Title:   1. The Work of the Cross

The Meaning & Effects of Easter

(What it is that provides complete security for us today, that convinces us of God's love for us, and which opens the way up for so much more in the future)  

Jn 8:28  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man , then you will know that I am the one I claim to be.”

Three Liftings in this series

1. In death – sacrificial love

2. In Resurrection – divine power

3. In Ascension - divine authority

What follows are the outline notes given at this seminar in Lent 2014

1. The Work of the Cross

(Jesus lifted in death)

A. WHEN

i.e. When does the story of Easter begin – before all else.

See: Jn 17:24, 1 Pet 1:20, Rev 13:8, Eph 1:4, 2 Tim 1:9, Tit 1:2,

Rev 17:8

Fulfilled: Acts 2:23

B. HOW

We have just noted, Jesus put to death on the Cross. But what was happening there? How did it work out for us?

1 Cor 15:3, Heb 9:26, Mt 26:28, 1 Jn 2:2, 1 Jn 3:5, Rev 1:5

1 Pet 2:24, Isa 53:12, Isa 53:5 1 Pet 3:18

1 Cor 1:18 - the straw a drowning man grasps at

The Battle on the Cross

Ex 12:5, 1 Pet 1:19 - it had to be a perfect lamb

Jesus, the Lamb of God, had to remain perfect Jn 1:29,36, Rev 5:6

He was beaten, thrashed & crucified – incredible physical pain

He was made sin - 2 Cor 5:21 - as he took our sin – incredible moral pain

He was mocked and derided by the demonic hoards as well as people - Psa 22:12-17 – incredible spiritual pain

It was so bad it felt (humanly) like he was cut off from the Father- something that had never happened before - Matt 27:46 (but the Father never turned away!)

He was crushed - Isa 53:5 - but did not give way - Heb 4:15 – he remained the perfect sacrifice, without blemish, and in complete control John 19:30

C. WHY

Why did Jesus have to go to the Cross?

His purpose: Mt 1:21 "he will save his people from their sins."

Consider our state before we met Christ (what Satan tempts us to fall back to)

Isa 53:4-6 Consider it in reverse order:

v.6 (Summary of what we do)

Gone astray : God has a perfect design for us, and we've drifted away from it – willfully or accidentally

Own way: our way instead of His. See Jer 2:13

v.5 (The Sins – specifics of what we do)

Transgressions: rule breaking or going beyond defined boundaries, may be willful, may be accidental or out of ignorance

Iniquities wickedness – godlessness, wrong attitudes, then wrong words and then wrong deeds, which develop into worse and worse

v.4 (Consequences of what we do)

Infirmities: infirm – unsure, unstable, uncertain of ourselves

Sorrows: the anguish of being like this, and experiencing a fallen world - e.g. hurts and wounds of abuse, we anguish because we are less than we could or should be – (the origins of all low self esteem)

But don't forget for us today:

Gal 6:1  this is God's instruction to help us when we fall

1 Jn 2:1  i.e. if we do blow it He speaks up for us

To Summarise, before we met Christ:

- we had wandered off the right path of God's design for us, having decided to do our own thing
- morally we crossed boundaries He set and thus became godless, with wrong attitudes, words and deeds
- and becoming less than He designed us to be we become unsure of ourselves and unstable and anguish deep within  

The Effect of the Cross

Jesus took on Himself (and from us):
- our self-centred and godless stupidity that led us astray from his plans
- all the stupid wrong things we thought, said or did
- all the negative feelings we are left with
(Why “stupid”? Because all these things harm us and keep us from the good God has for us.)

YET note  Jn 3:17  & Rom 8:1

D. WHAT

So in what way does all this work out in daily life?

1. Guilt and shame do terrible things in us. They:
- make us defensive and they pull us down.
- demean us and strip us of power to live.
- make us want to hide away – and especially from God.

2. We adopt strategies to cover ourselves up (but essentially we feel naked.)
We struggle to achieve meaning, purpose, sense of fulfilment etc.

3. We Struggle with Inadequacy :
- not being what we would love to be,
- what we envy in others, - what we sense we could be, if only…

  
4. We Struggle with Feeling Incapable:
- struggling to overcome bad habits, bad attitudes,
- finding our mouths blurt out things which we immediately regret.

- not being what we wish we could be,
- feeling we can never achieve greatness.

And so we

 
“fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23b)

or

“fall short of what we know we could be in God's design.”

So what does the Cross do?
  - takes my punishment (& brings me forgiveness)
  - takes my guilt
  - takes my shame 

          …. or to put it another way…….

- takes away my bad motivation (the things that make me do the bad stuff), and my feelings of guilt, shame, inadequacy, inability etc.

- takes away all the bad things I've thought, said or done
   
BUT ALSO (in next study)
- enables me to be adopted as God's ‘son'
- enables me to receive His Holy Spirit
- gives me a new purpose for living
- gives me a new power for living

And so today?
- I am forgiven AND cleansed by God

- I am now a wonderful child of God
- I have been given a new power to live now
- He has gifted me now
- He has a plan and purpose for my life 

          - all because of the Cross