Reflections on the Cross: A Call to Repentance
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We are meant to concentrate upon the facts and upon the details that is why we are met together that is why we observe this day at all it reminds us of the historicity of these events the Christian Gospel the Christian message is not a mere teaching not just a a philosophy a way of life it is something that is based solidly upon facts history upon events. [00:04:36]
He teaches us how to look at and to face him and what happened to him on that occasion this in many ways is the last piece of public teaching that was delivered by our Lord from there on he's on the cross and he answers questions he makes statements here is his last piece of teaching and this in itself is amazing and astonishing. [00:05:30]
He preaches to them he teaches them he thinks of them rather than of himself oh how typical and characteristic this was of him always in the midst of his own problems and trials his heart is concerned about others and let her as we've been reminded even in the agony nail to the tree he deals with the soul of that Thief that was crucified by his side. [00:06:44]
He makes makes it plain in his action he makes it still plainer in his words what is he rebuking well he is rebuking thoughtlessness thoughtlessness he does it of course with gentleness but nevertheless it is a rebuke he's rebuking this attitude that looks upon him and all that's going to happen to him without really think it's a way of looking at him and what happened to him which is purely emotional purely sentimental which doesn't trouble to really consider what is taking place. [00:07:49]
His teaching about his own death is this that we should approach it with thought with contemplation with intelligence with understanding that we must realize what is happening so you see my dear friends in a way we can describe this statement of his this last piece of teaching of his as a great appeal to us to think and if ever that message were necessary for the church as well as for the world it is at this present time. [00:09:03]
He is telling us so to meditate upon these things so to think of them so to realize their meaning and their significance that we shall repent that's what the Weeping means now here again we are struck by a very remarkable thing our Lord be began his ministry and ended it on exactly the same note what was his first message well the first report we have of his preaching is found in The Gospel According to St Mark. [00:10:10]
Think think think apply your minds consider Until You Weep until you repent and this my dear friends is his message I feel to us this morning yes to us who are Christian people as well as to the whole world to repent why are things as they are why is the church as weak as she is at the present time why does she count for so little in this country and in the world look at the whole state of the world what's needed well what's needed this morning is repentance. [00:11:27]
He tells them not to weep for him for this reason because he had come into the world in order to go to this that's why he the Son of God had ever come out of the glory into this world of time he wasn't surprised at his death he had come into the world in order to die he had talked about it hadn't he said in his teaching as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. [00:18:09]
He knows that what is happening to him is not ultimately the action of men it is the action of God Peter you see preaching on the day of Pentecost puts it very clearly when he says him being delivered by the predetermined counsel and for knowledge of God you have taken and by Wicked hands of Cru ified but remember it was God's predetermined counsel and for knowledge our Lord knows at this moment and that's why he rebukes the Weeping and the Wailing of the women that he is about to fulfill that great plan of God for the Redemption of men. [00:21:00]
He knows he says it there again in that same passage in John 12 now he says is the Judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out and it happened on the cross he defeats the principalities and Powers as the Apostle puts it in Colossians 24 and 15 he has made an open shower of them triumphing over them openly putting them to an open shame he knows all this there he is staggering to the cross and he hears the Weeping and the lamenting and he turns Round And he says weep not for me don't weep for me don't be sorry for me don't waste your sympathy and compassion on me don't merely be filled with a sense of Injustice and of the unrighteousness of it all don't be for me why well what I'm about to do terrible though it is is the the Judgment of this world and the prince of this world is cast out it is the moment of his greatest Triumph it is the means whereby he reconciles men unto God and delivers them from the bondage and the surom and the slavery of Satan and of sin and of hell it's the way in which he sets the captives free. [00:28:45]
He tells us not to weep for him because he knows that now in a few minutes what is going to happen to him on that cross is going to glorify his heavenly father in a way that nothing else has ever done orever can do he has already prayed father glorify thy name that's with reference to the Cross look it up when you go home in John 12:28 he's speaking about his death father glorify thy name the reply comes I both have glorified it and will glorify it again what's he mean oh what he means is this that it is his death upon the cross that glorifies God as nothing else has done it's there and there alone you really see the love of God. [00:24:21]
He is making this solemn pronouncement and it's for the whole world this morning he is indicating the fate of all who die impenitent that's what he is proclaiming don't weep for me he says weep for yourselves don't spend your time merely in talking about the Injustice and the unrighteousness the cruelty of men these politically minded people don't waste your time don't stop at that think go down to the depths get understanding and realize this that if you die without realizing why I had to die if you die in your sins you go on to Eternal punishment he'd been saying it right through his ministry here it is again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son what for why that whosoever believeth in him should not perish if a man doesn't believe in him he does perish the only way to evade perishing is to believe in him to realize who he is and to realize why he died upon the cross why he set his face steadfastly to do so why he had to do so why he tells people don't waep for me don't be sorry don't hold me back I must it's the only way whosoever believeth in him should not perish but who doesn't believe of necessity does perish there is only one way of Salvation it is in Jesus Christ and him crucified a man who doesn't realize that he can only be saved because the Son of God has born the punishment of his sins is a man who lost and a man who dies in a lost State perishes there there is no hope for him he goes on to Eternal misery unhappiness and torment in whatever form it may be that is the only thing that awaits him weep for yourselves he says that you don't realize this weep as you contemplate the torment the agony the suffering of a damn soul that has never seen the need of what I am about to accomplish on that cross that awaits me. [00:36:12]
