WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.320
 If you would please turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 23. Luke 23. If you're using one of the

00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:20.859
 Pew Bibles, that's page 1639. Luke 23. If you had the opportunity to be with us last night as part of

00:00:20.859 --> 00:00:27.460
 our Maundy Thursday service, you know that we looked at what we call today the Last Supper.

00:00:27.460 --> 00:00:35.120
 Jesus' final Passover meal with his disciples where he instituted the Lord's Table, communion,

00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:44.500
 as a reminder of his blood-bought covenant with his people. Earlier tonight, Billy read to us

00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:52.760
 from Luke chapter 23, verses 26 through the end of the chapter, recounting the crucifixion and the

00:00:52.759 --> 00:01:01.000
 death of Jesus. But you may be wondering, how did we get from last night's Passover meal,

00:01:01.099 --> 00:01:06.599
 the Last Supper, how did we get to the cross? How did we get to the point of Christ's death?

00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:13.560
 So what I'd like to do tonight is just briefly review together the events that took place between

00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:20.840
 the Passover and on through Christ's death. And what I want you to be doing is looking for

00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:29.820
 the different responses to Jesus. I want you to be listening for how different people respond

00:01:29.820 --> 00:01:37.439
 to Christ. And ultimately, I'd like you to ask yourself, what is my response to Jesus?

00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:46.719
 So in Luke chapter 22, the Passover meal, the last meal that the disciples had with Jesus,

00:01:47.739 --> 00:01:56.120
 we focused upon that last night, Christ instituting his covenant with his people. Well, after that,

00:01:57.019 --> 00:02:02.719
 Christ and the disciples went out to the Mount of Olives. Christ went into the garden, as he was often

00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:10.979
 known to do, and he stayed up all night long to pray. You see, Jesus knew what was coming. Jesus was

00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:19.639
 under tremendous emotional strain. Jesus was fighting an internal spiritual battle. Jesus was literally

00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:26.740
 feeling the weight of the sin of the world upon his shoulders. And he went out to the garden to pray.

00:02:27.340 --> 00:02:32.680
 His disciples, they fell asleep. They didn't understand the significance. They were tired.

00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:41.539
 And after that, Jesus is arrested. And the soldiers come. They take him away. They take him to the

00:02:41.539 --> 00:02:50.439
 high priest's house. And Luke chapter 22 then alternates between Peter's denial of Christ and Christ

00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:57.539
 before the religious leaders. And that brings us now to Jesus's trial, conviction, and ultimately his

00:02:57.539 --> 00:03:06.199
 execution at the end of chapter 22. Look at verse 54, if you would. Luke 22, 54 says,

00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:14.039
 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. Skip ahead to verse 63.

00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:16.180
 Verse 63 says,

00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:24.740
 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him

00:03:24.740 --> 00:03:32.020
 and kept asking him, Prophesy, who is it that struck you? And they said many other things against him,

00:03:32.480 --> 00:03:39.280
 blaspheming him. When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together,

00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:43.960
 both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council. And they said,

00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:48.840
 If you are the Christ, if you are the Messiah, the anointed, the promised one, tell us.

00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:56.000
 And he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you, you will not answer.

00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:02.819
 But from now on, the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.

00:04:02.819 --> 00:04:08.859
 So they all said, Are you the Son of God then? And he said, You say that I am.

00:04:09.979 --> 00:04:17.360
 Then they said, What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.

00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:23.539
 All right, so as we are working our way through this passage, as we are looking for various responses

00:04:23.539 --> 00:04:29.379
 to Christ, let's look at the response of the religious leaders, starting with the temple guards.

00:04:29.379 --> 00:04:36.959
 Who did they say that Jesus was? Who did they treat Jesus as? What did they treat Jesus as?

