The Centrality of the Cross in Christian Faith

in other words it is possible to be in an Evangelical Church and not hear the cross preached I'm not suggesting that in not hearing it preached we don't hear it refer to but hearing it refer to is not the same as hearing it preached but the rehearsing of cliches that have Evangelical buzzwords in them and the sounding Out of Evangelical mantras dare not be acquainted with giving to the cross the place that the scriptures give it namely a central place in life and Doctrine and worship and Ministry and evangelism and practice [00:07:17]

the central emphasis of the Cross declares its necessity establishes its meaning namely that it is substitutionary that it is propitiatory that it is efficacious Etc and also in is seeking to do that that does not shy away from its offense you see when we redefine the essence of the human predicament in terms of a lack of self-esteem in modern psychological terms then we will inevitably find people being offered a couch rather than brought to a cross being introduced to a psychologist rather than being confronted by a savior [00:08:08]

the trivialization of the Cross amongst those of us who want to know better is observable in many different ways for example have you been in attendance upon a worship service where someone has given a talk that is has essentially been an appeal to the felt needs of men and women present has been a sort of jumbled concoction of self-help Theory and well-meaning cliches has offered to people the opportunity to fulfill their dreams to meet head on their aspirations and to develop their affections and then either out of a sense of conscience and just when no one is expecting it the minister adds this little quota at the end it goes something like and if any of you are here tonight and have never considered the cross of Jesus Christ you might like to check it out [00:09:33]

you see the cross confronts sin and humbles the proud how then can you possibly preach to a congregation and constantly tell them that they're such a wonderful group of people and we want you to go out as happy as you possibly can and God does not want you to leave disappointed or disgruntled I was worshiping in Southern California in the summertime and in the course of what was essentially the David Letterman show with a theological twist the pastor who's a dear Soul stood up at the end and assured all of us that God did not want any of us to go away feeling any other way at all except just fantastic [00:11:54]

when Paul writes to the Corinthians as we read he determines that this is of primary importance that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures now I do hope you have your Bibles because I want you to turn up your Bibles to make sure that what I'm seeing is actually in the Bible now we have to be selective we can be exhaustive and let's begin in Luke chapter 24. you know the story in Luke chapter 24 it follows upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the fellows are going down the road totally disappointed and disgruntled as a result of the fact that as far as they can tell salvation history has ended in the cul-de-sac of a Palestinian tomb [00:13:48]

and as they're walking alongside comes Christ himself they are kept from recognizing him and in the course of discussion we read in the 26th verse in fact verse 25 he said to them how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory and beginning with Moses and all the prophets he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself if you look forward to verse 44 he said to them now in his further appearance to the disciples this is what I told you while I was still with you everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses the prophets and the Psalms [00:14:35]

then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scripture and he told them this is what is written the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to All Nations now if there is one sermon that any of us might have enjoyed listening to it surely must be this one to have had the privilege of standing there or sitting down and listening to Christ himself expounding the theme Christ in all the scriptures to have Christ himself take these disciples Through the Bible and to point out the absolute essential dimensions of the Cross as it appeared through the Passover the serpent in the wilderness and so many different places [00:15:27]

why was it that the disciples even after the empty tomb could not believe what the women were telling them they told the ladies you know you're crazy on Resurrection morning why was this because Jesus always spoke about his death and his resurrection in conjunction with each other and since they had closed their minds to the Dreadful Prospect of his death there had been no place in the computer of their thinking for the reality of his resurrection for the two things were interwoven they could not think about the possibility of this cruel end and having shunned from that they had no place for the prospect of a resurrection [00:19:48]

now when we go through the gospels and that's as much as we'll do in this what characterized the last month of the Lord Jesus's life was a deliberate attempt to teach his disciples about his death and when you read the Gospels it becomes perfectly clear that the death of Christ the Cross of Christ and its significance is given a disproportionate amount of time in each of these gospel records it is quite clear that the author in each case had no intention of Simply writing a biography of the Lord Jesus but everything in the gospels is arranged to lead up to the climax of the Cross itself and in a moment of In Time the expression of the great Covenant of redemption from all of eternity when the father and the son and the spirit have been determined in the framework of their mutuality and co-equality [00:20:35]

how this amazing Plan of Redemption will unfold in the experience of History and that's why when we read these gospel records we find ourselves again and again and again being brought to this Central emphasis and that you see is why all this emphasis on the Incarnation which is disengaged from the atonement which gives to the Incarnation its significance is a serious and mistaken side street now what am I doing I'm simply doing what I've been asked to do what is the place of the Cross what is the central place of the Cross well it's Central [00:21:42]