You Are Not Forsaken.

welcome, we’d love to welcome our guests this morning...

RECAP of Palm Sunday...

the Historical Accuracy

the Supernatural Accuracy

and God’s plan for us...

RECAP the passion week...

Jewish day begins at previous days sun down… Sabbath begins Friday at evening and end Saturday evening… keep in mind...

Monday- weeps over Jerusalem, cleanses the temple

Tuesday- Olivet Discourse, Judas is at work, Passover meal, Jesus trial and betrayal...

Wednesday- Barabbas released, Crucifixion, entombed (night 1)

Thursday- Jesus goes to set the captives free (day 1/night 2)

Friday- day 2/night 3

Saturday- day 3, Resurrection occurs that evening...

Sunday- in the early morning, the women arrive to an empty tomb...

Now let’s read the text

lead up

Peter denies Jesus - mini sermon all about us right here...

Jesus faces Pilate - declares deity...

Barabbas released

Takes the cross, garment divided (prophecy fulfilled)

Two thieves - again a mini sermon about us...

Mark 15:33–41 NKJV

Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.” And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Mark 15:33-

I have heard many say, that we see God turn His back on His own Son, but I believe that this is bad theology. We serve a God who never turns His back on us in this life but in all reality is starring us in the face, even if from a far off, with arms wide open to receive us with love...

Well Ps Matt that sounds great, but the text clearly states that Jesus cried out (sadness) and asked God why He had been forsaken...

Does it clearly state this?

Is Jesus really crying?

Did He not know this was going to happen?

Priestly/Rabbinical Calls to prayer, a recital of the Psalms as daily scheduled times of collective prayer...

Psalm 22 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

v1- Jesus quotes as a call to prayer. Rabbis would “cry out” the first line of a Psalm and the Jews would know the exact portion of scripture. Jesus is pointing them to the Messianic hymn.

v6- A worm, study the coccus ilicis… it will blow your mind. That is a different sermon though.

v7- Jesus begins to call out the Pharisees...

v9-11- Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane mirrors this very Psalm.

v12- the Psalmist prophetically calls out both the human and divine enemies of Messiah, and the plan since the beginning of destroying Messiah and the HOPE for the world...

v14-18 King David describes the Crucifixion of our Lord, the suffering servant the Isaiah prophecies of...

v19/21/24- God NEVER turns His back, in fact He does the opposite and He saves us in our moments of depravity and despair. He hears us when we call, no matter were we are!

v31- It is Finished...

Now the beauty is the story doesn’t finish on the cross… but we’ll get there soon!

Jesus shows He is God and Messiah and takes on the sins of the world…

Atonement = At-One with.

He bridged the gap...

So who are we in this story?

we mentioned earlier Peter or the thieves… but I see myself and really all of us a Barabbas...

why is he mentioned… isn’t the story about Jesus?

but Barabbas is us, a thug, a rightful prisoner, truly deserving of death… (/6:23)

the Jews want Barabbas...

we don’t see Barabbas turn in gratitude to Jesus, but God knew...

One pastored says it this way-

“For Jesus knew the Father would have to treat Jesus like Barabbas, so He could treat Barabbas like Jesus.”

the Love of the father set Barabbas free, Barabbas is us...

God’s love sets us FREE, , ...

YOU see He never turns His back on us, we are never forsaken...

You see we sometimes have the audacity to think God has forgotten us...

I’ve been saved by Grace, but now that I are in this deep dark hole, trapped, I have to work to save myself, to set me free...

WHAT?!

Ephesians

that is the opposite of the Gospel...

YOU CAN”T SAVE YOURSELF, you are no match for sin and the powers of hell...

no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you rebel, you will never win

we can never save ourselves...

There is only ONE who can, the ONE who took your place!

Ephesians 2:1–10 NKJV

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

how many times do we stand on that platform with Jesus and Pilate and our chains are being taken off and we say, stop, no, I deserve this… I deserve the guilt, the shame, I did this to myself…

Jesus looks at us and says, “let me have it”, “let me take it”, “let me have your pain”, “I love you.”

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Could it be that we serve a God so amazing, so accepting, so unforsaking that He says’ “I’ll take your mess, your crap, your sin, your corruption, your hurts, your shames, your guilts, your loss; and I’ll take them to the cross so you can experience freedom and new life.”

Today could be the day your life is forever changed, your journey begins here...

WORSHIP TEAM BACK

The rest of the story...

He didn’t stay dead but confirmed the promise and rose again…

Arise-Anastasis the resurrection enacts God’s plan… that all the nations and all the people of the earth would return to Him… (Duet 32/Babel/)

INVITE USHERS TO SERVE COMMUNION

Today you can be a part of those reclaimed nations...

Prayer...

celebration...

Communion Invitation-

Didache prayers...

1 Corinthians 11:17–22 NKJV

Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.

Didache prayers...

Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks this way.

concerning the cup:

We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which Thou madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever..

And concerning the broken bread:

concerning the broken bread:

We thank Thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which Thou madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom; for Thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever.

concerning the cup:

We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which Thou madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever..

Worship team close in song.