Good Friday: At The Cross - Archie Callahan

0.000000 8.400000 Welcome to Good Friday at Bridge Church. It is so good to see you, amen. Why

8.400000 13.920000 do we call it Good Friday because it was good for you and I. It wasn't good for

13.920000 19.080000 Jesus but it was good for you and I and we're here today because of Good Friday.

19.080000 22.480000 I want you to take out your Bibles and I want you to turn to we're going to look

22.480000 26.840000 at the Gospel of Luke and we're going to look at chapter 23. We're going to look

26.840000 31.480000 at verses 32, 33, 35 and I want to speak on a subject just simply called at the

31.480000 40.600000 cross, at the cross. I'm going to read these verses before I preach tonight says

40.600000 47.000000 two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When

47.000000 54.080000 they came to the place called the skull, they crucified him there. That's very

54.080000 59.600000 important. They crucified him there. That place is important in human history

59.600000 65.720000 along with the criminals one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said

65.720000 71.400000 father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing and they divided

71.400000 78.160000 up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching. Notice the people.

78.160000 85.220000 They're just standing there watching and the rulers even sneered at him. They

85.220000 93.480000 said he saved others. Let him save himself if he is God's Messiah. The chosen one.

93.480000 103.200000 The 1700s Isaac Watts pinned the words to at the cross, at the cross, at the

103.200000 112.320000 cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my sin was rolled away. The

112.320000 117.760000 burden of my sin, the burden of my heart. It was there by faith that I received my

117.760000 126.200000 sight and now I'm happy all the day. Those words are just as pertinent today as

126.200000 132.400000 they were in the 1700s when they were pinned by Isaac. See the cross is the

132.400000 139.600000 place where our worst met God's best. I want you to think about that. The cross is the

139.600000 146.680000 place where our worst met God's best. When we think about the cross we often think

146.680000 153.000000 about the cross as being some kind of little emblem on a chain that we wear. We

153.000000 157.280000 think about the cross at the top of a steeple at a church. We think that the cross

157.280000 161.800000 is a little trinket that we put on a shelf at home or where we see in our

161.800000 167.800000 parents' house a cross on the wall. But the cross is much more than an emblem. It's

167.800000 174.140000 much more than a trinket. It's much more than just a symbol. Paul said in 1 Corinthians

174.140000 179.960000 chapter 1 verse 18, "The message of the cross to them that are perishing is foolishness, but

179.960000 187.180000 to us who are being saved is a power of God." So Paul defines the cross not as an

187.180000 193.700000 emblem, not as a symbol, not as some trinket that we have in our homes. He defines the

193.700000 201.500000 cross as a message. It is a message that comes in the middle of our mess and transforms

201.500000 206.820000 our lives. Our lives can be transformed by the message of the cross to those who are

206.820000 212.860000 perishing, it's foolishness. But to us who are being saved we have experienced the salvation

212.860000 218.640000 that comes through the sacrifice and through the lamb that was shed on that cross. So at

218.640000 225.500000 the cross is where we first see the light. The light is so important. Let me tell you something

225.500000 233.780000 about light. Over in Genesis chapter 1 it says this, God said it, let there be light. You

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

233.780000 239.380000 know what light is? Wasn't talking about just natural light. And the Bible light is a metaphor

239.380000 244.660000 for knowledge. It's a metaphor for revelation. And tonight I believe God's going to give

244.660000 251.420000 us some light on the subject of the cross. The cross is so powerful. When you look at the

251.420000 257.500000 New Testament and the New Testament from Matthew all the way to Revelation, the cross has

257.500000 264.940000 mentioned some 25 to 28 times, dependent upon the translation that you read. The cross

264.940000 272.740000 is a powerful symbol that spans the last 2,000 years of human history. Yeah, sure many people

272.740000 281.900000 died on the cross. Many people suffered at the hands of the Roman government on a cross.

281.900000 288.460000 But the cross for you and I is something that has made a difference. It made a difference

288.460000 295.660000 because Jesus' cross was different. His cross was unique. His cross was totally different

295.660000 302.820000 than the thousands, tens of thousands of people that died on the cross. His cross was different

302.820000 313.860000 because of who he was. He was the sinless, spotless lamb of God. That's who he was. So as

313.860000 320.740000 we look at the cross today, I want to give you three things that happen at the cross. Three

320.740000 328.100000 things that shape our perspective of the cross. Three things that become serious when we look

328.100000 333.620000 at the cross. Number one, the thing that we see at the cross is the seriousness of sin

333.620000 343.620000 was revealed. Say what is sin? Sin is actually missing the mark, not living up to the

343.620000 355.060000 moral code or standard of God. Anybody in here, have you broken the 613 laws of Moses? Did anybody

355.060000 363.140000 break the speed limit getting here? See, we all have something in common. We have sin in common.

