The Power of the Cross: Love, Forgiveness, and Redemption

Devotional

Day 1: The Crucifixion as the Cornerstone of Faith

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is not merely a historical event but the very foundation of Christian faith. It is the pivotal moment that enables redemption, salvation, sanctification, transformation, justification, and exaltation. Without the crucifixion, there would be no resurrection, and without the resurrection, the Christian faith would be incomplete. This profound sacrifice is what makes the hope of eternal life possible. As believers, understanding the significance of the crucifixion helps us to appreciate the depth of God's love and the lengths He went to reconcile humanity to Himself. [12:46]

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the crucifixion as the cornerstone of your faith change the way you live your daily life?

Day 2: Forgiveness in the Face of Suffering

Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for those who crucified Him exemplifies the depth of God's love and mercy. Despite the mockery and suffering He endured, Jesus demonstrated an unwavering commitment to forgiveness, praying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This act of grace challenges believers to forgive others and entrust their pain to God, knowing that His love surpasses all. It is a powerful reminder that forgiveness is not just a feeling but a choice to release others from the debt of their wrongs. [01:10:02]

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 3: The Seriousness of Sin

Sin is not just a mistake; it is rebellion against God's holiness. Understanding the seriousness of sin helps believers appreciate the magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice and the grace offered through the cross. Sin creates a separation between humanity and God, but through Jesus' sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation are made possible. Recognizing the weight of sin leads to a deeper gratitude for the gift of salvation and a desire to live in a way that honors God. [55:24]

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself struggling with sin? How can you seek God's help to overcome it today?

Day 4: The Reach of God's Grace

No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. The crucifixion demonstrates that even those who seem far from God can be redeemed and transformed by His love. This truth offers hope to all, reminding believers that God's grace is sufficient for every situation and every person. It challenges individuals to view others through the lens of grace, recognizing that transformation is possible for everyone. [01:13:46]

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life seems far from God? How can you pray for them and show them God's grace this week?

Day 5: Living in Light of the Crucifixion

Living in light of the crucifixion means embracing the cross daily, recognizing God's control amidst chaos, and submitting one's life to His will. This perspective prepares believers to truly celebrate the resurrection, as it calls for a life of gratitude and surrender. By holding the image of the cross in their hearts, believers are reminded of the immense sacrifice made for them and are encouraged to live each day with purpose and devotion to God. [01:19:23]

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Sermon Summary

On this Palm Sunday, we gather to reflect on the profound significance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As we sing songs of worship and lift our hands in praise, we are reminded of the immense sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. The crucifixion is not just a historical event; it is the cornerstone of our faith, the pivotal moment that makes redemption, salvation, sanctification, transformation, justification, and exaltation possible. Without the crucifixion, there is no resurrection, and without the resurrection, our faith would be in vain.

As we delve into Luke chapter 23, we journey from Pilate's judgment to Jesus' final breath on the cross. This passage highlights the mockery and suffering Jesus endured, yet it also reveals His unwavering love and forgiveness. Even in His agony, Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This act of grace and mercy is a powerful reminder of the depth of God's love for us.

Understanding the crucifixion requires us to grasp the seriousness of our sin and the holiness of God. Sin is not merely missing the mark; it is rebellion against God's holiness. Our sins create a separation between us and God, but through Jesus' sacrifice, we are offered forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus, fully God and fully man, bore the infinite weight of our sins on the cross, making a way for us to be in covenant relationship with God.

As we reflect on the crucifixion, we are called to live in light of this sacrifice. We must recognize that no one is too far gone from the grace of God. The cross is a testament to God's power and love, and it invites us to submit our lives to Him. This week, as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection, let us hold the image of the cross in our hearts and live each day with gratitude for the gift of salvation.

Key Takeaways

1. The crucifixion is the foundation of our faith, making possible the resurrection, redemption, salvation, sanctification, transformation, justification, and exaltation. Without it, our faith would be incomplete. [12:46]
2. Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for those who crucified Him exemplifies the depth of God's love and mercy. It challenges us to forgive others and entrust our pain to God, knowing that His love surpasses all. [70:02]
3. Sin is not just a mistake; it is rebellion against God's holiness. Understanding the seriousness of sin helps us appreciate the magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice and the grace offered to us through the cross. [55:24]
4. No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. The crucifixion demonstrates that even those who seem far from God can be redeemed and transformed by His love. [73:46]
5. Living in light of the crucifixion means embracing the cross daily, recognizing God's control amidst chaos, and submitting our lives to His will. This prepares us to truly celebrate the resurrection. [01:19:23]
** [79:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Introduction to Palm Sunday
[02:30] - Importance of the Cross
[05:15] - Preparing for Worship
[08:00] - The Crucifixion and Resurrection
[12:46] - Without Crucifixion, No Redemption
[15:30] - The Significance of Jesus' Sacrifice
[20:00] - Understanding Sin and Rebellion
[25:00] - Jesus' Humanity and Divinity
[30:00] - The Story of the Crucifixion
[35:00] - Jesus' Prayer for Forgiveness
[40:00] - The Power of God's Grace
[45:37] - Covenant Relationship with God
[52:42] - Sin and Separation from God
[55:24] - The Seriousness of Sin
[59:35] - Jesus' Unique Sacrifice
[63:11] - The Mockery and Suffering of Jesus
[66:28] - Pilate's Judgment and Jesus' Obedience
[70:02] - Jesus' Love and Forgiveness
[73:46] - Lessons from the Crucifixion
[79:23] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Sermon Clips

