Easter 2021

Introduction

You may all be seated

Good morning everyone, and happy Easter. This morning, we will be doing a different type of message that I am accustomed to. Still, as anyone knows, it is beneficial to challenge yourself and my seminary training journey. Usually, in our little family, we study the Bible Verse by Verse, going canonically to prevent us from stating what we want the text to say instead of what our Heavenly Father intended it to say.

When we think of Easter, we think of a fuzzy big Easter bunny with colored dyed eggs and a beautiful spring dress, but there is so much more to this holiday that closes our stores and has us all running to get smoked hams. But really, this concept all stems from a pagan holiday named after the Goddess "Eostre" that is celebrating the new season of fertility, beautiful flowers, and pretty colors. The holiday eggs came from a German tradition of giving eggs to kids that were good little boys and girls. All of these little things that we think of as celebrating having family and fun with everyone didn't start till the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The whole reason why I went down this rabbit trail because we must understand why the secular world sees Easter as. It was meant to replace the valid reason we celebrate Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus on the cross. There is a concise list of people that have been raised from the dead in the Bible. There was no such thing as zombies, and just the concept of stating someone had once died and was alive again would make your friends and family think you're crazy.

Now the tomb was not a last-ditch effort or a plan B but was the only plan and the way God intended it before the very fabric of the earth. Before there was light before there was anything, the absence of anything at all, this was not a band-aid or a giant piece of duct tape, but this was a way to have God in human Form his Son die for our transgressions.

Prequel

The events of Jesus being born and the sacrifice he has made for us was predicted and told by Isaiah 150 years before the actual events. Talk about a bit of warning about what is going to happen. We know this from

Isaiah 53.1-11

Young Jewish Boys and Girls were told this early on because there would be a man who went through everything they went through. He did not pop out of his mother fully grown. Still, a small child with toxic diapers skinned his knee and had the personality to see everything that his Heavenly and Biological Father created in a split second. Just the miracle of being born is one thing, but they were told in Scripture that the Son of Man would pay the debt for their transgressions. There was nothing due from them but all from the grace and mercy of God.

I want everyone to meditate on something for a second and think about what perfect a tiny baby is. No blemish, no sin or transgressions. That very moment you hold the baby when they are first born and think they are perfect—spotless with no actual sin of their own. Their slate of transgressions is as white as bleach and smells better than homemade laundry soap. This was how Jesus was born and lived his life. He was tempted with everything we deal with.

The Resurrection events are more than just Jesus being placed in a tomb and raising from the dead. We have a whole week that happens beforehand and starts with the previous Sunday. This is the passion week that leads to the circumstances where Jesus dies on a cross and raises from the dead after three days.

Matthew 21:6-9

Matthew 21:6–9 ESV

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Monday

Jesus sends his Interns to get the Male Donkey that Jesus rides into Jerusalem in a seat of honor and glory among the people. People are throwing their priced clothes gross ground to show recognition for him. They were waving palm branches and shouting his name. The crowd was treating Jesus with honor, and just like the ending touchdown, they were showing their appreciation. This would be our version of lifting him above the crowd and pouring Gatorade all over him. He was being worshipped as we do currently with Celebrities or athletes. This was the beginning of the Passover, a weeklong celebration to celebrate and mark the Jewish people's departure from Egypt. The people viewed Jesus as the one who saved them, the deliverer who would be their superman or iron man.

Tuesday

On the second day of the passion week, Jesus heads up the mount of olives and curses a fig tree that has not produced any fruit. The fig tree topic could be an entire Sunday school lesson, but I will say that some Theologians believe that the fig tree represents Israel and the divine judgment of their actions. Today's understanding is for us to understand the events that led to Jesus rising on the third day, and I want us to know how we could explain this to our friends, family, and even a small child.

The next day, which is sometimes called the holy Tuesday, things started to get a little dicey. The Jewish leaders did not like Jesus. He was thought to be a great military leader to try and kick Rome out. They were sick of being under the control of Rome. However, he was meant to be our saving grace to cover our sins. The Jewish leaders didn’t want this or understand this at all.

What are two things that motivated the Jewish leaders to try and take care of their problems?

The same things that control our world now. Money and power. The leaders did not want to lose their control or influence on the people. The culture of that time was very tied to religion and Government. They did not want to lose control, so what do you do? You create a plan to take care of the issue, and the wheels start in motion? So they trapped Jesus for a crime he did not commit?

Wednesday

We move along to Wednesday, which is the turning point because it is more than just a plan, but something is done.

