The Greatest Weekend in History

Opening Scriptures

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (NASB 2020)

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Communion Scripture

John 19:30 (NASB 2020)

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Sermon

The greatest weekend in history changed the world. That weekend began on Thursday evening when Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was like the capital city of their Jewish worship. That week began with Jesus riding into the city on a donkey colt. The people were shouting His praises because they expected Him to be a king who conquered the Roman oppressors. By Thursday, more and more of the Jewish religious leaders were fed up with Him, His teachings, and His powerful miracles. They wanted Him dead.

That night, He and His twelve closest disciples went to a secluded room on the roof of a home to celebrate Passover. About 1300 years before that, God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. The Passover meal was a tradition to help them remember what God did on that first Passover. The first Passover was also where we got our first clear Bible picture of God’s purpose in animal sacrifice.

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That night in the upper room, Jesus disciples didn’t fully understand what was happening. Jesus explained to them that one of them would betray Him. This was a total shock to them.

John 13:24–27 (NASB 2020)

24 So Simon Peter nodded to this disciple and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25 He then simply leaned back on Jesus’ chest and said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus then answered, “That man is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the piece of bread, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.27 After this, Satan then entered him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you are doing, do it quickly.”

When Jesus released Satan in Judas to go out and betray Him, He set in motion all that would happen over the weekend. Jesus had to release Satan. He could have stopped him, but humanity is free to reject God, just as from the beginning.

When Jesus’ disciples questioned what this meant, He said...

John 13:31 (NASB 2020)

“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

Jesus would be glorified, but much suffering had to come first. They left the Supper and Jesus led them out to a garden on the Mount of Olives. Do you remember that the first humans rejected God in a Garden? Now, in another Garden, God’s Son Jesus gave Himself to the task of paying for our sins.

Luke 22:42 (NASB 2020)

saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Shortly after this, Judas, the betrayer, brought a group of soldiers to arrest Jesus.

Jesus was put on trial by the Jewish religious leaders, but they had no power to punish Him and they wanted Him dead. They took Him to the local Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate. Pilate found Jesus innocent of the charges of the religious leaders. But the leaders wanted Jesus to receive the most horrible death the Romans used:

“CRUCIFY HIM!”

Pilate had Jesus severely beaten, then sent Him away to be crucified.

John 19:30 (NASB 2020)

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Luke 23:44–46 (NASB 2020)

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I ENTRUST MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He died.

Jesus died on that cross and paid the full price of my sins. Jesus died on that cross and paid the full price of your sins. We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory. Jesus’ death penalty paid for the death we deserve.

Jesus was now dead, but the work wasn’t complete...

Luke 24:1–9 (NASB 2020)

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.” 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.

Yes, our sins open us up to death. Yes, Jesus paid our death penalty for us. But we need more.

We need life!

1 John 5:11–12 (NASB 2020)

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Jesus didn’t come just to be a good example to us.

Jesus came to transform us, giving us the same resurrection life He has!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB 2020)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

What does God want in return for this rich gift of forgiveness and new life? He wants you!

Have you given your heart to Jesus? If not you can do it today.

The Greatest Weekend in History is an offer to change your life. Will you say, “Yes!”?