00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:44.259
 Well, the temple guards blindfolded him. They mockingly asked him to prophesy who it was that

00:04:44.259 --> 00:04:53.139
 was beating him. According to the temple guards, Jesus is a guessing game. According to the other

00:04:53.139 --> 00:05:03.740
 religious leaders, according to the high priest, Jesus was a blasphemer. Jesus accepted their label

00:05:03.740 --> 00:05:09.959
 that they gave to him as the Son of God. He didn't deny it. And therefore, they said,

00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:19.039
 We've heard all we need. Jesus is a blasphemer. Now, what irony do we see here? These people,

00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:28.980
 these religious leaders, the Jewish high priests and the guard, were blaspheming Jesus, and yet they

00:05:28.980 --> 00:05:36.680
 were accusing him of blasphemy. Let me ask you a question. Why is it that God commanded his people

00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:43.439
 to sacrifice? Why is it that God established the tabernacle and later the temple and the entire

00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:50.939
 priestly system? What was the purpose of the high priest? Well, ultimately, it was to point God's

00:05:50.939 --> 00:05:57.680
 people to the coming Messiah. The high priest's whole purpose was to point God's people to the coming

00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:05.759
 high priest, Jesus himself, and yet that high priest was denying that the Son of God was who he was

00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:15.539
 and was accusing Jesus himself of blasphemy. Jesus was beaten, Jesus was mocked, and Jesus was turned over

00:06:15.539 --> 00:06:24.000
 to the local political and governmental leaders to be ultimately executed. Let's look now at Luke chapter 23.

00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:31.959
 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate, and they began to accuse him,

00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:37.519
 saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying

00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:46.359
 that he himself is Christ, a king. And Pilate, the local governmental leader, asked him, Are you the king

00:06:46.359 --> 00:06:54.419
 of the Jews? And he, Jesus, answered him, You have said so. Then Pilate said to the chief priests in the

00:06:54.419 --> 00:07:01.099
 crowds, I find no guilt in this man. But they were urgent, saying, He stirs up the people,

00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:09.020
 teaching throughout all Judea and Galilee, even to this place. When Pilate heard this, he asked whether

00:07:09.020 --> 00:07:17.740
 the man, Jesus, was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him

00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:24.040
 over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. So let's ask ourselves, what was Pilate's

00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:33.319
 response to Jesus? Pilate, hearing the accusations of the Jewish leaders, ultimately decided that Jesus,

00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:41.980
 Jesus is insignificant. He doesn't really matter. He doesn't bother me. He doesn't affect my power. He

00:07:41.980 --> 00:07:47.700
 doesn't affect my position. I see no problem with him. Let's just leave him be. According to Pilate,

00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:53.959
 Jesus is insignificant. He's nothing to worry about. He's not a big deal. But the Jewish leaders kept

00:07:53.959 --> 00:08:00.599
 insisting. And so Pilate ultimately found a loophole so that he wouldn't have to be bothered by this

00:08:00.599 --> 00:08:09.199
 insignificant man, this insignificant Jesus. And he said, Oh, you said Jesus is a Galilean? Okay, well,

00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:13.379
 I am not the person then to deal with this. The person you're looking for, his name is Herod.

00:08:13.379 --> 00:08:18.980
 He is around the corner, two doors down on the left. That's the man that you need to talk to.

00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:26.279
 And it's almost as if being on a phone call and being transferred from one person to another person

00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:31.399
 to another person because nobody wants to deal with the problem. That's what was going on here.

00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:36.939
 And so Herod ultimately saw Jesus. Luke 23, verse 8.

00:08:36.940 --> 00:08:44.280
 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he long desired to see him because he heard about him,

00:08:44.400 --> 00:08:51.300
 and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he,

00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:57.720
 Jesus, made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing him,

00:08:57.720 --> 00:09:04.680
 and Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt, and they mocked him. Then, arraying him in

00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:10.979
 splendid clothing, they sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other

00:09:10.979 --> 00:09:18.319
 that very day, for before this, they had been at enmity with each other. What is Herod's response to

00:09:18.319 --> 00:09:27.919
 this man, this Jesus? Oh, he was excited to see Jesus, but he said that Jesus is a magician.

00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:37.099
 Jesus is a miracle worker. Jesus is some sort of a novelty who can entertain me. I hope he does a

00:09:37.099 --> 00:09:44.559
 trick for me. Jesus is a magician. Or later, he says Jesus is a joke. He says he's a king. Fine.

00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:53.279
 Give him a kingly robe. Give him a fancy garment that fits his supposed position.

00:09:53.279 --> 00:10:00.720
 And he sends Jesus back to Pilate wearing this royal kingly robe. And Pilate, well, he thought

00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:08.299
 that this joke was so funny that, according to verse 12, these men who had formerly been not,

00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:13.399
 they had not worked well together, they were fighting against each other. After this day,

00:10:14.199 --> 00:10:21.259
 these men, Pilate and Herod, became friends. Because Jesus, Jesus is a joke. Jesus, he's a magician.

