Sermon: Written in Red Luke 24:1-9 March 31, 2002 - Easter
I. Introduction
A. Learning about words can be fascinating, educational, and useful in everyday life. I mean
1. “May God bathe you in blood”* (from Liberty Island Newsletter - Wilfred Funk, Word Origins New York: Bell Publishing 1950.)
a) that’s what God bless you really means
b) The word bless is from the Old English bledsian meaning consecrated with blood, redden with blood. A gracious word with a grisly history.
c) So - May God bathe you in blood - Doesn’t kind of make your flesh crawl alittle.
d) The imaginery of it - in fact in ancient times when the church first began meeting Christians were thought of as cannibal for eating flesh and drinking blood
e) Gross huh!
B. Well this morning, this Resurrection morning, may we come to realize to understand the real blessing of being bathed in God’s blood.
II. READ Luke 24:1-9
A. The Women
1. Had been there at the cross
2. Had followed Joseph of Arimethea
a) saw the tomb
b) and how his body was laid
3. Prepared spices and perfumes for burial
a) had to wait until first day of week
(1) stone couldn’t be moved on Sabbath as it would be work
(2) would be considered unclean after touching a dead body
(3) and perhaps they too were a little afraid
(a) john tells us they went to the tomb in the dark - before the dawn
(i) perhaps to miss the authorities
(ii) for their protection
(iii) out of loving devotion
B. Journey to the tomb
1. An unpleasant task - an unpleasant walk
a) the smell of the spices filled their nostrils with the poignance of death and the
b) weight of each grief stricken step brought back a flood of memories -They had been there
(1) Been there at Gethsmane when a kiss betrayed Jesus
(2) been in the courtyards as close as possible during the trial by the liars and deceivers
(3) They had heard the cry of the people as it echoed even now in their heads - crucify him, crucify him
(4) They had heard the crack of the whip, seen the flinch of Jesus’ body as the shards of bone and glass ripped through his body
(5) heard the sound of flesh striking flesh as they watched in horror as Jesus head snapped back at the force of the blow
(6) They had seen the sweat and blood dripping from his brow as the weight of his stumbling steps drove him to the ground under the burden of the cross
(7) They had heard the violent thunderous pound of the hammer as the nails were driven into the gentle hands and feet of their lord
(8) They had experienced the agony on his face as he was lifted up on the cross
(9) The sounds of laughter and mockery reverberated in their minds
(10) AND that cry, no scream as Jesus cried out - My God, My God…
(11) and the hushed resolve of his voice as he murmured “it is finished” - was that love they heard in his voice?
(12) the spear tearing at human flesh
(13) the force of the earth as it quaked in sorrow
(14) the darkness - and the silence……………
2. They had loved Jesus had been devoted to him - caring for his every need and now he was dead
a) the pain of that love kept them at the cross watching that day as the guards roughly lowered Jesus’ limp body from the cross practically tossing his body to Joseph of Arimathea for burial
b) And Joseph’s tender hands as he cradled the lifeless crumble of human flesh
c) they followed Joseph
(1) to the tomb
(2) they had wanted Him to have a proper burial
(3) but they would have to waited for the right moment
3. They trudged heavily on to the tomb wondering how they would ever move the rock. Wondering with fear and doubt whether the guards would even let them near the tomb.
a) The guards had been placed there….but where were the guards????
b) The stone, it was rolled away - what had happened here - Jesus, where was Jesus they women ran to the tomb - their steps quicken by fear and dread of what might have been
c) VERSE 3 -
(1) verb structure “They did not find”
(a) suggest not a casual glance but an active diligent search
(b) they were perplexed,alarmed, dismayed
(c) terrible dread waxed and waned over them
(2) when suddenly two men appeared
d) VERSE 4 and 5
e) then this roller coaster they had been on since Thursday pushed them to a new place - a height that they never could have imagined.
(1) VERSE 6 - 8
C. Jesus words’ revealed
1. then all the miracles
2. all Jesus words made sense
3. as if hearing the words for the first time, all that Jesus had said and done enlightened them with hope, love and joy
a) AND they realized for the first time that the tomb was empty - really empty - I mean really empty
(1) empty of the battle worn body of Jesus
(2) empty of the of the doubts and fears that had haunted them
(3) empty of the this seemingly defeat of death
b) VERSE 11
III. For 2000 Years the tomb has remained empty of death but full of abundant life AND we to are called to answer- “
A. Why do you look for the living among the dead?
1. why do you live as if there is not hope
2. why do you worry and fret over the challenges of this world
3. why do you lack the faith to turn it all over the one true LIVING god.
B. And we too are Called to remember
1. Remember His Blood
a) splattered upon the streets of Golgotha
b) dripping from the thorns of a crown and spear
c) etched into the wood of the cross forever
d) The blood that was freely shed for you and me
(1) I Cor 15:3 - “For what I received I passed on to you as of the first importance that Christ died for our sins
(2) Eph 1:6,7 “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood
2. Called To remember His words and deeds
a) His compassion, His understanding, His love
b) To remember the healings, miracles, blessings and teaching that could have only come from God.
C. To remember tomorrow at work, to remember when your paying bills, to remember when you feel slighted by a friend, to remember when you are arguing with your spouse or children, to remember when you feel alone and unworthy, to remember when life sets you on the roller coaster of trials and tribulations, to remember when you get a speeding ticket, to remember when you have lied, cheated, sinned against God
D. THAT - God so loved YOU that he gave his only begotten son …. THAT God in his infinite kindness and love purchased our freedom through the blood of his son and our sins are forgiven - THAT Jesus shed his blood for YOU! that he has written his love for you in red! -
1. ……how does that make you feel - to know that Jesus bled for you - that the bright red sustenance of his human life flowed from his veins as a gift for you!
IV. Closing:
Several years ago in Oshawa Ontario Canada George and Vera Bajenksi’s lives were changed forever. It was a very normal Thursday morning - February 16, 1989 when at 9:15 AM the phone rang. “There’s been an accident your son, Ben…you better get here quick.”
As George and Vera approached the intersection near where Ben went to High school they could see the flashing lights of police cars and ambulance units. Vera noticed out of the corner of her eye a photographer and she followed the direction of his camera lens to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen. Words choked in her throat as she turned to George as she told him “Ben’s gone home, hom to his Heavenly Father.
She wanted to jump out of that car and somehow collect up all that blood and put it back in her son. “That blood for me, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world because it was life. It was life giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much.”
Th road was dirty and the blood just didn’t belong there. George noticed that cars were driving right through the intersection --- right through the blood. His heart was crushed. He wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry, “You will not drive over the blood of my son!”
Then Vera understood for the first time in her life, one of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths…why blood? Why did Jesus have to die? Because it was the strongest language God could have used. It was the most precious thing he could give ---the highest price he could pay
Through God’s amazing love we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of God’s Son.
“Amazing love! How can it be? That though, My God, shouldst die for me!” (Charles Wesley)
May we always remember! “May God bathe you in blood”
