Subject – THERE WAS A DOUBLE CROSS!
Text – Isaiah 53:4-5; John 6:70-71; 19:1-3; Matthew 27:32
Sermon delivered by:
Pastor Henry S. Cotton, Jr. of St.James Missionary Baptict Church in Philadelphia.
INTRODUCTION – Many of us know of the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death, but I wonder how many of us know that there was a Double Cross involved? I want us to picture Jesus going about and choosing His disciples. All of the gospels give us accounts of Jesus going through His process of choosing (Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 6; and John 1), but I just want us to Hear what is written in John 6:70-71:
” John 6: 70 – Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71. He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”
To make sure that we are on the same page let us see if we understand what we just read; Jesus chose twelve disciples of which one of them was a devil who would later betray Him; Amen? We know that these disciples accompanied Jesus through many cases of healings, miracles, teachings; all different types of ministry. We also know that this did not go well with the politicians and religious leaders. These people would conspire to find a way to get rid of this trouble maker named Jesus. This is where Judas’ played his role.
We now have Jesus being taken to Pilate to stand trial during this illegal court session. Upon sentencing Jesus to death by crucifixion, after already being hit by one of the guards, “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.” (John 19: 1-3) (expound)
Satan was probably overjoyed at this point; Jesus was beaten, humiliated, laughed at, and on His way to die. I can see Satan just laughing as they started giving Jesus blow after blow, lash after lash, stripe after stripe. He was so weak at this point that in Matthew 27:32 we read:
” And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.”
But Satan’s laughter was interrupted by a memory; he remembered another occasion when he thought that Jesus was so weak that he would be able to take advantage of Him. This made him shout out loud (but no one was there to hear him), “Stop! didn’t y’all read the memo from Isaiah 53:4-5:
” 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.”
As Satan watched Jesus take those stripes, He recognized that there was one for sicknesses, one for diseases, one for heartaches and heartbreaks, one for phobias, one for depression, one for lying, and the list went on and on. He began to panic because as he saw them nail Jesus hands and feet to that old rugged cross and start to hoist Him up, Jesus’ words that were recorded in John12:32-33 began to ring in his ears:
” And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”
And sure enough, not long after Jesus hung on that cross, there was a thief drawn right to Him.
Saints I’m say this to you and I’m going to sit down. There was a double cross involved in Jesus’ death, but not the one that a lot of people might believe; it was Satan who was the victim of the double cross, he thought that he was going to have a victory, but instead he was used to be a part of the greatest story ever told. Jesus knew who and what Judas was. Judas didn’t volunteer to be a disciple . . . he was chosen! Jesus was not Double Crossed, He came here for just that reason; to die for you, you, you, and me. He died that we could be drawn to Him and be present with Him in Paradise forever!