The Mystery of the Cross
A Sermon on Acts 2:22-23
Originally preached March 31, 1961
Scripture
22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of …
Sermon Description
At the center of Christianity stands the mystery of the cross. When Jesus foretold that He must die for the sins of His people, even His own disciples did not understand what He meant. It was not until the Holy Spirit enlightened their eyes that they truly believed! This is because no one expected Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to die upon the cross. In this sermon on Acts 2:22-23, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on the great mystery of the cross, but also on the great blessing of the cross. For there is no salvation apart from the shedding of blood and Jesus dying in the place of sinners. Jesus' whole life led up to the moment that He was put to death by lawless men; the Bible says it was preordained by God! The cross was always God’s plan to save sinners. All men are sinners and in dire need of forgiveness from God. It is only through believing in Jesus, in His person and work, that any can be saved. This sermon calls each and every one of us to forsake our sins and look to Jesus. For there is salvation in no other name!
Sermon Breakdown
- There is an element of mystery in the cross that cannot be understood through a casual glance. It requires enlightenment by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.
- The cross cannot be properly understood apart from knowing the identity of the person who died—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, approved by God through miracles, wonders and signs.
- Though Jesus is the Son of God, He was crucified in weakness by wicked men according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. This adds to the mystery.
- The Jews delivered Jesus to the Romans (lawless men) to be crucified. Peter convicts them of their sin in rejecting and crucifying their Messiah.
- The cross was not merely the result of the spiritual blindness of the Jews or Roman politics. God delivered Jesus up to die according to His eternal plan. If God wanted to save Jesus, He could have. But He handed Him over.
- God delivered Jesus up to die because it had to happen for the forgiveness of sins. God’s holiness and justice demand the punishment of sin. Jesus took our place and bore our punishment.
- Though men crucified Jesus, God delivered Him up and it was the separation from God that caused His death. His heart was literally broken.
- We see in the cross the meeting of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility; His justice and love; the Creator dying; the Author of Life dying. This is a great mystery.
- The greatest mysteries are that God planned this before creation and did it for us. We should see in the cross the dying form of the One who suffered for us, and confess the wonders of His love and our unworthiness.
Sermon Q&A
FAQ: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Cross of Christ
What was the primary point of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on the cross?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that we must understand the true meaning of Christ's death on the cross. He explained that while men crucified Jesus, it was actually "by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" that Christ was delivered up to death. The cross represents not just the actions of men, but God's sovereign plan for salvation that was decided "before the very foundation of the world."
What mystery about the cross does Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlight?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that the cross contains a profound mystery - how the Son of God, who performed miracles and demonstrated divine power, could die in "utter weakness." This mystery confused even the apostles at first. He explains that this seeming contradiction can only be understood through the Holy Spirit's enlightenment - that Christ's death was God's predetermined plan for salvation, not merely the result of human rejection.
Why couldn't the apostles understand the meaning of the cross initially?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the apostles couldn't understand the cross until after Christ's resurrection when He "expounded the meaning of his death himself to them." He states, "Nobody can understand the meaning of this death without the unction and the anointing of the Holy Ghost." The natural mind cannot grasp this spiritual mystery without divine illumination.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain God's role in Christ's crucifixion?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ was "delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." God deliberately handed over His Son to suffering and death as part of His eternal plan. He emphasizes that if God had wanted to prevent the crucifixion, He could have easily done so (as Jesus mentioned He could command twelve legions of angels), but this death was necessary according to God's sovereign purpose.
Why was Christ's death necessary according to the sermon?
The sermon explains that Christ's death was necessary because "if a single soul is ever to be forgiven, that must happen." God's holiness and justice demand that sin be punished. Since "the wages of sin is death," the only way for humans to be forgiven was for Christ to take humanity's punishment upon Himself. Lloyd-Jones states, "What is happening there is that God is punishing your sins and mine in the person and the body of his only begotten son."
What paradoxes about the cross does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mention?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes several paradoxes in the cross: divine sovereignty and human responsibility meeting together; divine justice and divine love converging; the Creator of life dying; and the greatest mystery - "that God should have decided and determined before the very foundation of the world to send his only begotten, dearly beloved son to that for me, for you."
How should Christians respond to the cross according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that proper understanding of the cross should lead to profound humility and wonder. He quotes, "Upon that cross of Jesus mine, I at times can see the very dying form of one who suffered there for me. And from my smitten heart with tears two wonders I confess, the wonder of his glorious love and my own worthlessness." He indicates that if we still have "any vestige of self righteousness left," we haven't truly seen the meaning of the cross.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize about the historical event versus understanding its meaning?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones stresses that merely acknowledging the historical event of Christ's crucifixion is insufficient. Many people recognize Good Friday but "don't know why it's good." Others may display crosses without understanding what they represent. He emphasizes that we need spiritual insight to "survey the wondrous cross" (referencing Isaac Watts' hymn) and understand its deep significance rather than giving it a "casual glance."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.