The Cross is essential to the Christian.  As a matter of fact, two words have come into the English language which stem from the word “crucifix” or “cross.”  Sometimes someone will ask, “What is the most important thing?”  But they will say, “What is the crux of the matter?”  In other words, what is most important.  A second word that comes from crucifix or cross is the word crucial.  Again, crucial, which has the same root as crucifix, speaks about what is essential, what is most important.

           The cross fits that bill for us.  When a Christian looks at the cross they see death, the death of Christ and the death of the old life.  They also see love.  For the motive of the cross was to express God’s love to us.  They also see humility.  The one hanging on the cross in humility was before and is now after the cross,  acting as God.

           This morning I want to talk again to all who are here about another symbol of the cross, and that is sacrifice.  When a Christian views the cross, sacrifice is one word that often sums up their thoughts on the cross.  For certainly the cross was a place of sacrifice.

           What hits us greatest is the value of the sacrifice of Jesus.  We certainly don’t applaud sacrifice that is meaningless and with no value. 

           In baseball there is a hit that is called a sacrifice fly.  The idea is that the batter hits the ball on the ground or in the air in such a way as to be put out by the opposing team.  However, another player on the team gets the chance to advance one base or score a run.  But if the player hits the ball and the runner doesn’t advance, then the sacrifice is wasted.

           I would caution parents who are running all over the place with their children, but neglect family time and spiritual time will find one day that the sacrifices are meaningless.  Ecclesiastes talk about how empty life can be.

           A man works long hours, putting his company’s welfare at the top of his priority list.  He takes work home, works weekends and makes many sacrifices for the company.  But about five years before he retires, the company downsizes.  The man says to his friends, “After all I did for them, look what they did for me.”  For him, the sacrifice was not worth it in the end.

           I want to talk this morning about the need for a sacrifice, the value of Christ’s sacrifice and the response to His sacrifice.

           The big question is, do we need Jesus to make any sacrifices for us?  Are we ok the way we are?  Do I need anyone making sacrifices for me?

           I appreciate all the help I can get, but honestly, if I can do something myself, I want to do so.   When I hurt my back this past year, it was wonderful the help I received with my roof, but I would like to have at least been part of helping myself.  But I understood my limitations and the work needed to be done, so we swallow our pride and move on. 

           I am old school on this.  It would be hard for me to receive government help for anything if I could do it without their help.  I am not putting down anyone, just relating my own struggles.  If I really needed help, I would take it, but I would have to really need it before I would want to take it.  And many of you are the same way.

           So we can come to the church and hear the message of the sacrifice of Jesus and leave saying, “That’s nice.  But I don’t need the help of Jesus.  I’m glad he made the sacrifice, but he didn’t need to do it for me.  I know a lot of other people who need it, but not me.”

           I can only give you the Bible’s take on this, as we believe the Bible.  The Bible tells us that 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6).

           Two things are evident from this verse.  You must believe in God.  You must believe that he will reward you for seeking Him.

           Right from the start we find that we cannot reward ourselves, but God will reward us when we seek Him.  If you try to find God and are looking out of curiosity, then you will not find Him.  But if you expect a reward, a blessing, something positive to happen when you seek God, then God will give you that reward.

           But if you live life without a concern for God’s approval, without a concern for His part in your life, you will never find Him.

           What are the consequences?  You will enter eternity without God and with no reward.  You will be “The Biggest Loser.”

           To be honest, I don’t think that is a big problem with most people.  Most people believe that God exists and that he rewards them if they seek him.  As a matter of fact, most people believe God exists and that he rewards people whether they seek him or not.

           Some religious groups will teach this about the cross.  Some believe that Jesus died to show us how much God loved us.  His actual death on the cross had no value other than to show us how far God was willing to go to show his love.  Jesus is a good example, but that cover it.

           At first glance this might seem attractive, but in reality, it makes God rather cruel.  If he had wanted to show us that he loved us, he could have given everyone in the world real good tasting manna from heaven with a group of angels explaining where it came from and why.  Or if God had wanted to show his love, he could have healed every disease and told people he did it.  But if the only purpose in the terrible death of Jesus on the cross was to show God’s love for us, then the cross had no real meaning of its own.

