EASTER
SUNDAY
Behold Those Living in Darkness
Have Seen a Great Light!
Matthew 27:11-54, 62-66; Matthew
28:1-10
I apologize
for sharing so many verses this morning but so much happened in such a short
space of time we did not even scratch the surface of everything happening the
last couple of days before Jesus’ crucifixion.
In verses 11-26, we see Jesus is before Pilate. Pilate is a governor of
the region that includes Jerusalem. He has the authority to make certain
decisions on his own. In this case, there was a way he could have released
Jesus. However, the chief priests and elders convinced the crowd to ask for the
release of Barabbas, a known killer, instead of Jesus. All the while Pilate’s
wife warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus; seemingly, the Lord had made
Pilate’s wife miserable so she told him to avoid dealing with Jesus any way he
could. Ultimately, Pilate asked for a basin of water and in front of everyone
symbolically washed his hands of any responsibility for what would happen to
Jesus. Tragically, the people there said Jesus’ blood would be on them and
their children. Can you imagine being willing to say to God, “We accept
responsibility for Jesus’ death”? That is what the people did. What a sad example
of allowing yourself to be deceived by Satan. This is an even worse example
than Adam and Eve eating the fruit they should not have eaten.
After all of
that, Pilate had Jesus flogged and then turned over to be crucified. We then
saw how some of Pilate’s soldiers threatened Jesus. In verses 27-31, we see the
horrific way the soldiers treated Jesus. They first stripped him and put a red
robe on him, not a purple robe that most often symbolizes royalty. Then they
made a crown of thorns and jammed it on Jesus’ head causing great pain and
bleeding to occur. Then they put a staff in his hand and mockingly knelt down
as if to worship a king, saying “Hail, King of Jews!” The soldiers then took
the staff from Jesus and started to hit him on the head over and over again,
driving the thorns deeper and deeper into his head. When they were done with
their fun, they put his clothes back on him and led him out to be crucified.
Now we come
to the crucifixion. In verses 32-44, it tells what happened on the way to
Golgotha where Jesus is to be crucified, as well as what happened when Jesus
was officially hanging on the cross. The gospels have slightly different
details about these events, but the results are the same. First, Jesus has been
so weakened by the beatings and abuse he has become too weak to carry his cross
all the way to where he is to be crucified, so they have a man by the name of
Simon carry the cross the final distance.
Once hanging
on the cross, Jesus was offered a mixture that was to reduce the pain of the
crucifixion but Jesus refused it. The soldiers then divided the only possession
Jesus had, his clothes. Next, they mockingly hung a sign over his head that
said, “The King of the Jews.” Those who had followed to watch the show then
hurled insults at Jesus telling him to save himself as he had he claimed to have
saved others. They continued by saying, “Let God rescue him if he wants him to
live.”
Next, we
read when Jesus died on the cross. Verses 45-54 tells of how things happened as
Jesus died on the cross. We are told from the 6th hour, which is noon, until
the 9th hour, which is of course 3 in the afternoon, there was
darkness over the land. I am sure this just was not a cloudy sky. It was as if
it were nighttime immediately before Jesus died on the cross.
Next, we see
Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Those who were
watching this all unfold did not know what Jesus was saying or what it meant.
They once again offered Jesus a drink on a sponge. Soon after Jesus cried out
one more time; the scripture says he then gave up his spirit. Jesus has died.
Immediately, the curtain that separates the average Jew from the most holy
place in the temple is torn by the hand of God from the top to the bottom. Even
some of those who had lived godly lives had their graves opened and came back
to life, giving a preview of what would happen in just a few days. The amazing
thing is the Roman guards who had been with Jesus throughout all of this
realized as they saw everything that had happened that Jesus truly was the Son
of God.
Moving on we
read in verses 62-66 what happened next. The chief priests knew what Jesus had
said earlier, that he would raise from the dead. The chief priests did not
believe this could happen but were afraid the disciples would steal his body to
make it look like Jesus had come back to life, so the Roman leadership said
they would have the guards make the tomb secure.
