3 Days - Easter 2024

Introduction:

No man ever impacted the world like the one called Jesus.  He was unique in every way we could possibly understand.

The prophets saw him rise up out of the distant future. 

His lineage stretched out all the way back to God Himself. 

There was never a man who spoke like this man. 

For his word was with power. 

He healed the sick. 

He fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. 

He spoke and the wind and waves obeyed his voice. 

He opened blind eyes, healed deaf ears, restored lame legs and cleansed the lepers. 

He did so many miracles that it was said that if everything he did was written, the world could not contain the volumes.

But these weren’t even the most important things.  He was God in the flesh.  “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.”  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

So how is it that this man of all men, this God-man, this miracle-worker, found himself standing in Pilate’s judgment hall, in custody of the Romans, facing a capital sentence?

How is it that despite everything He did to bring healing, peace, love and forgiveness to a hurting world that He ended up being treated like a common criminal, a vile piece of flesh worthy of the worst form of punishment known to man?

Today we are going to explore the most important three days that have happened in human history.

Prayer

Today I want to be your tour guide. I want to take you through these three monumental days that forever changed the world.

Let’s begin with…

It’s Friday - Day One

It’s been 5 days since Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, being hailed as the King of Israel, and willingly, intentionally fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah showing himself as the promised King of not just Israel, but of every nation.

But before he was crucified he was questioned by the Jewish authorities, called the Sanhedrin. It was there he claimed to be God.

‪The more I study the final hours of Jesus and his interrogation by both Rome and the Jewish leaders, the more convinced I am of his complete confidence in who he was and why he came.

He doesn’t care what they do to him.

He boldly declares himself to be both God and King.

This a challenge to both empires. He has full recognition that no matter the outcome, they don’t have any authority over him.

He’s completely in control, he has all authority in heaven and on earth, even though he’s the one in chains and carrying a cross.‬

Luke 22:63–71 NLT “The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him. At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.” They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” And he replied, “You say that I am.” “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him say it.””

Jesus is God & King

Son of Man - Jesus is referencing a prophecy from Daniel 7 of the Son of Man who is like the Ancient of Days and will have an eternal kingdom. A Kingdom from all nations and peoples on earth.

Jesus is claiming to be the prophesied Messianic King right to the face of the High Priest.

But he even goes further...

He says from now on you will see the Son of Man at the right hand of Power and (GOSPEL OF MARK says…) he is coming on the clouds of heaven.

The phrase Riding on the clouds of heaven always equates the one on the clouds to divine power. He says the one riding on the clouds will be seated next to God.

Jesus is elevating himself to God. It’s why the High Priest tore his clothes and cried blasphemy.

Jesus - you say that I am - I’m the King and I’m God. ​

This infuriated the Sanhedrin and their law said blasphemy was worthy of death. Since Israel was under Roman control however they couldn’t put Jesus to death. So they appealed to Roman law.

So Jesus was taken to Pilate who had the authority to put him to death. Pilate questioned Jesus at the insistence of the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus killed for claiming to be God.

Luke 23:1–5 (NLT)

Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.”

So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”

Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”

Again Jesus tells Pilate, I’m the KING.

Jesus knows who he is. He knows why he came.

Jesus is the King.

Jesus is God.

Jesus believes this.

Jesus is willing to die for this.

But Pilate asks a every interesting question before he sentenced Jesus to death.

John 18:37–38 (NLT)

Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

“What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.

What Is Truth?

But this question of truth… what is truth?

We live in an age where truth is relativized or individualistic.

We hear the phrase “my truth” more and more, as if there isn’t a standard of truth.

But just as there are scientific truths, there are moral and spiritual truths.

Gravity is a truth.

Laws of physics are truths.

The rotation of the earth is a truth.

Biology is a truth.

Anatomy is a truth.

That sin destroys is a truth.

That we needed a savior to come pay the price for our sins…is the truth.

Jesus declared himself to be the way, the truth, and the life.

Jesus declared himself to be the only way to know the Father.

Jesus does die for you. For me. For humanity.

John 19:16–19 (NLT)

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Truth is a reality that goes beyond personal feelings or preferences. We have to choose the truth.

John 19:31–37 (NLT)

It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.) These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the one they pierced.”

It’s Saturday - Day Two

The disciples were in a place of hopeless darkness during the days between the cross and the empty tomb. You may find yourself this morning tempted to give into despair due to pain or disappointment, I want you to know that you can have hope in God’s faithfulness and the power of Christ’s resurrected life within us.

Neither John, Mark, nor Luke even mention Saturday, and no one mentions what the disciples were doing. It’s also possible this was a VERY confusing time for the disciples given the things Jesus had said about himself in their time together. Only Matthew mentions activity on the Saturday: the Romans and Jewish leaders decide to seal and guard the stone at the tomb to make sure none of the disciples could rob the grave and make up a lie about Jesus coming alive again (Matthew 27:62-66). What a dark day that Sabbath must have been for Jesus’ followers. And what a victory the enemies of God must have believed they had won on that day with a dead Jesus inside of a sealed and guarded tomb!

Psalm 130 NLT “From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.”

Do not lose hope because Sunday is coming…

It’s Sunday - Day Three

It’s been 3 days since the darkest day in history.

