Easter

Throwback Thursday ~ The Daily Wonder of Easter

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of being a contributing writer at Satisfaction Through Christ. This article was originally published at STC on April 1, 2014.

“What should I preach about on Easter Sunday? Help me out, here.โ€

Thatโ€™s the gist of a tweet I saw recently from a pastor. It caught me quite off guard, and it must have had the same effect on many others who punctuated their excellent advice โ€“โ€œpreach the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for our sinsโ€- with lots of โ€œduhโ€™sโ€ and other indications that this should be a no-brainer for a Christian pastor.

Traditionally, the prevailing line of thought about Easter (and Christmas) services has always been, โ€œThis is one of the two times a year that a lot of lost people go to church. It might be our only chance to reach some of them. Letโ€™s make sure we give them the gospel.โ€ Maybe after so many years of that, some pastors feel that their church members have heard it all before and they need to move on to something else in order to keep peopleโ€™s attention. Sometimes, as a pastor, itโ€™s tough to know just what to do to best reach people for Christ.

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But, see, the thing is, Christians never move past our need for hearing the gospel again and again. Young or old. Newly saved or seasoned saint.

We need the gospel.

We need it because we forget. We forget that we are great sinners in need of a great Savior. We forget to slow down and pour out our gratitude and worship for the sacrifice of our beautiful Savior. We forget to bask in our wonder, our amazement, at His glorious and triumphant resurrection.

As Christians, every day our sin sick souls need to bow at the cross and be washed afresh in the precious, atoning blood of Christ. What can wash away my sin? Nothing โ€“nothing– but the blood of Jesus. Daily, we must approach the tomb, see the massive stone rolled away and shout with joy over its emptiness. Hallelujah! Death has lost its victory and the grave has been denied! The very reason we worship on Sunday instead of Saturday is the celebration of an empty tomb. Every Sunday is Easter Sunday.

Remember, and rejoice!

Wednesday's Word

Wednesday’s Word ~ Romans 5

ro 5 8

 

Romans 5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,ย weย have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.ย 2ย Through him we have alsoย obtained access by faithย into this graceย in which we stand, andย weย rejoiceย in hope of the glory of God.ย 3ย Not only that, but weย rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferingย produces endurance,ย 4ย and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,ย 5ย andย hope does not put us to shame, because God’s loveย has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6ย Forย while we were still weak, at the right timeย Christ died for the ungodly.ย 7ย For one will scarcely die for a righteous personโ€”though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to dieโ€”ย 8ย butย God shows his love for us in thatย while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.ย 9ย Since, therefore,ย we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him fromย the wrath of God.ย 10ย For ifย while we were enemiesย we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved byย his life.ย 11ย More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now receivedย reconciliation.

12ย Therefore, just asย sin came into the world through one man, andย death through sin, andย so death spread to all menย becauseย all sinnedโ€”ย 13ย for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, butย sin is not counted where there is no law.ย 14ย Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was notย like the transgression of Adam,ย who was a type ofย the one who was to come.

15ย But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded forย many.16ย And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. Forย the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses broughtย justification.ย 17ย For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousnessย reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18ย Therefore, as one trespassย led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousnessย leads to justification and life forย all men.ย 19ย For as by the one man’sย disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’sย obedience the many will be made righteous.ย 20ย Nowย the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased,ย grace abounded all the more,ย 21ย so that,ย as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright ยฉ 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.


 

Questions to Consider:

1. To whom is Paul speaking in this chapter? Christians? Non-Christians?

2. According to verses 3-5, for what reasons should we rejoice in times of suffering?

3. What kind of people did Christ die for? (6-8) What do these verses say to the person who thinks she has to get her life cleaned up before coming to Christ? Would you be willing to die for a good person? What about someone who has sinned against you as much as you have sinned against Christ?

4. Verse 12 says that sin entered into the world through one man. Who was that one man, and how did he cause sin to enter the world?

5. This chapter talks a lot about justification and reconciliation. Re-read the verses that mention these words. What does it mean to be justified before God? What does it mean to be reconciled to God? Whose actions justify and reconcile us, and what were those actions?

