Well, we're about to hear the story, the first-hand account of what happened.
So will you please let me say just a few words to get us thinking before we hear the story.
This COVID crisis we're in, I think it's forced us all to re-evaluate what's essential in our lives.
You're probably sick of that word essential, but I think it's making us all ask that question.
What is absolutely necessary for my life?
When this was all starting, I went to Audi one night, and I didn't care too much that I couldn't get the vegetables I was after, but there was no coffee.
So I ordered some online.
I don't know why I looked up then.
I suppose God does provide all things, but I ordered some online.
And as I excitedly opened the delivery, I was wondering if coffee was just a bit too essential for my own happiness.
When this card fell out of the package.
Could have been an answer.
I'm not sure.
But the coffee was delicious.
And that's the main point.
We're all asking this question.
What is essential at a public level?
What are essential services that remain open?
What are essential reasons that we're allowed to leave the house like exercise and acts of compassion?
But I reckon we're asking this question at a deeper level than this.
I think we're asking the question.
What is essential for our home life?
What's essential for our relationships being sustained and growing through this time?
If we can't be in each other's presence, can't shake hands and hug, how do we express our connection?
Being forced to isolate.
I wonder if you're like me and you're just growing in your appreciation for how connection is just so close to the heart of what gives us life.
So we're all asking this question.
What's essential for life?
The story we're about to hear gives a surprising answer to our question.
What's absolutely essential for my life is that another man died.
Jesus died to give us connection with God and connection with one another.
So what we're going to do now is we're going to hear this story.
Simon will read what happened and I will point out a few things in the story as we go.
And as I said, we're going to cross each time.
We're going to hear the story in four parts.
And after each part, we'll hear from four people and how this story has changed and is changing their lives.
So I hope you're looking forward to this.
I invite you to listen and to reflect.
We pick up the story with Jesus having claimed that he is God's only son, the good shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep.
He's been betrayed by his closest friends, arrested by his own Jewish people, those who should have recognized him.
And he's now been handed over to the Roman governor, Pilate.
So over to you, Simon, to read part one of the story.
Okay.
John chapter 19.
Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
They came up to him saying, hail, king of the Jews and struck him with their hands.
Pilate went out again and said to them, see, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.
So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.
Pilate said to them, behold the man.
When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, crucify him, crucify him.
Pilate said to them, take him yourselves and crucify him.
For I find no guilt in him.
The Jews answered him, we have a law.
And according to that law, he ought to die because he has made himself the son of God.
When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.
He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, where are you from?
But Jesus gave him no answer.
So Pilate said to him, you will not speak to me.
Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?
Jesus answered him.
You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.
Therefore, he who delivered me over to you has the greatest sin.
From then on, Pilate sought to release him.
But the Jews cried out, if you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.
So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the stone pavement and in Aramaic, Gabbatha.
Now, it was the day of preparation of the Passover.
It was about the sixth hour.
He said to the Jews, behold your king.
And they cried out, away with him, away with him, crucify him.
Pilate said to them, shall I crucify your king?
The chief priests answered, we have no king but Caesar.
So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
It was a very dangerous thing to claim to be a king and so stir people up to go against the authority of Rome.
That's a quick and sure way to be crucified.
That's the kind of thing that Pilate, the governor representing Caesar, was to squash without mercy or hesitation.
But that's why it's really surprising that three times Pilate says in different ways, I find no guilt in him.
To try and satisfy the murderous cries of the Jewish authorities, he has Jesus beaten so that he can then release him.
Jesus is mocked, dressed in royal purple, which is the best colour by the way, and given a crown of thorns dug into his head,
each soldier bowing before him, hail King of the Jews, and striking him.
But it's not enough.
Only death would satisfy Jesus' own Jewish people.
And only a public death, discrediting once and for all, all his claims to be God's son.
To be killed and hung on a tree was a sure sign of God's rejection of a person.
The Jews won't be satisfied with anything less.
Pilate didn't care so much that Jesus was innocent.
But he did care that the Jewish authorities were manipulating him to do their will.
And they knew they had the upper hand.
What would Caesar do if he heard Pilate didn't crucify someone claiming to be the king?
Pilate didn't crucify someone claiming to be the king?
So easily.
But Jesus was silent.
Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified.
But not without putting the Jews in their place first.
Okay, then, have what you want.
This is the only king you Jews will ever have.
So now watch him be crushed by the power of Rome.
Behold your king.