Welcome. My name is Paul. And I am the pastor at Colton Community Church. What a joy it is to be here this morning. Hey, we've got a great morning. We have a really good morning in line for you. And we're going to sing some songs of worship. As this is Palm Sunday. This is a Sunday in which we celebrate and we sing Hosanna. And we think, God, you're so wonderful to be praised. [00:14:13] (23 seconds) Edit Clip

The importance of what God has done for us. The importance of this. The symbolism. The crucifixion of Jesus. Oh, man. When you begin to understand that. When you begin to digest that. When you begin to really comprehend that Jesus went to the cross for you and for me. [00:14:45] (20 seconds) Edit Clip

And so, begin to prepare yourself. Begin to prepare a place where you can truly just sit and listen to God's word. And sing him some great songs. And as you sing him great songs. Be at a place where you can lift up your hands. And you can say hallelujah, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Where you can sing those songs. Be at a place where you can do them. Be at a place where you can maybe take some notes. [00:15:25] (25 seconds) Edit Clip

Who are just checking out the church. You don't know a whole lot about Colton Community Church. You don't know anything about me. You don't know anything about what we do. We are a Christ loving. Gathering people. In the city of Colton California. Who just love Jesus. And we're here to celebrate him. We're here to learn from him. We're here to hear from him. And then we get to see him through other people's lives. That's what we're here for today. [00:16:37] (26 seconds) Edit Clip

And today he is worthy of our worship. So now as we prepare to worship. May God bless you. May God bless this time. Where you sing songs to him. When you turn your heart back over to him. And you say God. You are worthy of everything. You who were. Who is. And who always will be. I give you this morning. And I give you this moment of praise. [00:17:23] (24 seconds) Edit Clip

Darkness Fills the earth For three hours Jesus on the cross And then Jesus commits His spirit Into The father's hands And then The text says Jesus breathes His last breath Church I cannot Overstate The importance Of the crucifixion And as we Just sung Having this focus Having that song The old rugged cross Burning in our brains All week long And going Is this A life That is worthy Of that cross And our actions And our attitudes Our behaviors Our conduct Is this a life That is worthy Of that cross [00:43:39] (52 seconds) Edit Clip

You see God's Awesome Faithfulness Nothing Not even The instinct To spare His own Son Will turn Him back From keeping His word Oh That's really Powerful If you just Dwell on that For a moment John Stott Says this The cross The cross Is the Blazing Fire At which The flame Of our Love Is kindled But we Have to Get near Enough For its Sparks To fall On us I could Go on And on With quotes Of great Theologians And great Christian Thinkers About the Wonder And the Beauty Of the Cross We need To stop And we Need to Think Through it [00:49:55] (42 seconds) Edit Clip

We tend to placate our sin. We tend to dismiss it as being nothing. Why? Because what we do, what we do is we compare our sin to other people's sin. And since we compare our sin to other people's sin, we go, that person's worse than I am, therefore I'm okay. That's what we do. [00:55:48] (19 seconds) Edit Clip

If he wasn't fully human, it wouldn't have worked. If he wasn't God, he couldn't bear the infinite weight of our sin. Imagine him taking on the weight of the sins just in this room. Multiply that by a billion. You've got to be fully God in order to carry the infinite weight. The cross makes no sense. There were other people crucified. Thousands of other Roman citizens and other people crucified. But Jesus' cross is unique because Jesus was on that cross. [00:59:24] (44 seconds) Edit Clip

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two and Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And with one final painful breath, he gave up and he breathed his last breath. Death didn't take him. He chose to breathe his last breath. Three things we can learn from this passage, church. [01:13:45] (37 seconds) Edit Clip

I don't know what weight you have of sin in your life. I don't know what your rebellion is. I don't know where you're living your life and you're not allowing God to live in it. I don't know what it is, but you are not too far gone from God. As long as you're breathing that breath and maybe you're watching online, maybe you're sitting in the church, maybe you think that I'm just not worthy. I'm too far gone. You don't know what I've done, Pastor Paul. It doesn't matter to me. You're not too far. Don't allow Jesus to disappear amongst the busyness and the chaos of your life. Submit to him, church. Live your life in light of the crucifixion. Then number three, live every day with the cross on your mind. Live every day. Jesus gave everything for us. He took the wrath of God that our sins deserve and he opened up the door to forgiveness for us. Church, when we understand the crucifixion, we can truly celebrate the resurrection. [01:16:18] (82 seconds) Edit Clip

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