World Impact with Billy Wilson “The Power of the Cross”

(Billy Wilson:) For almost 400 years the small Bavarian village Oberammergau has celebrated a great Passion play because of God's mercy on them. Today we are here in the Bavarian Alps to tell the story. Stay with us.

(Alpine music plays)

(Billy Wilson:) Welcome to World Impact. I'm Billy Wilson, and today World Impact is in the small Bavarian Alp village of Oberammergau, Germany. Today we're going to be telling an amazing story of how one community has celebrated the life of Jesus for almost 400 years. Four hundred years ago, Oberammergau was in danger of being destroyed by the plague. The people of the community made a covenant with God that if He would spare them, they would celebrate Jesus with a great Passion play once every ten years. That has been happening now for almost 400 years. The entire community gets involved; it is a wonderful time of celebration. I'm actually standing right now in the theater where the play will take place in just a few moments, and we'll be enjoying this wonderful spectacle, this wonderful celebration of Jesus together. Today on this program we're going to be talking about the power of the cross. I believe that what Jesus did 2000 years ago has not only changed communities like Oberammergau, but can change your life in the 21st century, so I want you to stay tuned. I believe God is going to minister to your heart, and if you'd like to know more or just share with us about your views on this program today, you can call us in the U.S. at 1-800-95-SHARE, go to our web site at worldimpact.tv. You can leave prayer requests, you can ask questions about our program, and we'll respond to you. I'm really glad you've joined us now on this program today, and I look forward to ministering to you on the power of the cross from right here in Oberammergau, Germany, as we visit the great Passion play.

(Announcer:) Late in 1632, the Black Plague came to the Bavarian town of Oberammergau. The death toll rose each month until March of 1633. Desperate, the surviving villagers gathered in the Catholic church. Together, they made a vow before God to perform a play of the suffering, dying, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ forever, if God spared their lives. No one else became sick, and by July the plague was gone. Over the centuries the play has taken many forms, from a strict Bible rendition to a baroque depiction of the war between good and evil. Now the play is performed every ten years, five times each week from May through October. It dominates town life. Frederich, who plays Jesus this season, puts it this way ...

(Frederich:) Actually, you don't think about when, when the Passion play comes, if you take part. If it's possible for you, you take part.   

(Announcer:) 2200 people from Oberammergau fill positions from stagehands to musicians to Jesus Himself. And so, children grow up with a very personal view of Jesus and His disciples. Peter may be a blacksmith; Jesus, an advertising executive. And Mary, a theatrical actress who says ...

(Mary actress:)  It helps me also for my belief. The role helps me for my belief. 

(Announcer:) Perhaps this is why the Oberammergau Passion play is the largest in the world. People come from as far as ...

(Texan man:) Dallas, Texas.

(Norwegian woman:) I come from Norway.

(Iowa woman:) From Iowa.

(Austrian man:) Well, I've lived in Austria for the last 21 years.

(English man:) I come from, eh, eh, England.

(New Jersey woman:) From New Jersey.

(Announcer:) Each on a journey to rediscover the power of the Cross. This is the lasting legacy of a vow made in Oberammergau those 400 years ago. 

(Actor:) Hosanna!

(Crowd:) Hosanna!

(Billy Wilson:) Today World Impact is in the Bavarian Alps at the beautiful German village Oberammergau. Today we're talking about the power of the Cross, and visiting the great Passion play that happens once every ten years here. John Stott would say years ago, 

"The Christian community is a community of the Cross, for it has been brought into being by the Cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified. So the community of the Cross is a community of celebration, a Eucharistic community ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The Christian life is an unending festival." 

Certainly this German village is in a time of festival right now during this summer. Today on this program I believe that the power of the Cross will penetrate your heart. The Apostle Paul would say in First Corinthians chapter one and verse 18, 

"For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God," 

and the Message version says it this way: 

"The message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell-bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense." 

This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. One anonymous writer said it this way: 

The heart of Christianity is the Bible, the heart of the Bible is the Cross, and the heart of the Cross is the very heart of God. Inscribed upon the Cross we see in shining letters, "God is love." 