What an
incredible 24 hours we have looked at! I left out large major portions of what
happened, and yet, I hope you got a pretty clear picture of what Jesus went
through. This happened on Friday. Now a couple days have passed and it is
Sunday. We read in the first 10 verses of the 28th chapter of
Matthew. We see early Sunday morning the two Marys were compelled by their love
and sense of loss to go to Jesus’ tomb. When they got there, they were amazed
to find the stone that covered the front of the tomb had been rolled away. The
guards saw the angel who had rolled the stone away, and they were so afraid
they passed out as if dead. The women were greeted by the angel who told them,
“Jesus is not here. He has risen from the dead.” They were told, “Jesus is
going on ahead to Galilee. There you will see him.”
In spite of
everything they had heard Jesus say, I do not believe they thought they would
ever see Jesus again. Yet their lives and the lives of everyone who will
believe were changed forever. In shock, yet filled with joy, they headed out to
tell the disciples what they saw and what they had been told. Death could not
hold Jesus. The chief priests did not understand that when they mockingly said
to let God save Jesus, that is exactly what he would do. Not, however, until
Jesus accomplished what he came to earth to do. Your sins and mine were nailed
to that cross. Our sins died on that cross, never to be remembered again. That
is why believers around the world continue to celebrate Easter. When out of the
blue Jesus was there before them, they fell down at Jesus’ feet, probably from
both shock and to worship Jesus who is alive. Jesus then calms them and says,
“Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there I will see them.”
This
morning, Easter Sunday, we celebrate what happened 2000 years ago. Not because
of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us through Jesus
Christ. We celebrate the empty tomb. The Friday Jesus was crucified was the
darkest day in history, but Sunday came bringing the promise of abundant life
while we live on this earth and an even more abundant life when we are untied
with Jesus for eternity.
HALLELUJAH CHRIST IS RISEN!
Announcements
Sundays: Worship 10:00 Please social distance and
wear masks. We continue carrying our worship on facebook live. We are grateful
that it reaches many people in and beyond our congregation.
Bible Study every Tuesday 9:30
The adult Sunday School class will not be meeting until
further notice.
April 14 7:00 Executive Committee
If you would like to volunteer to mow the church yard this
year, please sign up on the sheet on the bulletin or call Stacie Warren.
Donation Box: Camp Emmanuel
Annual Conference, June 30 – July 4, is going to be virtual.
There will be business sessions, worship services, and insight sessions. Pastor
Larry will be our delegate.
Annual Conference will be discussing a new vision statement: “Together, as the Church of the Brethren, we will passionately live and share the radical transformation and holistic peace of Jesus Christ through relationship-based neighborhood engagement. To move us forward, we will develop a culture of calling and equipping disciples who are innovative, adaptable, and fearless.”
To keep up on
Church of the Brethren news:
Denomination:
www.brethren.org/news Sign up for
Newsline by clicking link on left side of page.
District:
iwdcob.org (click on newsletter link) and on facebook
Our pages:
cerrogordocob.com (printed sermon, announcements, & calendar) and on
facebook
Keep in Your Prayers
Terry Marvin; Larry
Albro; Mike McCleery; Tera Runyan; Holly Flenner; Carol & Mike
Seidenstricker; Tim and Betty Sue Laird; Carl & Wilma Cable; Sherry Wright;
Brittany Wright; Sonna Hall; Evelyn Eads; Anna Gentry Thompson; Arnold &
Marlene Schultz; Clyde and Nancy Fansler; Adiline Young; Kim Lehmann; Dylan
Junior; Doug Fansler; Liza Yore;
Candy Dobson; Anna Rose Larrick; Gary Jesse; Norm & Marge Starr; Shawn
Cain; Robert Cripe; Mayo & Darlene Hanaver; Zola Copeland and family; Patty
Cripe; Lauren Gross; Stacie Warren; Nancy Gorrell; many unspoken requests;
Coronavirus crisis; healthcare workers and first responders; the families of
the 545,000+ people who have died from COVID-19; all who are ill with the
virus; the unemployed; school teachers, staff, and students; District of IL/WI
search committee; nursing home residents; our nation’s government; the Nigerian
church; victims of violence
Military and Other Services and their families
Brethren
Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers
Our Mission Statement:
Love God, grow with
others, serve faithfully, reach the lost, find peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment