ÑIEÀU GÌ ÑAÕ GIÖÕ CHUÙA JESUS TREÂN THAÄP GÍA? / WHAT KEPT JESUS ON THE CROSS? (SGTY 12-01)

{

} - NHÖÕNG CAÂY ÑINH VOÂ HÌNH! Chuùa Jesus laøm vieäc suoát ñôøi Ngaøi. Nhöng vieäc laøm naøo cuûa Ngaøi lôùn nhaát? Ngaøi ñaõ laø moät lao coâng, moät thôï moäc. Ngaøi ñaõ laøm vieäc trong xöôûng moäc cuûa Joseph. Baøn tay Ngaøi coù nhöõng daáu chai. Ngaøi bieát theá naøo laø laøm vieäc nhieàu giôø, theá naøo laø meät nhoïc, vaø theá naøo laø moøn moõi. Ñoù laø moät trong nhöõng lyù do taïi sao Chuùa Jesus coù theå noùi: “Heát thaûy nhöõng ai lao löïc vaø naëng gaùnh, haõy ñeán cuøng Ta, thì Ta seõ cho caùc ngöôi an nghæ.” (Mat. 11:28) Nhöng vieäc lôùn nhaát Chuùa Jesus ñaõ laøm khoâng phaûi ôû trong xöôûng moäc. Vieäc lôùn nhaát cuûa Ngaøi khoâng phaûi khi Ngaøi khieán cho keû muø ñöôïc saùng, ngöôøi ñieác ñöôïc nghe, ngöôøi caâm ñöôïc noùi, hay keû cheát ñöôïc soáng laïi. Vieäc lôùn nhaát cuûa Ngaøi khoâng phaûi khi Ngaøi giaûng daïy nhö moät Ñaáng uy quyeàn, hay khi Ngaøi caùo giaùc nhöõng ngöôøi Pharisees giaû hình. Vieäc lôùn nhaát cuûa Ngaøi khoâng ôû trong caùc chöông trình ñaïo ñöùc maø Ngaøi ban cho nhaân loaïi. Vaäy, vieäc laøm lôùn nhaát cuûa Ngaøi laø gì? Vieäc laøm lôùn nhaát cuûa Ngaøi ñaõ hoaøn thaønh chæ trong ba giôø taêm toái treân Ñoài Soï khi Ngaøi chòu cheát vì toäi loãi chuùng ta. Treân Ñoài Soï, Chuùa Jesus ñi vaøo moät moät lao khoå khoâng ngöôøi naøo khaùc trong khaép vuõ truï bieát ñöôïc. Ngaøi ñaõ coù theå böôùc xuoáng thaäp giaù – nhöõng caây ñinh caùc teân lính ñaõ ñoùng khoâng theå giöõ Ngaøi treân ñoù – nhöng trong ngaøy aáy coù ba caây ñinh voâ hình khieán Ngaøi phaûi töï treo mình treân thaäp giaù. 1. Caây ñinh voâ hình thöù nhaát ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù laø caây ñinh TÌNH YEÂU. Tröôùc khi Chuùa Jesus ñeán theá gian, ngöôøi ta khoâng bieát thöù tình yeâu Ngaøi ñaõ coù. Keû toâi moïi haän thuø chuû nhaân, ngöôøi noâ leä haän thuø keû cai trò, caùc saéc toäc thuø gheùt laãn nhau – göôm giaùo dieät keû thuø khua daäy aùt tieáng nghieán raêng ñau ñôùn. Vaø trong khoái keát tuï cuûa haän thuø, cay ñaéng, baát dung, coá chaáp, Thöôïng Ñeá cho pheùp Con Ngaøi ñöôïc haï sanh. Nhöng, keû haän thuø vaãn ñuoåi theo Ñaáng Christ. Luùc Chuùa Jesus ra ñôøi, Herod ñaày thuø haän, truyeàn moät chieáu chæ phaûi tieâu dieät heát thaûy nhöõng beù trai, töø sô sanh ñeán hai tuoåi. Nhöõng ngöôøi Pharisees thuø haän Chuùa Jesus vì chaân lyù Phuùc aâm cuûa Ngaøi ñaõ ñem söï giaû hình cuûa hoï ra aùnh saùng. Caùc Thöôïng teá thuø haän Chuùa Jesus vì lo sôï loøng aùi moä cuûa caùc ñaùm ñoâng ñoái vôùi Ngaøi seõ loâi keùo daân chuùng ra khoûi Ñeàn Thôø vaø caùc tuïc leä toân giaùo laäp qui cuûa hoï. Khoâng giao ñoäng vì nhöõng thaønh kieán ñöông thôøi, vaø cuøng vôùi Ñoài Soï -ï muïc tieâu kieân quyeát vaø toái haäu cuûa Ngaøi, Chuùa Jesus tuyeân boá: “Vì ñieåm cuoái naày maø Ta ñöôïc sanh, bôûi nguyeân nhaân ñoù maø Ta ñi vaøo traàn theá” (John 18:37). Theá gian chöa heà thaáy moät söï baøy toû tình yeâu voâ vò kyû nhö ñöôïc baøy toû treân Ñoài Soï. Vì chöa heà thaáy töø tröôùc, neân