21-02-2021 Hanging on the Cross

Title: Hanging on the Cross

During the Lent period, we should remember and meditate upon the suffering and the humiliation Jesus took for you and me.

1. He Himself Bore

One of the very important aspects of the suffering of Jesus Christ is that “He Himself bore our sins upon His body on the cross.”

In Matthew 16, when Jesus revealed to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things and be killed, Apostle Peter said, out of fleshly love and loyalty toward Jesus, “This shall never happen to you” (Mat 16:21-23). To avoid troubles and suffering is a human nature. However, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Jesus Himself bore our sins on the cross.” It doesn’t mean that he tried to avoid taking sufferings and humiliation on behalf of us, but it didn’t work out well. So, he had no choice but to bear them. It doesn’t mean that someone blackmailed Jesus and forced Him to bear our sins. It means regardless of our condition or regardless how great suffering or humiliation it is, Jesus willingly and voluntarily decided and willed to bear our sins on the cross: This is something we must remember and meditate deeply during Lent period in 2021.

2 Chr 5:17 says that if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The founding pastor explained that when we understand how much suffering and humiliation Jesus went through for us, we will become like a new son and daughter. We will be so fresh and so new that we won’t remember the old self, the old habit and the old sins.

When we say, “I believe in Jesus, He saved me”, please think carefully and examine yourself whether we truly know what happened and truly appreciate His great love. People think that it is better to say, “I love you” than being modest and silent. So, let’s confess, “I love You, Lord. I love You Jesus, I love You, Father” but let’s mean it from the bottom of our heart this year.

Phil 2:5-8 says that Jesus was God Himself, but He emptied Himself and came in a form of bond-servant. It means, His entire life on earth was as of the atoning sacrifice for our sins: this includes, His birth, His life before the public ministry, His ministry, His suffering and humiliation, and His death.

Rev 20:15 says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire.” We were all sinners, right? Were our names being written in the book of life back then? No. Our names are written in the book of life because Jesus took our sins. We may not prefer to think that Jesus took the punishment of the lake of fire for us. But think about it, because death is the wage of sin, in order to bring us out of the power of death, Jesus took our sins and our death on the cross.

The word ‘Redemption’ means to save someone by paying the ransom. If the ransom is money, the money has to be paid, and if life, life has to be paid. If its consequences are paying fine, penalty has to be settled and if death, death had to be bore.

• Consequence of Bearing our sins

1. It blew away our sins far away (Psa 103:12)

• It was thrown behind the back of Jesus (Isa 38:17). If it is our back, we can see it again and find it again. But because it is thrown behind Jesus’ back, there is no way we can see or find it again.

• It is wiped out forever (Isa 44:22). A heavy mist is too thick that you cannot see a meter away. However, when the sun rises and wind blows, it disappears in no time.

• God will remember it no more (Jer 31:34).  If you have a friend and you bought for him a lunch about 10 times. Then, you think he should buy you a lunch at least once as a courtesy and manner. This is human; we remember such things and become grumpy. But God remembers our sins no more.

5) It is covered (Psa 85:2; Psa 32:1; Rom 4:7). For example, God covered it with a blanket, thus no one is able to find it.

6) God does not take into account (Rom 4:8)

Conclusion:

Do we truly believe in God?

Jer 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, That can hold no water.

It explains the reason why the nation Israel, God’s chosen people, collapsed and destroyed, that is because they forsook God and made their own cistern.

How do we know that we believe in God truly or not, and we love God truly or not? If we do not read the Bible and if we not pray to God, it proves that we do not believe in God and do not love Him truly.

No matter how busy you are and no matter how important work you are doing right now, there is no one busier than Jesus and there is no more important work than Jesus. If Jesus spent His time for our salvation and redemption, let’s give Him our time and our priority.

Amen.