THE

AGONY
AND
GLORY
OF THE CROSS
Lesson 1

THE OFFENSE OF THE

CROSS
The apostle Paul would
GLORY ONLY IN THE CROSS
But far be it from me to
boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by
which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the
world.

NOTE:
You cannot have the glory
of the cross without the
agony of the cross
So much of the time, people
think of Jesus as a sweet
baby or a helpless man
dying.
Much preaching has
removed the horror and

NO ONE TODAY HAS SEEN A

CRUCIFIXION
When crosses are put on a
church building, is it
possible that the cross is
being glorified rather than
the --CHRIST ON THE CROSS?

Please note: Jesus told His

disciples that He would
OFFEND MEN
When many of his disciples
heard it, they said, This is a
hard saying; who can listen
to it? But Jesus, knowing
in himself that his disciples
were grumbling about this,
said to them, Do you take
offense at this? (John 6:60,
61)

WHO WOULD ACCEPT A

CRUCIFIED CRIMINAL AS
SAVIOR?
The Romans considered a
cross as obscene
Peter wanted to protect
Jesus, but Jesus said, Get
behind Me, Satan!
(Matthew 16:23)

The Old Testament taught

that HANGING ON A TREE
brought a curse
Christ redeemed us from
the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us-for it is written, Cursed is
everyone who is hanged on
a tree
(Galatians 3:13;

Paul spoke about the

OFFENSE OF THE CROSS
But if I, brothers, still
preach circumcision, why am
I still being persecuted? In
that case the offense of
the cross has been
removed.
(Galatians 5:11)

Christ is considered as a
ROCK OF OFFENSE
as it is written, "Behold, I am
laying in Zion a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of
offense; and whoever
believes in him will not be put
to shame."
(Romans 9:33)

The CROSS was a stumbling

block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles
but we preach Christ
crucified, a stumbling block
to Jews and folly to
Gentiles,
(I Corinthians 1:23)

No one ever made people

angrier than Jesus did!
Do you agree?
Nothing on earth is as
controversial, offensive or
divisive as the cross!
Do you agree with this?

NOTE:
The CROSS OFFENDS
PEOPLE because GOD IS
RIGHT!
God is right because He says
our problem is sin
God is Right that the only
answer to sin is the CROSS!
God is Right because Christ

For while we were still

weak, at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly.
but God shows his love for
us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:6, 8)

The CROSS offends

because man cannot
DESERVE his salvation
For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23)

GRACE provides the escape

from punishment
(John 1:29)
Jesus is the only WAY
(John 14:6)
This is considered rigid,
narrow, exclusive,
intolerant, and judgmental

THE WEEK THAT CHANGED

THE WORLD
1. The gospels discuss
only
40 plus days of Jesus
life
2. One-third of the
gospels focus on the
week leading to the cross
3. That week is about of
John

4. Jesus had set His face

toward Jerusalem (Luke
9:51)
Jesus was in complete
CONTROL!
Read Mark 10:32-34
His DEATH was NO
ACCIDENT!
He came TO DIE FOR US!

NOTE:
Jesus did MUCH TEACHING in
the week leading up to the
CROSS

HE TAUGHT UNTIL THE

VERY END

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF

THIS?
In the year 1985, brother
Charles Hodge preached

every sermon on the

topic of:

CHRIST!

SUNDAY: (The first day)

A DAY OF ACCLAIM!
1. Anointing in Bethany
(John 12:1-8)
--- Probably Saturday
night
--- Very expensive
ointment
(One years
wage)

--- The real character of

Judas Iscariot is
revealed here (12:46)

Thief!
Whatever is given to Jesus,
for Jesus, cannot be titled
waste
DO YOU AGREE?

2. The TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

(Matthew 21:1-11)
--- Jesus forced decisions
--Accept Me or Kill Me!
Disciples got a colt. Jesus
had a parade
Hosanna --- Save, we
pray

The PHARISEES wanted Jesus

to rebuke the disciples
If we had been there, what
attitude would we have had?
NOTE:
Jesus CRIED OVER
JERUSALEM
(Luke 19:41)

MONDAY: A DAY OF
AUTHORITY
1. Jesus CURSED a FIG TREE
(Matthew 21:18-22)
--- This is one of two
destructive
miracles.
(See
Matthew 8:28-34)
--- The tree gave the
appearance of

--- The Pharisees claimed

to
be from God, but
were
NOT!
2. Jesus Cleansed the
TEMPLE
(Matthew 21:1215)
--- My house is of
prayer
--- A den of robbers
(Jeremiah 7:11)

--- Temple tax must be

paid
in shekels.
When
money was
changed
Cheating!
NOTE:
Jesus was NOT a weakling, a
sissy. He was a man
among men Strong and

3. Jesus continued
TEACHING
--- Jews wanted to KILL.
Greeks wanted to
hear
(John 12:20)
--- His hour had come.
He
continued to teach!
A seed must die!
(John 12:21-26)

THREE TIMES IN JESUS

MINISTRY, GOD SPOKE FROM
HEAVEN
Matthew 3:13-17 At His
baptism
Matthew 17:1-5 -- At His
Transfiguration, and HERE.
Sounded like thunder!
I have glorified it. (John
12:28, 29)

--- Jesus taught, If I be

lifted up
(John 12:32, 33)
--- Even rulers believed,
but
they loved the
approval
of men.
More than approval from
God! (John 12:42, 43)

TUESDAY: A DAY OF
ACTIVITY
This seems to be Jesus
busiest day of His ministry
1. By what authority
(Matthew 21:23-27)
--- Fighting fire with
fire!
--- They had no answer!