theá gian khoâng coù khaû naêng hieåu ñöôïc ñieàu naày. Ñoù laø “caây ñinh Tình Yeâu” ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù. Toâi coù nghe veà moät ngöôøi ñaïo ñöùc hôn nhöõng ngöôøi khaùc. Nguôøi naày coù moät em trai sanh ñoâi ñaõ phaïm moät toäi hình gôùm ghíeâc, tai haïi xaõ hoäi neân bò giam, vaø bôûi toäi hình ñoù anh phaûi traû giaù baèng caû sanh maïng. Ngöôøi anh ñònh yù cöùu em mình vì ngöôøi em ñoâng con, OÂng ñeán traïi tuø vôùi moät keá hoaïch cöùu ngöôøi em khoûi cheát do baûn aùn töû hình. OÂng ñöôïc pheùp vaøo thaêm ngöôøi em moät mình trong xaø lim. OÂng noùi: “Chuùng ta phaûi haønh ñoäng nhanh. Trong vaøi phuùt, hai ngöôøi trao ñoåi laãn nhau quaàn aùo vaø vò trí. Ngöôøi em mang aùn, caûi trang thaønh ngöôøi anh voâ toäi, töï do ra khoûi nhaø tuø, vaø ngöôøi anh voâ toäi chòu cheát thay cho ngöôøi em phaïm toäi. Vaø Chuùa Jesus, mang toäi phaïm cuûa chuùng ta, ñi leân thaäp giaù ñeå xoùa saïch chuùng ta khoûi moïi caùo giaùc vaø vi phaïm. Tình yeâu voâ vò kyû ñoù phaûi ñöôïc ñaùp öùng baèng taám loøng bieát ôn thaâm saâu vaø naèm trong söï vaâng phuïc Ñaáng Cöùu ñoä. Ñieàu naày khieán chuùng ta phaûi soáng cho Ñaáng ñaõ cheát vì chuùng ta. 2. Caây ñinh voâ hình thöù hai ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù laø caây ñinh TRUNG THAØNH. Chuùa Jesus ñaõ soáng trong boùng che cuûa thaäp giaù. Luùc thieáu nieân, Ngaøi ñaõ noùi veà nghieäp vuï cuûa Ñaáng Thieân Phuï vaø haøm yù veà coâng vieäc hy sinh cuûa Ngaøi treân thaäp giaù. Lôøi phaùt ngoân cuûa Ngaøi ñaày nhöõng hình boùng veà söï cheát cuûa Ngaøi treân thaäp giaù. Toaøn theå muïc vuï cuûa Ngaøi höôùng veà Ñoài Soï vaø laøm troïn muïc tieâu thieâng lieâng ñaõ ñònh cho cuoäc ñôøi Ngaøi. Chuùa Jesus phaùn: “Nhö Moses ñaõ treo con raén trong nôi hoang daõ, Con Ngöôøi phaûi bò treo leân nhö theá.” (John 3:14) Loøng trung thaønh cuûa Chuùa Jesus ñoái vôùi muïc tieâu maø Thöôïng Ñeá ñaõ ñònh cho cuoäc ñôøi Ngaøi vaø söï kieän Ngaøi chaáp nhaän thaäp giaù chöùng minh Ngaøi xöùng ñaùng laøm göông cho chuùng ta, song nhöõng ñoùm saùng trung thaønh trong thôøi ñaïi naày döôøng nhö môø daàn. Chuùng ta phaûi ñöôïc phaán höng veà söï trung thaønh Cöùu theá giaùo trong loøng chuùng ta: Chuùng ta caàn moät söï trung thaønh môùi ñoái vôùi Ñaáng Christ. Ñoù laø moät söï trung thaønh baèng haønh ñoäng, khoâng baèng nhöõng lôøi noùi suoâng; moät söï trung thaønh, baèng baát cöù giaù naøo, khieán chuùng ta coù theå soáng cheát vì Ñaáng Christ, vì Lôøi Ngaøi, vì Phuùc aâm Ngaøi. Chuùng ta caàn moät söï trung thaønh môùi ñoái vôùi nhöõng quyeát tín ñaïo ñöùc cuûa chuùng ta. Xöù sôû chuùng ta ñang bò hö hoaïi vì söï baát trung cuûa chuùng ta ñoái vôùi nhöõng lyù töôûng ñöôïc ban töø Thöôïng Ñeá. Ñieàu naày ñaåy chuùng ta vaøo tình traïngï khaùnh taän ñaïo ñöùc, vaø chuùng ta maát ñi naêng löïc ñaïo ñöùc ñeå choáng traû. Chuùa Jesus phaùn: “Baát cöù ngöôøi naøo muoán theo Ta, haõy töø boû chính mình, vaø mang thaäp giaù mình maø theo Ta” (Mat. 16:24). Neáu chuùng ta muoán nhaän laõnh con ñöôøng söï soáng cuûa Ñaáng Christ, con