Dead for Three Days and Still Dead

Introduction

John 19:38-42

John 19:38–42 CSB

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and took his body away. Nicodemus (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

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A Man named Friedrich Nietzsche the son of a Lutheran pastor looked around him an saw a lot of Hypocrisy. Something that many of us can relate to. We see it all around us. In people that claim to be Christians and then don't act like it. And I’m not talking about just those who hurt our feelings and so we call them a hypocrite. I am talking about those who act just like everyone else.

This man (Friedrich Nietzsche) has a famous quote. You might know it.

“God is dead and we killed him”

And even though Nietzsche comes to some very wrong conclusions, He isn't wrong. God is dead and we killed Him

This passage here is evidence of that. Our sin put upon Christ, mine, yours. We put our sin on him and to pay the price of our sins he had to die. He was on the cross and put in the grave for three days

Why three days?

To Prove He was dead. Maybe this does put to rest the he just passed out theory.

To Fulfill Prophecy - The Sign of Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a great fish (Matthew 12)

To increase faith. The disciples had to work through the despair of loosing him.

Could not rise during the Sabbaths

Acting as our High Priest - Doing stuff. Maybe even descending to hell. Though I do not personally hold to this view point it has its merits and is not something we should really get riled up on.

Jesus aka God in flesh did spend three days in the grave and we put him there

God died and we did it. Nietzsche said God is dead and we killed him. Because as Nietzsche looked around he saw that for many Christians, God Is still in the grave. Nietzsche saw the death of God as a problem and will eventually turn from the idea of God. If God can be killed is he really a God. And this is a question that we must ask and the disciples must have been asking

How could their messiah just die like that?

But it was for a purpose.

And we must remember that he didn't stay dead. Nietzsche saw the problem Do you?

In your life would it make a difference if you claimed Jesus or not. If you took out the God talk is your life any different?

Sadly many, many "Christians" the answer is no.

You take a way god and their lives are the same O they might curse a little or dink a little more. But really is it different. If you can't say it would be any different

Then God is dead in your life too

And you have killed him

If you have ABC

Then God came into your life and you put him down. James says the same thing. Faith without works is … Dead. Or as Rich Mullins puts it, Faith without work is as useless as a screen door on a submarine

Faith must produce a life that makes you different then the world that is not part of the kingdom of God

If not …..Thankfully Jesus didn't stay down

He rose from the dead He can raise in you too

Next Steps

Turn to him and commit to living his way

May mean you have to make changes

Hard to do especially alone

How alive is your God Today?

Pray