7 SOILS THAT HAVE SEEN SUCCESS
BETHLEHEM THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER HISTORY
JERUSALEM THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER DEATH
GATHSEMENE THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER SIN
GABADDHA SATAN'S VICTORY OVER THE WORLD -JOHN 19:13
GOLGOTHA THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER SATAN
GRAVEYARD THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER HADES (HELL)
MOUNT OF OLIVES THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER TIME
I. BETHLEHEM- THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER HISTORY
Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
The Little Town of Bethlehem Has a Surprising History
“Bethlehem” means ‘house of bread’
how God had prepared Bethlehem for 1700 years for the birth of His Son, Jesus.
We think of Bethlehem ONLY as the birthplace of Jesus.
BUT … Bethlehem is mentioned 53 times in Scripture.
There are actually 2 BETHLEHEM’s mentioned in the Bible: North and South . North mentioned once in scripture
Bethlehem-Judea wasn’t a large town … YET it was the CENTER of many historical events:
I. RACHEL IS BURIED THERE – Genesis 35:16-19
• This is the FIRST REFERENCE to Bethlehem. Rachel is the wife of Jacob, called Israel, She is the bride of Israel. Rachel is a picture of the JEWS.
DEATH is associated with Bethlehem.
II. RUTH IS REDEEMED THERE – (Ruth 4:10-11)
• Boaz redeemed his bride in Bethlehem. Jesus, born in a manger in Bethlehem, came to redeem His bride … the Church. 1 Peter 1:18-19 – ribbon.
The Great-Grandson of Ruth & Boaz, King David, set up his kingdom … over which his descendent Jesus will one day rule.
REDEMPTION is associated with Bethlehem.
III. DAVID WAS ANOINTED KING THERE – 1 Samuel 16:1,13
• King David was the Great (39 times) Grandfather of Jesus. King David was also born in Bethlehem. This is why Mary & Joseph had to come to Bethlehem to be registered for the tax.
• Jesus came into the world as a King. The Wise Men said: “Where is He that is born, the KING of the Jews?” A few days before His crucifixion, the crowds chanted (Luke 19:38) – “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord:”
Although rejected by the people as their King, He was chosen by God. The people wanted a King to:
The ANOINTING OF A KING is associated with Bethlehem
IV. THE MESSIAH IS PROPHESIED AS COMING FROM THERE – Micah 5:2
• Here we have the prophecy of the birth-place of the Messiah. 2 PICTURES are painted here:
• God chose Bethlehem out of all the towns on the earth. Then … through 1700 years of history … He set the stage for the main event … the birth of His Son, Jesus.
The MESSIAH is associated with Bethlehem.
o Through Rachel … BIRTH & DEATH are associated with Bethlehem.
o Through Ruth … REDEMPTION is associated with Bethlehem.
o Through David … the ANOINTING OF A KING is associated with Bethlehem.
o Through Micah … the MESSIAH is associated with Bethlehem.
God had it all planned out … through 1700 years of history … so we could celebrate the birth of His Son …
II. JERUSALEM- THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER DEATH
John 12:12-19
Jerusalem
• On June 7th, 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunited for the first time since its partition in 1948. On June 14, 1967, the rubble was cleared from the Western Wall Square.
• Once again, the holiest place for all Jews was open, and all were invited to visit. It was estimated that 200,000 Israelis visited the Western Wall, though they had to pass through six police barriers to reach the site.
• Israel faces not only the bias of the entire Arab world, and many in the European Union, it faces unwarranted bias from our own U. S. State Department’s refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
• Jerusalem has been conquered more than 40 times including by the Persians, the Romans, the Ottoman Turks, and the British Empire.
• More than 100 battles have been fought for control of Jerusalem over the course of its history.
• Jerusalem is a walled city: its walls are about 2.5 miles long, 40 feet tall, and 8 feet thick.
• There are 34 watchtowers along Jerusalem’s walls, and there are 7 gates for traffic.
• Municipal law requires all structures to be covered in Jerusalem stone, preserving the historical look of the city.
• Some of the olive trees in Jerusalem are more than 800 years old.
