Untitled Sermon

Exploring God’s Word — Lesson 7

I. The Road to Calvary

The last week of Christ’s life before His crucifixion saw many prophecies fulfilled and demonstrated the compassion of Jesus for both His friends and enemies.

1. The Triumphal Entry

Fulfilling , Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This event is commonly called His triumphal entry. It is found in , with parallel accounts in and . As Jesus and His disciples came near Jerusalem, He sent two of them to a nearby village with instructions to return with a donkey and a colt they would find. Jesus instructed them that if anyone said anything to them they were to respond, “The Lord hath need of them,” whereupon they would be allowed to take the animals. The disciples did so, placing clothes on the back of the animals and setting Jesus on them. A great crowd of people greeted him, spreading garments on the path. Others placed branches of trees on the ground for the animals to walk on. Multitudes cried, “Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest!” As the procession came into Jerusalem, the cry went up, “Who is this?” “This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee,” responded the multitude.

It would be but a few days until the inhabitants of the same city who had cried, “Hosanna to the son of David,” would be screaming, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

2. The Last Supper

The next event that occurred during the week before the Crucifixion is known as the Last Supper. records this event, with parallel passages in and .

Every year, the Jews kept the Feast of the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. During

the week before Jesus was crucified, at the Passover meal, Jesus instituted something new for the disciples. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” ().

Jesus revealed to His disciples that this meal would have a special meaning. It is called the Lord’s Supper, and it signifies that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us (). Paul explained the meaning in . “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” ().

• The bread represents Christ’s body.

• The fruit of the vine symbolizes His blood.

• This ordinance is to be observed.

• This ordinance should continue until the Lord’s return.

Before Jesus instituted this supper, He said, “Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” The disciples were very sorrowful and began to ask, “Lord, is it I?” Jesus responded, “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.” Judas then asked, “Master, is it I?” Jesus replied, “Thou hast said.” Judas then left the room and went out to consummate his betrayal of Jesus ().

3. Gethsemane

Following the supper, Jesus and His disciples came to the Garden of Gethsemane. He told eight of them to remain behind while He went to pray. He then took Peter, James, and John with Him a little farther into the garden. He asked them to watch with Him. He was becoming very sorrowful and heavy at the prospect of His approaching betrayal and crucifixion. Jesus went about a stone’s throw from these three and fell on His face. He began to pray, “O

my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” When He returned to Peter, James, and John, He found them asleep.

“What!” Jesus said to Peter. “Could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” ().

4. Betrayal

Sometime later, after much prayer, He woke them with these fateful words: “Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me” ().

While Jesus was still speaking, Judas came with a great multitude armed with swords and clubs. Judas came to Jesus and said, “Hail, master.” Judas then kissed Him. This was the prearranged signal to identify Christ to the mob. Jesus said to Judas, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” They then took Jesus away.

5. The Trial

Jesus’ trial was a mockery (). He was led to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders were gathered. Arrangements had been made for false witnesses to testify against Jesus so that He might be put to death.

As far as the high priest was concerned, Jesus had sealed His fate. He tore his garment and said, “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.” He asked the others, “What think ye?” They agreed, “He is guilty of death.”

They then spit in Jesus’ face, hit Him, and struck Him with the palms of their hands. They jeered, “Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”

Following these tragic events, Jesus was led from Caiaphas to Pilate (; ). Pilate was the Roman governor

over Judea, and he was responsible to carry out the death penalty on criminals. Pilate queried, “What accusation bring ye against this man?”

After questioning Jesus, Pilate went out of the judgment hall and said to the Jews, “I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover. Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?”

“Not this man,” they cried, “but Barabbas.” Barabbas was a robber, insurrectionist, and murderer ().

The crowd in their frenzy rejected the Son of God and chose a criminal.

6. Jesus Beaten

As a result of their request, Pilate had Jesus scourged.

Little did these Jews know, nor did Pilate know, that their very actions fulfilled prophecies given by holy men of God many years previously. The prophet Isaiah said, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” ().

The stripes that Jesus took at the hand of Pilate’s men paid the price for our healing. Many years later Peter said, “Who his own self bare our sins . . . by whose stripes ye were healed” ().

Total redemption, both from all sin and all sickness, is seen in : “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” The price Jesus paid was not a partial price, but a complete price for all.

Healing of the sick is one of the signs that follow believers. Jesus said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark

16:17–18).

The Bible gives instructions to pray for the healing of believers today: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” ().

It is God’s will to heal the sick. We simply need to have faith in Jesus and the price that He paid, and obey the Word of God.

