• struggles of conscience

• feeling guilty.

• Afraid of day of judgement.

 Does that describe your efforts at being a Christian?

That is not true humanity that God calls us to.

He does not call us to the life of impersonal religious discipline  trying to justify ourselves before God by our religious efforts.

That kind of religion only leads to fanaticism.

What did he say?

          `Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.'

Reminds us of those other familiar words:

Matt 11:2829 28 "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,  struggling to be righteous  and I will give you rest. 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (NIV)

Apart from the Lord, our efforts at being loving always involve a struggle, and we will continually be blaming ourselves for failing to match up to the highest standards.

At the cross, looking to Jesus, who has struggled on our behalf and in our place, we don't need to be obsessed with guilt or fear of judgement and we are given his love for others in our hearts.

 only that love can save us from selfcentredness.

Not that there will be no struggle. But it will be resolved at the foot of the cross.

Why is it necessary for Christ to have this struggle in his own heart and mind?

==========================

Why the cross?

Could there not have been an easier way?

Well was it that the cross was to be a great example to inspire us?

Yes but more.

If it was only that we'd never match up to its example.

Jesus's own words to describe his death.

John 12:31 now is the time for judgement on this world.

Q.

Do you feel that God should judge the world, or, do you feel he should just forgive us all and let bygones be bygones  taking us all to heaven?

Perhaps you sometimes feel one way and then the other?

When you hear of some terrible cruel deed  report on the killing of children in pats of the world, destuction of nature and pollution of the earth. 

`let God come and judge the world quickly  the sooner the better.'

But other times,

          the sun is shining

          birds are singing,

          children smiling,

          old enemies making friends

 let God allow the world  to continue on its way.

Dilemma.

God has that dilemma.

He loves the world and everyone in it.

Because he loves he must also judge everything that spoils and destroys it.

His purpose is never to punish the world or you or me.

If he does judge, it is that we give him no alternative.

The word he brings is a word of salvation, not judgement.

 However if we reject that word of salvation then that very word becomes our final judgement  we rejected God's forgiving love.

So:

47 "as for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 there is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

God is faced with a world that has largely rejected him.

John 12:37 even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. (NIV)

In spite of the miracle of nature all around us  most cannot be bothered with God.

Oh yes many do believe, but other pressures keep them away from Christ.

So:

 42 yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Soon Jesus would be judged and condemned by chief priests and Roman governor.

But his death would be an even greater judgement on the entire world.

Cross  sign of judgement against mankind.

That is what our selfcentredness does!

Jesus was judged and yet in his pain the whole world is judged.

1. religious leaders  they thought they were judging Jesus.

          but his cross judged their self  righteousness and hypocrisy.

Have you ever been a hypocrite?

2. Pilate  the cross judged him to be a coward.

Have you ever...

3. Disciples  cross judged their disloyalty.

Have you ever ...

4. Judas  betrayed for money.

Cross judged his greed.

          have you ever put money before what is right.....

5. Soldiers  cross judged their cruelty. Mental and physical abuse.

          Have you ever.....

6. Passers by  the cross judged their indifference.

          Have you ever....

All these things we do because we are selfcentred.

The entire world was judged there.

You and I were judged there.

`Died he for me who caused his pain, for me who him to death pursued.'

Acknowledging that, you hear the words from the cross `Father forgive them...'

If you don't accept his invitation to come to him at the cross then you will not be able to hear those words even though they were spoken for you.

          You and I were included in that prayer  it was for everyone  but if you deliberately remain far away from Jesus's cross then you will not hear them  no rest for your souls.

          Forever struggling and fearing.

When we accept that judgement of the cross there will be no other judgement to fear.

`There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.'

Jesus has carried the judgement we deserve.

The cross judges us and forgives us at the same time.

But if we proudly go our own selfcentred way then there has to be another judgement  the last judgement.

John 12:31,32: 31 now is the time for judgement on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32          but i, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (NIV)

All  Jews and Greeks.

It was the request of the Greeks that had resulted in Jesus's struggle and his explanation of why he must first die.

After the cross, then the Greeks and the entire world would be drawn to him.

Even while he was dying he did draw all kinds of people to him.

Cruel Roman centurion  this man was the Son of God.

Joseph of Aramathea who had been one of those who secretly believed but was too cowardly to follow Jesus,

           he publicly went to Pilate and asked for the body.

Some of the religious establishment who had been trying so hard to justify themselves before God, one of them was Nicodemus. Nicodemus helped Joseph to take the body of Jesus and bury him.

 One of the men crucified with him had been a thief  greed 

          He said `Lord remember me when you come in your kingdom...'

Down the ages there have been countless millions of ordinary people like you and me, with all our failures, who on hearing of cross of Jesus have been drawn to the Lord.

Through his word of forgiveness have found ability to love, which we did not have before.