Bible Text: Luke 24:35-43 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Resurrection Appearances of Jesus |

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April 25th, 2021

Luke 24:35-43

“Resurrection Appearances of Jesus – Part 3”
 

Luke 24:35-43
35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.
38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;
43 and He took it and ate it before them

The next appearance of Jesus is in the evening on that first Sunday. Jesus (in His resurrected body) passes right through the walls of a house where the disciples were gathered, like a spirit, yet He had a body and was even able to eat.

John 20:19-20
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus miraculously appears right in front of them, even though

(verse 19)
“…the doors were shut…”

The word translated “door” implies a large and solid door. The word translated “shut” means locked or secured, this was often done with a heavy bolt that slid through rings attached to the door and the door frame; this door would have been nearly impossible, to break down. The disciples were hiding behind locked doors

(verse 19)
“for fear of the Jews,”

they were probably afraid of being arrested and executed, like Jesus.

Matthew 28:1-15
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’
14 And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”
15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

The soldiers who guarded Jesus’ tomb were paid off by the Chief Priests and were told to tell everyone that Christ’s disciples had taken His body. This is another reason the disciples were hiding behind locked doors on resurrection Sunday evening, for they were fearful that they were next to be executed.

Luke 24:44-47
44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Jesus reminded them of things He already had told them, and He began to show them how the Old Testament Scriptures spoke about Him

(verse 45), “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” But what did Jesus mean by, “all things written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” being fulfilled? Jesus had said something like this to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus also.

Luke 24:25-27,
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

I believe Jesus began to open their minds concerning the many passages of the Old Testament that speak about His birth, His rejection by the people, His suffering, His sacrificial death as payment for our sins, and His sovereign resurrection from the dead; of which the following are examples
(see Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Isaiah 53:1-12; Psalm 16:10; Psalm 22:27-31).

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 53:1-12
1 Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Psalm 16:10
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay

Psalm 22:27-31
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

On several occasions Jesus spoke of these things (in part) to His disciples.

Matthew 16:21
21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

Matthew 17:22-23
22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men;
23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

Matthew 20:18-19
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

The Old Testament prophecies about God’s Anointed [Holy] One [the Messiah, the Christ] foretell the plan, purpose and provision of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, who was fully man and yet fully God, as the New Testament clearly declares (see Ephesians 1:18-21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4).

Ephesians 1:18-21
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Philippians 2:5-11
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 1:1-4
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

The next appearance of Jesus, according to the biblical record, occurs one week after His resurrection.

John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

We are told here that on the following Sunday, the Lord came to the Disciples while they were again hiding in a room with the doors locked; but this time, Thomas was present.

The Lord immediately invited Thomas to touch His wounds, so that he might believe. We are not told as to whether or not Thomas reached out to touch the wounds in Christ’s body, but more importantly, we have Thomas’s strong confession of faith and belief that this is the risen Christ, God’s Son (verse 28), “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus accepts Thomas’s confession of faith, and then declares that in the future, after He has returned to heaven, those who believe in Him without seeing Him (verse 29), will indeed be blessed. Jesus is not just talking about a feeling of happiness, but instead, an indwelling supernatural assurance of having been spiritually born into God’s eternal family, having been accepted by and brought into an intimate relationship with God, through Christ
(see John 17:1-8, 20-26).

John 17:1-8
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

John 17:20-26
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

2Corinthians 5:21
He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Hebrews 9:22
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 10:3-7
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He [God’s Son, Savior] comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me. Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’

Hebrews 10:10
By this will we have been sanctified [made holy] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:12
He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” He then says,

Hebrews 10:17
And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

John 20:30-31
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

These accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ are written here in John’s Gospel (and in the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke), as first person narratives of the sovereign revelation of God, through Christ the Lord, in order to provide forgiveness for sins, and eternal life, to those who are being saved.

And although none of us were there to hear the words or witness the works of Jesus Christ, or to see the risen Lord, we have this first person report, so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing we may have eternal life in His name, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (for the forgiveness of sins), will be saved.

Remember what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29,
“Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

In John 17:20-21,
Jesus prayed to the Father saying, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Take another look at John 20:30,
“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.”

John 21:25
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

John 20:31
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

God’s desire in providing general revelation of Himself in creation and special revelation of Himself through the spoken and written Word of God (the Bible), is so that we might hear the message of Christ and believe it (Romans 10:17).

Romans 10:17
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Have you trusted in Jesus Christ’s death to set you free from the penalty of sin and His resurrection to provide you with eternal life?

If not, why not?

1Timothy 2:3-4,
“God our Savior …desires all men [women and children of age] to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9,
“The Lord… …is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

God turns no one away! He loves you so much (John 3:16),

John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Maybe you are hearing this today, and you aren’t sure. Listen, we are all sinners, every one of us, and the penalty for sin is death, but through Jesus Christ, who is the only way, the only truth, and the only life from God, we can be eternally set free from sin’s penalty.

Three times we are told (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13) “that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sin] will be saved,” (Acts 4:12), “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” only that of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.

Joel 2:32
32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

Acts 2:21
21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

Romans 10:13
13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Acts 4:12
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

In 1John 1:1-3 the aged Apostle John writes:

1John 1:1-3
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life–
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us–
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

In 1John 5:11-13 the Apostle sums it up,

1John 5:11-13
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Do you know for sure that you have received forgiveness for sin and eternal life?

If you have any doubt, If your heart is speaking to you today, don’t put it off, don’t delay.

Right now, right where you are (Romans 10:9-10):

Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Pastor Mike Hale
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Bible Text: 1Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:33-34 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Resurrection Appearances of Jesus |

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April 18th, 2021
1Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:33-34
“Resurrection Appearances of Jesus – Part 2”
Last week we studied several of the resurrection appearances of Jesus that occurred on that first Sunday, when He rose from the grave: First, to several women at the tomb Second, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Today we will look at what the Bible tells us about Christ’s appearance to Peter on that first Sunday, although, we aren’t told where or when this occurred.

1Corinthians 15:5
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Luke 24:33-34
33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”

We are clearly told that the Lord appeared to Cephas [known to us as Peter], before appearing to any of the other original 11 Disciples (Judas having hung himself, has not yet been replaced).

The New Testament writers don’t give specifics concerning when the Lord first appeared to Peter, and only Paul and Luke mention that this event happened.

Having said that, it is providential that Jesus would first show Himself to Peter, before any of the other 10, for Peter would be the first to preach Christ’s message in Jerusalem and he would become leader of the church birthed at Pentecost.

Jesus’ appearance to Peter had to occur sometime after Mary and the ‘other’ women saw Jesus at the tomb, and before Cleopas and the other disciple arrived in Jerusalem at the place where Peter, the other 10 original Disciples, and other followers of Christ who aren’t named here, were congregating behind locked doors and windows, out of fear for the Jews.

As we begin, I would like to try to clear up some of the confusion often centered around the different names given to the disciple we know as Peter, but who is also called Cephas, Simon son of John, Simon Peter, Simon Barjona, and Petros.

John 1:42
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

John 1:42, “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” [Aramaic for rock], translated in English as Peter.

Matthew 16:13-19…
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

In verse 17, Jesus calls Peter Simon Barjona [lit. son of Jonah, Jonah is Aramaic for John]. Note: Most of the Jews in Galilee spoke Aramaic, although they would also know some Hebrew, but mostly the religious leaders spoke Hebrew.

Matthew 16:17
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Jesus addresses Peter (verse 18) as Petros [Greek for small rock or stone], then Jesus says “upon this rock [Greek word petra, meaning large rock, bed-rock or underlying layer of stone] I will build My church.” The rock [petra] upon which Christ will build His church is not Peter [Petros], but is clearly a foundation of which the gates of Hell will not be able to prevail against.

Matthew 16:18
18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matthew 7:21-27
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.”

Luke 6:46-49
46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

A wise man builds his house [his life, his beliefs, his faith] on the rock [the foundation of God’s Word concerning sin and salvation, heaven and hell; Jesus Christ is the Word of God: He is the Rock, the large Foundation Stone].

John 1:1-4
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

John 1:14
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Colossians 1:15
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:19-20
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

John 6:27-29
27 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
28 Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

John 6:40
40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

The man in the parables (Matthew 7, Luke 6) is a person who hears, believes and follows God’s Word, demonstrating their new life in Christ; and no matter what in this world comes against God’s children in all of life’s troubles, including Satan and his demons, we will not be destroyed (see Matthew 7:25; Luke 6:48) for we belong to God, having received forgiveness and eternal life through God’s Son we have overcome the world and everything in it and we will spend eternity in heaven

Matthew 7:25
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

Luke 6:48
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

1John 5:4-5
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

But those who do not put their belief and trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will be destroyed and spend eternity in hell (see Matthew 7:26-27; Luke 6:49).