Church, New Testament, Sunday School

The Last Supper~The Lord’s Supper ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 11-16-14

Last Supper

These are my notes from my ladiesโ€™ Sunday School class this morning. Iโ€™ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Through the Bible in 2014 ~ Week 46 ~ Nov. 9-15
Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 13-21
The Last Supper ~ The Lord’s Supper

Last week we took a look at the last act of Jesus’ public ministry, the woes to the Pharisees. Today, we’re studying the last act of His private ministry to His disciples–the Last Supper, and with it, the institution of the Lord’s Supper for the church.

Mark 14:12-16
It was time for the annual celebration of Passover. As you will recall, the Passover pointed to Christ and was fulfilled in Christ. As the Passover celebrated God’s people being released from the bondage of slavery to Egypt, the Lord’s Supper celebrates Jesus releasing the Christian from bondage to the slavery of sin. As the Passover lamb was slaughtered and the blood applied to the wooden doorposts so death would not come to that house, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slaughtered and bled on a wooden cross, so that if His blood is applied over the doors of our hearts, we will not suffer eternal death.

That’s why, as Christians, we now observe the Lord’s Supper instead of the Passover. For us, the Passover has been fulfilled in Christ. But for the disciples, on that night, it had not yet been fulfilled. So they began by celebrating the last Passover and ended by observing the first Lord’s Supper. It was a bridge between the old covenant and the new.

Peter and John (they’re mentioned by name in Luke 22:8) went into town, found the man whose house they were to use, and began to prepare the Passover meal. From the notes on verse 12 in my MacArthur Study Bible*:

After the lamb was slaughtered and some of its blood sprinkled on the altar, the lamb was taken home, roasted whole, and eaten in the evening meal with unleavened bread, bitter herbs, charoseth (a paste made of crushed apples, dates, pomegranates, and nuts, into which they dipped bread), and wine.

Luke 22:14-20
The end of the Passover (14-18)
This passage begins with the last Passover. Jesus will not partake of the Passover again until Heaven, after His death, burial, and resurrection have fulfilled it. Here, Jesus brings the old (Law) covenant and Passover to a close. For the last time, the first of the four cups of Passover, the cup of thanksgiving, is passed around. It is an appropriate time for the disciples to look back and give thanks to God for His good Law, and His love, kindness, care, and patience with His covenant people. It is also a time to look forward and give thanks -although the disciples don’t yet understand it- for the sacrifice Christ is about to make to atone, not only for their sin, but for the sin of all those who will come to trust in Him.

A New Meal (19-20)
With the breaking and blessing of the bread, a new ordinance is born for the church, the Lord’s Supper. The bread represents Christ’s body. (It does not actually or materially become Christ’s literal flesh, and the wine does not become His literal blood, as the false teaching of transubstantiation posits. Christ’s words are a metaphor, the same as when He said, “I am the door,” or “I am the bread that comes down from Heaven.”) He breaks it, as his physical body will soon be broken. He breaks it for his disciples, as his physical body will be broken for all future disciples. He gives the broken bread to His disciples -they did not take it themselves or earn it- as Christ gives life to Christians without any work on our part to earn or merit it.

In verse 20, Jesus likewise gave His disciples what had been the third cup of Passover, the cup of blessing. And what a blessing it was! Christ’s blood, shed for the remission of our sins. It represented the new covenant of grace– trusting in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as payment for our sin for right standing with God, rather than looking ahead to Messiah with the keeping of ceremonial Law.

1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Flash forward a couple of decades from the upper room to the church at Corinth. This church had allowed sin to corrupt their observance of the Lord’s Supper so much that Paul said (20) could no longer rightfully be considered “the Lord’s” supper. In verses 23-34, he sets about to instruct them on the proper way to come to the Lord’s table. Because this is an instruction to the church, we also draw upon this passage to learn how we should conduct the Lord’s Supper today.

A few implicit things to understand
First Corinthians is a letter to the church at Corinth. The church consisted of baptized Believers. Paul was not instructing lost people on receiving the Lord’s Supper. Lost people partaking in the Lord’s Supper would not have made any sense (then or now) because it was the celebration of the new covenant between God and His new covenant people, Christians. Lost people are not part of that new covenant. Their participation in the Lord’s Supper is sort of like an unmarried man and woman hooking up and having sex versus a man and woman getting married and then celebrating and consumating their marriage covenant by having sex.