• Neil Armstrong said when he visited Jerusalem, “I am more excited stepping on these stones than I was stepping on the moon.”
WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS SUPPORT JERUSALEM?
1. Because God does! "He claims Jerusalem as His own." (II Chronicles 37:7)
2. Jerusalem is the only city for which God commands us to pray. (Psalm 122:6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!
3. The Holy Scriptures reveals that Zion (Jerusalem) is to be the very seat of the Messiah’s earthly reign. (Zechariah 7:3) And to speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, saying,
4. When we support Jerusalem, we are preparing for our Lord’s coming!
5. When we pray for Jerusalem, we are saying, "Maranatha, come Messiah! "When the Lord shall build up Zion, then shall He appear in His glory!" (Psalm 102:16)
6. Because God’s Word is true! "The Law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)
7. God will bless those who bless Jerusalem! "The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life." (Psalm 128:5)
8. God says we are to comfort Jerusalem. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people saith your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem." (Isaiah 40:1)
9. Because God Almighty has preserved Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem has been leveled to the ground five times. Her people have been carried away captive, yet Jerusalem rises from the rubble because God has ordained it through the centuries! (Amos 9:14-15)
10. God wrote His name in Jerusalem! "I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there." (II Chronicles 6:6)
11. When you stand on God’s Word concerning Jerusalem, you are binding Satan. (Isaiah 14:13, Satan declares he would battle God Almighty from Jerusalem.) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
• Many Jews face Jerusalem, the site of the Temple, every time they pray.
• Yearly, more than a million notes are placed in the Western Wall, Yerushalayim, Hebrew for Jerusalem, contains the word “shalom,” which means peace.
• Jerusalem is named more than 900 times in the Hebrew Bible.
III. GATHSEMENE- THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GOD OVER SIN
The Apostle John writes that Jesus entered a garden (v. 1), but only Matthew and Mark mention the name Mark 14:32-41
Notice the parallels
First Adam Second Adam
The first Adam began life in a garden Christ, the last Adam, came at the end of His life to a garden
the first Adam enjoyed fellowship with God in the garden second Adam goes to a garden to pray, have fellowship with God
In Eden, Adam sinned In Gethsemane, the Savior overcame sin
In Eden, Adam fell In Gethsemane, Jesus conquered
The first Adam disobeyed God in the garden the second Adam obeyed God in the garden.
The first Adam died for his sin the second Adam chooses to die to pay for sin
The first Adam was deceived by Satan the Second Adam crushed Satan’s head
In Eden, Adam hid himself In Gethsemane, our Lord boldly presented Himself
The first Adam was expelled from the garden because of his sin the Second Adam we taken from the garden because of the First Adams sin
In Eden, the sword was drawn In Gethsemane, it was covered
The first Adam was subject to judgment and wrath; the Second Adam willingly and joyfully submitted himself to Fathers wrath
? Scripture says he died on a tree in a garden because sin came into the world by the eating of a tree in a garden and then Jesus was buried in a tomb in a garden (Gal 3:13; Acts 10:37; Luke 23:43)
? So we have creation, the fall, redemption, and now consummation. Jesus tells the thief on the cross, ‘today you will be with me in Paradise (Luk 23:43).’ That word paradise is the same word in the Greek version of the Old Testament for the Garden of Eden.
The two words are interchangeable in Jewish writings. That leads us to the eternal garden found in the last book of the bible, Revelation.
John doesn't tell us anything about the wrestling in prayer that Jesus experienced, so to get a complete picture of the Gethsemane details, we have to turn to the Gospel of Luke and come back to John's narrative for the arrest.
In the Garden, we get a glimpse of the state of our Savior's heart in those final hours of His mortal life on earth.
? For Jesus, the garden of Gethsemane is the “deep breath before the plunge”, the moment when he can clearly see the violently dark clouds of Calvary gathering.
? In many ways, Gethsemane is harder for Jesus than Calvary – these will be the darkest hours of Jesus’ life. The decisive spiritual battle that Jesus came to fight will be fought on Calvary, but it’s Gethsemane where he waits on the edge of a battle he can’t escape that will be most terrifying to his soul.
? in the deep valley of Gethsemane we get one of the clearest views of the highest peaks of God’s love.
