The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

What is the greatest message ever given? The greatest sermon ever preached? Today I’m going to give to you the greatest sermon ever written. How do I know it’s the greatest sermon ever written? It’s because I didn’t write it.

It’s the sermon Jesus gave on the mount of olives during his ministry on Earth. It is a challenging message, encouraging and convicting and beautiful and challenging.

Many have struggled to interpret this sermon correctly. I’ve heard many times that this sermon isn’t about obeying what Jesus said, all the sermon is doing is just pointing us to the fact that we can’t obey God and we have to accept Jesus as our perfect sacrifice.

That is partially true, but also false.

If we say that the message is just meant to convict us of sin and point us to the sacrifice of Jesus, we’re missing the fact that Jesus gave commands here that we can and should follow.

But it is true that we can’t follow any of these teachings without Jesus. But, with Jesus in our heart, as our Lord and savior, and with the Holy Spirit within us, helping us, guiding us, and convicting us, we can and should hear, learn and apply to our lives every word Jesus shares in the sermon on the mount.

During this message I will offer very brief comments, mainly to indicate main points we can pull from it.

So without further ado here is the greatest message ever given:

The Beatitudes

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

This opening section is often referred to as the beatitudes. It’s a perfect sermon opening. What kind of attitudes of the heart does God bless? Humility, mercy, working for peace, pure, and so on. Point number one, where is your heart? In God’s kingdom it’s all about the heart.

Teaching about Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Second point, serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God. We may be tempted to hide our message, but putting it under a basket. We may be afraid, or nervous to share the word, but we must shine the truth out for all to see.

Teaching about the Law

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Third point, don’t ignore any of the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom.

Teaching about Anger

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’[c] 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone,[d] you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,[e] you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,[f] you are in danger of the fires of hell.[g]

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice[h] at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Fourth point, Jesus teaches about anger. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them.

Teaching about Adultery

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[l]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Teaching about Divorce

31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’[m] 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Fifth point, Jesus teaches about sexual conduct. We’re told to take radical action if we are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful. We also get a teaching about marriage, that divorce is considered very serious and should be avoided.

Teaching about Vows

33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’[n] 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Teaching about Revenge

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[o] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[p] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

Teaching about Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Point number six, love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you. We often think this seems too difficult or unrealistic. But Jesus says, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Teaching about Giving to the Needy

6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point seven, Jesus had said earlier to shine your light so others will give glory to God, yet Jesus also warns us not to do good deeds to be admired by others, instead, give your gifts with a humble heart, and God will reward you. It's important that we avoid pride, by making sure our chief desire is to please God, not be seen and applauded by people. 

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[t]
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[u]
but rescue us from the evil one.[v]

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[w] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point number 8, instructions on prayer, pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you, and pray in the format of the our father, a deeply personal and relational way to pray.

Teaching about Money and Possessions

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[x] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Point number 9, you can’t serve God and money. Let God be first, then you won’t have to fear, there will be no anxiety, because you trust God to care for you and not your own money/ability. Many of us in the wealthy western world pretend to rely on God but we're really relying on our money. Repent of this attitude, and put all your trust in God. Money is a tool, not a wall of protection. 

Do Not Judge Others

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[y] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[z]

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[aa] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[ab] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[ac] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Point number 10, don’t judge others. Stop looking at the conduct of others and look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you. If you've become judgmental in your walk with God, it's time to ask God's forgiveness. And ask God to renew a "right spirit within you."

Effective Prayer

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

The Golden Rule

12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[ad] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Point number 11, be doggedly persistent in your walk with God. Keep praying, don’t give up, pray for years if necessary. Do to others what you would have them do to you, and be focused in your walk with God, because narrow is the way that leads to life.

The Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

True Disciples

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Building on a Solid Foundation

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Point number twelve, what will really matter in the end is not the things you claimed to believe, but how you actually lived them out. Did you apply the teachings of Jesus in your life? By our fruits people will know us. We’ll know false teachers by their fruit, and true teachers by their fruit. If we claim to follow Jesus but break God’s commands, we won’t be welcomed into heaven on judgment day. But, if we put into practice Jesus’ teachings, we will endure, like a house built on a firm foundation.

