04/08/07
Arise My Love...Easter Message
Mark 15:25
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
Mark 15:26
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Mark 15:27
And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
Mark 15:28
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Mark 15:29
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
Mark 15:30
Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Mark 15:31
Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Mark 15:32
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
(prayer)
The Guinness Book of World Records, records some of the most amazing things and interesting facts.
Everything in it is usually listed as the greatest, the biggest, the most expensive…
It records things like…
-The most expensive painting…The Mona Lisa…said to be priceless, yet it is insured for a mere $100 million.
-The most expensive commercially made car…a Volkswagon Bugatti Veyron…it can go up to 230 mph, and reaches 62 mph in 2.555 seconds. It can be yours for around 1.2 million.
-In Clearfield, PA you can get the world’s largest hamburger.
It weighs 15 pounds, including 10.5 pounds of beef.
Dubbed as a Belly Buster, it comes with 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, and more.
-The biggest banana split…4.55 miles long!
-In Iowa Falls, Iowa…the world’s largest pizza…4,000 pounds of cheese, 700 pounds of sauce and 9,500 sections of crust. (129-by-92 foot pizza, with 50,000-slices)
-The tallest man recorded was Robert Wadlow of Alton, Ill.
Born weighing just over 8 lbs., by age 18 he was the tallest boy scout at 7’4”. By the time he died at age 22 he had grown to 8’ 11”, he had a shoe size of 37.
While the Guinness Book of Records, records many great things…
It does not record one of the greatest things of all times…
Just shy of two thousand years ago, the greatest events in the history of forever took place. It has been said to be the greatest Story every told.
Yet, to most who were even aware of what was happening at the time, it probably seemed insignificant.
In and around Jerusalem, everyone was caught up in the events of Passover. Most were busy preparing to celebrate.
They would celebrate the remembrance of the time in their history that the Children of Israel had been delivered out of Egypt.
They would remember their captivity at the hand of Pharaoh. They would remember the stories of how Moses, their God appointed leader, had told them by God’s command that they were to take a lamb, that they were at an appointed time to kill that lamb…and then they were to take the blood from that slain lamb and put it on the sides and top of the door posts of their homes.
God said that He would send His angel, and that when the angel would come by their door and see the blood from that slain lamb, He would pass over that home and all that were in it…but, where He went and did not see the blood…He would not pass over, but would go in, and kill the first born.
And, just as God had said…He did.
And, the children of Israel…just as they believed God’s Word…they did.
Yet, those that did not believe…did not.
Pharaoh awoke to find his own first born son killed, and there was great mourning among those that had not applied the blood to the posts of their doors…for there were many killed. And the Children of Israel were compelled to leave.
That’s what the Passover celebration for the Jew was all about…their deliverance.
But, this Jesus, this person from Nazareth…To some He was messing up their celebration. They had ignored Him for a couple of years…but, this nobody had lately been creating a small stir.
He had built a small following of people.
Claims were being made about some miracles He had performed.
But, even more than His actions that upset them were His words.
He had said things like…
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19)
That remark didn’t settle well with the Jews, especially the religious leaders.
“Is He making a terrorist threat against the holy temple of God?”
“Will He destroy it and then raise it up in three days…after all the years of money and sacrifice that have been spent to build it?”
“We will not stand for that kind of threat!”
But, worse than His sayings were His claims…
After all at His trial He was asked…
Mark 14:61
But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
And He responded…
Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
This Jesus, this man from Nazareth had gone too far…to claim to be the Son of God, unless you actually were the Son of God, why that was blasphemy!
Mark 14:63
Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
Mark 14:64
Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
And, for His actions, for His claims He must be crucified!
Jesus, being led by Roman soldiers…being followed by an angry, shouting mob, was led to a place called Golgotha.
There, He was laid on a wooden cross, nails…spikes were driven in His hands and spikes were driven in His feet.
And, that cross was raised from the ground, while He hung on it suffering a cruel death.
Mark 15:29
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
Mark 15:30
Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Mark 15:31
Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Mark 15:32
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
Mark 15:33
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Mark 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
…
Mark 15:37
And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus, this one from Nazareth, this nobody…this stirrer of trouble…now He was dead…He would trouble the Jews no more…their Passover celebration could continue.
Coincidentally, at the same time that this Jesus had died, lambs all over Jerusalem had been slaughtered for Passover.
After His death, His body was taken down from the cross. A man had provided his own grave, a tomb, a small cave cut out of a rock, for the body of Jesus. A stone was rolled in front of the opening.
There He would be laid to rest…there He would be anointed with spices. There, His small gathering of followers could mourn, they could put aside their silly notions of all that this One had claimed, they could forget about all that He had done. They could grieve and move on.
There the greatest story that began to be told could end!
But, it wasn’t the end, there was more to the story…more pages to be written.
Mark 16:1
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Mark 16:2
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mark 16:3
And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
Mark 16:4
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Mark 16:5
And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
Mark 16:6
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
A great story with a great cliff hanger…where was Jesus body?!
The greatest story would go on!
Because the greatest story would live on!!
Arise, My Love Lyrics (Newsong)
Not a word was heard at the tomb that day.
Just shuffling of soldiers feet as they guarded the grave.
One day, two days, three days had past.
Could it be that Jesus breathed his last?
Could it be that his Father had forsaken him?
Turned his back on his son, despising our sin.
Oh hell seemed to whisper, "Just forget it, He’s dead."
Then the Father looked down to his son and he said..
Arise, My love.
Arise, My love.
The grave no longer has a hold on you
No more death sting
No more suffering
Arise...Arise...my love.
The Earth trembled and the tomb began to shake, and like lightening from Heaven
The stone was rolled away.
And this dead man the guards they all stood there in fright
As the power of love displayed its might
And suddenly a melody filled the air
Riding wings of wind, it was everywhere
The words of creation had been longing to hear.
The sweet sound of victory, so loud and clear.
Arise, my love.
Arise, my love.
The grave no longer has a hold on you.
No more death sting no more suffering
Arise...arise....
Sin, where are your shackles?
Death, where is your sting?
Hell; has been defeated. The grave will not hold, the king.
Arise, my love.
The greatest story ever told, tells of the greatest thing to have ever taken place!
And, the greatest thing about this story…it the fact that it isn’t a story, or fable…it isn’t fiction but fact!
The greatest story ever told, is the greatest act of love…act of grace and mercy that ever took place!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God…died on the cross!
He took the sin of the world, your sin, my sin…and He bore it in our place…He became sin for us.
And, there as the…
Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
His body was taken from that cross and His body laid in that grave three days dead.
And, on that Easter morning He rose from the dead.
He took back His life having defeated death, having defeated satan, having paid the price of sin in full.
Well, as the greatest story continues, we find there is more to the story…
Mark 16:9
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Mark 16:10
And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
Mark 16:11
And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Mark 16:12
After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
Mark 16:13
And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Even as the greatest story ever told was unfolding, even as the Author who wrote it was delivering it…many had a hard time accepting it…even those that should have recognized fact from fiction.
Oh, but they would come around. After they saw His resurrected body. After they touched His nail scarred hand. After they saw where His side had been pierced by the soldiers spear.
After He stood before them alive and not dead! Oh, they would believe the greatest story. Many of them would die themselves getting out the greatest story.
Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
…
Mark 16:19
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
While the greatest story ever is to be told…the greatest story is to be accepted!
