03-15-08 Sermon Review

It's Wednesday, so it's time for our sermon review!

This week, because it is passion week, I thought it would be nice to take a break and hear from a renown preacher, CJ Mahaney, on the topic of the cross*. As we remember the cross and look forward to Good Friday, I pray CJ Mahaney's sermon on the Suffering Servant was helpful to keep your mind focused on the mercy and grace revealed to sinners like us on the cross.

The Suffering Servant - CJ Mahaney

Mahaney started the sermon by taking us to the Chronicles of Narnia. After describing the death of Aslan, the girls are terrified. But when they see Aslan, that He is still alive, they ask an interesting questions, "But what does it all mean?" Mahaney states that there could be no more significant question to ask. We ourselves, must ask of the cross, what does it all mean?

Mahaney then took us to the passage of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53. He outlined his sermon thus: The appearance, the reality, and the significance.

The Appearance - The Messiah did not come in splendor and glory according to Isaiah; He was quite normal. Mahaney stated that if he could manage to re-create a picture of Jesus and His disciples, we would all be guessing which one was Jesus. Isaiah clinches this thought by saying, "we esteemed Him not." Our King had come, our Savior was there, our Lord was crucified; yet, we esteemed Him not.

The Reality - Though the appearance was not impressive and seemed insignificant, the reality was quite the contrary. What occurred on the cross was the pinnacle of human and divine history. The man Christ Jesus did not die on the cross for His own sins. He was innocent; yet, He died a criminal's death. The Son of God was hanging on a tree on behalf of the sinner. Mahaney gives three points to describe the reality: 1) He died for us, 2) He died for our sins, and 3) He died as our substitute. Mahaney reminds us that we are responsible for Jesus' death. Our sins put him on the cross. It is because of this great act of mercy and grace, that sinners are saved and praise the Savior. Mahaney clearly, forcefully, and passionately reminds us that the Cross is the song of the redeemed, not only on earth, but even more so in heaven.

The Significance - Mahaney ends his sermon by showing the significance of Jesus bearing the cross for our sins as our substitute. He takes us to 53:10 which states, "Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer." God crushed His Son. To show the world that He loves sinners, God crushed His Son. Mahaney gives a provocative thought for meditation: One might think the Father loved us more than Jesus. Oh the extent the Father went to show His love for the world.

In closing, Mahaney asked that we all consider the cross and how great a love that was shown. Mahaney pleads, and I add my voice to His, that we come not only to trust in the cross for our salvation, but also to cherish the cross, for it was there that God's love was shown most vividly, dynamically, and emphatically. Indeed, I pray that we might all be freshly amazed at the Father's love for us! Stay strong and God bless!

* The sermon was originally preached during the 2007 Resolved Conference. I have the dvd set for the whole conference, so if you're interested in watching this video yourself, or watching any of the other sermons, please just ask me for the dvds!