Matthew 26:14–16

Matthew 26:14–16 ESV

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

We learn from Matthew that one of Jesus' disciples, Judas, betrays him to the Sanhedrin, a religious group. We see from the text that he went to the religious leaders and asked, hey, how much money can I get if I betray him. Judas received 30 pieces of silver which doesn't seem like a great deal of money, but in today's world, that would be almost 200 dollars. However, during this time, everyone was living off the land or sea. They did not have a grocery store but a market where they sold what you had extra.

We cannot honestly tell how much an Israelite made during this time, but I am sure they were not making 200 dollars a month, Let alone a year. We find it more about the motivation of Judas later on

Thursday

We move onto Thursday of passion week, one of the most well-known days of the week where the last dinner or meal he has with his disciples in the Upper Room. Pastor Rich went over the last supper and the love feast's details the previous week when we learned about three-fold communion and its importance. I do not intend to miss anything, but I want us to overview the events that led to Jesus dying on a Roman Cross and then three days raising from the dead.

Let's take a look at

Luke 22.19-23

Luke 22:19–23 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Now verse 19-21 is one of the most well-known verses and some of the most misinterpreted verses that we have in the Bible because some people think that the bread is Jesus actual Body and the Wine is his true blood. Jesus knew what was happening because he was God in human Form, and he was telling his peeps, his interns, that the time of his death is coming. Look, guys, I will be dying, and let's eat this bread and drink this diluted Wine to celebrate the end of my life. Jesus was going to be dying the next day. WE are less than 24 hours away from his death and wanted to gather with them.

Just like when you retire or leave a job, you usually have a party and a cake. Jesus wanted to do this and tell them that what will be happening soon, he is doing it for them and all christ followers to cover their transgressions and the stench of sin.

There is much more to these verses, and we see in verse 21 that Jesus hands a cup to Judas. WE see in

John 13.27

John 13:27 ESV

Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

Jesus tells Judas, do what you're going to do quickly because he knows that his time is near and soon he will be with his father.

So Judas runs to the chief priests and formats a plan that occurs next.

After the eleven Disciples leave the upper room with Jesus, they head to a vineyard in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus tells 8 of the guys to hang out, and he spends some time with his father with Peter, James, and John him in the garden, talking and praying with his father.

. Keep in mind that he knows what is going to happen, and we hear more of the events of this time with his father in

Luke 22.42-44

Luke 22:42–44 ESV

saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Can you guys hear the anguish and the turmoil? I can imagine that Jesus is in the most significant and most challenging part of the events because he does not want to be separated from his Heavenly Father.

Dad, I know that I have to do this, but I don't. If any way possible, please not have that fracture of our relationship. He was placing the will of his Biological and Heavenly Father over his desires and fears. An Angel comes to help him, and he starts to pray.

Is Prayer for us to change God's mind or to change our Heart?

Jesus was not praying to try to get out what he had to do but was agonizing over the fracture of the relationship with his father . He was in great emotional and spiritual agony that he was sweating blood. WE think that we have it rough with these masks working. Now imagine that you are so worked up that you have human blood coming out of your pores. This is how much Jesus was in turmoil over the fracture. This was more dread than anything we can even imagine? This is more than the dread of going into work with four call-outs and a supervisor that disappears. This is more than anything anyone could think of. I imagine this picture of Jesus in the garden, and I want to cry at the incredible love that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Anyone wondering where Judas and does he appear. Hold onto your seat because it gets a little interesting for everyone involved.

MARK 14:43–50

Mark 14:43–50 ESV

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.

Jesus is speaking with the inner three - Peter, James, and John and here comes Judas with a whole group of sanhedrins a religious group at the time with weapons. Judas gives the sign by greeting Jesus by saying Rabbi or Teacher and kisses him on the cheek. Now the kiss was like a handshake to this time and was expected. In years past, Chuck and I have done this in communion to demonstrate the Holy kiss.

Next, the group with Judas lays hands which sounds a little more gentle than it is. They beat him up and grasped him. Peter decides that he will go gun-ho and cuts off one of the servants of the high priests ears. We know from the accounts in Luke that Jesus heals the ear and tells Peter and his inner circle that it is his time, and if he wanted to fight them, he would pray to his father and send 12 legions of Angels to fight. Now I could go down the rabbit trail of the numbers but what Jesus is trying to say is that Peter put your sword down because if I wanted to fight, I would bring the entire army of angels to fight these guys.

After the events in the Garden, Jesus stands trial long into the night and the following day. We know this from all three of the synoptic Gospels. This is what happened. In

Mark 14.53-56

Mark 14:53–56 ESV

And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.

Jewish Council

So the soldiers take him to the Jewish council that started forming this plan that Jesus had to die. They put him on trial for stating that he was God. I want everyone to remember many portions of meat in these passages, but I want us to enjoy Easter dinner and ham before 5 pm. He is placed in three trials by the Jewish leaders, and they could not pin anything on him, so they say, hey, let's throw him to the Romans who occupied Israel at the time. They take him to Pilate, the governor at the time, and after some interactions, he eventually sends Jesus to King Herod because he finds him innocent of all crimes. Pilate is passing the buck because he knows that this is going to get messy in all senses.