Pilate and the soldiers who beat him had no idea how true their words were.
Friends, behold your king.
Innocent yet punished.
Accused yet silent.
Having all authority yet submitting to death.
chosen by God yet rejected by the world
the question we're left with until the next part of the story is why
why would he endure this but before we hear the next part we're going to first
cross to Catherine and she's going to share how Jesus
has really impacted her life so thank you Catherine
okay
when I was listening to this story
to this reading one of the things that really struck me
was how unjustly Jesus was accused and that he didn't do anything
and I know for me that this was particularly
striking because I really really really hate being unjustly accused and I not only don't want to
I always want to be right but I always want to be seen to be right as well and if I am unjustly accused
particularly by those closest to me particularly in marriage and at home the wheels fall off I react to really
intensely massively defensive massively aggressive and lash out in a really destructive way
and when I think about Jesus at this time
he of all people not only has the right of being able to say I am right guys but also he has the power to be able to blitz these guys and smash them to smithereens
and he doesn't he is silent when accused and he is calm when he responds he responds in a moderated calm way saying you only get this authority because God's given you this authority
and it keeps reminding me that I have far less right to be seen as seen as right and in fact it doesn't matter
it doesn't matter if those who are with me can see that I'm good or bad God knows
that the heart stuff and it gives me a chance to step back and go all right how am I going to respond am I going to respond in a way that is
unpleasing to God hitting out at everybody around me or am I going to respond
slowly kindly compassionately with patience looking at myself and seeing where the fault is
so um I've been 40 years a Christian I can see how much I've changed in that 40 years
um particularly under great trials and stress um I can see where I've uh not been what I've wanted to be
but where over time things are changing and I hope that things will continue to change in fact I know that things will continue to change
um God is working at me and he is really making a difference
thanks Catherine we're going to pick up now um midway verse through verse 16 and continue our reading
so they took Jesus and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of the skull
which in Aramaic is called Golgotha there they crucified him and with him two others one on either side
and Jesus between them
Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross
it read
Jesus of Nazareth
the king of the Jews
many of the Jews read this inscription
for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city
and it was written in Aramaic
in Latin
and in Greek
so the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate
do not write the king of the Jews
but rather
this man said I am king of the Jews
Pilate answered
what I have written
I have written
when the soldiers had crucified Jesus
they took his garments and divided them into four parts
one part for each soldier
also his tunic
but the tunic was seamless
woven in one piece from top to bottom
so they said to one another
let us not tear it
but cast lots for it
to see whose it shall be
this was to fulfill the scripture
which says
they divided my garments among them
and for my clothing they cast lots
so the soldiers did these things
but standing by the cross of Jesus
were his mother
and his mother's sister
Mary the wife of Clopas
and Mary Magdalene
when Jesus saw his mother
and the disciple whom he loved
standing nearby
he said to his mother
woman
behold
your son
then he said to the disciple
behold
your mother
and from that hour
the disciple took her to his own home
after this
Jesus knowing that all was now finished
said
to fulfill the scripture
I thirst
a jar full of sour wine stood there
so they put a sponge full of the sour wine
on a hyssop branch
and held it to his mouth
when Jesus had received the sour wine
he said
it is finished
and he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit
Roman practice was to
whip criminals before they are crucified
with whips that have bits of bone and metal
tearing at the flesh
a crucified victim was stripped naked
publicly put to shame
with their crime displayed
for all the world to see
the victim is nailed
through their hands
or wrists
and they are left there
in the hot sun
for hours
sometimes days
until eventually
the victim is too tired
to hold up their body weight
to allow air into their lungs
and they suffocate
but the agony of Jesus
isn't the focus
in the story
instead our attention
is drawn
