Intro:

• Now to the subject matter at hand - THE CROSS - We’ve been talking about it all month
  • He drank the cup that I was supposed to drink - THE CUP HE DRANK
  • He invites us to walk with.. “I have been crucified with Christ” - THE CROSS HE CARRIED
  • This week - THE WAY HE MADE

Matthew 27:50–53 (NLT) — 50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

Hebrews 10:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh

When Jesus gave up His spirit, something happened. It had physical consequences. Something OPENED! The earth cried out in that moment. There were dark clouds, an earthquake, tombs opening, the curtain in the temple tearing. A door was being opened.

The Bible is full of doors as symbols

• Closed doors
  • Adam and Eve shut out the garden
  • Door to the tabernacle, holy of holies
  • Five foolish virgins came back to a closed door
• Open doors
  • Noah had to go through a door to escape
  • Jacob saw a door into heaven
  • Israel escaped through a door in the Red Sea
  • God made a way through the Jordan
  • Book of revelations - I saw a door standing open in heaven

Can I pause already and just say, our God is a waymaker!

• Springs in the desert
• Manna from heaven
• Oil that doesn’t dry up
• He himself is the way
• He has KEYS! 
  • Revelation 3:7 (NLT) — 7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
• So what “way” do you need in your life? He can make a way, a path, a door. 

So, have you ever seen the cross as a door? 

• When Christ was hanging on the cross, He was opening a door for humanity.
• Humanity needs a door!

1. The cross is our WAY OUT
   1. Anyone here Claustrophobic?
      1. Airplane, Buried in the sand
      2. You may be completely happy with life, but I want you to notice something. We all DIE! Everybody that comes here, dies! 
         1. We are on a speck of dust, flying through the universe at 1.3 Million miles an hour.
         2. Let’s take Jesus out of the equation for a moment, we are STUCK! 
   2. We need a way to escape meaningless life
      1. Solomon said, it’s all meaningless
   3. We need a way to escape a sinful world
      1. We keep hurting one another. We thought Hitler was bad, and here we are and the world is on the brink of another possible world war. 
   4. We need a way to escape the judgement that’s coming.. The scriptures are clear
   5. We need to escape death
      1. I recently read about the tunnel in Ponar, Lithuania. It was used by the Nazis to exterminate Jews in World War 2. A group of 80 Jewish men dug a 100 feet tunnel by hand, using spoons
2. The cross is our WAY IN
   1. Hebrews 10:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh
   2. Access back into the presence of God - this is the curtain
      1. We had lost our place
   3. Access back into intimacy with God - the hole was right next to his heart
   4. Access back into the garden - We got expelled from a garden, and it was the first place Christ was found after the resurrection. 
      1. A place of peace - restful place
      2. A place of victory - soldiers
      3. A place of reunion - Mary magdalene
   5. National championship Access

God is a waymaker, a locksmith, a door opener:

• There isn’t a door He can’t open, except your heart.
• He wants to win your heart with His goodness.
• He stands at the door and knocks