363.140000 375.620000 Sin, some commentators believe, separate it, mankind from God. However, God had a remedy for

375.620000 384.020000 that sin. That sin that separated us from God. He sent his one and only son so that we could

384.020000 393.700000 exchange our sin for his righteousness. Luke 23, 33 says they crucified him. They crucified

393.700000 404.260000 Jesus. They who were, who were they that crucified him? Well, it was pilot. He handed Jesus over to

406.020000 414.100000 Herod, Herod like a hot potato through Jesus back to Pilate. They didn't want anything to do with

414.100000 421.140000 Jesus. But when you read the gospel writings of this account, you began to understand even

421.140000 429.940000 when Jesus was put on trial, he was reconciling men to each other because Pilate and Herod were

429.940000 441.860000 enemies by the time they get through with Jesus, their friends. So Pilate and Herod crucified Jesus,

441.860000 453.140000 the Jewish leaders crucified Jesus. The priest in the scribes, the crowd crucified Jesus. You

453.140000 459.620000 think about that. The crowd that was there that was sneering and yelling at Jesus and those

459.620000 465.380000 were the same people on Palm Sunday that were worshiping him. Those were the same people that were

465.380000 471.940000 laying branches and cloaks down on the ground and thinking Jesus was going to come into Rome and

471.940000 478.740000 upset the political government of that day and rule and reign as a political king. These were

478.740000 485.700000 the same people that were crying. Hosanna saved us now and now they were shouting crucify him.

486.820000 499.140000 The soldiers crucified Jesus. Did you know sin is missing the mark. Romans 3, 23 says,

499.140000 507.780000 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 6, 23,

509.140000 517.540000 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ."

517.540000 527.780000 Love what Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5 and 6 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was

Isaiah 53:5

527.780000 536.740000 crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him." I want you to think

536.740000 547.540000 about that. The sin of the world was laid on Jesus and by his wounds, what wounds? The wounds

547.540000 554.900000 that were on his back, we are healed. We like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his

554.900000 564.180000 own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us who. Oh, that's what happened.

565.940000 577.940000 Six hours one Friday from nine o'clock for three o'clock. The sin of the world was laid on Jesus. So the

577.940000 586.740000 cross that we wear around our neck, the cross that we get tattooed on our forearm, the cross that

586.740000 595.300000 has become a trinket, it really shows us the seriousness of sin and how God had to deal

596.020000 604.260000 with the dysfunction of all humanity and he was willing to give his son for you and I. Secondly,

604.260000 611.620000 it shows us that the heart of God was displayed on that cross. That God's heart was displayed there

611.620000 620.420000 and Jesus suffering where on the cross. Jesus bleeding on the cross. Jesus, they are hanging

622.100000 629.380000 between two thieves, common criminals. When I think about those criminals, often times we think one

629.380000 637.380000 guy was a great criminal because he reached out to Jesus and the other guy was a bad criminal because

637.380000 645.940000 he just tore into Jesus. But if you read the gospel writers, both of them tore into Jesus. Both of them

645.940000 655.860000 criticized Jesus. Both of them lashed out at Jesus. But I believe the fella that kept looking at Jesus,

655.860000 664.740000 kept observing Jesus, kept pondering Jesus, kept wondering about Jesus while he was hanging with Jesus,

664.740000 672.580000 those six hours got closer to Jesus. And by the end of the day, Jesus tells him, today you will be with

672.580000 679.540000 me in paradise. It doesn't matter where you're at today. You might feel like a criminal sitting beside

679.540000 685.860000 Jesus or hanging beside Jesus. All you have to do is reach out to him. He is a friend that sticks

685.860000 692.580000 closer than a brother. Amen. He reaches out to you. He goes after you and they're hanging between

692.580000 702.500000 two thieves. Jesus speaks to him kindly and says today you're going to be with me in paradise.

702.500000 708.580000 The thing says, just remember me, Lord. You know, he was calling Jesus all kind of things at the

708.580000 717.220000 beginning. By the end, he calls him Lord. He says, remember me, Lord. Remember me, Jesus. And he was

717.220000 728.500000 remembered. When you think about that cross, saying Augustine said this, that it was the worst kind of

728.500000 739.380000 death, to be crucified, those that were crucified by the roaming government were often beat

739.380000 747.300000 with lashes and whips and brutally beat before they were ever nailed to a cross.

747.300000 756.500000 They would often die of suffocation. The way their body would put pressure on the lungs and they

756.500000 762.500000 didn't die because of the sun. They didn't die because they eventually just killed them there on

762.500000 768.980000 the cross with a sword. They died because they could not breathe and eventually sometimes even their

768.980000 778.500000 heart would burst and they would go into cardiac arrest because of the weight of their being on

779.540000 786.660000 their lungs and their heart. It was the worst kind of death. It was a brutal death. The Romans were not

786.660000 795.060000 the first to ever use the cross. They borrowed it from the ancient Phoenicians and they perfected it.