00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:27.299
 Jesus, he's insignificant. He's not a big deal. He's nothing to worry about. So back in front of

00:10:27.299 --> 00:10:35.419
 Pilate once again, Pilate continues to not see any threat. Pilate continues to not recognize the

00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:41.720
 significance of Jesus. Nothing to worry about. Not a threat. Not a big deal. But the Jewish leaders kept

00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:48.620
 insisting. And Pilate didn't want to have to deal with this insignificant man. But he also didn't want

00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:55.159
 this insignificant man to cause further problems down the road. So what did he do? He gave in to

00:10:55.159 --> 00:11:03.779
 their demands. And that leads us to the passage that Billy read for us tonight. Luke 23, verse 26.

00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:13.019
 And they led him away and seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming up, who was coming in from the

00:11:13.019 --> 00:11:19.539
 country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. You see, at this point, Jesus had been up for

00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:28.259
 several days. Jesus had not had any sleep. Jesus was beaten and whipped and mocked and falsely accused.

00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:35.779
 Jesus was weak and weary. And he couldn't even carry his own crossbeam. So they conscripted this

00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:39.299
 other man, Simon, to carry it for him. Verse 27.

00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:45.779
 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting

00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:52.759
 for him. But turning to them, Jesus said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for

00:11:52.759 --> 00:12:00.299
 yourselves and for your children. All right, so what is the crowd's reaction to Jesus? Here's Jesus now,

00:12:00.659 --> 00:12:10.840
 convicted of a capital crime, headed to the hillside called the Skull, Golgotha, headed to Mount Calvary.

00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:18.139
 Another two weeks to carry his own cross. These women, the crowds, they're gathering around him.

00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:24.419
 And what do they say? What is their reaction to Jesus? They say, Jesus, well, Jesus is in trouble.

00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:31.279
 He is somebody to mourn over, somebody to weep over, somebody to worry about. They don't recognize

00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:38.439
 the ultimate strength and power that Jesus has. They don't recognize that Jesus, throughout this entire

00:12:38.439 --> 00:12:48.039
 process, is ultimately in control. These people see Jesus as being in trouble. And yet, Jesus turns

00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:55.959
 to them and says, don't worry about me. You need to worry about yourself. The day is coming when,

00:12:56.279 --> 00:13:01.240
 here he's prophesying Jerusalem's ultimate destruction and the destruction of the temple,

00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:07.000
 and ultimately their own destruction when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

00:13:07.319 --> 00:13:14.000
 Jesus says, don't worry about me. You need to worry about yourselves. All right, let's look at another

00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:24.000
 reaction in verse 32. The soldier's reaction. Two others who were criminals were led away to be put

00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:30.879
 to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him.

00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:38.460
 And the criminals, one on his right hand and one on his left. And Jesus said, father, forgive them,

00:13:38.460 --> 00:13:46.639
 for they know not what they do. And they, the soldiers, they cast lots to divide Jesus's garments.

00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:53.920
 And the people stood by watching, and the rulers scoffed at him, saying, he saved others, let him save

00:13:53.920 --> 00:14:02.180
 himself, if he is the Christ, the Son of God, his chosen one. The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and

00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:10.439
 offering him sour wine, saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was also an inscription

00:14:10.439 --> 00:14:19.179
 over him, this is the king of the Jews. What is the soldier's reaction here to Jesus? Well, they simply

00:14:19.179 --> 00:14:26.199
 see Jesus as some type of a gambling game, dividing up his garments, rolling the dice. Who's going to win

00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:34.300
 Jesus's fancy robe? This is all just one big joke. Jesus is a gambling game. Jesus is a joke. Jesus is

00:14:34.300 --> 00:14:42.740
 weak and powerless, and he can't save himself. Ultimately, the soldiers did not recognize or

00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:52.060
 understand who Jesus was. Scripture talks about two criminals, legitimate criminals, murderers and thieves

00:14:52.059 --> 00:15:01.379
 who were being executed on either side of Jesus. Look at verse 39, Luke 23 verse 39. One of the criminals

00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:10.019
 who were hanged railed against him, saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other,

00:15:10.119 --> 00:15:18.679
 the other criminal, rebuked him, saying, do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of

00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:26.159
 condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. But this man

00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:37.419
 has done nothing wrong. And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he, Jesus,

