VIDEO: You Amaze Me by Gaither’s
Let me ask this question as we continue our series this morning on the Apostles Creed. Are you still amazed at the Lord? Are you amazed at glorious sunrises and sunsets? Are you in awe at how the seasons come and go? Are you silenced in heart by the idea that you can plant a tiny seed and it becomes a beautiful flower? I could go on and, on this morning, —but the heart question is this—are you more amazed and loving the Lord more today than you were yesterday? Are you growing in your faith and leaning into the Lord daily?
I ask all of this because today is an important day as we come to the Table of the Lord in just a little while. Are you amazed, thankful, grateful for the intense love of Jesus and His sacrifice for you and me?
The Apostles Creed states that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. Today we want to talk about the purpose and meaning of Christ’s death, not only what it means to each of us but what it means to the entire human race. It is good for us to be reminded on this day that we will, in a few moments, be sharing the Lord’s Table together.
Let’s begin to unfold these few stanzas…
1. Suffered under Pontius Pilate—what exactly does this mean? There are a number of things we can see through the eyes of the gospel writers to give us insight into what Christ suffered. All four of the gospels (Matthew 27: 11-31, Mark 15:1-15, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-19:16) talk about this aspect of being before Pilate and then being crucified, dead, and buried. But before we take a look at the Gospels, I want to work through Isaiah 53 which is a prophetic chapter on the Messiah.
2. Isaiah 53: 1-12—This portion of Scripture lays out for us much of what the Gospel writers will confirm of this prophecy of Jesus. (Notes adapted from NIV Study Bible)
a. Vs. 1-2—Although Jesus is the Messiah, there are many who would not believe in him and would not respond to his message to repent and find relationship with God through Christ. Jesus would not come to this earth as a mighty warrior or conquering King, but he came into very humble beginnings and during a time of great spiritual drought. John the Baptist began to prepare the people for Jesus shortly before he began his public ministry.
b. Vs. 3-4—it says that Jesus was despised and rejected. This is seen clearly by the response of the Jewish religious leaders and their desire to have Jesus crucified. (Read Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:63-23:5; John 18:28-32)
i. What does this mean for us? It means that we too will suffer rejection by others—but because Jesus took this upon Himself, we have the acceptance in Christ that cannot be touched by anyone. You are fully accepted by God and He alone can help with the hurts that come from being hurt and rejected by others in your life.
c. Vs. 3—Jesus was a man of sorrows: Jesus’ mission would involve great pain, suffering, disappointment and grief because of the sins of humankind.
i. What does this mean for us? It means that in life we too suffer disappointments and a measure of suffering. But Jesus is present to provide the comfort and the grace that we need to make it through whatever it is that breaks our hearts.
d. Vs. 4—took up our infirmities: Jesus had a tremendous ministry of healing the sick—both physical and the spiritually sick.
i. What does this mean for us? Jesus would endure punishment in order that we may be delivered from our diseases and sicknesses as well as from our sins. Because of this we can pray for physical healing in our lives and for those we are concerned about. As Jesus bore our sins, he also takes the sickness and the grief that belongs to us, lifts them upon himself and carries them.
e. Vs. 5—pierced for our transgressions: Christ was crucified because we have sinned and are guilty before God. As our substitute, he took the punishment due us and paid the penalty for our sins, which according to Romans 6:23, is the penalty of death. But because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can be forgiven and have peace with God. (Romans 5:1—Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.)
f. Vs. 5—By his wounds we are healed: This healing refers to salvation with all its benefits, spiritual and physical. Sickness and disease are a result of the fall of humankind and Satan’s activity in the world. I John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s works.” I Corinthians 12:9 tells us that Jesus gave gifts of healing to the church and commanded his followers to heal the sick as part of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
g. Vs 10—it was the Lord’s will to crush him: It was the will of God the Father that his Son be sent to die on the cross for a lost world. By making Christ an atoning sacrifice for all transgressions, God’s redemptive purpose of bringing many people to salvation has been accomplished.
3. John 3:16—For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
4. Under Pontius Pilate, when Jesus was brought before him, the religious leaders demanded that Jesus be crucified. Though Pilate found Jesus innocent, he was willing to submit to the desire of the people, but Jesus told Pilate that the only authority he had was from God. Jesus was beaten, spit on, ridiculed, rejected, and crucified in order to fulfill the need of you and I to have a bridge to reach God and to have cleansing for our sin that has separated us from God. Jesus is that bridge.
a. Last week we mentioned the verses in Hebrews that tells us that Jesus experienced all that we ever will and yet was without sin. It is a stark reminder to all of that that the work that Jesus did on the cross is a solid and firm foundation for us to lay our hearts on. The blessing of the love of Christ for each and every one of us is that no matter what we may face or go through in life, He is with us and gets us!
5. He was crucified, dead, and buried…but then he rose again and ascended to God. Jesus is now our High Priest in the heavens and intercedes for each of us according to the will of God. Jesus suffered so that we can have peace in our hearts no matter what we face in this life. Jesus was ridiculed and rejected so that when you and I face those kinds of difficulties in this life—Jesus knows the pain it causes in our hearts and tells us he understands and reminds us of his love and acceptance of us.
6. Jesus won the victory over death so that you and I can have the hope of eternal life. We can have the assurance of knowing that there is something else beyond this earthly life and points our hearts toward heaven.
7. The rejection of Jesus also assures us that no matter what our culture may throw at us or accuse us of—He understands. Our culture today is very anti-Christianity and it is getting worse by the day. Yet, in the last days the Word of God tells us this very thing is going to happen.
a. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is a stark reminder to us: But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.
But we also need to remember and be reminded of the blessings that we are provided to live a strong and peaceful life in Christ.
Conclusion: Psalm 103: 1-13
1. The Psalmist is having a conversation with his soul and invites us to listen in. He is telling himself to remember the benefits that come through knowing the Lord.
a. Forgives all your sins
b. Heals all your diseases
c. Redeems your life from the pit
d. Crowns you with love and compassion
e. Satisfies your desires with good things
f. Renews your youth like the eagle’s
g. Works righteousness and justice for the oppressed
h. He doesn’t treat you as your sins deserve
i. As far as the east is from the west God has removed our sins for us
j. He has compassion on us because he understands us.
2. All of these things come to us through the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross. They were won not only when Jesus suffered and died for us, but when he rose again and defeated death and fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law requiring a sacrifice for sin. Jesus’ sacrifice for all of humankind was once and for all. Never again is there a need for a blood sacrifice—Jesus paid it all.
3. There is an old chorus that says, “He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to take my sins away. And I now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace, Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.”
Let us renew the thankfulness in our hearts and lean closer into Jesus!
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