The Transcendent Cross

 

 

 

Transcendent. Surpassing or excelling others of its kind; going beyond the ordinary limits; pre-eminent; superior or supreme; extraordinary. Surmounting, or rising above; excelling, surpassing eminence or excellence.

Introduction:

  1. The cross of Jesus Christ rises above all other ideas, events, or transactions in surpassing eminence.
  2. His death is the focal point of divine superiority and excelling excellence over all persons or things.
  3. There is nothing you should learn first or love more than the Son of God’s death on a Roman cross.
  4. All other human learning and all efforts or accomplishments disappear fast into a cesspool of failure.
  5. Without the cross, Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the incarnate Son of God without purpose for His life.
  6. Without Jesus Christ on it, the cross is a simple wooden torture and execution device of the Romans.
  7. Your life is full or frustrated, joyful or jaded, energized or empty based on your view of His cross.

Transcendent Statements

  1. Paul, the learned apostle, declared its glory greater than all other objects (Gal 6:14).
    1. There are five parts here; each should provoke us to glory i.e. God’s rejection, the action of glory, the object of glory, a changed worldview, a changed reputation.
    2. The world, pick any desirable aspect of it, is put to shameful death in comparison.
    3. The world’s ignorance, no matter how intellectual or educated, despised Paul for it.
    4. How much do you fulfill the five parts of this verse pleasing God by loving Christ?
    5. What excites … fascinates … humbles … moves you? God and Jesus Christ see it!
  2. Paul, the great evangelist, declared it the essential component of the gospel (I Co 2:2).
    1. This learned and eloquent man could have entertained hearers wherever he went.
    2. Of all the great themes and topics of holy scripture, there is one superior to the rest.
    3. Market preferences were known, but Christ’s cross transcended all (I Cor 1:22-24).
    4. Yet the preaching of Christ Jesus always triumphs in its reception (II Cor 2:13-17).
    5. What content do you most desire and what savor do you produce known to others?

Transcendent Wisdom

  1. The preaching of Jesus Christ’s cross is the power and wisdom of God (I Co 1:18-25).
  2. Redemption and forgiveness display all-abounding wisdom and prudence (Eph 1:7-8).
  3. Isaiah prophesied of Jesus Christ’s great prudence and His promotion for it (Is 52:13).
  4. The gospel of Christ’s cross is a new level of knowledge to the knowing (Is 52:15).
  5. Much ado is made of His wisdom in creation (Job 38:4-11; Pr 8:22-31; Is 40:12-17).
  6. But His wisdom in Christ’s death to save us is transcendently better (Rom 11:33-36).

Transcendent Knowledge

  1. All other human learning, efforts, or accomplishments fast disappear in abject failure.
  2. Jesus Christ’s love for you, demonstrated on the cross, passes knowledge (Eph 3:19).
  3. There is no other knowledge of any kind that can compare favorably to any degree.
  4. All philosophy, politics, religion are answered and exceeded by Jesus Christ’s cross.
  5. There is no intellectual pursuit of any kind that compares to looking at Christ’s cross.
  6. Do not be deceived by this information era to pursue or think upon vain knowledge.
  7. This knowledge – Peter should know – began and ended his epistle (II Pe 1:2-3; 3:18).
  8. This knowledge – Paul should know – he yet sought with all his might (Phil 3:8-11).

Knowledge Pyramid

  1. Basic unbelief – this is most men due to inherited depravity (Ps 14:1-3; II Thes 3:1-2).
  2. Creation knowledge – truth revealed by natural things seen (Ps 19:1-6; Rom 1:18-25).
  3. Providence knowledge – God’s character revealed by pleasures (Ac 14:17; Matt 5:45).
  4. Conscience knowledge – God’s laws revealed by His candle (Pr 20:27; Rom 2:12-16).
  5. Scripture knowledge – men may memorize its details and miss its Christ (John 5:39).
  6. Regeneration knowledge – new life with the Spirit may cry Abba, Father (Gal 4:6).
  7. Conversion knowledge – hearing the truth of Christ to a lesser degree (He 5:12 – 6:3).
  8. Advanced knowledge – the desire for believers to know Christ better (II Peter 3:18).
  9. Experiential knowledge – Paul wanted to know Christ and His character (Phil 3:10).
  10. Perfect knowledge – transcendent by Spirit power to be filled with God (Eph 3:19).

Transcendent Mercy

  1. The god of this world has blinded most men to miss Christ’s gospel (II Cor 4:3-5).
  2. But God, like in creation, has shined in our hearts to reveal Jesus Christ (II Cor 4:6-7).
  3. No man knows the Son without God drawing and revealing Him (Jn 6:44; Mat 11:27).
  4. We have obtained like precious faith with the apostles as a gift from God (II Pet 1:1).
  5. Eternal life is a gift from God to know Him and His Son (Jn 17:3; I Jn 5:20; He 8:11).

