The Day God Died Series

Introduction

A. I want to begin with a true story about a girl named Donna and a boy named Felipe.

1. Donna Ashlock and Felipe Graza were high school freshman in a small farming community near San Francisco.

2. Felipe was infatuated with Donna and considered her his girlfriend.

3. He would often go by the hamburger place where she worked to try to get her attention with small talk.

4. Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed and the feelings weren’t mutual – she actually considered someone else her boyfriend.

B. In December of 1985, Donna was diagnosed with a serious heart problem and needed a heart transplant or she would die in a matter of weeks.

1. When Felipe learned of Donna’s condition, he casually told his mother, “I’m going to die so that I can give my heart to my girlfriend.”

2. Since the 15 year-old boy seemed to be in perfectly good health, his parents regarded his statement as nothing more than his having a heart of sympathy for Donna.

3. They had no idea that Felipe had been experiencing some severe headaches.

4. Within a month, a blood vessel burst in Felipe’s head and he was brain dead by the time he reached the hospital.

5. His family honored his wishes by donating his heart to the young girl he loved.

C. Donna received Felipe’s heart, returned to school and continued to work at the restaurant.

1. The story of Felipe’s premonition and gift caught national attention and Donna got to meet famous people, like President Reagan and Michael Jackson.

2. Donna’s goal was to become a nurse so that she could use her life to help others.

D. Sadly, Donna died in March of 1989, a little over three years after receiving the heart transplant.

1. The arch-enemy of transplant cases is what killed her – rejection.

2. Her body’s immune system rejected the tissue that was not her own, thus rejecting the only thing that could save her.

3. Donna’s rejection of Felipe’s heart was a physical problem and it was not by her choice.

E. Let’s make a spiritual parallel.

1. Each one of us has a terminal disease called sin, but there is a remedy for our condition.

2. Jesus voluntarily died so that we could live through a transplant of His righteousness.

3. Without the forgiveness that comes through the blood of Jesus, all of us will die.

4. But guess what can get in the way of being saved through Jesus? Rejection!

5. Not physical rejection, but spiritual rejection.

6. Jesus is the cure, but a person must believe and be baptized into Jesus, and follow Him to be saved through the transplant of His righteousness.

F. Today, in our study of the Gospel of Mark, we arrive at the crucifixion of Jesus – the day God died.

1. Let’s look at the only sacrifice that can save us and let’s consider our reaction to it.

2. We have two choices: We can accept Jesus and live for Him, or we can reject Him – thus, rejecting the only One who can save us.

I. The Crucifixion of Jesus

A. Mark’s Gospel is more concise than the other Gospels, so it shouldn’t surprise us that when Mark tells about the crucifixion of Jesus, he omits many facts that the other Gospel writers include.

1. The actual description of Jesus’ words and actions during the crucifixion are limited to 5 brief verses: 22-24, 34, and 37.

2. When put together, those verses describe what Jesus experienced in these words: 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull). 23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get. … 34 And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”… 37 Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last.

3. Amazingly, Mark tells us so little about the words and actions of Jesus during His crucifixion.

a. Look at how concise his version is: they brought Jesus to Golgotha, they tried to give Him a drink to deaden the pain, they crucified Him, He cried out at 3 PM, then let out a loud cry and breathed His last - that’s it – that’s all that Mark tells us in 5 brief verses.

4. What then did Mark spend the other 21 verses about the crucifixion describing? The words and actions of the people who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion.

B. I could preach a sermon focusing on the agony of Jesus’ death – the nails, the blood, the pain, the heat, the exhaustion, and the dehydration - and that would likely impact us for sure.