The Cost of the Tomb
SLIDE: #1 Matthew 27: 45-46; 50
Today…Is Easter and we are here to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
By tradition...when people think of Jesus…They see a man…who lived a sinless life.
A man who was nailed to a cross…then left to die a cruel death
Three days later were told that He arose and returned to His Father…and because of that…we have the opportunity to accept Him as our personal Savior.
It’s because of the cross… that we are able to understand the difference between the cost of it…and the loss because of it.
From the time each one of us has been born…we are taught that to receive something in life…you must pay for it.
And even understanding that a person’s salvation is received by freedom of choice…the cost that was paid for it holds- great value.
Read Matthew 27: 45-46; 50.
This morning we are going to address 3 different prices that were paid in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The first price that was paid was…
Slide #2 30 Pieces of Silver
What is one of the only things in life that has the power to make a man betray another? (MONEY).
Still today it’s because of money… that separation is always found between God and Man.
Read Matthew 26:14-16…
Money…why does it have such a tight grip on us…what’s so special about it that it controls our thoughts…our desires…and our actions?
Any time you allow money to make the decisions you make in life…be ready for trouble.
I mentioned last week that we live in a very materialistic driven society.
A society that feels inadequate unless they hold in their possession the latest and greatest gadgets and toys.
It is true…these gadgets are amazing.
It’s hard to believe that we live in a time…with the help from the world-wide web…we can not only check the weather report clear on the other side of the world.
But we also have the ability to pull up an electronic bible right here on your cell phones. (anyone here)
Living in a society that has such and easy access to money is both a blessing and a curse.
There not one place that you go where spending money is not necessary.
I believe every one of us here today spent money to get here…Car…Gas is 3.89 per gallon.
How many of us are planning on taking a vacation this year?
It takes money to do almost anything today.
But what I have a hard time understanding about money is this…
What was so important about it… that made Judas accepted the bribe offered by the religious leaders to sell out his Savior?
Seriously…how many things would he be able to buy with 30 pieces of silver?
In his day there was no internet…no automobiles…no drive thru restaurants…no cell phones and no Wal-Mart’s.
Jesus had personally taught Judas the last three years the value of life…not the value of $...
And still Judas chose to throw away three years of one on one training by the master…for a few quickly spent coins.
As we read in Matthew 26:14-16…he got his paycheck…but he had to live with regret the remainder of his life.
Read Matthew 26:47-50 (Betrayal and Arrest)
The prophecy was being fulfilled…the road to the cross was being paved…Just as God had planned.
Matthew 27:3-5…Read…….
All for 30 pieces of greed…I mean silver.
The next price of the Tomb is seen in His burial
Slide #3 The Burial
Read John 19:38-42…here we read about Joseph and Nicodemus…
Both these men were known for their positions they held on the Jewish high counsel.
Both these men secretly believed in Jesus. ..But both also were afraid to make this known because of the positions they held in the Jewish community.
Both these men had much to lose if the truth were to get out about their secret belief in Jesus.
Persecution in those days often ended up in public embarrassment or worse yet death.
If found the religious leaders would have found out about their devotion to Jesus…they would be asked to step down from their positions.
It is true that both these men made a sacrifice to Jesus…
But when you love something of great value…you cannot put a price or value on it.
Joseph of Arimathea
Up to this point…Joseph had been afraid to publically speak against the religious leaders who opposed Jesus.
But here He showed his true character by courageously asking Pilate if he could take the body of Jesus down from the cross and give Him a proper burial.
Joseph showed tremendous sacrifice by allowing Jesus to be buried in his own personal tomb.
This tomb was located in a garden close to Golgotha where Jesus had been crucified.
Nicodemus… “the one known for secretly seeking out Jesus at night”.
He had personally bought about 75 lbs of myrrh and aloe ointment.
After Joseph and Nicodemus had carried Jesus body into the tomb…they used these fragrances to help in the embalming of the body.
Both these men had much to lose…yet both were willing to allow all they had to be lost…just to serve Jesus in a special way.
What special way are you currently serving Jesus in today?
How many of us here today are like Joseph and Nicodemus… secret about our belief in Jesus?
Are you hiding your faith from your family…your friends…from your co-workers?
There is not a better day that I can think of than today (Easter Sunday)…to step out of hiding and make your relationship known to the world.
The final price of the Tomb was expensive…its personal…it was paid for with…
Slide#4 Jesus Life
Were responsible (Matt. 27:15-26)
Here we read where Pilate makes a very profound statement… 24)
“he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood, see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
For centuries mankind’s sin has plagued generation after generation.
Because sin was introduce in the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve.
Today we stand here facing a choice…a choice of living for eternity with the Father.
Or we chose death…living for eternity with Satan…
The whole reason we are all gathered here today on Easter Sunday 2012…Is because God allowed his one and only Son to become a sacrifice for your sin.
This day was meant to be a celebration…The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
Slide #5 Read Matthew 28:1-7
On Friday night…Nicodemus and Joseph quickly took Jesus Body to the Tomb because the Sabbath on Saturday was quickly approaching.
The Sabbath had two purposes.
First it was a time to rest and second a time to remember what God had done.
Still today we too need rest.
Without us taking time out from the Hustle and bustle…life can lose its meaning…we lose what’s important.
Remember what our Lord did on the first day of the week.
On Easter Sunday…Jesus rose from the grave…
No longer are we left with the burden of carrying our own sin.
Slide #6
It’s a simple plan to have a forgiven life.
Romans 3:23 … “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 6:23… “For the wages (Payment) of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
Romans 5:8… “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 10:9… “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
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