The Lord’s Supper is not a lucky charm or magic wand that takes care of spiritual problems. Partaking of the bread and wine (or juice) will not save anyone who is unsaved. It is also not some sort of spiritual “booster shot” that imparts righteousness, grace, forgiveness, or holiness to the person who partakes, nor does it somehow supernaturally protect a person from demons or life’s negative circumstances. Neither does it prove that a person who claims to be a Christian is actually saved. It is simply an outward celebration of salvation by those who have already been saved.

Because the Lord’s Supper is a church ordinance, it is to be celebrated by the gathered body of the church (not at home {unless the church is meeting in a home} or somewhere else by individuals, families, groups of friends, etc.) and presided over by the pastor and elders or deacons of the church. Since it is not salvific and does not impart any kind of spiritual “good luck” there is no need to partake of it outside the meeting of the church body. It is a church celebration.

23-26– Paul sums up the gospels’ accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper by Jesus, relating that it commemorates Christ’s death for His people, and reminding us that it is a celebration of the new covenant of God with Believers through Jesus. He also says that when we, as a body of Believers, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, it is a picture of the gospel to the lost, so that they might come to know Christ as Savior.

27-32– We are not to underestimate the seriousness and solemnity of the Lord’s Supper. Once again, I think the notes on these verses in my study Bible* say it better than I could:

“In an unworthy manner” means ritualistically, indifferently, with an unrepentant heart, a spirit of bitterness, or any other ungodly attitude.

To come to the Lord’s Table clinging to one’s sin does not only dishonor the ceremony, but it also dishonors His body and blood, treating lightly the gracious sacrifice of Christ for us. It is necessary to set all sin before the Lord, then partake, so as not to mock the sacrifice for sin by holding on to it…

When believers do not properly judge the holiness of the celebration of Communion, they treat with indifference the Lord Himself- His life, suffering, and death…The offense was so serious that God put the worst offenders to death, an extreme but effective form of church purification. (Keep in mind, these are Believers, not lost people, we’re talking about, here.)

Believers are kept from being consigned to hell, not only by divine decree, but by divine intervention. The Lord chastens to drive His people back to righteous behavior and even sends death to some in the church to remove them before they could fall away.

The Lord’s Supper is a big deal. We are not to be flippant about it. Christians are to approach His table in reverence, awe, and gratitude for the extreme sacrifice God made through Christ to rescue us from hell. While it is not for unbelievers to participate in, it is a beautiful picture of the gospel to them, and a reminder to us -as individuals and the body of Christ- of just how much our sin and reconciliation to God cost Jesus. As often as we do it, let’s do it in remembrance of Him.


*Quotes taken from The MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, Crossway Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 2010.

Bible, Gospel, Salvation

Sunday School Lesson ~ 10-20-13

sunday school

These are the notes from my ladiesโ€™ Sunday School class this morning. Iโ€™ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. They will be in outline form, so if you have any questions, need more details, or have a suggestion for a topic of study, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Click here for the 10-6-13 lesson.

What is salvation? What is the gospel? (Contโ€™d)

ย We have spent several weeks looking at the “whys” and “wherefores” of salvation. Today, we’re simply reading the account of the “Who” and the “how”.

John 18:13-24- Trial before Ex- High Priest Annas (2:00 a.m.)

13ย First theyย led him toย Annas, for he was the father-in-law ofย Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.ย 14ย It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewsย that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15ย Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,16ย but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.ย 17ย The servant girl at the door said to Peter, โ€œYou also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?โ€ He said, โ€œI am not.โ€ย 18ย Now the servantsย and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves.ย Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19ย The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.ย 20ย Jesus answered him,ย โ€œI have spokenย openlyย to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together.ย I have said nothing in secret.ย 21ย Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.โ€ย 22ย When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying,ย โ€œIs that how you answer the high priest?โ€ย 23ย Jesus answered him,ย โ€œIf what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?โ€ย 24ย Annas then sent him bound toย Caiaphas the high priest.

Mark 14:53-72- Trial before High Priest Caiaphas (3:30 a.m.)