ñöôøng thaäp giaù, thì chuùng ta caàn phaûi chaáp nhaän con ñöôøng söï cheát cuûa Ngaøi. Neáu chuùng ta muoán soáng nhö Chuùa Jesus ñaõ soáng, thì chuùng ta caàn phaûi cheát nhö Chuùa Jesus ñaõ cheát. Baèng moät bieåu döông toái thöôïng veà söï trung thaønh ñoái vôùi thaùnh yù cuûa Thöôïng Ñeá, Chuùa Jesus ñaõ chòu cheát taïi Ñoài Soï. Loøng trung thaønh cuûa Ngaøi phaûi caûm hoùa chuùng ta ñeå chuùng ta coù theå trung thaønh vôùi thaäp giaù vaø “mang laáy thaäp giaù” cuûa chuùng ta maø theo Ngaøi. AÁy laø “caây ñinh trung thaønh” ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù. 3. Caây ñinh voâ hình thöù ba ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù laø caây ñinh TOÄI LOÃI. Tieân tri Isaiah, hôn moïi tieân tri khaùc, döôøng nhö ñaõ hieåu ñöôïc muïc vuï hy sinh cuûa Ñaáng Christ: “Ngaøi ñaõ mang nhöõng ñau ñôùn cuûa chuùng ta, vaø gaùnh nhöõng lo buoàn cuûa chuùng ta: vaäy maø chuùng ta nghó raèng Ngaøi ñaõ bò Thöôïng Ñeá ñaùnh ñaäp, haønh haï vaø laøm cho khoán khoå. Nhöng Ngaøi ñaõ bò toån thöông vì nhöõng quaù phaïm cuûa chuùng ta, Ngaøi ñaõ bò baàm daäp vì nhöõng gian aùc cuûa chuùng ta: Ngaøi phaûi chòu tröøng phaït ñeå chuùng ta ñöôïc bình an, vaø Ngaøi phaûi mang nhöõng laèn roi ñeå chuùng ta ñöôïc laønh beänh” (Isaiah 53:4-5). Neáu khoâng coù toäi loãi trong theá gian, thì ñaõ khoâng caàn thaäp giaù. Nhöng toäi loãi ñaõ ñi vaøo suoái maùu cuûa loaøi ngöôøi! Vaø caây thaäp töï goå treân ñoù Chuùa Jesus Christ ñaõ chòu cheát laø moät bieåu töôïng caùc muïc tieâu choáng nghòch cuûa con ngöôøi ñoái vôùi Thöôïng Ñeá, vaø chính bôûi söï hieän höõu cuûa toäi loãi naày, muïc tieâu choáng nghòch naày ñoái vôùi thaùnh yù cuûa Thöôïng Ñeá, neân Chuùa Jesus chòu cheát. AÁy laø “caây ñinh toäi loãi” ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù. Nguyeân lyù cuûa söï hy sinh thay theá ñöôïc ñan deät vaøo troïn maûnh vaûi cuoäc ñôøi. Ngöôøi maïnh hy sinh cho keû yeáu, ngöôøi toát cho keû xaáu, ngöôøi voâ toäi cho keû phaïm toäi. Cha meï chòu khoå cho con caùi, binh só lieàu mình cho quoác gia. Ngöôøi naøo hy sinh nhieàu nhaát, laø goùp phaàn nhieàu nhaát. Khoâng phaûi chæ coù toäi loãi cuûa thieân haï ñaõ giöõ Chuùa Jesus treân thaäp giaù – maø laø toäi loãi cuûa Baïn vaø toâi. Neáu toäi loãi chuùng ta khoâng traùch nhieäm veà Ñoài Soï, thì Ñoài Soï khoâng traùch nhieäm cho toäi loãi chuùng ta. Thöôïng Ñeá bieát loøng daï cuûa heát thaûy moïi ngöôøi, vaø bieát raèng hoï gian aùc, neân ban Con Ngaøi ñeå chòu cheát cho taát caû: nhöõng ngöôøi ñang soáng vaø nhöõng treû chöa ñöôïc sanh. Ñoài Soï laø nôi quyeát ñònh. Ñoù laø nôi phaân reõ vónh cöõu, phaân reõ con ngöôøi thaønh hai haïng: nhöõng ngöôøi ñöôïc cöùu vaø nhöõng ngöôøi laïc maát. OÂm laáy chaân lyù thaäp giaù thì ñöôïc cöùu. Töø choái leõ thaät ñoù thì laïc maát. Ngaøy nay, thaäp giaù vaãn phuû boùng che khaép theá gian, vaø tieáng keâu gaøo “Treo haén treân thaäp giaù,” vaãn tieàm aån trong nhöõng keû muoán treo Ngaøi treân thaäp giaù thay vì nghinh tieáp Ngaøi nhö ø moät vò Vua. Vieäc laøm lôùn nhaát cuûa Ñaáng Christ laø Ngaøi chòu