Everything changed 2000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth hung on a cross outside the gate of Jerusalem. In fact, before that moment we were excluded from the presence of God. We remained one step away from God's glory. When Jesus died, the veil was rent and we were invited into God's presence and glory. Before the Cross, man could not in any way keep the Law of God, but through Christ on the Cross the Law was fulfilled, and He gives us power by His grace to please God and live right on planet Earth. We are freed from the power of sin through the Cross of Calvary. And before the Cross, Satan ruled as the power of the air, but for those hours Jesus entered into his domain on the Cross and cast him down, and when Jesus finished that day, Satan was defeated. 

Now there are a few things about the Cross I want to share with you clearly today. First of all, the Cross of Christ was a historical event. It really did happen. One of the oldest writers perhaps, or oldest accounts of the Cross comes from Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syriac writer who refers only to a wise king being executed by the Jews. The Roman historian Tacitus in his annals mentioned that "Christus suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators." Greek writer Lucian refers to Jesus as "the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites and was crucified on this account." Additionally, writers throughout history have talked about the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One of the most unusual and one of the earliest accounts is found in the Babylonian Talmud, so that the Jews, uh, themselves confirmed that Jesus was historically crucified; it was a fact. The Talmud says it this way: "On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For 40 days before the execution took place a herald went forth and cried, 'He's going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favor He was hanged on the eve of the Passover." 

Also today, the Cross was a global event. On that day, Scripture tells us in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23 and verse 38: 

And an inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew, "This is the King of the Jews." 

Jesus was crucified just outside the wall of Jerusalem, probably by the way to Damascus, the most traveled route into and out of the city. They put three languages over his head to announce to the world, "This is the King of the Jews." This was a global event that took place 2000 years ago. Since that time, nowhere on planet Earth has remained untouched by the message of the cross of Christ.  You could go today to Antarctica and you would find someone there who knows the account of Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of mankind. So the cross was a historical event. The cross was global event. Finally, the cross was an eternal event. 

Scripture teaches that Jesus died so that we could live forever. In other words, He took the punishment of my sin so I would not bear it. James Augie said, 

"There is no man that goes to heaven, but he must go by the cross. The cross is the standing way mark which all they that go to glory must pass by." 

And Horatius Bonar says this, 

“Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die; another's life, another's death, I stake my whole eternity."

I stake my eternity today on the death of Jesus Christ. He died so I could live throughout eternity. Watchman Nee, the great Chinese Christian writer, would leave a note on his pillow when he died. Actually it was just under his pillow they found it after his death. The note says this, 

“Christ is the Son of God, He died to atone for men’s sin, and after three days rose again. This is the most important fact in the universe. I die believing in Christ." 

How about you today? I want you to know the power of the Cross. I’ll be back in just a moment from here in Oberammergau to talk about the power of the cross. 

(Announcer:) Frederick Meyer and Ursula Burkhardt talk about what it’s like to play the roles of Jesus and his mother Mary in the Oberammergau Passion play. 

(Frederick:) Eh, first of all I’m very proud, but it’s also very very difficult, and everyone thinks “Oh, for me Jesus is this way, He talks this way, He behaves this way, He’s, he, he looks like this, and then you say oh, Jesus is someone who, uh, demanded a lot from, from, from the people. 

(Ursula:) We have the chance really to, to interpret or to see what, what does it make with, with my heart, and do I believe what I say. 

(Frederick:) For me it’s very hard if someone slaps me to say, “Oh, slap the other side, uh, even love your enemies, uh, it's, it's almost not possible.

(Ursula:) I just can play a mother who loves and who has, uh, the, has to say goodbye to her children.

(Frederick:) And, uh, when I was put on the cross the first time it was so, I don’t know, um, a very special moment, uh, so, and I had so many thoughts in my mind because you’re very, you’re very lonely when you’re on the cross even with there are 500 persons on the stage shouting at you. 

(Ursula:) And at the end, she has words like, I know for whatever is good, and I feel the strength I get during saying this and I think this is also belief. 

(Frederick:) But then I think how it was 2000 years ago. I think it, it was such a horrible, uh, death, death upon the cross. And for me it's, it's, it's, it's such a, such an emotional moment. 

