Calvary Baptist Church Preaching Podcast

The worst part about the Cross

·44 min·4 clips

Hebrews 12:2 reveals Jesus endured the cross but despised the shame, making humiliation the worst part of his crucifixion.

The episode begins with the preacher greeting the congregation on Mother's Day and sharing that he initially planned to reuse an old Mother's Day message but felt led by God to change course. He announces the sermon topic 'The worst part about the Cross' and reads from John 19:23-30, setting the biblical context. The preacher then poses a central question: why were so few people, specifically Jesus's mother, her sister, and Mary Magdalene, recorded as being at the cross, despite Jesus having many followers and performing numerous miracles. He acknowledges possible reasons like fear of Roman persecution or lack of awareness due to the secretive nature of the trial. However, he introduces his main thesis that the worst part of the crucifixion was the shame, not the pain, citing Hebrews 12:2 where Jesus 'endured the cross, despising the shame.' The sermon delves into historical details, explaining that Roman crucifixion typically involved stripping victims completely naked to maximize humiliation, contrary to artistic depictions that show Jesus with a loincloth for modesty. The preacher references scripture, such as John 19:23-24 and Psalm 22:17-18, to support that Jesus's garments were gambled away, leaving him exposed. He connects this shame to theological themes, arguing that Jesus endured this so believers could be clothed in his righteousness, as illustrated in Isaiah 61:10 and Philippians 3:9. The preacher emphasizes that human righteousness is insufficient for salvation, comparing it to 'filthy rags' from Isaiah 64:6. He uses analogies like changing out of dirty clothes and biblical stories, including the prodigal son in Luke 15 and Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, to reinforce the need for Christ's righteousness. A live demonstration with a church member named Donnie visually represents the exchange of sinful garments for Christ's righteousness. The sermon concludes with an altar call, inviting listeners to seek salvation through faith in Jesus.

As heard by us

A plainspoken sermon on the cross as pain, shame, and spiritual reckoning.

The sermon begins with a Mother's Day frame, then turns when the preacher says the Lord led him away from that expected path and toward a more difficult subject.

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Why you'd press play

You press play for Cross preaching that follows pain into public shame, then turns toward knowing Christ as Savior.

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