00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:46.759
 said to him, truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Two criminals, two responses. Who is

00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:54.019
 Jesus? Well, one said, Jesus is a fake. He said that he can save himself. But look at us, look at us. We're

00:15:54.019 --> 00:16:02.580
 stuck here on the cross. He can't save himself. He can't save us. Jesus is a fake. The other one said,

00:16:02.580 --> 00:16:16.139
 no, Jesus is a sinless savior. Jesus is innocent. We are guilty, but he is innocent. Let's keep moving on

00:16:16.139 --> 00:16:25.279
 here. Verse 44, Luke 23. It was now about the sixth hour, according to the Jewish way of reckoning time,

00:16:25.340 --> 00:16:32.620
 that would have been about 12 noon. And there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,

00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:40.120
 about three in the afternoon, when the sun's light faded. So what's the response here that we're

00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:46.000
 looking at? Not a person's response. We're looking at the earth's response. We're looking at creation's

00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:54.480
 response. Now, you may realize that Easter is one of those holidays that fluctuates throughout the

00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:59.460
 year. Some years it's earlier in the year, some years it's later in the year. And the reason is

00:16:59.460 --> 00:17:06.019
 because Easter is closely associated with the Jewish Passover. And the Passover is one of those

00:17:06.019 --> 00:17:14.900
 fluctuating feasts that is closely tied into the full moon. And so just an interesting point here

00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:25.000
 to note, it is scientifically impossible for there to be a solar eclipse at the same time of the month

00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:34.240
 that there is a full moon. And so something miraculous was happening here. God did something to turn out the

00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:37.060
 lights. Our passage here, verse 45, says,

00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:46.500
 The sun's light failed. The earth was dark. The creation was responding to Christ's death by saying,

00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:55.720
 This Jesus is the creator. He is the one who has created everything. He is the one who is sustaining everything.

00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:01.079
 And as Christ was dying, the light faded and died as well.

00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:04.700
 Let's continue looking at verse 45, the second half there.

00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:10.940
 And the curtain of the temple was torn into. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said,

00:18:11.140 --> 00:18:18.840
 Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last.

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:26.319
 What's the response we're looking for here? The response of the temple. The response of the

00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:34.340
 holy of holies. The response is, who is Jesus? Jesus is the true high priest.

00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:42.879
 Jesus is the only mediator that can make things right between sinful people and a sinless God.

00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:49.159
 Jesus is the true high priest. And the curtain was torn from top to bottom in two,

00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:54.619
 no longer needing the sacrificial system that was ultimately pointing to Christ.

00:18:55.319 --> 00:19:01.919
 No longer needing the high priest that was ultimately representing and reminding us of our need for Christ.

00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:06.300
 What was the temple's response? Jesus is the true high priest.

00:19:07.100 --> 00:19:08.420
 Let's look at verse 47.

00:19:09.320 --> 00:19:12.680
 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place,

00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:14.380
 he praised God saying,

00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.460
 Certainly this man was innocent.

00:19:19.120 --> 00:19:23.160
 This centurion, this soldier, not even named here,

00:19:23.600 --> 00:19:26.700
 an insignificant, unnamed soldier,

00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:30.980
 yet God opened his eyes to the truth.

00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:32.740
 And he said, who is Jesus?

00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:35.380
 Well, Jesus is innocent.

00:19:36.059 --> 00:19:37.700
 Jesus is an innocent sacrifice.

00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:42.620
 Jesus is ultimately the sacrificial lamb for our sins.

00:19:43.539 --> 00:19:45.940
 As we look at the concluding paragraph here,

00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.120
 in verses 48 through the end,

00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:50.420
 we're looking at the response of the crowd,

00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:52.700
 and of Joseph, and of the women.

00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:54.380
 Verse 48,

00:19:54.380 --> 00:20:14.900
 Now there's a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea.

00:20:15.600 --> 00:20:17.400
 He was a member of the council.

00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:19.660
 Remember that council at the very beginning

00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:23.300
 who accused Jesus of blasphemy?

00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:27.200
 They blasphemously accused Jesus of being a blasphemer?

00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:30.720
 Well, Joseph was a part of that council.

00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:32.060
 Verse 51,

00:20:32.620 --> 00:20:36.279
 He had not consented to their decision or action,

00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:39.700
 and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.740
 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:48.000
 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud

00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.220
 and laid him in a tomb cut in stone

00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:52.779
 where no one had ever yet been laid.

