We Remember!

Scriptures From N.K.J.V.

Intro: Today we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection from the dead. After the Lord's Supper, before Jesus made His way to the “Garden of Gethsemane” where He would face unbelievable  agony and suffering, He prayed for His disciples as they were left to carry out His kingdom's work and all those who would believe their message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus shows His love for us. He was not concerned with Himself but us. He ever lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)

1. In just a short time after Jesus' prayer for us, He would be suffering great agony and pain as He made His final steps to the cross. As we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection this Sunday,we remember that severe agony and pain Jesus suffered for us on His way to the cross. LUKE 22:39-46 Says as He prayed there in the garden, Jesus was in such agony the angels came and ministered to Him, strengthening Him as He sweat drops of blood. There while He was praying, His disciples went to sleep on Him. They could not stay awake to help Him pray for what was ahead.

2. Even after suffering such agony in the garden, Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples.

Luke 22:47 (NKJV) ⁴⁷ And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

3. He was deserted by His disciples. Matthew 26:31 (NKJV) 
³¹ Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' Not one disciple stood by Him. Jesus walked the road of suffering to the cross all alone.

4. Peter denied Him 3 times, last time with a curse. Matthew 26:74-75 (NKJV) ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.

5. Jesus was falsely accused and denied a proper trial before the religious leaders and Pontius Pilate.

No fault could be found in Him. Luke 23:13-16 (NKJV) ¹³ Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵ no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ¹⁶ I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"

6. Even though Jesus did no wrong, He was unjustly condemned to die on a cross by His own people the Jews.

Luke 23:18-24 (NKJV)¹⁸ And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"--
¹⁹ who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
²⁰ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹ But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" ²² Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."
²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.

7. This week we remember how He endured that cross, hanging there in agony with His arms outstreched in love until He gave His Life to pay the penalty for our sins. He was left alone even by the Father God while He bore our sins in His body.

Matthew 27:45-46 (NKJV) ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

John 19:28-30 (NKJV) ²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. The payment for mankind's sin was now paid in full.

8. Today we will celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

A. Jesus' body was taken from the cross and put in a borrowed tomb and sealed. Matthew 27:64-66 (NKJV) ⁶⁴ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

B. But on the third day He arose! Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Hallelujah, Jesus Christ lives and He lives in His people.

7. Why is the Resurrection so important?

a. Because of the Resurrection, we know that the Kingdom of Heaven has broken into earth’s history. Acts chap. 2

b. Because of the Resurrection, we know that death has been conquered and that we who believe in Christ as our personal Savior and Lord will be raised from the dead also to live forever with Jesus and the Father God.

c. The Resurrection gives authority to the church’s witness in the world. No other religion has a risen Savior and Lord.                         1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. The apostles’ most important message was the proclamation that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead for the forgiveness of man's sin! Because He lives, we who believe will also live together with Him and the Father forever.

d. The Resurrection gives meaning to the church’s celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of Christ’s suffering on our behalf, His victorious resurrection, and His imminent return to take us to Himself.

e. The Resurrection helps us find meaning even in great tragedy. What we experience here is not all there is. No matter what happens to us as we walk with the Lord, the Resurrection gives us certain hope for the future.

f. The Resurrection assures us that Christ is alive and ruling his Kingdom. All powers subject to Him.

This week we remember Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection as we worship and praise Him in God's house for all He has accomplished for us. What a Savior, we are free from the penalty of sin.

Invitation: All I ask is that you each respond to what you have read as God's Spirit leads you before we this Sunday!

Death is certain! Be sure you are right with God. If you have not been saved and you are not right with God, then ask Jesus to forgive your sins and then invite Him into your life to save you from Hell and live in you to guide, guard, and direct each day of the rest of your life. You will be so glad you did, so sorry if you don't!  

 The Lord's High Preistly Prayer

Jesus Prays For His Own

John 17

Intro: John 17 contains Jesus’ great “High Priestly intercessory prayer.” Please get your bible and follow along. You will be blessed if you do.

It expresses the deepest desires of Jesus’ heart for His return to the Father and for the destiny of His chosen ones. Jesus asked the Father to grant the believers the same kind of unity that He and the Father enjoyed from eternity—a unity of love.

In verses 1-5 Jesus prays for Himself! He prays to be glorified in His hour so He could glorify the Father. Jesus had glorified God while on earth. He had finished the work He came to do. (John 19:30) The way for mankind’s salvation was paid in full. He prays to be glorified in the Father as He was before the world was.

In verses 9-19 Jesus prays for His disciples!

After praying for his own glorification, Jesus turned the direction of his petition to his disciples. These were the men God had selected to give to his Son as his disciples. To these men, given to him by the Father out of the world, Jesus had expressed the reality of the Father’s person to them. And they had kept his word. Their faith wasn’t perfect, and they would fail their Savior in the coming hours; but their commitment was in the right place, and they would return to this faith and to obedience to God after His death and resurrection.

