Luke 23:33-24:6a - Crucified, Buried, and Resurrected

Introduction

[ILLUS] I was once preaching a weekend youth event in North Mississippi that was full of fun activities. There were things like bowling, laser tag, and scavenger hunts. And a couple times a day we’d gather for worship. A band led us in song; they even played Eye of the Tiger, the theme song in the Rocky movie when I was coming to preach one night.

But as we sang one night, I began to ask myself, “Why? Why are we doing all this? Why the bowling? Why the worship songs? Why the preaching? Why do any of this stuff this weekend?” My fear was that most of the teenagers would’ve said, “Because it’s fun.”

So after the band played Eye of the Tiger, I walked to the front opened my Bible and said, “I want us to remember why we are here this weekend.” And then I read...

[READING - Luke 23:33-24:6a]

Luke 23:33–24:6 NASB95

33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. 49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. 50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

[PRAYER]

We are here this morning because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

We sing and I preach this morning because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

We celebrate Vacation Bible School today with all the fun stuff because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

[CONTEXT] When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a Savior who would break the curse of sin and death. That Savior was born in Bethlehem as the prophets foresaw, but He was known as Jesus of Nazareth. He lived and ministered in the region of Galilee.

He preached with divine authority.

He worked miracles with divine power.

He did all things with divine perfection.

But in Jerusalem, although He was clearly the promised Savior, some Jewish religious leaders thought Him a liar and sought to take His life.

They enlisted the help of Judas—one of Jesus’ disciples—to betray Him.

They enlisted the help of the crowds—gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover—to call for His death.

They enlisted the help of the Romans—especially the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate—to execute Him.

As we pick up in Luke 23:33, Jesus has been beaten nearly to death. He is too weak to carry His own cross, but He still leads the way.

Golgotha. Calvary. The place called The Skull approaches.

[TS] Notice first Jesus’s crucifixion…

Major Ideas

Jesus was crucified (Luke 23:33-49)

Luke 23:33 NASB95

33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

[EXP] Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus can be divided into three parts: (1) The Skull, (2) The Criminals, and (3) The Sixth Hour.

[THE SKULL]

You’ll notice that as Jesus was being crucified, He cried out in prayer, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,” (34).

They did know they were killing a man, but they didn’t know they were killing the Son of Man, the Christ, the Messiah.

By giving His life on the cross, Jesus was providing the means of forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him.

They cast lots for His clothing in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18.

Some looked on in horror.

The Jewish leaders sneered, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One,” (35).

The soldier mocked Him with similar words, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself,” (37).

The sign nailed above Him even taunted, “This is the King of the Jews,” (38).

And one of the criminals even railed at Him, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (39)

But if He saved Himself, there would be no saving anyone else.

He had come to give His life as a ransom for many.

[THE CRIMINALS]

Initially both criminals mocked Jesus, but God in His grace caused one of them to see that Jesus really was the Christ. That one with grace-opened eyes then rebuked the other one still blinded by sin and then he made a request, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom,” (42).

Jesus replied in v 43, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

This criminal had no good works.

He had no baptism.

He had no church membership.

But he was saved by God’s grace.

He believe on Jesus as the Christ just before he died next to Jesus.

And that day he was with Jesus in Heaven.

As long as you live, it’s never too late to call on Jesus for salvation.

[THE SIXTH HOUR]

The sixth hour was 12 noon. Darkness fell over the whole land from about noon until about 3 p.m.

The Light of the World was dying and the dark cloud of judgment loomed over head.

The veil of the temple was torn in two.

The way to the Father was being torn on the cross.

Jesus prayed Psalm 31:5, “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit,” (46).

Having said this, He breathed His last.

No one took His life from Him, but He laid it down of His own accord.

A Roman centurion—a Roman soldier commanded 100 other Roman soldiers—was standing guard over Jesus and saw Jesus die.

He was a man experienced with death, but when He saw the wonders that surrounded the death of Jesus and the way Jesus died, the centurion began to praise God saying, “Certainly this man was innocent,” (47).

Matthew and Mark tell us that He also said, “Truly this was the Son of God,” (Matthew 27:53; Mark 15:39).

Indeed He was, and He laid down His life for you and me.

Once Jesus was dead, the crowds began to mourn.

Was it genuine grief or more cultural expectation? I don’t know.

But His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were no doubt genuinely grieved.

They stood at a distance and witnessed all the horror of Jesus’s death on the cross.

[ILLUS] The movie Saving Private Ryan opens with the invasion of Normandy during World War II. It was the day that spelled doom for the Nazis and their allies. It was the day that turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allies.

But the movie’s opening scenes were too realistic for some World War II veterans. Although by the time they watched the movie, they stood some distance from the trauma of war, they couldn’t help but feel its terror and horror all over again.

They had witnessed it.

They had heard the screams of their brothers.

They had heard the silence of the dead.

Some of those veterans had to walk out of the movie because the horror of that day was still too close.

I imagine for those women who witnessed Jesus’s death, the horror of that day was in some way always still too close.

Though they stood at distance, they could hear His cries.

