The Supreme Moment in Human History

Based on Luke 24:13-18, this message examines how the crucifixion represents the supreme moment in human history. Dr. Stanley explains that through the crucifixion of Christ, God judged sin, defeated Satan, and reconciled us to Himself. For more messages from Charles Stanley

In touch with Dr Charles Stanley celebrating 45 years of God’s faithfulness.
Next on in touch, the supreme moment in human history.
What is the supreme moment in human history?
Well, if you were to ask people that, for example, if you were to ask a historian or a philosopher or a scientist, probably all of them would give you something different.
In fact, if you ask most any person, what is the supreme moment in all of human history?
You get 1000 or more different answers.
But if you and I were to ask God that question, I think the answer would come very clear very quickly because I do believe that from God’s perspective, the supreme moment in human history was the moment his son Jesus Christ was crucified.
Now, a lot of people disagree with that. They just have to disagree with God.
And I can understand why rationally speaking and from a different perspective, somebody would say, well, that certainly was not the supreme moment of human history because this was just one man dying between two thieves, two criminals.
Well, you see the reason the person would object to that answer is simply because they don’t understand what happened at the cross.
In fact, most people don’t really understand what happened to the cross.
They look at the cross and they see Jesus hanging there having been nailed there and uh having been crowned with thorns and finally pierced in his side.
And they see all the events surrounding the cross and they say, well, you know, Jesus died for my sins or Jesus died on the cross.
what they don’t realize is that the most important things that were going on that day, you and I never really understand by simply looking at a scene.
So what I’d like to do is to show you why the most momentous supreme zenith pinnacle event in all of human history is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
And I want you to turn if you will to Luke chapter 24.
And this is a passage that really does not describe the crucifixion, but it’s a passage I’m gonna read because of one particular verse here.
And it’s almost humorous in some sense of the word, but sort of sad on the other.
And Jesus has been crucified and resurrected from the dead.
And now here are a couple of his followers on their way.
And in this 24th chapter of Luke, beginning in verse 13, here’s what you read.
And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
And they were talking with each other about the things which had taken place.
And while they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached and began traveling with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
And he said to them, what are these words that you’re exchanging with one another as you’re walking?
And they stood still looking sad.
One of them named answered and said to him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?
Now, when I read that, and I read this verse many, many times when I read this verse, I just sort of fell on my knees in laughter and I’ll tell you why he was the only one who knew what was going on that day.
And they asked him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?
And he was the only one who knew what happened the day. He was crucified.
And he said to them what things and they said to him, the things about Jesus, the Nazarene who was a prophet mighty indeed in word, in the sight of God and all the people and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him up to the sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel indeed.
Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things have happened.
But also some women, among those amazed us when they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body.
They came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women had also said, but him, they did not see.
And he said to them old foolish man in slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken.
Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer these things and to enter his glory?
Now, if somebody should ask you what happened the day Jesus Christ was crucified, what happened at the cross?
The first thing is simply this and that is God judged sin.
The day Jesus Christ was crucified when Jesus Christ was crucified. God judged sin.
This, he prophesized all the way back in the Garden of Eden.
When He said to Adam and Eve of all the trees of the garden, you’re freely to eat.
But if you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, ye shall surely die.
Then if you’ll recall all of the scriptures, God warns us about sin.
He says the soul that sins will die in Romans. That first chapter.
He makes it very clear in the 18th verse.
He says that the wrath of God, God’s animosity toward his uncompromising, hatred of sin.
God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men who hold or suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness.
God hates sin. When we say that God judged sin.
God did exactly that because all through the scriptures, we find God expressing his, listen, his vehement opposition to all sin.
For the simple reason. He knows it’s destructive power in a person’s life.
All you have to do is look at a newspaper, look at a magazine, watch the television, listen to the radio and you and I see the awesome consequences of sin in people’s lives every single day.
God judged sin at the cross. When we say that God judged sin on the cross, here’s what that means.
He says that Jesus Christ bore our sin in his body, which simply means that listen to what this, that God capsuled all the sin of mankind from Adam all the way back from Adam, all the way to the last person who will ever live.
He capsuled all of that sin with all of its penalty. And what did he do?
He placed every bit of that upon the person of Jesus Christ, his only begotten son.
He placed all of that sin upon him.
And then when he placed all of that sin upon him, what did he do?
He killed his only begotten son and he killed him and separated himself from him as a sinner.
He placed all of our sin upon him.
He bore the total weight of all of our sin, all of our guilt.
Any one of us could come up with enough sin in our lives over these years, that our sin enough, our sin would be enough.
But multiply that by hundreds and thousands and millions and billions of times, God placed upon his only begotten son, listen to sum total.
He capsuled all of sin and placed it upon the, upon the life upon the body of his only begotten son.
And then he condemned him the key word.
If you can just ask for what’s one word that sums it all up, it is substitute.
