WHAT WENT THROUGH HIS MIND?
MATTHEW 27:27-50 [EASTER SUNDAY 2016]
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND THE WHOLE DAY HE WAS CRUCIFIED?
Matthew 27:27-31
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS THEY BEAT HIM?
TINA
Tina sat in the chair and had no idea what she was going to do. Tina did the best she could. Her husband of 10 years had recently died and left her as a young widow with three children to raise by herself. She couldn’t be mad at him. It is not like he went and died on purpose. It was an accident and he died. Now she was alone. She spent her days at work trying just to get through the day and then went home to kids who needed more from her than she could give. She picked smoking cigarettes back up which she hadn’t done since high school. Then her co-worker, seeing her in emotional pain, introduced her to synthetic marijuana to help dull the ache of her loss. After the marijuana came beer. Then came hard liquor. Now she was addicted to her grief and to about four other substances that were not helping. Tina sat in the chair and had no idea what she was going to do. The chair Tina was sitting in was in the police station. She had been pulled over for drinking while driving and was now under arrest. How did she get here? Was there any hope? How could she turn her life around now that she had wrecked it so badly? How could she ever forgive herself?
FREDDY
Freddy felt very uncomfortable in the church pew. The pew was made of hard wood and it hurt him to sit on it. The church was an older one and smelled a little bit like old ratty socks. It was the only place open at the moment as it poured down rain. He walked in and sat down. Last night at the track had been a hard one. He had bet the last of his money on what he knew was a winner and it didn’t pan out. He lost all his money. He had already lost his job and his apartment and his car and now the last of his money. He was sure that he would hit the big score at the dog tracks and he could pay back everything and live the good life. It didn’t work out that way. He looked up front of the sanctuary and there were two silver candlesticks. Silver. Silver was money. He could take those candle sticks and sell them and get some money to go back to the dog track and win big. It was his time to win. He could feel it. He walked up slowly to the front of the church. He grabbed both of the silver candlesticks and rushed out of the church. It was his time to score big!
CAIN
There once was a family that had two sons. The oldest boy’s name was Cain. The younger boy’s name was Abel. Abel kept flocks and herds and knew all about animals. Cain worked the soil and was an expert farmer. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the leftover fruits of the soil as an offering to God and his brother Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. God approved of Abel’s sacrifice because he had given the best and disapproved of Cain’s because his offering was leftovers. Cain was very angry. He looked angry. He felt angry. He let anger burn in his soul. One day he couldn’t stand it anymore and Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Cain was glad he killed his brother.
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS THEY BEAT HIM?
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE CARRIED HIS HEAVY CROSS?
Matthew 27:32-37
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
ROBERT
Robert sat in his minister’s office and shook his head with shame. Robert had been a Christian his whole life. He felt like he had never been without Jesus in his life. His parents took him to church every Sunday while he was growing up. All of his friends growing up were in the church. He met his wife, who now sat next to him crying, in the church! They had been high school sweethearts. They were married in the church and continued to come and serve. Somehow over the past two years Robert got involved with pornography. He doesn’t even remember how it happened. Such things were so easy now that smart phones and the internet were in the palm of his hand. All it took was one click. And then another. And then another. He knew it was wrong, but it felt good. It didn’t feel like adultery for so long. It only felt like adultery after his son walked in on him last night watching pornography on his bedroom computer. He didn’t know his son had been standing there behind him and saw so much. His young eyes took it all in. His son ran out of the room and asked his mom questions. There was a fight. Some accusations. Some checking of the history of the computer. Honesty. Tears. Anger. Blame. Resentment. Guilt. All Robert could think was, “I knew better and I still did it.” How could his wife ever forgive him? How would God forgive him since he knew what he did the whole time and chose to do it?
AJ
As AJ laid in his bed with a twinge of pain, he remembered that he had never had any use for religion. He had always thought that people in the church were hypocritical, too focused on getting converts, anti-homosexual, sheltered from the real world, too political, and very judgmental. And that describes the church people he liked. AJ thought back on his life. He had always been a good person. He gave the beggar on the corner money every so often. He never killed anybody. He never stole from work. He’d been faithful to his wife. He drank a little but not too much. He cared for his friends and loved them. He even volunteered at the homeless shelter every winter. He worked hard at his job and he was respected by everyone he worked with. He was a good person. There was no glaring mistakes or outright errors in his life. As AJ laid in his hospital bed with a twinge of pain getting worse and worse, he remembered that he had never had any use for religion… so now why was he scared to die?