to the soldiers
gambling
for Jesus' clothing
unknowingly
these executioners
are acting
to God's script
written in Psalm 22
a thousand years earlier
they divide my garments
among them
and for my clothing
they cast lots
Jesus knew
that his mission
was almost complete
so he cries out
in thirst
as God's word
said it would happen
and drinking sour wine
clothes
and drinking sour wine
they just seem like
random things
to focus on
don't they
but there was nothing
random going on
and Jesus knew it
and that's the point
Jesus was fully aware
that every step
leading to his
impending death
was the design
of his heavenly father
and he obeyed
every step
of the way
his last words
are not words
of a victim
but words of triumph
it is finished
my mission
is complete
and he bows
his head
freely
giving up
his spirit
no one
took his life
from him
not Pilate
not the Jews
they're arguing
over the crime
written above him
the king
of the Jews
which is written
in three languages
for all the Roman world
to read
and understand
as Pilate
and the Jews
fight for authority
over the situation
unknowingly
God is using them
to declare
to the whole world
that Jesus
is
God's
king
this is
the father's plan
for our king
to die
and our king
was obedient
to his father
until his last breath
it
is
finished
we're going
to hear now
from Gareth
who will share
how he's come
to rest
in God's
unexpected plan
so thanks Gareth
good morning all
going back to my late teens
I believe the real life
was random
that is
I stopped believing
that there was a God
and I believed
that
the world
came into being
randomly
by Big Bang
or some other such thing
when I really thought
on that
it terrified me
because I recognised
how short life is
and that through
that lens
how utterly meaningless
that terror
stayed with me
for quite some time
until I could stand it
no more
and ask my father
rather a lot of questions
about his belief
in God
my memory of that
conversation is very vague
I remember thinking
that dad's belief
wasn't so silly
after all
I think he prayed
at the end
and I remember
that I felt
as if a massive burden
had been removed
from my shoulders
much like that of
Pilgrim
in Pilgrim's Progress
these days
I look through
a different lens
I look at life
through God's word
the Bible
and life makes
a lot more sense
and it has meaning
the psalmist
in Psalm 31
says
I trust in you
oh Lord
I say
you are my God
my times
are in your hand
I believe
that I too
can trust in God
and that my times
are in his hand
15 years ago
I was really unhappy
with the job
I was in
I was starting
early in the morning
and finishing late
not even able
to attend
an evening Bible study
at the new church
we were now attending
so I prayed
Lord please help me
with this
not too long
after that
I was called
into the boss's office
and made redundant
we're letting you go
he said
like I was
some sort of fish
I said very little
but felt quite
indignant about it
how dare they
I thought
then I remembered
my prayer
and could see
that God was in it
and gave thanks
even though
it was
unnerving
to say the least
within two weeks
I received a phone call
from someone
saying that they had heard
that I may be looking
for work
and would I consider
working for them
I said I would consider it
and have been working
for them ever since
God had a more
appropriate job
for me
with regular hours
I know that I can
really trust in God
and my time
really is in his hand
because of Jesus Christ
and what he did
on the cross
my life has meaning
and hope
thanks Gareth
we'll continue our reading
from verse 31
since it was the day
of preparation
and so that the bodies
would not remain
on the cross
on the Sabbath
for that Sabbath
was a high day
the Jews asked
Pilate that their legs
might be broken
and that they might
be taken away
so the soldiers
came
and broke the legs
of the first
and of the other
who had been crucified
with him
but when they came
to Jesus
and saw that he
was already dead
they did not
break his legs
but one of the soldiers
pierced his side
with a spear
and at once
there came out
blood and water
he who saw it
has borne witness
his testimony
is true
and he knows
that he is telling
the truth
that you also
may believe
for these things
took place
that the scripture
might be fulfilled
not one of his bones
will be broken
and again
another scripture
says
they will look
on him
whom they have
pierced
well
Roman practice
was to leave
the corpse
hanging on the cross
for days
for the vultures
to eat
but for the Jews
this would be
considered as
God's curse
on the whole land
and people
to leave
the body
hanging
and especially
for this to happen
on a Sabbath day
at the start
of the Passover
festival
a festival
that celebrated
cleansing
from sin
and freedom
to live
with God
to leave
the body
hanging
would just
contaminate
in Jewish thinking
so they asked
Pilate to break
the legs
