Three Days That Changed The World

The Three Days ThatChanged the World.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. My starting place this morning:

It was through his grace and sacrifice he washed all your sins away!

• No man ever impacted the world like the one called the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The prophets saw him in distant future. His lineage stretched out all the way back to God Himself.

• Never a man spake like this man. For his word was with power.

• He healed the sick. He fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. He spoke and the wind and waves obeyed his voice. He opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, restored lame legs and cleansed the lepers. He did so many miracles.

• . He was God manifest in the flesh. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

• So how is it that this man of all men, this God-man, this miracle-worker, found himself standing in Pilate’s judgment hall, in custody of the Romans, facing a capital sentence?

• How is it that despite everything He did to bring healing, peace, love and forgiveness to a hurting world that He ended up treated like a common criminal, a vile piece of flesh worthy of the worst form of punishment known to man?

Three days in Jerusalem changed the world!

Through his grace and sacrifice washed all our sins away!

His birth was a great event but 33 years later, 3 days in Jerusalem became more sufficient.

Day One:

It began early, possibly around 6:30 am.

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the pass-over. Mt 26:57

They beat his back until the blood ran freely. They pushed a crown of thorns into his brow. Next came the purple robe, the slapping, the mockery and then the presentation of Him to the crowd.

The crowd screamed, “Crucify Him; Crucify Him!” Pilate hesitated, saying, “I find no fault in Him.” But in the end, the crowd won out. The cowardly Pilate, thinking about his political fortunes, caved in.

At about 9 o’clock Friday morning, the parade began from Pilate’s judgment hall to Golgotha. The weakened Jesus carried his heavy cross. They reached the crest of the hill. The soldiers threw Jesus down on the splintered wood and pounded the nails into his hands and feet. You know the heartbreaking story. They dropped the cross into the ground. Jesus hung there for hours as the life slowly ebbed out of Him.

About 12 Noon, something strange happened. The sun, normally bright in the sky at this time of year, lost its intensity. Darkness covered the Jerusalem sky. Three more hours passed while he agonized on the tree.

Finally, it was all over. Many other details fill in the gaps of the story, but the overarching question is why. Why did this happen? Why did it happen to the only perfect man who ever lived?

He didn’t go there for himself. He went there for someone else. He went there for me. He went there for you. He went there so he could taste of suffering and death in our place.

Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

He knew of the pain and suffering in your life.

Many of you may have or now in Day One.

• Abused, rejected, hurting, humiliated.

• Denied justice, surrounded by enemies, falsely accused.

• Beaten, hungry, lonely, scared.

• Abandoned, powerless, stunned.

Here is a Christ you can believe in, because he knows exactly what you are going through!

"A boy was having difficulty living the Christian life! He went to his pastor who told him to go see a painting. The caretaker at the gallery took him to a large room where the painting adorned an entire wall.

The young man was repulsed at what he saw!

It was a painting of Christ on the cross! But the perspective from which the artist painted it was off balance.

It looked grotesque.

The caretaker said, “Son, you need to get closer.” The young man came closer.

“Son, you need to get lower.”

The young man got lower.

“No, closer and lower:”

Before the young man knew what was happening- - he was kneeling at the foot of the cross!

And when he looked up- - he understood the entire painting!