The Inevitable Cross

(#8, ???)

 Read John 3:14-15.

The Cross is the central theme in Scripture.

ƒ    The first prophecy in all the Bible, Gen. 3:15, points to the cross.

ƒ    The Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the cross.

ƒ    When Abraham offered up Isaac he was telling of God's only begotten Son who was to be offered up on the Cross.

ƒ    When Isaiah wrote the 53rd chapter he was picturing the Cross.

ƒ    Practically all of Paul's Epistles point to the Cross in their teachings.

ƒ    When Peter said, 'Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree' He was referring to the Cross.

The Inevitable Cross.

The conflict of the ages has been to keep Christ from the Cross.  Just in the short period of Jesus' earthly life...

    1.  Herod tried to kill Christ before the Cross by killing all the babies.

    2.  Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness to become King without the Cross.

    3.  The mob in the Synagogue sought to stone Him (John 8:59).

    4.  Again, the mob sought to stone Him (John 10:31).

    5.  The crowd sought to cast Him over a cliff (Luke 4:29).

    6.  Peter wanted to keep Him from the Cross (Mt. 16:22).

    7.  Ed. note: Satan again tempted Jesus away from the Cross in the Garden of Gethsemanae.

    8.  The people urged Jesus to "save himself", to come down from the Cross (Mt 27:40-43).

The reason for the inevitable Cross.

Jesus MUST be lifted up so as...

w   To do God's will.

w   To manifest God's love.

w   To put away sin. (Heb. 9:26)

Jesus was lifted up that we might be drawn to Him.