He is Risen!

Reading of John 18 & 19

Now we come to the tomb…

• Poor men in Jesus' time were buried in simple graves.
• The other Gospels provide additional details, that the garden tomb, located not far from the site of the crucifixion, belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a dissenting member of the Jewish high council, who had specifically asked for Jesus' body for the express purpose of giving Him a proper burial.  Only wealthy people could afford such tombs.
• The tomb was hewn into the rock, a chamber with a platform for the body, which was wrapped in linens, with a cloth placed over the face, and covered with fragrant spices throughout the wrappings.
• The tomb would likely have had a doorway of about 5 feet, with a flat, round stone to be rolled into place to protect the body from wild animals or graverobbers.  This stone would have minimally weighed several hundred pounds, although some estimates have placed it at upwards of 2 tons.  However much it weighed, it was a BIG stone.
• Matthew tells us that the Jewish leaders remembered Jesus' words regarding His resurrection, and went to Pilate with their concerns.  He had previously verified that Jesus was dead when Joseph had requested the body, but he instructed them to seal and secure the tomb.
• The tomb would have been carefully inspected to verify that the body was still there.  Then a cord was stretched across the rock, and sealed on both sides with sealing clay marked with the official signet of the governor.  This provided an official authentication on behalf of the Romans that the body was inside, as well as a dire warning to anyone who dare even think about breeching the seal.
• In addition, the tomb was heavily guarded.  According to the traditions of the time, a "guard" was a 16-man security force, each man trained to protect 6 feet of ground.  Four men were placed in front of what they were to protect, and the other 12 were nearby, sleeping in a semi-circle, and rotating shifts every four hours.  Any potential thieves would have to walk over the sleeping soldiers.
• The Romans took this job very seriously.  Falling asleep on the job was punishable by death.  Even the Jewish temple guards were forbidden to even sit or lean while on duty, and any guard found sleeping was to be beaten and burned with his own clothes.

Matthew 28:2-4 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.  His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.  The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

John 20:1-18

• 7 - Jesus' face cloth was folded up
• 14-16 - Mary didn't immediately recognize the Lord until she heard him say her name

Next week, we are going to continue this series, considering Jesus' appearances to people between his resurrection and His ascension.  Today, though, I would like to draw your attention to one more… 

The Road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-34

• 15-16 - The disciples didn't recognize Jesus.
• 19-24 - They proclaimed him as a prophet and as a teacher, but doubted Him as Messiah, even in light of the recent developments testified to by the women
• 25-27 - Reading of Old Testament prophecies w/ context refresher (66 books, written by over 40 authors, over a span of about 1500 years.  The last book of the Old Testament was written 400 years before Jesus was born.  The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies of the Messiah to come.  The book of Matthew alone contains 57 prophecies which were fulfilled in Jesus.)

Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah.  Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

Isaiah 7:14 The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders.  And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His government and its peace will never end.  He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.  The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 40:3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!  Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! "

Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice, O people of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!  Look, your king is coming to you.  He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Isaiah 52:7-10,14 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!  The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.  Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people.  He has redeemed Jerusalem.  The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations.  All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.  But many were amazed when they saw him.  His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.

Psalm 41:9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

Isaiah 50:6 I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.   I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting.

Psalm 22  My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?  Why are you so far away when I groan for help?   But I am a worm and not a man.  I am scorned and despised by all!  Everyone who sees me mocks me.  They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?  Then let the Lord save him!  If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”  My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart is like wax, melting within me.  My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.  My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.  My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;  an evil gang closes in on me.  They have pierced my hands and feet.  I can count all my bones.  My enemies stare at me and gloat.  They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. 

Zechariah 12:10 They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.

Psalm 69:19-21 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.  You see all that my enemies are doing.  Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair.  If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me.  But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

Psalm 16:9-11 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety.  For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Isaiah 53  Who has believed our message?  To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?  My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.  He was despised and rejected—  a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.  He was despised, and we did not care.  Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.   And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!   But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed.  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own.  Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. 

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.  Unjustly condemned,  he was led away.  No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.  But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.  He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.  But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. 

Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,  he will have many descendants.  He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.  When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.  And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.  I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.  He was counted among the rebels.  He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

• Luke 24:30-31 - As Jesus breaks the bread, they suddenly see Him for who He really was.
• 32 - Does your heart burn within you when you reread these stories?  When you hear the prophecies laid out through the patchwork of scriptures written hundreds of years before Jesus?  Are your eyes open?  Do you truly see Him for who He is?  Consider again the implication of the empty tomb.  He is risen, and has impacted human history in a way that no other person has.  He is alive!

Application:

• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• Philippians 2:5-11

Palm Sunday

Continuing with the theme of deliverance, we move on from John the Baptist's declaration of "Prepare the Way of the Lord" to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as King of the Jews.  (refer to notes from "Prepare the Way" message)

• The Israelites were familiar with the great stories, and promises, of God's deliverance.
• The Roman occupation and oppression of Israel had begun around 63 BC, and while the Israelites were at least within their home land, their sense of national identity as God's chosen people had been seriously shaken.
• The annual festival of Passover, however, kept the hope of deliverance alive, not only for the Jews who inhabited Jerusalem, but also for all those who made the pilgrimage to celebrate.
• Many were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Messiah.  Although there were differing conceptions of what or who He was to be, the common expectations included:

- He would be a warrior king in the lineage of David

- He would deliver them from Roman rule

- He would restore the Davidic line, and return Israel to its former glory

- He would establish an era of peace and justice

• Among the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah:

- "The Lord you are seeking will come suddenly to His temple..." (Mal. 3:1-4)

- The Messiah's feet would touch the Mount of Olives.  (Zech. 14:4)

- He would come to them "humble, riding on a donkey..." ( Zech. 9:9-17)

- The Lord Himself is "King of Israel," and "will live among His people..." (Zeph. 3:14-20)

• It is within this context that Jesus arrives upon the scene.