Jesus Before the Council

53ย Andย they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.54ย Andย Peter had followed him at a distance,ย right intoย the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting withย the guards andย warming himself at the fire.ย 55ย Now the chief priests and the whole councilย were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.56ย For many bore false witness against him, but their testimonyย did not agree.ย 57ย And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying,ย 58ย โ€œWe heard him say,ย โ€˜I will destroy this templeย that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another,ย not made with hands.โ€™โ€59ย Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.60ย And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, โ€œHave you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?โ€ย 61ย Butย he remained silent and made no answer.ย Again the high priest asked him, โ€œAre you the Christ, the Son ofย the Blessed?โ€ย 62ย And Jesus said,ย โ€œI am, andย you will see the Son of Manย seated at the right hand of Power, andย coming with the clouds of heaven.โ€63ย And the high priestย tore his garments and said, โ€œWhat further witnesses do we need?ย 64ย You have heardย his blasphemy. What is your decision?โ€ And theyย all condemned him asย deserving death.ย 65ย And some beganย to spit on him andย to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, โ€œProphesy!โ€ And the guards received himย with blows.

Peter Denies Jesus

66ย And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came,ย 67ย and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, โ€œYou also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.โ€ย 68ย But he denied it, saying, โ€œI neither know nor understand what you mean.โ€ And he went out into the gatewayย andย the rooster crowed.69ย And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, โ€œThis man is one of them.โ€ย 70ย But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, โ€œCertainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.โ€ย 71ย But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, โ€œI do not know this man of whom you speak.โ€72ย And immediately the rooster crowedย a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him,ย โ€œBefore the rooster crows twice, you willย deny me three times.โ€ย And he broke down and wept.

Luke 22:66-71- Trial before the Sanhedrin (6:00 a.m.)

Jesus Before the Council

66ย When day came,ย the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to theirย council, and theyย said,ย 67ย โ€œIf you areย the Christ, tell us.โ€ But he said to them,ย โ€œIf I tell you, you will not believe,ย 68ย and if I ask you, you will not answer.ย 69ย But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.โ€ย 70ย So they all said, โ€œAre youย the Son of God, then?โ€ And he said to them,ย โ€œYou say that I am.โ€ย 71ย Then they said, โ€œWhat further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.โ€

Matthew 27:3-10

3ย Then whenย Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesusย was condemned,ย he changed his mind and brought backย the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,4ย saying, โ€œI have sinned by betraying innocent blood.โ€ They said, โ€œWhat is that to us?ย See to it yourself.โ€ย 5ย And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple,ย he departed, and he went and hanged himself.ย 6ย But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, โ€œIt is not lawful to put them intoย the treasury, since it is blood money.โ€ย 7ย So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.ย 8ย Thereforeย that field has been called the Field of Bloodย to this day.ย 9ย Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying,ย โ€œAnd they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,ย 10ย and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.โ€

John 18:28-38- Trial before Pilate (6:30 a.m.)

Jesus Before Pilate

28ย Then they led Jesusย from the house of Caiaphas toย the governor’s headquarters.ย It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters,ย so that they would not be defiled,ย but could eat the Passover.29ย So Pilate went outside to them and said, โ€œWhat accusation do you bring against this man?โ€ย 30ย They answered him, โ€œIf this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.โ€ย 31ย Pilate said to them, โ€œTake him yourselves and judge him by your own law.โ€ The Jews said to him, โ€œIt is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.โ€ย 32ย This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spokenย to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33ย So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him,ย โ€œAre you the King of the Jews?โ€34ย Jesus answered,ย โ€œDo you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?โ€ย 35ย Pilate answered, โ€œAm I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?โ€ย 36ย Jesus answered,ย โ€œMy kingdomย is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world,ย my servants would have been fighting, thatย I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.โ€ย 37ย Then Pilate said to him, โ€œSo you are a king?โ€ Jesus answered,ย โ€œYou say that I am a king.ย For this purpose I was born and for this purposeย I have come into the worldโ€”to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who isย of the truthย listens to my voice.โ€ย 38ย Pilate said to him, โ€œWhat is truth?โ€

After he had said this,ย he went back outside to the Jews and told them,ย โ€œI find no guilt in him.

Luke 23:5-17- Trial before Herod (7:00 a.m.)

5ย But they were urgent, saying, โ€œHe stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.โ€

Jesus Before Herod

6ย When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.ย 7ย And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.ย 8ย When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad,ย for he had long desired to see him,ย because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.ย 9ย So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.ย 10ย The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.ย 11ย And Herod with his soldiersย treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then,ย arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.ย 12ย Andย Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13ย Pilate then called together the chief priests andย the rulers and the people,ย 14ย and said to them, โ€œYou brought me this manย as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, Iย did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.ย 15ย Neither did Herod, forย he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.ย 16ย I will therefore punish and release him.โ€

Mark 15:6-15a- Second trial before Pilate (7:30 a.m.)