of Jesus
to speed up
his death
and take him
away
they come
and break
the two
criminals
legs
either side
but Jesus
was already
dead
and to be sure
a soldier
pierces his side
with his spear
and John
saw
that it brought
a sudden
flow of blood
and water
we're not going
to go into the
details
but medically
it's kind of
obvious
he was definitely
dead
but there's a
deeper significance
here that John
wants us to see
in Jewish
sacrifices
both blood
and water
are both used
to cleanse
people from
all their
moral sin
against God
making them
acceptable
to live with
him
clean
reconnected
to him
just as the
Passover lamb
had to have
no blemish
and have no
broken bones
to be an
acceptable
sacrifice
to God
so we see
Jesus
the true
lamb
of God
who takes
away
the sin
of the
world
whose sin
is taken
away
John tells
us clearly
he who saw
all this
happen
with his
own eyes
has borne
witness
we have been
listening to
his testimony
this morning
and he's
telling us
this
so that we
also might
believe
as you
picture
the blood
coming out
of Jesus
side
do you
believe
that he
did this
willingly
do you
believe
he did
this for
you
then all
you're wrong
before God
has been
washed
clean
you can
know
without a
doubt
that God
loves you
John 3
16 says
for God
so loved
the world
that he
gave his
one and
only son
that whoever
believes
in him
shall not
perish
but have
eternal
life
well we're
going to
hear now
from
Marie
and
Marie
is going
to share
how she
has come
to believe
more deeply
of God's
love for
her
so thanks
Marie
hi
I'm
Marie
and this
is my
family
sorry in
advance
if they're
a little
bit noisy
we've just
totally rubbed
them with
chocolate
so hopefully
they'll be
quiet for a
moment
yeah so I'm
just going to
share a
little bit
of my
story
so Pete
and I
we got
we were
high school
sweethearts
and we got
married young
and then a
few years
later we
wanted to
start our
family
and
unfortunately
then we
were introduced
to infertility
and it was
a really
hard time
for us
we
saw our
friends and
families
having
babies
great joy
and it
just wasn't
happening for
us
and the
doctor said
it was
likely not
to ever
happen for
us as
well
so we
had
over eight
years of
medical
things
and crying
and praying
and yeah
it was a
hard time
and also
a hard time
testing me
in my faith
as a
Christian
as well
I had to
keep
rereading
passages
like we've
been reading
this morning
and reminding
myself
that I
actually was
loved
and I had
to believe
that I was
loved so much
that Jesus
would die
for me
and for my
sins
so that
actually helped
even though
things weren't
going to my
plans
and as
you can
see
we
eventually
were blessed
with kids
and now
our daily
struggle is
learning to be
a mum
with three
young kids
while the
pandemic's
going on
and I'm
trying to be
a kidney
teacher as
well
and
unfortunately
I often
get it wrong
as a mum
I lose
my patience
I get
quick
tempered
sometimes
but
thank goodness
I don't
have to be
weighed down
by that
I can keep
on going
because I've
been cleansed
through Jesus
of all my
sin and all
my failures
so not only
have I been
cleansed
but God
also promises
to be there
with me
and to help
me which
is a great
comfort as
a mum
especially
during all
these uncertain
times going
on in the
world
so yeah
I think
that's just
what I wanted
to share
with you
guys
that I've
learned
through my
experiences
some things
can be
hard
and some
things don't
go to
plans
to your own
plans
but you
can find
love and
great comfort
in Jesus
and you can
be cleansed
from all
your sins
and failures
through him
so yeah
I'll get that
out of
story
thank you
for listening
and kids
do you guys
want to say
goodbye
say bye
bye
thanks Marie
and Pete
we're just
going to read
the last part
of the passage
now from
verse 38
after these
things
Joseph of
Arimathea
who was a
disciple of
Jesus
but secretly
for fear of
the Jews
asked Pilate
that he might
take away
the body of
Jesus
and Pilate
gave him
permission
so he came
and took away
his body
Nicodemus also
who earlier
had come to
Jesus by
night
came
bringing a
mixture of
myrrh and
aloes
about 75
pounds in
weight
so they took
the body
of Jesus
and bound
it in linen
cloths with
the spices
as is the
burial custom
of the Jews
now in the
place where he
was crucified
there was a
garden
and in the
garden a
new tomb
in which no
one had yet
been laid
so because of
the Jewish
day of
preparation
since the
tomb was
close at
hand
they laid
Jesus there
we're now
final scene
our attention
is drawn to
two very
surprising
people
they're two
men of high
position
among the
Jewish leaders
Joseph is
described as a
believer a
follower but
secretly because
he feared the
Jewish authorities
and you can
see why and
Nicodemus who
was too afraid
to come to
Jesus in the
daylight so he
saw him secretly
at night these
men had a lot
to lose their
high position
maybe even
their lives
if you were