Transcendent Religion

  1. All other religions are vanity and vexation of the highest magnitude in comparison.
  2. To even compare the devil’s caricatures to Christ’s cross is to demean God and Christ.
  3. Compare even Jehovah’s O.T., but Christ and His cross fulfilled and destroyed it.
  4. The world’s largest religion – Catholicism – ruins the cross by Mary and sacraments.
  5. The world’s second largest religion – Islam – must deny in the Koran that Jesus died.
  6. Theology (the science of God) is determined by our Christology (science of Christ).
  7. The cross of Christ reflects God’s holiness, wrath, love, mercy in a grand display.

Transcendent Parties

  1. The LORD Jehovah, God and Father of Jesus Christ, planned and purposed the cross.
  2. The dreadful and terrible God of holiness and wrath bruised and punished His Son.
  3. Jesus Christ, the Word of God in the flesh, Immanuel, willingly underwent the cross.
  4. Perfections of an infinite and invisible God are seen in His image (Col 3:10; Heb 1:3).
  5. The transaction was so severe their inviolate relationship went asunder by your sins.
  6. You were not friends of this God or Christ, but enemies by wicked works (Rom 5:10).
  7. You were willing and eager captives and servants of God’s enemy Satan (Eph 2:1-3).
  8. When He came into the world, you nor your better ancestors counted Him glorious.

Transcendent Love

  1. God commended His love by giving His Son for all of His elect (Rom 5:8; John 3:16).
  2. He had loved them with an everlasting love and therefore drew them to Him (Je 31:3).
  3. Christ loved His own so much that He willing gave Himself a death ransom for them.
  4. As an example of love to husbands, Jesus loved His own sacrificially (Eph 5:25-27).
  5. Herein is love! Herein is love! Not that we loved God, but that He loved us by Christ.
  6. The world sings of the greatest love of all as the narcissistic and selfish love of self!
  7. There is no love like God’s love, for though conditional, He fully paid the condition!
  8. His love is not hidden, for it shines forth every day, but mostly in your heart (Ro 5:5).

Transcendent Original

  1. Paul warned against any philosophy or tradition of men contrary to Christ (Col 2:8).
    1. He was full deity in a human body, and believers are complete in Him (Co 2:9-10).
    2. The headship of Christ must be constantly protected and promoted (Co 2:18-19).
  2. We must, and we will, oppose any other Jesus that men may invent (II Cor 11:3-4).
  3. We devotedly curse any effort by men to add to its finished value (Gal 1:6-9; 5:1-4).
  4. When Jesus cried, It is finished! He spoke of the work of His cross to redeem you!
  5. We deny Mary, Peter, Veronica’s towel, or any anyone or anything else as His helper.

Transcendent Transaction

  1. He made an open show of the devil and destroyed Him (Ge 3:15; Jn 12:31; Col 2:15).
  2. He ripped the veil of the temple and ended the O.T. ceremonial laws (Col 2:14,16-17).
  3. He made peace in the very place where God was unapproachable by a veil (Hag 2:9).
  4. From the Passover came its infinite fulfillment of God passing over by Christ’s blood.
  5. The cross shows the exceeding sinfulness of sin and your sinfulness (Isaiah 53:10-11).
  6. Jesus was given spoil for the cross and promoted over all (Isaiah 53:12; Phil 2:5-11).
  7. The sacrifice and shame were so great Jesus is highly exalted (Heb 12:2; Ps 16:8-11).

Transcendent Value

  1. Zerubbabel’s temple was inferior to Solomon’s, but its glory was greater (Hag 2:6-9).
  2. His blood shed on that cross was the blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20).
  3. He made peace by the blood of His cross of all things in heaven and earth (Col 1:20).
  4. His death covered sins past, present, future (Ro 3:25; Heb 9:15; 11:39-40; Re 5:8-10).
  5. His death united Jews and Gentiles together into one body for habitation by God.
  6. His death annihilated the boatload of ordinances against us from the Old Testament.
  7. Incontrovertibly great is the mystery of godliness – His cross in all parts (I Tim 3:16).
  8. Jesus Christ came for the cross for sinners is worthy of all acceptation (I Tim 1:15).
  9. Jesus ascended to take the everlasting covenant and secure His throne (Rev 5:1-14).
  10. A new and living way was opened to heaven and the presence of God (Heb 10:19-22).
  11. The foolish shall not stand in God’s sight, and He hates all workers of iniquity (Ps 5:5), but the cross of Christ made an abundant entrance to heaven certain (II Pet 1:11).

