MATTHEW 27:11-16

Many years ago, a little girl about 6 needed desperately to have a surgery to save her life. It was an emergency operation and blood in her type was needed immediately. It was ascertained that her brother, a boy of 9, had the acceptable type of blood. The doctors asked the boy if he would be willing to give some blood to save his sister's life. The boy, without flinching, said he would be willing. He didn't think that too great a sacrifice to save his little sister. There was Another who didn't think it too great a sacrifice to give His blood to save us. After suffering condemnation in a parody of justice in an illegal trial consisting of irregular form, trumped up charges, perjured testimony and no real concern for truth, Jesus was scourged, subjected to indignity, and was led out to be crucified. He was betrayed by one disciple, denied by another, deserted by the rest and forsaken by God. There amid the taunts, mockery and jesting of those He came to save, Jesus gave His blood; Jesus died. But in doing that He told the greatest story ever told; He proclaimed redemption's glad message; He told love's sweet story. How did He tell that story?

1. HE TOLD OF LOVE THROUGH THE SACRIFICE HE MADE:
1. Sacrifice is the act of forfeiting something for the good of another. It is offering to a deity a victim on an altar. It is to give up something precious for the benefit of another.
2. Note how this is fulfilled in Jesus:
1. John the Baptist, recalling the Jewish sacrificial system, pointed to Jesus and said, in John 1:29,"Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world."
2. Jesus Himself spoke of His sacrifice:
1. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
2. John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
3. Jesus truly made a costly, willing, unselfish sacrifice and in so doing told of His great love
1. Isaiah 53:3-6 "He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him."
2. Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond©servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
3. The guiltless assumed our guilt.
4. The blameless took our blame.
5. The sinless bore our sins.
6. The innocent accepted the payment for our crimes.
4. Jesus made that willing sacrifice simply to say, "I love you this much!" That's love's sweet story.

2. HE TOLD OF LOVE THROUGH THE SUFFERING HE ENDURED:
1. Here's what the Bible says about Jesus enduring suffering: Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart."
1. The cross was painful to the point of unbearable agony -- but Jesus endured it.
2. The cross was shameful and disgraceful and contemptuous -- but Jesus endured it.
3. Jesus suffered every way a man can suffer: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally -- but Jesus endured it.
2. Put yourself there. Think of having your back whipped to the consistency of raw hamburger. Think of carrying your own cross. Think of stumbling and falling. Think of the jeers, the taunts, the hatred. Think of the shame and contempt of it all. And then realize that Jesus did more than think about it -- He endured it.
3. Jesus Christ hurt as a man and died as God. And through it all He suffered for you and for me.
4. But you see, love is always willing to bear its cross; to endure its pain; to pay its price and to go through hell to bring its loved one to heaven.

3. HE TOLD OF LOVE THROUGH THE SALVATION HE OFFERS:
1. That is the purpose of the cross! Not just the venting of God's wrath against sin; not just the satisfaction of His justice. It is the fulfillment of and the satisfaction of His mercy and grace.
1. John 3:17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him."
2. Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
2. The Holy God of Heaven loathes sin but loves to save those who repent of it. Paul reminds us:
1. 2 Corinthians 5:19 "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them,"
2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
3. 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
3. When you think of the cross, don't just think of a religious symbol. Don't think just of a bloody gruesome implement of death but of a loving instrument of life; don't think of it as justice but of grace; not of wrath but of mercy; not of condemnation, but of salvation.
4. It was the Father's good pleasure to put Jesus to the cross to save those who would believe.

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