4 SCENES THAT ANSWER 4 QUESTIONS
WHO DO WE BELONG TO?
WHO BOUGHT US?
WHO IS OUR HOPE IN?
WHO IS OUR REVELATION?
The four scenes take place from 6pm Thursday to Noon Sunday
6pm Thursday: WHO DO WE BELONG TO? John 13:1-6
The setting is the ‘Upper Room’, they are about to begin the ‘Passover Seder Ritual’. Before they begin the meal, the guests feet were washed by a servant of the Host
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
- John gives us insight from the Holy Spirit as to Jesus’ state of mind
- He had loved them by action, and His death would be the ultimate act of love
- The betrayal was part of God’s plan
3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
- With full knowledge of EVERYTHING… Jesus sought to demonstrate His love
- The Mystery of the Incarnation…not a mystery to Jesus
- He took on the role of the lowliest servant and one by one, washed their feet
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
- Peter is like: your not really going to do this are you?
- Peter can’t understand how Jesus is the greatest because He is willing to be least
- You have to let Jesus serve you (Die For You) in order to belong to Him
- Once Peter realizes what is at stake, he is all in
- Are you all in with the idea of letting Jesus cleanse you / forgive you / redeem you
Who do we belong to? CHRIST CALLS US TO BELONG TO HIM!
3pm Friday: WHO BOUGHT US? Matthew 27:46 & 50-53
The setting: The Place of the Skull… At about 9am Jesus is nailed to the cross. Roman solders throw dice for his clothes. The religious leaders mock him. He interacts with one of the thieves next to him. At Noon it goes dark for three hours…Here is where we pick up the action:
46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
- The sin of all mankind is placed upon The Christ
- God the Father cannot be in fellowship with sin so He must abandon Him
- David prophesied this; it only makes sense in a bigger context
- A price had to be paid, God’s perfect Justice demanded it
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
- He says: ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ & ‘It is finished!’
- His Life-Force left that body…for now (He Himself released His Spirit)
51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
- In both Mark and Luke the curtain being torn TOP TO BOTTOM is recorded
- The separation of God’s presence from us because of sin is ended from His end
- Supernatural power caused nature to resonate & God’s people to rise to new life
- They were godly because God animated them & they demonstrated redemption
Who Bought us? CHRIST BOUGHT & PAID FOR US TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD!
6am Sunday: WHO IS OUR HOPE IN? Mark 16:1-6
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
- Sabbath was sundown Friday to sundown Saturday (No commerce)
- The stones were not meant to be rolled away often
- With a lever you could get it open enough to get inside
- There would normally be men who performed such a service but not 1st thing
- Rich people’s cemetery, there would be ‘attendants’
4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side.
- Something had happened, they didn’t see it happen, they just could see the result
- Luke describes ‘A young man clothed in a white robe’
The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.
- If you search for Jesus, who was crucified, there is no need to be alarmed
- The angel tells them exactly what has happened; we have God’s word on it!
- The angel says: believe in what you can’t see! That is what Hope is!
Who is our hope in? CHRIST IS OUR HOPE FOR ETERNITY WITH GOD!
Noon Sunday: WHO IS OUR REVELATION? Luke 24:13-17 & 21-27
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently…
- They were part of the core of Jesus’ followers talking about the past 66 hours…
- The resurrected Christ seems to be just another traveler
- Jesus wants to start with what they think about it (God meets you where you are)
- He is there to reveal Himself to them
21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. 22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report.
- They had hoped… but they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah
- They had an amazing ‘report’….Amazing as in there was no explanation for it
23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
- Angels telling them Jesus is alive, an empty tomb and STILL they don’t believe
- They had information, but no revelation!
- Throughout the world people know some the story but do not believe
- The problem is they don’t know the Whole Story…
- Where do you get the whole Story?
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”
- It’s all there in the Hebrew Scriptures! Who the messiah is and what He does…
- The death, burial & resurrection of Jesus the Christ only makes sense with O.T.
27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
- The information in the Bible comes alive as God’s Spirit enables us to understand
- God Himself wants to take us through the Scriptures to understand who He is
- Christ Himself provides the Illumination that leads to Revelation of God’s Glory
- We need the whole of Scripture, Old & New Testaments understood together
- We are so blessed to have the complete revelation!
Who Reveals God to us? CHRIST IS OUR REVELATION OF GOD’S GLORY!
Application Questions:
What are some lifestyle choices that can help you more fully belong to Jesus Christ?
How can you intentionally pay forward what Jesus Christ paid for you?
How can you focus on expressing your hope for eternal union with Him?
How can you increase your openness to Scripture’s revelation of who Christ is?