Let’s begin by considering the horror of Gethsemane.
I. The horror of Gethsemane (vv. 33-34)
? After the last supper, probably on the walk to the garden of Gethsemane about a ½ mile outside of Jerusalem, Jesus predicts that all the disciples will desert him in the coming hours. He has already predicted that Judas would betray him, now we see that Jesus will face the coming battle alone as he quotes the prophet Zechariah: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered”.
? For Jesus, Gethsemane and Calvary will be lonely places – he will face and fight the battles there alone. In his darkest hour, his closest friends will all abandon him out of fear for their lives.
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II. Considering the lessons of Christ in Gethsemane
But there are some aspects of Gethsemane that are similar to our experience.
a. Like Jesus, we all have dark nights of the soul
? In our lives we will all experience at some point(s) dark nights when the cold winds of fear and despair blow over our soul.
? Times when we experience the loss of a loved one. We live in a fallen world where people are taken from us and there’s nothing we can do to change it.
? We feel betrayed by someone we trusted, or deserted by someone we believed loved us.
? Like Jesus we desperately don’t want what has been given us, but it is inescapable.
a) We can’t change things,
b) we can’t undo what’s been done,
c) we can’t make the sun rise any sooner than it will.
b. Like Jesus, our path is found in obedience to God’s will
In those dark nights of the soul, we can so easily lose our way – feel so disoriented, feel so empty.
c. Like Jesus, our peace is found in honest, passionate prayer
? Jesus prostrated himself – laid down on the ground – and cried out with a loud voice.
? This wasn’t a polite prayer, this was a passionate prayer. Jesus was crying out to God with everything in him.
In Gethsemane, Jesus was praying in such agony that blood mingled with his sweat in a medical condition known as hemitidrosis (heem –i-tid-dro-sis).
? He prayed honestly, asking the Father to remove the cup even though he knew it couldn’t be removed.
? He faces the humiliation, the trial, the mockery, the scourging, and the crucifixion, all with a resolution and calm that is unshakable.
The devil was destroyed at Calvary, but he was defeated in Gethsemane.
Battle was over. Won. Calvary was essential, but it was also now inevitable. Jesus had won, the devil had lost. In a sense, Gethsemane was D-Day for our salvation.
# JESUS PRAYED A LONELY PRAYER.
Jesus withdrew from his friends a stones throw to seek his Father. As private prayer is the key to open Heaven, so is it the key to shut the gates of Hell.
# JESUS PRAYED A SON’S PRAYER.
Jesus began his prayer by saying, “O My Father.” Mark uses the words “Abba, Father.” When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he encouraged them to come to God as Father. As you pray to God in the face of hardship come to him as a child, as an adopted son or daughter of the King.
# JESUS PRAYED A PRAYER OF RESIGNATION.
When Jesus was seeking God he prayed, ‘…not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus put aside his own self-preservation and chose obedience to his Father.
1. v. 32-34 IT WAS A PLACE OF PRESSURE
The name Gethsemane is Aramaic in origin. The word means “Olive Press”. Gethsemane was, and is, a place where olive trees grew and produced their fruit. The olives were collected, placed in a press and the precious olive oil was extracted from the olives under intense pressure.
2.. v. 35-36 IT WAS A PLACE OF PRAYER
Jesus went deeper into Gethsemane to pray. I want to look at His prayer for a few moments today.)
A. The Object Of His Prayer – Jesus prostrated Himself on the ground and began to call on His Father.
a) He addressed Him first as, “Abba”. This is an Aramaic term that is equivalent to our word “daddy”.
b) It is a word of intense intimacy.
c) It was a word used in Jewish households of the day, but it was a word that no Jew would ever use when he was speaking to God.
d) Jesus enjoyed such intimacy with His Father that He felt most comfortable calling Him “Daddy”.
B. The Oppression Of His Prayer – As I mentioned earlier, I think Satan was opposing Him as He prayed. I believe that Jesus was under such intense satanic attack in the garden that He feared He might die right there. It was a time of spiritual oppression like no other man has ever experienced.
C. The Obedience Of His Prayer – As Jesus concluded His prayer, He expressed absolute obedience to the Father’s will.
a) He did not want to be separated from His Father.
b) He did not desire to experience His Father’s wrath.
c) He did not want to become sin, but He was willing to do it because it was the Father’s plan for His life.
