Pierced for a purpose
Easter Sermon
John 19:16-18
This morning I would like to ask you to get a hold of your Bibles and open them up to the book of Isaiah chapter 53 let’s read at verse 1
We are going to read 6 verses:
1 – Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 – He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 – He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 – Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 – But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 – We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The Bible also says in Psalms 22:16 -For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet
This morning I would like to speak a message that I believe The Lord has placed upon my heart. The title of the message is “Pierced for a Purpose…”
The Bible says in the book of Isaiah that Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, how many are thankful that Jesus was pierced for a purpose?
That purpose was for our transgressions, it was for our iniquities, it was for our peace and it was for our healing.
This morning I would like to take a look at what Jesus went through for you and I that we might be forgiven, that we might be saved, that we might walk in peace, and that we might be healed.
As we get into this message keep this in mind that – No one took the life of Jesus, but He laid down His Life.
The book of Isaiah is describing all that Jesus went through when He was crucified on the cross of Calvary.
Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution in which the victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to a cross. It was one of the most horribly painful and disgraceful methods of capital punishment.
The word crucifixion comes from the latin “crucifixio,” or “crucifixus,” meaning “fixed to a cross.”
Let me read to you something that describes what Jesus went through when He was being crucified…CrucifixionWhat is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description:
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The one doing the crucifying feels for the depression at the front of the wrist.
He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.
The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.
As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain–the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.
As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.
As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled.
He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation(as fik si ation), searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the rough timber.
Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over–the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level–the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues–the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues. . .Finally he can allow his body to die.
WOW all this the Bible records in the words of “and they crucified Him.”Mark 15:24
Jesus endured all this pain and suffering so that you and I might be forgiven.
It all happened about 2,000 years ago when God stepped out of heaven, came down to earth, and took the earthly human form of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
The scripture says “that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in Service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of His people.”
In the Bible days a High Priest wore a breastplate that had stones, engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, on both his chest and his shoulders.
The High Priest would therefore be in constant sympathy with the people of God, carrying them on his chest representing his heart and on his shoulders representing his work…
As our High Priest Jesus didn't wear the High Priest’s breastplate; but He took the wounds on His body and the cross on His shoulders to show His heart for us and His work on our behalf. He made propitiation for the sins of His people.
Why did Jesus have to shed His blood?
If Christ would have died any other way without the shedding of blood, His death would have been in vain.
It had to be death by the shedding of blood: Leviticus 17:11 says for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.
Acts 20:28 – states how He bought us with His own blood.
Ephesians 1:7 – talks about how we have redemption through His blood.
I John 1:7 – talks about how His blood purifies us from all sin.
I Peter 1:19 – talks about how you and I are redeemed through the blood of Christ the precious lamb without spot or blemish.
Rom 5:8-9: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!”
How many are thankful for the precious blood of Jesus?
If it wasn’t for that precious blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary all of us would be dead in our sins.
The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23
So no matter how good you and I think we are and no matter how good we try to be, we still fall short because the Bible says all have sinned and fall short.
This morning I would like to use the cross to point out how Jesus took all our sins and washed them with His Blood.
1. When they crucified Him – they nailed His hands to the cross.
When they nailed His hands to the Cross – I like to look at is as every sin that my hands led me into doing before I got saved, has been covered with the Blood.
There are many sins that are hands can lead us into:
– robbing- stealing- smoking- fighting- drinking- dealing drugs- sinning to get money in our handsJesus hands are still open to a dying worldA Christian young man, shown around a work plant in an industrial town in Great Britain, turned to thank the manager who had guided him around, and gratefully to shake his hand. He was surprised to find his guides hand soft, limp and flabby. Seeing his look of surprise, the manager said,You must excuse my hand. When I was an apprentice I had an accident, a nail was driven through it and I have never been able to close it since.Immediately expressing, as well as to show sympathy, the young Christian said, May I shake hands with you again, sir? And may I tell you something?Nearly 2000 years ago one left the glory of heaven and came as a child to earth. His people crucified Him, and nails were driven through His hands.Like you, He has never closed them since but stretches them out to a needy world.
Jesus covers every sin that I have ever committed with these hands.
2. They nailed His feet to the cross.
When I think about them nailing His feet to the cross. I think of all the place my feet led me to that I shouldn’t have been doing, but it is all under the Blood.
You and I both know that before we got saved our feet may have taken us places that we shouldn’t have been.
Come on Somebody!!!
– from the club- to the drug spot- from bunking school- running from the police- from walking into the store to steal- or from running after you robbed someone
It’s amazing the sins that you and I have used our feet for – but I thank God for the nail in His feet and the precious blood that was shed on the Cross of Calvary for my sins.
Is there anybody else that is thankful for the nail in His feet that covered the sins you’ve committed because of where your feet have taken you?
