Victory and Grace
Notes
Transcript
Worship Team reads… Isaiah 52:13-53:12
See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
As the disciples gathered that night to celebrate the Passover Meal the words Isaiah had stated so many years ago would take on a new understanding in the days to follow.
The Bread
The Bread
As Jesus lead this time together He would take the bread… Matthew 26:26 records His words:
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
The Cup
The Cup
The disciples must have been intrigued and confused at how Jesus changed some of the things stated during these celebrations, in time it would all become clear… Jesus states Matthew 26:27-29
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:30 says that they sang a hymn and then left for the mount of olives.... the garden of Gethsemane
After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus had shared with His disciples that He would die, be crucified, and that they would be scattered. PETER stated not I Lord! The others agreed.
Through the entire Passion Week and Crucifixion we see our Lord Jesus Christ fully in control. I believe it was with great intention He went to the Garden that night… The Garden of Gethsemane.Matthew 26:36-46
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. “Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”
The Garden Contrast
The Garden Contrast
We have recently looked at the garden scene in Genesis. Consider with me how these two scenes contrast…
In Genesis we see a perfect Garden of Eden
God’s will is clearly stated to Adam
Sin comes into the Garden, Satan brings his attack of temptation
In Gethsemane we see a garden defined by the crushing of olives (the work and striving under the curse)
God’s will is before the second Adam… Jesus Christ
The Perfect One comes into a garden, under the curse, and faces no doubt all the furies of Hell and Darkness…
In the Garden of Eden Adam chooses his will, his desire over God’s Will!!!
Sin is the opposition of God, choosing your desire over His perfect Holy, will.
The first Adam was weak...
In Gethsemane we see the Second Adam… Jesus Christ choose God’s Perfect Holy Will...
The Garden Battle
The Garden Battle
NOTICE: this battle is engaged, fought, and won through prayer!
Christ engages His disciples in prayer with Him!
In His hour of need, maybe even His greatest need He asked those close to Him to engage in prayer with Him and for Him
You and I when we face trials, temptation, difficult times need the same all the more
Verse 38 expresses the extent of this grief Jesus is facing… Imagine all the evil and darkness attacking at this point
The PRAYERS… hour long, intense, on His face before God the Father!
Notice God’s will be done… He prays even as He instructed His followers to
The CUP before Him…
The Gospel of Luke tells us as He prayed sweat like drops of blood came and an angel came to minister to Him
Through sin would come hard work by the sweat of the man’s brow, NOW the Son of God sweats drops of Blood as He engages in paying for our sin
NOT merely death...Many martyrs have suffered pain, torture, and gruesome death
NONE… faced what Jesus would face… not just the scourging, crown of thorns, mockery, and crucifixion… Look at what the scriptures state He faced…
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
He is our example… in verses 40-41 we see that man is weak BUT GOD where man had been weak, had fallen, had given in to temptation and sin… Jesus is victorious!!!!
Jesus knowing the HOUR is at had
Jesus knowing His BETRAYER was approaching
Get up it is time! SATAN LOST!!!! and Jesus steps forward to embrace God’s Will and Perfect Plan for you and me
The Amazing GRACE!
The Amazing GRACE!
In the Garden of Eden… Adam leaves in sin with the curse of death upon him.
In the Garden of Gethsemane… Jesus leaves to conquer sin and death
On the cross Jesus takes the curse upon Himself...
He wears the thorns as His crown
He sweat the blood through His prayers
He does the Work you and I were incapable of doing
He takes our sin, and dies our death
And He gives the VICTORY cry “It is finished”
I have participated in many funerals over the years. Recently I was assisting in some that at the end played Amazing Grace on the bag pipes. I have thought about that… why when one passes would we play that song? Because death is a reminder of the cost of our sin… we look at Calvary and we see the cost! But the CUP… the very wrath of God was poured out on His Son that day for you and me. So when we see death, we are reminded that Jesus paid the price for our salvation, He has conquered death ONCE for ALL!
Let that sink in as we hear the tunes from the bagpipes bring forth the familiar song of Amazing Grace…