GIDEON
Gideon had just defeated the enemies of his homeland with 300 men, trumpets, and jars with torches inside. He served God well and reaped the rewards. God gave him victory. His homeland was safe. His family was safe. People were turning back to worship God again. After his awesome victory, the Israelites said to Gideon one day, "Rule over us-- you, your son and your grandson-- because you have saved us out of the hand of our enemies.” Gideon’s heart swelled with selfish pride. He felt so very important and loved the feeling. He felt like a king… they wanted to treat him like one! He said to the people gathering, "I do have a request that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to 45 pounds of gold not counting ornaments, pendants, purple garments, and chains that were on their camels' necks. Gideon made the gold into a wearable vest which fueled his pride, made his family seek fame, and even some people worshipped it as a god.
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE CARRIED HIS HEAVY CROSS?
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE WAS MOCKED AND SCORNED?
Matthew 27:38-44
Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
MARY
Mary was 17 and just arrived on campus for her first semester of college. It was all so exciting. She was on her own for the first time. Her parents had left her on campus the day before and drove back home. Home. This was now her home. Mary took a look at the campus activities for this entire next week. There were so many options. Monday. She could go to a Bible study at an on-campus ministry or she could go to a mixer and meet some students. She picked the mixer. Tuesday. She could go to a prayer group at a local church her and her family visited or she could go to the economics club meeting and get a jump on some class work. She picked the economics club. Wednesday. She could go to a meal at the local church her and her family visited or she could go to a meal at one of the sororities around the block. She picked the sorority. Thursday. She could go to the large group gathering at an on-campus ministry or she could chill in her room and binge-watch her favorite TV shows. She picked TV. Friday. She could go to the Fifth Quarter Football Party at a local church or she could meet up with people she met at the sorority and go to a fraternity party. She went to the fraternity party. Saturday. Saturday her parents were coming for a visit and she would spend the day with them. Sunday. She could go to church or she could sleep. She chose sleep because it had been a hectic week. At every single opportunity once in college, Mary chose to distance herself from God and God’s people.
PHOEBE
The first husband was no good overall. The second husband was too lazy. The third husband had dreadfully bad breath so she had to get rid of him. He fourth husband was too poor. The fifth husband could not support her emotionally in the way she wished. The man she had now was not her husband, but he would do for the moment. Phoebe was a woman who had a revolving door in her life of relationships with men. Each man she got into a relationship with she married. Yet, none of the marriages seemed to work out. It was all their fault for not being who she needed. They were all so selfish. Each of them had such dreadful problems that it was impossible to stay married to them. Who wants to stay married and be unhappy? It is what it is. Maybe it is time to get married again.
GESMAS
Gesmas hung on the cross because he had stolen repeatedly. Gesmas hung on the cross because he had stolen and hurt someone. Gesmas hung on the cross because he had eventually killed someone. Gesmas was a lifetime criminal and he didn’t feel bad about it before now. Now he was nailed to a cross. One of three. Now he was put up for all to see. One of three. Now he just hung there with the birds circling him waiting for his death. One of three. He looked over and there was a man who was beaten beyond recognition. Idiot. People were riding by and casting curses on Him making fun of Him that He was the Savior. Gesmas used some of his breaths to stay alive a little while longer. Gasmas cursed the man on the middle cross with other breaths. Nothing happened. They all hung there dying. Finally Gesmas said in anger and resentment: “Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" The third man asked, “Don't you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Bah! Death would come to Him soon. Gesmas would die soon as well. Who cares? He had stolen and hurt people and killed.
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE WAS MOCKED AND SCORNED?
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS?
Matthew 27:45-50
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
A-Z LIST OF SINS
Adultery
Abortion
Abusive speech
Binge eating and drinking
Backstabbing
Bitterness
Cheating on a test in school
Critical spirit
Disobeying parents and grandparents
Destruction of property on purpose
Drunkenness
Envy and jealousy
Failure to repent
Foolishness in words and deeds
Greed
Gossip
Homosexual behaviors
Heterosexual behaviors outside God’s designs
Hatred
Idolatry of sports
Ingratitude
Impure thoughts
Jealousy
Lust
Laziness
Lying
Loving evil
Malice
Murder
Not giving to the poor
Not praying
Not reading the Bible
Ouija Board use
Pornography
Pride
Prostitution
Profanity
Rudeness
Robbing God
Selfishness
Slander
Stubbornness
Theft
Unjustified anger
Use of illegal drugs
Unforgiveness
Unteachable spirit
Violence
Wrathful actions
Worry
Workaholism
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS?
THREAD: WHAT WENT THROUGH JESUS’ MIND THE WHOLE DAY HE WAS CRUCIFIED?
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