I know now we are in the house of God and we might not want to admit it, but I thank God for the precious Blood of the Lamb.
He shed His blood that we might be forgiven – not condemned.
3. They put a crown of thorns on His head.
The third piercing that I am grateful for is the crown of thorns.
I like to look at this as representing every wrong that thought or imagination that I have thought before I got saved to be under the blood.
See not only did they pierce His hands, not only did they pierce His feet, but they also put a crown of thorns on His head.
How many know our thoughts needed some sanctification and they still do.
Romans 8:7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Before we got saved you and I had some thoughts that needed to be cleansed such as:
– thoughts of hatred- thoughts of pride- thoughts of anger- thoughts of jealousy- thoughts of robbing, stealing, murder, un forgiveness and whatever else you and I can think of.
How many here can think about the thoughts you used to think and say I am thankful for the blood of Jesus?
We all needed our thoughts to be cleansed.
I like to look at the crown of thorns as taking care of every thought that was and is not pleasing to God.
Notice I said that is not pleasing to God, because if you and I are honest we still are dealing with our thought life every day.
Now I know you are in Church and we might not want to admit it, but we still need to keep our thoughts under subjection.
See if I told you everything I thought from a day to day basis, you probably wouldn’t want me to be a pastor. I would dare to say I am not the only one.
I don’t know about you, but I can be in the middle of praising God and a thought can just come out of nowhere and I am like where did that come from?
Sometimes I can be facing a situation and my mind will give me options on what to do in that situation.
It is kind of like that old Robocop movie where he would have choices of what to do.
1. shoot him –
2. kill him –
3. Strangle him
or 4. obey the law.
That is how my mind is sometimes… In certain situations, it will give me options:
What should I do:- get mad- go off on them- tell them off- or stay in the spirit
Well I wish I had some help. There are probably some of us here this morning – You can be at work or you can be on the phone and a situation arises and your mind gives you options – what should I do?
– should I tell them off- should I get mad- should I say something I shouldn’t say- or should I stay in the spirit…
You and I need our minds to be cleansed on a daily basis – that is why I am thankful for the crown of thorns and the blood that Jesus shed – because it washes me from all sin.
Tell your neighbor He covered my mind.
4. They pierced Him in His side.
The next wound that I am grateful for is the wound to his side.
I personally like to look at this wound as the blood covering every sin that I did because of the people that I hung out with.
The people that were by my side, who helped me to do things that I shouldn’t have been doing.
You know that group of friends we had that caused us to do things that we shouldn’t have done.
You know them peer pressure sins – That is why you and I need to be careful who we have by our side. We need to be careful who we run with.
There is a saying that says – Tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you who you are..
Whether it be friends, family members, your gang, or your party crew. I am sure most of us have hung out with people who encouraged us to do things that we shouldn’t have been doing.
I personally like to look at the piercing on His side, covers all those sins.
Last but not least
5. They whipped Him on His back.
Just before Jesus was crucified, Pilot caused Jesus to be beaten horribly by a Roman “scourging team” usually administered to a condemned man.
This brutal whipping was usually done with a leather whip, into which were fastened embedded shards of glass or metal, designed to tear the skin and induce incredible bleeding and excruciating pain.
Many men died just from this beating alone.
Imagine that every time the whip hit Him on His back the metal and the glass would rip a piece of His flesh off of His body. Thank you Jesus for your precious blood that was shed.
I like to look at the whipping of His back to represent everything that I carried throughout my life.
All the guilt, the shame, the condemnation, un forgiveness and the list goes on.
Jesus took those burdens on His back so that I wouldn’t have to carry them.See all the burdens that you and I carry can be given over to Jesus because He took the responsibility of those burdens when He carried the cross and took the beating on His back.
Today you might be here, on this beautiful Good Friday, and you might be carrying
1. Guilt2. Shame3. Un forgiveness4. Hatred5. Condemnation6. A heavy load of anger7. whatever it may be you can give it over to Jesus and let the blood of Jesus wash you white as snow.
Jesus took our sin, but gave us His Righteousness.
You don't have to carry it anymore – Jesus carried the load of the cross and said we can cast all of our cares on Him…
Quote: We are made righteousThis is the whole truth of justification stated simply: our sins were on Jesus, and His righteousness is on us. And, “As Christ was not made sin by any sin inherent in him, so neither are we made righteous by any righteousness inherent in us, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.” (Poole)
Today if you are here on this Good Friday you can be forgiven of every one of your sins.
All you have to do is accept the work that Jesus did on the cross of Calvary and He will cleanse us by His Blood.
The Bible says in Romans 5:8-9Romans 5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
To be justified is to be just if I’d never sinned..
The good news of the Good Friday is because of the Cross of Calvary you and I can have that forgiveness in our lives no matter what sins we have committed. All we have to do is receive it.
I would like everyone to stand…
