on the cross has to conclude with that. The problem with that is that there is no one verse in all the Bible, not one. That says that the work of Christ on the cross was solely and only for the elect before the foundation of the world. Not one. You have to take it literally for what it says. What does the Bible say? So, when John says that He was a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the entire world, what was the actual Saying.

So important to understand that. Why? Listen carefully. The people who use this verse. To pro that Christ was the propitiation for our sins, the believer, and for the sins of the world of believers. Go back to John 11 to prove their point. So, go back with me to John 11. John chapter 11. And there's a conspiracy to kill Christ. And Caiaphas, who was an unbeliever, who was the high priest at the time, would use his words to prophesy. The work of Christ. That's important to understand. Because even God, or God will even use the unbeliever.

To say what he needs to say. List to what happens in Luke, I mean, excuse me, John 11, verse number 47. Therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council and were saying, What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs if we let him go on like this all men will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation But a certain one of them Caiaphas who was the high priest that year said to them you know nothing at all Nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation should not perish.

Caiaphas says, Look. One guy is going to die for the nation so that we all don't have to perish. Jesus Christ will be the sacrificial lamb. Read on. Now, this he did not say on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die. For the nation. And not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. And people will say, well, John wrote 1 John, John wrote the Gospel of John. Take you back to John 11 and show you the same phraseology that he would not only die for the nation.

But he would go beyond that and gather to himself a group of people from all around the world into one. And what Caiaphas said, and what John echoed is true. Because what would Christ do? Christ would marry the Jew and the Gentile together, and they would formulate the church as a result of the death of Jesus Christ our Lord. But here's the problem: there are two words. Or two words used in the text. One for people, one for nation. For people, it's la. For nation, it's ethnos. When ethnos is used, it's a general term referring to a nation of people.

And what John does is he picks up on what Caiaphas says and doesn't use the word Laos, which would be a certain people called out. But uses the word ethnos referring to the nation of Israel. And so John says these words. Now he did not say on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation. Ethnos. Not the Laos, the people, but the Ethnos, the nation. John says that Jesus is going to die for the nation. Who's the nation? Israel. Answer this question.

Did all Israel get saved? No. They didn't. But would he die for them? Yes, he would. So he would die for the nation, the nation of Israel. And by coming to die for the nation of Israel, not only would he do that, he would die for the Gentile world as well. And in doing so, what he would do? He would gather together a people. A people that would one day be called the church of Jesus Christ our Lord, and you can read about it from the book of Acts on. That's so important to understand. You need to understand the language.

You need to understand the context. For example, 1 John 2. 2. For he is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only, John says. We know John's speaking to a Jewish nation. Because John was a writer to the Jews. He is not only the propitiation for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world. Now listen, if John is writing to a Jewish people, they know about a particular day, the day called the day of what? Atonement. The Day of Atonement. Turn back with me to Leviticus chapter 16. And it says this in verse number 15.

Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. And he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins. And thus. He shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their impurities, when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place.

No one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. And for all the assembly of Israel, the high priest on the day of at would go into the Holy of Holies and he would make atonement. For all the people of Israel. It says down in verse number 22: And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land. And he shall release the goat into the wilderness. That was that Azaz, that escape goat, when the high priest would put his bloody hands on the goat and send the goat out into the wilderness to show that the people's sins were.

We're scattered away, we're taken away. It was a symbolic picture pointing to the ultimate sacrifice that would come. But not that atonement was offered for all the people of Israel. But it doesn't mean that all the people of Israel, if they died on that day, would go to heaven. Why? Leviticus 23, 29 says, if there is any person who will not humble himself on the same day, that is the day of at, he shall be cut off from his people. Now listen, the sacrifice was offered. The sacrifice was made for the sins of the people.

But unless I humbly Accepted that sacrifice as pointing to the ultimate sacrifice that would happen at Calvary sometime down the road, and believed in what God was going to do, I would perish in my sins. That's important to understand. Because John, speaking to a Jewish people, would say, He is the propitiation, He is the satisfaction, He has made atonement for our sins. And not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Everybody. Because that's what the finished work of Christ on the cross is all about.

That's why Christ could say with authority, it is. Finished. It's over. It's done. I did what I was designed to do from eternity past. I accomplished my Father's mission. I did my father's will. And so, what you have is a very fact. what 1 John 2. 2 says, what Hebrews 2. says, what 1 Timothy 2.4 -6 says, what 2 Peter 2 verse number 1 says is so true, that Jesus Christ paid the purchase price. For the sins of the entire world. If you believe that, you give your life to Christ, you'll be saved. If you don't believe that, if you don't believe what Jesus Christ did, if you don't accept his payment.

On the cross, then you will pay for your sins in all eternity. Christ came to pay for your sins. If you accept that, you believe that. Than that acceptance of that fact that Jesus Christ did, faith in what Jesus Christ did on Calvary 2,000 years ago. Saves you from your sin. If you don't believe that, then you will pay for your own sins. That's what the Bible teaches. That's what we at Christ Community Church believe. That's what we've always believed. That has never changed from day one. That's who we are.

That's why we preach the gospel. That's why we desire all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. All that's review from last week. Now, to make sure I am able to fill my schedule, we're going to go to point number two: the dec about the cross.

We looked at the predestination of the cross. Now I want you to see the declaration about the cross by Jesus Christ Himself. Mark chapter 8, if you have your Bible. Christ was going along there in Caesarea Philippi, and there were all these statutes of all these great men, these Caesars. And Christ asked that infamous question: who do men say that I am? Well, some say you're Elijah, some say you're Jeremiah, some say you're a prophet. That's the popular opinion, but what's the personal opinion? Who do you say that I am?