(Ursula:) I think we do a very good job if some of the visitors say, or, or think about their belief new or again. 

(Announcer:) God poured out His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is that blessing foretold by Joel to empower the servants of God. And the study book, This Is That, will bring you face to face with the Holy Spirit. Combining wisdom from the ministries of Jack Hayford, Derek Prince, Ron Luse, and many others. This Is That will show you how to live the Spirit empowered life. And as a special offer, order now, and we’ll include this DVD of World Impact shows from Germany. This is That, and four episodes of World Impact, yours for just 25 dollars. If you desire a real encounter with the Holy Spirit, the essays, reflections and journaling sections of This is That will help you explore Him beyond measure. Call 1-800-95-SHARE or go to worldimpact.tv today.

(Announcer:) The Oberammergau Passion play is not alone in using drama to make the ancient story of Jesus come alive to modern people. The Jesus Film Project is an ambitious effort to distribute a two-hour docudrama about the life of Christ based on the gospel of Luke. The film has been seen in every country of the world and translated into thousands of languages since its initial release in 1979.

(Actor speaking Spanish:)

(Announcer:) The goal of the Jesus Film is to help every nation tribe, people, and tongue see and hear the story of Jesus in the language of their heart, and so come to know him. Oberammergau and the Jesus Film. Different venues, same story, same passion, same cross.

(Billy Wilson:) Oberammergau is a beautiful village here in the foothills of the Alps. I’m sitting now overlooking it and the playhouse is over my shoulder and I want to share with you today the power of the cross in part two of this sermon. In the first part we talked about the cross being an historical event. We talked about it being a global event for everyone in the world and we talked about it being an eternal event. 

But you know the one thing the cross was more than anything else, it was a salvation event. It was there that Jesus purchased our salvation. One writer said, 

"Man tries to fix things with duct tape, but fixes them with nails. Or he fixed us with the nails that Jesus bore on the cross." 

Now when we talk about the cross being the power of God unto us, as the apostle Paul said in First Corinthians chapter one, what do we mean? What power does the cross give us? First of all, the cross gives us power over sin. Scripture tells us in Colossians one verse 20 through 22, 

And through him to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. 

And then Romans six verse six says it this way:  

Could it be any clearer, this is the Message version, Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ. A decisive end to that sin, miserable life. No longer at sin’s every beck and call.

Today God’s Word teaches us that through the cross not only are we forgiven of our sins, not only can we stand justified in God’s presence, free from the guilt of sin, but we can live on planet Earth free from the power of sin and the dynamic of sin. Now I know this is a strange teaching especially in the American church today, but God's Word teaches that when Jesus died on the cross he not only forgave us of our sins, he broke sin's dynamic for us. In other words, in Christ, I can live free beyond the power of sin. God can help me to live my life filled with joy and peace and love and the fruit of the Spirit and not the fruit of the flesh. Today I believe that God would have you apply the power of the cross to your life in a way that you can be forgiven of your sins and that you can break sin's dynamic. Watchman Nee, the gentleman we mentioned  in the first part of the sermon who had a note under his pillow that he was trusting Christ, at the end of his life, said the following about the cross: 

"It is a fact that the Lord Jesus has already died for you. It is also a fact that you have already died with the Lord Jesus. If you do not believe in your death with Christ you will not be able to receive the effectiveness of death with him which is freedom from sin."

John Stott said it this way, 

"Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”

 My sins nailed Jesus to the cross. He paid the payment and I got to go free. So today, the power of the cross is the power over sin. 

Second, the power of the cross gives us power over schisms, or over division. Jesus not only died to bring us to God, he died to bring us to one another, to make out of Jew and Gentile one new body. The, the book of Ephesians says it this way in verse 16: 

And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which he put to death their hostility, 

verse 14 says, 

"He himself, Jesus, is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

Thirdly today, the cross gives us power over Satan, over sin, over schisms, and over Satan himself. On the cross, Jesus won the once and all decisive victory over Lucifer. In many ways, Jesus entered into the domain of Lucifer on the cross between heaven and earth. He was the prince of the power of the air. And in those six hours, Jesus wrestled with Lucifer and every demonic force in the entire world. Colossians says, He made a show of them openly. Satan did his worst and God did his best and won the victory over Lucifer on planet Earth for all of us for all of time. So through the power of Jesus’ victory on the cross you can have victory over Satan in your life. John Winham said it this way, 

"At the heart of the story stands the cross of Christ. Where evil did its worst and met its match."

