Last week's message addressed The Anointing, The Entrance, The Garden, and the Betrayal, known as the beginning of the Holy Week, The Journey to the cross. Gave us a clear picture of Jesus as not only our Savior but also as a human. Now let us encounter this topic today From Calvary to Victory, and in this phase of Jesus's path is the Trial to the Cross to Silence Saturday and the Victory. Each stage in Holy Week holds a vital key to fulfilling the prophecy, but also know each plays a crucial part in our lives today. See when we think about our Savior and how he accepted the steps in his life from birth to the cross. There is a question I must ask everyone this morning - Could you face such a week knowing all that you must endure to gain Victory? Let us ponder this question throughout the message for the key points this morning:
1. THE TRIAL
2. THE CROSS
3. THE GRAVE
4. THE RESURRECTION
As we begin this journey in the Life of our Savior Jesus Christ, we must place ourselves in Jesus' position through it all. And to be accurate, we would not even think of making such a sacrifice.
The Trial
Let us address The Trial; many years ago, I wrote a play that allowed me to set the stage in a Judicial Courtroom where the District Attorney is the High Priest, and the opening statement is the question, ARE YOU THE CHRIST? Church let us visualize such a trial when Jesus was blindfolded and mocked, then questioned by the Sadducees and Pharisees who could not put him to death themselves under the law of Rome. Taken the first time before, Pilate was not found guilty of anything against the Laws of Rome. Yet in Matthew 27: 13 & 18 and Mark 15:4 & 10, Pilate is already suspicious of the Jewish Leader's motive behind the accusations against Jesus. Therefore, because the Jewish leaders persisted that Jesus had stirred up a mess, Pilate sent Jesus to King Herod Antipas, who was visiting Jerusalem for the Passover.
Let's be honest. The scriptures show that even King Herod did not want to be a part of this confusion, which could cause conflict for him with Rome. So, he dismissed Jesus and sent him back to stand before Pilate. Church, let us look at the Trial in today's times. How many times have false accusations been brought up against you? And you feel so confused and overwhelmed that you are unsure how to take these accusations.
Well, let us be frank Jesus was placed in the same place. Even when questioned, he answered honestly, and they still did not believe him or accept his answers. See Jeremiah 31: 31-33; the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Here is the application Christians must take communion to commemorate the atoning death of Christ from this trial; so that we can anticipate his glorious return. This prophecy of the New Covenant is proclaimed from the Lord; therefore, even in the chaotic mess in the trial of Jesus, there is Power in the Trial because of the Atonement of us all.
The Cross
Now let us look at the voyage to Calvary, which clearly explains the Crucifixion. Now allow me to paint the biblical picture of Christ walking to Calvary. First, we must understand he had been up all night in trial after trial. He was mocked, abused, whipped, and then forced to carry his cross on the rugged road to Calvary. Understand that to the people, Jesus was supposed to overturn the government and become the new king. He was supposed to rescue the people from their enemies. Also, his followers and friends ran into hiding, except for a few who fought for him at the trial. Jesus then willingly laid down on the cross to be nailed to the cross. Church, can you lay yourself down for anyone without question? And I am not talking about our family and close friends; I am talking about a complete stranger. See, it is that sacrifice that we make that displays the application of the cross. The Power at Calvary is from the words he spoke are now called the seven last words:
1. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. – God’s Forgiveness
2. Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. – Eternal Salvation
3. Woman, behold, thy son! Behold, thy mother! Relationship Restoration
4. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? -Lord, are you there
5. I thirst. – My Soul is thirsty
6. It is finished. Let it Go
7. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Look at it this way. It’s 11:59 a.m. and 59 seconds, and Jesus is ready to commit unto the Father in heaven so that all mankind can have the Great Reunion with the Lord. Nevertheless, Jesus saving us is the essential key, but we also need to face that many of us need to establish a reunion with the Lord, not just from the sins within this world but from the fact that the act of Love was given. Therefore, Calvary brings about One Love, One Blood, One Heart, One Drum, One Rhythm, One Child, One Life, One Time, One Jesus, One Mind, and One Voice.
Furthermore, we must realize that Jesus' journey to Calvary was just a hill, but the crucifixion made a mountain of difference in all our lives. Let me put it this way in the illustration; An older man took his small grandson on a trip to what was called home. As they traveled, the little boy was fascinated with the beautiful highway with the colorful cars and signs and even began to count the lines. But when Grandpa turned from the smooth road onto a rugged road, an old dirt road was not easy to travel. This difficult road weighed you down. It even made you stumble over the obstacles on the road. So, the little boy looked up to his grandpa and asked why we were traveling on this old dirt road rather than the pretty excellent road. The man looked up on the hill, and on the top of that hill stood all forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph, and reunion for all mankind, for on that hill was where our Jesus was crucified.
The Grave
Therefore, we are now coming to the moment after they removed our Lord and Savior and placed him in a borrowed tomb, The Grave. Matthew 27:57-61 gives the account of Jesus being taken down from the cross and placed in a borrowed tomb of Joseph the rich man. Now understand that in Pilate's position, he had the authority to deny that Jesus' body be placed in a tomb, but Pilate showed compassion unto them. See, The Bible is silent about what the other disciples did on that Saturday after the crucifixion of Christ. According to the Law of God, it was said to rest on this day, but it is called Silent Saturday for the Holy Week. Now here comes the application of the prophecy, for on that Saturday, the sting of death was given unto Jesus Christ for the reward of Eternal Life. So, we no longer have to hide our Salvation; we have no Fear, for we have gained, Eternal life through the rejuvenation of Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection
We have witnessed the trial, the cross, and the silence. It is now time to rejoice in the resurrection. See, the background of the tomb is when the Jewish leaders went back to Pilate to place guards at the grave because they remembered when Jesus told them this temple could be destroyed, but in 3 days, it will rise again. Yet the prophecy of God is confirmed in Matthew 28:1-7 with the account of when they went to the tomb; he was not there. So, for now, it was proclaimed that HE IS RISEN! JESUS IS RISEN! He is not in the tomb, and Death did not have victory; JESUS HAS ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS! See, Church, we now have the Great Reunion in the resurrection of Jesus. So, we can turn to that old hymn ON CHRIST, THE SOLID ROCK I STAND! When life's roads get hard and rugged, brothers and sisters, we are at a crossroads in our spiritual walk because of Calvary; we have SALVATION and REDEMPTION. For in the Resurrection, there is our Joy! There is our Peace! There is our Refuge! There is our Strong Tower! There is our Shield of Protection! There is our Strength! So where can you go but to the Rock we call Jesus.
