The Proclamation & Presentation of Jesus

Introduction

Today we continue our series From the Cross, through the Tomb, as we look at a few things.

The first message was titled

“The Perseverance of Jesus” (From the Garden to the Cross)

Jesus Persevered in the Garden

Through the Unanswered Prayer He Prayed to His Father

Through the Unwilling Apostles who slept instead of Prayed

Jesus Persevered

Jesus Persevered Through the Gnashing

Through the Accusations, Rejection & Abuse of Others

Jesus Persevered

Jesus Persevered Unto Golgotha

Though the Way was Hard & the Cross Heavy

Jesus Persevered

Secondly, we looked (briefly) at “The Purpose of Jesus” by breaking down what Jesus said in Luk. 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

“The Purpose of Jesus” (Luk. 19:10)

Our Position (lost)

His Passion (to seek)

His Power (to save)

Aren’t you glad He did seek? Aren’t you glad He could save?

Last Sunday morning we looked at one of His sayings upon the Cross in:

“The Prayer of Jesus” (Luk. 23:32-38)

The Cruelty He Endured

From the Scoffers, the Climbers, the Heartless & the Onlookers

The Compassion He Displayed

The Meaning & Method of Grace

The Cause for Which He Prayed

They Lacked Understanding & that He Loved Them

The Culmination of that Prayer

It made a difference - in a thief, a solider, you & I

Later Sunday Night:

“The Providence of Jesus” (Joh. 19:25-27)

The Role of Mary

The Responsibility of Jesus

The Readiness of John

“The Pardon of Jesus” (Luk. 23:39-43)

Came Despite His Works

Came Definitively

Came Due to His Conversion

“The Pain of Jesus” (Joh. 19:23; Mat. 27:45-46)

Physical Pain

Spiritual Pain

Today we’re going to examine two things: First will be the Proclamation of Jesus

I. The Proclamation of Jesus (Joh. 19:30)

Joh. 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Finished was the Pain of Sin

Don’t get confused! When I say that ‘Finished was the Pain of Sin’ - I’m talking about Jesus’ physical pain for the sins of the World.

What I’m not talking about is that sin is somehow been rendered harmless or pain free… There is certainly pain attached to sin presently.

There’s pain for the children who’s mommy or daddy neglects them so they can get their next ‘high’.

There’s pain for the wife who finds out about an unfaithful husband.

There’s pain for parents of disobedient children.

There’s pain for every soul that has been cast into Hell because they died in their sin.

There’s certainly pain that is still caused by sin. I’m speaking about the physical pain that Jesus endured for the sins of the world. THAT pain was finished.

Can you imagine what great pain it was? We’ve spoken about the physical & Spiritual pain He suffered. Well, all that was finished!

Finished was the Pain of Sin

Finished was the Power of Sin

Because of Jesus’ Finished work upon the Cross, we (Christians) have been freed from sin’s power.

Rom. 7:5-6 “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Rather than the law being an Instrument of Condemnation in the flesh, it’s a Standard to Strive for in the Spirit!

Paul goes on to say: Rom. 8:1-4 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

God cannot condemn you because you’re in Christ Jesus!

Man cannot condemn you for you walk in the Spirit!

Jesus said ‘it is Finished’ - He was declaring that Finished was the Power that Sin had upon us.

Finished was the Payment for Sin

This is usually the context to which I closely associate this word with.

(Ill.) What would you say if I said that Muslims had more in common with the Church of Christ, the Church of God, the Catholics, the Methodists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. than any of those do with us concerning salvation?

Most would say that’s crazy! Most would say ‘Muslims don’t believe that Jesus is Saviour’ - and I would submit to you that none of those that I mention do either. Because I’m not talking about the difference in Salvation concerning Allah or Jesus - I’m talking about the difference between Salvation coming by WORKS or by GRACE!

The only exception to this would be the Calvinist, (Calvinists believe that salvation is God’s doing - but also God’s choosing). In this case, the Calvinist must reject plain Scripture such as 2Pet. 3:9b “...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” or Act. 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” or Joh. 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When Jesus said ‘It is Finished’ - He meant it! There’s nothing you can do to add or take away from what Jesus did for us! All you have to do is accept the gift!

You could explore Heb. 9:1-12 as well, stressing that the OT Grace only covered sin for a time, while NT Finished Work of Christ cleansed sin forever.

We see the Proclamation of Jesus. Lastly, we’ll look at the Presentation of Jesus

II. The Presentation of Jesus (Luk. 23:46)

commend (def) to present as suitable or good

With this statement, Jesus was committing Himself into the Father’s company with recognition that what He accomplished was both suitable and good.

This was not from a place of pride, for Jesus was meek and lowly.

This was more for our benefit than it was for His recognition. As Jesus was presenting His finished work unto the Father and is recognizing that it was suitable and good FOR OUR REDEMPTION!

The principle that I want to examine then is this: When Jesus presented Himself to the Father, He presented Himself as ‘suitable’ or ‘good’. He was unashamed. He was pleased with what He accomplished THROUGH His flesh, but IN the Spirit. Church, there’s going to come a day when you present yourself unto the God of Heaven.