Matthew 7:26-27
26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.”

Luke 6:49
49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Matthew 16:18-19
18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Peter [Petros, little rock], is an apostle, and along with the prophets, he is part of the foundation on which the Church is built.

Jesus will give the keys, i.e. grant His authority, to the Apostles, of whom Peter is the leader. But notice also, Jesus says, “the gates of Hades [hell] will not overcome it [the church]. The future outcome of His Church does not depend on the effectiveness of Peter, the other apostles, or any future generations of Christians; it depends entirely upon Jesus Christ, the Word of God!

Ephesians 2:19-22
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

1Peter 2:4-5
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Coming to Jesus Christ, i.e., believing in and receiving God’s Son as Lord and Savior, makes you part of a living spiritual house , the House of God [the Church], where you are able to serve the Living God with your life (Romans 12:1).

Romans 12:1
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

1Peter 2:6
6 Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” [put to shame] (Isaiah 28:16).

Isaiah 28:16
16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,
A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.
He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

1Peter 2:7-8
7 “This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,’ and,
8, ’A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’” (Isaiah 8:14).

Isaiah 8:14
14 “Then He shall become a sanctuary;
But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,
And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Christ is the Chief Cornerstone, the Foundation for all forgiveness and salvation, He is the Savior of those who believe in Him, and He is the “rock of offense,” the Judge of all those who reject Him, but for those who believe in Him (Psalm 18:2),

Psalm 18:2
2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

Isaiah 26:4
4 “Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”

Those who believe in Christ will not be disappointed or destroyed, because He is Sovereign [Omnipotent], and He is not only the Way and the Truth and the Life, He is both Lord and Savior, and no one goes to heaven apart from believing in Him; 3 whereas, all those who reject Him, the Living Stone, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, are doomed to an eternal torment in hell.

Christ is the very Foundation and Chief Cornerstone of the Church, and He sovereignly chose to appear first to Peter, who is always listed (in the gospels and the Book of Acts) as being first among the original Twelve.

The risen Lord appeared to Peter before any of the other Apostles, just as the biblical record testifies. Christ chose Peter to be the leader of the Church that was birthed at Pentecost, and that Peter should be the the first Christian to proclaim the message of forgiveness and eternal life.

Acts 2:21-24
21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 2:36-42
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 4:11, Speaking to the religious leaders of Israel and to the rest of the Jews, Peter proclaimed (cf. Psalm 118:22) that, “He [Jesus Christ] is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.

Acts 4:11
11 He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.

Psalm 118:22
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.

Acts 4:12
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

The message proclaimed by Peter, Paul, and the rest of the Apostles, is the very same message we are to proclaim today (Acts 2:21),

Acts 2:21
21‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

Acts 4:12
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

only that of Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again.

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: John 20:1-10 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Resurrection Appearances of Jesus |

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April 11th, 2021

John 20:1-10
“Resurrection Appearances of Jesus: Part One ”
 

Over these past weeks, we have studied the Scriptures that record the events surrounding Passion Week: Christ enters Jerusalem for the last time; He pours out His heart to the people about God’s love for them; He sets aside the old covenant of Passover to establish the new covenant of the Lord’s Supper; He is arrested and taken to stand before five mock trials in the early morning; He is mocked and beaten and then crucified; Christ’s speaks seven last times from the cross, and then He gives up His spirit and dies; He is buried and on the third day He comes out of the tomb alive.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many of His followers over a 40 day period, before He went back into heaven to the right hand of the Father.

Today we’ll begin to look at the biblical record concerning each of the Lord’s appearances, until He ascended up into the clouds with His disciples watching.

John 20:1-10
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;
5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,
7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

It is Sunday morning, the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb while it is still dark, and she finds that the stone covering the entrance to the tomb has been moved aside, Jesus is gone!

Mary runs to find Peter and John, and and to tell them that the Lord’s body is gone. When Peter and John had heard her report, don’t understand what it means
(Luke 24:11), “these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them,” but they immediately go to the tomb see what has happened.

Luke 24:11
11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

John gets to the tomb first and looks in to see the burial cloths, but he did not go in (John 20:5), he waits for Peter to arrive, and of course Peter goes right into the tomb and finds that Jesus’ body is gone; the burial wrappings are there and the face-cloth is neatly rolled up.

John 20:5
5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

John (John 20:8) now enters the tomb, but neither he nor Peter had really understood that Jesus would rise from the grave.

John 20:8
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.

Luke 24:12 tells us, “Peter saw the linen wrappings; and he went away to his home, marveling at [wondering] what had happened.

Luke 24:12
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

Let’s read John 20:11-17…
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Peter and John left the tomb to go to their homes; but Mary had evidently returned and was just outside the tomb weeping, when she saw two angels near where Jesus’ body had been laid (although she just saw them as men, not knowing that they were angels).

They asked her (John 20:13), “why are you weeping?” She shared her concern that the Lord had been taken away and she didn’t know where He was. Mary then turned around (we aren’t told why), perhaps she sensed someone was there? Jesus is now standing there, but Mary doesn’t recognize Him in His resurrected body.

John 20:13
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Jesus asks Mary why she is crying, and who she is looking for? Thinking that He is the gardener she asked Him if He knows where Jesus’ body has been taken, so that she might go and get it.

At this point (John 20:16) Jesus calls her name, “Mary,” at that moment she recognizes Him (cf. John 10:27) and responds to the Lord, saying “Rabboni!” [Teacher, Master, expressing honor and reverence.]

John 20:16
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

John 10:27
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

Mary holds tight to Jesus (John 20:17), but Jesus tells to her she must release Him, as He has not yet ascended to the Father.

John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

We don’t know how much of the upper room discourse Mary was aware of, perhaps the apostles had told her what Jesus had said, that He was going back to the Father and He would send the Holy Spirit, though whom He would come to live in them (see John 14:1-3, 7, 16-20; 16:7).

John 14:1-3
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:7
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

John 14:16-20
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

John 16:7
7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

Back to John 20:17, Jesus tells Mary to go to His “brethren” [lit. brothers], speaking of His disciples. Jesus had previously referred to His disciples as slaves, and then friends (John 15:15), “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

John 15:15
15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Now Jesus refers to His disciples as His brothers, after saying, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’’

Please turn to Matthew 28:1-10…
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Matthew records Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, and the “other” Mary (Matthew 27:56, Mary the mother of James and Joseph). Jesus instructs them to go tell the disciples that they will see Him in Galilee.

Matthew 27:56
56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Please turn to Luke 24:13-35… Jesus appears to two disciples, on the day of His resurrection, as they are walking on the road to Emmaus, about 7 miles away. These two are not part of the eleven remaining disciples (who made up the original Twelve, Judas now deceased).

Luke 24:13-35
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.
24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.
29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.”
35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

We are given the name of one of them (cf. Luke 24:18), his name is Cleopas; and although he is named nowhere else in the New Testament, he must have been known to the followers of Christ, or he wouldn’t be named here.

Luke 24:18
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

These two disciples (cf. Luke 24:13-16) don’t seem to have any idea that it is Jesus who approaches them and begins to walk with them, listening to them explain to Him about the things which have happened concerning Jesus the Nazarene (cf. Luke 24:17-24), how He was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people; and that He had been arrested by the Chief Priests and turned over to be crucified, that He was buried, and yet when some of His followers went to the tomb they found it empty, but there were angels there telling them that He was indeed alive! 2

Luke 24:13-16
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

Luke 24:17-24
17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.
24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

Jesus now reminds them (cf. Luke 24:25-26) that the prophets had foretold how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to “enter into His glory,” meaning that He would return to the Father in heaven after completing His mission here on earth: “It is Finished!”

Luke 24:25-26
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

Then (cf. Luke 24:27), “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures,” (cf Genesis 3:1-15). 1John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

Luke 24:27
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Genesis 3:1-15
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

1John 3:8
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

As Jesus and the two approach Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:28-29), it is beginning to get dark, so they invite Him to stay with them at their house. They now go in and sit at a table, preparing to having something to eat (cf. Luke 24:30-31).

Luke 24:28-29
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.
29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.

Luke 24:30-31
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Jesus takes the bread and blesses it, then breaking it, He begins giving it to them and at that moment, “their eyes are opened and they recognize Him; He then vanishes from their sight!” [earlier that day at the tomb (John 20:13-18), Jesus’ appearance was hid from Mary Magdalene until Jesus called her name, “Mary,” and then she recognized that it was the Lord.]

John 20:13-18
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

These disciples from Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:32-35) now understand that the stranger is Jesus, and they recall how their hearts burned within them as they walked along the road, while Jesus explained the Scriptures to them. They immediately head out for Jerusalem, where they find the eleven and those who are with them, gathered together saying, ‘The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon [Peter].’ [Then the two disciples from Emmaus] began to tell of their experience on the road [with Jesus] and how they only recognized Him when He broke the bread and gave it to them.

