HE GAVE
Luke 23:44-49
STORY (p)
Once upon a time, there was a big fluffy rabbit with two big ears and a huge fluffy tale. A cute rabbit. An innocent rabbit. Normal in every respect except it was the hugest rabbit that anyone has ever seen. Biggest eyes anyone had ever seen. Biggest feet anyone had ever seen. A big ol’ rabbit. This rabbit decided to take a walk down the street of his town. It was a nice day for a walk.
The rabbit started down the street and was enjoying his walk. He greeted his neighbors and they greeted him. He got to the end of his block and the neighbor that lived closest to him was sitting in his front yard… just sitting there in the grass looking dejected and sad. “What is the matter neighbor?” the big ol’ rabbit asked.
The neighbor looked up with sadness. “I have had a run of bad luck. Now I know it was my own fault. My wife left me. My children don’t like me. My truck broke down. Even my dog died. Yes my life is a sad country music song.” Now as the neighbor was telling the tale of his woes and bad luck, he began to get a small smile on his face.
“Gosh,” the rabbit said in response, “I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Well,” the neighbor said getting up on his feet and eyeing the rabbit’s feet, “you know rabbit’s feet bring good luck. Everybody knows you are the biggest rabbit ever and so the good luck one of your feet would bring me is worth two lifetimes.”
The rabbit stared.
The neighbor stared.
“Yes I will.”
With that, the neighbor cut off one of the rabbit’s feet and reveled in his newfound luck. He went back in his house as happy as he could be leaving the three-legged rabbit in his front yard. The rabbit hopped on three legs down the street and continued his walk through the town. More neighbors saw him and greeted the ol’ rabbit.
The rabbit got a few blocks down the street and some other neighbors were on their porch. They were crying and trying to console one another. “What is the matter neighbors?” the big ol’ rabbit asked.
The neighbors looked up with tears in their eyes. “Our roof is leaky. Every time it rains the water leaks into our house and drives us crazy! We cannot fix our roof. It drizzles. It drips. It drops. A big rain is coming tomorrow and we don’t know what to do!” Now as the neighbors were explaining about their roof, they began to get small smiles on their faces.
“Gosh,” the rabbit said in response, “I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Well,” the neighbors said getting up on their feet and eyeing the rabbit’s ears, “you know your ears are the biggest rabbit ears ever. One ear could cover the front of our roof and the other ear could cover the back of our roof. We could cover our roof with your ears and our roof would not leak.”
The rabbit stared.
The neighbors stared.
“Yes I will.”
With that, the neighbors cut off both of the rabbit’s ears and immediately slung them over their home to cover the leaks in their roof. They went back in their house happy as could be leaving the three-legged no-eared rabbit in their front yard. The rabbit hopped on and continued his walk through the town. More neighbors saw him and greeted the ol’ rabbit though some began to stare.
The rabbit continued his leisurely walk down the street though now it was much more difficult. The rabbit slowly went down the street and came to another townsperson at their mailbox. She was getting her mail and was just shaking her head in despair. “What is the matter neighbor?” the big ol’ rabbit asked.
The neighbor looked up with sadness. “I have a cleaning business to run and I just don’t make enough to pay my bills. I could work harder, but that would not help. I am just stuck and just can’t run my business in a way that is profitable. My bills are all coming due and I cannot pay.” Now as the woman was telling the tale of her business woes, she began to get a small smile on her face. “Gosh,” the rabbit said in response, “I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Well,” the woman said coming around her mailbox to the wounded ol’ rabbit, “you know you are the biggest rabbit anyone has ever seen and your bushy tale is the biggest and bushiest. I could use your tale to clean lickety-split and my business would be profitable.”
The rabbit stared.
The woman stared.
“Yes I will.”
With that, the woman cut off the rabbit’s big bushy tale and went back into her house happy as could be planning how she might expand her cleaning business. The rabbit hopped on and continued his walk through the town but was dragging along now more than hopping and was moving very slow. More townspeople saw him and greeted the ol’ rabbit though some began to stare and many pointed. Some shook their heads.
Arriving at a crossroad the rabbit was waiting for the light to change so he could cross and continue his journey though it was becoming more and more difficult to hop or move. As the big ol’ rabbit was waiting for the light to change, a young girl walked up beside him and was waiting as well. They stood. They waited. They both had to cross the busy street. She was shivering for she had no coat. The girl looked at the rabbit and eyed the warm fur. The rabbit looked at the girl and noticed her shivering.
The rabbit stared.
The girl stared.
“Yes I will.”
With that, the girl skinned the rabbit and took the rabbit’s skin for a coat. The light changed. She walked on and crossed the road not shivering. The rabbit was left at the crossroad. He could just barely move and so had to wait for the next light to change. People walked by and saw the skinned rabbit. Many ran quickly past. Some ignored him completely. Others shielded their children’s eyes. Some felt sick at his appearance. Some were offended. The light changed and the rabbit slowly moved across the road and continued on his journey.