Since the ones who hailed him as King rejected Him as a blasphemer.

Three days since he was arrested, tried, flogged, beaten, and crucified.

Three days.

Luke 24:1–12 (NLT)

But very early on Sunday morning the women (Women saw Jesus first...in a culture where they were subservient to men in about every way and had limited rights. But this was a glimpse into the Kingdom of Heaven where the angels not only proclaimed the good news to women first but to whom the resurrected Jesus appeared first.) went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

They Remember His Words

There was a reminder from the Angels.

A reminder of what Jesus said would happen, had come true.

Jesus told them in…

Luke 9:22 (NLT)

“The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.

Jesus told them in…

Luke 9:44 (NLT)

“Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”

Jesus told them in…

Luke 18:32–33 (NLT)

He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”

That was it.

On the third day he will rise.

He will rise. HE WILL RISE. HE. WILL. RISE.

Imagine the countenance on their faces change.

Imagine the despair in their hearts melt away and joy overtake them.

Imagine hugs, and tears, and laughter, and amazement.

Imagine the scene as those women remember the Truth of Jesus words.

Sometimes we need someone to help guide us to the Truth. Sometime we need a friends to show us the words Jesus spoke in the scriptures.

Jesus Is The Truth

What is truth?

Unless you have encountered the truth you can't believe the truth.

Jesus is not dead but alive.

And on Resurrection Sunday the disciples didn't yet know the Truth.

They still believed that Friday was the end.

The disciples didn't yet know the good news.

Their truth was that He was still in the tomb, sealed behind a stone, guarded by Roman soldiers.

Their truth was that death had won.

Their truth was that the King had been conquered.

Their truth was that the Savior wasn't saved.

Their truth was the the Deliverer had been delivered to the grave.

Their truth was the Jesus was dead, buried, and with it their hope.

That's the problem with having one’s own truth - IF - it doesn't line up with the truth of Jesus.

Jesus declared himself to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus said no one can come to the Father except by me.

Jesus declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus said you can destroy His body but in 3 days He will be raised.

When our truth doesn't line up with the Truth, we live believing lies.

Lies never set us free.

Jesus told us that knowing the Truth is what sets us free.

We are prone to believe our own truth.

We believe what we choose to believe.

We believe what we want to believe.

We believe what the enemy of our souls tells us.

We believe lies.

We believe that we are worthless.

that we are of no use.

that our past defines us.

We believe that our choices can't be redeemed.

that our sin cause God to stop loving us.

Or maybe we don't believe God even exists.

We believe that we can live how we want without eternal consequences.

We believe that we decide what is right and what is wrong.

We believe our own truths to the detriment of our own well-being.

We have to choose

Luke 24:9–10 (NLT)

So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened.

These women run and tell the other disciples about the empty tomb.

Imagine their excitement as they run back to the house.

But when they get there they don't receive the response they were hoping for.

Luke 24:11 (NLT)

But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.

A bunch of crazy women.

A lie.

See, when it comes to Jesus, the enemy, the devil, wants you to believe lies are the truth and the truth is a lie.

He wants you to doubt.

He wants you think its a nice story but its not reality.

He wants you to sit there in your unbelief.

But you have another option.

You don't have to sit there, you can get up and run to the tomb...

Luke 24:12 (NLT)

However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

Run to the tomb.

It's empty.

Jesus is alive.

Everything he has said is true.

Stoop in.

Look around.

Jesus is alive.

Let the risen Jesus change your perspective.

Let the risen Christ become your reality.

Let the Truth become your truth.

Jesus is alive.

I promise, you will marvel like Peter when you allow your truth to be transformed.

So this morning, I hope you will respond like the women at the tomb, like Peter when he heard the news.

Run to the Truth! Run to the Tomb! Because the empty tomb is God declaring Jesus is King!

I’m here to tell you this morning that the KING LIVES!

The Resurrected King Lives!

As we close this morning, I want to share a story with you about a group of people who needed saving. A group that needed deliverance from an impossible situation.

In May 1940, during World War II, British, Belgian, and French troops were trapped by Nazi forces in mainland Europe. Operation Dynamo, a covert rescue mission, was launched at Dunkirk. Despite low expectations, over 338,000 troops were rescued in three days due to unseasonal storms grounding the Nazi air force and Hitler halting ground forces. A National Day of Prayer on May 26th preceded the evacuation, with King George VI (6th) calling for divine guidance. Winston Churchill later hailed the evacuation as a "miracle of deliverance."

It took just three days…

Maybe you need a miracle of deliverance today…

Take out your Easter Response Card this morning:

Prayer Response:

Your life may be in day one: what is truth? who can I believe?

Can I really believe that a man that I never met, would die for me because of my sins?

Does Jesus really have the power to take away my wrongdoings?

Your life may be in day two: you feel hopeless and in despair.

I feel like darkness surrounds me.

I am unsure and don’t know what to believe anymore.

I feel alone and without hope.

Your life may be in day three: I need to run to the tomb.

I need to investigate for myself, this empty tomb.

I need to know the man who used to be in the tomb.

Indicate where you are at today on your prayer response:

A. I have already put my trust in Jesus.

B. I’m beginning to trust in Jesus today.

C. I’d like to consider a bit more first.

D. I don’t ever intend on making that decision.