Main Points Drawn from the Message:
1. It’s about the heart, blessed are you if you are humble, merciful & pure in spirit

2. Serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God

3. Don’t ignore the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom

4. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them

5. Take radical action if you are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful

6. Love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you.

7. Don’t do good deeds to be admired, serve others humbly and God will reward you

8. Pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you

9. You can’t serve God and money. Put God be first, then you won’t have to be anxious

10. Don’t judge others. Look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you

11. Be persistent in your faith. Keep praying, don’t give up, walk the narrow road to life

12. Be wise and apply the teachings of Jesus to your life, then you will be like a house built on a firm foundation

How to make an Approach to God

Before I had faith in God, I went through a series of changes over years that brought me slowly closer and closer to knowing God. So if you're someone today who doesn't know God, but you honestly wish that you did, you may be wondering, how can I make an approach to God?  Here's how...

First thing you'll notice is, you start to feel a sense of longing. You will sense an urge for something more that you can't explain. 

The word of God says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." –Matthew 5:6 

You will long for something pure, something good, something beyond this life’s messiness.

Suffering hones this search- problems in your life, as hard as they are, actually will draw you toward the bigger important questions of life. So embrace difficulties as something that will actually help your search for God. 

If you sense a draw from God, act on it, move toward what God is saying to you. It may be a slow unveiling of who he is. Make the choice to interact in the search for God. 

Ask people of faith that you know to pray for you. Prayer is powerful, surround yourself with people praying for your spiritual journey.

Get access to a Bible and then keep it in your bedroom, and instead of playing on your phone, read a chapter from the Bible each night. You may not understand it, but keep studying it. For years I read the Bible from time to time, but it didn't make sense to me. 

When you're ready, begin to ask God this simple question: Lord Jesus, if you’re really real, please show yourself to me in a way I can understand. Make this your daily prayer.

Watch for nudges from God – it’s something you’ll notice, something that speaks to your heart, it could be a conversation with a friend, it could be something beautiful in nature, it could be a sign on a billboard. Be open to what God is showing you. 

All of this is having a spiritual experience – and here’s the thing, as soon as you decide to have it, it will start happening. 

It's a decision you make in your own heart and mind, that you are open to an experience with God. Immediately upon making that decision the experience will commence. 

As you engage in the experience and watch for it, you'll be amazed that you begin to have moments in your life where God interacts with you. 

All of this will lead you toward God’s son Jesus, and what Jesus did for you. Slowly but surely you’ll notice what Jesus did on the cross. What happened there will begin to matter to you. And as you do, slowly your heart will realize, "I need Jesus."

You’ll sense an ache in your heart, a loneliness, a sense of disconnection, a guilt over the sins you’ve committed, a sorrow of being distant from God, and as you do, slowly but surely, it’ll connect, the reason for that sorrow and disconnection, is because "I need Jesus."

Then, last thing, it’ll connect in your heart and head, if I need Jesus, then I need to call out to Jesus, who will hear my cry and answer me. This is a form of prayer, to call out on the name of Jesus.

God will bring you to a moment when you are sufficiently emotionally and spiritually moved, to call out to Jesus, and you’ll need to do this verbally, with your mouth.

The word of God says it, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9-10

When you call on Jesus, you’re believing that he can help you, you’re believing he’s God, you're believing he will forgive your sins, and you’re believing that he’s alive right now. That’s sufficient to receive Him. Then you’ll be born again. And suddenly you'll become connected to God through Jesus. But remember, this is not the end of the journey. It is the end of one journey, but the beginning of another. 

The Crucifixion of Jesus: What It Means

In 1947, a young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers decided to recognize his lifelong dream to work with the Voice of the Andes ministry in Ecuador.

The day of departure, he arrived at the Miami airport and realized he’d forgotten to buy a card to send to his mother. There was no time to select and purchase one before he had to rush onto his flight. Spotting a piece of paper on the terminal floor, he scooped it up.

The paper was part of an advertisement with ‘Why?’ featured prominently.

Glenn scribbled his note around the single word then stuffed it in an envelope and dropped it in a post box. Minutes later, he boarded a DC-4 bound for Ecuador’s capital, Quito.

