SPECIAL DAYS: Good Friday Service at the Arena Bible Church, 7:00 p.m.

March 29, 2002 - Lessons: Isaiah 52.13-53.12; Hebrews 10.16-25

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Brad Walden, senior minister with the Tates Creek Christian Church, Lexington, KY; relates a true story as told by Mark's grandfather ⁽¹⁾ The mother of a nine-year-old boy named Mark received a phone call in the middle of the afternoon. It was the teacher from her son's school.

"Mrs. Smith, something unusual happened today in your son's third grade class. Your son did something that surprised me so much that I thought you should know about it immediately." The mother began to grow worried.

The teacher continued, "Nothing like this has happened in all my years of teaching. This morning I was teaching a lesson on creative writing. And as I always do, I tell the story of the ant and the grasshopper:

"The ant works hard all summer and stores up plenty of food. But the grasshopper plays all summer and does no work.

"Then winter comes. The grasshopper begins to starve because he has no food. So he begins to beg, 'Please Mr. Ant, you have much food. Please let me eat, too.'" Then I said, "Boys and girls, your job is to write the ending to the story."

"Your son, Mark, raised his hand. 'Teacher, may I draw a picture?'

"'Well, yes, Mark, if you like, you may draw a picture. But first you must write the ending to the story.'

"As in all the years past, most of the students said the ant shared his food through the winter, and both the ant and the grasshopper lived. A few children wrote, 'No, Mr. Grasshopper. You should have worked in the summer. Now, I have just enough food for myself.' So the ant lived and the grasshopper died.

"But your son ended the story in a way different from any other child, ever. He wrote, 'So the ant gave all of his food to the grasshopper; the grasshopper lived through the winter. But the ant died.'

"And the picture? At the bottom of the page, Mark had drawn three crosses."

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MAIN BODY:

1. On the cross Christ died for me.
1. I deserved to die.
2. I am under the sentence of death.
3. He took my place

I can't vouch for the authenticity of this report, but the story makes a powerful point:

In the 4th century A.D. in Korea, a man had two sons. The elder rose to become Chief Justice in the land and the younger became an infamous bandit.

The elder brother loved his younger brother but was unable to persuade him to change his ways.

Eventually the younger son was caught and brought before his brother, the Chief Justice. Everyone in the courtroom thought the younger brother would get off because it was well-known that the Chief Justice loved his brother

But at the end of the trial, the Chief Justice sentenced his brother to death.

On the day of the execution, the elder brother came to the prison and said to his brother "Let's swap places." The younger brother agreed, thinking that once they realized that it was the elder brother, the execution would not go forward.

He went up on the hill to watch the proceedings. His brother was brought out at dawn and to his horror executed.

Filled with remorse, he ran down the hill and told the guard his name and that he was the criminal who should be executed. The guards said to him:

"There is no sentence outstanding on anyone with that name."

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2. The death of Christ was a tragic victory.
1. But because of it there is no longer a punishment for those who grasp it.
2. But because of it there is no sentence outstanding in our name for those who embrace it.
3. That's a big plus.

A small boy went with his father to visit a great cathedral.

As they walked under the giant arches, the boy asked: "Daddy, what is the big plus sign up front?"

He was, of course, referring to the sign of the cross - life's eternal plus. The Big Plus.

1. This is why the music of the season is so powerful, and just not now, but all year long.

At the Cross, Isaac Watts; Refrain by Ralph E. Hudson.

Alas! and did my Savior bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I!
(For someone such as I)
(For sinners such as I)

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man the creatures sin.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away--
'Tis all that I can do!

REFRAIN

At the cross, at the cross
where I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away-
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

1. Because we are relieved of the burden of sin we ought to rejoice and give thanks.

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CONCLUSION:

1. That's the experience of Christian in The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan writes:

Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, 'He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death.' Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came to him and saluted him with Peace be unto thee. So the first said to him, Thy sins be forgiven thee; the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate. So they went their way.

"Who's this? the Pilgrim. How! 'tis very true,
Old things are past away, all's become new.
Strange! he's another man, upon my word,
They be fine feathers that make a fine bird.

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing --

Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in
Till I came hither: What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!

1. Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
2. The Man that there was put to shame for me!
2. Christian leaps for joy and so may we.

   1. Citation: Brad Walden, senior minister with the Tates Creek Christian Church, Lexington, KY; true story told by Mark's grandfather at Westwood Cheviot Church of Christ, Cincinnati, OH

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