Now King Herod always wanted to see the king of the Jews, and he was glad, so he began to question Jesus, but he remains quiet. He holds his tongue, which is a tricky thing to do. The chief priest and everyone is shouting out his crimes. "He is guilty; punish him.

Luke 23.13-16

Luke 23:13–16 ESV

Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”

King Herod and Pilate hated each other, but now friends said to each other. I find nothing wrong with this man. He is punished and then released. Of course, we can do a whole sermon on the trials, but the point of why I have gone through the passion week and even some of the prequel was that we must understand that Jesus was born to die for our transgressions. Every sin deserves death, no matter if it is stealing, lustful thoughts, or talking back to your parents, to name a few. Jesus, he had never sinned, he did nothing wrong, yet he stood there and said nothing, allowing others to humiliate him, beating him, mocking him. You have every Form of abuse known to man. Physical, psychological, spiritual, and mental. Every fabric of his being was being abused. He was the lamb taken to the slaughter to cover our sins, and we hear more of what he endured.

Mark 15.6-19

Mark 15:6–19 ESV

Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.

So Jesus was cleared of all crimes by the Roman Government, and during this time of Passover, they would release a prisoner as a token. The crowd was given a choice to release Barabbas, who was a murder, or to Release Jesus? The Religious leaders started pumping the crowd up to have the murder released instead of the king of the Jews. Pilates keeps everyone happy and does the right thing, but he is stuck in a rock and a hard spot. The crowd wants Barabbas released, and Jesus crucified for him doing nothing. He was innocent, but he was taken to the palace mocked, and then a fine purple robe put on him. This is not something of honor but a way to add more fuel to the fire because they are saluting him and placing a crown of thorns. I know what everyone is thinking. OK, they are small thorns, but they were massive thorns twisted together and then pushed onto his head to have open cuts with blood going down his face. They are beating him with a stick and spitting on him. They indeed are not sparing the level of torture and punishment that they can inflict on him. Everything that happened to Jesus was more than a Roman Cross, and we are learning the events that occurred.

When we think of the trial process now, where the accused is humanly treated is not how Jesus was treated. He was beaten, whipped, and mocked.

Golgotha

Mark 15.22-36

Mark 15:22–36 ESV

And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

Jesus was forced to carry the 300-pound cross Beam through the town and to the location of the execution—Golgotha, which has a very ironic name of place of a skull. The Romans were well known for their infrastructure, but they knew how to break a man, which they were doing to the Son of God. After his arms and back are sore and hurting from this massive weight.

After this they nail his wrists and ankles into the giant beam that he was forced to carry. The nails used are not your small drywall nails but giant massive railroad spikes. They offered him a drink of wine and perfume mixed in, but he refused it. Just the sound of that, I don't blame him, and it was another level of punishment that the soldiers and the Romans were inflicting on Jesus. The soldiers were gambling Jesus' clothes, and it was something widespread for that time of the guilty to do. Next, at the third hour or around 9 am in the morning, Jesus is placed upon the Roman cross. There was a sign above his head to add more fuel to the mocking fire he would endure stating "king of the Jews."

The two guys on the cross being crucified asked Jesus, why don't you save yourself. You can do anything, but the chief priests tell the crowd he saved everyone else but can't save himself. This is all going on while he is in incredible physical pain bound to a cross and the most inhuman forms of punishment in the Roman World. Everyone was mocking him in the hour. We all have been there to feel why not just add more fuel to the fire of humiliation and agony. Our level of discomfort in our life is nothing compared to what Jesus was going through for us, for our sins and transgressions.

During this time, they did not have a 12-hour clock where noon was 12 but was the 6th hour of the day. It is supposed to be the hot time of the day like Florida is, but pitch black. Jesus is crying out to his Father with agony. I can imagine his voice is cracking, crying "Elol, ELol, Lema Sabachthami," which translates to My God, why have you forsaken me. He is calling to his father, his God, why have you put me in this situation? Please make it stop. His human side is showing because he is in uni-measurable pain in all senses. Physically from the cross and the spikes in his wrist and ankles, fractured relationship with his father, and the psychological pain of being mocked publically with everyone saying save yourself. However, there is something that is even more painful and that is the fracture of the spiritual relationship with the Trinity. This is something even more painful than the physical and psychological pain he endured.