They could see His anguish.

They heard His silence when He breathed His last.

[APP] Let us not turn away from the horror of His crucifixion this morning. Let us take our place alongside these women and look on the one who suffered in our place! Let us hear His cries…

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing!”

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!”

Let us call on Him for salvation...

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

And let us hear Him say to us...

“Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

See Him crucified. Call on Him. And be saved.

[TS] Jesus was crucified. Jesus was buried.

Jesus was buried (Luke 23:50-56)

Luke 23:50–52 NASB95

50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

[EXP] There’s a lot of information on Joseph of Arimathea here but the main thing is objection to the killing of Jesus and his bravery in asking for the body of Jesus.

The disciples fled when Jesus was arrested and Peter denied Him during His trial because they knew that Jesus was going to die and association with Him could them killed as well.

But here’s Joseph of Arimathea courageously asking for the body of Jesus so that he can lay Him to rest.

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

This tomb was in Jerusalem and Jesus wasn’t from that area.

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

This tomb was new and Jesus wasn’t rich.

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

He was the Resurrection and the Life.

He didn’t deserve to die, but He chose too to pay the price for our sins.

He was laid to rest just before the day of rest—the Sabbath—was about to begin.

The women who saw Him crucified saw Him buried.

They prepared to further prepare His body with spices and perfumes but that would have to wait until after the Sabbath. As v. 56 says, “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

The commandment referred to is the fourth commandment in the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:8-11 it reads…

Exodus 20:8–11 NASB95

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

When God finished the work of creation, He rested.

When Jesus finished the work of redemption, He said, “It is finished!” and then He rested.

Every commandment in the Ten Commandments is reiterated in the NT except this commandment on the Sabbath.

That’s because Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

[ILLUS] A man once came to the old radio Bible teacher, J. Vernon McGee, and said, “I’ll give you $100 if you will show me where the Sabbath day has been changed.”

McGee answered, “I don’t think it has been changed. Saturday is Saturday, it is the seventh day of the week, and it is the Sabbath day. I realize our calendar has been adjusted, and can be off a few days, but we won’t even consider that point. The seventh day is still Saturday, and it is still the Sabbath day.”

Then the man said, “Then why don’t you keep the Sabbath day if it hasn’t been changed?”

McGee answered, “The day hasn’t changed, but I have been changed. I’ve been given a new nature now, I am joined to Christ; I am a part of the new creation. We celebrate the first day because that is the day He rose from the grave.”

J. Vernon McGee wasn’t always right, but he was right on this point.

[APP] We don’t worship and rest and celebrate on Sunday because it is the new Sabbath. We worship and rest and celebrate on Sunday because Jesus is our Sabbath rest!

He says to us in Matthew 11:28-30…

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Are you tired?

Are you tired of not measuring up?

Are you tired of falling short?

Are you tired of trying to be good enough but always being not good enough?

Come to Jesus and He will give your rest!

Come to Jesus and find rest for your souls!

He is your Sabbath rest.

[TS] As J. Vernon McGee said, we celebrate today because this is the day Jesus was resurrected.

Let’s look at the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus was resurrected (Luke 24:1-6a)

Luke 24:1–6 NASB95

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

[EXP] The women who saw Him crucified and buried came to the tomb early on Sunday morning to appropriately prepare His body for burial. Joseph of Arimathea had done what he could, but the job was rushed because Passover was approaching. And besides, can’t women always do it better?

But when they arrived, the tomb had been rolled away, the body of the Jesus was missing, and then the angels showed up! That’s quite a Sunday morning!

The angels asked a thrilling question, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?” (5).

If they had had time to respond to this question, they might have said, “Oh no, we seek Jesus. He’s not alive. We saw Him crucified. We saw Him buried in this tomb. We saw how he was laid in this tomb.”

But before they can respond, the angels make a thrilling statement, “He is not here, but He has risen,” (6a).

[ILLUS]

[APP] The resurrection of Jesus is proof that Jesus is the Son of God.

Romans 1:4 NASB95

4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

The resurrection of Jesus is proof that Jesus is Lord.

Romans 14:9 NASB95

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Do you believe that Jesus is your Lord?

The resurrection of Jesus is proof that Jesus is Judge.

Acts 17:31 NASB95

31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Do you believe that Jesus is one day coming judge?

The resurrection of Jesus is proof that we can be raised too.

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 NASB95

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a Savior who would break the curse of sin and death. That Savior was born in Bethlehem as the prophets foresaw, but He was known as Jesus of Nazareth. He lived and ministered in the region of Galilee.

He died and was buried in Jerusalem.

“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in (death’s) power,” (Acts 2:24).

As Jesus said in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believe in Me will live even if he dies.”

Have you trusted Jesus to raise you to new life?

[TS] …

Conclusion

Well as I said at the beginning, this is why we are here this morning—because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

We sing and I preach this morning because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

We celebrate Vacation Bible School today with all the fun stuff that we are about to enjoy because Jesus has been crucified, buried, and resurrected.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King!

He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus live today!

Do you know He lives today?

Does He live within your heart?

[PRAYER]