00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:55.500
 It was the day of preparation,

00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:57.660
 and the Sabbath was beginning.

00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:02.059
 The women who had come with him from Galilee

00:21:02.059 --> 00:21:05.980
 followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:09.460
 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:13.740
 On the Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment.

00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:17.259
 So the crowd, Joseph, the women, how did they respond?

00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:21.360
 Jesus is dead.

00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:23.079
 He's gone.

00:21:23.360 --> 00:21:24.200
 He's buried.

00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:29.220
 Working our way through the end of chapter 22

00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:31.900
 on through the end of chapter 23 here,

00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:37.420
 we're looking at various responses to who Jesus is.

00:21:37.420 --> 00:21:40.019
 And so let me ask you in conclusion here,

00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.600
 what is your response to Jesus?

00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:46.920
 Do you wrongly respond like the religious leaders

00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:49.080
 that Jesus is some type of a game

00:21:49.080 --> 00:21:52.100
 or that Jesus is a blasphemer

00:21:52.100 --> 00:21:55.320
 making divine claims of himself that are not true?

00:21:55.840 --> 00:21:57.759
 Do you, like the political leaders,

00:21:58.360 --> 00:22:00.920
 disregard Jesus as being insignificant,

00:22:01.560 --> 00:22:04.960
 as being some type of a novelty or a magician

00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:08.120
 only out to do things for your entertainment

00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:09.160
 or for your good?

00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:11.759
 Do you respond like the crowd,

00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.460
 saying Jesus is helpless?

00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:16.160
 He's in trouble.

00:22:16.620 --> 00:22:18.600
 He can't do anything for himself.

00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:20.319
 Or like the other soldiers,

00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:23.140
 turning Jesus into some type of a gambling game

00:22:23.140 --> 00:22:25.440
 or, again, some type of a joke,

00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.740
 mocking him.

00:22:27.620 --> 00:22:28.920
 Are you like the one criminal

00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:29.640
 who says,

00:22:29.800 --> 00:22:32.140
 Jesus, he's a fake.

00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:33.720
 He can't save himself.

00:22:33.840 --> 00:22:34.800
 He can't save us.

00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:35.600
 Look at him.

00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:38.259
 What is your response to Jesus?

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:41.259
 Or is your response like the other right responses

00:22:41.259 --> 00:22:42.740
 that we saw throughout this passage?

00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:44.279
 Like earth,

00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:46.640
 recognizing that Jesus is the creator

00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.680
 and the sustainer of all of the universe,

00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:50.779
 of the whole creation.

00:22:51.100 --> 00:22:52.160
 Or like the temple,

00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:54.960
 recognizing that Jesus is the ultimate,

00:22:55.259 --> 00:22:56.360
 true high priest,

00:22:56.359 --> 00:23:00.839
 the only one that can bring sinful people

00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:03.740
 in right relationship with a sinless God.

00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:06.899
 Or like the centurion,

00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:09.259
 who says Jesus is innocent.

00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:12.279
 He is an innocent sacrifice

00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.879
 on behalf of sins like ours.

00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:17.599
 Or like the crowd,

00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:20.159
 do you say Jesus is dead?

00:23:20.959 --> 00:23:22.419
 Well, Jesus did die.

00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:27.019
 Jesus died a horrible and torturous death.

00:23:27.960 --> 00:23:31.740
 So terrible that we can't even fully understand

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:32.820
 or imagine it.

00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:34.019
 We hear about it so much,

00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:35.300
 we often write it off

00:23:35.300 --> 00:23:38.360
 as just the story of Jesus' death.

00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:41.620
 But his death was torturous and horrible.

00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.519
 And although he was innocent,

00:23:45.019 --> 00:23:47.800
 his death was not pointless.

00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:50.799
 Innocent Jesus died

00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:53.019
 to save guilty sinners.

00:23:53.639 --> 00:23:55.159
 Innocent Jesus died

00:23:55.159 --> 00:23:58.240
 to save people like you and like me.

00:23:58.659 --> 00:23:59.799
 Jesus died,

00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:02.659
 but he is not dead now.

00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:04.220
 Jesus died,

00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:06.740
 but Resurrection Sunday is coming.

00:24:08.159 --> 00:24:08.879
 But today,

00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:10.700
 well, today is Good Friday.

00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:14.079
 Today is a dark and a sober reminder.