           Some other religious groups will tell you that God could forgive all of our sins without the cross.  He doesn’t need to have anyone pay for their sins, he can just forgive them.  He’s God, isn’t he?  But the purpose of the cross was to show that God can punish sin.  Jesus didn’t die for all the sins of the world, he died just to show us that God could punish people for their sins.  

           But people already knew that, without the cross.  The Jewish people and all people live in fear that God might punish them.  He didn’t need to send Jesus to tell them what they already knew.  This view makes his actual death meaningless.  God inflicted on Jesus much more than was necessary to make the point.  Again, God comes off as cruel.  Why go the route of the cross if the death on the cross was meaningless in itself?

           So people may say, “I have found God.  It’s Jesus that I don’t need.  God helps those who help themselves.”

           Again, the Bible’s position on this is clear.  The apostles said, 12 Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12).  If you do not believe in Jesus, then you will never be saved.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6).  One needs to question if they are a Christian if they call Jesus wrong on this point. 

           We need Jesus.  Isaiah tells us that our sins have separated us from God.  We may think God is ok with us, but God, through Isaiah, tells us it is not so.  We often act like the person who is late to work again.  We think as we walk up the stairs that the boss will understand.  After all, you didn’t mean to be late.  But when you get to your office, the boss says, “Clean out your drawer and get out of the building.  You are fired!”  We find that our cockiness and assumptions will be wrong.

           We need Jesus.  The only way we can come to the Father is through Jesus. 

           Why is this?  If God says we need Jesus, then why is this so?  The answer is found in the value of the cross.

           The value of Jesus’ sacrifice is seen in three verses. 

           25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- (Ro 3:25).

           2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1Jo 2:2).

           10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1Jo 4:10).

           The sacrifice of Jesus Christ atoned for our sin.

           The first question that comes to mind is, “Why didn’t Jesus atone for his own sin?”  The answer, “He didn’t sin.”  The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...”  The DaVinci Code seeks to downplay the deity of Jesus Christ and is a work of fiction that is based on bad history and bad theology.  But in fact, Jesus was the Son of God.  As God, the Son, He never sinned.

           What happened is as Paul said, “Christ died for our sins.” Theologians call this a vicarious sacrifice.  The word “vicarious” describes when someone steps in for someone else.  Christ stepped in for us and died for our sins so we would not have to.

           We can die for our own sins.  The Bible is clear on this.  John 3:16 says that those who believe in Jesus “shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The assumption is that if the life is everlasting, the perishing is just as long.  It will take us eternity to pay for our sins.  We have a life sentence.

           What Jesus did is pay our life sentence for us on the cross.  He died so that we could live.  He stepped up to the plate and died in our place.

           We could pay for our own sins, but we could never get new life without Jesus.  Jesus said that was his purpose. I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.  Jesus also said, I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man cometh unto the Father but by me.  If you want life, Jesus is ready to give it to you.

           What is your response?  We need a sacrifice or we will never make it to God.  Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross so that we would not have to experience the wrath of God, but through Christ, could find real life.  What is our response?

           The response is two-fold, but really one.  Jesus said that repentance and faith for the remission of sins would be preached in all the world, and he is right, for it is being preached today here is Palermo, Maine, thousands of miles from Israel where he spoke.

           To repent means to turn away from one thing to another, to change our mind.  The thing we turn to becomes the object of our faith.  If we change our mind about lying, we turn and start telling the truth.  If we change our mind about going to one school, we turn and go to another school or get a job. 

           What God is asking us to do is repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ.  To sum this up, whatever your faith is in, other than Jesus, whether it is yourself or some other religious or belief, God wants you to drop it and put your faith fully in Jesus Christ.  Trust Him. 

           Jesus died on the cross for your sins.  He was the vicarious sacrifice, dying in your place, so that you could live.  The new life is the Christian life, the life of faith in Jesus.   Through his resurrection, Jesus is alive and in heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father.  He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of the Christian to change them from the inside out and expose them to this new life. 

           Your response is to believe that Jesus died for you and rose again.  Your response to to put your trust in Jesus alone.  Turn from any idea of self-sufficiency, any other teaching and embrace Christ.

           Outwardly, the inward decision is to be made visible through baptism.  God has called us to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey.  Baptism does not save you, but is an outward way of telling the world that you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

           I am a follower of Jesus.  He has commanded me to put this challenge before you.  Are you a disciple?  Did you trust Christ today?  Let us all share in that joy.