795.060000 808.980000 The word cross in the Bible simply means a stake, one pole. But in the first century, the Romans

809.380000 815.860000 put the crossbeam and they began to hang people on that crossbeam with that stake.

815.860000 828.260000 And Jesus there before all of humanity, naked, helpless, died for you and I. And often times we say,

828.260000 836.340000 "Well, Pilate killed him, Herod killed him, the priests and the scribes killed him, the crowd

836.340000 841.620000 crucified him, the soldiers killed him." But Jesus simply said, "No man takes my life."

841.620000 849.940000 I give it. I lay it down. Jesus could have called the legion of angels to come after him.

849.940000 856.180000 But in the Garden of Gethsemane, he submitted to the will of the Father. He said, "Not my will,

856.180000 863.620000 but your will be done, Lord. Your will be done there on that cross." And he submitted to the will

864.260000 874.340000 of God. And while the crowd and the priests and the scribes and even the soldiers were mocking him,

874.340000 883.540000 notice what Jesus said, "Father, forgive them." Father, forgive them.

887.140000 897.060000 If Jesus can forgive people that are killing him and crucifying him, laughing at him,

897.060000 905.060000 mocking him, sneering at him, even the ones that beat him and even the disciples that deserted him,

906.500000 918.340000 how much more looking back 2,000 years ago in retrospect, how much more should we have the ability

918.340000 928.420000 to forgive the people around us? Oftentimes, we think forgiveness is an event. Forgiveness is a

928.420000 936.980000 lifestyle that I walk in the grace of God and I extend, extend grace of other people.

936.980000 946.420000 It was at the cross that the love of God was displayed. Romans 5, 8, while we were yet sinners,

946.420000 957.220000 God demonstrated his love toward us at the cross. John 3, 16, "For God so loved what the world

958.100000 965.140000 that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life."

965.140000 975.940000 1 John 4, 10, "shows us that love is a great sacrifice." And Jesus was willing to give his life.

977.700000 988.100000 All of us can remember if you're old enough, 9/11, those planes drilled into the twin towers

988.100000 995.860000 in New York. And horror, we watched it. Firemen ran down to the buildings,

995.860000 1004.500000 thousands perished that day. Whether in those buildings, on other planes, they perished.

1006.900000 1017.140000 But when those buildings came down, something magnificent happened and that pile of rubble

1017.140000 1029.700000 in the midst of the smoke and the stench, there was a cross. Two beams welded together.

1031.460000 1039.300000 One firemen noticed it and began to pull the rubble out from around it and it became a symbol of hope.

1039.300000 1046.100000 It became a symbol of that even in the darkest moments of times, God will give you revelation. He

1046.100000 1053.380000 will give you light. He will give you hope. Even in dismay, God will give you hope. And now that cross

1054.980000 1064.420000 is in the September 11th National Museum in New York, still giving hope. Can I ask you this,

1064.420000 1071.460000 when you look at the cross, what do you see? Do you just see a religious symbol and disconnect it

1071.460000 1080.580000 from any reality? Or do you see Jesus who is the Lamb of God that was put on that cross?

1082.100000 1088.740000 Number three, the response of the people was demanded. You know, when you look at the cross and when

1088.740000 1097.220000 you come to the cross, there has to be a response. When you look at the people, they responded to the

1097.220000 1108.820000 cross because everyone responds to the cross. If you look at Luke 23, 47 through 49, the centurion

1108.820000 1120.340000 believes, he says, "This man was a righteous man." He believed in Jesus. He called him Lord.

1120.340000 1131.300000 At that moment, he knew he had crucified an innocent man. He believed the crowd watches.

1133.380000 1144.260000 In fact, it says they beat their breasts and ran. That's a symbol of grief. It's a symbol of sorrow.

1144.260000 1151.620000 It's a symbol of repentance. They knew they had done the wrong thing. Why? Because at 12 o'clock,

1151.620000 1161.140000 it got completely dark. The sun did not shine. They knew something was going on. The followers mourned.

1162.660000 1171.860000 Can you imagine, Mary, the women who followed Jesus all the way from Galilee, the disciples at that

1171.860000 1181.860000 cross, they're mourning, they're grieving. See, Jesus's cross is different and because it's different,

1181.860000 1189.140000 it made a difference. It makes a difference who all who come to it and receive the free gift of

1189.140000 1195.780000 salvation and the sacrifice that Jesus gave on that cross. When I'm talking about the cross,

1195.780000 1202.820000 I'm not talking about two beams. I'm talking about what Jesus did at the cross. Many people died on

1202.820000 1211.860000 crosses. Thousands, tens of thousands of people died at the hands of the Roman government. But only

1211.860000 1223.060000 Jesus was the son of God. Only Jesus was endless. Only Jesus could redeem all mankind. When you come

1223.060000 1231.380000 to the cross, you can walk it, you can ignore it or trust it, but you cannot escape it. You cannot

1231.380000 1240.500000 escape the cross. This world cannot escape the cross. This world pushes at the cross. It turns,

1240.500000 1245.860000 it's cheek at the cross and tries to deny what happened two thousand years ago.