Luke 24:32-35
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

Just moments after the above narrative, Jesus shows up in the room, at this gathering behind locked doors (Luke 24:36), “While they were telling these things, He Himself [Jesus, the risen Lord] stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’”

Luke 24:36
36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

Next week we will explore the when and where of Jesus’ appearance to Peter. But for today, let’s consider the following as we close our time together.

The women near the tomb saw the risen Lord!

The disciples on the road saw the risen Lord!

Peter saw the risen Lord, and although we are not told where, it clearly happened sometime between the early morning appearance of Jesus to the women in the garden, and the arrival in Jerusalem of the two disciples from Emmaus, who had seen the Lord along the road in the late afternoon, and had recognized Him while at their table breaking bread, as the evening approached!

Next week we will explore the when and where of Jesus’ appearance to Peter.

But for today, consider the narratives of those we studied about today, witnesses of the risen Lord.

What is the responsibility of a witness? To tell the truth about what they have seen, heard, experienced.

Acts 1:8-11
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you are a witness of His resurrection and you need to tell others about Him.

2Corinthians 5:16-21
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: Mark 2:1-11 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale |

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Upcoming Events
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April 4th, 2021
various verses
“Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life”
 

Read Mark 2:1-11…
1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.
2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.
3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.
4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.
5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?
10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–He said to the paralytic,
11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.”

It says (verse 5), Jesus “saw their faith,” and said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” It was clear to everyone that the man’s greatest need was to be able to walk, to be healed of his paralysis; but Jesus basically says, ‘I have healed your spirit, forgiving your sins.’ This man has just received eternal life, but he still can’t walk.

Some religious leaders hearing Jesus’ statement about forgiving sins, consider this to be blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins.

Many of the Jews at that time, believed diseases and afflictions were the result of one’s own sin, i.e., this man’s paralysis was caused by his sin. Jesus confronts the Jews (verse 9) saying, “Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?

Anyone could say to you, “your sins are forgiven,” but who could verify whether or not it had happened? But to say, “Get up… and walk” that miracle was proved and witnessed by all who were there.

By healing the paralytic, Jesus validated His claim and authority to grant forgiveness; for just as sure as there was physical healing, there was also spiritual healing, the forgiveness of sins.

The emphasis in this event is not the healing of this man’s body, but the healing of this man’s spirit. So, how does this relate to the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Well, we are told in the Scriptures that Jesus came to take upon Himself our punishment for sin’s penalty.

Read Isaiah 53:3-12…
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

He was despised and rejected by men… pierced for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace with God was poured out on Him, and by His shed blood we are spiritually healed, for He has paid the penalty for all our sins. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was put to death; and yet He came out of the grave alive.

What if we only had proof of Christ’s death, but no resurrection? If you had been the paralytic man spoken of in Mark chapter 2, it would be like Jesus saying to you, “your sins are forgiven, really, trust Me!” But there is no way for you to know if that is true, until after you die and wake up either in heaven or in hell.

But, if along with saying to you, “your sins are forgiven,” Jesus also said, “now, to prove that you have received forgiveness, and that I have such authority, ‘I say to you, get up and walk, you are healed of your paralysis,’” if indeed you could now walk, you would also know that you had received forgiveness for your sins.

In John’s vision (Revelation 1:17-18), he records the Lord’s words, “I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”

Revelation 1:17-18
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ sovereignly confirms and declares that Jesus, through His own shed blood, did in fact take the punishment for our sins, and therefore, we have forgiveness and eternal life!

1Peter 3:18
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

Listen, Jesus died on a Friday and was placed in a tomb before sundown, and on Sunday morning His body was missing; He had risen from the dead!

Read Matthew 28:1-15…
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
12 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’
14 And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”
15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

If Jesus did not rise from the grave, as He said He would, yet His body was missing, then, someone had to take His body away. But who could have done that? There are three groups of men we must consider:

1. The Jewish Leaders: They didn’t want Christ’s body removed from the tomb; for a missing body could be perceived as a resurrected body.

Read Matthew 27:62-65…
62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,
63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’
64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”

The Jewish leaders pressured Pilate to put a seal on the tomb and a Roman guard unit there to keep the body in the grave, for Jesus had said (Matthew 27:63), “after three days I will rise again.”

2. The Roman Guards: These elite soldiers were stationed at the tomb, to make sure Jesus’ body stayed put. Moving the body or allowing it to be taken, was punishable by death; therefore, they made sure Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, but then, they had never faced one of God’s mighty angels, like the one who rolled away the stone, and at this sight they fainted with fear.

3. Jesus’ Disciples: This group of mostly fishermen wouldn’t dare move the body and falsify Christ’s resurrection; for if they knew Jesus did not rise from the dead, they had no hope of eternal life, and it would have been better for them to quickly and quietly get out of the area, and deny ever knowing Him.

So, why would the Disciples continue to proclaim the risen Lord, if it were not true? And why would the Jewish leaders have to bribe the Roman soldiers to spread the “stolen body” story, if it were indeed true?

Jesus had told His disciples on several occasions, that He would be rejected, arrested, put to death, buried, and on the third day He would rise from the grave, according to God’s sovereign plan, purpose, and foretelling.

Mark 8:31
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Matthew 17:22-23
22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men;
23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

Luke 24:44-48
44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.

John 14:1-3
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:29
29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

After His resurrection, before ascending back into heaven, Jesus appeared many times to His followers; we will study those events next Sunday morning. The only reasonable explanation for the empty tomb is that which is repeatedly taught in the Scriptures: Jesus rose from the grave, by His own divine power and authority (John 10:17-18).

John 10:17-18
17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Christ’s death provided forgiveness; His resurrection demonstrated eternal life (John 11:25-26).

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Moments later, going to where Lazarus lay buried, Jesus said (John 11:39-44).

John 11:39-44
39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Do you see what just happened? Jesus loosed Lazarus from the bonds of death, demonstrating that he indeed had eternal life, for Lazarus belonged to the Lord.

Hebrews 9:27
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

Matthew 25:46 Jesus says, that those who reject Him, “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous [those who receive Him, go away] into eternal life.” Let that sink into your mind and heart for a moment.

Matthew 25:46
46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Listen, the resurrection is not just an event, it is a Person. Jesus is the Son of God, and all authority rests in Him. Resurrection to eternal life is through Him. The greatest hope that we have, and that we celebrate today, on this sacred holiday, is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior, is the Resurrection and the Life.

1John 5:11-13
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Christ alone is “the Resurrection and the Life,” He experienced death for us, bearing our sins on the Cross; and yet, He now lives, having been raised from the dead on the third day; and so we can know that we have eternal life in Him!

Today, we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior from the dead. Our celebration isn’t only looking back at some event in the distant past, or looking forward to some event in the distant (or maybe not so distant) future —Christ’s resurrection should impact our lives every single day.

God wants us to know that Jesus Himself is the divine hope for everyone who places their trust in Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even if he dies; and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”

Remember, after He made that declaration, He asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” And so today, on Easter Sunday, as we end our study, I need to ask you a similar question:

Do you believe in and confess Jesus Christ as Lord?

Do you have the assurance in your heart [your spirit] that you belong to the Savior and that you will live, even if you die, before He returns?

Take a moment, earnestly consider your relationship with God through Christ.

For [God] says (2Corinthians 6:2),
2 for He says,
“AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,
AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”
Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”–

If you know that you have eternal life, praise God, Hallelujah!

But if you are unsure that you have salvation through Jesus Christ, please, I urge you, settle this issue right now, right here.

If you know that you have eternal life, praise God, Hallelujah! But if you are unsure that you have salvation through Jesus Christ, please, I urge you, settle this issue right now, right here.

Admit to God that you are a sinner (we all are).

Repent of your sins, asking God to forgive you (He turns no one away).

Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior – that He died for your sins, and rose from the grave to proclaim victory over death and judgement.

Having received forgiveness for your sins and eternal life, follow Him by prayerfully reading God’s Word daily, obeying what you understand, as you live your life for Him.

Participate in a Bible Believing, Teaching, and Practicing Church, as a member of Christ’s Body, serving through word and deed, as if serving the Lord Himself.

 
Jesus Christ, is the Only Way, the Only Truth, the Only Life, from God!
He is the Resurrection and the Life,
for He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: John 19:30 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale |

Links from Our Website:
Bulletin / Program (pdf)
Sermon Notes (pdf)
April Calendar (pdf)
Upcoming Events
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April 2nd, 2021
Good Friday (3pm)
 
“Why is it called Good Friday?”
John 19:30
 

I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to take the time later to consider all that happened to the Lord on that Friday, long ago.

