The Greatest Story Ever Told... Part Two "His Death"
The Greatest Story Ever Told • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Greeting
Greeting
Good morning everyone
Good to see you all with us again today.
Hope everyone has had a great start to the New Year
Wednesday night I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a joke about the New Year, I am trying to practice up on my dad jokes before May.
But Wednesday night after class Bo topped me.
He said Wednesday night was the first time he had been to church in a year...
I told Bo was going to use that this morning.
So even if this is your first time at church in a year don’t worry… we are glad you’re here
I hope we can all have a great year this year Lord willing.
Lets begin with a prayer...
Prayer for the New year
Lesson Text
Lesson Text
Matthew 26 and Matthew 27:1-50
Opening
Opening
We began a lesson series last week that we titled “The Greatest Story Ever Told”
We are looking at a three lesson series that examines the greatest story ever told.
The story of Jesus.
We are looking at his life, his death, and his resurrection.
We looked at “his life” in the first lesson of the three in the series last week.
This morning our attention will be on the story of the crucifixion.
Ill go ahead and ask for forgiveness now, we may go a little longer than normal with this lesson, but in the end I think we will understand why that’s ok…
Story of the young boy “take it seriously”
I hope this morning we take this lesson seriously.
There will be things we talk about that are intense, but I believe they are things we need to understand.
To understand what this story means for you and me.
I hope that we can all leave this morning with a better appreciation for the sacrifice on the cross that was made for us.
I hope this morning when we think of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” we will remember the story of Jesus and his death...
Lesson
Lesson
I want to set the stage for us this morning before we get to chapter 27
If we back up to Matthew 26 we will find several important events at the end of Jesus’s life.
Several things occured the day before we pick up in chapter 27...
Jesus has foretold of the religious leaders plan to kill him. (1-5)
Mary has came and anointed Jesus with oil. (6-13)
Judas, Jesus’s friend and apostle has agreed to betray him… (14-16)
And Jesus points this out to him during the passover. (20-25)
Just after this we see Jesus has had his last supper, and he has instituted the Lord’s Supper. (26-29)
He predicted Peter’s denial… (30-35)
All of these things come together and have been fulfilled to bring us to Gethsemane.
As we move forward we are going to compile a list as we go from this point up through his death.
A list of words that will paint the picture for us of how Jesus was treated and must of felt...
Sorrow
Sorrow
We find Jesus in a state of sorrow in verses 36 through 46 in the garden as he prays.
Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
Jesus said he is exceedingly sorrowful...
His soul is in great sorrow…
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
He prays three times to God.
Three times he asked God “to let this cup pass from me”
And these aren't just a normal prayer.
Scripture tells us he offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears.
He prayed so strongly he was literally crying out and yelling out to God...
That’s the amount of sorrow he was experiencing
Worry
Worry
As we continue on in the garden…
He had to be worried.
All because of the sorrow and agony he was in knowing what was to come.
Can you imagine that?
Knowing what you are about to endure?
Yet he still prayed for Gods will to be done very single time.
Agony
Agony
This wasn't just someone who was worried, or a little upset.
The Bible tells us he was in agony.
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Have you ever been in that much agony?
It’s been debated whether or not this was a literal or metaphoric text, ut either way I think we can see the takeaway…
Jesus knowing what was about to happen, was in greater agony than many could ever imagine...
Betrayal
Betrayal
We can go down to verses (47-56) to see Jesus’s betrayal and arrest.
We know that as he is speaking to the apostles we find Judas before Jesus with a mob before him.
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
Judas goes up with a mob of people behind him to betray Jesus…
Jesus, knowing this, predicting this very moment already, goes up, kisses him and says in verse 50 “Friend, why have you come?”
Friend. Think about that...
This man was coming to turn Jesus in, to have him handed over to die and Jesus calls him friend.
Could we call someone a friend who had a mob of people with him ready to take us in to be tortured and crucified?
Alone
Alone
And things only get worse.
Not only does Judas betray him but look at verse 56.
But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
All the disciples forsook him and fled.
He was all alone.
Is there a worse feeling than that?
Can we imagine ourselves there with Jesus in this moment?