The words “I will” and “Thou wilt” let us know that this was a true time of testing for the Saviour.
3. v. 37-41 IT WAS A PLACE OF PRIORITIES
IV. GABBATHA- SATANS VICTORY OVER THE WORLD
In the arrest, trial and death of Jesus Christ there are three place names that each begin with the letter G.
A. The first one, though not named by John, is the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:36 tells us this fact, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsamane and saith unto the disciples, ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.’”
B. From that garden Jesus was betrayed, arrested and brought to trial. When the “trial” was over the judgment was rendered at a place called Gabbatha, in John 19:13.
C. From that place Jesus was taken to the third place that started with the letter G - Golgotha.
The trip from Gethsemane to Golgotha by way of Gabbatha”
Just as the Garden of Gethsemane was a place of preparation and betrayal, so to these two places have truths for us to glean and hopefully apply to our lives.
I. Gabbatha: The Place Of Rejection--19:13-15
A. The Struggle of the Heart in Rejecting Christ - 19:13
It is striking to note that the trial of Christ before Pilate was in seven stages.
1. The First stage was on the outside: John 18:28-32.
2. The Second on the inside: John 18:33-37.
3. Third, on the outside: John 18:38-40.
4. Fourth, inside: John 19:1-3.
5. Fifth, outside: John 19:4-7.
6. Sixth, inside: John 19:8-11.
7. Seventh, outside: John 19:12-16.
3 inside trails and 4 outside trials
God’s use of his number of perfections, seven, is found once again, even in the trial of His Son before men.
V. GABBATHA- SATANS VICTORY OVER THE WORLD Mark 15:22-25 John 19:17 Luke 23:33-49
This passage opens on a hill in Jerusalem called Golgotha “the place of the skull”. I hope that these passages this morning make you squirm just a little in your seat – they certainly make me squirm to read them.
Golgotha
a) it is brutal, bloody, and horrifying place.
b) A place of Pain, Brutality, Torture, and Death
When we come to these passages of scripture they should break our hearts open with grief and should wipe away the pride of our hearts.
The Songwriter put it this way – When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died – my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”
Golgotha is a place on which our lives should break and crumble and where Christ should become all in all.
Look into the shadows of the cross on Golgotha’s hill and find in the shadow of death
Golgotha has never been known as a place of beauty,
THE GREATNESS OF GOLGOTHA
• Three times in the Bible you find the word Golgotha, Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22 and John 19:17. Only once in the Bible do you find the word Calvary in Luke 23:33.
• Both of these words speak of the same place and have the same meaning. Golgotha meaning place of the skull in Hebrew and Calvary meaning the skull in Aramaic.
• This place Golgotha was not a pleasant place. Some say it got its name from its appearance as a skull and some say because it was a place of execution. But regardless of how it obtained its name it will hold a place in the hearts of Christian as a place of greatness
• Some six hundred yards outside the city gate of Jerusalem stands a small rocky elevated knoll. On top of this knoll countless people have been crucified. But the crucifixion of all of those thieves and robbers and murderers means nothing to me. But the once that was crucified there that was guilty of nothing is the one that has affected all man kind.
I. Plants and flowers did not grow on Golgotha, but the Rose of Sharon showed His beauty there.
A. (Song 2:1) I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
II. Golgotha always meant sure death, but to a believer it is the beginning of life
A. Anytime a criminal was sentenced to die by means of crucifixion they knew Golgotha was the place of death
B. And while Jesus did die at Golgotha it was through his death that we could have eternal life
III. Golgotha became a great battleground
A. Although mankind could not see it with the naked eye a great battle was being warred that day on Golgotha
B. The battle between good and evil, the battle for the souls of men
C. Justice and grace met that day on Golgotha
D. Justice demanded payment for sin but Grace paid it all
IV. Golgotha became a place of glory
A. Never in the history of the place had a king visited this place
B. (John 19:21-22) And while the Jews would not accept Him has their king Pilate refused to remove the inscription above the cross
Golgotha: The Place Of Crucifixion--19:16-18
I would like us to notice five very important truths that these three verses teach us about our Lord Jesus Christ. These truths are quite a contrast from what we saw concerning Pilate and the People in the last three verses.