The skinned rabbit was slowly limping and sliding along the sidewalk when he heard some steps behind him. He turned as best he could and saw a whole family walking behind him. The ol’ rabbit hopped forward and the family would follow. The dad looked haggard. The mother’s face was sunken in because she had not eaten. The son and daughter looked like they had not eaten in awhile and needed a good meal. The ol’ rabbit hopped forward and the family would follow. The rabbit turned a corner. The family turned the corner as well and followed. The rabbit turned to face the family.
The rabbit stared.
The family stared.
“Yes I will.”
With that, the family killed the rabbit and took him home, cooked him, ate, and had their fill.
The End.
REFLECTION ON THE STORY
As we think about this story, there are several questions that come up that need to be answered.
1. What kind of story is that?
It doesn’t make any sense what so ever. The story is about some big rabbit walking down the street being taken advantage of by people of the town. The rabbit is talking. The rabbit loses parts of itself and continues on. The rabbit never went home and just kept going. The whole story really doesn’t make any sense if you think about it.
2. Why was the rabbit willing to give and give?
The rabbit gave his foot, his ears, his tail, his skin, and his very life. Most of the trouble the townspeople were in was of their own making. The rabbit had what they needed, but there is no explanation in the story why there was willingness on the part of the rabbit to give parts of himself and eventually give his life. For this particular story, there is no answer for the willingness of the rabbit to give so much. We see the giving, but there is no explanation.
3. What did the rabbit provide?
This is one question that is easily answered when we think about the story and out of all the questions we can answer this one. The rabbit’s foot provided favor. The rabbit’s ears provided protection. The rabbit’s tail cleaned. The rabbit’s skin covered. The rabbit’s meat fed hungry bellies.
TRANSITION
Let me tell you another story. This is not a fictional story, but rather the most important true story you will ever hear. It is true. It is meaningful. It is a story that bears weight on our souls. It is the story each one of us needs to share with those we love. It is the story each one of us need to share with those we hate. It is the story each one of us need to share with those we know. It is the story each one of us need to share with those we don’t know. This is the most important story you will ever hear.
STORY OF JESUS
Once upon a time there was God. It was this love that motivated Him to create us in the first place even though He knew beforehand we would do wrong (sin) and turn away from Him. He loves us much more than we deserve with an unconditional everlasting love. It was this love which moved Him to be willing to forgive sin. In order to forgive sin once and for all, God decided to Earth Himself and fix the problem of people’s guilt and lost-ness. God on Earth is Jesus Christ. God emptied Himself of all that He had in Heaven and was born as a human being. He lived an absolutely perfect moral life. Sinless. Obedient to God. At a predetermined time, He allowed Himself to be betrayed and wrongfully arrested. He allowed Himself to be mistreated.
There are four books in the Bible which record the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth from four complementary perspectives. Let’s read this morning a portion of each of the Gospels about what happened to Jesus Christ.
READ MATTHEW 27:27-30
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.”
READ MARK 15:20-24
“And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.”
READ LUKE 23:44-49
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”
READ JOHN 19:31-35
“Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness- his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth- that you also may believe.”
REFLECTION ON THE STORY
As we think about this story, there are several questions that come up that need to be answered. To be consistent and fair, they are the same questions we asked of the other story.
1. What kind of story is that?
This story doesn’t make much sense whatsoever. There are so many questions when we think about the story of Jesus Christ. Why would God come to Earth and part of it? Why would God send Himself here to save us? Why be a baby? Why would Jesus willingly die for all of us? Why would He not come off the cross and show who He really was? The answer to these questions all come down to one word: Love. God loves you with an unconditional eternal love and desires you to accept Jesus’ substitutionary death for you that you might be with Him in Heaven forever.
2. Why was Jesus Christ willing to give and give?
Jesus Christ gave up Heaven to be on Earth for us. Jesus gave of His time to teach and preach. Jesus gave His compassion. Jesus gave of His power and healed and did many miracles. Jesus gave Himself over to the plan God had in place. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. Why did Jesus give and give? Jesus gave and gave because Jesus was and is the only plan for you and I to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God and He was obedient to God.
3. What did Jesus provide?
Oddly enough, Jesus provides the same thing as the rabbit in our story at the beginning.
Jesus provides favor with God.
Jesus provides protection for our souls.
Jesus provides a clean heart.
Jesus provides covering over our sin.
Jesus provides eternal food for our souls.
CONCLUSION: Jesus Gave Everything For You to Save You.
I want to review one of the parts of the story of Jesus that we read earlier.
RE-READ LUKE 23:44-48
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
CONCLUSION: Jesus Gave Everything For You to Save You.
Before you breathe your last, won’t you commit your spirit to Jesus?
Won’t you trust that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God?
Please understand that everyone has done wrong and is in need of saving.
Jesus Christ is the only plan of salvation for our souls.
CONCLUSION: Jesus Gave Everything For You to Save You.