You’ll find the full chronology (and the scripture references) in your bulletin; but briefly, the biblical record tells of the Lord’s unjust arrest, the mock trials, flogging, and the contempt spewed out by the soldiers, religious leaders, and Jewish people, as they mocked Him.

And how does our merciful Lord respond to all this?

1. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” -Luke 23:34

Luke 23:34
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

Jesus asks the Father to forgive them in their ignorance; when He could have rightly judged them for their blasphemies.

In Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2)
he confronts the Jews (verses 22-24) saying, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” i.e., He didn’t stay dead!

Acts 2:22-24
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Paul said it this way (1Corinthians 2:8),
“None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s forgiveness is granted to us in Christ even though we do not deserve it, and even after all that was unjustly done to Him, He still asks the Father to forgive us.

2. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” -Luke 23:43

Luke 23:43
43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

There were two criminals being crucified at the same time as the Lord, one on either side of Him. One of them yelled insults at Jesus, while the other remarked that even though they deserved the punishment they were receiving, Jesus did not, for He was innocent of any crime. Then the one speaking reverently about Jesus asked Him, Lord, please “remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” Jesus answered, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” It would seem that this criminal believed in Christ as Lord.

Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father, and so, Jesus used the word “paradise” as a synonym for “heaven.”

Paul says (2Corinthians 12:4),
“[that he] was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”

John writes (Revelation 2:7), that all genuine believers in Christ “will eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”

Revelation 2:7
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

So, Paradise is the place of blessing and reward where all Christians go after death, or at the “rapture,” to be with God forever.

3. He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” -John 19:26–27

John 19:26–27
26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

Just five days ago, all the people praised and adored Him, but today, they cried out for Him to be crucified. Jesus was betrayed, mocked, dishonored, beaten, unjustly condemned, and then nailed to a cross.

While on the cross, in great pain, Jesus takes the time to express His love and care for Mary, His mother, who He entrusts to John, and from that very hour John took Mary into his own household, treating her as his own mother.

What great love Jesus displayed for His widowed mother, and what trust He expresses in His disciple John. This same John who would outlive all the other Apostles and leave for us the Gospel of John, 1-2-3John, and the Book of Revelation.

4. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” -Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

Matthew 27:46
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Mark 15:34
34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

This is a quote from Psalm 22:1, speaking of the time when the Messiah (Jesus) would take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, paying for them with His own shed blood, as a ransom for many.

Psalm 22:1
1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

Isaiah 53:5, “He took upon Himself our sins.”

Isaiah 53:5
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

1Corinthians 15:3, “He died for our sins.”

1Corinthians 15:3
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

2Corinthians 5:21, “Even though He knew no sin, He became sin on our behalf.”

2Corinthians 5:21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Galatians 3:13, “He became a curse for us.”

Galatians 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”–

Hebrews 9:26, “He has done away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”

Hebrews 9:26
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

1Peter 2:24, “He took our sins in His body on the cross.”

1Peter 2:24
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

1Peter 3:18, “He died for sins, once for all.”

1Peter 3:18
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

1John 4:10, “He became the propitiation [atonement, appeasement, acceptable payment] for our sins.”

1John 4:10
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Habakkuk 1:13 says God cannot look upon wickedness [sin] with favor, and so, the Father had to abandon His own Son, i.e., to turn away, as God’s wrath was poured out on Him, leaving God’s Son totally alone.

Habakkuk 1:13
13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor.
Why do You look with favor
On those who deal treacherously?
Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
Those more righteous than they?

Why is that so important so as to be included in the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross?

John 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.

The “Word” was in the beginning, the Greek word translated beginning means source, origin, sovereign rule, absolute authority. The Greek translated “Word” here is Logos, it means the embodiment of all divine authority, power and wisdom. Jesus is the Word, God’s revelation to the world; He is the full and final testimony from God to mankind about God’s salvation (Hebrews 1:3), “He [Christ] is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of [God’s] nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Hebrews 1:3
3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Not only is the Word, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, but He was with God before anything was made that has been made. The Greek for the phrase “was with God,” means “face to face,” i.e., the Word [Christ, God the Son] was in an intimate, up close and personal, fellowship with God the Father before anything was created; and not only that, but the Word was God. Jesus is God the Son.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have always been together in fellowship, never apart; but the fellowship between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit had to cease while Christ became sin and God poured out His wrath upon Him.

That is why Christ’s abandonment on the cross is so important, for Jesus was totally alone, God the Father had to turn away from God the Son, for the only time in all of eternity, recorded here as Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

5. “I am thirsty.” -John 19:28

John 19:28
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”

Jesus didn’t want to drink the sour wine, it couldn’t quench anyone’s thirst, let alone someone who was only minutes away from death.

But notice (John 19:28), “knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” In a sense, Jesus hastens the end to come, for this is the fulfillment of Psalm 69:21, “for My thirst they gave Me vinegar [sour wine] to drink.“

John 19:28
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”

Psalm 69:21
21 They also gave me gall for my food
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

6. “It is finished.” -John 19:30

John 19:30
30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Jesus’ cry, “It is finished!” is one Greek word, pronounced teh-tel-es-sty [tetelestai]. This phrase was part of everyday life and language in Jesus’ time:

When a servant completed a difficult task for his master, he would say teh-tel-es-sty [the job is done]!

When the Jewish people went to the temple with their sacrifice, the High Priest would examine what had been brought and respond with the Hebrew equivalent of, “You have fulfilled your obligation with this offering.”

When a merchant at the market place made a sale and payment was handed to him, he would say teh-tel-es-sty, i.e., “I accept your payment in full.”

Jesus took our punishment for sin; He cancelled our sin debt to God by paying it Himself, with His own life, so that we might be made acceptable to God the Father. Sin separates us from God, and therefore the curse of sin must me removed before we can be in God’s presence.

It was for this reason that God’s Son came to earth, salvation now being complete, Jesus says, “It is finished!”

Isaiah 53:5-6
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 10:13
13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Jesus’ declaration, ”It is finished,” is God’s sovereign and eternal verdict for all who believe in Jesus Christ, having become victorious over sin, death, and judgment, through the sacrifice of God’s One and Only Son.

7. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” -Luke 23:46, Psalm 31:5

Luke 23:46
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Psalm 31:5
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

The Son of God accomplished all that the Father had sent Him to do. He fulfilled all righteousness bringing salvation and redemption to all who believe in Christ; and after completing His sacred, sovereign and eternal work Jesus says, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

God the Son gave up His spirit, He did not just die as a result of the beatings, blood loss, and torture. His body was going to die when He sovereignly chose for it to die, but His spirit is eternal and cannot die, so it left His body.

John 10:17-18
17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

As Jesus hung on the cross, there was total darkness from noon to 3 pm, as God’s wrath was poured out on the Lamb of God, God’s One and Only Son.

After Christ had received full punishment for the sins of the world, the communion He had with the Father was restored, for the work He had come to do was now finished and redemption had been granted to all who believe in Him.

John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 20:31
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

1John 5:11-13
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

And that is why such a horrible, dark, and sorrowful day is called “Good” Friday. But come back on Sunday, because the story doesn’t end there, for on the third day after His death, He came out of the grave alive!

Therefore, when anyone repents of their sins, believing in Christ for forgiveness, they receive eternal life, that will be demonstrated as they follow Jesus.

Repent of your sins!

Believe in Christ for salvation!

Follow Him by reading and obeying God’s Word!

For only then will you know that you are saved, and only then can you bring praise and honor and glory to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

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Good Friday Chronology…
 

Jesus Arrested, Early in the Morning

Matthew 26:47-56
47 While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”
49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
54 How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.
56 But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Mark 14:43-52
43 Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”
45 After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
46 They laid hands on Him and seized Him.
47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber?
49 Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.”
50 And they all left Him and fled.
51 A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him.
52 But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

Luke 22:47-53
47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.
48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber?
53 While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.”

John 18:2-12
2 Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,”
9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,

Jesus stands before Annas

John 18:13-14
13 and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

John 18:19-23
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.
21 Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.”
22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?”

Jesus stands before Caiaphas, He is condemned and Mocked

Matthew 26:57-68
57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
58 But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”
62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”
63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;
66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

Mark 14:53-65
53 They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.
54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.
55 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any.
56 For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.
57 Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying,
58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”
59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.
60 The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”
61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”
63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?
64 You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

Luke 22:4a
4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.

Luke 22:63-65
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,
64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?”
65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

John 18:24
24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Jesus stands before Pilate

Matthew 27:11-14
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer.
13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”
14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

Mark 15:1b-5
1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.
2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.”
3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly.
4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”
5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

Luke 23:1-7
1 Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
5 But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.”
6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.