Luke 23.46

Luke 23:46 ESV

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Jesus is giving himself to his Heavenly Father. His body, soul, and spirit all to his father, and once Jesus cried this out; he died on the cross. We have to remember that a death on a cross was something that was a very long process. Jesus died in roughly six hours, but some resources claim that this was a long and tedious process where it could take 24 hours just hanging their struggling to breathe with the hot sun beating down on you while being mocked by the crowd.

So why would someone blameless and innocent go through all of this? Why allow yourself to betrayed by one of your interns, mocked, stripped down to almost nothing with the soldiers gambling to see who got which article of your clothing, then your forced to carry a massive beam through down, beaten on the same road that a week prior he was being worshipped as the Savior. he was then thrown on the Roman cross being mocked. He was without any sin, no actual sins of his own, so Why?

Jesus died on the cross for our sins every single one to save us from eternal torture in hell and instead party in heaven with him and our Heavenly Father. He expected nothing in payment for this sacrifice. It was not a quid pro quo situation but a situation where he laid everything down for Christ's followers. Just like a mother who sacrifices everything for her children, Jesus went through all of this for us. However, there is another angle we have to look at, and that is God sending his Son to the slaughter and how difficult that was to see his Son go through all of those events.

Mark 15:43–46

Mark 15:43–46 ESV

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish businessman, asks Pilate for the body of Jesus to have him taken to a private tomb to begin the Jewish Burial process. They were currently on a time crunch because At sundown Friday, the Sabbath starts and goes to sunset Saturday. The Jewish law was stringent in what they could do, and they were not allowed to be handling unclean things like a body. Joseph places white linen or sheet and lays the Son of man's body in a tomb made out of the mountain. Israel isn't a wonderful flat place with trees and grass but Giant rocks and sand. Joseph then rolls the giant stone we have all seen to close the tomb to seal Jesus' Body. The roman Government had guards posted to make sure that no one would touch the body of Jesus or steal the body to say that he never died.

Jesus mother, Mary, and the mother of Joseph see where his body was laid after the day's events.

So what happens next is the story over now. Do we pray and eat ham. Not yet; we have one final piece to the passion week.

Mark 16.1-7

Mark 16:1–7 ESV

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Tomb

The Sabbath of the week has finally ended, and all of the Jewish people are now allowed to do what has to be done, so Mary, James's mother, and someone named Salome, who was the mother of the other James John. So the ladies are heading to the tomb of Jesus to do the burial preparations with spices and herbs. They are chatting about the day and mentioning who will move the giant stone that requires man's muscles

(pumps arms, lol).

Suddenly, they look up, and the giant stone is moved, and there is a man in a white robe, which we know now is an Angel of the Lord. The ladies are terrified because, hey, an angel is talking to them, and the body of Jesus is missing. The Angel tells them that hey, he is not here, and he has risen from the dead. Run, send a Text message telling his interns and Peter that he is going to Galilee.

Now I know that we have covered a lot of information. Still, we needed to understand the background of what was going on with Jesus because it is more than just a guy that was perfect and died on a cross but a man that was the ultimate sacrifice to cover the mother of all Sacrifices to cover the transgressions of everyone from the time it occurred to the very end of time.

So what if we take Jesus out of the whole equation and take everything that we just learned from the Bible. What's the big deal since we all sin and all are going to die ??

Without, Jesus we are not Christians; it is in the name. Christian means mini Christ, and that means we should be doing our best to show this. We would be making Jewish sacrifices, but there is more to it than that. We would have no enteral salvation, no place to go except somewhere toasty.

We are dirty, tainted, stained, tarnished, gross, and itchy, to mention a few, and this is because we have the sinful nature that we act upon. WE think about ourselves and what we want to do and not what our Heavenly Father wants us to do.

Why would God send his Son to be the lamb to the slaughter unless he loved us and wanted to have a relationship with us? We as Believers need to keep the sole reason we are Christians: the love of God in our hearts and the goal of spreading the Gospel.

The major thing that we have to remember is that for every sin or transgression that we have against our Heavenly Father a price must be paid. Just like your taxes either you pay or find credits and deductions to even it out. Jesus death on the cross made it legal for our Creator and Heavenly father to forgive us for our sins. Without Jesus dying then we would be thrown into the pits of hell. There is no polite way to say that but sometimes you have to be blunt. Every sin needs a sacrifice and that is what Jesus was. He was the ultimate sacrifice for all believers.

Everything we have heard and learned this morning tells us that we will overcome death just like Jesus did. Of course , we wont raise from the dead in three days but we will be partying in heaven with Jesus at the marriage super of the lamb. We escape death and suffering and that is awesome because there is no time limit because it will go on forever. This is what I try and remind myself when I am in pain or having a rough day that this life is not the end goal but just a pit stop. We will be with Jesus and our Heavenly Father.

Let’s Pray !!!!