Every single one of our friends are now gone…
As the song says, “All alone he suffered…everything”
Scoffed
Scoffed
He then is lead away being arrested and put on trial illegally.
It was illegal under Jewish law to perform this trial at night.
But the Roman’s didn’t care.
And not only that but they had false witnesses and made up lies about Jesus so he could be put to death.
As long ass he was put to death the Roman didn’t care how they did it.
Yet Jesus ever fought back, he never retaliated, he took it.
He endured it for us.
Degraded
Degraded
As if that wasn't he enough they continued on.
Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
While he was on trail...They slapped him and spat upon him.
They beat him..
Do you know of anything more degrading, more rude, more disrespectful than to be spit on?
And not only that but then slapped?
And not only that but as they do those things they mocked him openly...
How would you have felt?
Would you have endured it?
Denied
Denied
You can continue on for the rest of the chapter and see Jesus taken into custody.
And as he is being arrested he is denied by one of his closest friends.
Peter denies him just as Jesus predicted.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Not once, not twice, but three times he was denied by his friend.
In the hour Jesus needed his friends most, he was all alone.
We haven't even gotten to his death yet, but look at all he already went through.
Yet he continued on...
Scorned
Scorned
Chapter 27 begins the next morning with Jesus in the hands of Pilate.
We see Jesus standing before the mob along side Pilate and Barabbas.
Barrabas was a known criminal, a murderer.
And then there was Jesus.
Only one could be set free…
Luke's account tells us the crowd shouted, Crucify him, crucify him.”
Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”
Again, can you picture yourself there?
Jesus has been up all night, tired, wore out.
Hes already been beaten, slapped, spit on...
And now here he is being yelled at by a mob to be crucified...
Scourged
Scourged
As we continue on down to verse 26 we see Jesus scourged.
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
We see Jesus lead in by the Roman guards to be scourged.
Scripture doesn't elaborate much on the scouring process.
But that’s probably due to the fact that those in Bible times when they heard the word, didn't need an explanation...
This is possibly the most painful torture technique to ever be used..
To be scourged in this day in time was almost a death sentence in and of itself.
Before every crucifixion the Romans would take the individual and perform this process.
Many never even made it to the cross.
The scourge is also called a “flagrum”
This is where we get our English word for fillet referring to a boneless piece of meat.
This tool would have been a short whip with at least 3 leather straps that at each end had nails, bones, stones, etc. tied into it.
They would then take the individual strip them and tie them off, hands above their head to reveal their back.
It is said this was so gruesome that it could remove enough of the back that organs could even become visible.
As I said individuals often died from this act alone and you can use your imagination as to why...
Jesus endured this for you and me.
Every single lashing he took..
For us.
Do we take it seriously?
I am sure Jesus took it very seriously...
Do we?
Mocked
Mocked
If that doesn’t seem to be enough Jesus is continued to be tortured and humiliated more…
And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
We can continue on to see Jesus after he was scourged, they placed the crown of thorns on his head and a scarlet robe on him.
Can you imagine what that must have felt like?
And keep in mind everything else that’s happened up to this point…
A single thorn in my finger hurts, let alone a crown made of them shoved down into my head.
A robe touching his back after he has just been beaten...
I cant begin to imagine the amount of pain Jesus experienced in every one of these events...
Again do we take it seriously?
But once again it didn't end here.
To mock him they get a crown, a robe, and a reed.
Mocking him as a King.
They spat on him again, and then beat him on the head with the reed.
Keep in mind he’s wearing a crown made of thorns at this time.
After they are done with this John tells us Pilate brings him back out before the crowd
Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
Pilate with Jesus standing before the crowd must think surely this is enough..
Yet the crowd utters those same words again...
“Crucify him, crucify him.”
Marks account is the only account that adds a small detail in the story.
Between this time and the time he is led to be crucified Mark tells us something that seems so gentle...
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
Doesn't sound too bad compared to everything else we have read does it?
They just took his robe off and changed his clothes...
Anyone ever had a sunburn really really bad and your clothes stuck to it?
One time I had one at the beach on my back that was bad.
I fell asleep on the couch, a leather couch, and when I woke up my back from the lotion I had used stuck to the couch.