A. He was DELIVERED...unto them--19:16a
Pilate, now that he has made his rejection complete, simply hands Jesus over to the Jews, who then have the Roman soldiers do the dirty work.
Pilate’s act is recorded by the Spirit of prophecy through the Psalmist: "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with that which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood" (Ps. 94:20, 21)!
B. He was LED to that place as a lamb--19:16b - “And they took Jesus, and led him away.”
C. He had LAID on him a wooden cross--19:17a
I’m reminded of the OT type of what happened to Jesus Christ here in John 19:17. It is found in Gen. 22 from the story of God’s test of Abraham in telling him to sacrifice his son of promise, Isaac. In Gen. 22:6
it says, “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.”
Isaac is a type of Christ, and like Christ, Isaac had to bear the wood that he was going to be laid out upon as the sacrifice.
D. He was LIFTED UP between sinners--19:18
This one verse records the fulfillment of at least three Old Testament prophecies.
1. The manner in which the Savior was to die had been clearly foretold.
A thousand years before this He had cried, by the Spirit of prophecy, "they pierced my hands and my feet" (Ps. 22:16); this is indeed most striking.
The Jewish form of capital punishment was stoning. But no word of God can fall to the ground, therefore did Pilate give orders that Christ should be crucified, which was the Roman form of execution, reserved only for the vilest criminals.
2. Isaiah had declared, "He was numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12).
The Jews’ object was to add a final indignity and insult to the Lord; it was a public declaration that He was counted no better than the scum of the earth.
Golgotha, In the Shadow of Death
This cross is a device of unimaginable brutality, torture, and death.
• See Jesus, God in human flesh, hanging from nails driven into His hands and feet –
• see the crown of thorns pressed down on His head –
• see the blood dried and caked on his body from the brutal beatings and scourging that has gone before.
• See the Messiah now bearing the full weight of the sin of the world upon Himself – crying out Eloi, Eloi, Lama
Sabachthani – my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?
The Reality of Forgiveness – Today ... paradise. No sweeter words have ever been spoken.
Here was a man who had squandered his entire life – and with his dying gasps called on Jesus. And into his hopeless condition Jesus spoke these words of hope. Today you will be with me in paradise.
By one rejected with eternal consequences – by one accepted with paradise to gain.
No outward changes took place in this mans life – but eternal changes washed over him in a moment. In a matter of minutes he would understand the reality of forgiveness.
The crucifixion is an event that deserves a closer look.
The procedure of crucifixion may be summarized as follows.
? The Cross was put on the ground and the victim laid upon it.
? Nails, about 7 inches long and with a diameter of roughly 3/8 of an inch)
? were driven in the wrists. The points would go into the vicinity of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain to radiate through the arms. It was possible to place the nails between the bones so that no bones fractured.
? When the cross was erected upright, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints.
• The arms, being held up and outward, held the rib cage in a fixed end inspiratory position which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. The victim would only be able to take very shallow breaths.
From 9 o clock in the morning to 3 o clock in the afternoon, Jesus hang in the burning middle east hot sun, mocked by men and forsaken by God, for it was Jesus who cried , My God my God , why has thou forsaken me, they give him vinegar mixed with gar , which would release his pain, but Jesus refused it.
The angels were silent on Calvary
God the father was silent in Calvary
The heavens were silent in Calvary
Disciples were chased out from Calvary
He had nothing for last 15 hours
He was bleeding from all over body
His hearts probably began to fail
His lungs began to fail
Jesus said : I am thirsty because his body was not carry out enough fluid
Withing few minutes of being placed on cross Jesus shoulders were dislocated
He was covered in blood and sweat
His oxygen level began to fail
His blood carbondyoxide began to fail
Respiratory began to fail
He was not able to produce more oxygen
Jesus heartbeat faster and faster
For six long hours, he spends between heaven and hell, the only begotten lamp of god, suffered the hell of pain on the cross
After 6 hours of being alone, it was him that he lifted up his voice with last breath of triumphant victory and screamed to the third heavens, IT IS FINISHED and he bowed his head and died.
