The Plot of the Cross

Let me tell you a little story to introduce our sermon topic this Sunday. The devil was once crossing the Libyan Desert when he came upon some of his friends who were tempting a holy hermit. They tempted him with the seductions of the flesh, they sought to sow his mind with doubts and fears, they told him that all his discipline and uncompromising righteousness were worth nothing. But it was all in vain. The holy man of God was impeccable. Then the devil stepped forward. Addressing his friends he said, "Your methods are too crude. Permit me for one moment to make a recommendation." Going up to the hermit, he asked, "Have you heard the news? Your brother has been made Bishop of Alexandria." The fable says that "a scowl of malignant jealousy clouded the serene face of the holy man." Jealousy will often rouse our flesh to do terrible things.

This Sunday, in The Plot of the Cross, we complete our series of messages about the cross. We'll examine the real reason the High Priest and Sanhedrin had Jesus crucified. It's not exactly a secret, for even Mark recorded in his gospel that "Pilate knew that the chief priests had delivered Jesus for envy", Mark 10:15.