Scripture Reading (NIV):
Isaiah 53:1 - 12
1 ¶  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? {report: or,
doctrine?: Heb. hearing?}
2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he
hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him.
3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we
hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. {we hid…: or,
he hid as it were his face from us: Heb. as an hiding of faces from him, or, from us}
4 ¶  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. {wounded: or,
tormented} {stripes: Heb. bruise}
6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. {laid…: Heb. made the iniquity of us all to meet
on him}
7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
mouth.
8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for
he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
{from prison…: or, away by distress and judgment: but, etc} {was he…: Heb. was the stroke
upon him}
9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. {death: Heb. deaths}
10 ¶  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make
his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. {thou…: or, his soul shall make an offering}
11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the
strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Matthew 16:24
24 ¶  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me.

Colossians 1:12 - 15
12 ¶  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light:
13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son: {his…: Gr. the Son of his love}
14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Message

What is the meaning of the Cross?
This is the first questions we need to ask.

We’ve seen the movie, we’ve read the scripture, but what does it mean to us? How does it
impact our daily lives? Is it still effective?

Here are five Biblical meanings of the Cross.

1.        Through being obedient to the cross, Jesus gave us an example to follow.
2.        It is a cancellation of our debts, it’s full payment for the fine that we must pay because
we have trespassed.
3.        It is the defeating of death, the conquest of the grave and the gateway to life.
4.        The cross is a picture of Baptism.
5.        The cross is a total defeat and annihilation of Satan and his weaponry.

1.        Through being obedient to the cross, Jesus gave us an example to follow.

Matthew 16:24 copy scriptures

Jesus not only preached obedience, He demonstrated it. He became obedient to His own
death on the cross. We all have a cross of obedience to follow through, a calling, a mission.
Jesus is calling us to walk in obedience to that mission. It is our destiny. Till the day we die it
is our purpose.

2.        It is a cancellation of our debts, it’s full payment for the fine that we must pay because
we have trespassed.

Colossians 1:13 - 14 copy scriptures

What a wonderful thing this is and yet we often walk around as though there is no sacrifice
that can remove our sins. We call God a liar when we deny our own forgiveness, because He
has made a full payment  for our sins.

3.        It is the defeating of death, the conquest of the grave and the gateway to life.

Colossians 1:1 - 12 copy scriptures

Death were is your sting, grave where is your victory? Jesus has conquered man’s absolute
last and greatest fear. Death itself. What a joy to know Him.

4.        The cross is a picture of Baptism.

Through the cross we become one with Him through His death and resurrection. Often
people  choose to be baptized on Easter because it’s a powerful time. To be baptized means
that we submerge ourselves into His death and new life.

Ortez  would say when he was baptising someone: “I kill you in the name of  JESUS ”

St. Francis: “ For it is in giving that we receive
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
it is in dying that we are born to ETERNAL LIFE.”

5.        The cross is a total defeat and annihilation of Satan and his weaponry.

Colossians1:12 - 15 copy scriptures

It is so funny when you watch the movies the one with the gun has power until someone else
comes in with a gun  and takes his gun away. This POWERFUL person then becomes a
weak PLEADING WIMP. JESUS has DEFEATED satan and TOTALLY DISARMED him on the
CROSS. We need to see this clearly.. Satan IS DEFEATED..        
The world is trying to disarm ITSELF  not realising Jesus did this 2000 years ago it has been
done. Only believe.

Let us seek to walk in the power of His death, burial and resurrection, today and for the rest of
our lives.
Church on the Way.
Focus On The Cross!   20/03/05    Sermon - week 12
St. Georges Presbyterian Church  Bluff, Durban, South Africa.