17:9 These disciples were the object of Jesus’ affection and Jesus’ prayer. He was not praying for the world. Instead, he was praying for those the Father had given him. These would carry on the good news of salvation to the world. They would need the prayers of Jesus be able to do what He had called them to do. 17:10 Jesus’ words reveal his oneness, closeness, and equality with God the Father. These disciples belonged to both him and the Father, and they were the ones in whom Jesus would be glorified on earth after he had returned to the Father. The disciples’ lives would reveal Jesus’ essential character to those who had not yet believed, so Jesus would be present in the world through them.

17:11 Jesus would be departing the world to rejoin the Father; the disciples would stay behind to carry out God’s plan by spreading the good news of salvation. Such a mission would arouse great hostility from the evil one, so the disciples needed special protection. Jesus asked that the Holy Father would keep them and care for them. The prayer itself indicates confidence in God’s ability to “keep” his children, while at the same time allowing the disciples to hear Jesus’ desire for how they are to be kept. Jesus prayed that they would be united just as he and the Father are united. They should have a unified desire and purpose to serve and glorify God. Then they would have the strongest of all possible unions.

In verse 11 He prayed for God to keep them in His care.

In verse 12 Jesus had kept all His disciples except Judas. The sciptures foretold of Judas' betrayal of Jesus.

In verse 13 Jesus prayed for His disciples to have His joy in them.

In verse 14 Jesus had given His disciples God's word which caused the world to hate them as it had Jesus.

In verse 15 Because of the world's hatred of them, Jesus prays the Father to keep His disciples from the evil one.

In verse 17 He prayed for God to sanctify them by His word. Sanctify- to purify or free from sin. That's why the word of God is so important. King David confirmed this many centuries earlier in the book of Psalms.

Psalms 119:11 (NKJV) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

In verses 20-26 Jesus prays for all believers.

In verse 21 Jesus prayed for us to be one in each other as He and the Father are one. He prayed we would be one in Him and the Father. We are to be one in nature, character, and purpose. As the world watches us live out our oneness in them, it is for the purpose of helping people believe in Jesus and God. We must demonstrate thru our lives what we believe or there is no power to persuade. We Christians are to be differrent then the world.

In verse 22 Jesus has given us God's glory in Himself. Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV) Jesus, who being the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

When we were saved the very Spirit of the living God came into our being in all His glory. Romans 5:5 (NKJV) ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

In verse 23 Jesus’ work was not only to speak and model the character of God. His ultimate purpose was to present both the splendor and character of God (God’s glory) in such a way that God would become personally real to us. We, in turn, are to pass on what we had received to others so they may also believe. We who have received the glory should become unified in our shared relationship with Christ. Complete and perfect unity between God and believers results in worldwide belief. When we demonstrate this oneness, we will convince the world that the Father sent the Son.

In verse 24 Jesus wants all believers to be with him where he is so they can see his glory. Think of glory as the full revelation of God's nature, attributes, character and the awesomeness of God. Glory is the Weight of the full Truth of God in His holiness and fullness. What wonderful assurance Jesus’ prayer gives us to know that the Lord of heaven wants us to be with him. This request impacts our present experience and future hope. In the present, we unite with God the Father in Christ thru the Holy Spirit. In the future, we will be with Christ in eternal glory and enjoy with him the love he experienced with the Father forever.

In verse 25 The world doesn't know God at all. But anyone who is a believer knows that the Father has sent Jesus, and the purpose was for Jesus to die as payment for our sins. We must tell the good news to others so they can know.

In verse 26 Jesus said He has declared the Father to believers and He would continue to declare Him thru the Holy Spirit. Jesus declares that we believers know that God had sent Him into the world. Jesus prays for us that thru Him we would truly know and experience God's love and fullness as He does. That the same love that God has for Jesus, He prayed we would have. What a Savior we have who thought to pray for us on His way to the cross to die for us so we could be saved from Hell. Jesus even in heaven continues to pray and interceed for us.

Hebrews 7:24-25 (NKJV)
²⁴ But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Invitation: Do you know personally this Savior of the world. He died on that cross for you. If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins, now would be a good time to do that. Just ask, dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins against God and His word. Please forgive me and come into my life and lead, guide, and direct me from this day forth. I pray in Your name Jesus, giving you taahnks for saving my soul from Hell.

Road to the Cross

Matt. 21:1-11

Intro: Today we will look at the last week of Jesus' life on this earth. Today we begin with Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus had spent the night before in the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Jesus had nothing of this world's goods. In order to fulfill the Scripture of Zachariah 9:9 that the Messiah was to enter the city riding a colt, Jesus had to borrow the colt. How materialistic we become, thinking we must have things in order to live!

He told His disciples where to find a donkey. They were to take the donkey and the colt and to bring them back to him. What was the significance of this event? By entering Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in this way. Luke 19:41-42 (NKJV) ⁴¹ Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Jesus was the

Many in the crowd apparently understood that Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, shouting, “Hosanna”—which means, “O Save!” and calling him “Son of David.” The people were excited because their long-awaited king had arrived, and for a time Jesus had their support; however, they failed to understand what kind of king Jesus was. He was not entering Jerusalem as a conquering warrior, but as a peaceful king riding upon a lowly animal. The throne that he was about to claim was not a golden throne, but a wooden cross. Sin enslaves us--but Christ gave his life as a ransom for our sins. The people would turn on Him before the week was over.

