Sermon: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

Listen to the Sermon:

[At about the 15-minute mark, static begins. We are trying to locate this sporadic problem]

https://grantspasschurchofchrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/09042016wereyoutherewhentheycrucifiedmylorddonruhl.mp3?_=1

---

 

Download the Notes:

09042016WereYouThereWhenTheyCrucifiedMyLordDonRuhl

---

 

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? 

Have you pictured in your mind the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth?

Galatians 3.1

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • September 4, In the year of our Lord, 2016

Song Leader and Song Suggestions: Jerry Thomas

Prelude: 

1. Several versions of this song exist. 
   1. It started as a negro spiritual.
   2. Some versions include a verse,
      1. asking if you were there when they pierced His side, and
      2. some versions do not include the reference to His resurrection.
   3. For this message, I will use the version that we have in our books.
2. In each verse of this magnificent song, 
   1. we ask the question
      1. of whether someone was present at the crucifixion of Christ, or
      2. even at His resurrection.
   2. Obviously, none of us were there, but
      1. I believe the point that the song makes
      2. is that just thinking on
         1. what happened the day of His crucifixion and
         2. what happened the day of His resurrection,
            1. causes us to tremble.
            2. What then must it have been like to see the crucifixion?

Persuasion: 

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
   
   Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
   Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
   O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
   Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
   
   1. Roman crucifixion
      
      25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20.25).
      
   2. My Lord
   3. They crucified the Lord!
   4. Knowing what happened, causes us to tremble.
2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
   
   Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
   Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
   O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
   Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
   
   1. This verse zeros in on one part of the crucifixion, the main part,
      1. that of nailing a man to the tree, and
      2. that of nailing the Son of God to the tree.
   2. They nailed the Son of God to a tree.
      1. They could not even give Him a glorious death!
      2. They made a spectacle of Him.
         1. Consider where they nailed Him to a tree.
         2. They put a sign or signs above His head,
            1. listing the charge against Him.
            2. They used three languages,
               
               38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

               THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

               (Luke 23.38)
               

      3. Did not the Son of God deserve something better than a tree?
   3. Picture men hammering nails through the hands and feet of Jesus.
3. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
   
   Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
   Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
   O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
   Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
   
   1. The sun refused to shine when humanity crucified the sun’s Creator.
      1. In Matthew 5.45, Jesus refers to the sun as the Father’s sun.
      2. He owns it.
   2. The sun praises God.
      1. Therefore, man’s sin against God
      2. caused the sun not to bless man for three hours.
   3. The sun could not bear to watch what men did to the Creator.
      
      44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two (Luke 23.44–45).
      
   4. Picture being there that day and witnessing the darkening of the sun.
4. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
   
   Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
   Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
   O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
   Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
   
   1. They placed the Creator in a tomb!
   2. Did this truly happen?
   3. Solomon declared what happens at death,
      
      7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
      And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
      (Ecc 12.7)
      
      1. His spirit left His body.
      2. His body stayed in the tomb.
         1. However, something wonderful happened.
         2. The day of His crucifixion was the darkest day of history.
         3. Three days later was the brightest day of history.
5. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
   
   Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
   Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
   O Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
   Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
   
   1. How would you have grieved that day?
      
      13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20.13–15).
      
   2. His body died, but
      1. no tomb could hold the Creator.
      2. He created life,
         1. uniting body and spirit,
         2. so He could reenter His body when He so desired.
   3. Then see what Mary did,
      
      16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her (John 20.16–18).
      
      1. How her soul trembled with excitement!
      2. Our souls tremble with excitement!

Exhortation: 

1. If men had known 
   1. that He was the Lord of glory
   2. they would not have crucified Him,
      
      7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1Co 2.7–8).
      
2. If people today knew 
   1. that they ignore the Lord of glory,
   2. they would not ignore Him, but
   3. they would cling to Him.