[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Sunday morning, April 8th, 2018, the first Sunday after Easter. A video of the service may be found on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
As I mentioned last Sunday morning, a number of folks who attended our Good Friday service commented that I needed to deliver that message again, that we all needed to hear it. I thought about this, and prayed over it quite a bit. I felt led that this would be good to do, but not just to cover the torture and death of Jesus but also His great defeat over death, since Resurrection Day is so recently past. And not only our Lord’s death and resurrection should be included, but also the heartbreak and betrayal that led up to those, so we can get the full story.
This morning I am going to try to do just that, to tie those three days in the life of Jesus together into one message. It will involve a lot of scripture reading, but I am going to break it into three pieces, corresponding to the three days. So to begin, please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 14 of the Gospel account of the Apostle Mark, verses 32 through 37 and 39 through 46 from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
This morning I am going to try to do just that, to tie those three days in the life of Jesus together into one message. It will involve a lot of scripture reading, but I am going to break it into three pieces, corresponding to the three days. So to begin, please listen and follow along as I read from chapter 14 of the Gospel account of the Apostle Mark, verses 32 through 37 and 39 through 46 from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”
45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.
--Mark 14:32-37, 39-46 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, You know everything and have known all along that the only way that Your creation, including us – mankind – could ever be brought back into righteousness in Your eyes, the only way that the great chasm that opened between You and us because of our sin and disobedience, was for us to be washed clean by the blood of the one true Spotless Lamb. You gave Your own Son as a sacrifice, once for all mankind. Thank You, Father, for loving us this much. Please help us remain faithful and true to You and to Christ Jesus our Lord. Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice and better know Your will. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
An atheist complained to a Christian friend: “You Christians have special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays. It’s unfair discrimination.” His friend replied, “I know… Why don’t you celebrate on April 1st?”
This year, Easter did happen to fall on April 1st. But don’t you think that April Fool’s Day would be very appropriate for atheists to celebrate their non-belief? As far as I’m concerned, there are no bigger fools in this world than those who refuse to believe.
In our first reading, Mark tells us of how Jesus was betrayed by Judas – an event we’re familiar with. But there is another instance of betrayal contained within that passage we may have overlooked, and sadly, it is one many of us might be guilty of as well.
Jesus took His three closest disciples aside and asked them to wait for Him and keep watch while he went off by Himself to pray. All He asked was that they stay there and watch for one hour, but when He returned shortly, He found them sleeping instead. Twice He asked them to stay and watch; twice He found them sleeping upon His return.
These three men had been with Jesus the past three years and may have been His best friends as well as closest followers, yet they could not force themselves to do as He asked and stay alert for even one hour! Isn’t that a form of betrayal, to not do something their Lord and friend asked, so simple a task for such a short time? Jesus told them He was experiencing great sorrow and distress. Don’t you think they could have cared a little more, showed a little more concern? Are we not guilty of neglecting to do the simple things Jesus asks of us, of betraying His love in this way?
A little later on, Peter denies having been with Christ, denies even knowing Him, which is another form of betrayal! Do we sometimes deny Jesus by our silence, by our unwillingness to testify on His behalf or be a witness to His goodness? If so, we betray Him.
Judas betrays Jesus and He is arrested. He is taken before the Jewish high priests who, after having Him smacked around some, send Him off to the Roman governor, because they don’t have the authority to do anything worse. All this was definitely a bad start to Jesus’ last few days, but it gets worse - much worse. The Apostle Luke tells us what happens when Jesus is given over to Roman hands, in chapter 23 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading a number of selected verses between 13 and 46, from the New Living Translation this time…
An atheist complained to a Christian friend: “You Christians have special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays. It’s unfair discrimination.” His friend replied, “I know… Why don’t you celebrate on April 1st?”
This year, Easter did happen to fall on April 1st. But don’t you think that April Fool’s Day would be very appropriate for atheists to celebrate their non-belief? As far as I’m concerned, there are no bigger fools in this world than those who refuse to believe.
In our first reading, Mark tells us of how Jesus was betrayed by Judas – an event we’re familiar with. But there is another instance of betrayal contained within that passage we may have overlooked, and sadly, it is one many of us might be guilty of as well.
Jesus took His three closest disciples aside and asked them to wait for Him and keep watch while he went off by Himself to pray. All He asked was that they stay there and watch for one hour, but when He returned shortly, He found them sleeping instead. Twice He asked them to stay and watch; twice He found them sleeping upon His return.
These three men had been with Jesus the past three years and may have been His best friends as well as closest followers, yet they could not force themselves to do as He asked and stay alert for even one hour! Isn’t that a form of betrayal, to not do something their Lord and friend asked, so simple a task for such a short time? Jesus told them He was experiencing great sorrow and distress. Don’t you think they could have cared a little more, showed a little more concern? Are we not guilty of neglecting to do the simple things Jesus asks of us, of betraying His love in this way?
A little later on, Peter denies having been with Christ, denies even knowing Him, which is another form of betrayal! Do we sometimes deny Jesus by our silence, by our unwillingness to testify on His behalf or be a witness to His goodness? If so, we betray Him.
Judas betrays Jesus and He is arrested. He is taken before the Jewish high priests who, after having Him smacked around some, send Him off to the Roman governor, because they don’t have the authority to do anything worse. All this was definitely a bad start to Jesus’ last few days, but it gets worse - much worse. The Apostle Luke tells us what happens when Jesus is given over to Roman hands, in chapter 23 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading a number of selected verses between 13 and 46, from the New Living Translation this time…
13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this Man to me, accusing Him of leading a revolt. I have examined Him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find Him innocent.