The giant prop plane rumbled through the growing gloom as night fell and clouds began to thicken over Colombia’s humid jungles. The pilot squinted as a sudden darkness filled his view, then the plane smashed into the side of the 14,000 foot peak El Tablazo with a deafening scream of warping metal.

Everyone aboard died instantly.

Glenn’s mother received his note some days later, emblazoned with the haunting question, “Why?” -Rachel Chimmit

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there evil in the world? We often wonder why. And for all those why questions, why this, why that, we need to go back to the ultimate why question.

The question that causes us to either understand or misunderstand our Christian faith: Why did Jesus have to die?

The Lord laid it on my heart for us to go to the cross, and examine exactly what took place. And then to ask the question: Why? Why did this need to happen this way for us to saved?

We’re going to Matthew chapter 27. At this moment Jesus has been ministering, healing, and shaking things up for three years. He spread the word and healed in numerous towns, but now he’s in the capital city of Israel, Jerusalem. The religious leaders have plotted and schemed against Jesus. And one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas, has secretly met with the Jewish leaders to plot to turn Jesus over to them.

Jesus knew ahead of time that all this would happen. He knew it was meant to happen. In God’s word, in books like Isaiah and Psalms, the persecution and death of Jesus was predicted.

Jesus told his disciples ahead of time: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” -Luke 9:22

The first important truth you must remember today is that God planned for Jesus to be crucified before the creation of the Earth, to become a ransom offering for our sins.

If you read the crucifixion of Jesus as a sad thing happening to a nice man you’ve completely missed the purpose for why Jesus died.

After being betrayed by Judas, Jesus was taken before the high priest, questioned, then taken before the romans, and questioned again. He was sentenced to death for the charge of claiming to be the king of the Jews. Pontius Pilate the roman governor ordered Jesus flogged, and then turned over to be crucified.

So let’s jump into the scripture, starting with verses 27-31:

"Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”

It says Jesus was brought in front of a whole company of soldiers. That’s not the best translation, the word there is actually "cohort." A cohort was part of a roman military unit, and it would typically have 480 soldiers attached to it.

So Jesus was being publicly mocked in front of hundreds of soldiers, who were all laughing at him. I’ve experienced a few times in my life when I was publicly mocked by a group of people, and it was very painful and ugly.

But notice what the soldiers are doing. Jesus really is the king of the Earth. He really should be worshiped by every human being on the planet. Yet the opposite happens. They mock his kingship. They put a robe on him to mock him, a staff in his hand, and a crown of thorns onto his head.

They grabbed the staff and struck him with it. They spat on him. They pretended to worship him.

This is a nightmare beyond imagining, for someone to experience something like this is brutal. But Jesus was willing to experience this for us.

Jesus is forced to carry a wooden cross to the place where they are going to execute him.

Next, verses 32-34: "As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.”

I think it’s fascinating that Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus’ cross for him. It’s believed Simon was an African man, since Cyrene was located in Libya, in north Africa.

I believe that Simon of Cyrene should’ve been Simon Peter. If Simon Peter had stayed awake and prayed, he would’ve not fallen into temptation, and been filled with fear and fled from the persecution of Jesus.

I imagine if Peter had been there through the crucifixion, he would’ve been the one who would’ve ran over and helped Jesus carry his cross. I can’t prove that, I have no scripture to back that up, it’s just a theory that I have.

But it’s an interesting reminder I think, don’t let the enemy stop you from being where you’re supposed to be, in the will of God. Now Jesus forgave Peter later, even though Peter abandoned Jesus during his sufferings. But, imagine if Peter had been there to the very end.

Next, they brought Jesus to the hill of Golgotha, and drove rusty metal spikes into his hands and feet. He was hoisted up on this piece of wood, and it was dropped into a hole in the ground. The trauma would've been intense as the base of the cross landed in the hole and jostled the wounds in Jesus' body. 

Next, verses 35-37: "When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.”

Crucifixion was invented by the Persian empire, and later practiced extensively by the roman empire, until later in the 4th century AD it was outlawed as a form of execution by Constantine. Crucifixion was so severe that it was actually unacceptable for a roman citizen to be crucified, if they were executed it was done by decapitation, not by crucifixion.

Verse 35 tells us that they divided up his clothes and cast lots. That was predicted in the Old Testament as well.

