Six Hours, One Friday

Transcript (Auto-generated)

Good morning everyone just be uh before we start today I just want to acknowledge say thank you to those today we're going to do be doing our service a little bit different and I'll explain a bit about that but uh real big thanks to Shearer who's done these signs for us which you'll see more of them as we work through the morning but also to lindel too because um I just said I want to do things a bit different said what I wanted and say so I appreciate everybody's patience with me over these last couple of weeks is as we plan this service the theme of today is six hours one Friday because that's approximately the time that Jesus spent on the cross and if we could somehow transport our us back to that first Easter to that first Good Friday and sometimes the you know trying to work everything out sometimes people get the timing's a bit different but what we're working on today is what's most commonly accepted but today's a good Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified so what were the events leading up to this the Thursday had been a day at the end of the day Jesus and his disciples gathered together to celebrate the Passover and and Jesus gave some instructions that that passovered it this is going to be his last Passover meal but also ushered in the communion service which we will have right at the end of our service today it was during this time when Jesus was speaking to the disciples that he um he pointed out that one of them one of the twelve was going to betray him and uh that was for 30 pieces of silver which is 30 shekels 120 denarii which translates to about four months wages so we know it was Judas first nobody other than Judas knew because he'd done the the deal in the background so Judas left that meal and went to get the authorities and Jesus and the rest of them finished the parts over and went out to God and sang A Hymn and while they were out there Jesus was praying and then comes along Judas and the other thugs to arrest Jesus and we know there's a bit of a skirmish Jesus has taken away went through a mockery of Trials various trials just trumped up charges against him part of it was the soldiers blindfolded him and beat him and said tell us you know I feel so good who was it who punched you that time and he also had to stand beside the crowd and next to this other real big thug and trying to release Jesus and thanks a friend who do you want this this ugly Thug here or do you will I release Jesus and Jesus is standing there hearing the whole crowd calling out crying out crucify him crucifying say round about before nine o'clock on that Friday morning Jesus is let out having to carry his own cross remember he's been through all of these whippings and scourges punches hasn't had sleep for like over 24 hours people yelling wanting him dead all sorts of things being said about him and he's laid out and said no wonder that he stumbles on the way and the other soldiers they're just commandeer someone else to carry the cross for women then at about nine o'clock there's these four soldiers who are responsible to carry out this crucifixion act not just Jesus to others as well when Jesus was on the cross this is the sort of how it went so Jesus has taken out about nine o'clock he was crucified between 9 and 12 it was Daylight the Bible tells us through the gospel writers record for us that from 12 o'clock till three o'clock Darkness covered all that area now we know that Darkness talks about abandonment and judgment all those things people try to come up with all sorts of explanations as to what this is all about but it was miraculous folk I believe that that the father caused this this Darkness to cover that that the Earth at that time at that place is is showing this is something really really significant that's taking place during the daylight Jesus said three important words during the darkness he said four other statements as well at about 3 P.M on that Friday if you think about it at three o'clock today just stop and think about that because this time 2000 whatever years ago that our savior at that moment died for me died for you died for everyone and so today we are looking at those seven statements why why are we doing that you see everybody considers the final words that somebody States considers them to be of significance you Google people's last words before they die and you get a whole list of all these important things coming up why because when somebody is just about to die what really really really important comes to the full right then okay you agree with that that you know we don't say oh how's the weather oh the Lions one last I wonder how the Broncos will go this weekend no it's a significant statements that are made the gospel Rod is record for us these seven statements so we're looking at these seven statements today very briefly of course because we we won't be here until three o'clock this afternoon of course but uh in between a couple of statements at a time normally we'll we'll just be singing this song but the first statement that Jesus makes is this material on the bottom of the Cross here we Jesus says he prays some of the shortest prayers are recorded in these statements but he prays this he says father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing and isn't that interesting after these more than 24 hours without sleep all the injustices that are happening that have happened to him and that are happening right there right now Jesus speaking to the father says father forgive them for they really don't understand what they are doing it's interesting that Jesus is thinking about others I mean there's four soldiers there they're just doing their job they've probably crucified people in the past they'll do more again but they don't realize that the person who they are crucifying in the person of Jesus one is the god man they don't realize who it is who they are crucified nor do they realize the impact of this crucifixion other people have been sentenced to death for crimes but Jesus is dying taking the punishment not for his but for your sin and for mine this simple execution Act was really the Salvation act for the world well it's just to acknowledge that and to be aware that forgiveness it's not only a mark of Jesus but forgiveness is a mark of his followers remember Stephen the first martyr do you remember what he said just as he was about to die he said