there seeing
the corpse of
Jesus hanging
on the cross
how risky
would it be to
admit before
Pilate and the
authorities that
you believe that
this man is
worthy of
honour
I think
we're being
shown what
believing in
Jesus looks
like
it's believing
that Jesus
is worth
risking everything
else for
it's not
hiding but
openly confessing
it's not living
in fear and
darkness but
walking in the
light of his
love
they've
richly
prepared his
body for
burial so
that the
stench of
death wouldn't
be so bad
and laid
him in a
tomb in
which no
one had
yet been
laid
but even
as they
honour him
they show
that they
don't quite
grasp who
Jesus is
and what he
came to do
they were
treating Jesus
as if his
story ended
in the tomb
if the story
ended here
we would have
no reason
to celebrate
at Easter
because death
would yet
again
have the
final
save
I don't
think
Joseph
and
Nicodemus
would have
bothered
with spices
and wrapping
Jesus'
body
if they
knew what
was coming
on Sunday
morning
the story
doesn't end
here
and that is
such good
news
for all
who believe
in him
our story
doesn't end
in death
either
the cross
is blood
poured out
to reconnect
us to
God
and what
followed on
Sunday
morning
is absolutely
essential
for our
life
friends
behold
your king
innocent
and having
all authority
yet submitting
to injustice
and rejection
and death
obedient
trusting
his father's
plan
pouring out
his blood
for you
to wash
you clean
for everyone
who believes
dying
he destroyed
the power
of death
to give us
new and
forever
life
what a
king
the lamb
of God
who takes
away the
sin of the
world
good reason
to celebrate
well we're
going to
finish by
hearing from
Alyssa
as she
shares how
Jesus has
washed her
and given
her new
life
so over
to you
Alyssa
sorry
I just
wanted to
share some
of my
story and
how Jesus
has and
is still
impacting
my life
so I
grew up
in a
loving
household
we were
taught
about
Jesus
and his
love
and the
forgiveness
that he
offers
from a
really young
age
however I
don't think
I ever
really realised
the weight
of what that
meant
for myself
personally
until I
was in my
late teens
so from a
young age
I fell
into some
forms of
addiction
and it
became a
source of
comfort for
me
I always
knew in
my heart
that there
was a
God and
I believed
in him
but I
really
struggled to
feel his
love and
his grace
for myself
and it's
only really
been in the
last few
years that
I've come
to accept
that love
and forgiveness
it was in
those younger
years however
that I
had formed
some really
unhealthy
habits
and ways
of handling
pain and
emotions
I don't
feel I ever
learnt to
handle pain
well
and I
experienced
a lot of
it and
instead of
turning to
God to
find my
worth and
identity
I allowed
the addiction
and what
it brought
with it
to define
me
things like
shame
feeling not
worthy enough
and being
a failure
I carried
this identity
with me
and it only
led me
further
into the
path of
addiction
with every
trial
and pain
that I
faced
as the
years have
gone on
I feel
like
I am
letting go
of the
shame
the feelings
of not
being worthy
or of
being a
failure
and finding
my identity
more and
more in
Jesus
but I
will be
honest in
saying it's
been a
really long
hard and
slow journey
but the
only way
that's been
made possible
is coming
to understand
how wide
and how
deep
and how
great the
love of
Jesus is
for me
and what
his forgiveness
and grace
really means
it's a
daily struggle
and fight
not to
hold on
to the
past
and allow
what has
happened
to me
or what
I have
done
to define
me
and I
still fall
into the
trap of
thinking that
other things
can carry
me through
but every
day I'm
learning that
if it
wasn't for
Jesus
and his
death
and resurrection
I would
not have
been made
new
I would
not have
been changed
from the
inside out
nor have
the strength
to keep
going
you see
the greatest
comfort
the greatest
peace
and the
greatest
hope I
have
is knowing
Jesus Christ
and that he
knew everything
about me
and even
knowing everything
about me
he endured
the cross
and he died
so that we
could know
him
his love
and his
forgiveness
Jesus Christ
God himself
who knew
my sin
my weakness
my failing
the king
of the world
humbled himself
went through
all that
pain
suffering
rejection
and humiliation
thinking of
you and me
carrying the
sin of the
world
he died
on the
cross
and then
rose again
so we
could be
made new
be holy
perfect
and blameless
and also
to give us
the strength
to persevere
and fight
temptation
my king
suffered
in my
place
what a
God
what a
hope we
have
what a
king
thanks for
listening to
my story
yeah thank
you so much
Alyssa
and Marie
and Gareth
and Catherine
thank you for
opening yourselves
up to us
to see inside
your lives
and your hearts
thank you so much
for sharing your
stories with us
it's been really
encouraging
um
you
so much
thank you
to see así
some of rient
and why
thank you
and I'll
see you