Notes:

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CHART4 [_g]

II. Christ Died for Us

The crucifixion of Jesus is the central event in the entire history of the human race. On the cross Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of the world. He who knew no sin became the sacrifice for our sins (; ; ).

1. Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers

After Jesus was scourged, the soldiers took Him into the common hall where a band of soldiers was gathered together. They stripped Jesus and placed a scarlet robe on His wounded, bleeding back. They then platted a crown of thorns and placed it upon His head, placed a reed in His right hand, bowed before our Lord, and mocked Him. They cried, “Hail, King of the Jews!” The soldiers then spit upon Him, took the reed from His hand, and beat Jesus upon the head. They replaced the scarlet robe with His own clothing and led Christ away to be crucified.

2. Simon and the Cross

As they made their way to Calvary, they found Simon, a man of Cyrene, and forced him to bear the cross. The procession arrived at Golgotha. There they offered Jesus vinegar mixed with gall to drink. After tasting it, Jesus would not drink it. The soldiers then crucified Jesus, placing His cross between those of two thieves. Over the cross of Jesus were the words: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Soldiers cast lots for the garment of Jesus.

3. Mocked on the Cross

As Jesus hung in agony on the cross, people passing by mocked Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” The chief priests, scribes, and elders joined in the jeering, saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I

am the Son of God.”

4. The Thief on the Cross

One of the criminals who was crucified next to Jesus railed against Him, saying, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” The other thief, however, rebuked his fellow sufferer saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” This man then said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Jesus answered, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

5. Forgiveness on the Cross

A statement of Jesus on the cross reveals His compassion even for those who crucified Him. He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

6. The Happenings after His Death

After Jesus died, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. There was a great earthquake, and the rocks ripped apart. In a graveyard outside the city, many graves opened.

A Roman centurion took note of these unusual occurrences and was smitten with fear. He said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Many women stood a great distance away, carefully observing all these things.

7. Jesus Is Buried

Joseph of Arimathaea, a rich man who was a secret disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for permission to take away the body of Jesus. Pilate granted his request. Nicodemus, the same man who came to Jesus by night and was told of his need to be born again, helped Joseph. They wrapped Jesus in a clean linen cloth and placed Him in Joseph’s personal tomb, where no one had ever been buried.

What looked like defeat was actually a great victory for the kingdom of God. Jesus had accomplished His purpose in coming into the world. He had taken the place of sinful humankind and had made it possible for them to escape the wages of sin, which is death ().

Notes:

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ppears

atthew

to

His Di

his passion by many

infallible proofs,

seen of

them forty days, and

speaking

kingdom

III. Jesus Lives

God’s plan called for the Messiah to come forth out of the grave; death could not hold Him! God would not allow Him to see corruption. Jesus had predicted how long He would be in the tomb.

“Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” ().

1. Soldiers Guarded His Grave

After Jesus’ burial, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.” Pilate responded, “Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can” (). The Jews left Pilate, went to the sepulchre, sealed it, and set a watch, or guard, over it.

2. Jesus Came Forth

Their efforts to keep Christ in the tomb were to no avail. The angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. The keepers of the tomb shook and became like dead men.

Mary Magdalene, Mary, the wife of Cleophas and the mother of James, and Salome, along with others, made their way to the tomb. They wanted to anoint the body of Jesus with spices they had prepared. As they came they wondered, “Who will roll the

stone away for us?” But when they arrived, they saw that the stone was rolled away from the door. Christ was risen! The tomb was empty!

3. Many Saw Him

Later, in recording the facts of the Resurrection, Paul stated that “he was buried, and that he rose again, the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time” ().

Jesus appeared several times to His disciples during the forty days after His resurrection. He ate with them and gave them His last, important commands (; ; ; ; ).

Notes:

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Great Commission

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Elements of the Great Commission

Faith Repentance Water Baptism The Holy Ghost Teaching

Healing and Supernatural Signs

And when he hadspoken these

things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

IV. The Great Commission

The Great Commission is recorded in each of the three Synoptic Gospels. (See ; ; ; .) Jesus commanded the disciples to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (). They were to preach the gospel to everyone regardless of nationality or race ().

1. The Elements of the Great Commission

a. Faith

b. Repentance

c. Water Baptism

d. The Holy Ghost

e. Teaching

f. Healing and Supernatural Signs

2. Jesus’ Ascension

Jesus led the disciples to a place on the Mount of Olives near Bethany. He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father and they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost in not many days. He then lifted up His hands, blessed them, and was carried up into Heaven in a cloud.

As the disciples looked skyward two men stood by them in white apparel and asked them why they stood there gazing up into Heaven. The two men told the disciples that the same Jesus who was taken from them up into Heaven would return in like manner.

The disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem, their hearts filled with joy and