Cause Of Death | Crossland Community Church

He didn't die because he believed he was the Messiah. He died because he was the Messiah. That was the purpose. He didn't die because of sin. He actually died for sin. Huge difference. Huge difference. He died intentionally. These knuckleheads, they have no idea what they're doing. Right? Look at the difference. Who's the one in control? This isn't some bloodthirsty, maniacal, out of control. Oh my god, they killed an innocent man. It's not less than that, but it's so much more than that. Why do you think he died? What brought about his death? Right? [00:23:21] (48 seconds)  #MessiahNotMartyr

Are you gonna understand that God took that curtain and said, never again. You don't need religion. You don't need a priest. You don't need a pastor. You don't need a parent. You don't need permission. What you need is willingness to just boldly enter. You're not an interruption. You're not an uninvited guest. You don't even have to send God a note saying you're coming. Just come. Did you realize his death brought that about? Like there's no reason Luke would say to Theophilus who's obviously saved or to anybody else who would read it, there's no reason for you to wait. And if you're waiting, why? [00:38:34] (47 seconds)  #AccessNotReligion

What will produce certainty is what that death brought about. And you Luke in hindsight is like, no, wait a minute. Don't just see the cross. Although it's imperative, you gotta see something else as well. In fact, I'll go so far as to tell you this heretical thought. The crucifixion of Christ is not the most important moment in human history. Next Sunday is, we must know the cause of death and what the death cause. I don't want you to leave in today and be like, what's the answer? It's resurrection. Okay? So did Theophilus need to know that Roman crucifixion caused death? [00:05:42] (43 seconds)  #ResurrectionIsKey

And as you look into your life and the details and sometimes the utter chaos in those moments, surely it's painful, but can you see that it's purposeful? Can you see it's more than just pain, it's actually productive? That this is more than violence, it's actually going to produce victory. Are we just looking at that which is causing the suffering at the expense of maybe not looking at what the suffering could cause. What could God be trying to bring about in you and through you? One thing I can tell you he's not trying to bring about is death. He's trying to produce life. And for Rome, this was all about death. And for God, this was all about life. [00:18:29] (54 seconds)  #PurposeInPain

That this was completely under the control of Jesus Christ. That this is not chaos, this is order. This is not happenstance, this is what God wanted to happen. This is what was determined that would happen. Okay? Before the foundation of the world, Jesus Christ agreed to die for the lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the world. Revelation thirteen nine. He agreed to die before anybody ever lived. And what you and I can see in this moment is it seems like it's chaos, but it's complete sovereignty. And what we see here is this is the execution of the plan of God, the eternal plan of God. That's why they really don't know what they're doing. [00:17:48] (40 seconds)  #SovereignPlan

And you now have to decide which thief do you wanna be. Let me show you the other one. If we understand the cause of death, the effect would be knowing only one person that day died for sin on that day, Christ. The other two died because of sin. But if the one thief that said, remember me immediately went to paradise that day, the other one who mocked him immediately went where that day? Correct. Straight to hell. There's immediacy for both of them. And that's the thing we most often often miss miss in in the the text. Text. The celebratory reality of the one who's immediately in paradise. But when you look at what Christ originally said about don't weep for me, weep for those when. [00:32:59] (69 seconds)  #TwoThievesTwoFates

One is beginning to have an awakening. One is beginning to have an epiphany. One is not. One can see what his death is about to bring about, and one can only see what's bringing about his death. So in two thieves, you have the only two options that there are. You're focusing on what's causing his death or what his death might just cause. And one of the thieves said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered, truly I tell you, today you'll be with me in paradise. Well, that was easy. Get me the easy button. What powerful and profound theology in a very simple verse. [00:25:29] (54 seconds)  #SimpleFaithWorks

It's no longer once a year. Just as the thief had instant access to paradise, you and I have instant immediate access regardless of the darkness. You can immediately enter the throne room of heaven with confidence and assurance to find grace and mercy in your hour of need. That there's nothing holding you back from accessing the the very presence of the holiest spot, the throne room of heaven. And the blood has already been sprinkled. The darkness has already been taken care of. It's already been managed. It's already been conquered. Do you do you wanna continue to look at the cataclysmic events that gave profound evidence that who was dying was the son of God? [00:37:46] (47 seconds)  #InstantAccessToHeaven

But are you gonna look at the darkness or the access? And do we realize this is literally the darkest moment ever on the face of the earth? Because the light of the world was snuffed out for three hours. It does not get any darker. But through that darkness, deliverance, through that darkness access, that curtain in the temple that separated the holy from the holy of holies, where the throne room, where the the altar and the mercy seat was approached once a year with blood sprinkled by the high priest and the high priest only upon the altar seat for the forgiveness of sins, the propitiation of sins. [00:36:53] (54 seconds)  #DarknessToDeliverance

And it wasn't agony. It was access. And that you and I still live in a world that is spiritually as dark as that whole land was for those three hours. The sun, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the sustainer of all that is created was now becoming sin that you and I might become the righteousness of God. Memorize second Corinthians five twenty one, he who knew no sin became sin, that you and I might become the righteousness of God. And in him becoming sin, he didn't sin, he became the offering. He was the one who was willing to absorb the deep desperate darkness that sin had blanketed this earth with since the garden and all of creation has fallen because of that foolishness. [00:35:52] (61 seconds)  #SubstituteForSin

