The Life of Jesus - Facing the King
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ILLUST: At the mercy of an authority - a judge in a courtroom, unexpectedly “not guilty”
READ: Luke 23:1-9
FOCUS ON THREE PEOPLE
FOCUS ON THREE PEOPLE
Dead and Back to Life
Dead and Back to Life
Hated by his own people
Betrayed with silver
Thought to be dead
Alive again
In position to forgive those who sinned against him
(First person we need to discuss…)
1) Joseph - Genesis 37-50
1) Joseph - Genesis 37-50
A “type” of Christ
Recount his life
Jacob, his father (Israel)
1 of 12 brothers
Hated by them, jealousy
Sold for 20 pieces of silver
Believed by father to be dead
Years later, assumed by brothers to be dead
Ends up in Egypt as a slave
His faith in God ruled his life
Rises to power, second to Pharaoh
Famine in Canaan
His brothers end up in front of him, at his mercy
He was dead, now he lives
The person before them had all power to judge, and execute them
This, my friends, is fear
Fear properly placed
Mercy, Judgment, Grace....LOVE
He forgives them!
They deserve death; he forgives them
His brothers get life, spared, because he is alvie
2) Jesus Christ
2) Jesus Christ
The Messiah - his life
Yahweh, His Father
Father of His people, Israel, the 12 tribes
Hated by those very 12 tribes, His own people, the ones He loved
Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (inflation, anyone?)
Believed to be dead (rightfully so - He WAS)
He died, a slave to the plan of the Father
HE RISES TO ALMIGHTY POWER
He was dead, now He lives
Jesus, standing before sinners, all powerful to judge, to a second death
This, my friends, is fear
Fear properly placed
Mercy, Judgment, Grace…LOVE
So…here we stand, deserving death, begging forgiveness
Because our sin is what nailed Him to that cross
Our sin is what should be punished
Here we stand...
AND HE FORGIVES - just because we ask
He forgives you, just because you ask
We get the opportunity for new life, because He is alive!
(So, then the third person we ned to discuss…)
3) YOU
3) YOU
Jesus’ focus was, and is, on you
To believers:
You recognized that proper fear, knowing you needed forgiveness
You asked - He said YES
Now you do not live in fear of death - Because Jesus defeated death!
Now you see this world as a place filled with sinners, doomed to judgment, unless they repent after you invite them to know Jesus
To seekers, skeptics, just here because it’s Easter
Jesus Christ, stands before you now - RISEN - ALIVE
He, and He alone has Almighty power to judge you for your sin
What you’ve done, who you “are”
You deserve punishment (we all do/did)
I could make you feel bad about it
you might agree - you’re not worthy
God thought you were important enough for Jesus to die
How could God save someone like you?
Wrong question, why would you say NO? The offer is open, no matter who you are, what you’ve done.
Joseph - dead and back to life
Jesus - dead and then risen
You - ready to die to your old self and be born again?
Believers are people who were dead to their trespasses, and now alive in newness of life
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
QUESTIONS:
How could Joseph forgive his brothers?
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
God was pleased, not with the bad that happened, but that people were spared, saved, because of it
How could Jesus forgive you?
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
God was pleased, not with the bad that happened, but that people were spared, saved, because of it
TODAY - God is not focused on the “bad” - but on the “good”
The “bad” is done, over, in the past
OK, so you are guilty - and you stand before the Judge of the Universe
How do you plea? All that’s needed is to ask for forgiveness
When you decide to give your life to Christ, the Judge slams the gavel and says “NOT GUILTY!” - FOREVER!!
It would please the LORD today, for you to give your life to Him
It would please the LORD today, for you to come forward, and give your life to Him
It would please the LORD today, to re-dedicate that life you have given
It pleased the LORD that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.
Now, you get to respond. We all do.