John 18:28-38
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”
31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,”
32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.
33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

Jesus is sent to Herod

Luke 23:6-12
6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.
9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.
11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate.
12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

Jesus is returned to Pilate, where He is sentenced and flogged

Matthew 27:15-26
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.
17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.
21 But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!”
23 And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”
25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Mark 15:6-15
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested.
7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them.
9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”
10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead.
12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”
14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Luke 23:13-25
13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.
15 No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.
16 Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
17 [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”
19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.)
20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,
21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”
22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.
24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.
25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

John 18:39-19:16a
18:39 – But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”
40 So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

19:1 – Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him;
3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.
4 Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.”
5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!”
6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”
8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid;
9 and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”
15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

Jesus is mocked by soldiers

Matthew 27:27-30
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.
28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.

Mark 15:16-19
16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort.
17 They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him;
18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.

Jesus is led to Golgotha where He is crucified about “the third hour” (9 a.m.)

Matthew 27:31-34
31 After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull,
34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

Mark 15:20-25
20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.
21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.
23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.
24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take.
25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

Luke 23:26-34
26 When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.
28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
30 Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’
31 For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.
33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

John 19:16b-17
16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.
17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.

Soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing

Mark 15:24
24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take.

Those near the cross insult and mock Jesus

Matthew 27:39-40
39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Mark 15:31
31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.

Luke 23:36-39
36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

Jesus blesses a criminal

Luke 23:40-43
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Jesus speaks to His mother Mary and to John

John 19:26-27
26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

Darkness covers the land from
“the sixth hour” (12 noon)
to “the ninth hour” (3 p.m.)

Mark 15:33
33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Jesus cries out to the Father

Matthew 27:46
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Jesus declares, “It is Finished”

John 19:30a
30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Luke 23:46
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

There is a mighty earthquake

Matthew 27:51-52
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

A centurion declares, “Surely He was the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:54
54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:38
38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Luke 23:47
47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

Soldiers break the legs of the other

John 19:31-33
31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him;
33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

A soldier pierces Jesus side with a spear

John 19:34
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Jesus is laid in the tomb

Matthew 27:57-61
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

Mark 15:42-47
42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.
45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Luke 23:50-56
50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man
51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;
52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.
54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.
And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

John 19:38-42
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.
40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

 
Pastor Mike Hale
 

Bible Text: Mark 11:1-11 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale |

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March 28th, 2021
Mark 11:1-11,
“The Passion of God in Christ”
 

Today we begin what is called Passion [Holy] Week, it is set off by our Lord entering Jerusalem on a Sunday, while the people praise Him; but five days later, on Friday, the people will cry out for His death, after which, He will be crucified and laid in a tomb, but on Sunday morning, one week from when He entered Jerusalem, He will rise from the dead, just like He said He would!

There is much written in Scripture about Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem (Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-18, Luke 19-24, John 12-20, for a total of 29 chapters). Out of a total of 89 chapters that comprise all four Gospels, about 1/3 of them are devoted to this one week period of Jesus’ life!

In 2007-08, teaching through Mark’s Gospel, I prepared 20 sermons on this one-week period of Jesus’ life; and in 2012-13, teaching through Matthew’s Gospel, I prepared 22 sermons on this same one-week period of time.

Holy Week is highly charged and extremely important, because it contains Christ’s sacrificial death on a cross (payment for all our sins) and His sovereign resurrection from the tomb (demonstration of eternal life).

Apart from Creation Week, when everything was made that has been made, Passion Week, from the time of Christ’s arrival into Jerusalem, to His arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, is by far the most marvelous and miraculous week to be recorded in God’s Word..

The OT records many prophecies that were to be fulfilled by the Messiah, during Passion Week, when God’s sovereign plan to redeem and save us from sin’s curse was made effectual.

Exodus 12:46 (1400 B.C.)… None of the Passover Lamb’s bones will be broken.

Exodus 12:46
46 It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

Psalm 16:8-11 (1000 BC)… He will rise from the dead.

Psalm 16:8-11
8 I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 22:16… His hands & feet pierced.

Psalm 22:16
16 For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.

Psalm 22:18… Lots [i.e., dice] will be thrown for His garments.

Psalm 22:18
18 They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots

Psalm 69:21… He will be given vinegar to drink.

Psalm 69:21
21 They also gave me gall for my food
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Psalm 110:1… He will ascend back into heaven.

Psalm 110:1
1 The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Isaiah 53:1-12 (700 BC)… He will be despised and forsaken, led like a lamb to slaughter, and He will be put to death for our sins .

Isaiah 53:1-12
1 Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Zechariah 9:9 (500 BC)… He will enter Jerusalem on a the colt of a donkey .

Zechariah 9:9
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 11:12… He will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver [cf. Exodus 21:32, the price of a slave].

Zechariah 11:12
12 I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.

Exodus 21:32
32 If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Zechariah 13:7… His friends will desert Him.

Zechariah 13:7
7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
And against the man, My Associate,”
Declares the LORD of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;
And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Next Friday at 3 pm, we’ll study the events of the day of Christ’s crucifixion; and next Sunday, we’ll study what the Bible says about His resurrection from the grave.

But for today, please turn to Mark 11:1-3… Jesus and the 12 approached Jerusalem, coming near Bethphage [“house of unripe figs”], a small town near Bethany, on the SE side of the Mount of Olives. Bethany was home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (cf. John 11:1).

Mark 11:1-3
1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,
2 and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.”

John 11:1
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

The Mount of Olives was where Jesus taught about the End Times Events (Matthew 24) that we have been studying on Wednesday nights for the past few weeks. It was from here that Jesus ascended back into heaven (see Acts 1:9-12), and it is here that He will return to the earth (Zechariah 14:3-5; Revelation 1:7), “coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”

Acts 1:9-12
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

Zechariah 14:3-5
3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.
4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!

Revelation 1:7
7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

In Mark 11:1-2, we are told that Jesus sends two of His disciples into Bethphage to find a young donkey.

Mark 11:1-2
1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,
2 and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.

Read Mark 11:4-7.
4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it.
5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.
7 They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.

The disciples find the donkey, untie it and when asked why they are untying the colt, they say what Jesus told them to say, and (Mark 11:6) the owner of the donkey told them to go ahead and take it. The people in that area knew of Jesus and His disciples and, no doubt, that He was referred to as “The Lord.”

Mark 11:6
6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

In Matthew’s account of this event (Matthew 21:2-5) he speaks of a donkey, her colt, and the fulfillment of a messianic prophecy given in Zechariah 9:9.

Matthew 21:2-5
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’”

Zechariah 9:9
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Matthew 21:5
5 “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’”

Read Mark 11:8-10…
8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.
9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”

This display on the part of the people is reminiscent of an ancient practice (recorded in 2Kings 9:12-13), where the people are showing homage to a new king. In Mark’s narration the people seem to express their acceptance of Christ’s claim as the Messiah who will sit on the throne of David.

2Kings 9:12-13
12 They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’”
13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

The people are excited, throwing down their outer garments and branches (cf. John 12:13, palm branches), they are expressing their hope and desire for their Messiah-King to free them from Roman occupation and oppression, and to bring them prosperity.

John 12:13
13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”

Matthew 1:1
1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Matthew 2:1-2
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

In Matthew 27:11, Jesus is standing before Pilate (the governor), who asks Him, “‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say.’”

Matthew 27:11
11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

In Mark 11:9-10, the people are shouting, “Hosanna!” This is a contraction of the words “save” and “please,” forming a prayerful supplication with great expectation, leading to adoration, praise, and joy.

Mark 11:9-10
9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”

This praise in Mark 11:9-10 has it’s origin in Psalm 118:25-26

Psalm 118:25-26
25 O LORD, do save, we beseech You;
O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD;
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

The name Jesus is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “God saves,” or “God rescues,” simply put, this is “God’s Salvation” in human flesh, Immanuel [God with us], God’s Son, Savior.

In Mark 11:10 the people praise the coming of the Davidic Kingdom when the Messiah-King will rule on the earth for 1000 years.

Mark 11:10
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”

The Jews were waiting for their Messiah to come and liberate them from Gentile Rule [at this time is was Rome], the Messiah would bring prosperity, and He would to sit on the throne of David.

The Jews are still waiting for their Messiah; they rejected Jesus Christ, because they didn’t understand that He was coming the first time, to free them from the penalty of sin, and the second time (in the future), to usher in the Millennial Kingdom and sit on the throne of Israel for a thousand years; Jesus is the Messiah-King, (John 10:14, The Good Shepherd; 1Peter 5:4, The Chief Shepherd; Philippians 2:9-11, Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; Revelation 19:16, “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”).

John 10:14
14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,

1Peter 5:4
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Philippians 2:9-11
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 19:16
16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

In the Matthew 21:10-11 account it says, “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’”

Matthew 21:10-11
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”
11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Read Mark 11:11…
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

Jesus looks around the inner and outer courts of the Temple, nothing is hidden from His gaze; He then returns to Bethany for the night (about 2 miles distance), as it had been a very long day, during which Jesus told His disciples what was going to happen in Jerusalem (see Mark 10:32-34).