And what did Peter say? Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God? And what did Christ say? Oh, blessed are you, Simon Bar, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father who is in heaven. You're right, Peter. You are right on. I am the Son of God. I am the Messiah. You're right. And Christ says this: verse number 30.

He warned them not to tell anyone about him. What? What do you mean? Peter just gives this great confession: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Oh, you're right! You're right, Simon. You got to read Matthew 16 to get the whole account of the picture of Christ's response back to Peter. Then Christ says, sh, don't tell anybody.

What? No. Instead, tell him this. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. And be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he was stating the matter plainly, open. This is what you tell them. Tell them that the Son of Man must suffer. It speaks of the necessity of the cross. You see, Christ would come and declare the necessity of the cross, he must suffer. And Peter had a problem with that. He would take Christ aside and he would rebuke the Lord.

Can you imagine rebuking Christ him? Peter would do that. And what did Christ say to Peter? Get thee behind me, Satan. How could Peter, that great apostle, be called Satan by Christ? Listen, anybody. Believer or unbeliever can be used of Satan to detract a person from the ultimate mission that God has called them to do un. That's unto Peter. He was thinking on a human level. And Satan would use that in Peter's life. To try to brain cry, you don't have to do that, Lord. That's not what it's about.

You see, the Jewish people had a wrong conception of the Messiah, that he would be this great military leader that would come in and overthrow the Roman government and lead the storm on Jerusalem, and they would ride into the The sunset as Christ the Messiah would set up his kingdom. But the Son of Man came to suffer. That's the necessity of the cross. Turn to Mark chapter 9. It speaks of the certainty of the cross. It says, and From there, verse number 30, they went out and began to go through Galilee, and he was unwilling for anyone to know about it, for he was teaching his disciples and telling them the Son of Man is.

To be delivered. That's a certainty of the cross. We spoke of the necessity he must suffer. Now he is to be delivered. That is a certainty of the cross into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he has been killed, he will rise three days later. But they Did not understand this statement and they were afraid to ask him. I mean, they were afraid to go any further with this. I mean, they saw what Peter did last time in Mark chapter 8, and he rebuked the Lord, and the Lord put Peter back in his place.

Now they're afraid to ask him. He first gave the declaration about the necessity of the cross, and now he says it is a certain element.

It is going to happen. It is a fact. It is a certainty. The Son of Man is to be delivered. And then you move to what? The brutality of the cross. Mark chapter 10. 1 Simmons 32. And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them, and they were amazed. And those who followed him were fearful. And again, he took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to them. Him, excuse me, saying, Behold. We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will deliver him to the Gentiles.

And they will mock him, they will spit upon him and scourge him and kill him. Him and three days later rise again. It speaks of the brutality of the cross. This is what they're going to do to me. They're going to spit in my face. They're going to mock me. They're going to beat me. This is the brutality of the cross. That which was predetermined in eternity past is going to happen shortly. It's going to happen. Because that was a plan of God. And so you begin to understand not only Not only the necessity of the cross, the certainty of the cross, the brutality of the cross, but you know what?

There is the victory of the cross, right? Because each time he said, and the Son of Man will rise again. They didn't hear that, they missed that point. You know, it's like people, they come to church and they hear a sermon and they camp out on one thing, right? And they leave, but they don't hear the whole sermon. They missed a point. Th are the disciples. They heard the sermon, but they missed a very important point of the sermon: the victory of the cross. Oh, they were fearful because of the brutality of the cross.

They were afraid to ask him because of the certainty of the cross, because he has spoken of the necessity of the cross. What are they going to do? They didn't hear of the victory of the cross, that there was victory in it. That the Son of Man will rise again the third day.

They missed it? They can't miss that. You can't miss it. Why? Because it leads us to our fourth point, and that is the essentiality of the cross. That's a good word, isn't it? Essentiality. It's essential. It's essential for you and for me. Listen to this over in Luke chapter 9. It says this, verse number 23. And he was saying to them all: If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take of his cross daily and follow me. You see, Christ would preach about the cross. Because he was actually going to be put on a cross.

But within the message of the cross was something that was extremely essential for everybody you heard to understand. And that is, if you want to be a follower of mine, you are going to have to deny yourself and you too are going to have to take up your cross and follow me. He says it again over in Luke chapter 14. When he says these words, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Verse number 27 of Luke chapter 14. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot. Be my disciple. Again, there's the cross thing. It is essential to living the Christ life. The cross life is the Christ life, and that life leads to victory. Victory for you. Victory for me. That's why in Hebrews 2 it speaks about how the Son of Man Gained victory over that which feared man. Death, right? The fear of death. Listen, the great victory of the cross is that I don't fear death, I'm not afraid to die.

Who cares if I die? I don't care. Do you? No, you don't care. Who cares if I die? I don care. I'm not afraid to die. Why? Because God I think that you're all away. Because of his resurrection. Hebrews 2 tells us that. Verse number 14. What's it say? It says, since then, The children share in flesh and blood, he him likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might deliver those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives.

No more fear of death. Why? Because of the resurrection of Christ. That's the victory of the cross. I don't fear death. I look forward to the day where I die, it be gained for me. So Paul said, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is what? It is gain. It's victory because you get to go home and be with Jesus. What greater place in all the world to be than with Jesus, right? And over in Titus chapter 2, verse number 14, he gave him for us. That he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

You see, Christ has made us zealous for good deeds. He's made us excited about serving Him. You see, that's how you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Because you're excited about doing the work of God. He redeemed us so that he would have a people that were extremely excited about doing his kind of work. That's what Christianity is. That's the victory of the cross. That's why it's so great, so exciting. Because Jesus fuels us. For the ministry that He's entrusted to us.