what father forgive them they really don't know what they're doing we as Disciples of Jesus forgiveness needs to be a part of our life too let's stand but we're going to sing together Jesus made on the cross was to one of the thieves remember the two other people being crucified and both of them were guilty and one of those mocking Jesus but the other one seemed to recognize who Jesus was and has this interaction with Jesus says to Jesus Jesus when you at the end of the day will you remember me and Jesus says today you will be with me in Paradise it's interesting that even in the cross Jesus pointed many people to the father during his ministry but now even on the crosses he's dying he is still considering the Eternal state of others and and so we understand from this interaction that there's this one Thief who will be our brother in heaven who will be able to talk to and talk to him about the experience and and this is a challenge for us to say hey what is it that really saves us because Jesus inside to this man today you'll be with me in Paradise as is that this man never had the opportunity to pray the sinner's prayer like we would do say today didn't have the opportunity to walk down the front put his hand up or anything like that never christened or baptized never went through any confirmation or any other classes never became a member of any church and yet Jesus said with that full Assurance today you'll be with me in Paradise see when it all boils down we know that our Salvation is through our belief in the Lord Jesus what he has done and in submission to him and certainly in the words of this um of this thief when he's there on the cross demonstrated both of those things recognizing who Jesus was that he was innocent that he really was a God man submitted his life to him right there on the cross before he was to die and Jesus said to him you know today you're going to be with me in Paradise Jesus forgive them Father he's thinking of others Jesus to the other person on the cross thinking of others and the third statement he's continuing to think about others as well because standing there at the foot of the cross is his mother and um once again Jesus shows this this um no consideration of himself but considering those around him and and speaks to John and about about uh about his mother and a question which comes to me is where's where's Joseph in all of this I don't know whether you've ever thought about that but where is he and commentators to say well we don't know and probably the most common thing and it seems quite likely that maybe maybe Joseph somewhere along the line has died we don't know too much about Joseph from the Bible but but for whatever reason he's not there and it seems likely to me that he's already passed away and um and so Jesus as the oldest son in the family probably with Joseph's death not only had to consider all his ministry but also had to consider looking after his his mother as well looking after Mary and now he's no longer going to be there just think what it must have been like for Mary she's probably already experienced the grief of the loss of the husband is now grieving having to grieve the loss of her first-born son and and Jesus saying the grief on her face to John says John um this is your mother and he doesn't call Mary his mother just calls it woman woman and I think there's this separation that's starting to take place here woman this is your son so Jesus continues to have the concern for others while he's there just facing death and I want us to be fully aware of this is that Jesus never leaves us alone but Jesus even in heaven is concerned for those who we have as significant others in our lives it's important that we realize that of course we know that God is always with us and we need to acknowledge that and to remember that but not only that but but the way that God has created us he's created us to live in community and it's always his concern always his concern to ensure that we have significant other people round about us in fact be aware of that and respond to that and if you're not aware of who that person of those people are then that's something worthwhile praying about father who are the significant others that you were placing in my life to do the journey with me as we travel together this saying to me is the um is the most somber it seems of all the statements the way Jesus says this in the Bible records for us that uh the the Aramaic in which he he spoken if you're an Aramaic speaker forgive my uh pronunciation and accent but Eloy iloilama sabachthani Jesus cried out which means this which means this that we read up here where Jesus says my God my God why have you forsaken me this this statement has puzzled a lot of people and and I don't know all the answers to this but I accept the reality of it that at this moment in time when the Lord Jesus bore all the sin of all the world he took the punishment you think of every wrong thing that you've done then add to that two or three times a number of things that you don't remember and then multiply that by all the world that Jesus Took on the punishment for all of all of us at that particular time and and it's this abandonment by the Father which Jesus experiences at this time and and and true abandonment it really is is that the father cannot in any way face the reality of sin folk we need to understand and realize that when we have sin in our lives that that we are really being abandoned by the father that we're separated from him that that it's it's our sin which the Father which God cannot consonants in any volume which separates us just causes this huge Chasm between us and him so Jesus bearing the sin of the whole world says my God my God why have you forsaken me because Jesus knows the answer and in second Corinthians 5 21 we have something of an explanation there where the living Bible puts it quite simply where it says for God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins than any exchange he poured God's goodness into us That's What Makes a Good Friday fake or if you want a bit more of an explanation the Amplified version says this way for our sake he made Christ virtually to be sin who knew no sin so that in and through him we might become endued with viewed as being in and examples of the righteousness of God what we ought to be approved and acceptable and in right relationship with him by his goodness let's consider and remember that