Notice also the crime he committed was nailed to the cross on a plank of wood above his head. Interesting that the "crime" that he committed, that he was the king of the jews is actually true. Jesus is the king of all Jews, indeed he’s, the king of all peoples everywhere.

So at this point Jesus is now on the cross. He’s been flogged. He’s been humiliated. They’ve robbed Jesus of his dignity. They’ve forced a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus has been beaten and spat on. He is bleeding profusely. Yet he is still alive.

Next, verses 38-44:38 "Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

Next to Jesus on the left and right are two men who are being crucified with him on that day. In Luke’s gospel we get the dialogue between the two men, one of which begs Jesus to help them escape, the other of which admits his own wrongdoings and asks Jesus to remember him in paradise. Jesus responds by saying that he will be with him in paradise on that day.

Also in this moment we see the final temptation of the devil against Christ. I believe Satan inspired the people walking by, including the religious leaders to tempt Jesus to come down from the cross.

“Come down from the cross” is the last temptation of Christ. It’s spiritual warfare, Satan trying to tempt the all powerful son of God to use his power to escape his own death. How tempting that would be, when you are going through such incredible horrible suffering. We can’t even imagine the kind of pain Jesus was in, and yet, he refused to leave the cross.

The son of God refused to leave the cross, what about you? Can you endure the struggles you’re going through without giving up your faith. The enemy may whisper to you, and try to convince you that if you just give up this Jesus thing, life will be easier. Don’t listen to those lies. Even in the struggle, stand firm in Jesus. He’s suffered much worse than you have. He knows what it means to suffer.

Next, verses 45-50: "From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.”

Suddenly at noon, the brightest moments of the day, it goes completely dark. And it’s dark for three hours. Can you imagine this? You're out there watching Jesus getting crucified. Many are celebrating this moment, and yet, suddenly at noon it goes dark in the sky, for three hours.

Might you stop and think to yourself, maybe we’ve made a serious mistake. Something is not right here.

For three hours it’s dark as night. Something evil and horrible is happening.

Gospel means good news. How is this good news? It’s horrible beyond imagining what happened to Jesus that day. Yet the symbol we Christians use, the emblem we wear around our necks is in the shape of a cross. 

Jesus cries out to the heavenly father, and says, “Why have you forsaken me?” In that moment I believe the presence of God departed from Jesus, and he was left utterly alone on the cross, so that he could die for our sins.

He was completely alone in those moments. The Old Testament law says cursed is anyone who is nailed to a tree, Jesus became cursed for us in those moments.

His blood was poured out, dripping from the wounds on his head, his back, his hands and his feet. His body was broken. He was humiliated and shamed in front of hundreds. People walking by shook their heads. He became cursed.

At 3pm, after the three hours of darkness, Jesus screamed out in utter horror and suffering one last time, a brutal cry, and then he died.

How is this good news for you and for me?

Sin are the things in our lives that separate us from God. Sin are those times when we’ve hurt someone we love, made our children feel inferior and alone, made our wife/husband feel empty and disappointed, sin is when we’ve taken something that wasn’t ours, used a substance that did damage to our own body, used someone for our own pleasure, all of these things separate us from God.

In God’s universe, meaning the one you live in, sin is serious, so serious it warrants the death penalty from God.

In the old Testament if you sinned, you had to bring a sacrifice to the temple, a sheep or a dove, and it would be slaughtered, it’s blood would be poured out, and that sacrifice would cover over the sin you had committed.

The sins we commit can only be washed away with blood. But the blood of animals was never enough to cover our sins.

All of that was pointing to the future, when Jesus would come into the world, for the purpose of going to the cross, to be crucified, to have his blood poured out as an offering to take away our sins.

That’s why this brutal crucifixion event of Jesus that is so ugly and horrifying and dark, became life and salvation to us.

You can’t understand how wonderful the bloody death of Jesus was until you understand just how offensive your sins are to God. One of the worst things we can do is pretend that we don’t have them. God’s law makes it very clear that we’ve all sinned. We’re lying if we say we haven’t sinned. We all know what it sin is deep down and we all know we’re guilty of it. We can say things like "hey it’s in the past" but that isn't how God sees it.

God will deal with our sins, and it will either be that Jesus died for our sins, and reconnected us to God, or our sins remain on us, and on judgment day God will turn us over to outer darkness, a place set aside for sinners, away from the light of God’s presence.