And finally today the power of the cross means I can have power over myself. I can find discipline and bring myself in subjection to the will of God. The way that happens is to be crucified in myself with Jesus Christ. Galatians chapter two verse 20 says, in the Message version, this way: 

Christ’s life showed me how and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion. And I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me, and the life you see me living is not mine. But it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." 

So when Paul said that the, the cross is the power of God unto us who are being saved, he was saying, He gives us power over sin, he gives us power over schism or division. He gives us power over Satan, and he gives us power over ourselves. Today it’s 2000 years since Jesus died on the cross. But by the power of the Holy Spirit you can experience the power of the cross in your life right now. 

(Singing:) The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
The Power of the Cross
Whoa-o-o-o

Son of God, one of us
Bore the shame of all, yet blameless
Innocent, heaven sent
Bore the sin of all, yet guiltless

And He saw us here through blood-stained tears
And He said, "It was worth it all."

The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
The Power of the Cross
Oh-oh-oh-oh

Son of man, perfect lamb
Made a way for us to know Him
By His blood we are one
Stand victorious and worship
Now He sees us free through Calvary
And He says, "It was worth it all."
Whoa-o-o-o

The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
Yeah

Nothing is missing, nothing is broken
Now it is finished, His blood has spoken
Nothing is missing, nothing is broken
Now it is finished, His blood has spoken

I am redeemed, I am redeemed, I am set free, I am set free
I am complete by The Power of the Cross

I am redeemed, Yeah
I am set free, Oh
I am complete by The Power of, 

The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
The Power of the Cross
Is in the blood of Christ
Given for us all
The spotless sacrifice
We are now redeemed
Ransomed with his life
We have now received by grace
The greatest gift of love
Undeserved, unearned, your grace, how sweet the sound, Lord, you saved a messed-up wretch like ... 

(Billy Wilson:) Today on this program we’ve been thanking God for his unspeakable gift, the gift of the cross, the gift of Jesus and his death that sets us free. Now as you have watched this program today perhaps God has spoken to your heart. Maybe you have never personally experienced the power of the cross. If that’s true I want you to call me right now, 1-800-95-SHARE. Go to the address on your screen or connect with us through the web at worldimpact.tv. Whatever you’re dealing with today, whether sin, Satan, or even yourself, Jesus died so you could experience victory and liberty. Today you can experience that. We want to pray for you, so again go to our web site, worldimpact.tv. Tell us your story, leave us your prayer request. We believe that the power of Jesus’ death is available to you right now wherever you live and he’s going to minister to your heart. 

You know on that day they wrote over his head in three different languages that this was the King of the Jews. This was a global event. And here at World Impact we share Jesus with the entire world. So wherever you’re watching us today, whether in Australia or Asia or Africa or Europe or North America or even Latin America, the power of the cross reaches to you. Jesus’ death 2000 years ago is made real to us now in the 21st century by the power of the Holy Spirit. During this program we’ve been offering a book called This is That. It will help you experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the 21st century. It’s actually a, a compilation of several authors who give you wonderful insights on the Holy Spirit. How to receive the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the life of the Spirit, even the language of the Spirit. So be sure to write in today and get your copy of This is That. Remember you can always connect with World Impact 24 hours a day, seven days a week at our web site. You can watch this program again there and all of our series that we’ve been doing here in Germany. We’ve been doing a series on power, the power of grace, the power of prayer, even the perversion of power, and today, on the power of the cross. Jesus death was given so you and I could live. And today I pray you have experienced that supernatural life that only comes by the grace and the power of God. If you have please be sure to write me. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support. Here at World Impact we’ve been in Oberammergau Germany today sharing Jesus with the world.

(Instrumental Music)