I. JESUS GOES TO THE TEMPLE in Matt. 21:12

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, He entered the Temple. As the Messiah, he was a priest as well as a king, and the temple was the dwelling place of his heavenly father. This entrance would mark the beginning of a dramatic confrontation with the religious authorities who ran the temple. Jesus does the following:

II. He cleanses the temple (Mt. 21:12-13). The temple was where people came to offer sacrifices for their sins. They would give an animal to the priest, and he would sacrifice the animal and offer it up to God. If a person did not have an animal, he would purchase one. For those who came to the temple from out of town, they would have to change money first to buy the animal. Jesus was upset that this business was being conducted in the temple itself, which was supposed to be a place of prayer,

not a “den of thieves.” He drove out everyone who was buying and selling in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers.

III. He heals in the temple (Mt. 21:14-17). After cleansing the temple, all of the blind and lame come to Jesus to be healed. By caring for these unfortunate people, Jesus turns the temple into what it was supposed to be—a place of healing. How would the religious authorities respond?

IV. Jesus teaches lesson on faith. Matt. 21:17-22) Jesus leaves the city and went to Bethany where He spent the night. In the morning asHe was returning to Jerusalem He stopped long enough to teach a lesson on faith by cursing the fig tree and causing it to be dried up at the roots. Jesus said we could also by faith do the same thing by speaking to our mountain and believing in our heart it will move.

V. He teaches in the temple (Mt. 21:23-27). In the past, Jesus had spent most of his time teaching out in the countryside and in villages. Now he was claiming his right as the Son of God to teach in the temple itself—the domain of the religious leaders. They try to challenge his authority, but they cannot answer any of the religious questions that he asks them. In verses 28-32 Jesus rebukes the religious leaders for their unbelief in Him as The Messiah.

VI. He pronounces judgment in the temple (Mt. 21:33-46). Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who rented out his land and went away on a long journey. When the harvest time came, the owner sent his servants to

collect the fruit, but the tenants killed each servant that he sent. Finally, he sent his son, but they killed him too. The point of the parable was that religious leaders did not own the temple—they were tenants. They and their forefathers had killed God’s servants that he had sent. Now they would kill God’s son too.

From chapter 22 – 25 In chapter 22 Jesus tells the parable of the wedding dinner which was a metaphor of the “MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.” Many are called but few accept invitation. Leaders tried to trip Jesus up by asking Him questions about taxes and the resurrection and the greatest commandment. In chapter 23 Jesus warned the religious leaders and condemned them. Jesus did this because the leaders were hungry for more power, money, and status. That had made the people lose sight of God, and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation. Jesus once again grieves over Jerusalem for their blindness and rejection of Him as their Messiah.

In chapter 24 Jesus departs the Temple and teaches His disciples about signs and the things that would happen on earth before His return to earth to set up His Kingdom.

In chapter 25 Jesus tells the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. In this parable Jesus is telling those in the church to be ready for His return at any time to take His people home in the rapture or great catching up of the church.

The next event in Jesus' last week was the observance of the Passover feast where He instituted of the Lord's Supper.

VII. In Matt. 26:1-5 Jesus tells His disciples that the Feast of Passover is approaching and warns them concerning His coming crucifixion by the religious leaders.

The Passover refers back to the time when God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage in (Exodus 12). He had pronounced judgment, the taking of the firstborn, upon the people of Egypt for their injustices against the nation of Israel. As He prepared to execute the final judgment, those who believed God were instructed to slay a pure lamb and sprinkle its blood over the door posts of their homes. The blood of the innocent lamb would then serve as a sign that the coming judgment had already been carried out upon the sacrificial lamb. When seeing the blood, God would pass over that house. Those who believed God applied the blood to their homes and were saved, but those who did not believe did not apply the blood to their homes and they were destroyed, both Egyptians and Israelite's alike.

Then in verses 26-30 Jesus shows that He is the fulfillment of the O.T. Passover lamb by establishing a New Covenant to be confirmed by the sacrificing of His body and blood on the cross. Matthew 26:26-30 (NKJV) ²⁶ And as they were eating the Passover meal, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." ²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sin. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." ³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus was tying the O.T. Passover meal and the Lord's Supper to His death on the cross.

Jesus by the establishing a “new covenant” was showing that He was the fulfillment of the O.T. Passover Lamb.

John the Baptist spoke of this as he was preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah he said in:

John 1:29 (NKJV) "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He was using metaphor of O.T.

Just as the blood of the O.T. Passover lamb caused the judgment of God to passover their houses when applied to the door posts, The blood of Christ when applied to our hearts causes God's judgment for our sin to passover us. We are freed from the penalty of sin thru the blood of Christ.

Jesus offered His body and blood as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind once and for all.

Hebrews 9:28 (NKJV) Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Invitation: Are you ready for Jesus' return? If you die before His return, are you prepared to meet Him? Has Jesus' shed blood been applied to your heart's door? Have you confessed your sins and asked Jesus to forgive you? If not, don't wait another day, do it now.

Remember Jesus walked the road to the cross for you so you could be with Him and the Father in Heaven for eternity!