The Cross has made us free, free forever
We are free from fear
We are free from guilt of the past (some of you are mastered by that)
We are free from sickness and decease
We are free from poverty and loneliness
We are free from depression
We are free from rejection
Who the son sets free, he is free indeed, we are free people in Jesus name amen
There is a healer in this house today, who had captured sickness in Golgotha
Blood of Christ is the only way to salvation.
People say all the roads leads to heaven. That’s wrong. There is only one way to heaven and Jesus marked it with his blood.
What can wash away my sin: - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again: - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow
No other fountain I know, : nothing but the blood of Jesus
Give the Lord a praise in the house of Lord
Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe, sin has left of scrims and stains, but Jesus washed us white as snow. Give a big halleluiah for the cross of Jesus
• At Golgotha, the lamp was lead to the slaughter, the scrims and stain of blood tickled from that cross to the every book of the new testament, the book of acts, books of Romans, 1st Corinthians, and second Corinthians, galations, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and second timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd peter, 1st2nd3rd john and book of John
If you will receive Jesus as your Savior, Calvary becomes your salvation.
If you refuse to believe in Jesus, choosing your sins, your ways and your will over His, then Calvary becomes your damnation.
• The cross of Calvary is the dividing line of humanity! On one side stand the redeemed; those who have trusted Jesus and are saved by grace. That crowd is going to Heaven.
• On the other side stand those who refuse to bow to Him. This is the crowd that is headed to Hell. They are lost!
If you are on the side of the redeemed, you should rejoice because God has been gracious to you, calling you out of sin and saving you by His grace.
If you are lost, you should heed His call and come to Jesus today. He will save you, if you will come to Him! It’s not too late to change sides!
VI. GRAVEYARD- THE VICTORY OF THE SON OF GODS OVER HADE
Grace in the graveyard
We all love good news
I.THE GOOD NEWS IS: DEATH HAS MET ITS MATCH!
A. Jesus was dead.
1. The disciples understood that.
2. Experts checked that.
3. The Roman executioners knew when a body was lifeless.
4. He was placed in a tomb, the tomb was sealed and a guard set.
5. It seemed that death had stolen the victory!
B. But Satan's schemes and man's devices could not hold Him in the grave.
1. The devil could not defeat Him.
2. Death could not hold Him.
3. The Tomb could not contain Him.
4. Death met its match!
II. THE GOOD NEWS IS: FEAR HAS BEEN VANQUISHED
A. When Jesus died, the disciples became a frightened, disoriented lot.
B. The disciples were filled with fear! But Jesus stood in their midst.
III. THE GOOD NEWS IS: HOPE HAS BEEN REBORN
B. The Resurrection gives hope because:
1. Hope of forgiveness of sin and reconciliation to God
2. Hope of meaning and purpose in this world.
3. Hope of resurrection to eternal life.
4. Hope of reunion with loved ones gone on in Christ.
5. Hope of seeing Jesus Christ Himself in all His Glory.
6. Hope of living in a new world devoid of all the trauma and trouble of this world.
The Bible mentions four times that Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb.
It belonged to a rich man named Joseph from the city of Arimathea. He was a prominent figure in local society because besides being rich, he was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious body.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John combine to tell us the story. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
When they took Jesus down from the cross, his body was in bad shape. It bore all the marks of the abuse he had suffered.
He was covered with blood, there was a hole in his side, his face was horribly disfigured, and skin hung from his back in tatters.
Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped the body in strips of linen cloth. Then they sprinkled about 80 pounds of spices throughout the linen strips.. That was how the Jews embalmed their dead.
The two men--secret disciples--carry the dead body of Jesus to the tomb. Close behind are Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, weeping.
They laid the body of Jesus on a ledge and turned to go. When they got outside, Joseph and Nicodemus rolled a great stone over the entrance. The women sat by the side watching.
Then Joseph and Nicodemus left and the two Marys left as darkness fell on the garden cemetery.
Inside the tomb . . . silence.
The smell of death was everywhere.
Silent Saturday
The Bible says very little about that Saturday. We know about Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but of that Saturday in between, we know almost nothing. At some point the Romans put a seal on the stone to keep people out of the tomb.
