Friday’s Good but Sunday’s Coming
Notes
Transcript
We remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us. We are grateful for God’s love for us, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We know the message…
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Knowing that Jesus fulfilled that by dying on the cross for our sins, offering us forgiveness, offer us grace and mercy so we are no longer have to live under the shame and death that sin brings… we are forever and eternally grateful for God’s love for us.
Jesus Accomplished HIS Mission
Jesus Accomplished HIS Mission
Throughout HIS ministry, Over and over, Jesus told HIS disciples that the cross was the only way. Death and sacrifice and rejection was something that Jesus had to endure to accomplish God’s mission. Jesus came into a world that was hopeless and bound up. Jesus came as the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The disciples saw Jesus as their conquering king, their hopeful deliverer to free the Jews from the Romans, they didn’t see Jesus as that sacrificial lamb. They were blinded to God’s redemptive plan and Mission.
The disciples even rebuked Jesus for warning them that the cross was essential for HIS mission to be accomplished.
Even Peter, when asked by Jesus, “who do you say that I am?”
Mark 8:29 (ESV)
29 Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
In John’s Gospel account Peter said that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God, the promised messiah coming into the world.”
Peter gave the correct answer as to who Jesus was but when Jesus started teaching the disciples that according to scripture, HE must suffer many things, be rejected by the religious elites and ultimately be killed… but 3 days later Jesus said that HE will rise again.
Then Peter rebuked Jesus for embracing HIS mission.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Jesus rebuked Peter seconds after Peter’s powerful and prophetic confession about Jesus.
When Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus calls Peter satan because man’s plans were a distraction to God’s mission.
Satan wanted Jesus to fail but Jesus was so determined on finishing HIS mission that nothing could keep HIM from the cross.
Jesus didn’t want anything to distract HIM from accomplishing HIS mission which was going to the cross.
Jesus could have been easily called down angels to rescue HIM but HE didn’t.
Jesus could have said NO at Gethsemane but HE didn’t. Instead HE said to the Father, “Not MY will but YOURS will be done…”
Jesus was focused on HIS Mission…
Jesus endured the cross that should have been ours but God knew that without the Cross we would be utterly hopeless and lost.
When we put our faith in the mission that Jesus Christ faithfully fulfilled, we can encounter real freedom… freedom from our old self, our dead self, our sinful self because Jesus was faithful to the mission.
Aren’t you glad that the story of redemption does not end at the cross?
Jesus Destroyed Death.
Jesus Destroyed Death.
There must be a death in order to reap the benefits of a resurrection.
We love Sunday but we feel guilty reverently celebrating Good Friday. It’s hard to have joy in the midst of such sacrifice and death but Sunday would not be possible without Friday.
If only we could bypass the suffering and agony from the crucifixion and just reap the benefits from the resurrection.
That’s why Jesus wanted us to remember HIS sacrifice, telling HIS disciples at the last supper, “Do this in remembrance of ME.”
We must remember the suffering that Jesus endured. Always remember that at the cross, it was finished. The finished work, the final sacrifice, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior did it all at the cross.
Jesus fulfilled this final work for our brokenness, sinfulness, for our sorrow, our loneliness… Jesus endured the cross because it was necessary for us.
But, the story’s not over at the cross. We are here today in celebration that Jesus conquered death. Jesus proved HIS power, HIS deity, HIS Lordship by conquering death just like HE said HE would do.
When people say, I have good news and bad news, what do you want to hear first?
Jesus gave the Disciples the bad news first. Jesus would talk about HIS mission, facing the cross but he would always say “But on the third day I will rise”
The Disciples didn’t understand, they were blinded to God’s ultimate Kingdom mission but the cross was only part, Jesus Christ became the greatest comeback story ever.
Imagine the disciples, waiting in fear without Jesus, the silence was deafening, the darkness was overwhelming… they witnessed Jesus dead, HE said that it was finished, they buried HIM in a tomb.
Their hope was now buried in a tomb. They had no hope, they were bound by fear, shackled by guilt, and now without closure Jesus was gone.
Peter’s last words were denial. After bailing on Jesus, they had to move forward without Jesus.
As they were sitting and waiting, the women headed to the tomb.
Luke 24:1–8 (ESV)
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words.
How quickly we forget, how quickly we doubt, how quickly we allow fear to cloud our memory.
Jesus is saying to us, why do you seek the living among the dead? Stop memorializing Jesus as if HE is some sort of great man from history. No, the grave could not hold HIM, death has no power over HIM, Jesus is alive, HE has risen.
Easter is not the day for memorialize Jesus by remembering HIS resurrection because Jesus is still the resurrection and the life.
Jesus is still saying to us this morning, I am not here, I have risen just as I said I would.
Remember that Jesus is no longer in the grave. Jesus conquered death so we can be alive and carry out HIS mission.
The Resurrection of Jesus gives us HIS Kingdom Mission
The Resurrection of Jesus gives us HIS Kingdom Mission
Jesus welcomes us, redeems us, and calls us HIS followers so we can live that resurrection life that Jesus made possible. This is the day that we celebrate the empty tomb because our Lord and Savior is no longer in it.
The resurrected Jesus is inviting all of us to come, let me clean you up, give you resurrection power, and fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Salvation is so much more then just being saved from Hell. Through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, we now have purpose and we are called to be used by God to fulfill HIS Kingdom Mission.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
That’s our Kingdom Mission as believers.
Resurrection Sunday is so much more then just a day to memorialize Jesus.
It’s to remember as believers, we are no longer dead.
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
If you are not a believer, you no longer have to be dead, Jesus came to make you alive as you put your faith in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
We are no longer along, Jesus Christ is mindful of your situation and HE is interceding on your behalf.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
There is power in the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus accomplished HIS mission
Jesus conquered death
Jesus gives us the power over death so we can live that resurrection life in Christ.
We can now live in that freedom that only Jesus can give.
Let’s live in the resurrection power through HIS Holy Spirit, live in HIS love, grace, and mercy.
Jesus accomplished HIS mission for our benefit alone.