Forgive Us (Part 1) Series

“Forgive Us...”

The King and His Kingdom

OKAY – let’s do this...

NOW - I want to start off our time this morning by reading several passages of Scripture...

AND UNDERSTAND MGCC – there is no better way for us to begin our time of study this or any morning for that matter than by reading God’s Word.

The first passage is found Matthew chapter 16.

NOW - in this chapter we find Jesus affirming His identity, UNDERSTAND - Jesus wants both His guys and us to know that... He is not just a great teacher or prophet...

He is the Christ (the Messiah) the Son of the Living God...

AND MGCC – it is upon the rock of who He is, and what He accomplished that Jesus will build His church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against her.

AND THEN – right after getting that identity thing squared away... we read the following...

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. – Matthew 16:21

NOW - the next passage is about 1 ½ years later.

It’s Thursday Night... Jesus has just celebrated the Passover with His guys in the Upper Room.

AND AFTER – washing the disciples feet and celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” – Mark 14:32-36

QUESTION – what is ‘this cup’ that Jesus is referring too? UNDERSTAND - several times in the Old Testament we read of nations that were being judged by God, having to drink from the cup of His wrath... and we read in Revelation of God’s enemies (the beast and Babylon the great) having to drink the cup of God’s wrath.

NOW – the cup that Jesus is referring to in Mark 14 is the cup of God’s wrath and Judgement of sin, and Jesus did not want to drink it...

QUESTION - why do you think that was?

LIKE – was Jesus afraid of what He was able to suffer?

NOW – I am convinced that what He dreaded most was the nails or the cross but having God the Father turn His back on Him.

Sin = separation from the Father, first time ever.

AND WHILE – in that garden, Jesus is arrested and put through a mock trial before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin and a bunch of other religious cronies, who eventually take Jesus to Pilate, to be executed.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped Him in the face.

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. - John 19:1,6,16-18,28-30

One more passage, this one is from Isaiah chapter 53...

It is a prophecy about what Jesus suffered for us, written 700 years before God the Son on flesh.