The Meaning of the Cross
By Dr. Hal Harless
Foundation Fellowship of Greenville
March 23, 2008
I. Introduction
A. The Romans were experts at crucifixion. After all they had lots of practice.
1. In 4 BC just after King Herod died, there was a popular revolt lead by Judas the Galilean against Herod's son and heir, Archelaus, because of his harsh rule.
2. Since he was a client of Rome, the Roman governor of Syria, Varus, sent two legions of infantry (12,000 troops) and four regiments of cavalry (2,000 horsemen) to Archelaus' aid.
3. The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, records that
upon this, Varus
sent a part of his army into the country, to seek out those who had been the
authors of the revolt; and when they were found, he punished some of them that
were most guilty, and some he dismissed; now the number of those who were
crucified on this account were two thousand.[1]
4. In
a later revolt, Josephus also reports that
the sons of Judas of
Galilee were now slain; I mean that Judas who caused the people to revolt, when
Quirinius came to take an account of the estates of the Jews, as we have showed
in a foregoing book. The names of
those sons were James and Simon, whom Alexander commanded to be crucified.[2]
5. Why is Jesus' crucifixion so important out of thousands of Roman crucifixions? Today we will answer three questions:
a. What is humanity's problem?
b. Who was crucified on the eve of Passover, AD 33?
c. What did He accomplish by His crucifixion?
B. Read Isa 53:1-12.
II. What is humanity's problem?
A. We all fall short of the character of God, "for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:22-23).
1. The Gk. verb translated "have sinned" is an aorist (snapshot action). These are the same words used in Rom 5:12 to describe the fall of the human race in Adam.
2. The Gk. verb translated "fall short" is a present tense (continuous action).
a. This verse is literally teaching that humanity fell in Adam and we all continuously ratify that choice by our own sin.
b. Grand Canyon broad jump illustration
3. The "glory of God" is the measuring stick and God does not grade on the curve.
B. We owe a debt because of our sin.
1. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:23).
a. The Gk. word translated "wages" means "military rations."
b. Humanity works hard and is paid ... with death.
c. God offers eternal life as a free gift!
2. Paul tells us that Jesus has "canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col 2:14).
a. Condemned men had the charges against them attached to the cross on which they would be crucified.
b. The only charge on Jesus' cross was "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
C. We are in slavery to sin and Satan.
1. Paul tells the Romans that "you were slaves of sin" (Rom 6:20).
2. The risen Christ told Paul that He was sending him to the Gentiles "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18).
D. We are spiritually dead.
1. Paul bluntly tells the Ephesians "you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1).
2. Nevertheless, the good news is that "God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" (Eph 2:4-5).
III. Who was crucified on the eve of Passover, AD 33?
A. Jesus was not a victim!
1. Jesus says "I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father" (John 10:17-18).
2. When they came to arrest Him, Jesus told Peter to "put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt 26:52-53).
a. A legion is 6,000 troops.
b. 72,000 angelic warriors stood ready to intervene as Jesus was taken.
B. Jesus was not just a martyr!
1. Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
2. Paul writes, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:6-8).
3. Love is what held Jesus to the cross.
C. Jesus is God become man!
1. John tells us that Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Then he notes the reaction of the Jewish leaders, "The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death" (John 10:31 NET).
2. Paul told the elders of the church at Ephesus that they were "to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).
3. Judge illustration
IV. What did He accomplish by His crucifixion?
A. Propitiation
1. Propitiation means "a sacrifice that satisfies God's justice."
2. Propitiation solves the problem of our falling short of God's character.
3. References
a. Paul says that God displayed Jesus Christ "publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith" (Rom 3:25).
i. The Gk. uses hilastērion, "mercy seat" in Heb 9:5.
ii. Ark of the covenant illustration
b. John tells us that "He Himself [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (1 John 2:2).
i. John uses a related word, hilasmos.
ii. Limited Atonement: Please note that propitiation is "for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
B. Imputation
1. Imputation means "adding our sin to Christ's account and Christ's righteousness to ours." The Gk. word logizomai is an accounting term.
2. Imputation solves the problem of the debt that we owe because of sin.
3. References
a. Paul says:
For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT" (Rom 4:3-8, see Gal 3:6; Gen 15:6).
b. Paul says concerning Jesus that God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21).
C. Redemption
1. Redemption means "to buy a slave and set free."
2. Redemption solves the problem of our slavery to sin and Satan.
3. References
a. The Gk. word lutroō ("to set free"): Jesus "gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed" (Titus 2:14).
b. The Gk. word lutron ("a ransom"): Jesus says that the "Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28, see also Mark 10:45).
c. The Gk. word antilutron ("a ransom paid to secure a release"): Paul says that Jesus Christ "gave Himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:6).
d. The Gk. word lutrōsis ("liberation"): The author of Hebrews says concerning Jesus that "through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb 9:12).
e. The Gk. word apolutrōsis ("ransom that sets free"):
i. Paul tells us that we are "justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:24).
ii. Paul says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7; see Col 1:14).
f. The Gk. word agorazō ("to buy in the marketplace"): Paul says that we "have been bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:20; see 1 Cor 7:23).
g. The Gk. word exagorazō ("buy out of the market"): Paul tells us that Jesus Christ died "so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Gal 4:5).
h. Sufficient for all, efficient for only believers.
D. Substitution
1. Substitution means "Christ bore the punishment of death in our place."
2. Substitution solves the problem of our spiritual death.
3. References ("A Tale of Three Prepositions")
a. The Gk. preposition dia ("because of"):
i. Jesus is "He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification" (Rom 4:25).
ii. Paul's point is that the resurrection proves that Jesus Christ was successful in dieing for our sins.
b. The Gk. preposition hyper ("on behalf of, in place of"):
i. Paul says, "Christ died for the ungodly ... Christ died for us" (Rom 5:6, 8).
ii. Paul tells us that "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20).
iii. Paul says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us" (Gal 3:13).
c. The Gk. preposition anti ("in place of"): Jesus came " to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
E. Reconciliation
1. Reconciliation based on the Gk. verb katallassō ("to change or exchange") and the noun katallagē ("reconciliation") means "our relationship with God can change!"
2. Reconciliation indicates that God has solved all the problems.
3. References
a. Paul writes, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Rom 5:10).
b. Paul teaches:
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us
to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word
of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an
appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God (2 Cor 5:18-20).
F. Justification
1. Justification based on the Gk. word dikaioō ("to declare righteous, vindicate") means "to be declared righteous."
2. References
a. Paul states, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Rom 3:28).
b. In addition, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom 4:5).
c. Paul says that "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.... I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal 2:16, 21).
V. Application
A. Humanity is separated from God by a barrier consisting of:
1. Falling short of God's character
2. The debt we owe because of our sin
3. Slavery to sin and Satan
4. Spiritual death
B. Jesus is:
1. Not a victim
2. Not just a martyr
3. God become man
C. God has broken down all the barriers between Himself and humanity.
1. By a sacrifice that satisfies God's justice
2. By adding our sin to Christ's account and Christ's righteousness to ours
3. By paying a price for us [His life] and setting us free
4. By bearing the punishment of death in our place
5. Changing our relationship with God
6. Resulting in those who trust in Jesus Christ being declared righteous before God
D. All of this is available by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!