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

6ย Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.ย 7ย And among the rebels in prison, who hadย committed murderย in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.ย 8ย And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.9ย And he answered them, saying, โ€œDo you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?โ€ย 10ย For he perceived thatย it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.ย 11ย But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.ย 12ย And Pilate again said to them, โ€œThen what shall I do withย the man you call the King of the Jews?โ€ย 13ย And they cried out again, โ€œCrucify him.โ€ย 14ย And Pilate said to them, โ€œWhy,ย what evil has he done?โ€ But they shouted all the more, โ€œCrucify him.โ€15ย So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas,

John 19:1-16

Then Pilate took Jesus andย flogged him.ย 2ย And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.ย 3ย They came up to him, saying, โ€œHail, King of the Jews!โ€ and struck him with their hands.ย 4ย Pilate went out again and said to them, โ€œSee, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.โ€ย 5ย So Jesus came out, wearingย the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, โ€œBehold the man!โ€ย 6ย When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, โ€œCrucify him, crucify him!โ€ Pilate said to them,ย โ€œTake him yourselves and crucify him, forย I find no guilt in him.โ€ย 7ย The Jewsย answered him, โ€œWe have a law, andย according to that law he ought to die becauseย he has made himself the Son of God.โ€ย 8ย When Pilate heard this statement,ย he was even more afraid.ย 9ย He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus,ย โ€œWhere are you from?โ€ Butย Jesus gave him no answer.ย 10ย So Pilate said to him, โ€œYou will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?โ€11ย Jesus answered him,ย โ€œYou would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Thereforeย he who delivered me over to youย has the greater sin.โ€

12ย From then onย Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, โ€œIf you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend.ย Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.โ€ย 13ย So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down onย the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaicย Gabbatha.14ย Now it wasย the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.ย He said to the Jews,ย โ€œBehold your King!โ€ย 15ย They cried out,ย โ€œAway with him, away with him, crucify him!โ€ Pilate said to them, โ€œShall I crucify your King?โ€ The chief priests answered, โ€œWe have no king but Caesar.โ€ย 16ย So heย delivered him over to them to be crucified.

Mark 15:16-19 (6-9 a.m.)

Jesus Is Mocked

16ย And the soldiers led him away insideย the palace (that is,the governor’s headquarters),ย and they called together the wholeย battalion.ย 17ย And they clothed him inย a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.18ย And they began to salute him,ย โ€œHail, King of the Jews!โ€19ย And they were striking his head with a reed andย spitting on him andย kneeling down in homage to him.ย 20ย And when they hadย mocked him, they stripped him ofย the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And theyย led him out to crucify him.

Luke 23:26-33

The Crucifixion

26ย And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.ย 27ย And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who wereย mourning and lamenting for him.ย 28ย But turning to them Jesus said,ย โ€œDaughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.29ย For behold,ย the days are coming when they will say, โ€˜Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!โ€™ย 30ย Then they will begin to say to the mountains, โ€˜Fall on us,โ€™ and to the hills, โ€˜Cover us.โ€™ย 31ย Forย if they do these things whenย the wood is green, what will happenย when it is dry?โ€

32ย Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.ย 33ย And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals,ย one on his right and one on his left.

Luke 23:34a, 35-37, 39-43

34ย And Jesus said,ย โ€œFather,ย forgive them,ย for they know not what they do.โ€ย 35ย Andย the people stood by, watching,ย butย the rulersย scoffed at him, saying,ย โ€œHe saved others;ย let him save himself,ย if he isย the Christ of God,ย his Chosen One!โ€ย 36ย The soldiers also mocked him, coming up andย offering him sour wineย 37ย and saying,ย โ€œIf you areย the King of the Jews, save yourself!โ€ 39ย One of the criminals who were hangedย railed at him, saying, โ€œAre you notย the Christ? Save yourself and us!โ€40ย But the other rebuked him, saying, โ€œDo you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41ย And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.โ€ย 42ย And he said, โ€œJesus, remember meย when you come into your kingdom.โ€ย 43ย And he said to him,ย โ€œTruly, I say to you, today you will be with me inย Paradise.โ€

John 19:19-27 (9 a.m. โ€“ 12 p.m.)