We can pretend like we have no sins. But we all know we do. We can hide from God. But in the end, we all have our meeting with God face to face.

Get your sins under the blood of Jesus. Only His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient to pay off your debt. We all know that deep down. It’s hard to admit, I get it. But if you can admit it, and ask for forgiveness, Jesus will forgive you.

Let’s see what happened immediately after Jesus died:

"51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

The temple in the times of Jesus had three courts, and in the third court there was a curtain that blocked access to the most holy place. When Jesus died, that curtain was ripped in half. 

It says an earthquake occurred. Old Testament heroes rose from their graves and appeared to people throughout the city of Jerusalem. This was truly a day unlike any other!

Lastly, verse 54: "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

We started in verse 27 with the roman soldiers mocking Jesus and pretending to worship him. Now, we see the same romans terrified by what they’re seeing, the earthquake, the darkness that came over the land, and one centurion calls our, “Surely Jesus is the son of God!”

In conclusion today, I know if you were there that day you would say the same thing, "Jesus is the son of God, Jesus is the King." Yet we only have these words to tell us that Jesus really did die for us.

I understand that sometimes it's hard. We've never met Jesus face to face. We only have the words on the page and the sense of His presence within us. Sometimes it feels far away and difficult to understand. Yet somehow we know deep within: It's real. It's all real. 

Yet the question remains: Why? We all want to know why. Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? Why is sin so bad? Why did Jesus have to die?

I know we get so lost in our own thoughts. We try to rationalize our sins, we try to hide them in our own minds. We try to ignore the problem. We even lash out at God and call him bad. We try philosophy, psychedelics, politics, social justice, post-modernism, self help psychology, new age ideology, anything to escape from our sins, to explain away our sins, to prove that our sins really don’t matter that much.

Set all that aside and simply confront your sins. See them. See how they are wrong. Face them, and then instead of running from them, trying to bury them in dirt, or put a pretty ribbon on them and call them good, instead, take them, carry them over to Jesus, and leave them at the foot of the cross. Jesus will forgive them all.

I know it’s hard. I know we want to look away. I know it makes us angry. I know we want to lash out. I know we want to use our mind to explain it all away…

But if you will reach out for Jesus right now, and even examine your own heart, and your own sins, you will see that everything written here is true. Jesus did die for you that day. As you turn toward Jesus, you will sense His love for you. And that what Jesus wants most, to be with you in love relationship. That is also the answer to the question of why…

Why did Jesus have to die?

For His love for you, he came on a rescue mission, to bring you back home to him, after you got lost in a dark, dark place. He saw you there in that dark dark place, and came riding into this world, for love, for a restored connection with you, that is why he had to die for you. And why he would do it all over again, to come and get you today.

He sent out an army to find you, in the middle of the darkest night. 

Did he die on the cross to tell you how bad you are? To make you feel bad? No. Does it take an admission of our sins to Him? Sure. But the real purpose was love. Jesus’ desire to have you with Him in heaven, in love relationship, forever.

Give your life to him. It's ironic, as a Christian, you understand completely how much Jesus loves you, the meaning of the cross becomes radically clear. But before we know Jesus, it feels blurry, far away, in a cold dark reality, that seems devoid of the love of God. That is the challenge, a challenge of faith. Will you dare to reach out in that cold, cold reality in which you live, toward a love that will cut through that darkness faster than the curtain ripped in the temple when Jesus was crucified? The darkness around the dead savior of the world, breaks to light beyond imagining bursting forth in our world as we call on Jesus name in faith, faith that He really loves us!

Let’s pray a prayer of surrender, and give our lives to Jesus Christ, who will forgive all of our sins.

Lord Jesus, we admit freely that we've sinned in numerous terrible ways. We don't hide it Jesus, we show it all to you. Here it is Jesus, all of it. We see you Jesus nailed to the cross, bleeding and dying, and we know you did it for us. You did it for me. I believe in you Lord Jesus Christ. I believe you are the savior I need, that your sacrifice is sufficient to pay off all my sin debt. And I believe you rose from the dead, you're a living savior. Thank you! I'm set free! I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit within to guide me always. I embrace God as my Heavenly Father. Thank you Lord Jesus for your amazing gift! I am born new of the Spirit. I repent of every sin in my life. I renounce the evil one and all his evil schemes. I embrace Christ in all things! In Jesus name, amen.