Luke summarizes that day very simply: "And on the Sabbath they rested."
Sunrise Surprise
But of Sunday, the Bible is very clear.
Matthew says, "Late on the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week."
Mark says, "Very early on the first day of the week."
Luke says, "On the first day of the week, at early dawn."
John says, "Now on the first day of the week . . . Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb."
The women came to anoint the body of Jesus. They weren't expecting a resurrection. That was the farthest thing from their minds. But to their shock and surprise and utter confusion, when they got to the tomb, the seal was broken, the guards had disappeared, and the tomb was empty.
What had happened? No one could say for sure.
Two angels stood beside them and uttered two of the most powerful sentences in the Bible: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5-6). Mary ran and found Peter and John. Despite what the angels had said, she didn't believe it at first. After the horrific events on Friday, it was impossible to imagine Jesus coming back from the dead.
When they got the news, Peter and John ran to the tomb. John got there first, but Peter went inside.
An Empty Cocoon
The Bible tell us what he found (John 20:6-7). When Peter entered the tomb, he saw the linen cloth lying there, and the head cloth wrapped by itself. I think it means the linens were like an empty shell, as if whoever had been inside had simply passed right through them, like a cocoon after the butterfly has flown away.
Then Mary met Jesus . . . alive from the dead.
Then two disciples on the road to Emmaus met Jesus . . . alive from the dead.
Then the apostles met Jesus . . . alive from the dead.
Then doubting Thomas met Jesus . . . alive from the dead.
Then 500 people at one time met Jesus . . . alive from the dead.
The message went out: He's Alive!
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Fifty days after the resurrection of Christ, Peter stood to preach in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-41). He preached to the very people who had crucified Jesus. His blood was on their hands.
In that sermon he said these words:
You nailed Jesus of Nazareth to a cross and put him to death. But God raises him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior.
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord.
Up from the grave he arose
With a mighty triumph o'er his foes.
He arose a victor o'er the dark domain.
And he lives forever with his saints to reign.
He arose, He arose. Hallelujah! Christ arose.
There's good news from the graveyard today:
Good news that the tomb is empty.
Good news that Jesus rose from the dead.
Good news that the Devil couldn't hold him.
Good news that death has lost its sting.
Good news that the grave has lost its victory.
Good news that we need not fear death anymore.
There’s a reason the Bible says, “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
Death will not have the last word. We think we are going from the land of the living to the land of the dying. No! We are going from the land of the dying to the land of the living!
You can have eternal life.
You can know your sins are forgiven.
You can have victory on the last battlefield.
Does the resurrection affect you?
A. The earth felt the effects
"Suddenly there was a violent earthquake" (Matt. 28:2). It shook.
B. The angel felt the effects
". . . an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached [the tomb]. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow" (Matt. 28:2-3).
C. The guards felt the effects
"The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men" (Matt. 28:4)..
D. The women felt the effects
"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb" (Matt. 28:1)
VII. Does the resurrection touch you?
Mount of olives
The Mount of Olives is mentioned several times in scripture, mostly in the New Testament
The Mount of Olives was a significant place.
It was a place where Jesus enjoyed to spend time.
He rested there,
He prayed there,
He spent time with his disciples there,
He was anointed there by Mary. Olives are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and this was a place that flowed with spirit, and was filled with the light of God.
It is the place where Jesus preached his "Sermon on the Mount." It is the place of many familiar teachings. It is the traditional site for Jesus' ascension back into heaven. It is the place where Jesus stood and viewed all Jerusalem in front of him and the bible says Jesus wept over the city.
There is so much significance about what happens on the Mount of Olives, including that this is where Jesus tells us about his Second Coming. Matthew 24:3 “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when these things will be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
Conclusion:-
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES—YOUR REJECTION OF HIM AND HIS REDEMPTION OF YOU
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES—THE PLACE OF GOD’S COMING, GOING, AND COMING AGAIN
The belief that the Kidron Valley is the future Valley of Jehoshaphat (“The Lord Judges”), where God will judge humanity (Joel 3:2, 12), has inspired thousands of Jews to make their graves on the adjacent slopes. The world’s largest Jewish cemetery spreads across the Mount of Olives,
