April 21, 2019
Morning Service

Obituary of Jesus Christ-Jim Pemberton

We have journeyed together with the Lord as one of His disciples through this entire “Passion Week.”  We have experienced a wide range of emotions that began with us rejoicing at the celebration of the Triumphal Entry, anger at the cleansing of the temple, amazement at His teachings, love at the Last Supper, agony in prayer, along with betrayal and denial at His arrest.  Steve’s song does such a good job of portraying the crucifixion as well as the movie “The Passion of Christ” that we watched on Friday.  Our goal through this whole study is to make this love story of Jesus sacrificially giving Himself for the atonement of sin and gift of eternal life very personal for each of us.  He did this all for me, He did it for you, He did it for us.  This is our story.  This was God’s plan from the very beginning of time.  He created a world that had a free will to choose whether to serve Him or not.  That choice included accepting a gift of forgiveness of sin which came at a very high price.  The wages of sin is death and that is the debt we owed.  We were in debt to God for the many sins that we have committed and no way to pay.  We were without hope until Jesus paid the debt for us.  The price was paid upon the cross at Calvary in the greatest act of love ever known as prophesied in Isaiah 53.  We owed a debt we could not pay and He paid a debt He did not owe.  All in the name of love; the love of God for you.

Jon Carl: “He Paid It All”

“With one final breath, He conquered death for you and for me.”

Joh 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

The key to this whole story is that Jesus did not stay in that grave.  He arose to prove that He has the power over death and sin.  Our hope of sins forgiven and eternal life hinge on the fact that Jesus arose from that grave (ICOR. 15).  He first told the disciples that He would do it and then He did it.  During the whole time of His trial and crucifixion you have to think that the disciples were in shock and didn’t even have time to recall His words. I am sure that it was all a blur as they did not expect things to go as they did.  It all became real for them the next day.  If there were any doubts on Friday, they were miraculously erased on Sunday!

Luke 24:1-9 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  (2)  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  (3)  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  (4)  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  (5)  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  (6)  He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, (7) saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  (8)  And they remembered His words.  (9)  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

 

Congregation “He Arose!

 

Luke 24:36-40 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  (37)  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  (38)  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  (39)  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  (40)  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

            Why are you troubled this morning?  Why do you doubt?  The proof of His resurrection is overwhelming with the most powerful fact being the lives that we see changed!  Jesus has made all things new for us and simply asks us to believe.  Our whole goal this week has been to make this “Passion Week” very personal.  I wanted you to embrace the fact that God loves you enough to allow Himself to go through the horrors that we saw portrayed in Steve’s song and the movie Friday night.  Remember these verses along with John 3:16-17 that we have already read that we have been stressing over the last few weeks?  They are about me and they are about you!

 

 Joh 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

 

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

 

Romans 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He who did not spare His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

 

Jesus endured all these things because He loves you and desires a personal relationship with you.  His love is unconditional as He died for us while we were still in our sin.  That longing in your heart is a hole that only Jesus can fulfill.  We are pursuing Him not realizing that He is chasing after us.  Why do you wait to surrender all that you have and all that you are to Him?  Today could be that day for you.  We are going to close with this song that helps to explain God’s love and desire for you.  As we have experienced this week, there is nothing that will separate you from His love.

 

Video: Reckless Love (Cory Asbury)

 

He is Risen!