The Mindset of the Armor of God

I was attending a zoom meeting with different people in recovery from across the country, and a gentlemen shared about his recovery journey. He lived in New Orleans, and that very night just a few days ago, as he was trying to stay sober, regain his life, find a new life from being sloshed every day and partying, a parade was going by his apartment, a chaos parade.

That is what it’s like sometimes to be a Christian in this world. The chaos parade is going day and night through this world. And they want us to join in the chaos parade. But we are not going to join that chaos parade, we are going to walk the narrow way of life.

So if you can relate to that feeling of trying to stay sober with the chaos parade shaking the walls of your apartment, if you can relate to feeling bombarded by the world’s chaos, if you can relate to seeing the madness going on around you and saying no, thank you, then this message is for you today.

We are going to discussing the complete battle plan for spiritual warfare today, because it get summed up perfectly at the end of the book of Ephesians, this is our last message in the spiritual warfare series.

How can we stand in this battle? But how can we do more than stand? How can we prosper, march forward, take ground from the enemy, defeat the hordes of hell, and spread the gospel to the lost world?

The real question is how can we be and live victoriously in the spiritual battle.

Ephesians is a discourse on spiritual warfare, every chapter deals with it. Now, we come to chapter six, and it all comes together with the armor of God.

Let’s dive into the word.

Verse 10: "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."

First, and most importantly we have to remember where our strength comes from. The Greek word for strength here is endynamoō which means to be strengthened by God. Not our own strength, but accessing his strength, it is translated in 1st Timothy 1:12 as “enabled.” God enables us to be strong, where? In the Lord.

And we know from Proverb 18:10 that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

That’s a prayer of mine from time to time, when I feel “under attack” in spiritual warfare, "Lord, you are my strong tower, I take refuge in you right now, in Jesus name amen."

And I find safety. Be strong where? In the Lord. And where? In His mighty power. So we have two access points, first we’re taking shelter in God. We make God our strength and tower. Second, we’re accessing the power source of God, His power.

Just as we know that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13) so we also find a tower of strength from God of Heavenly Father.

So in the spiritual battle, very importantly, when we start feeling weak, we need to spend time alone with God in prayer, get on our knees, and pray. And we will find strength for the battle.

Next, verse 11: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

A soldier must have all of his armor and weapons ready for warfare, or they will not be prepared. If a soldier has his rifle, pistol, utility belt, and armor, but no helmet, he is not ready for combat. The enemy has a weak spot he can target, the exposed area.

Similarly, we as Christians must be ready for all the strategies of the devil. This word translated strategy can be understood as methods of the devil, or trickery of the devil. The enemy has different schemes and tactics he works against us. As a pastor you notice the patterns very clearly in how the devil takes out believers.

He targets their weak spots, if they have a weakness for women, he targets it. If they have alcoholism in their past, the enemy brings that up. If they are prone to get angry, the enemy provokes anger. If they run when a controversy takes place, he brings a series of controversies. But if you know the enemy’s target, you can protect against the attacks.

Notice also it says “stand firm.” Why? The armor does not protect your backside. If you are running from the enemy, the enemy has an easy target. But if you stand firm, and fight, you will win, the enemy you must remember is an already defeated foe. He was defeated at the cross.

Next, verse 12: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

The enemy's kingdom is arranged in a certain way. There are groups of demons assigned to attack one particular church. There are larger groups of demons assigned to attack cities. There are leader demons over cities, counties, states and entire nations. That is who we are fighting in spiritual battle, that is who we are undermining and overthrowing.

Next, verse 13: “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”

I think it’s better translated as, "resist the enemy in the evil day." We’ve all had a day in our lives that we remember as having been an evil day. I think of the day that Jesus was crucified was of course an evil day. But it was also a day of great opportunity, because from that death came eternal life for all who would believe in Jesus.

Sometimes we have tough days when the enemy attacks us and we need to stand firm. On those days we must have all of God’s armor... To take the hits, strike down the devil with the sword of the Spirit, and be found standing firm afterward.

