Mar. 29, 1953 THE CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR Luke 23:13-49 Read this entire passage either in uni son or with a good reader. Read it rev erently ior we stand on holy ground as we draw close to His Cross. The Cross and Resurrection of Christ provide the climax to His wonderful work of re demption. Because He died and rose again we too, shall live. Going back to the record of His cruci fixion as given by Luke let us observe the following truths and apply them to our lives: The Choice of the Crowd vv. 17, 18 It was the custom at that time of the year to release a prisoner from the Roman jail. Pilate would have released Jesus because he knew that He was in nocent; but the crowd refused to have the Saviour and chose rather to receive a murderer. This was a strange choice. Surely we would suppose that any think ing person would rather have Christ than Barabbas. The exact opposite, how ever, was true. Is it any different today? We think not. If Jesus Christ were here again, and the crowd had a choice to make be tween this righteous and holy One and a man of the world they would choose, once again, the man of the world. Why is this so? The world chooses Barabbas because he makes no claims upon them as Christ does. Jesus demands holiness of men; men do not like holiness. Men want religion as long as it does not in terfere with the way they live. Men want salvation without a Saviour, hap piness without holiness, and Heaven without hell. But this is impossible. The heart of Jesus’ message was the neces sity of personal purity and holiness (Matt. 5:20). He demanded the entire love and devotion and obedience of men (Luke 10:27). Anything less than this is rebellion and anarchy against the kingdom of God and against the King. The world, therefore, offers lip service to God, but in their hearts men have sub stituted Barabbas for Jesus. The Weakness of Pilate v. 24 These are exceedingly sad words: “ Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they [the people] required.” This means that he went contrary to his own convictions and his own conscience. No man ought ever to do this. The truth and the Spirit of God bore testimony to the innocence of Christ; Pilate knew that this was so; yet he deliberately violated his own conviction and delivered over the innocent One to a cruel and blood thirsty mob. Many are guilty of the same dastard ly action today. Many know that the record is true, that Christ is the Son of God, that He is the only Saviour, and
that He is worthy of the love and devo tion of every man. Yet, for the sake of the crowd, godless though it is, and for fear of personal loss, they will not con fess Him as their Saviour and Lord, choosing rather that Barabbas should be delivered unto them (Heb. 13:13, 14). The Cruelty of the Cross vv. 33-38 “ There they crucified Him” . . . amazing words. Here were sinful men, creatures, putting to a horrible death the Son of God, their Creator! We sav, How can it be! The answer is, He died for these very people who crucified Him. After it was all over we like to think that many of the very men who nailed Him to the cross, and lifted it toward the sky, and dropped it into place, later confessed Him as their Saviour. Marvel ous grace of Christ, for He would re ceive every one of them if they came to Him for forgiveness and salvation (John 6:37)! The' crucifixion was terrible in the pain and suffering it inflicted; it was humiliating in that it elevated the naked body of its victim and exposed it to the view of all; it was insulting in the mock ery of the soldiers who gambled for His garments at the foot of the cross. But thank God for the cross! He died that we might live (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). The Promise of the Cross vv. 39-43 While dying the Saviour promised that that very day the believing thief next to Him should be with Him in paradise. What triumph is this. Death to Christ was not the end, as it is not the end to any man. Death is the separa tion of the soul from the body, not the annihilation of the soul. Jesus went to paradise when He delivered up His soul; He took the soul of the thief (now con verted into a saint) with Him. At death every believer goes instantly into the presence of the Lord in glory (2 Cor. 5:8, 9; Phil. 1:21-23). The Triumph of the Cross vv. 45-47 Jesus’ death on the cross was a triumph in that it accomplished full re demption (v. 45). This is the meaning of the rent veil in the Temple in Jerusa lem (Heb. 10:19, 20). Into the Holy Place only the high priest could go, and this once a year. But when Christ died the veil was rent from top to bottom, signifying that now, through His aton ing work, the believer could enter into the very presence of God. The triumph of our Lord’s death is also seen in that He dismissed His own Spirit at the very moment He wished (v. 46). No man took His life from Him; He gave it freely for the sins of His people. A further triumph is the appar ent salvation of the Roman centurion who stood watching (v.47). No man can look at the cross with open heart and not receive the Saviour who died there in his stead.
h en I trusted Christ as my Saviour - Messiah, my family dis
owned me** This is the tes timony of many newly-saved Jewish Christians.
Many of these converted Jews, many Jewish displaced persons, orphaned Jewish children, widows and others of God’s chosen people in Israel, Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, England and the United States are in desperate need of material help. More important even than their physical need, is. their need
for spiritual strengthening and encouragement in their distress»
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MISSIONARY AND RELIEF MINISTRY l HE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL
'was born of the conviction that Christians had a sacred obligation to proclaim Christ to His own people, the Jews, and to minister to the urgent ma terial needs of Jewish refugees and out casts. Often such help has saved a Jewish family from complete despair and opened their hearts to the Gospel. invite you to share the blessings that ive come to us through this ministry.. Will you give THE FRIENDS OF ISRAEL your prayerful support?
FREE! Read thrilling reports of Jewish evangelism in our maga zine ISRAEL MY GLORY.
The Friends of Israel Missionary and R elief Society, Inc. Genera! Secretary, Rev. Victor Buksbazen U S A . CANADA Withertpeon Bldg. 1066 Avenue Read Philadelphia 7, Pa. Dapt. 728K Toronto 12, Ontario
F E B R U A R Y ,
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