00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:15.779
 Today is a day

00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:18.439
 where we focus upon Christ's death.

00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:19.519
 And so tonight,

00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:21.779
 as we focus upon his death,

00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:22.399
 in conclusion,

00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:24.460
 I'd like to close with a poem

00:24:24.460 --> 00:24:26.539
 and then we will be dismissed.

00:24:27.139 --> 00:24:28.980
 And as is often tradition

00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:30.419
 in services like this,

00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:31.819
 I'm going to request

00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:32.899
 that we be dismissed

00:24:32.899 --> 00:24:36.279
 in complete, total silence,

00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:38.079
 meditating upon

00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:41.539
 the dark and sober truth

00:24:41.539 --> 00:24:42.799
 of Christ's death.

00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:43.759
 And Sunday,

00:24:43.879 --> 00:24:44.940
 when we gather again,

00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.980
 we will enter rejoicing,

00:24:47.339 --> 00:24:50.099
 saying that he is risen.

00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:53.019
 He is dead,

00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:55.059
 this man from Nazareth,

00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:57.039
 the Messiah of Israel,

00:24:57.359 --> 00:24:58.680
 the Lord of the world.

00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.019
 With his dying breaths,

00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:03.180
 he spoke words of forgiveness,

00:25:03.899 --> 00:25:05.440
 finality, and faith.

00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:08.240
 But now the breathing has ceased,

00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:10.659
 and the lungs that exhaled forgiveness

00:25:10.659 --> 00:25:11.680
 are deflated.

00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:13.140
 My Jesus,

00:25:14.080 --> 00:25:14.840
 dead.

00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:18.440
 The eyes that looked at the crowds

00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:20.320
 with compassion are closed.

00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:22.580
 The arms that reached out

00:25:22.580 --> 00:25:23.560
 to the unworthy

00:25:23.560 --> 00:25:25.380
 are lifeless.

00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:26.680
 My Jesus,

00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:28.200
 dead.

00:25:30.060 --> 00:25:31.720
 The hands that touched the leper

00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:33.960
 are driven through with spikes.

00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:36.500
 The ears that heard the cries

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.519
 of blind men

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.880
 are deaf.

00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:41.120
 The lips that told the truth

00:25:41.120 --> 00:25:41.800
 of a kingdom

00:25:41.800 --> 00:25:43.500
 are stilled.

00:25:43.840 --> 00:25:46.120
 The voice that calmed the seas

00:25:46.120 --> 00:25:47.980
 is silent.

00:25:48.520 --> 00:25:49.340
 My Jesus

00:25:49.340 --> 00:25:51.300
 is dead.

00:25:52.620 --> 00:25:55.320
 The feet that walked on water

00:25:55.320 --> 00:25:56.140
 are stopped.

00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:58.240
 The heart that bled

00:25:58.240 --> 00:25:59.500
 for sinful humanity

00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:00.740
 no longer beats.

00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:02.580
 The bread from heaven

00:26:02.580 --> 00:26:03.980
 broken on earth.

00:26:04.260 --> 00:26:05.720
 The light of the world

00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.120
 in the shadow of death.

00:26:08.120 --> 00:26:10.279
 The vine that bears fruit

00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:12.539
 it's withered and fallen.

00:26:13.380 --> 00:26:14.079
 My Jesus

00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:15.500
 dead.

00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:18.100
 The gateway to God

00:26:18.100 --> 00:26:20.420
 now sealed in a tomb.

00:26:21.059 --> 00:26:23.000
 The shepherd of souls

00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.100
 struck down by his sheep.

00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:28.880
 The resurrection and life

00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:32.079
 a crucified corpse.

00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:33.980
 my Jesus

00:26:33.980 --> 00:26:36.199
 dead.

00:26:38.639 --> 00:26:39.839
 I'm going to invite you

00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:41.779
 to be silently dismissed tonight

00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:44.179
 and meditate upon the truths

00:26:44.179 --> 00:26:45.599
 of Christ's sacrifice

00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:46.980
 for sins

00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:48.199
 like yours and mine.

00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:49.960
 others

00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:50.220
 I Hope

00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.100
 glaubsy

00:26:51.100 --> 00:26:51.600
 inspiration

00:26:51.600 --> 00:26:52.700
 am

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:53.100
 you

00:26:53.100 --> 00:26:53.380
 the

00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:55.200
 agree