#481 MOVE Series# 9, What Do You Want Me To Do With Him?

MOVE Series# 9, What Do You Want Me To Do With Him?
By: D. Karl Thomas

“Some people are worth melting for.” Olaf 

The Cross.
It rests on the time line of history like a compelling diamond. It’s tragedy summons all suffers.
It’s Absurdity attracts all critics. It’s hope lures all searchers. My what a piece of wood! History has idolized it. And despised it, gold plated it and burned it, worn it and trashed it.
History has done everything to it but ignore it.
That’s the one option that the cross does not offer. No one can ignore it! You can’t ignore a piece of lumber that suspends the greatest claim in history. A crucified carpenter claiming that he is God on earth!It’ bottom line is sobering: if the account is true, it is histories hinge. Period. If not it’s histories hoax.

(Max Lucado Six Hour One Friday)
Mark 10:33-34    “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock Him, and [a]scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”    Jesus mentioned this at least 3x’s

Palm Sunday … Jesus coming (donkey) in east gate … Pilate coming in west gate full armed force (Peace)
Jesus betrayed arrested by Jewish leaders … only Pilate has authority to order death.

Mark 15: 12-15 “Pilate answered and said to them again, ‘What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?’  So they cried out again, ‘Crucify Him!’ Then Pilate said to them, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ … 

Come on … this guy doesn’t pose a problem … he’d dealt with many uprisings.

  …But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”

1 Peter 2:24  “…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”    39 stripes 39 roots of disease 

60% of people did not survive the whipping with cat of ninetails … brutal attack on body

Mark put it so plainly. No detailed explanation.  They had all seen this type of violent death.
Mark 15:25  “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” 

The cross was not used as a symbol of faith until 400 AD.  1st time was at church door Santa Sabina in ROME   ——  Where it around our necks … Romans actually finally banned it … SING  “At the electric chair where I first saw the light …”

John Phipps — Jan. 26, 2013 on the Metrolink in LA —  Accident thought he was going to die!

Wrote this in his own blood.   “I (Heart) my kids I (heart) Lil”   His wife said;  “ “Hallmark is never going to top that,” she said. “It’s moving, it’s thoughtful and it’s chilling all at the same time.”

Rescue Worker: “ “I’ve seen some gruesome things on this job, but that moved me,” Rosario said at the news conference. “My only thoughts at that point was, I have to get this seat to his wife and kids.”

God in is own blood wrote His devotion to His creation. In every circumstance we can lean on the reality of His expressed promise to be with us and safely bring us through!

Colossians 1:20 “… by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

1. Foolish At The Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,…”

Pilate — Religious leaders — soldiers — passerby mocked and spit at him 

Psalm 14:1  “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.”

2. Favoured At The Cross
Mark 15:21 “Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.”

Travelled in for the feast … religious pilgrim …randomly selected … ruined his whole trip … now unclean can’t even participate in the Weekend … BUT this interruption results in family coming into kingdom

God is at work for good in the situation right now … TRUST HIM!!! 

3. Faithful At The Cross
Mark 15:43 ” Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”

Quiet member of the religious party … very challenging time manifests His devotion to Jesus.

4. Forgiven At The Cross
Mark 15:39 “So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this Man was the Son of God!'”

One of the thief’s  crucified with him … today paradise … Centurion proclaims faith. … One of 25 centurions in Israel  …  Lead 100 soldiers … oversaw crucifixions … could be the great faith guy???

John 19:30  “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”  Finished:– PAID IN FULL!!!!!   This is what Centurion heard … WOW!!!

 Romans 4:7-8 (NLT) “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

 Ernest Borgnine —  “Jesus Of Nazareth” (1977)— He played the Centurion

“As that centurion learned 2,000 years ago, I too have found that you simply cannot come close to Jesus without being changed.”

1 Peter 3:18  (NLT) “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.”

What Do You Want Me To Do With Him?

MOVE Series# 9, What Do You Want Me To Do With Him?, Sermon Notes, PDF