2. In this setting, 3
parables:
--- The two sons
(Matthew
21:28-32)
--- Wicked Renters
(Matthew 21:3341)
--- Marriage Feast
(Matthew 22:2-14)

3. Attempts to TRAP Jesus

--- Taxes to Caesar
(Matthew 22:15-21)
--- Resurrection!
33)
--- Greatest
Commandment!
(Matthew 22:34-46)

(22:23-

4. A series of WOES
(Matthew 23)
--- How shall you escape
the
sentence of hell?
(23:33)
--- Jesus mourned over the
City of Jerusalem
(Matthew 23:3739)

5. Destruction of the temple

(Matthew 24)
6. In the middle of
HYPOCRISY, the beautiful
story of the poor widow
(Mark 12:41-44)
7. THREE MORE PARABLES:
--- Ten virgins
--- Talents

(25:1-13)

(25:14-30)

WEDNESDAY: A DAY OF NO
ACTIVITY
1. Jesus enemies could NOT
answer Him. So, KILL
HIM!
2. Judas and Satan were
busy
on this day!
--- The agreement to
betray
Jesus (Luke
22:1-6)

THURSDAY: A DAY OF
ACTION
1. The hour had come.
Jesus will not sleep before
dying
2. Preparation for PASSOVER!
(Matthew 26:17-19)
3. Man carrying a pitcher of
water

4. REASONS why THIS

Passover is important
--- Fellowship before
suffering
--- This is the last God
given
Passover.
The gospel will
come
--- Jesus is NOW our
Passover
(I Corinthians
5:7)

5. Jesus OBEYED Gods

Passover until the end!
6. At Supper, FRIDAY had
already begun. SUNSET!
7. The disciples were
arguing
about the
greatest
(Luke
22:24-30)
8. Jesus announced
betrayal
(Matthew

And as they were eating, he

said, "Truly, I say to you, one
of you will betray me."
And they were very sorrowful
and began to say to him one
after another, "Is it I, Lord?"
He answered, He who has
dipped his hand in the dish
with me will betray me.

Some thought that, because

Judas had the moneybag,
Jesus was telling him, "Buy
what we need for the feast,"
or that he should give
something to the poor.
So, after receiving the
morsel of bread, he
immediately went out. And it
was night.
(John 13:29, 30)

9. Jesus instituted the Lords

Supper (Matthew 26:2629)
10. NOTE: Judas missed so
much. For example, he
missed
John 13:34, 35.
LOVE!
11. Jesus announced that
Peter would deny Him
(Matthew 26:33-35)

FRIDAY: A DAY OF AGONY!

1. The Lords Prayer
17)

(John

--- Jesus prayed for Himself

--- Jesus prayed for the
disciples
--- Jesus prayed for US!
2. Jesus PRAYED in
Gethsemane

--- Perhaps, the hardest

prayer ever prayed
(Matthew 26:36-46)
--- The Father said NO
and
Jesus said YES!
--- Jesus was NOT a
coward!
--- Humanity was in
danger!

And going a little farther he

fell on his face and prayed,
saying, "My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass
from me; nevertheless, not
as I will, but as you will."
(Matthew 26:39)

Therefore, we are
ambassadors for Christ, God
making his appeal through
us. We implore you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to
God.
For our sake he made him to
be sin who knew no sin, so
that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.
(II Corinthians 5:20, 21)

--- The eternal wrath of

a
Holy God was
poured
out on
Jesus
--- This was the only time
the Father and
Son were
separated.
My God.
--- Jesus could have called
12 legions of

Do you think that I cannot

appeal to my Father, and he
will at once send me more
than twelve legions of
angels?
(Matthew 26:53)
ONE ANGEL WAS SENT!
And there appeared to him
an angel from heaven,
strengthening him.
(Luke 22:43)

--- The time when Jesus

cried (Hebrews 5:7)
--- The only time when
Jesus
called the Father
Abba
(Mark 14:36)
--- Judas came with a MOB!
(Matthew 26:47-56)
--- Hatred rejects
thought!
--- Peter cut off Malchus ear

--- Peter denied 3 times

(Matthew 26:6975)
He CRIED BITTERLY!
APPEARANCES of Jesus
Annas then to Caiaphas
Sanhedrin then to Pilate
Herod

--- Judas regretted

(Matthew 27:1-10)
SUICIDE!
--- Jesus was on the CROSS
for
6 hours (9:00 A. M.
-3:00
P. M.).
--- Died as a poor man,
buried
in a rich mans
tomb!
(Matthew
27:57-61)

NOTE:
People KNEW that Jesus was
dead
The soldiers KNEW!
Pilate KNEW!
Joseph of Arimathea KNEW!
Nicodemus KNEW!
The women KNEW!

SATURDAY: A DAY OF
ABSENCE
If Satan ever had a banquet
in hell, it must have been
on Saturday!
BUT,

SUNDAY WAS COMING!

NOTE:
JESUS WAS RESURRECTED ON
THE FIRST DAY OF THE
WEEK!
Matthew 28:1,
Mark 16:1, 2, 9
Luke 24:1-3
John 20:1

SUNDAY: A DAY OF
APPEARANCES
On Sunday, the tomb was
empty!
Why do you seek the living
One among the dead?
He is not here, but He has
risen!
(Luke 24:5, 6)

APPEARANCES:
Mary Magdalene
9)

(Mark 16:1-

Other women (Matthew 28:18)

Men on the Emmaus Road
(Luke24:13-33)
Peter

(Luke 24:34)

Ten apostles

(John 20:19-25)