our sin means that huge separation that we we have forsaken by God then the fifth statement Jesus does turn attention to himself but this statement where Jesus is thinking about himself and he says I am thirsty Jesus had already been been offered a drink a drink which was like a sedative which was apparently often offered or normally offered to those being crucified um intoxicated to take away some of the pain or to make it more bearable um but but Jesus refused that he wanted to or desired to experience the full weight of the sin but now a little later on he he does talk about his own needs and the attention has shifted from what others back to himself and he's saying on on Thursday can you give me something to drink which which they give him something to drink now some people try to spiritualize this and talk about all sorts of things about about thirst and spiritualizing all of that and if you want to do that that's fine by me but I think the bottom line is is that here it's also expressing his Humanity now remember all that he's been through and the sleeplessness and the punishment and and all of those things that he's been through and yet now he says I really really thirsty can you give me something to drink the God man the one who is God bearing our sin also on the cross expressing is his Humanity as well it is finished [Music] I still have the image clear in my mind of when I was in college of our principal College principal standing in front of the class calling this out you see because the Bible says that it wasn't just so much that Jesus whispered it is finished but that he screamed out it is finished and I can remember our principle very clearly standing there with his arms out and quoting the Greek because the new testament's written in Greek tell let's die and it's finished and the great accomplishment that here on the cross that everything everything it's all over and everything everything that the father needed to be done has now been accomplished of course that is evident in the life of Jesus and somebody's gone through and counted over 300 Old Testament prophecies that that refer to Jesus all being fulfilled and if there were one or two or three you'd say what a coincidence that one or two or three statements made some some of the hundreds thousands of years earlier fulfilled in this one person but there's over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus and in that sense it's it's finished it's all been accomplished all the Old Testament prophecies have all been fulfilled now but even more importantly than that it is finished in that everything that is required for your salvation and for mine Jesus bearing your sin and my sin it's finished it's been accomplished all that all that was necessary to satisfy the father for the Forgiveness of those who seek it and to change from to change from being abandoned by the father to be welcomed in to his family it's all been accomplished no wonder Jesus with this exclamation at the top of his voice we all could hear yells out tell last I it is finished it's been accomplished and then there's this last statement which is made where Jesus commits himself to the father puts himself into the father's hands where he says father into your hands I commend I commit my spirit Jesus willingly places himself into the father's hands he offers himself up as unblemished to God he who knew no sin right to this point right throughout all eternity new no sin the one who bore your sin and from a mine he offered himself unblemished to God as the way that the writer to the Hebrews in chapter 9 and verse 14 says is it any wonder that we call today Good Friday that we move from this utter despair this innocent man being crucified to realizing that it's this crucifixion act where he bore your sin and mine where he could yell out it is finished everything that is needed for our forgiveness of our sin it's all been accomplished and then now he places his life and his death into the hands of the father we are going to remember this because Jesus said on that Thursday night when he gathered with his disciples for the Passover meal he said I'm going to give you a new meaning to pass over the Bible talks about Jesus being our Passover Lamb about him being our Passover Lamb the one who was sacrificed for us and Jesus said as often as you eat and drink this cup eat the bread and drink the cup you do so in remembrance of me factually today more than any other day but on every other occasion is a day when we with thankfulness remember the death of our Lord Jesus the one who died for us I'm going to ask the communion stewards to come forward now and we're going to be served the the wafer and the cup eat the wife just as you offered and maybe something as you've thought about this today as we've reflected on some of this that that um that it strikes a new meaning so offer up your own personal thanks to to the father for the gift of the Lord Jesus because as the Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave is one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life we will now be served and just in the quietness as others as you were being sued just quietly in your heart offer up your own personal thanks to God if today you've never received the Lord Jesus as you said just allow these things to go by snow shame embarrassment or anything but maybe today is a day when you need to consider your relationship with Jesus we can Will and truly say what a friend we have in Jesus let's drink in thankful for the in thankfulness for what he's done for us if I was now God we thank you so much for the gift of the Lord Jesus one who bore our sins and today we can stand well figuratively but also literally and say what a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to be thank you Father for the gift of the Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus forbearing my sin for bearing our sin on the cross thank you that you sent the Holy Spirit to indwell your Believers so that we are never align today we recall these events with thankfulness and with new submission with fresh submission and Commendation to you and we do say along with the Lord Jesus into your hands father we we give ourselves we place ourselves in your hands to do with us and to us and in US whatever your hearts desire today this week next week as long as you give us breath we thank you our father in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.