Mark 10:32-34
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,
33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
34 They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”

And so, the first day of Passion Week comes to a close; but there is much more to take place over the next five days, as Jesus pours out His compassion for those people in and around Jerusalem, teaching them about God’s great love for them.

Wednesday seems to be a day of rest, for there is nothing recorded in the Gospels.

Thursday Jesus makes the Passover Meal about Himself, i.e., the Lord’s Supper, making it clear that He will be the sacrificial lamb, and it will be His blood that is shed for the sins of the people.

Next Wednesday night we will study how and why the old covenant of Passover was fulfilled in and through the new covenant of the Lord’s Supper.

Hebrews 10:9-10
“‘Behold, I have come to do Your will.’ He takes away the first [covenant of the Law, Passover] in order to establish the second [covenant of Grace, the Lord’s Supper]. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Hebrews 10:14
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

Hebrews 10:16-20
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,” He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore… …we have confidence to enter the holy place [into the presence of God] by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh” [He died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day He rose from the grave alive]

Early Friday morning of Passion week, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and taken to stand before Annas, then Caiaphas, then Pilate, then Herod, and finally back to Pilate; where Jesus was handed over to soldiers to be flogged, after which, He was crucified.

All of this was done according to the sovereign plan and purpose of God; so that you and I might be made acceptable to the Holy, Righteous and Just God of Creation; for we are redeemed, justified, made to be without any sin yet remaining to be punished, because all sins have been paid for, leaving you and me justified before God (just-if-I’d never sinned).

2Corinthians 5:21
“[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus took our sins upon Himself, paying our sin debt to God, because there was no other way for us to be saved.

Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1-2
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Hebrews 10:10
10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Creativity of God is exemplified in Creation Week; but the compassion of God for lost sinners is exemplified in Passion Week. It is because of God’s great and merciful love for us that He has done this (John 14:6).

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Jesus is the only way to God (we repent and believe in Him), He is the only truth concerning salvation (everyone is guilty of sin and deserves death), He is the only Life with God (He alone grants forgiveness for sins and eternal life to all those who repent, believe and follow Him).

Have you repented of your sins and believed in Jesus Christ [God’s Son, Lord and Savior] for salvation?

Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

and for that reason Romans 10:13 declares,
13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

 
Have you done that?
If not, why haven’t you?
Please, don’t leave here today without settling this issue,
I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Peter 3:8-9 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1Peter |

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March 21st, 2021

1Peter 3:8-9
“Living as Blessings from God ”
 

In a previous study (cf. 1Peter 2:13-17), Peter exhorted us to submit to authorities and institutions, both civil (kings and governors) and societal (supervisors and employers); he then gave attention (cf. 1Peter 3:1-7) to the institution of marriage, instructing believing husbands and believing wives to live with their unbelieving spouses in such a manner, so as to influence them for Christ, that they might come to salvation.

In our text today, Peter tells how God’s people are to behave with everyone, believers and unbelievers, so that we might be a blessing to them.

Read 1Peter 3:8-9…
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Notice (verse 8), “To sum up,” i.e., in conclusion, be “harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit.” These are the virtuous attitudes we are to have and to display as members of the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the Family of Believers and Followers of God’s Son.

Let’s consider each of these attitudes that we are to have and to demonstrate:

• Be harmonious -This literally means ‘same-think,’ to be ‘like-minded’ or ‘of one-mind,’ i.e., having the same commitment to the Truth of God, though the Spirit of God in us, leading to a deep and settled unity in all our hearts.

Ephesians 4:1-6
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Philippians 1:27
27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

It is the divine love of God in us that allows us to live in harmony with each other, and that is what the Lord desires, so the world will know us by His love in us
(John 13:34-35).

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

After the Holy Spirit came upon and into those first believers in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, it became clear that something outside of this world was the cause
(Acts 2:36-47).

Acts 2:36-47
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

• Be sympathetic – This means to ‘share the same feeling’ that someone else is experiencing, whether it be their sorrow or their joy; even if they are unbelievers who are struggling with the chaos and anxiety of this pandemic, as well as the normal issues of daily life. We are to show empathy by coming alongside those who have spiritual, physical, and emotional needs; so that, we might be able to help them on God’s behalf, by sharing God’s message of love and hope with them.

• Be brotherly – This is the loving affection that is expressed among people who are closely related, a demonstration of the unselfish and sometimes sacrificial serving of one another within a family. Its greatest example is to be seen among those who are in the Family of God, and it is to then to expand from there in order to reach out to the world around us.

• Be kindhearted – This is an affection or feeling of kindness that causes us to feel the pain of others deeply. It is expressed as the tenderhearted compassion of God shown to lost sinners through Christ
(Romans 5:8).

Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 11:35,
35 Jesus wept.

Jesus is approaching the grave of Lazarus, and He is aware of the pain that Mary and Martha and the rest of Lazarus’s family are feeling, it says, “Jesus wept.” Jesus’s tears are the result of a very deep sense of compassion for those who loved Lazarus and were grieving his loss.

• Be humble in spirit – This is one word in the Greek, literally, ‘humble-minded’, it is the most important virtue in our Christian life, as we seek to follow the example of Jesus
(Matthew 11:29).

Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:1-11
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In 1Peter 3:8 we are told that God wants us to not just express, but to actually be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit.

1Peter 3:8
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

In the first part of 1Peter 3:9, we are told that God wants us to be “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult.”

1Peter 3:9
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

The word translated ‘evil’ here means much more than something that is done or said, it implies that ‘evil’ means the very inherent nature or quality of all things that are considered bad.

Peter exhorts all Christians not to respond to evil (done against you) with evil, you are not to start doing so; and if you are retaliating with evil, you must stop doing so immediately, because that in itself is evil.

Matthew 5:38
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’

The teaching Jesus is referencing here comes from two Old Testament passages:

Exodus 21:21-25
21 If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.
22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.
23 But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

Leviticus 24:17-21
17 ‘If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.
18 The one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life.
19 If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him:
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.
21 Thus the one who kills an animal shall make it good, but the one who kills a man shall be put to death.

The reason for this law was to prohibit retaliation, to prevent excessive or unjust retribution that is fueled by anger, i.e., God says that the punishment is to match the crime. According to Israel’s civil law, punishment was often carried out by the injured party, the victim, or by one of the family members; but the trial and sentencing was always officiated by the appointed judges or rulers of the people.

We are required to keep the laws of our government (unless they contradict God’s Law), and we expect and insist that others to do the same; but we, God’s people, aren’t to seek retaliation or retribution (Romans 12:19; pp. Deuteronomy 32:35), “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:35
35‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution,
In due time their foot will slip;
For the day of their calamity is near,
And the impending things are hastening upon them.’

Matthew 5:39
39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Jesus said, “I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

This is one of those verses that is misinterpreted more than it is properly interpreted, so, it needs some clarification; or I’m afraid a few of you may leave here today thinking that I’m saying it is okay to let some evil person beat you up.

Let me make it very clear, I am not inferring or even implying, that you should allow some evil person attack to you, or anyone who is with you. This verse does not mean that you are to run from, be pushed around by, or give in to, bad people.

God’s Word records that early in His ministry Jesus turned over tables and drove evil men out of the Temple (cf. Matthew 21:12); and near the end of His ministry (cf. Matthew 21:12) He used a whip, that He had made, to drive evil men out of His Father’s House.

Matthew 21:12
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

John 2:15)
15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

Look, we are not to be doormats or pacifists when it comes to evil, for by not restraining evil we may fail to protect the innocent and stand up for justice; but even so, we are not to seek retaliation, as Paul writes
(Romans 12:21).

Romans 12:21
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

But, what about being slapped in the face (cf. Matthew 5:39)? In the Jewish culture, as in ours , being slapped in the face is an act of contempt or disdain; even a slave during Bible times would have preferred to be whipped on the back rather than slapped in the face by his master.

Matthew 5:39
39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Again, Matthew 5:39 says, “whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” This is not advocating that we let some bully beat us up, this is not a physical attack. Most Jews are right handed (about 90%) along with most all ethnic groups; and so to strike with the back of the right hand across the right cheek of a person’s face, is clearly an act of contempt — this is not about being assaulted, as much as it is about being insulted, devalued, even humiliated.

On that subject, let me say this: parents should never slap their children, for that is a demoralizing injury that leaves a wound in the heart of one being slapped.

1Peter 3:9…
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Neither are we to return insult for insult. This means to use words in a vengeful way, to be abusive, speaking evil of or cursing another. It is not about my or your individual rights, or the injustices done to us, or getting even with those who harm us.