It felt like my back peeled off on that couch when I got up...
What do you think Jesus felt?
Then after all this Jesus is made to walk...
And not just walk but carry his cross.
History tells us a little differently than most pictures present this..
History tells us he most likely wouldn't have carried both the pieces of the cross.
But rather he would carry the beam called the petibulum, which weigh between 90-120 pounds…on his shoulders.
And not just any shoulders but shoulders and a back that were torn and shredded, bleeding and beaten...
If we put the summation of the four gospels together we can see this started out on him.
But somewhere along the way they petitioned a man named Simon to take over and carry it.
Jesus after all of this that we have read about journeyed between 1/4 and 1/2 a mile from the praetorium to the place he would be crucified.
This place was a place called Golgotha.
Place of a skull.
Aware
Aware
I think its important for us to remember Jesus felt every bit of this.
He was very aware of the pain.
Upon arrival he is offered sour wine mixed with gall.
they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
This would have been to dull his senses.
This would have taken away some of the pain.
Yet Jesus refused.
He endured every single bit of this agonizing pain for you and for me.
To its absolute fullest..
Crucified
Crucified
And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
As if everything we haven't looked at this morning wasn't enough, we come to one of the most horrific deaths ever known to man.
Crucifixion.
We get a word in the English language that stems from this word
Excruciating.
They stripped him of his clothing.
They laid him down to the piece of timber from which he would hang.
His back, which we know the state it was already in, would be laid down on top of the beam he has carried.
And then the Roman soldier would come up to Jesus and nail him to the wood.
Once his hands or wrists was nailed onto that beam he would be lifted up to fasten to the stipes (the vertical beam that was there)
Then once fastened they then would move down and drive a spike through his feet.
For roughly six hours he would hang like this.
For roughly six hours he would fight through pain attempting just to breath...
For six hours he would endure some of the worst pain imaginable.
For six hours he struggles every single breath.
One of the worst things about the crucifixion was the pressure it applied on the body to breath.
For someone to exhale a breath they would have to physically pull themselves up to breath.
So up and down for 6 hours on those nails, trying to breath...
Again, all for you and me...
Death
Death
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Jesus tasted death for every single person.
He endured every single thing including death for us.
He endured this so that we wouldn't have to...
The ending to the greatest story ever told.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do we take this story seriously now?
Maybe throughout our life we thought we did but we haven't.
All the things he went through
All the things he went through
Sorrow
Worry
Agony
Betrayal
Alone
Scoffed
Degraded
Denied
Scorned
Scourged
Mocked
Aware
Crucified
Death
All of this was for us...
Do we take it seriously?
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
It took witnessing the entire event, the entire story for some to believe.
Can you imagine what the centurion and those around him were thinking?
We just tortured, humiliated, and killed this man…
And he is the Son of God…
I bet they took the crucifixion seriously then.
Let’s not be like them.
When we think about our series title, we may sit here this morning and wonder...
How can this story we just went through be the greatest story ever told?
How can a story of such brutality and sadness be so great?
I sometimes struggle with the idea that going into such detail of the brutality, gore and history can overshadow the spiritual significance of the cross.
Christ dying for our sins and shedding his blood is most important part of the story.
That is what makes this the greatest story ever told.
He endured all of this so that we can have the spiritual blessings we have
A man willingly went through all of these things because of us.
Because he loves us.
He paid a price through his death that man kind could never repay.
He did this so that every single person to ever live could have something...
Hope.
A hope of salvation one day.
An eternity with Christ Jesus in heaven.
Those things are only possible because of the events we studied this morning.
That is what makes this the greatest story ever told...
This morning if you’re not a Christian I encourage you to take that seriously as well
We just studied about what Jesus did for you so that you can be forgiven
The Bible tells us his blood cleanses us of all our sins and we contact that blood thought burial in baptism.
If you are a Christian this morning have we failed to take our Christian life seriously?
We all have I’m sure. I’ll be the first to admit it.
Have we forgotten every single time we sin we might as well been on of those Roman soldiers there as we read this morning.
I love you, the church loves you and most importantly Jesus loves you.
Let’s make our lives right this morning while we still can.
