Sunday, February 26, 2006

How does the cross work? (Matt 22v13)

Matt22v13 "Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there wil be weeping and gnashing of teeth"

in a recent talk I noted three points to the sinner's punishment:

1. utter powerlessness: “Bind him hand and foot”
2. utter loneliness: “cast him into outer darkness”
3. aching painfulness: “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”

We then saw how the cross works as Jesus dies in the place of sinners:

The man Jesus was made powerless: “bind his hands and feet”. ("Put you finger here, and see my hands" - John 20v27)

The man Jesus suffered loneliness – the “outer darkness”: ("And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabacthani?" which means, "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" - Mark 15v34).

The man Jesus suffered physical pain – the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” ("In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence").

This is how the cross works, Jesus takes our place.

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