1245.860000 1257.300000 But don't just stand near the cross, gaze at the cross, peer at the cross, or despise the cross,

1257.300000 1266.420000 or reject the cross, come to the cross. It's when you come to the cross. It's when you come

1266.420000 1277.700000 and you bow your knee to Jesus so that that moment, the burden of your sin is rolled totally away.

1277.700000 1288.180000 It's gone because the message of the cross to those who are perishing is foolishness.

1289.140000 1298.100000 But to those that are being saved is the power of God unto salvation. When does the cross cease being

1298.100000 1307.620000 foolish? It ceases to be foolish when I receive the free gift of salvation. And God opens my eyes

1307.620000 1316.180000 and transforms my life by His grace. Amen. That's when it's no longer foolish, but it's the power

1316.180000 1324.020000 of God unto salvation. And we can never get away from the cross. We can never get away from the

1324.020000 1331.220000 blood of Jesus. I know liberal feeologians throw the cross away. They throw the sacrifice away.

1331.220000 1336.900000 They throw the blood away, but the Hebrew writer says without the shedding of blood, there is no

1336.900000 1349.940000 remission of sin. Jesus shed His blood for you and I. Fat Colossians 1 verse 13 and 14 says this,

Colossians 1:13

1349.940000 1356.900000 that He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves

1356.900000 1365.700000 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin. My son was about five or six years old,

1366.580000 1371.540000 putting him to bed. Most kids when you put them to bed, yes, what they want to do. They want to keep

1371.540000 1378.980000 talking. They'll ask questions. Even my grandson, who's two years old, he'll be saying his prayers,

1378.980000 1385.540000 and he'll call out every name in that he knows in the church. What's he doing? He doesn't want to

1385.540000 1392.820000 go to sleep. He's calling out names of people he doesn't even know. As long as he calls out pop, pop,

1392.820000 1401.460000 I'm okay with it. Amen. But one night I was putting my son to bed, who's now 27. He's got his own son now.

1401.460000 1409.940000 And he asked me this question. He said, "Dad, I know he was stolen, but he got real theological by

1409.940000 1416.500000 night, at five years old, six years old." He says, "Is Jesus's blood like money?"

1418.500000 1432.100000 I said, "Yes, sir. It sure is. It was an exchange. It was the price that Jesus paid for our salvation.

1432.100000 1439.620000 It's just like you're taking a $20 bill into Starbucks. You don't get much,

1442.820000 1449.300000 but you can get something, and that's the exchange, isn't it?" And that's what Jesus did on the cross.

1449.300000 1458.740000 There was a great exchange. Our sin for his righteousness, our pain for his healing, our depression for

1458.740000 1465.140000 his joy. Come on, there's an exchange that takes place, but you can't stand off and just peer at the

1465.140000 1470.260000 cross. You got to come to the cross. You got to come close enough to receive what happened on that

1470.260000 1481.940000 cross that night, that day, come to the cross. We're all in the sins of humanity. We're dealt with

1481.940000 1491.460000 for eternity. It was because of the blood of Jesus. The Bible says this, that he reconciled

1491.460000 1499.460000 everyone the entire world to himself. What does that word reconciled means? What does it mean to

1499.460000 1509.060000 be reconciled? It means harmony came back into the relationship. Can I tell you, God's not mad at anybody.

1509.060000 1519.540000 God's not having a bad day. God is not some angry old man upstairs waiting for you to do bad.

1522.980000 1535.460000 Jesus satisfied God on the cross. You have been reconciled. So what does that mean for you today?

1535.460000 1543.540000 God's not mad. And He offers you salvation. And though a whole entire world has been reconciled to

1543.540000 1554.820000 God through Jesus, not all men are saved because salvation is by grace through faith. I have to come

1554.820000 1565.540000 to Jesus and I have to receive that salvation. I don't deserve it. I can't earn it. It's a free gift.

1566.340000 1576.340000 I just have to receive it. Let's stand. Let's just bow our heads just for a second. We're going to receive

1576.340000 1590.260000 communion. Lord, I just thank You for the cross. Thank You for what it means.

1593.860000 1603.700000 The depth of which, God, we would research throughout the ages and never really scratch the surface

1603.700000 1615.380000 of its meaning. God, I thank You that at the cross a divine exchange took place. Our sin for your righteousness.