Three Easter Mysteries
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to this day the vast majority of the people in the world do not understand Jesus
if they know anything about him he is a mystery to to them
like the people of today so it was in Jesus’ day
they thought many things about Jesus, some of them true
at best: a good man, a prophet, one of the OT prophets, one sent by God
at worst: a liar, an imposter, a deceiver, a servant of the devil, a criminal
though at the height of Jesus’ popularity he had 20,000+ followers, after his resurrection there were only 120 who understood who he was and then only because Jesus appeared to them and taught them
apart from the supernatural illumination of the HS Jesus remains a mystery
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
my hope is that most of you have the spiritual discernment that comes from the HS
my prayer is that those who don’t will not leave today without it
as we remember and celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ I would like us to focus on three amazing paradoxes concerning him
Though Despised and Rejected Jesus Becomes the King of Kings
Though Despised and Rejected Jesus Becomes the King of Kings
The Despised and Rejected Jesus:
The Despised and Rejected Jesus:
OT prophecies:
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Was not recognized or acknowledged
1000 to 700 yrs later we read this about Jesus coming into the world:
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
Jesus created all things
he came into the world which he created
that world, which had come under the dominion of Satan, refused to acknowledge him
the world ignored him and continues to do so
however, it wasn’t just the world which refused to acknowledge Jesus
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
even when he came to his own people they did not receive him but rejected him
in Amos 3:2 God said of Israel: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth”
though God had chosen Israel out of all the nations of the earth for a special relationship they refused to know his son, Jesus
and so it says in
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Jesus was Called Satan’s Servant by His Own People Even Though He Had Done Everything to Show He Was God’s Anointed One
But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
Jesus and His Family Were Slandered
41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
Jesus had told those who had believed him that if they would embrace his teaching they would be his disciples
they would know the truth and be set free by it
they refused to admit their slavery to sin
infuriated at Jesus’ insistence that they were not spiritual descendants of Abraham they thought of killing Jesus (v.37)
when Jesus would not let them off the hook they implied he had been born as the result of sexual immorality
blasphemy against the HS
slandered Mary
slandered him
they were calling his mother a whore and Jesus a “bastard”!
The Roman Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
29 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!”
30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
31 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.
Jesus a King on his way to becoming the King of Kings
Jesus a King on his way to becoming the King of Kings
though Jesus was slandered, blasphemed and mocked he was a king about to become the king of kings!
The Testimony of Nathaniel
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
The Testimony of the Crowds on Palm Sunday
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
Jesus’ Confession to Pilate:
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”
Jesus the King of Kings
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus’ investiture as King of Kings occurred when he sat down at the right hand of God
God made him king of kings and Lord of lords
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
because Jesus obeyed God and humbled himself God exalted him
bestowed on him the name that is above every name
what is the best name in the world that you could have?
what is the best title in the world that you could have?
God has given Jesus a better more exalted name than these
the greatness of his name: every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is absolute ruler of all!
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Jesus in Revelation
and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Though Like a Helpless Lamb Jesus Was All Powerful
Though Like a Helpless Lamb Jesus Was All Powerful
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
at his trial and during his beatings and crucifixion Jesus kept silent
Jesus refused to reply to answer to the testimony of the false witnesses
Jesus refused to answer Pilate’s questions
Jesus refused to speak with Herod
Jesus did not curse those who nailed him to the cross
when reviled by the chief priests while he hung on the cross he did not revile in return
Contrast with Jesus’ Power
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
Roman legion = 6000 men
12 x 6000 = 72,000 angels at his disposal
Acts 12:21-23 - angel struck down Herod the king
Jesus had enough angels to destroy every king, prince, dictator many times over!
2 Sam 24:15-16 - angel struck down 70,000 men
Jesus could have destroyed the whole population of the world many times over!
other scriptures which highlight the unlimited power of Jesus
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Though He Would Not Save Himself Jesus is the Saviour of the World
Though He Would Not Save Himself Jesus is the Saviour of the World
Jesus (Gk) = he will save his people from their sins
from Joshua (Heb) = God saves
Jesus Would Not Save Himself
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Jesus came into the world with the sole purpose of giving his life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45)
when his God appointed hour to surrender his life had come nothing could deter him
Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:39-44)
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
“My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Jesus was fully committed to fulfilling the will of his Father
Jesus’ earthly ministry was bookended with this commitment which he reiterated many times
at the beginning of his ministry, when tempted, would not usurp God’s authority and control
would not turn stones to bread, would not gain glory by human means, would not gain control of kingdoms apart from God’s means
at the end of his ministry he would not save his life
not my will but thine be done
if he saves himself he cannot save others
he was forsaken that we might be accepted
he was made sin that we might become the righteousness of God
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
the only way we could become righteous in God’s sight was for Christ to become sin
Jesus took our sins upon himself and gave to us his righteousness
having experienced this the Apostle John said,
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
and so do all who understand the mystery of Jesus!