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He teaches us how to look at and to face him and what happened to him on that occasion this in many ways is the last piece of public teaching that was delivered by our Lord from there on he's on the cross and he answers questions he makes statements here is his last piece of teaching and this in itself is amazing and astonishing. [00:05:30]
He preaches to them he teaches them he thinks of them rather than of himself oh how typical and characteristic this was of him always in the midst of his own problems and trials his heart is concerned about others and let her as we've been reminded even in the agony nail to the tree he deals with the soul of that Thief that was crucified by his side. [00:06:44]
He makes makes it plain in his action he makes it still plainer in his words what is he rebuking well he is rebuking thoughtlessness thoughtlessness he does it of course with gentleness but nevertheless it is a rebuke he's rebuking this attitude that looks upon him and all that's going to happen to him without really think it's a way of looking at him and what happened to him which is purely emotional purely sentimental which doesn't trouble to really consider what is taking place. [00:07:49]
His teaching about his own death is this that we should approach it with thought with contemplation with intelligence with understanding that we must realize what is happening so you see my dear friends in a way we can describe this statement of his this last piece of teaching of his as a great appeal to us to think and if ever that message were necessary for the church as well as for the world it is at this present time. [00:09:03]
He is telling us so to meditate upon these things so to think of them so to realize their meaning and their significance that we shall repent that's what the Weeping means now here again we are struck by a very remarkable thing our Lord be began his ministry and ended it on exactly the same note what was his first message well the first report we have of his preaching is found in The Gospel According to St Mark. [00:10:10]
Think think think apply your minds consider Until You Weep until you repent and this my dear friends is his message I feel to us this morning yes to us who are Christian people as well as to the whole world to repent why are things as they are why is the church as weak as she is at the present time why does she count for so little in this country and in the world look at the whole state of the world what's needed well what's needed this morning is repentance. [00:11:27]
He tells them not to weep for him for this reason because he had come into the world in order to go to this that's why he the Son of God had ever come out of the glory into this world of time he wasn't surprised at his death he had come into the world in order to die he had talked about it hadn't he said in his teaching as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. [00:18:09]
He knows that what is happening to him is not ultimately the action of men it is the action of God Peter you see preaching on the day of Pentecost puts it very clearly when he says him being delivered by the predetermined counsel and for knowledge of God you have taken and by Wicked hands of Cru ified but remember it was God's predetermined counsel and for knowledge our Lord knows at this moment and that's why he rebukes the Weeping and the Wailing of the women that he is about to fulfill that great plan of God for the Redemption of men. [00:21:00]
He knows he says it there again in that same passage in John 12 now he says is the Judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out and it happened on the cross he defeats the principalities and Powers as the Apostle puts it in Colossians 24 and 15 he has made an open shower of them triumphing over them openly putting them to an open shame he knows all this there he is staggering to the cross and he hears the Weeping and the lamenting and he turns Round And he says weep not for me don't weep for me don't be sorry for me don't waste your sympathy and compassion on me don't merely be filled with a sense of Injustice and of the unrighteousness of it all don't be for me why well what I'm about to do terrible though it is is the the Judgment of this world and the prince of this world is cast out it is the moment of his greatest Triumph it is the means whereby he reconciles men unto God and delivers them from the bondage and the surom and the slavery of Satan and of sin and of hell it's the way in which he sets the captives free. [00:28:45]
He tells us not to weep for him because he knows that now in a few minutes what is going to happen to him on that cross is going to glorify his heavenly father in a way that nothing else has ever done orever can do he has already prayed father glorify thy name that's with reference to the Cross look it up when you go home in John 12:28 he's speaking about his death father glorify thy name the reply comes I both have glorified it and will glorify it again what's he mean oh what he means is this that it is his death upon the cross that glorifies God as nothing else has done it's there and there alone you really see the love of God. [00:24:21]
He is making this solemn pronouncement and it's for the whole world this morning he is indicating the fate of all who die impenitent that's what he is proclaiming don't weep for me he says weep for yourselves don't spend your time merely in talking about the Injustice and the unrighteousness the cruelty of men these politically minded people don't waste your time don't stop at that think go down to the depths get understanding and realize this that if you die without realizing why I had to die if you die in your sins you go on to Eternal punishment he'd been saying it right through his ministry here it is again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son what for why that whosoever believeth in him should not perish if a man doesn't believe in him he does perish the only way to evade perishing is to believe in him to realize who he is and to realize why he died upon the cross why he set his face steadfastly to do so why he had to do so why he tells people don't waep for me don't be sorry don't hold me back I must it's the only way whosoever believeth in him should not perish but who doesn't believe of necessity does perish there is only one way of Salvation it is in Jesus Christ and him crucified a man who doesn't realize that he can only be saved because the Son of God has born the punishment of his sins is a man who lost and a man who dies in a lost State perishes there there is no hope for him he goes on to Eternal misery unhappiness and torment in whatever form it may be that is the only thing that awaits him weep for yourselves he says that you don't realize this weep as you contemplate the torment the agony the suffering of a damn soul that has never seen the need of what I am about to accomplish on that cross that awaits me. [00:36:12]
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