Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Do you feel lonely or isolated?
  • Do you feel opposed / that someone is against you?
  • Such feelings can be difficult to cope with
• Jesus Christ was surrounded by people (not all were His friends)
  • He had longed to spend the last supper with them
  • Now He is alone - betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, abandoned by the other apostles
  • It seemed the whole world was against Him
    • "Crucify Him" the crowds shouted
• Yet, He was not alone
  • When He faced Caiaphas, before Herod, as He walked to Calvary
  • The Father was with Him
  • Nothing could separate the Son from the Father
    • The Father never stopped loving the Son
• Calvary is the greatest demonstration of God's love for us
  • Christ bled and died for sin
  • God turned His face away as Jesus was bearing the sin of the world
  • The grief this caused the Father
• Overview:
  • The Father's love for Jesus
  • The Son's love for us
  • Our love for Him?

The Father's love for Jesus

• In the Garden of Gethsemane the Father sent angels to strengthen Jesus
• On the road to Calvary God provided Simon of Cyrene
  • Modern day Libya
  • God's love
• Simon of Cyrene
  • The father of Rufus and Alex
    • Rom 16:13 - Rufus became a Christian
    • Acts 11:20 - Many Cyrenian's travelled to Antioch to preach the word
  • Did this man become saved?
    • His son was saved?
    • A great group travel to Antioch to preach and one becomes established in the Church
• Many people followed Jesus - v7ff
  • There were many who went to taunt
  • Yet there were women who mourned and lamented Him - v27
    • They sympathised with Jesus
• Jesus was not going to the cross alone
  • First, Simon of Cyrene
  • Second, these women
  • Consider the voice of God the Father at His baptism and transfiguration
• If you are going through a time of suffering
  • God is with you

The Son's love for us

Jesus' love for the women

• The words at first seem a rebuke and warning – v28-31
  • At a time of such evil and desperation it would be better to have not had children
• It is a warning, out of love
  • The nation has rebelled against God
    • They have rejected the Messiah, killed the Son of God
  • God will cut off the nation (later to graft it in again)
    • God's judgment will fall upon Israel
    • History records the genocide of the Israelites by the Romans culminating- the Siege of Jerusalem in AD70
  • Quoting from Hosea 8
  • If in a time of 'green', when they are crucifying Jesus - what will they do in a time of 'dry'?
  • Do these words remind you of Rev 6?
    • A passage of judgment
    • If you reject the Son, there will come a time of judgment
    • Are you ready for that?

Jesus' love for His enemies

• "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" - v34
  • Do this prayer/these words lose impact for us?
• The soldiers below couldn't care less - they are gambling for His clothes
  • They begun to mock and insult Him
• Jesus cries out for their forgiveness
  • In His pain He prays for them
    • Not for their judgment but that God will forgive them
    • He understands they are blind
  • In the Acts of the Apostles - many thousands were saved, including priests
    • Do you know God's forgiveness?
    • Are you a child of God?
    • There is forgiveness for all sin
• Jesus died for us whilst we were still in our sin

Jesus' love for the dying thief

• The soldiers offered Jesus sour wine and a plaque (more mocking)
• One of the criminals starts to blaspheme Him
  • Matthew tells us that the other criminal initially joined in - but a remarkable change occurs
    • He sees Jesus' love in reply to everything the people are doing
    • Perhaps he had seen Jesus' other miracles?
  • He rebukes the other theif
    • He admits his guilt
    • He acknowledges Jesus' innocence
  • He asks Jesus to remember Him in heaven
    • Jesus assures him he will be join Him in paradise
    • He could not (and no man can) work for salvation
    • Jesus offers salvation as a free gift
    • Do not put it off for a death bed experience
  • How do you understand Christianity?
    • We have all fallen short of God's glory
    • We all deserve death but have the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ
    • Trust in the righteousness of Jesus

Our love for Him?

• What is your response this morning?
  • You cannot be indifferent
• The Centurion's response - v47
  • That He was a righteous man
  • He had seen the various events around the cross and he glorified God
  • He confess the Lord Jesus with his lips
    • There must be a response to the Lord Jesus this morning
      • We must confess Him with our lips
• The crowd's response - v48
  • They were no longer mocking or jeering, but beating their breasts
  • They are stirred by events and moved to tears
  • This emotion is temporary and does not lead to any confession of the Lord Jesus Christ
    • May that not be anyone here
• The womens' response - v49
  • They stood at a distance (along with some of the men) watching
  • They loved Jesus with all their heart
  • They went to the tomb to anoint His body
• Do you love Jesus?
  • May we say with Peter, 'Lord you know that I love you'
  • What is your response this morning?

Closing Remarks

• Believe in Him