And that is that Jesus Christ went to the cross, listen with your sin debt and my sin debt.
Every single sin we’ve ever committed, we’ll ever commit. Plus everybody who’s ever lived, put it all upon him.
And then when he put it upon him, then he killed him. That is he crucified his only begotten son.
So when we say that God judged sin at the cross, what he did, listen, he judged and condemned sin in the person of his son.
There isn’t anybody who’s ever lived that could possibly ever live with whom God could have done that.
Because every single one of us have sinned against God.
And therefore, it took one who was absolutely sinless in order to bear the weight and the penalty for the sin of all mankind.
But there’s a second thing that He did at the cross that makes it the most momentous moment in human history.
And that’s this, that he defeated Satan.
Somebody says, now, wait a minute, Satan certainly isn’t defeated because he works on me daily.
Or we look around and see all the destructive things that are going on in the world today and we see that Satan is behind so much of what’s happening.
And somebody says, well, if he, if he defeated Satan, somewhere along the way, Satan got away.
No, he didn’t get away. He defeated Satan that day. Well, how did he do that?
Well, let’s just think about it for a moment because when Jesus was talking to his disciples and they were, he was talking to them and some others about uh what was going to happen?
Here’s what he said to him in that 12th Chapter, John, he said now my soul because he says my soul has become trouble and what, what shall I say?
Father save me from this hour?
But for this purpose, I came to this hour, Jesus knew he came for the purpose of being the ultimate lamb of God to listen to bear the sin of all mankind.
Father glorify your name. Then the voice out of heaven that I have have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
So the crowd of people who stood by heard it was saying that it had thundered and others were saying an angel has spoken to him.
Jesus answered and said, this voice has not come for my sake, but for your sake.
Now, judgment is upon this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
Satan will be defeated. And what happened to the cross? Satan absolutely was defeated.
Now, let’s think about it for a moment when you think about uh how he looked like he was going to be victorious.
Look, look if you will in Colossians chapter two and pro because this probably sums it all up best of all Galatians chapter two.
And notice if you another very important passage of scripture and look if you will beginning in verse 13 Galas chapter two, verse 13 scripture says when you were dead in your transgressions and the un circumcision of your flesh, he that is God made you love together with Christ, with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.
Now watch this, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us and he’s taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross when he had disarmed the rulers and authorities made a public display of them having triumphed over them through him.
Now, what does he mean when he says that he cancel out the certificate of debt person was in debt.
Oftentimes they would list on a scroll or on a parchment, all the things that they owed and they would nail it to the door post of their house.
When those things were atoned for or paid for or paid, paid down or paid off, the debt was fully paid.
They would oftentimes strike a nail through it or take it away.
And what he’s simply saying is this, watch this when Jesus Christ went to the cross and he paid your sin debt in mine in full.
God took it away. That is, it’s destroyed.
There is, listen, we have no debt hanging on our name in heaven.
And I remember when I was a kid growing up in the church, I, I grew up in, they used to sing this song.
There’s a new name written down in glory and it’s mine. And they sang a song like this.
Uh uh There’s an old account was settled long ago and uh talking about sin and, and, and victory and glory and all of these things and all account was set a long time ago.
Well, all of us have an account in heaven and let me tell you something.
If you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, there’s one thing I know about your account and my account, watch this that on your account and my account and listen.
However, he stamps that he stamped on your account and mine paid in full. How do I know that?
Here’s how I know that because when Jesus Christ went to the cross, he went to the cross as payment for our sin.
Now, there are people who say, well, now I know that uh God has forgiven me of my sin and, and uh but you know what, I’m just not, I’m not, I’m just not sure about this matter of being eternally secure that I’m eternally secure.
Let me ask you a question if, when he went to the cross and God, the Father put all your sin upon him and he died and paid that penalty.
And the Father condemned him because of sin, your sin in mind. Let me ask you a question.
If that didn’t atone for all of your sin, then listen.
The atoning death of Jesus Christ was only partial payment.
And you know what if I have only listen, if I am only partially paid, I’m still a debtor.
And you who happen to believe, for example, in purgatory that you have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life and to forgive you of your sin.
But one of these days you’re gonna have to die and pay some more. You know what that says?
It says, listen, it says the atoning death of Jesus Christ was inadequate.
It didn’t work that something got left over, something got left out. You’ve gotta pay.
Listen, how could you pay for sin when the spotless, eternal unblemished holy Son of God, if he couldn’t pay for it, you will never be able to pay for it.
Once you trust the Lord Jesus Christ is your savior, you acknowledge He paid your sin debt in full.
You don’t ever have to wonder about that anymore.
That is listen, God defeated Satan and He cannot come back with you and grab you out of the grace of God, the eternal security that God has provided for you.
Because what that means is if it’s possible, then his atoning death was only partial payment.