Luke 19:28-48 The Triumphal Entry

• 29 - Note where Jesus stood as He prepared to ride into Jerusalem -- The Mount of Olives.
• 30-25 - The fulfillment of Zech 9:9
• 36 - Garments were traditionally spread out for kings / palms were symbols of nationalism, of victory, of joy
• 38 - The people's shouts were derived from the Psalms, including Psalm 118:22-29.  In Matthew's account, the people also cried out "Hosanna!," literally meaning "save now!"
• The multitudes rejoiced because they believed that the hour of their deliverance had come, that the Messiah they were seeking was now entering in Jerusalem to set things right at last -- after over 60 years of occupation, and over 400 years of God's silence, they dared to HOPE that God was at last fulfilling the promises He had made to their ancestors.
• 41-44 - Jesus' lament over Jerusalem was perhaps unexpected and confusing to the people who marched in the procession toward Jerusalem.  How could His words be reconciled with their Messianic expectations?
• 45-46 - Jesus' arrival, and subsequent actions, in the temple provided a glimpse of the righteous anger of the Warrior King.
• 47-48 - Jesus' words and actions provoked the leaders of the day to the point of desiring to kill him... but all the people hung on His every word.

How can those same voices who passionately cried out "Hosanna!" scream "Crucify Him!" just a few days later?

• Disillusionment.  Disappointment.  Similar to the general atmosphere of politics, we long for justice, for someone to right the wrongs, for someone to restore our hopes and dreams.  We can see this during every election season, regardless of who is president.  The same people who eagerly rally around a politician during the elections will often distance themselves, or even savagely turn on the elected official, when that person fails to fulfill their expectations of him or her.
• They had dared to hope, and banked everything on Him.  No doubt they had spread the word to others, had proclaimed Him as Israel's deliverer, even as the Messiah.  Perhaps they were humilated, feeling as though they had spoken too soon, or were foolish to even allow their hopes to be kindled.

The Triumphal Entry Yet to Come

• Rev. 7:9-12 - The saints in Heaven, holding Palm branches, only instead of crying out "Hosanna!" (save now!), they are declaring salvation as coming from God, and from Christ.
• Rev. 19:11-16 - The Warrior King comes at last, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies portraying Him as the Victor, the Judge, the Conquerer, the Ruler.

Application: Don't let your hope in God be swayed by circumstances, by public opinion, by what your fleeting feelings or perceptions may tell you; but trust instead that God is more than able to fulfill all His purposes in His perfect time.

Prepare the Way

Prepare.  What does the word mean?

As we begin a series leading up to Easter, to the celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let's prepare ourselves for the familiar story by diving into the context in which the story is told.

• 66 books, written by over 40 authors, over a span of about 1500 years.  The last book of the Old Testament was written 400 years before Jesus was born.

• The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies of the Messiah to come.  The book of Matthew alone contains 57 prophecies which were fulfilled in Jesus.  We will be touching upon these over the next few weeks.

• Why is it important that we know this?  One reason is because this one story is the center of everything that we believe, and are, as Christians.  It is the central message of the Bible.  Everything before the Gospels points to them; everything after them expound upon them.  It is the epicenter of history, and is every bit as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.

• The Jews of the 1st century living in a time of the Roman occupation of Israel, and were anticipating the Messiah who would come to overthrow the Romans and restore Israel to its former glory.  The 300+ prophecies were like mountain ranges in the distance, viewed as one big picture from their vantage point in history.

Isaiah 40:3-5 

• Written about 700 years before Jesus

Matthew 3:1-3 

• Matthew points his readers to John as being the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

• How did John call people to "prepare the way?"  By way of repentance and of turning to God.  (also see Acts 3:19-20)

John 1:19-23 

• John used Isaiah's prophecy to answer the Jewish leaders regarding himself.

Malachi 3:1  

Malachi 4:5-6

• Written about 450-500 years before Jesus.

• If you continue reading in Malachi, you can see an example of the "mountain range" view of the Messiah.

Matthew 11:7

• It had been about 400 years since God had last spoken to the Israelites.  Prophets of God were a distant memory, stories handed down through generations; yet, the news quickly spread that a new prophet was in their midst.

• By announcing that John was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi, it is easy to see why people began to build up an expectation of Jesus as being the warrior Messiah.

Psalm 77:16-20 -  Parting the Sea

• God prepared a way of deliverance through the sea.

Daniel 3 - The Fiery Furnace

• God prepared a way of deliverance through the fire.

Isaiah 43:1-2,12-13,18-19 

• "The Way" of deliverance through Jesus Christ was foreshadowed in God's previous physical acts of deliverance.  He did not spare His people from the danger, but led them safely through it.

Preparing the way…

• The Old Testament prepared the way for the New Testament.

• The prophets prepared the way for the fulfillment of their promises (Isaiah 43:12).

• John the Baptist "prepared the way" for Jesus, preaching the need to repent and to turn to God, spurring people to think and talk about God, and to anticipate His deliverance.

• Jesus MADE a way, and IS the Way (John 14:6), and prepares a place for us in God's presence (John 14:2).

So, WHY is it important that we revisit these subjects?

• As "followers of the Way" (throughout the book of Acts), our job is to prepare the way of the Lord by repenting of our sin, turning to the Lord, and, like John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus as the Way to God (1 Peter 3:15-16).  Easter is one of the few seasons of the year in which people's hearts are especially open to the Gospel.

• The news of the day increasingly bear witness to the shortness of the hour.

Let's be prepared for what the Lord will do through us, if we are ready, willing, and yielded.