The Man Crucified, the Son of God
VBC Albuquerque · Mar 24, 2024
The sermon presents the crucifixion of Jesus at Golgotha as the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. Through evidence from all four Gospels, the pastor demonstrates that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, despite being mocked and treated as a criminal. His sacrifice completed the work of redemption, making believers righteous before God.
The sermon opens with testimony from 2 Corinthians 5:21, affirming that God made Christ, who knew no sin, to become sin so that humanity could become righteous in Him. This exchange—our sin for His righteousness—forms the foundation of substitutionary atonement. The sermon then recounts in detail the process and execution of Jesus' crucifixion at Golgotha through the accounts of all four Gospels.
The second section develops the theological argument by presenting the specific details of the crucifixion: Pilate delivers Jesus to the soldiers for crucifixion; He is crucified between two criminals; people divide His garments by casting lots, fulfilling the prophecies in Psalm 22. The inscription on the placard—"JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS"—written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek) publicly declares His true identity before all nations. Although those passing by, the chief priests, teachers of the law, and even the criminals crucified with Him all mock Jesus and demand that He save Himself from the cross, Jesus remains steadfast in His identity and purpose.
The third section emphasizes the severity of His death: from noon to three o'clock in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land—a sign of temporary separation between Father and Son. When Jesus cried out, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"), He bore the just penalty for humanity's sin. His final words, "I am thirsty," fulfilled Scripture and affirmed that the work was finished. As He breathed His last, the curtain of the temple tore in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, and the rocks split—signs of cosmic upheaval caused by the death of Christ.
The final section applies the message to believers' lives by contrasting two responses to Jesus on the cross. The thief on the right, initially mocking Jesus along with others, undergoes a change—he acknowledges his own guilt, affirms Jesus' righteousness, and pleads, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!" The response, "Today you will be with me in paradise," shows that the opportunity of salvation remains open even to those at the last hour. The sermon thus calls the congregation to recognize that Christ's crucifixion was not failure or shame, but the triumph of God's grace, and to receive Him as Savior, as the thief did.