And how many times have we said? Listen, his death means payment. Listen, sin, debt paid in full.
There is no hope, no assurance, no confidence and no security.
If all the sin was not atone for by him, listen, Satan is a defeated foe naturally.
What he wants us to believe is that he’s not defeated.
And in fact, if you look around you and you listen to the devil, you will agree with Him.
We for example, we still face temptation.
We feel still face trials and difficulties and hardships and there’s war and bloodshed and murder and rape and violence and all the other things going on.
We said, well, if Satan is defeated, listen, he is defeated in the life of every single believer, every single child of God is in the hand of a sovereign omnipotent God.
He says He has established his throne in the universe and that He rules over all.
Therefore, whatever comes to us has to come to us by the permissive will of God.
If you step out of the will of God if you choose to live disobedient before God, if you choose to live in rebellion toward God, what happens?
God certainly will allow, listen, he certainly will allow chastisement. He certainly will allow Satan listen.
He will allow Satan to work you over, but Satan cannot take your life. So what happened to the cross?
Well, when I, when I think about the, when I think about what happened to Jesus and I think about the fact that he not only listen, he not only stripped Satan, listen, he defeated, said he stripped him of his powers.
Not only that he exposed him for what he was.
How wicked and vile and dark and devilish and hellish.
Can you be to dress the son of God almost naked, nail him to a cross before a mob of people and jeer at him and laugh at him and mock at him till he dies.
You wanna know what Satan will do to you.
Look at the cross, you wanna know what he’ll do to your life.
He will strip you of everything that is of value to you.
He will cheat you out of your love, your goodness.
He said he’ll cheat you out of the joy, the peace, the happiness. He will strip you emotionally.
He’ll strip you spiritually. He’ll strip you materially. He’ll do everything in his power to absolutely destroy you.
If he would do that to the son of God, you think you are chosen vessel of the devil.
On the other hand, he will be very good to you in order to, to deceive you and cause you to walk in darkness and blindness until the day you die and face him eternally in hell.
God, expose the devil of who he is.
Satan did everything in his power to make Jesus look like less than he was.
You know what he wants to do in your life. You can mark this down.
Satan is going to do everything he possibly can in your life to keep you out of the will of God.
He will give you money. He will give you opportunity. He will give you privilege.
He will give you things, you desire anything he can get you to do to keep you out of the will of God.
That’s how absolutely hateful and listen, how wicked and vile.
He is the third thing that happened at the cross is this and that is God in Christ, Jesus was reconciling the world unto himself.
Now, what do we mean by that?
Simply this, the word reconcile means to bring back together two that have been separated, two that have been estranged, those that are enemies.
And so what is he doing? God in Christ, Jesus is reconciling the world to himself. Now watch this.
We are not reconciled to God. That isn’t something we do. Reconciliation, this bringing back together.
And when I think about the whole issue of the cross, I think about the fact that they stretched him out on the cross.
It’s just like no matter how low in life people are or how far out Yoda they are or where they are in life.
God’s wonderful loving arms were reaching out. What was God saying? I want to bring you home.
I want to forgive you. I want you to be who I created you to be.
I will enable you to become the person I created you to become God was in Christ, reconciling bringing back together.
What was he doing? God took the initiative to re to reconcile us, to bring us back by doing what?
By condemning sin in the life of his son and making him the sin bearer who paid our sin debt in full.
Here’s what that did that satisfied God’s demands, watch this. It satisfied God’s demands for the penalty of sin.
What was the penalty of sin? Death? Therefore, death was hanging up on every single person who ever lived.
And therefore, in order to satisfy that judgment, somebody had to pay the price.
Jesus paid the price that satisfied God’s requirement for justice.
Therefore, God can be just and righteous and holy, having forgiven all of us of our sin.
Though his decree said the Soviet sin that shall die because He was the because he was the sin debt paid in full.
Now, he can accept every single one of us, the crosses and a couple of sticks.
The cross, listen is our only hope. The cross is the way of salvation.
It is man’s only possibility of being reconciled to God.
And when Jesus cried out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Suppose that had been the last thing he said, suppose that had been the last thing he said.
That’d be a sad note. But I thank God that John said in that 19th chapter.
Then he finally said in the Greek or the Aramaic, it would have been to just one word to tell us which means it is finished.
This is not the word of a victim.
This is not the word of somebody who lost the battle. This is not the word of a martyr.
This is the word of a victor. This is the word of someone who has come through victoriously.
This is the word of this is, this is the word of someone who has won the battle.
Jesus says it is finished. God’s awesome eternal redemptive plan for mankind. Listen, was absolutely sealed forever.
And as a result of Christ dying on the cross, every single one of us who trusted him as our savior, listen, it is so finished.
We are eternally secure, not in our behavior, not in our promises, but in the awesome atoning sacrificial substitution, vicarious death of Jesus Christ at Calvary.
That is the hope of all mankind.