Today is my 100th blog. Sometimes a television show will have a special show celebrating its 100th episode. So today I have chosen a special topic. My thoughts today are titled, My Last Blog. Now I hope it is not literally my last one. But let us think about that. What if it were?
What would you say to someone if you knew it would be the last thing you ever said to them? I have had conversations with terminally ill friends with whom I knew I would never talk again. In these cases I can assure you the topics were not frivolous.
I read an article once where a preacher had been asked if he knew that would be his last sermon what would his topic be. In fact I have preached a sermon entitled “My Last Sermon.” I chose for my lesson text 1 Corinthians 2:2. Here the apostle Paul through inspiration of the Holy Spirit said “For I determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Paul summed it all up with one statement.
I like Paul would choose to preach Christ and Him crucified. So with that in mind my blog today will have only 2 points….Christ and Him crucified.
Let us first consider Christ.
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is Christ centered.
The Old Testament – Points to the coming of the Christ.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – Proclaims Christ is come!
Acts – Explains the process of getting into Christ.
Romans through Jude – Describes living for Christ.
Revelation – Promises victory in Christ!
Jesus is the Christ of the Old Testament. Acts 8 gives us the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. When Philip encountered the eunuch he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Scriptures read “and Philip began there and preached unto him Jesus” (v35).
But Jesus appears long before that in scripture. During the creation recall GOD said let US make man in OUR image. Jesus was present in the creation and before. The following verses are also noteworthy.
John 1:1 reads “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD and the Word was GOD.” And later in verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John 8: 56-58 Christ told the Jews “Before Abraham was (past tense) I AM (present tense).”
From the first verse of Scripture to the last verse, the Bible is filled with Christ…
…and Him crucified.
Crucifixion may have originated with the Persians, as early as the 6th century BC. It was brought into the Roman Empire and used until Constantine abolished it in the 4th Century AD.
It was used for slaves, rebels, pirates and especially-despised enemies and criminals. Therefore crucifixion was considered a most shameful and disgraceful way to die.
The attending Roman guards could only leave the site after the victim had died, and were known to precipitate death by means of breaking the legs, spear stab wounds into the heart, sharp blows to the front of the chest, or a smoking fire built at the foot of the cross to asphyxiate the victim.
David was the writer of many of the Psalms. He prophesied in Psalm 22 details of the crucifixion of the LORD. Yet David lived about 1000 BC, at least 400 years before crucifixion was known to man.
In 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, reference is twice made to Jesus’ death being according to scripture.
He died for our sins according to the scriptures.
He was buried and arose on the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
Had Jesus died any other way, it would not have sufficed. He had to go to the cross to fulfill the scripture.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And only because of that I have hope of everlasting life.
As we consider the temporal things of this life we must remember that these things are not permanent. So if I were writing my last blog, I certainly would not want it to be about something of a temporary nature. My last blog would be Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Excellent thoughts- thanks for bringing our thoughts back to what is truly important.