“Jesus meant Business For Real”

Galations 3:10-13, 10/23/05

Sermon by Rev.Mao Translated by Evelyn Lee

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There was a ten years old fifth grade elementary student. His most difficult subject was arithmetic in school. His parents tried to help him in every way. They hired a family tutor, bought teaching video tapes and references books. But the effort was of no avail. Finally they decided to send him to a Catholic private school.

On the first day, he wore a white shirt and went to school happily. That day after school he came home and said hello to his parents, he locked himself in his room studying. Then he would come out to have dinner then directly to his room studying. After that everyday was the same, he locked himself up studying till the school distributed the first report card. That day the boy came home and put the report card in an envelope and placed it on the dinning table, and then he returned to his room to do his home work.

The parents opened the envelope and saw an ‘A’ on arithmetic. This had never happened before. They were so happy that they rushed to his room. They asked him excitedly,” Son, how did you improve so much on your math?”“Is it because if the nuns?” asked the mother. “No” said the son.“Is it because you prayed before the exam?” asked the mother. “NO” said the son.

“Is it because you have a good math teacher?” the father asked again. “Not really “ answered the son. The son then said,” It is like this, on my first day at school, I saw a man for whatever the reason, he was hung on a big “Plus” sign. From then on, I know they meant business.”The boy said the “Plus” shaped wooden sign was the “CROSS”.

In today’s scripture reading, the bible did not mention “The CROSS” two words, but the main topic came from the scripture reading as: THE CROSS”. The crucifixion gave us a serious message that was what the boy said, “I know they meant business for real.” Yes, Jesus left the heavenly throne to descend down to earth for your sins and my sins. He was crucified on the cross, he meant business for real. Regardless if we believe in Him or mean real business with Him, Jesus from the beginning He meant business for real.

Today from the scripture reading we see that Paul was spreading a new gospel to the Judaism, the Jewish doctrine and he also challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees who observed the laws. Paul wanted to draw a clear boundary. Paul also requested:”If you plan to get merit by observing the laws to gain God’s grace; if you use the method to establish our relationship with God, the result would bring the curse of the laws.” There is only one way to redeem them out of the curse, that is the choice of “Jesus Christ” Once again we recognized and reconfirm that Jesus Christ is in the center of our lives.

From the short four verses in to-day’s scripture reading the “Curse” was mentioned five times (Verses 10 and 13) It appeared three times in verse 13. Therefore, our sermon today will emphasize on verse 13 which tells us three things:{1} Jesus was cursed for our sake; (2) Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the laws; (3) Curse is everyone who is hung on a tree. These three things obviously told us Jesus meant real business.

●1, Jesus was cursed for our sake. Verse 13.

Originally, we were cursed because of our sins, But Jesus loves us, he protects us, he would not let us be cursed, he would not let us be harmed in any way. He would take up all the curses that we deserve only in the hope that we may live well, full of “Faith, Hope and Love”. If this is not love, what else is this?

The famous evangelist Dr. Billy Graham said,” In the life of Jesus, His most important work was not being a carpenter; or turning water to wine; or feeding 5000 people with two fish and five biscuits and in excess of 12 big baskets; or the blind could see; the deaf could hear; the dumb could speak; the paralyzed could walk; or overcame the Satan in the temptation; nor drove the devil out of the possessed patients; neither was the event where the dead was resurrected……His most important work was His willingness to be cursed for you and for me. He died for you and for me and he resurrected for you and for me. When Apostle Paul thought of the curse he took for us, he said, “…at just the right time when we were still powerless; Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man; though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.

Jesus was cursed for our sake; He wants us to experience two things in Him: one is the experience of the life of salvation; the other is the experience of a triumphant battle of daily living. The Holy Spirit enters a person’s life and that is the starting point; then we need the Holy Spirit to empower us, only then we can experience a victorious and triumphant living witness. This is what we urgently need in to-day’s Christians. We have a victorious life and a victorious daily living. Our life then would start to change. The holy image of Christ would then be curved in our spirit only then Christ attained His purpose His purpose by taking the curse for our sake.

●2. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Laws.

Paul knew and all the Jewish people know, no matter how hard they observe the laws; they could not do a good job. Regardless how hard they observe the laws, they fail to please God. At the end, not only they did not get the blessing but also were cursed by the laws. In Deuteronomy 27, it mentioned 12 kinds of curses, one of them is:” cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.” (Deuteronomy 27:26) Paul told the Galation believers that only Christ could “redeem us from the curse of the laws.”

