Have you considered the impact of Jesus’ death on the cross? How does it personally impact you? #JesusChangedMe #CrossTransformation IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
PART I:
A few days before the cross…
Jesus is in Jerusalem, he has been upsetting the leaders by asking hard questions and pushing the boundaries of what convention would say. He’s turned over tables in the temple, He came into Jerusalem with people saying, “hosanna” (in Hebrew means “save us”) riding on a donkey – like Jewish Kings would have ridden.
Jesus will spend most of his nights on the back side of the Mount of Olives, just outside the city of Jerusalem in the city of Bethany – the house of the poor, right on the edge of the desert.
It is here he will have a woman anoint his feet with expensive perfume – perfume He will claim is her preparing Him for His burial…
PART II:
it’s the night before the cross. Jesus is celebrating the Passover with his disciples. Normally a holiday that is full of joy, on this night it seems ominous. Jesus starts the celebration by acting like a household servant and washing the disciple’s feet. He will tell them that one of them is going to betray Him. He seems full of paranoia and it begins to spread to them. They are asking themselves if He means them. He, of course, does mean Judas.
this meal is normally a meal full of meaning – food hidden, chairs left for ancient prophets, and food that represents God’s redemption of His people. But on this night, Jesus inputs a new meaning into the meal. He takes the bread, it would have been almost more like a cracker. And he breaks it. He says, “I’ll be broken just like this for you…” “what could he even mean by that…” Then he takes the wine and says, “This is my blood, poured out for you – it’s the blood of the covenant that will bring the forgiveness of many…”
the evening ends, dark and heavy, the group of 12 men and Jesus missing one – Judas has run out and everyone’s talking.
PART III:
It’s now late into the evening. Jesus has gone to the Garden of Gethsemane and now they are among the olive trees – he’s upset, more upset than they’ve ever seen Him. He prays they sleep, 3 times. 3 times they fail Him. He is anguished, broken – knowing what’s coming. The cross is hours away…
Then it happens. Torches and voices, kisses that betray. scuffles.
Jesus was taken off, Jesus not even fighting them, Jesus going to be tried unlawfully in the middle of the night
PART IV:
All night he’s been moved from place to place. He’s been beaten to within inches of His life. He’s exhausted, broken, quiet…
and then this…
Matthew 27:27
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[d]
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
It is in this moment that the powers of hell were defeated and Jesus procured freedom from sin for all mankind.
It’s one thing for me to talk about this, it’s another thing for you to hear about it. I’ve asked lots of people to send me videos of what Jesus’ death on the cross did for them. I want you to hear those and I want you to see them. Then, we are going to partake of a very special communion.
You’re going to come up to the cross, and pour out a cup of juice on this cross and remind yourself of how Jesus saved you from your sins?