After the battle we feel hurt, damaged, scraped up, tired, and a bit heavy. I’ve felt that on certain days of intense warfare, exhausted with the battle. But I was still standing firm.

Verse 14, here we see that phrase again: “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth”

Don’t run from the devil. Don’t ever run. Stand your ground.

“Putting on… the belt of truth.”

The King James Version renders this passage more accurately, as having your loins girded up in truth.

In ancient times in the middle east people wore robes, and to get ready for action, they would gird up their loins for battle, so they could fight more effectively.

If we are going to live a successful Christian life, we need something from God called discernment. We need to ask God over and over to help us to see the truth in our world. To see the truth in the church, the truth in politics, the truth in media, the truth in education, and as we continuously ask God, we will have discernment. We’ll be able to instinctively know when something is wrong, or when something is right. And if we can’t tell, we do research, and we pray and God reveals it to us.

Keep asking God for wisdom and discernment, God will give it, seek after it, and then study His word regularly, and you’ll be counted among the wise.

Second part of verse 14: “…and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”

We have to know who we are, our identity in Christ if we’re going to defeat demonic forces. Demonic forces are always trying to lie to us, to convince us of things that are not true.

So many times I’ve wrestled between two opinions, the lie of the enemy vs. the truth of God. The enemy will lie to us, try to use clever arguments to convince us that the lie is the truth. But if we’re wise, we will wrestle, and pray, and declare the word of God over ourselves, and the lie will not take root.

Lies are dangerous, because if we believe a lie, deception starts to cloud our thinking.

Imagine something like this: I start to believe that if I drive at night I will crash. So I start having to avoid driving at night at all costs. It begins to twist and change my whole life as I have to avoid driving at night no matter what. It’s ridiculous, but we do it with God all the time.

Many people, so many people think God is mean and is out to get them. They think God doesn’t love them, he just wants to punish them. This is a lie. And when someone believes this lie, they spend their lives avoiding God at all costs, and as a result it ruins their lives.

Many people today believe the lie that evolution adequately explains the origin of the human species. They therefore see no need for a creator, and this lie again ruins their lives, because they can find no connection to a loving God who wants to save them from their sins.

Lies are very dangerous. Hitler taught the people of Germany that the Jews were secretly working to take all their wealth. And this led to a whole nation doing evil things beyond imagining. 

But Jesus said, the truth will set you free. -John 8:32

Next verse 15, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

What gives you peace in life? My peace comes from Jesus. And then Jesus shows me His will, and as I walk in His will, I find a peace that overcomes me. If I want to have the courage to spread the gospel everywhere and disciple people toward Jesus, I need peace from the Master. 

Also, shoes are for a journey, and remember your walk with Christ through this world, in all the spiritual warfare, is a journey.

And you should be spending your life slowly climbing the mountain of God. What do I mean by that?

The mountain of God for me symbolizes seeing your relationship with God as a grand adventure in which you are constantly getting closer to Him and constantly learning new things about Him.

And as you climb that mountain you find a new revelation at each new level up the mountain toward the heart of God.

The bottom level is basic, it’s salvation. The battle for lost souls. Other levels deal with things like spiritual gifts, death to self, holiness, and so many other things.

Climb the mountain. Grow, and grow and grow, always be hungry for more of God, be hungry to learn about evangelism, about Christian apologetics, about holiness and the practice of holiness, about spiritual gifts, prophecy, church leadership, the overflowing love of God, and everything in between.

It's a journey, an adventure, see your life that way, and you’ll see life as an exciting journey to heaven. Read the Pilgrims’ Progress or watch the movie, it’s one of my favorites, and you’ll begin to see this as a journey.

Next, verse 16:, “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.”

I remember in Owosso I was praying at the altar, and one of my church members her name was Destiny, saw the enemy firing arrows at me constantly, one after another, but I had a shield that was blocking every arrow.

In that time in my life I was in constant warfare, and the Lord had dealt with me, to show me, you need to put on your armor every day, and that’s how I began to pray the armor of God prayer every morning. And I never forget to this day. The battle is real, it’s not imagery. Put on your armor!

The shield of faith is key. We’re understanding that we need discernment from God to know right and wrong. We need truth from God to prosper.