As God’s children, we can expect to be minimized, ridiculed, insulted, and treated with contempt, because of our relationship with the Lord; the point is, you are not to retaliate when that happens, you are not to seek retribution; but you are to respond (1Peter 3:9) by, “giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

Believers should be a blessing to both believers and unbelievers: We can pray for the salvation of an unbeliever. We can pray for the sanctification of a believer. We should express gratitude for someone’s kindness toward us or toward others. We should forgive those who sin against us, seek forgiveness from those we sin against, and pray for those who persecute us.

1Corinthians 1:18
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2Corinthians 5:20-21
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.

Mark 1:17
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

As Christians, those born-again by the Spirit of God, we have received God’s blessings of forgiveness for all our sins, and eternal life in heaven; all because of God’s great love for us; therefore, we ought to be a blessing to others on God’s behalf.

If you have not received God’s blessings, but you would like to, you need to do the following:

Repent of your sins,
we are all sinners!

Believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation,
for there is no other way to receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life.

Follow Christ by demonstrating your new life in Him,
as you seek to know, obey, and proclaim God’s Word.

1John 5:11-13
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Peter 3:1-7 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1Peter |  

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March 14th, 2021
1Peter 3:1-7
“Marriage Should Honor and Glorify God”
Read 1Peter 3:1-7…
1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
3 Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

“In the same way” (1Peter 3:1, 7). This is referencing what we studied last week (1Peter 2:13-17), that Christians are to be subject to every authority instituted among men, i.e., local and national civil authority; also (1Peter 3:18-20) we are to be subject to those over us in the work place, i.e., employers, supervisors, etc.

1Peter 2:13-17
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

1Peter 3:18-20
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,
20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

See Ephesians 5:22-33…
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are members of His body.
31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.
32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

The Bible teaches that the husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head the church, which is His own body. Wives should always put their husbands first, just as the church puts Christ first, and husbands are to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave His own life for her.

Marriage is to be honored above all human relationships, because the foundation of marriage was ordained and established by God at the very beginning of creation.

The relationship between a husband and wife is symbolic of the relationship each Christian has with God through Christ; and just as Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, a husband is to be the head of his wife (Ephesians 5:28-30).

Ephesians 5:28-30
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are members of His body.

Ephesians 5:31
31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.

In verse 31 Paul quotes Genesis 2:24,

Genesis 2:24
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

And then Ephesians 5:32-33 he says,
32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Mark 10:6-9,
6 But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.
7 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,
8 AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Hebrews 13:4,
4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

God determined that a marriage is made up of one man and one woman who are committed faithfully to one another; and anyone who defiles that relationship should be punished. Let’s look at an example:

1Corinthians 5:1-5,
1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Corinthians 5:9-13,
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler–not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Christian marriage is meant to be a beautiful example of the fellowship and unity that exists between the Father and the Son, the Son and His Church, and the Husband and his Wife (1Corinthians 11:3).

1Corinthians 11:3
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

In the NT times, outside of the Christian community, women weren’t treated with much respect; in fact, they were considered to be about equal to servants. According to the earliest available Hebrew prayer books, many “devout” Jewish men would pray each morning, “God, thank you that I am not a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” How arrogant, prideful, unbiblical, and unloving that prayer is.

The truth is, in Christ, in the Church, God’s people are equal in all respects concerning salvation, worth, giftedness, and inheritance (Galatians 3:26-28).

Galatians 3:26-28
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And yet, the Word of God demands that wives be treated with honor and respect. Yes, wives are to voluntarily align or rank themselves under their husband’s leadership; but this is done not because the husband is somehow more intelligent or skilled than the wife, this is done because God commands it and because the order of creation itself demands it.

1Timothy 2:13,
13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

God’s instructions were given to Adam, not to Eve (Genesis 2:16-18).

Genesis 2:16-18
16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:21-24
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Read 1Peter 3:1-2…
1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

Peter doesn’t tell the believing wife to leave her unsaved husband, nor is she told to preach at him; but instead, her behavior is to serve as an example of Christ in that marriage, so that maybe her husband will come to a saving knowledge of
Christ.

Read 1Peter 3:3-6…
3 Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

It is the woman’s inner beauty, her willful submission in respecting her husband, her modesty (in that she is not preoccupied with outward looks to the detriment of her inward character, and then there is also her gentle and quiet spirit, which is not only a witness to her husband, but is highly valued by God.

Peter references the godly adornment (inner beauty) of certain OT women, e.g., Sarah, who was submissive to her husband Abraham, trusting in his leadership. Sarah serves as the model of a godly woman who showed respect toward her husband Abraham’s headship.

All true believers are children of Abraham by faith.

Romans 4:3,
3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Romans 4:9,
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Romans 4:16-18
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”

Galatians 3:29
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

In the same way, all believing women who follow Sarah’s example of submission are called her “daughters” if they “do what is right and do not give in to fear.” What does that mean? Well, our society pressures women into rejecting their god given roles as mothers and rejecting their husband’s role as head of the family; however, God’s Word exhorts Christian wives to “do what is right,” to respect their husband while exhibiting a gentle and quiet spirit, in order to be a witness to him for Christ, and an example to others of what pleases God.

Read 1Peter 3:7…
7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Peter now turns his attention to a Christian husband’s responsibility before God, to be understanding concerning his wife’s deepest needs, i.e., physical, emotional, spiritual and relational; whether she is a believer or an unbeliever the husband is to be actively and genuinely sensitive toward her, caring for, respecting and cherishing her.

A Christian husband is to be chivalrous toward his wife, notice I did not say chauvinistic or misogynistic, but chivalrous [courteous, respectful, heroic]. God, through Peter, says that the wife, since she is a woman, is considered to be the weaker partner, speaking about physical strength.

The simple truth of biology and anatomy is that for the most part, mean are usually stronger than women; and therefore, a Christian husband is to serve as both provider and protector for his wife; but I would highly suggest to you husbands that, if your wife has a black belt in karate, and you are feeling puny or physically indisposed when you and your wife are attacked, let her deal with the bad guys while you dial 911.

Peter says a husband is to cultivate a sincere and genuine companionship with his wife, and he is to honor her as a fellow heir of God’s wonderful grace of life, marriage, and family.

A Christian husband is to love and respect his own wife; if he does not, his prayers may very well be hindered; and since his prayers would most likely include appeals for her salvation, if she is an unbeliever, it is very important that he obey God’s exhortation in this, so that he and his wife might know God’s blessings.

A Christian husband is to be generous and gracious, as he loves and cherishes his wife. He is to put aside his own wants, needs, and comforts if that is what is required to meet her needs. A husband who loves his wife “as Christ loved the church” will find that his wife has a much easier time respectfully submitting to his leadership, if he earnestly treats her with love, kindness, and respect.

God wrote the manual on marriage. He commands husbands to love their wives, and wives to respect their husbands. When husbands and wives walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, yielding to the authority of the Word of God — not only will they experience God’s love, joy, peace, and happiness; but their children will be blessed, God’s church will be strengthened, and God will receive the glory, honor, praise and worship, that He alone deserves.

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Peter 2:18-25 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1Peter |

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March 7th, 2021
1Peter 2:18-25
“Serving the One Who Died for Us ”
Read 1Peter 2:16-17
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

As Christians, we are free from the sin’s condemnation, i.e., we are free from the judgment that will come upon the unbelieving world, all those who reject God’s Son.

Romans 6:22-23
“Having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are bondslaves of God, and we live to please God, to honor those who are made in God’s image (all humankind). We are to love the brotherhood, our fellow Christians (see 1Peter 1:22-23).

1Peter 1:22-23
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1John 5:1-2
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.”

As Christians, we are to fear God (reverence, respect, and trust); and we are to honor the king, for he is God’s agent for fulfilling the purpose of human government (see Romans 13:1-7).

Romans 13:1-7
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Read 1Peter 2:18-21
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

Slaves [subordinates, workers, employees] are to serve their masters [supervisors, employers] obediently and respectfully, just as if serving Christ.

Notice (1Peter 2:18), this command is not limited to those who have kind, good, gentle, and trustworthy masters, but also to those who have mean, even unreasonable [dishonest or crooked] masters; the Greek word used here is skolios, from which the medical term scoliosis [twisted/crooked spine] is derived.

Anytime we find ourselves in subordination to someone, we are to serve as if serving Christ; the reason being, He is our example and we are to follow in His steps

(1John 2:6),
“the one who says he [lives] in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He [Jesus] walked.”

We are to serve wholeheartedly, as if serving the Lord.

Ephesians 6:5,
“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ.”

Colossians 3:23,
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

God wants us to do our best, in whatever situation we may find ourselves, whether serving under, over, or alongside other believers or unbelievers.

1Peter 2:12
“Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

1Peter 2:15-16
“For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”

At the time 1Peter was written there were millions of slaves; they were a very necessary and normal part of everyday life. There are many ways a person might have become a slave: as a prisoner of war, as one owing a debt, as one born to a slave, as one who voluntarily becomes a slave, or one who stays a slave even though given his freedom.