The problem too often is that we Christians, we get focused on Heaven - and the splendors of Heaven.

No dying in Heaven, no suffering, heartache, pain - no sin! All of the wicked things that we must deal with on this earth will be gone! I’m excited about that! I’m looking forward to that! But unfortunately, we allow the splendor of Heaven to blind us to the reality of our earthly responsibilities.

I want to look at Jesus - as our ultimate example - of how He was able to confidently say ‘Into your hands I commend My Spirit’

The first reason Jesus could Present Himself unto the Father as He did was Because of the Work for which He Laboured

Because of the Work for which He Laboured

As we just examined, Jesus triumphantly stated ‘It is Finished’! He finished the work that the Father had sent Him to do!

He understood He had a Purpose: Luk. 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

We spoke (briefly) in an earlier message concerning this purpose of Jesus.

We spoke of how Jesus had to Power and the Passion to save souls of men. This was His Purpose. The Bible tells us: 1Pet. 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”

Before Go ever formed the world, in His foreknowledge He knew that mankind would need a Saviour, and had determined beforehand that Jesus would be that Saviour! And WHEN He was manifested physically, He went about to fulfill that purpose!

Like Christ, you and I have a purpose as well. Not just any purpose, but a GOD ORDAINED PURPOSE - and Jesus presented Himself suitably unto His Father because He was faithful to labour in His Purpose.

He understood He had a Purpose - He also understood that He had a limited amount of time to accomplish it.

He understood He had a limited amount of time: Joh. 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Jesus died a young man. It’s almost funny to say that, as there was a time not long ago that 33 or so didn’t seem so young. But Jesus knew that He wouldn’t be upon this earth for very long - and that if He was going to accomplish His Work, He needed to get busy!

Now there is something that I’ve learned… time passes quickly. And if we’re to labour in our purpose - what God has ordained for us to do, we need to get busy at it.

One thing though that the Bible teaches is, it’s never too late to start!

Jesus tells us a parable in Mat. 20:1-13 about a householder who hired out labourers for His vineyard. He hired them early in the day & later in the day - and there’s a lot to glean from this parable, but the point I want to stress to you today is that the householder was hiring all throughout the day! You may have been idle through a large part of your life, but God still has a purpose for you! He’s still hiring!

He presented good because of the Word for which He Laboured

Because of the Way He Lived

Jesus lived a His Life in a manner that Pleased His Father

I want to speak for a few moments of some of the characteristics of Jesus - the way He lived His life

He lived Holy (2Cor. 5:21)

The Bible tells us: 2Cor 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

We live in a society that celebrates sin. Sin is the ‘cool’ ‘in’ thing to do.

Sin is big business. They make TV shows, movies & books centered around sinful lifestyles.

But sin may be big business - and it may be cool to some people on this earth, but sin does not impress God. In fact, God hates sin. Sin is what hung His blessed Son upon the Cross. Sin does NOT please God - living Holy Does.

Jesus was able to present Himself, good & acceptable before His Father because He lived Holy. And that’s what God desires for us: 1Pet. 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

He pleased the Father because He lived Holy

He lived Humbly (Joh. 13:3-17)

One of the final acts that Jesus did before being taken in the garden was to wash the feet of His disciples.

After He washed them He said: Joh. 13:13-17 “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

Notice something very important here: Happy are ye if ye DO them. Do you want happiness in this life? It’s not found by living prideful & self-centered - it’s by living humbly

He pleased the Father by living Humbly

He lived to Help Others (Joh. 10:10)

The Bible says: Joh. 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

This one kind of piggybacks on the former point. But let me just ask you this: When you stand before God & you give account for the manner lived & decisions you made in your life, do you want it to be self-serving or selfless?

Jesus pleased the Father by Helping Others

He lived to Honor His Father (Joh. 4:31-34)

Joh. 4:31-34 “In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

His disciples are obviously concerned about Jesus’ well being. So much so, they’re trying to find out when He’s eaten, where He got His food, etc. But even in what was obviously a time when Jesus was depleted physically, that’s not where His mind was. He was concerned about doing His Father’s Will.

Jesus pleased His Father by the Way He Lived

Because of the Witness He Left

Jesus took His opportunities to be a witness. He shared the Gospel.

He told the woman at the well about living water (Joh. 4:5-29)

Joh. 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

He told the multitudes about the Bread from Heaven (Joh. 6:35)

Joh. 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Jesus told the multitude “There’s something that will feed you like no other! There’s something that will sustain you! There’s something that will help you”

We need to be telling the multitudes “There’s something that can help & sustain you - and His name is Jesus!”

He showed the blind man… though others ignored his cry, Jesus would hear and respond!

He let the leper know… that there was one who would not only accept him, but cleanse him!

He proved to the dead ...that Jesus had the power to bring them to life!

Jesus pleased His Father because of the Witness that He left!

If you’re a Christian, you’re going to be instrumental in either pointing people to Christ or away from Him. If you want to please the LORD, you’ll be a witness for Jesus!

He pleased the Father because of the Witness He left

Conclusion