cheát vì chuùng ta vaø Ngaøi soáng laïi ñaéc thaéng treân söï cheát. Muïc tieâu cuûa Ngaøi laø ñeå cheát, ñeå tuoân huyeát Ngaøi thay theá cho Baïn vaø toâi. Chuùng ta phaûi chaáp nhaän caùi cheát cuûa Ñaáng Christ nhö moät ñieàu kieän thay theá cho chuùng ta. Khoâng moät phöông caùch cöùu ñoä naøo khaùc. Tröôùc khi chuùng ta coù theå ñaéc thaéng treân toäi loãi, tröôùc khi löông taâm chuùng ta coù theå laéng dòu, tröôùc khi chuùng ta coù theå thoaùt khoûi phaïm toäi, tröôùc khi chuùng ta coù theå baét ñaàu trôû laïi söï soáng, chuùng ta phaûi, nhôø ñöùc tin, chaáp nhaän söï kieän lôùn lao naày veà söï cheát vaø söï soáng laïi cuûa Ñöùc Chuùa Jesus Christ. Khoâng ai ñöôïc leân thieân ñaøng maø khoâng, nhôø ñöùc tin, tieáp nhaän Ñaáng Christ nhö Ñaáng Cöùu ñoä caù nhaân mình. Kinh Thaùnh daïy roõ raøng: neáu chuùng ta muoán ñöôïc leân thieân ñaøng, caù nhaân chuùng ta phaûi, nhôø ñöùc tin, tieáp nhaän Ñaáng Christ Jesus. Phuùc aâm Ñaáng Christ coøn hieäu löïc. Chaân lyù Ngaøi khoâng thay ñoåi. Ngaøi coù theå giaûi quyeát caùc vaán ñeà chuùng ta, caát ñi nhöõng gaùnh naëng chuùng ta, xoa dòu taám loøng chuùng ta. Chuùng ta coù theå kinh nghieäm “söï bình an vöôït quaù moïi hieåu bieát” baèng caùch ñeå Ñaáng Christ ñi vaøo loøng chuùng ta. Nhôø ñöùc tin nôi vieäc laøm cuûa Ngaøi chuoäc toäi treân thaäp giaù nôi Ñoài Soï, Baïn coù theå ñöôïc röûa saïch moïi toäi loãi, vaø moät ngaøy kia Baïn seõ ñöùng thaùnh khieát tröôùc Thöôïng ñeá toaøn löïc. {

} - INVISIBLE NAILS! Jesus worked all of His life. But what was His greatest work? He was a laborer, a carpenter. He worked in Joseph's carpenter shop. He had calluses on His hands. He knew what it meant to work long hours, to be tired and weary. That is one of the reasons why Jesus could say, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Mat. 11:28) But the greatest work that Jesus did was not in the carpenter's shop. His greatest work was not when He made the blind to see or the deaf to hear or the dumb to speak or the dead to rise. His greatest work was not when He taught as One having authority or when He denounced the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. His greatest work was not in the ethical programs that He presented to mankind. What, then, was His greatest work? His greatest work was accomplished in just three dark hours on Calvary when He died for our sins. On Calvary Jesus entered a labor that no other person in all the universe ever has known. Jesus could have come down from the cross - the nails driven in by soldiers could not hold Him on the cross - but that day there were three invisible nails that caused Him to stay on the cross. 