Pilateย also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, โ€œJesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.โ€ย 20ย Many of the Jews read this inscription, forย the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.ย 21ย So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, โ€œDo not write, โ€˜The King of the Jews,โ€™ but rather, โ€˜This man said, I am King of the Jews.โ€™โ€ย 22ย Pilate answered,ย โ€œWhat I have written I have written.โ€

23ย When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.ย But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,ย 24ย so they said to one another, โ€œLet us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.โ€ย This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

โ€œThey divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.โ€

So the soldiers did these things,ย 25ย but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.ย 26ย When Jesus saw his mother andย the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother,ย โ€œWoman, behold, your son!โ€ย 27ย Then he said to the disciple,ย โ€œBehold, your mother!โ€ย And from that hour the disciple took her toย his own home.

Mark 15:33-35 (12-3 p.m.)

33ย And when the sixth hourย had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.ย 34ย And at the ninth hour Jesusย cried with a loud voice,ย โ€œEloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?โ€ย which means,ย โ€œMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?โ€ย 35ย And some of the bystanders hearing it said, โ€œBehold, he is calling Elijah.โ€ย 

John 19:28

28ย After this, Jesus, knowing that all was nowย finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture),ย โ€œI thirst.โ€ย 

Mark 15:36

36ย And someone ran and filled a sponge withย sour wine, put it on a reedย and gave it to him to drink, saying, โ€œWait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.โ€ย 

John 19:30

30ย When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said,ย โ€œIt is finished,โ€ย and he bowed his head andย gave up his spirit.

Luke 23:46

46ย Then Jesus,ย calling out with a loud voice, said,ย โ€œFather, into your hands Iย commit my spirit!โ€ย And having said this he breathed his last.

Matthew 27:51-56

51ย And behold,ย the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Andย the earth shook, and the rocks were split.ย 52ย The tombs also were opened. And many bodies ofย the saintsย who had fallen asleep were raised, 53ย and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went intoย the holy city and appeared to many.ย 54ย When the centurion and those who were with him,ย keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said,ย โ€œTruly this was the Sonย of God!โ€

55ย There were alsoย many women there, looking onย from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee,ย ministering to him,ย 56ย among whom wereย Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph andย the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

John 19:31-42 (3-6 p.m.)

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

31ย Since it wasย the day of Preparation, andย so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath wasย a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.ย 32ย So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the otherย who had been crucified with him.33ย But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.ย 34ย But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came outย blood and water.ย 35ย He who saw it has borne witnessโ€”his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truthโ€”that you also may believe.ย 36ย For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled:ย โ€œNot one of his bonesย will be broken.โ€ย 37ย And again another Scripture says,ย โ€œThey will look on him whom they have pierced.โ€

Jesus Is Buried

38ย After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretlyย for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.ย 39ย Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesusย by night, cameย bringing a mixture ofย myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five poundsย in weight.ย 40ย So they took the body of Jesus andย bound it inย linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.ย 41ย Now in the place where he was crucified there was aย garden, andย in the garden a new tombย in which no one had yet been laid.ย 42ย So because of the Jewishย day of Preparation,ย since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Matthew 27:60-66 (6 p.m. Friday โ€“ 6ย  p.m. Saturday)

andย [Joseph] laid [Jesusโ€™ body] in his own new tomb,ย which he had cut in the rock. And he rolledย a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.ย 61ย Mary Magdalene andย the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62ย The next day, that is, after the day ofย Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63ย and said, โ€œSir, we remember howย that impostor said, while he was still alive,ย โ€˜After three days I will rise.โ€™64ย Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day,ย lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, โ€˜He has risen from the dead,โ€™ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.โ€ย 65ย Pilate said to them, โ€œYou haveย a guardย of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.โ€ย 66ย So they went and made the tomb secure byย sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Mark 16:1-3

The Resurrection

When the Sabbath was past,ย Mary Magdalene,ย Mary the mother of James, andย Salomeย bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2ย And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.ย 3ย And they were saying to one another, โ€œWho will roll awayย the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?โ€

