The Door Was Left Open…walk Through! Series

THE DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN…WALK THROUGH!

Harford Senior Worship Center ©2007 - William Akehurst

4/8/2007

THE DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN SO WE COULD ENTER IN AND WALK THROUGH!

The Stone was rolled away so that we could look in. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith is the Door to Life

Scripture Reading

Matthew 27:57-66

Matthew 28:1-10

Key Verses:

Hebrews 12:2

John 10:9

John 11:25

1 Peter 1:3-5

HE IS RISEN…HE IS RISEN INDEED

This is our HOPE, today is known as Resurrection Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The very reason we are here on Sundays. The reason we share this faith. As it says in 1 Peter 1:3, our lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

What a beautify Day! COLD yes…but today we saw the sun to rise, and know that today we celebrate the S-O-N Rise.

This past Thursday, we had our “Holy Thursday” Service, and many of you shared what this Easter Season represented in your lives.

Today, as we look to the author and finisher of our faith, the one who endured the cross, despising the shame, (Hebrews 12:2) that he might fulfill that which was promised, we realize that this season and holiday which we celebrate, goes beyond today for all eternity.

In our scripture this morning, we recount that first Easter morning, when the stone was rolled away, and I ask you…why was the stone rolled away?

I was talking about this just Thursday night with Mr. Don, and he said, ‘it wasn’t rolled away so that Jesus could leave the tomb, the stone was rolled away so that we could see the evidence of the resurrection, so that the women, when they arrived, would see that Jesus had resurrected from the dead.’

When they returned to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen, we read In Luke 24, Peter got up and ran to the tomb to find the strips of linen lying by themselves where the body of Christ had lay.

The Tomb was opened, the Grave was empty. JESUS had risen.

WHY??????????

The angel of the Lord told reminded the women of Christ’s words to them, when he said in Galilee, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day, be raised again.

Why did it happened? To fulfill prophesy, yes. But there is something more…

Jesus said I am the resurrection, and the life. He that believes in me will never die. And he meant it. [John 11:25]

Jesus paid a price that could not be paid. From the time of Abraham and Isaac, to the Passover Lamb in Egypt, for all time sake, nothing paid the price of sin…until…the blood of the Lamb of God, God in flesh. The baby Jesus, in the manger, the Lamb of God, without spot, without sin, came and died for our sins.

In the ‘ritual’ of the sacrifice, the person needing forgiveness, took hold of the sacrifice, and by an act, ‘transferred’ their sins onto the animal. This was done symbolically. Then the ox or lamb or dove was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins.

In the movie, “The Nativity”, I was intrigued that they had a scene, perhaps, a little Hollywood, if you will and not necessarily accurate in its timing or truth. But it is a scene where Herod is with the priest at a time of sacrifice, and as part of this ritual, he grabs the bull by the horns, and the priest instructs him to place his sins upon the ox…Herod places his hand upon the bulls head, and it is done. I thought is very interesting that they put this scene in the move, because of its implications of sacrifice, and the coming of the Christ child.

But when we think about it with regard to this scene. There is no real sacrifice there. He grabs the bull by the horns and symbolically places his sin upon the animal. The animal is slain, and Herod moves on until the next time of repentance. There is no relationship here. It’s an ANIMAL. The bull is for one thing and one thing only. It lived, it died, it’s gone, PERIOD. And this act must be repeated time and time again with new animals. [ASIDE] It is interesting though. Herod had to know that he was sinful, and know that he needed to have forgiveness. Herod had to know that he needed to admit his sins, and confess them upon the oxen.

This act of letting blood was how people were forgiven, the priests would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. Moses actually sprinkled the blood upon the people.

In our culture, this practice would seem barbaric, even wicked. But during the Old Testament time of history, it was done daily. The priest had to make several sacrifices each day for themselves alone. They we never permanently redeemed.