Transcendent Events

  1. There was darkness over the whole land or earth for three hours from noon until 3:00 (Matt 27:45), which was part of that hemisphere and noted by various historians.
  2. The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matt 27:51), which was 60 feet tall x 30 feet wide by 4 inches thick, weighed 4 tons, of 72 threads of 24 threads, by 82 seamstresses, manipulated into place by 300 priests. Workhorses could not tear it.
  3. There was an earthquake; the rocks were rent or torn by the power of God; David metaphorically described the earth shaking for him (Ps 18:7), but what of David’s son!
  4. The graves were opened by the death of Him Who would soon live again (Mat 27:52), and when He arose the freed bodies joined their souls to pay some visits in Jerusalem.
  5. The demonstration of God’s power caused the centurion and company to glorify God!
  6. The thief was promised he would be with Jesus that very day in Paradise (Luk 23:43).
  7. For historical refutation of a total solar eclipse at the crucifixion, see a scientific link.

Transcendent Results

  1. Jesus said that by being lifted up would draw all men to Himself (John 12:31-33).
  2. Men by faith have been crucified with Christ, and it changed their lives (Gal 2:20).
  3. Paul was considered mad, even by Christians, but he judged rightly (II Cor 5:13-15).
  4. Peter preaching Christ’s cross crushed the Jews at Pentecost, Philip did so in Samaria and with the eunuch, Peter with Cornelius, Paul at Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, etc.
  5. Three trees matter, but Christ’s tree destroyed the one and gives you right to the other.
    1. The tree of knowledge of good and evil cost us life and the tree of life (Gen 3:24).
    2. The tree of Calvary made the tree of life free again (I Pet 2:24; Rev 2:7; 22:2,14).
    3. So much of anthropology and soteriology and eschatology are based on three trees.

Transcendent Consequences

  1. God has declared – This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
  2. Jesus – What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? How is He then David’s Lord?
  3. Jesus – Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? But whom say ye that I am?
  4. Peter – Let all Israel know assuredly God made Jesus you crucified Lord and Christ.
  5. Paul – If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha!
  6. The Jews made light of it, so He destroyed them and burned up the city (Matt 22:5-7).
  7. If you reject or neglect Him, you crucify Him again and walk on Him (He 6:6; 10:29).
  8. Preaching Christ’s cross has always created divisions, which is a very healthy thing.
    1. Let us preach Christ’s cross sufficiently to drive all reprobates back into the world.
    2. Belly worshippers will be exposed by their earthly speech and their fruitless lives.
    3. Thus we shall be left with those who truly love Him or who can fake it right well.

Transcendent Memorial

  1. Baptism, the answer of a good conscience toward God, is observed only once in life.
  2. The Lord’s Supper, to remember His death till He comes, is observed over and over!
  3. Compromise or misconduct of this ordinance wrecked physical havoc at Corinth!
  4. The three witnesses of Christ all take their value from His bloody cross (I John 5:6,8)

Conclusion:

  1. We do not need crosses on steeples, walls, or necklaces … we need love for the Christ of the cross!
  2. We need our hearts, minds, marriages, families, church centered on fiery passion for Christ’s cross!

For Further Study or Consideration:

  1. Unsearchable Riches of Christ.
  2. The Glory of the Cross.
  3. Who Shall Declare His Generation? 
  4. He Is Altogether Lovely.
  5. World’s Greatest Lover.
  6. Facets of Salvation.
  7. The Cross of Jesus Christ.
  8. Blood of Christ.
  9. The Passover Explained and Fulfilled.
  10. What Did Jesus Finish?  
  11. Adoption as the Sons of God.
  12. The Two Adams.
  13. The Triumph of Christ.
  14. Baptism and Cup of Christ.
  15. Man of Sorrows.
  16. Jesus Paid It All.
  17. Seven Sayings of Cross.
  18. Isaiah 50.
  19. Isaiah 53.
  20. Psalm 22.
  21. Cross of Christ.
  22. The Cross of Jesus Christ – 1999.
  23. The Seed of the Woman.
  24. Limited Atonement (see also).
  25. Ready to Die.
  26. Facets of Salvation.
  27. Our Great High Priest.
  28. We Would See Jesus.
  29. You Need a Lawyer.
  30. He Is Altogether Lovely .
  31. World’s Greatest Lover.
  32. He Ascended Up on High.
  33. Jesus Is Our Surety.
  34. Jesus Is the Prince of Peace.
  35. The Stronger Man.
  36. Take Up Your Cross Daily.
  37. Messianic Psalms – An Introduction.
  38. The Prophecy of Caiaphas.
  39. Love of Christ Constraineth Us .
  40. Before the World Began.
  41. John Piper Sermon Jam.
  42. S.M. Lockridge, “Do You Know My King?”.
  43. Galatians 6 (for 6:14).
  44. More Sermons about Christ.
  45. More Documents about Christ.