The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

MATTHEW 27:27-36 “THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD”

A) John 3:16 ....... Say it with me .......

* For a moment, I want our minds to go back in time – Jesus’ earthly ministry is

coming to an end.

* In Matt. 26, Jesus is preparing to celebrate the Passover with His disciples.

B) In the meantime, Judas has already met with the chief priests to see how

much they will pay him to deliver Jesus to them.

* They settled for 30 pieces of silver – The price of a slave, about $15.00.

* Matt. 26:16 “And from that time he sought for an opportunity to betray Him.”

(1) PRAYER IN GETHSEMANE

A) For approximately 33½ years, He lived looking forward to the cross, not

in the sense that He was excited, but that He knew that was His destiny.

* Christ must’ve seen its shadow across His path all the way from the manger to

the cross of Calvary.

B) Jesus has now instituted the supper and has gone into Gethsemane to pray.

* As the disciples slept, He knelt in the moon light under those olive trees.

* The shadows of night were closing in on His soul – Listen to Him .......

* Matt. 26:39 “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:

nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

C) See Him hold in His hand the cup of human iniquity and drink its dregs

into His soul.

* The blackness of the contents of that cup goes beyond description.

* Let’s analyze its mixture today .......

D) A young man pounces upon an innocent girl, strangles and chokes her to

death and ravishes her in his lust ... Stir rape and murder into that cup.

* Another, who at an altar of marriage, when the question was asked, “Will you be

true to her until death alone shall part you,” answers with an, “I do.”

* Tramples that vow under his unholy desires ... Stir adultery into that cup.

E) A man takes a two-year-old child and chokes her to death while having

sex with her ... Stir child molestation into that cup.

* Man kills his wife and children out in his front yard ... Stir drunkenness and

stupor into that cup.

F) Men leaving the natural use of the woman, burning in their lust one

toward another, and having sex together.

* Stir Homosexuality and same sex marriage into that cup.

G) Take man’s most horrible crimes and mix them all together in that cup.

* No wonder Jesus prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.”

* But it wasn’t possible – If there had been any other way that men could be

saved, God would have planned it.

H) There was no other way – Christ must drink that poisonous cup of sin.

* Watch Him, as He places it to His lips, hands trembling .......

* The agony is so intense that the pores of His skin open, and sweat as great

drops of blood, trickles down His cheeks and falls to the ground.

(2) THE ARREST AND TRIAL

A) The night’s blackness was suddenly scattered by the light of flaming torches.

* A mob of soldiers, led by Judas Iscariot entered the garden, and in a cowardly

action placed a kiss on Jesus’ cheek.

* Christ was taken captive and led away to Caiaphas, the high priest, to be tried

before the Sanhedrin, a council of seventy Jews.

B) They accuse Him of being a blasphemer.

* In their angry rage, they hit Him in the face with closed fists.

* They firmly gripped His beard, and yanked it from His cheeks, ripping the flesh

from His cheek bones.

C) His eyes were smitten until they turned black with bruises and clotted

together with blood.

* His face was beaten into a mass of mutilated flesh, and His warm, sticky blood

ran freely to the ground – He was giving it to God for our sins.

D) The Jews couldn’t execute Him ... The power of death was out of their hands.

* He must be tried and condemned in the Roman court, so He was led away to

Pilate, the governor.

* Pilate questioned Jesus and found Him innocent, but learned that He was from

Galilee, so he sent Him to Herod.

E) Herod found nothing wrong with Him and returned Him to Pilate.

* The maddened mob was screaming for His blood, “Crucify Him, crucify Him,”

they kept screaming – So Pilate commanded Him to be scourged.

(3) THE SCOURGING

A) They strip the garments from His back, binds His hands and fastens them

to a stump in the ground.

* A soldier got a scourge, cat of nine tails, interwoven with pieces of metal and