We also need to know who we are. We are righteous in Jesus Christ.  Know your identity and walk in it.

We also need our shoes on, the peace of the gospel, spreading the gospel, climbing the mountain of God, seeing this life as a journey.

But just as much we need faith, trust, a trust in Jesus, that Jesus really is who he says He is. That Jesus really is protecting us. That Jesus really will do everything he has said.

Next, verse 17: “Put on salvation as your helmet…”

The enemy is always trying to get us to question our salvation, to get us to question that Jesus is really going to bring us to heaven.

But if we put on the helmet of salvation, we’ll know that we’re saved. We’ll know we’re redeemed. And our mind will be protected.

If you know you have salvation, you are strong and brave and bold. If you are constantly questioning your salvation, you are weak, afraid and unstable.

Now don’t get me wrong, we should guard against the danger of falling away, and guard against sin, but that’s no excuse to live in constant fear of losing our salvation. We can have an assurance.

Second part of verse 17: “…and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

There are two things here that flow together, the Spirit and the word of God. If we have the Spirit without the word of God we won’t know truth. If we have the word of God without the Spirit, we will interpret the truth wrongly.

The Spirit of God fills us, as we fight the enemy, and that sword that comes out strikes the enemy down. The word of God is powerful, a sword that comes out of our mouth as we speak it, and it cuts right through and into the depths of those we speak it to, but it’s double-edged, it also cuts down into us, to reveal the truth in us.

Remember the enemy’s main weapon is lies. So, the word of God is our weapon that cuts the lies to pieces with the truth.

That’s why when you see a Christian debating an atheist, you'll see the struggle between lies and truth. Watch William Lane Craig vs Christopher Hitchens once, the lie can’t stand against the truth. Craig blows up Hitchen’s main argument in the opening section. The lie is dissolved by the truth, it just disappears. The truth is powerful!

Lastly, verse 18: “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

You could say the hidden piece of armor is prayer. Often when I pray the armor of God I say, "I put on the breath of the Holy Spirit." And what that means is I pray in the Spirit at all times.

Notice that the word of God is your weapon. But just as much prayer is your weapon. The enemy can’t stand it when we start praying, because prayer brings God into the situation.

Stay alert, be persistent in prayer, not just for your family and friends, not just for your fellow church members, but, for all believers everywhere.

But pray how? Pray in the Spirit. The Spirit will lead your prayers if you allow Him to. And those prayers are very powerful.

How? Invite the Holy Spirit to pray through you, and then let the Spirit lead your words. It happens naturally as you allow it.

Paul writes in verses 19-20: “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”

Pray for your leaders my friends. Pray for your pastor. Pray for church leaders. Pray daily for them. They face severe demonic attacks. The enemy knows if he can take out the pastor, it can often cause the congregation to scatter. We need your prayers very badly.

Skipping down to verses 23-24: “23 Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. 24 May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As we conclude the spiritual warfare series, I say, peace be with you. God will give you, as you seek Him, love, deep love, and faithfulness, he will build your faithfulness. Even when the chaos parade is marching past your apartment, you will not fail, for God is greater than the chaos and He protects you.

May God’s grace be eternally upon you all who love the Lord Jesus Christ! His grace is always available to us when we make a mistake, if we fall into a sin, his grace is available, call on His name.

Fight the battle. Keep climbing the mountain. Trust the word. Seek discernment. Know your identity. Faith protects you. The word is your weapon. Pray always. Hallelujah, with this equation, we cannot fail. We will succeed, defeat the devil, and walk into heaven victorious.

Review of Main Points:

1. Be strong in God’s power, God is your strength and your power source

2. Belt of Truth – seek discernment from God to know right and wrong in the world

3. Breastplate of Righteousness – know your identity in Jesus and believe it

4. Shoes of Peace – God will give you peace as you carry His word

5. Shoes of Peace – Climb the mountain of God – see it as a journey

6. Shield of Faith – trusting Jesus actively is powerful it deflects lies

7. Helmet of Salvation – know you are saved, don’t let fear disrupt that

8. Sword of the Spirit – the word of God is your weapon to cut through lies

9. Pray in the Spirit – pray constantly, it’s a key weapon in the armor

10. With the Full Armor on – you will succeed, defeat the devil, and live victoriously