Just like any other day
Palestine: hot sun blazing forth
Nearing the walls...
Two men were sent ahead to follow
A man carrying a water pitcher
There was a strange change
In Jesus' demeanor...
An urgency in His ways...
The way He spoke...
The way he acted...
He broke the bread...differently
He drank the wine...differently
Jesus said:
"This very day I will be handed over
To evil men and put to death...
I will rise again in 3 days..."
The disciples asked: "What does this mean?"
They expected the new kingdom to be there
With Jesus as their King...
As they walked out they saw
People sharing passover
With their families...
Through Stephen's gate
To the Kedron Valley
To the garden of Gethsemane...
Jesus walked apart from them
Faced them with tears in His eyes
Fear in His eyes...
"Please come and pray with me
Just one hour..."
They made their excuses
"Too tired"...
Just like we do today...
Jesus was swaying back and forth
He could see the mockery of His trial
He could see the pain and the nails
He could feel the weight...
Of the world upon His shoulders...
That crushing weight...
In despair He cried out...
"Father, is there no other way?
Please take this cup from me...
Father..."
He heard voices coming
Went back to the disciples
He was kissed by Judas
Led back through the valley
By Anis was the High Priest
(Even though Caiaphas was
The official High Priest)
Jesus had brought deep jealousies
Into the hearts of the High Priests
Jesus called them hypocrites
In front of all the peasants
When He did His healing...
When he did His talking...
False witnesses were brought in
But they couldn't get the facts to line up
"I abjure thee by the living God
Tell us if thou be the son of the living God"
"It is as you say. Nevertheless I say unto you...
You shall see the son of man
Sitting on the right hand of God
And coming in the clouds..."
Jesus was condemned and taken
To the house of Pilate...
Keener anguish afflicted the heart of Jesus...
While Christ was undergoing His trial...
He had been denied by one of His disciples
Peter denied Him...
Pilate was peeved at being woken
At such an early hour...6 am
He said: "Who is this man?
Where is this king from Galilee?"
Jesus replied
"My kingdom is not of this world..."
Pilate bade them take Him to Herod's palace
"Let him judge Him"
Herod said: "Show me a miracle...I order you!"
Jesus would have been only too happy to...
To perform a miracle of healing...
But He refused...
The priests took Jesus back to Pilate
Saying Jesus was against Caesar
So Pilate had to do something...
Pilate's wife said
"Have nothing to do with this...
He is a just man..."
The crowd cried out
"Crucify him"
They brought out Barabbas
"Free one" he said
If he had saved Jesus
There would have been
A huge stumbling block
To the plan of salvation...
Pilate found no fault in Him
Sent him to be scourged...
Caiaphas said
"Let His death be upon our heads
And upon our children's heads"
A curse upon himself and his descendants
For over 3000 years...
A crown of thorns was pressed upon His head
His blood flowed...
They mocked Him, spat upon Him
Tied Him to the whipping stool
A huge Roman torturer came to do his job
Whipped Him 39 times...with violence...
There was blood...Jesus was praying...
Is this too graphic?
Every time we willingly sin...
We cause the whip to fall again...
Cause His pain all over again...
We, who come to church and sing and pray...
Then go home to sin again...
Jesus carried the cross to Gethsemane
Mary caressed her son
The road is called the Via Dela Rosa...
When he could no longer carry His cross
Simon was ordered to carry it for Him...
(He was ever grateful to be allowed
To take part in this great act...)
Golgotha
On a cross between two thieves
They drove nails into His hands...
Into those hands that had helped many
They drove nails into His feet...
Into those feet that had
Walked miles seeking the lost...
Jesus cried out to His Father...
As people walked away from Him
As people turned their backs on Him
Just as they do today...
"It is finished"
A huge earthquake across the city
Darkness settled in for hours...
People were running to and fro...
Just like they will be when He comes again...
2000 years further on...
What do we make of this?
What sort of security can Satan offer you?
Inadequate...
Jesus was sealed into a tomb
100 soldiers were on guard
During the night...
One angel appeared...
Rolled back the stone...
Jesus emerged...
From the tomb...
Victorious...
Every time we willingly sin...
We give back a portion to Satan...
What sort of followers did Jesus have?
Very early in the morning they were there
The women came to attend to Jesus
The angel said:
"He is not here...He is risen...
Come and see where they laid Him
And then go and tell the disciples..."
We need to do this now...
We have this hope...
Jesus is coming again...
Notes from a sermon
By Pastor Michael
S.D.A.January 2014
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