## The Cross

## II Corinthians 5:17-21

The cross cannot be glamorized. There is no way to make it a pretty sight. A brutal, bloody execution took place there. To the Roman soldiers that took part in it, it was a form of entertainment.

In my mind's eye, I can picture Jesus being shoved to the ground, to end up sprawled in the dirt and gravel atop Calvary to the jeers and laughter of the soldiers. Then they would grab Him with their rough hands, drag Him to his place on the cross, stretch out His hands, and drive the nails through His flesh into the rough timber. Finally, they would lift the cross and drop its base into the hole prepared for it, causing the body of Jesus to pull at the nails.

There, Jesus hung exposed to the elements, unable to shield His eyes from the sun or wipe away the sweat and blood that ran down His face. But why, why the cross? In the next few minutes I would like to attempt to answer the question of "Why the cross?".

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

I. Who Was On The Cross?

2Co 5:19, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation"

A. We will never understand the cross until we understand Who it was that died there.

1. Jesus was no ordinary man.

a. In all of history, there has never been another like Him.

b. Had we known Him, it would have been obvious that He was a man.

c. He hungered, thirsted, and his body needed rest.

d. Many have visited his place of birth.

e. He openly confessed His mother and acknowledged His brothers and sisters.

f. He was truly and completely a man.

2. Yet, it is equally obvious that He was more than just a man.

a. Nicodemus recognized this.

John 3:2 "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."

b. Philosophers tell us that Jesus was the best man who ever lived.

c. But we must understand, He was not just a man, even the best of men.

d. "God was in Christ." Jesus was God manifest in the flesh.

B. Jesus was not simply a man of God, but God who became man.

1. That statement must be taken at face value with all that it implies.

2. It means that Jesus was the eternal, omnipotent, holy God, Creator of heaven and earth and all things.

(John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

(Col 1:16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

3. Then what was He doing on the cross? Why was He there?

II. Why was Jesus on the Cross?

(2 Cor 5:19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

A. Christ was on the cross because of man's sin

1. In verse 17, Paul declared that when a man is in Christ, He is a new creature - a saint, a heaven born son of God.

2. Apart from Christ, man is a sinner.

3. He is conceived in sin - which simply means he inherits a sinful nature from his parents that poisons every part of his being.

(Rom 3:10-12) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. {12} They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4. He is condemned in sin.

(Rom 5:18a) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation…"

a. In Romans 3:23, Paul writes that ALL have sinned.

b. In 5:18, he writes that ALL are under condemnation.

c. In an unredeemed state, all men are guilty before God.

d. This is another aspect of the cross that cannot be glamorized.

e. God is holy.

f. The very best we could offer Him is as filthy rags in His sight.

B. Jesus died on the cross in our place.

(2 Cor 5:19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

1. Note the statement in verse 19, 'not imputing their trespasses unto them'.

2. The simple fact is that we all have sinned, all are under condemnation, and all deserve to die.

3. But instead of charging us with our own sin, God laid them all upon His Son.

4. Christ in love took our sin and made it his very own.

5. He died so that we wouldn't have to.

III. What Did He Accomplish?

A. We've been reconciled to God

1. What does that mean?

2. To those who have accepted Christ as Savior, it means our relationship to God is made new.

3. It doesn't mean that we are perfect, because we aren't.

4. But we do have a new relationship with God.

5. We have been reconciled or brought back to Him.

6. In verses 17, Paul writes that all things have become new.

7. That is the meaning of reconciliation.

a. We were sinners, now we are sons.

b. We were condemned, now we are justified.

c. We were enemies, now we have fellowship with God.

d. Reconciliation goes beyond forgiveness.

e. We can forgive someone without being reconciled to that person.

f. We may put away the offense, but not restore the relationship.

g. God has done both.

8. He has not only put away our past debt of sin, but He has also

a. Brought us into His family

b. Prepared a place for us in His heaven

c. Promised that we will be with Him for all eternity.

B. We've been made the righteousness of God

(2 Cor 5:21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1. God took my sins, and charged them to Christ's account.

2. And He takes Christ's righteousness and places it to my account.

3. That is the basis of our new relationship to God.

4. All our sins, past, present and future have been paid for by Jesus' death.

5. They are no longer on God's record books.

6. Instead, when God looks at my account, He finds me to be - in actuality and fact - as righteous as His son.

7. God made Him to be sin for us so that we could be made the very righteousness of God.

8. Again, not in our BEHAVIOR, but in our BEING - that part of us that goes to heaven, the "real you."

C. Right now it is a spiritual rebirth.

1. All who trust in Christ are a made a new creature, spiritually.

2. One day He will make us a new creature physically.

(1 John 3:2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3. This is talking about our resurrected bodies…we shall be like Him!

Now we come to the one last question. "What does God expect us to do with these facts?"

For those who are not born again.

1. Be reconciled to God (20b)

2. How can you be reconciled to God?

a. Agreeing with the Scripture that you are a sinner.

b. Believing that Christ died in your place, to pay your sin debt.

c. Choosing today to accept Christ as your Savior.

For those who are born again

1. Be an ambassador for Christ

2. Make it your business to speak to others on behalf of the Savior.

3. Encourage them to be reconciled to God.