The Tomb - Good Friday

Intro:

We continue our journey with Christ on the cross in this series. Jesus has looked to the temple, the upper room, The mount of olives, the passersby, his friends and enemies, and now, moving towards the end, he sees his tomb.

Join me as we look from Jesus observation post. As we try to imagine what he sees, what he feels, and what he thinks in this moment.

Teach:

The Tomb

burial chambers carved into the side of the mountain. 

Preparation room

The burial section. 

From the cross Jesus can’t see the tomb, but you can guarantee he feels it drawing near him. 

Friends who helped lay Christ to rest

Joseph of Arimathea(the tomb)

A member of the Sanhedrin… but also a disciple of Christ.

Nicodemus (a hundred pounds of aloes and myrrh to prepare the cave for Jesus)

A Pharisee. But possibly a secret follower of Christ.

Maybe it was their public help for Christ after death that sets them apart moving forward.

Hasty preparations 

the sabbath is coming quickly. They have to get Jesus body embalmed for the sabbath. Then after the sabbath they will go back and do the full preparation for the body.

Imagine the mad rush to get Jesus in some sort of order before they are forced to shut the tomb. The guards are watching, no funny business.

The creator of the world isn’t even given proper time for his body to be prepared.

They knew they were coming back, but imagine how unsettled their hearts must have been, waiting to finish, waiting to let the mourning and grief to begin to heal their hearts.

A sealed tomb, a sealed promise. 

the tomb is the final seal on the promise of christs work. That he has done the work to pay for our sins. 

John 2:19 “Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.””

Jesus made the promise, he has carried out the first half, now he has put his seal on it, an immovable stone. If he can rebuild a temple in 3 days, he can move an immovable stone.

Preach:

The Tomb is the gate

John 10:9 “I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

Jesus is the threshold that we all must pass to experience eternal life, in the Tomb, he was laid in his death. This is the same death we MUST share in to experience the eternal life he wants to gift to us.

We walk though the gate of Christ’s death, so we may enter our eternal life. 

If you are unwilling to die to yourself, your sins, your will, you cannot share in Christs resurrection.

Death is the Path

Romans 8:17 “and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

it’s through death that Jesus is able to create the path to eternal life for us. 

If we run from the death of self, we won’t get to experience the fullness of the promise of eternal life. 

We Must Join Christ on the Cross.

Philippians 3:10–11 “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.”

What Jesus saw on the cross, was you and I, not just in love, but also knowing we would join Him. Those who truly follow him, will willing join him.

Today we have that opportunity, to show an outward sign of the work Christ is doing inside of our hearts.

Cross Instructions:

Fill out your paper (What is it this Good Friday you need to die to? What is it you need freedom from?)

Come forward down the center isle (4 hammers, give each other space, if you need assistance Isaac and I will be here to help.)

Receive Communion.

Pray. (Theres no rush, let your savior meet with you.)