How did Christ redeem us from the curse of the laws? Only one word that is the “Blood” Jesus shed. In the Bi ble blood was mentioned 460 times. In the New Testament Jesus mentioned 14 times about His own blood. Why? Because only through His blood, He could redeem us and deliver us out of the curse of the laws. Where did Jesus shed His Blood? It was at the Cross in Calvry. The cross was an instrument of torture and shame, but Paul in Galations 6:14, “May I NEVER boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…….” Why did Paul glorify in the cross? He glorified in it because he saw an emanating light from that rough, inartistic beam upon which the Son of God had been crucified, the radiant hope of the world, the end of the believer’s bondage to sin, and the love of God shed abroad in the hearts of men.

Perhaps you may say we are not Jews therefore we do not need to observe the laws, we don’t need the problems of observing the laws. It may sound reasonable. But the laws are not the special privilege of the Jews. They are for every convicted person. Paul said,” What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions of sinners.” Thanks to Jesus, he personally took up our transgressions for the purpose of leading us to the presence of God. The Bible said, “For Christ died for sins once of all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18.

●3. “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Verse 13.

The wooden tree that was mentioned here was the CROSS. Cursed is everyone who is hung on it. In Taiwanese old saying, “Any one who is hung of the wooden tree is deadly and unlucky.” Our Holy Jesus, why was He nailed to this deadly and unlucky cross? Paul said He did it because of everyone in this world. The Bible said’ “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.

In the past, when I was taking the entrance examination to the theological school, I read about the biography of David Livingstone and I attended many movies about his life. I felt he was a great missionary. He spoke with a stuttering and blocking sound but he had a strong calling for the souls of the African natives. Due to his stuttering speech, the missionary association would not accept him as a missionary. For this he went to the beach everyday and preached to the ocean waves in order to improve his speech. He overcame his difficulty and finally he was sent to Africa as a missionary.

After he arrived at Africa, not only he converted tens of thousands of the African natives, he alone walked across Africa preaching, passing through the world’s largest dark forest and he arrived at the other side of Africa. He was the first mankind to be able to do this. Even the African natives never attempt to walk across the continent of Africa. But the most touching part was when David Livingstone at his deathbed, he got up out of his bed, and kneeled down before God and worshipped God, then he quietly said to the world. If he did not have fear and reverence for God, he would not have got up to worship God at the most critical moment of his life. After his death, the natives took out his heart carefully and buried in the soil of Africa where he loved so much. His body was sent to England where he was buried at Westminster Abbey.

When David Livingstone’s body was carried to Westminster cemetery, on the way passing through the street in London, one person broke out and cried. Some one tried to comfort him and asked if he know David.

Livingstone. He answered,” I am not crying for David Livingstone, I am crying for myself. Livingstone’s life and death were full of meaningful purpose but I am alive with no goal and purpose.”

One time when Livingstone was in Scotland, he was invited to the university to speak. At that time one of his arms was wounded by the lions’ attack.. It was numbed and would not function properly. He contracted the forest fever for 27 times; his face after exposing to the scorching sun had become like brown leather-like skin. In his speech, he said, “When I faced life’s trials and tribulations and loneliness, what gave me support and strength?” He answered. “It was the PROMISE, a gentleman’s PROMISE: I will be with you till the end of the earth.”

Some one asked him,” Do you feel you have made a great contribution for Africa?” He answered them, “Many people thought it was a sacrifice to spend a lot of time in Africa, but I owe the debt to God, which is forever not able to pay off. How would a slight return of favor is ever thought to be a sacrifice? If this little work which is considered a good deed which also brings peace of mind and the hope of the final glory; how could this be a sacrifice? From this angle and observation, this is not a sacrifice, it is rathera honor.” Why did David Livingstone feel this way, it was because he knew Christ our Lord had died on the CROSS and was cursed.

Martin Luther had said, “A belief that is not teaching, nor asking and not sacrificing, what kind of a belief is this? It is a belief not worth to be mentioned.”

●CONCLUSIONS

Rev. D.Bonhoeffer in his book of“NACHFOLGE”, following Jesus Christ, he reminded Christians, “Only when we completely forget ourselves, then we are able to take up the cross to follow Him. And to take the cross is not a sad situation; it is the result of complete faithfulness in Christ.” Only when a person is completely dedicated to be a disciple, he then can experience the true meaning of the Cross.”