Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Critique Of The Cross – Pt. 2”.
Last week I began a careful, thoughtful and critical analysis, review and examination of the cross of Calvary in order to help bring and/or return a clarity of focus and meaning to what the cross means and why we are Christians.
If you have not listened to or viewed that message, I believe it will be helpful to do so in fully appreciating and understanding what is being said in this message.
Truth can be established when it is based upon facts. Two facts concerning Jesus are that He is no myth or work of fiction, but someone who really lived and that He was crucified by the Roman authorities.
Beginning with that established truth, we can begin to put together what it all means. After a review of this truth, in part two I take a closer look at why Jesus was crucified by looking at who had a reason to want to see His death and why.
I first looked at the Roman government. The Roman government found Jesus a threat because of the size of the crowds He was drawing, his message about a kingdom and that a kingdom necessitates a king.
Taken together, these things could pose a threat to Roman political order and system. So, nip this in the bud and put an end to it was a reasonable thinking of why the Romans would have Jesus crucified.
Another group who had a reason to kill or silence Jesus were the Jewish leaders and authorities who felt the growing influence of Jesus and His deliberate dismissal of them and their teaching to reach the people was a threat to them.
All the gospels report that Jesus took over the temple in Jerusalem and ran out those doing business in the temple. They were unable to withstand Him because of the following and support He had among the people. Therefore, they conspired with the Romans to neutralize Him and have Him silenced by any means necessary.
Together these two groups saw in Jesus a common threat that needed to be dealt with. It was their belief that if they got rid of Jesus any problem or potential problem or threat He or any of His followers had caused or would cause would simply go away. But Jesus did not go away.
If He was an inconsequential figure, a fraud or trickster, an imposter or some other fake or con artist, then He and all He stood for would have died with Him. Why? Because that is what has happened to every other person who was put to death in the manner Jesus was.
But the fact that 2000 years later we are still talking about His death as if it just took place means the Roman and Jewish reasons for Jesus ending on the cross doesn’t explain it all. There is someone else left to hear from and that is Jesus Himself.
I hope to continue this critique of the cross by hearing from Jesus as to why He was on that cross. Again, I hope you will join me.
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Pastor Jordan