In God’s Church, we are all equal and there is to be no partiality or favoritism shown in regard to a person’s demographics, education, wealth, etc., for everyone in God’s family is equal in salvation, inheritance, and worth.

Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

What is important is who we are in Christ and that we live our lives to please God, not the role we have been given or the situation we find ourselves in .

Colossians 3:17
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father,”

Colossians 4:1
“Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven,“

Ephesians 5:15-18
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”

Ephesians 5:20-21
“always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (out of reverence, respect, and trust in Christ).”

In whatever capacity you serve, whether under, over, or alongside others, you are to serve wholeheartedly, as if serving the Lord, confident that He will provide all you need to accomplish what He requires of you.

Philippians 4:12-13
“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,”

Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Our greatest enemy is not our depraved culture or those who have authority over us, neither is it unbelievers who seem to be bent on making our lives more miserable; our battle is ultimately not against people, but against the devil, our own flesh and the godless system of this world that opposes God.

Satan is God’s greatest enemy, for he is the god of this world and therefore, the ultimate enemy of God’s people. Satan wants to confuse and separate us, in order to destroy our witness for Christ; and he uses the cravings of the flesh and temptations of sin in order to do that.

Jesus died (physically, temporarily) so that we might live (spiritually, eternally); He came to save us from an eternal punishment, allowing us to overcome the world, sin, death, and hell through Jesus Christ (1John 5:5, 11-12),

1John 5:5,
“Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

1John 5:11-12
“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

2Corinthians 5:21
“He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Read 1Peter 2:22-25
22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Jesus loves us so much that He took upon Himself our penalty, suffering in our place, allowing His own blood to be shed, so that we might receive forgiveness.

Romans 3:23-24
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No wonder Acts 4:12 says,
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father accept through Him. He paid the highest price (His own life); suffered the most brutal death (crucifixion); and experienced the greatest pain (separation from the Father), when He took upon Himself God’s punishment for sin, so that we might be justified through His once for all sacrifice for all sin.

Romans 3:10-12
“There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”

Romans 5:8,
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

When John the Baptizer saw Jesus approaching him at the Jordan River

(John 1:29) he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus’ death was God’s ultimate expression of love for us, bringing eternal spiritual healing from sin, and we will also receive eternal physical healing, but not until we go to be with the Lord.”

Revelation 21:4
“and He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

1Peter 2:25
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Believers and followers of Christ [Christians] are members of Christ’s Body, we are children of God and members of God’s family; we are also like sheep who have been brought back under the loving care of their Shepherd, the One who guards, protects, and provides for us.

God the Son [Jesus Christ] was submissive to God the Father while on He was on this earth. Jesus, although equal to the Father, submitted Himself to Him for the Glory of God. How much more then, should we humble ourselves under the Lordship of Christ, as we serve God here on earth.

Philippians 2:5-8,
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Hebrews 9:11-12,
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:26b-28,
“He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Hebrews 10:14,
“For by one offering He [made perfect] for all time those who are sanctified.”

Hebrews 10:16b-18,
“‘I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,’ He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

As Christians, God’s people, we have been forgiven all our sins (past, present, future) and we have been made holy and righteous through the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior.

1Peter 2:9-12
9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore, while we have life on this earth we are to serve God in accordance with what His revealed Word teaches us, no matter who we may be serving under, over, or alongside of, whether they are trustworthy or they are corrupt, we are to serve wherever God places us, as if we are serving the Lord Himself, for He is our Master in Heaven and it is to Him that we must give an account!

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: 1Peter 2:11-17 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1Peter |

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February 28th, 2021
1Peter 2:11-17
“God’s People Serve God Alone!”
 

Read 1Peter 2:11-12…
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

God gave us (through Christ), all we need, to know and to serve Him, now and forever, and also to enjoy our life as aliens and strangers in this world. We are not to partner with the world’s philosophies and practices.

God has provided His eternal and sovereign Word to everyone who believes and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What do the Scriptures say?

Romans 3:23-24,
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:23,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9-10,
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13,
“for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

The world we live in is rapidly throwing off moral restraints and putting away what it calls old fashioned, out-of-date, traditional values, especially any morals or values that are rooted in the Word of God concerning gender, marriage and sexual behavior. Why is that?

1Corinthians 1:18,
“The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1Corinthians 2:14,
“But a natural man [without the Spirit of God] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God [God’s Word], for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised [discerned].”

Matthew 7:13-14,
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew 7:21-23,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

So, you see why Jesus commands us, “Enter through the narrow gate” [that being God’s Son]. The reason that only a few find the narrow gate [Jesus Christ], is because only a few are willing to trust in Christ, and Him alone, for salvation.

John 3:36,
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 8:24,
“Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, ‘you will die in your sins; unless you believe that I am He [Messiah, God’s Son, Savior], you will die in your sins.’”

Jesus claimed (John 10:30; 11:25-26; 14:6-7), to be the only way to, the only truth of, and the only life from God; there is no other way to receive forgiveness for sin, eternal life, and an intimate relationship with God.

John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.””

John 11:25-26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?””

John 14:6-7
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.””

There is a wide road of belief and behavior that presumes to lead to heaven; don’t be deceived by it! When you trust in Christ you make a spiritual and willful decision about sin, self, and God; this total change in purpose and authority begins with repentance [turning away from your old way of living [without Christ] and turning toward your new way of living [through Christ].

Ephesians 4:22-24,
“In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Read 1Peter 2:13-16…
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”

Christians are new creations in Christ (cf. 2Corinthians 5:17), for we have been purchased and purposed, we are eternally protected by Almighty God, so that we might know, honor, and serve Him, with our whole lives.

2Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Jesus Christ is our example and authority, we must turn from all that is bad according to God’s standard (the Bible); no matter how politically correct or culturally acceptable SIN may become, we are to honor and obey God, first and foremost.

We must fortify our minds and control our bodies with the Word of God as our authority and our shield.. We must (cf. Romans 12:9) hate what is evil (by God’s standard) and cling to what is good (by God’s standard)!

Romans 12:9
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”

1Peter 2:17,
“Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

God is the ultimate judge, not the Pope, not the Supreme Court, not the President, nor any other form of authority, for God’s people will seek to please God above everything and everyone.

Titus 3:1-2,
“Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”

Romans 13:1,
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

Romans 13:7,
“Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

The leaders of Israel were continually at odds with Jesus; in fact, in Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees plotted together with the Herodians [Hellenistic Jews], to try and trap Jesus in His words against Rome by asking Him,

Matthew 22:15-22
“‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, ‘Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.’ And they brought Him a denarius. He asked them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They answered, ‘Caesar’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’ And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.”

All authority comes from God, whether it be civil or religious; and therfore we must always obey God’s Word above any law or authority placed over us.

In Matthew 23 Jesus confronted the religious/governmental leaders of Israel; it is a masterpiece of rebuke, in which He calls them “hypocrites,” “sons of hell,” “whitewashed tombs,” “blind guides,” “brood of vipers!”

In Acts 4:18, Peter and John are called before the Council [Sanhedrin, Supreme Court of Israel] and they are commanded “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” They were then threatened and let go. Did they stop proclaiming Christ? Absolutely not!

Acts 4:18,
“And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus”

It is recorded that because the apostles continued to preach Jesus, the high priest sent for the captain of the temple guard, ordering him to bring Peter and the other apostles before the Sanhedrin (see Acts 5:27-42).

Acts 5:27-42
” 27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Gamaliel’s Counsel
33 But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”
40 They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

So, the apostles were ordered not to speak in Jesus’ name anymore, and what was their response (Acts 5:29-32),

Acts 5:29-32
““We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ”

What can we learn from the apostles’ experience?

1. We should disobey civil laws only when it is absolutely necessary, i.e., when we are commanded to do what the Word of God forbids, or when we are forbidden to do what the Word of God commands.

2. We should try to peacefully resolve any conflict that arises between God’s Word and civil law; but when there is no acceptable resolution to the problem, we must be willing to suffer for our disobedience to civil law.

3. We are to obey and honor God, to do what is right according to His Word, and that may not always line up with what is acceptable in our culture, or made lawful by our government; but God’s Word has supremacy.

Romans 8:28-39,
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s people, as law-abiding citizens, are to willfully submit to the authorities who govern us; in fact, we ought to set an example for others to follow.

Romans 12:18,
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Romans 13:8,
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

Jesus said (Matthew 7:12),
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

So, in summing up today’s lesson, let me be very clear, if the laws of our county, state, or federal government demand that we violate the clear and revealed teachings of the Word of God,

(Acts 5:29).
“We must obey God rather than men”

Colossians 3:17,
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:23-24,
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that…

…It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><