1. The first invisible nail that kept Jesus on the cross was the nail of LOVE. Prior to Jesus' coming into the world, people had not known the kind of love that Jesus has. Slaves hated masters, subjects hated rulers, races hated each other-the noise of gnashing teeth was exceeded only by the sound of clashing swords raised to destroy the hated enemy. And in the midst of this conglomerate mass of hatred, bitterness, intolerance and bigotry, God allowed His Son to be born. But hatred pursued Christ. At Jesus' birth, Herod, full of hatred, sent out a decree that all male babies, from newborn to two years old, were to be destroyed. The Pharisees hated Jesus because the truth of His Gospel brought their hypocrisy to light. The high priests hated Jesus because His popularity with the multitudes threatened to lure people from the Temple and the established religious rituals. Unperturbed by these existing prejudices, and with Calvary His ultimate and determined goal, Jesus declared, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." (John 18:37). The world never had seen such a manifestation of selfless love as was demonstrated upon Calvary. Having not seen it before, the world had no ability to comprehend it. It was the nail of love that held Jesus Christ to the cross. I heard of a man who stood morally above other people. But the man had a twin brother who committed a vicious crime against society and was sentenced to prison where he was to pay with his life for that crime. The man, intent on saving his brother, who was the father of several children, went to the prison with a plan to save his condemned brother from death. The man was granted permission to visit his brother alone in his cell. "We must work fast," the man said. In a few minutes the men had exchanged clothes and places with each other. The condemned brother, under the guise of the guiltless brother, walked out of that prison a free man, and the innocent brother died in place of the guilty brother. And Jesus, carrying our sin-guilt, went to the cross to absolve us from all condemnation and guilt. Such unselfish love should inspire deep gratitude tinged with submissiveness to the Savior. It should prompt us to live for the One who died for us. 2. The second invisible nail that kept Jesus on the cross was the nail of LOYALTY. Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. As a boy, He spoke of His Father's business and referred to His sacrificial work on the cross. His utterances were filled with allusions to His death on the cross. His entire ministry pointed to Golgotha and the fulfillment of the divine purpose for His life. Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John 3:14) Jesus' loyalty to God's purpose for His life and His acceptance of the cross qualify Him to be our example, but these days it seems that the embers of loyalty burn low. We need to experience a revival of Christian loyalty in our hearts: We need a new loyalty to Christ. It is a loyalty of action, not of mere words; it is a loyalty that will enable us, regardless of the cost, to take our stand for Christ, for His Word, for His Gospel. We need a new loyalty to our moral convictions. Our nations are being undermined by our disloyalty to our God-given ideals. It is leading us to moral bankruptcy, and we lack the moral strength to resist. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mat. 16:24). If we would adopt Jesus' way of life, the way of the cross, then we need to be willing to accept His way of death. If we would live as Jesus lived, then we need to be willing to die as Jesus died. In a supreme demonstration of loyalty to God's will, Jesus died at Golgotha. His loyalty should inspire us to be loyal to the cross and "take up (our) cross" and follow Him. It was the nail of loyalty that held Jesus to the cross. 3. The third invisible nail that kept Jesus on the cross was the nail of SIN. The Prophet Isaiah, probably more than any other prophet, seemed to comprehend the sacrificial ministry of Christ: "He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5) Had there been no sin in the world, there would have been no need for the cross. But sin did enter the bloodstream of mankind! And the wooden cross upon which Jesus Christ died was a physical symbol of man's cross-purposes with God, and it was because of the existence of this sin, this cross-purpose with the will of God, that Jesus died. It was the nail of sin that held Jesus to the cross. The principle of vicarious sacrifice is woven into the whole fabric of life. The strong sacrifices for the weak, the good for the bad, the innocent for the guilty. The parent suffers for the offspring, the soldier for the country. He who sacrifices the most, contributes the most. It not only was universal sin that held Jesus to the cross -it was your sin and my sin. If our sins are not responsible for Calvary, then Calvary has no responsibility for our sins. God, knowing the hearts of all people, and knowing that they were evil, offered His Son to die for all people: those living and those yet unborn. Calvary is the place of decision. It is the eternal divider, it separates people into two classes, the saved and the lost. Embrace the truth of the cross and be saved. Reject it and be lost. Today the cross still casts its shadow across the world, and the cry, "Crucify him," still lurks in those who would crucify Him rather than own Him as King. Christ's greatest work was His dying for us and His rising victorious over death. His purpose was to die, to shed His blood as a substitute in your place and in my place. We must accept Christ's death as our substitute. There is no other way of salvation. Before we can get victory over sin, before our consciences can be quieted, before we can be rid of our guilt, before we can start life afresh, we must by faith accept this great fact of the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No person will be in heaven who has not by fait received Christ as personal Savior. The clear teaching of Scripture is that if we are to get to heaven, we must by faith personally receive Jesus Christ. Christ's Gospel is still effective. His truth remains unchanged. He can solve our problems, lift our burdens, quiet our hearts. We can know the "peace that passes all understanding" by letting Christ come into our hearts. By faith in His atoning work on the cross of Calvary, you can be washed clean from every sin and someday you will stand pure before almighty God. (A Message from Dr BILLY GRAHAM) {

}