Remembering Jesus

 

Intro: As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, we are to remember what this special time means to us so we will never forget what Jesus has done for us. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ meant our deliverance from hell and the penalty of our sin. We were set free from the power of Satan, sin and death through the blood of Christ.

I. Remember Jesus' suffering for you. Luke 22:39-44 (NKJV)
³⁹  Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. ⁴⁰  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." ⁴¹  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, ⁴²  saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." ⁴³  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. ⁴⁴  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. These verses tell us the magnitude of Jesus' great agony of soul as He prepared Himself for what was to come. He fell on His face—the pressure and weight were unbearable. Jesus suffered as no man has ever done before or since and it was not for His sins, but ours He suffered.
In verse 43 an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Jesus. God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus in this horrible time of fear, and temptation. In his humanity, Jesus suffered terribly during this night, battling what He knew had to happen. Jesus was in extreme agony; His prayer reveals his terrible suffering. God did not take away the “cup,” for the cup was His will. Yet he did take away Jesus’ extreme fear and agitation. Remember Jesus' suffering for you as we approach Easter. Personalize it! It was for you!

II. Remember Jesus' suffering on the cross for you. Matthew 27:33-46 (NKJV)³³  And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull,³⁴  they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. ³⁵  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." ³⁶  Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷  And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸  Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. ³⁹  And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰  and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." ⁴¹  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴²  "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. ⁴³  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " ⁴⁴  Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. 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? "After suffering in the garden, Jesus suffered the rejection of His own people, His disciples and the religious leaders. Even God had to turn His back on Him because He could not look upon Jesus as He became sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The sins of the world were placed on Jesus, so that His righteousness could be given to all those who trust Him. What a Savior! (John 19:28-30 (NLT) ²⁸  Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹  A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰  When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. Jesus' sacrifice for us accomplished all that was required to restore mankind’s relationship with the Father God that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden. Our sins were forgiven by Jesus Christ as He died there for us on the Cross of Calvary. As Jesus was dying on the cross for your sins and mine, He uttered three last words that have the greatest impact ever upon all mankind. Those words were “It is finished.” Nothing else needs be done for mankind to be forgiven of the Father. Jesus’ sacrificial blood was sufficient for all our sins. Remember our Lord’s Sacrifice of His life and blood for you as He died on that old rugged cross all alone.

III. Remember Jesus' resurrection from the dead for you. Matthew 28:1-7 (NKJV)
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. ²  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. ³  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 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.
⁷  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." History was witnessing the most violent event of all time in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The grave could not hold Jesus; the quaking of the earth was bound to happen as Jesus came out of that tomb as described in verse 2. The bible says that the resurrection of God's dear Son Jesus made it possible for the resurrection of all who believe in Him. As the old hymn goes “He lived and died to buy my pardon, an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, my life is worth the living just because He lives.” Remember the victory over the grave the Lord Jesus won for you as you celebrate Good Friday and Easter. Because He lives you shall live also!

Invitation: Have you taken advantage of Christ’s sacrificial death and His shed blood for you? If not now is the time to do that by confessing your sins against a Holy God to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. Then be baptized as a testimony of your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord!