The Redeemer Of The Cross 13
Isa. 53:4-6

A. It’s true that we transgress God’s Law and we need to be forgiven daily of our sins. But there is a right way and a wrong way. One is lasting, the other is only temporary at best.
The right way is to preach the cross. The cross is the message of Jesus and Him crucified.
a. At Calvary we are convicted of our sin as we see Jesus die in our place to pay the penalty for
our sins. There the cross becomes personal. We can no longer be detached from
what took place on that cross 2000 years ago. There we realize that our sins contributed
as much as any other person’s to the horrible suffering and death of God’s Son.
(A) The wrong way to preach the cross is to constantly point out sin without doing so
through the cross of Calvary. Without the cross life becomes futile, useless,
hopeless, meaningless, empty and goes absolutely no where.
A life like that is one constant sinful mistake and failure after another. You finally begin to feel that you’ve made no worthwhile accomplishment in life. All you live for is one selfish, fleshly gratification after another. Addicted to the flesh that grows old, decays and dies with out any self respect or honor.
(a) What’s the use of a life like that? If I’m going to live like I’m just another
sick animal, why try to resist temptation and sin. I try and fail and each
failure seems larger than the last. What’s the use of trying?
We need to understand there is nothing we can do in or of ourselves, to recognize or overcome sin. Without the Cross we are in despair.
That’s why the cross of Christ must be the central motivation in our life. The cross tells us there is hope. Life has meaning and heaven’s home awaits us.
The cross has a message for every human. We are precious, priceless in God’s sight. God cares, Matt. 6:25-34. Jno. 10:3-4, says, “He knows each of us and calls us by name.” Rev. 14:1, tells us, “His name is written on our foreheads.”
Each of us can stand beneath the cross and say, with bold assurance, “He died for me, He is my Savior.” Eph. 3:11?12, says, “We have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” Heb 10:19, tells us, “We have boldness to enter the most holy place (that’s where God is) by the blood of Jesus.” 1 John 4:17, assures us by saying, “In the day of judgment we may have boldness, because as He is, so are we in this world.”
What greater joy, gift could ever be given to you and me? That’s what Jesus did for us on the cross.
As we look at calvary we understand that our sin has been laid on Jesus.
That’s what John the Baptizer was talking about in Jno. 1:29, when he pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”
Those words had deep meaning to the faithful Jew of John’s day. It spoke of the sacrificial Lamb offered on the Temple altar each year. That was when the Jews were commanded in Lev. 16, to observe each year the feast of the Passover. it was called “the day of atonement.”
14 days before, a 1st born lamb that was physically perfect, with out blemish was selected. The High Priest laid hands on the lamb. This symbolized that Israel’s sins had been laid, transferred to this innocent Lamb. It’s throat was cut, it’s blood was shed. It died because of the sins of the people.

A bowl, with that blood, and the High Priest would enter the temple. Go past the holy place with altar of incense, show bread, the minora (7 tiered candle stick) He would part the veil, enter the Most Holy Place with the Ark of the Covenant on which was placed the mercy seat with the two cherubim, and in which rested the 10 commandments, pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod.
Here he stands an arm’s length away from the ark and sprinkles the blood of that slain Passover lamb on the ark of the covenant. Why did he do that?
To remind Israel, innocent blood had been shed because of their sins against God.
The law said, “The soul that sins shall die.” The penalty for sin is death. If another human who is innocent of sin can die for you God will accept that.
Heb. 8-10, Says all these Old Testament sacrifices were types, shadows of the true sacrifice that was yet to come. The physical objects of the Old Testament were symbolic of the real spiritual truths, precepts which would become reality in the coming Messiah. That lamb was the shadow, Messiah was the reality.
They were symbolic of Messiah on whom God would lay all sin. He would be the true Passover Lamb who would give His life as ransom for sin.
2. As we stand beneath the Cross we are reminded that the penalty for sin is death.
(1) Ezek 18:20, tells us, “The soul who sins shall die.” That’s the penalty for sin.
(1) Isa 59:2, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Our only hope for salvation is God, but our sin has separated us from the only One who can help, save us. How can we approach God and plead for forgiveness? And it is a Universal problem. No one, absolutely no one is excluded.
(1) Rom. 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(2) Rom. 14:10?13, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” 2 Cor. 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body.” Don’t lie to yourself you are guilty of sin. 1 Jno. 1:8?10, warns us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
(2) On the Cross Jesus the Passover Lamb of God took our sins on Himself and died.
(1) He paid the penalty so you would not have to. He loved you that much. Are you so cold, loveless, selfish and indifferent that you don’t care enough to respond to that love?
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 02/17/02 am