3 Hours Series

Adventure Christian Church of North Natomas

by Scott Mathews 3/4/04

Luke 23:44-56 (p. 734)

The Passion of the Christ

2:59:59 HOURS

Scene 1: Darkness at Golgotha (v. 44-49).

“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth our” (v. 44).

“If Socrates lived and died like a philo-sopher, Jesus lived and died like a god” – Jean-Jaques Rousseau, French philosopher (1712-1778).

I. When darkness fell on the land,…

** When darkness fell on the land,~~ His final words were spoken (v. 46).

- About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a

loud voice, “My God, my God, why have

you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:26; Psalm 22:1).

- “I am thirsty” (John 19:28; Isaiah).

- Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father,

into your hands, I commit my spirit” (Luke

23:46).

- “It is finished” (John 19:30).

- When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke

Nature has the ability to get our attention: have you ever accidentally stirred up a pheasant or a covey of quail on your running trail, walked into the path of a snake,

** When darkness fell on the land, ~~Nature responded to change (v. 45; Mt. 27:51-52).

- “At that moment, the curtain from the temple was

torn in two from top to bottom” (Mt. 27:51).

Intimate access to God is now available to all.

- “The earth shook and the rocks split” (Mt.

27:52). Earlier that week Jesus had said to the

Pharisees, “if they keep quiet, the stones will

cry out” (Lk. 19:40). The rocks testify to the

identity of Jesus.

- “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy

people who had died were raised to life”

(Mt. 27:52). The age old question is

answered: Is there life after death?

Some people did not sleep well this Sabbath night. (The chief priests, the High Priests, the whole City experienced the earthquake and shattering rocks, and cemetery resurrections. What a night that was?

**When darkness fell on the land,~~No one would ever be the same (v. 47-49).

- Some people did not sleep well this Sabbath

night. (The chief priests, the High Priests, the

whole City experienced the earthquake and

shattering rocks, and cemetery resurrections.

- Darkness, earthquakes, tombs opening at

local cemetery, and the curtain of the

temple torn.

You know Pilate’s wife approaches him and says, “You should have listened to me.”

This had to breathe hope in the heart of Mary, the mother of Jesus life.

Someone out there in the Holy City believes, “This isn’t over.” It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’.

A Roman Centurion who may have had direct responsibility during the flogging said, “Surely this was the Son of God” (Mk. 15:39) or “Surely this was a righteous man” (Lk. 23:47).

Those that came to witness the sight, (who probably did not know Him) “beat their breasts and went away”.

Those “who knew him”, including the women, stood at a distance (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joses, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, John, and Mary the mother of Jesus).

Personally, what is it that God is doing in my life right now to get my attention?

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Scene 2: A Man Named Joseph (v. 50-56).

“a man named Joseph who had not consented to their decision and action” (v. 51).

When all appears to be lost, an unknown disciple…

**When all appears to be lost, an unknown disciple~~ Goes public with his position (v. 50-51).

- “he had not consented to their decision

and action” (v. 50).

- There is something special about making a

decision to honor Christ, to go public for the

first time, without a care of what people think.

Including, the governor.

**When all appears to be lost, an unknown disciple~~ Approaches the governor (v. 52).

**When all appears to be lost, an unknown disciple~~ Honors the body of Christ extravagantly (v. 53).

- When one man stands, so does another. Nicodemus

stood with Joseph to bury the body of Jesus. (v. 29).

- Joseph probably did not see it as extravagant at

all. He was was probably just doing what he

thought was his duty.

- It must have been meaningful to Mary to know that

while she was facing her son’s death without her

husband, Joseph, God provided another Joseph with

the authority and resources to honor her

firstborn son.

- Hope that there were religious men who

believed. Hope that there was still a thing like

integrity and courage.

- they “took it down” The body that is. “wrapped

it in a linen cloth. They placed it in the tomb

that had been cut in the rock…one in which no one

had been laid.”

His Last Gift to Her

(An Easter Story)

He hadn’t expected to be doing this already. No one expects to be burying his wife at 29 years old. But here was Kent, driving to Topeka to get a burial certificate.