Why?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
This is often called Holy Week.
Not my favorite term.
During this time many of you have spent time considering what happened in Christ’s life during each of the days leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection.
How much time is spent thinking about why?
1. The crucial question.
1. The crucial question.
A. A magnificent historical fact. (“The Son of Man came”)
A. A magnificent historical fact. (“The Son of Man came”)
Jesus came to earth.
We celebrate the resurrection of Christ because He was here in the first place.
The one who created the universe put Himself in it.
Every detail was planned out before creation.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
A. A magnificent historical fact. (“The Son of Man came”)
A. A magnificent historical fact. (“The Son of Man came”)
The only reason we can celebrate the birth of Christ, remember the crucifixion, and celebrate His resurrection, is because Christ lived on this earth as a human.
B. The Challenging Biblical truth.
B. The Challenging Biblical truth.
His birth was not what we make it.
The only people that knew He was here were shepherds.
He was born into an unknown family with little money.
He was born in a manger.
Dirty
The smell of animals
Yet this is what He chose… for a specific reason. Why?
His life was not the a life we would want.
We want toys.
We want a comfortable house.
And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
B. The Challenging Biblical truth.
B. The Challenging Biblical truth.
His death was indescribable.
This form of human extermination is far more than we can comprehend.
Historians say to be crucified by the Romans and what they did leading up to the actual crucifixion was worse than being burned alive.
The whole process was designed to intensify and prolong the agony.
Jesus was whipped with a cat of nine tales.
Leather with bones or other sharp object in it.
It was tear all the way through the muscles.
He was thrown on his shredded back.
Nails driven through his wrists and hoisted up so nails could be driven into his feet.
There He hung in unimaginable pain.
Bugs feeding on his wounds.
People mocking Him.
The King of the Universe.
Came to this earth to die by the hands of the people He created, - Why?
His death He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
On the third day he miraculously and joyfully rose again.
But why?
2. The baffling explanation.
2. The baffling explanation.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
A. The most significant mission. (“to seek and save the lost”)
A. The most significant mission. (“to seek and save the lost”)
He was here for a very specific mission.
He was intentionally seeking out someone.
Everything he went through was part of his carefully laid out rescue mission.
The word “seek” means to search carefully or plot against
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
A. The most significant mission. (“to seek and save the lost”)
A. The most significant mission. (“to seek and save the lost”)
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
This is a term that seems to be heard less and less.
We talk about humans being sick.
Being confused
Being estranged from God.
Luke describes the human race as lost.
Apollymi: To destroy fully, utter ruin, hopeless.
Isaiah describes what it means to be lost.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
This ultimately mean being separated from God eternally.
Sending that eternity in the lake of fire.
This is what the human race deserves for our sin.
Romans 6:23 a (ESV)
For the wages of sin is death…
Humans would forever be lost if Christ had not come seeking us.
no one understands; no one seeks for God.
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
You may be sitting here today looking for answers for life.
You might even tell someone you are seeking God.
The truth is that God is seeking you.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Harry Ironside liked to tell about a newly-converted brother who gave his testimony at a Wednesday night meeting. The new convert gave great glory to God for his salvation. After the meeting, an older and supposedly wiser brother took the young man aside and said, “That was an excellent testimony, but you left out one thing.” “What was that?” “You left out your part in salvation.”
The new convert thought for a moment and then replied, “My part in salvation was to run from God as fast as I could. And the Lord’s part was to run after me, find me, and save me.
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
B. A perfect description of the human race. (“lost”)
3. The significant implications.
3. The significant implications.
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
If Christ had not come, we would all face the full consequence of our sin.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
Earlier we read that full consequence of or sin is eternal death.
Christ came so there could be forgiveness of our sin.
So that we could have life.
Christ came so we could see and understand
God’s Love
God’s mercy
God’s holiness
God’s justice
God’s wrath on sin
What did the human race do about it?
They heard his words.
They saw his miracles
They considered what He offered
And put him to death.
Most of us have heard Christ’s story over and over.
What do we do about it?
What will you do about what you have heard today?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
A. If Christ came, then man’s responsibility is increased.
B. If Christ came to save, then humans are without excuse.
B. If Christ came to save, then humans are without excuse.
What excuse could you and I possibly give God for rejecting His salvation?
Think about how clear John made it.
God loved YOU so much that He willingly gave His Son so YOU can have forgiveness of sin and be given life.
Verse 18 tells us that Christ did not come to condemn us but that we were condemned already.
I here the question: “How could a loving God send good people to hell?”
There are no good people.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
B. If Christ came to save, then humans are without excuse.
B. If Christ came to save, then humans are without excuse.
John tells us that we are already condemned because of it.
Our own choices and our own nature condemns us.
That’s what makes this so amazing!
The human race was already condemned.
Jesus came to our mess to seek and save us!
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
We all have what the world calls skeletons in the closet.
(Luke 19:10) put no limits on God’s grace.
Our lives can be radially changed by Jesus.
This is proven by the resurrection of Jesus.
Long held patterns of behavior might not change overnight.
We read 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
But look at the previous verses.
Speaking of Zacchaeus.
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
C. If Christ came to save the lost, then the worst can be saved.
The pharisees were not happy that Jesus was eating with someone so bad.