Luke doesn't tell us about the earthquakes. Luke doesn't tell us about the tombs being ripped open like Matthew does, and the bodies of those who had previously died, walk right out of the graveyard and into town. Didn't tell us any of that. Tells us so little when you think about it. He doesn't mention the whipping, the beating. He doesn't mention nailing him to a cross. He just says, and he was crucified. Because he's trying to draw our attention away from what caused death to what death caused. He's now trying to draw our attention away from the cataclysmic cosmic events to the greatest thing that that death caused. [00:35:04] (48 seconds)  #FocusOnWhatDeathCaused

It's amazing with chaos and agony. The bulls of Bashan says in the book of Psalms, and ravenous wolves and dogs pulling at his flesh. He's still in complete control of his spirit. And you know what he makes? A decision. What about you? To whom are you going to commit your spirit? Simple question. And you only have two choices. It's either father or the devil. I mean, you're really saying that that your last breath, you breathe your last. Here, you're on your deathbed. Here I come, devil. I can't wait. Into your hands, I commit my spirit. Can't wait to be tortured forever, to gnaw on my tongue, to be scorched and tormented. [00:39:31] (64 seconds)  #ChooseWhereYouCommit

For all eternity, here I come. Does that sound a lot like John 14, in my father house are many rooms? If that not were true were that were not true, would I have told you that I'm going there to prepare a place for you? And if I should go and prepare a place for you, then I will come back and take you to be with me that you might be there also? Would you rather have a room in the father's house? What are you gonna commit your spirit to? You gotta decide. His death brought about an opportunity for you to have full sovereignty on the decision you get to make. [00:40:35] (34 seconds)  #YouDecideYourDestiny

Christ is always like, hey, listen. Your grief is misplaced. Don't cry for me. Cry for yourself because I know what's going on here. In fact, your your grief at this point is misplaced. You see this as an injustice and something terrible that's happening. And I'm telling you, there's something worse that's going to happen than this. And I don't want you to weep for me. This is my intended purpose. This is the point in why I came. And they're just so emotional over the moment. There this is the opposite of what Luke is trying to get across. [00:11:34] (33 seconds)  #WeepForYourselfNotForMe

Okay? Because what they're basically saying is, I want him to save himself so I can go straight to hell. That's what I want. I want him to save himself, to prove something to me. Okay. You want God to make that point? Is that really what you want? You want you want God to make that point? Okay. We're gonna pull Jesus off the cross and then everybody goes to hell. You're like, no. I don't want that. I know. But are you living like that? But the cross doesn't even matter that that death was supposed to be productive to produce you life? Just save yourself. What a what is there anything but more stupid in human history said by a human being? [00:20:02] (53 seconds)  #DontDemandProof

He wants to show you the cause, but more importantly, the effect. And so as Luke writes, what he's saying is surely not to mitigate. Don't get me wrong. If we were in Matthew, I'd be slinging snot with you. If we get we read Isaiah 53 on Easter Sunday, I'm a sobbing mess. But this is not about the emotion of that moment. This is about what did that moment unleash. And if you wanna live with certainty, you're not going to feel any better because you're thoroughly convinced that crucifixion brings about death. [00:05:07] (35 seconds)  #FocusOnWhatItUnleashed

Look what caused his death, but look what his death caused. This guy immediately, like immediately, today, there's no probationary period. There's no baptism. There's no tithing. No Bible study. Now he's been at the most consistent witness of the grace of God for two thousand plus years. He never fails. Guess when the consistency of your witness will end? When you go to be with Christ. This is powerful. And it's it's like loopy like Theophilus. This is what you need to be certain of brother. Not that Rome had the capacity to kill Jesus through crucifixion. No kidding. But in that moment, Christ opened up an opportunity for even people that died for a just cause. [00:29:19] (58 seconds)  #NoProbationInstantSalvation

But somehow in his mind, he realizes that doesn't mean I have to experience the condemnation from God's judgment. See, because there's a difference. If I come under the authority of God, it doesn't mean I won't experience the consequences of the authority of man. It just means I won't experience those forever. Because you see, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the spirit who gives life has set me free from the law of sin and death. What's the law of sin and death? You sin, you die. But his death unleashed a new law. Right? The law of the spirit gives life. [00:28:09] (41 seconds)  #ConsequencesNotCondemnation

What is he saying? Number one, that I know you're greater than death and this death isn't the end? He's act see, he's already looking beyond what? Death. He's already seeing somehow profoundly what this death is gonna bring about. Opportunity. That your death is going to open the door for me. Me. Me. In an instant, everything can change because not because you're dying like I'm dying, but because of what your death is going to bring my death ain't gonna bring about squat. It might warn a few people not to behave the way I behaved. Right? May get a few people to stop doing what they do when they see what I got and don't do what I did or you're gonna get what I get. [00:26:33] (50 seconds)  #DeathOpensDoorsForOthers

See, this guy, he's he's beginning to see that there's a huge difference between consequences and condemnation. Consequences are the natural byproduct of living in a world where God says you reap what you sow. And sometimes, the bible is very clear that God has instituted and ordained governments to carry that out even to the greatest extent known as the death penalty. So whether we agree with what this guy did or didn't do, he did what he shouldn't have done in the land in which he lived because they said if you do that, you die. He's dying based upon law. You might not like the law, but it is the law of the land. Okay? So he's experiencing the consequences of his poor choices. [00:27:24] (46 seconds)  #LawAndConsequences