Matthew 28:2-4

2ย And behold, there was a great earthquake, forย an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.3ย His appearance was like lightning, andย his clothing white as snow.ย 4ย And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

John 20:1b-18

and [the women] saw thatย the stone had been taken away from the tomb.ย 2ย So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple,ย the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, โ€œThey have taken the Lord out of the tomb, andย we do not know where they have laid him.โ€ย 3ย So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.ย 4ย Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.ย 5ย And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.ย 6ย Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,ย 7ย andย the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ย head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.ย 8ย Then the other disciple,ย who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;ย 9ย for as yetย they did not understand the Scripture,ย that he must rise from the dead.ย 10ย Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11ย But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.ย 12ย Andย she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.ย 13ย They said to her,ย โ€œWoman, why are you weeping?โ€ She said to them, โ€œThey have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.โ€ย 14ย Having said this, she turned around andย saw Jesus standing,ย but she did not know that it was Jesus.ย 15ย Jesus said to her,ย โ€œWoman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?โ€ย Supposing him to beย the gardener, she said to him, โ€œSir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.โ€ย 16ย Jesus said to her,ย โ€œMary.โ€ย She turned and said to him in Aramaic,ย โ€œRabboni!โ€ (which means Teacher).ย 17ย Jesus said to her,ย โ€œDo not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go toย my brothers and say to them,ย โ€˜I am ascending to my Father and your Father, toย my God and your God.โ€™โ€ย 18ย Mary Magdaleneย went and announced to the disciples, โ€œI have seen the Lordโ€โ€”and that he had said these things to her.

Matthew 28:11-15

The Report of the Guard

11ย While they were going, behold, some ofย the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.ย 12ย And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiersย 13ย and said, โ€œTell people,ย โ€˜His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.โ€™ย 14ย And if this comes toย the governor’s ears, we willย satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.โ€ย 15ย So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jewsย to this day.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

3ย Forย I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ diedย for our sinsย in accordance with the Scriptures,ย 4ย that he was buried, that he was raisedย on the third dayย in accordance with the Scriptures,ย 5ย and that he appeared to Cephas, thenย to the twelve.ย 6ย Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.ย 7ย Then he appeared toย James, thenย to all the apostles.ย 8ย Last of all, as to one untimely born,ย he appeared also to me.ย 

http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/harmonycrucifixion.html

http://www.tektonics.org/harmonize/greenharmony.htm

Bible, Types and Shadows

In the Shadow of the Son

shadow son

Once, there was a father who sent his beloved son on a journey far away from home. The son was to seek out the fatherโ€™s other children who had been separated from the father for quite some time. Quite willingly, the son went.

But when the son arrived at his destination, he found that his brothers had strayed away from where they were supposed to be, seeking greener pastures. So the son went after them and found them. He met them right where they were.

His brothers saw their fatherโ€™s favored son coming for them. They hated him and everything he said and stood for because they knew he was to be in authority over them. It had been foretold. They conspired to kill him and bury him in a pit. Then, the prophecy of his authority over them would not come true.

The brothers stripped him of his robe and drenched it in the blood of an animal they had sacrificed for this purpose. They stripped him of his dignity, his favored status, and, if possible, his fatherโ€™s love and approval. It was an attempted coup to knock the prince off his throne.

When they were finished, they threw him into a pit that had never held another manโ€™s body. They sat down to eat, returning to life as usual.

But it wasnโ€™t enough. Revenge is a meal that never satiates.

The brothers determined to turn the favored son over to a rough pack of wealthy heathens. They wouldnโ€™t dirty their hands to kill him. Their brotherโ€™s life would rest in the hands of foreigners who had no part in their family line. And so the sonโ€™s fate was sealed.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation,ย who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
althoughย he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Isaiah 53:8-9

His closest brother sold him out for pieces of silver, for the price of a slave. Life, as he knew it, was over.

Later, another brother would peer into the pit to see what had become of him. โ€œHe is gone!โ€ the brother discovered to his great distress and sadness. Little did he know that the favored son had risen up out of the pit. He would rise in power to deliver the very brothers who had hated him and plotted his death, as well as myriads of others who didnโ€™t even know him.

Who was this favored son? He is the One who has taken away our reproach and added us as sons and daughters into Godโ€™s family. He is Joseph, the forefather. He is Jesus, the Son.

Based on Genesis 37.