16 So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him."
18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill Him, and release Barabbas to us!”
20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has He committed? I have found no reason to sentence Him to death. So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with Him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified — one on His right and one on His left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice.
44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust My spirit into Your hands!” And with those words He breathed His last.
--Luke 23:13-14, 16-18, 20-24, 32-34, 44-46 (NLT)
This is Friday. Just five days ago on Sunday, the people of Jerusalem had all turned out to welcome their approaching King with shouts of “Hosanna!”. Now they cried out just as loud, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Release Barabbas to us and crucify this Jesus!”
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and ultimate authority in the region, is hesitant to do as the crowd and the Jewish religious leadership demands. Instead, he has Jesus flogged, hoping that will appease the blood-thirsty mob, even though he finds Jesus to be innocent of the charge against Him. This “flogging” would have been done using a cat-o-nine-tails, a short whip made by lashing nine strips of leather to a handle and then tying bits of metal and shards of broken pottery into the leather strips. The end result is a tool of torture that can literally rip the flesh of its victim from their body, leaving them bleeding and raw.
Still the people cried out for Jesus to be executed, and finally Pilate gave in. Jesus was nailed to the cross, there to experience the most horrible execution man has devised. On the cross, your entire weight is supported only by nails driven through the palms of your hands and a nail through your ankles. Hanging by your hands, you are unable to take a full breath because your lungs can not expand enough. So you try to put some of your weight on your legs, lifting your body high enough for your lungs to work.
But then the pain becomes too great and fatigue sets in, just trying to support your weight on a nail driven through both your ankles! So you slump back down, relieving your legs, putting your entire weight back on your hands, on the nails driven through them. If you’ve ever stepped on a nail, you have a slight glimmer of an idea of how much pain Jesus would have been experiencing.
As time drags on and you keep shifting your weight struggling to stay alive, the Roman soldiers will finally get bored and decide to hurry the process along a little by breaking your knees with a hammer. Now you can only hang by your hands, gasping for each breath until they simply no longer come. Our Lord was spared that last torture by succumbing to the cross and giving up His spirit, breathing His last. His body was laid in a newly carved tomb, sealed by a boulder, guarded by soldiers.
At this point it all seems pretty hopeless. The rough start has turned horribly worse. On Thursday Jesus was denied, betrayed, arrested. Friday brought torture, a brutal, barbaric execution, and burial. Our Lord descended into hell.
But we have one more day to look at, and one more scripture passage, and this time I will return to the New King James Version of our Bible as I read from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, verses 1 through 16, 19 and 20, and 24 through 31 of chapter 20…
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and ultimate authority in the region, is hesitant to do as the crowd and the Jewish religious leadership demands. Instead, he has Jesus flogged, hoping that will appease the blood-thirsty mob, even though he finds Jesus to be innocent of the charge against Him. This “flogging” would have been done using a cat-o-nine-tails, a short whip made by lashing nine strips of leather to a handle and then tying bits of metal and shards of broken pottery into the leather strips. The end result is a tool of torture that can literally rip the flesh of its victim from their body, leaving them bleeding and raw.
Still the people cried out for Jesus to be executed, and finally Pilate gave in. Jesus was nailed to the cross, there to experience the most horrible execution man has devised. On the cross, your entire weight is supported only by nails driven through the palms of your hands and a nail through your ankles. Hanging by your hands, you are unable to take a full breath because your lungs can not expand enough. So you try to put some of your weight on your legs, lifting your body high enough for your lungs to work.
But then the pain becomes too great and fatigue sets in, just trying to support your weight on a nail driven through both your ankles! So you slump back down, relieving your legs, putting your entire weight back on your hands, on the nails driven through them. If you’ve ever stepped on a nail, you have a slight glimmer of an idea of how much pain Jesus would have been experiencing.
As time drags on and you keep shifting your weight struggling to stay alive, the Roman soldiers will finally get bored and decide to hurry the process along a little by breaking your knees with a hammer. Now you can only hang by your hands, gasping for each breath until they simply no longer come. Our Lord was spared that last torture by succumbing to the cross and giving up His spirit, breathing His last. His body was laid in a newly carved tomb, sealed by a boulder, guarded by soldiers.
At this point it all seems pretty hopeless. The rough start has turned horribly worse. On Thursday Jesus was denied, betrayed, arrested. Friday brought torture, a brutal, barbaric execution, and burial. Our Lord descended into hell.
But we have one more day to look at, and one more scripture passage, and this time I will return to the New King James Version of our Bible as I read from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, verses 1 through 16, 19 and 20, and 24 through 31 of chapter 20…
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
--John 20:1-16, 19-20, 24-31 (NKJV)
I’ve skipped Saturday in this narrative as it bears little on what Jesus did for us during this time span. He was in hell, the place where the dead go, and other accounts have it He was preaching to the dead, trying to save even them.
But when we look at three days in the life of our Lord, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are by far the most crucial, the most meaningful to us today. For on this third day, Jesus rose again from the dead! He walked among men once again, so that they could see Him and believe in Him.
Some were more stubborn than others, like Thomas, not accepting what eye-witnesses reported, but needing to see for themselves. Some, like John, could figure it out and accept the truth based on what Jesus had said, and the signs He left for them.
Jesus defeated death itself, living the promise, sealing the covenant God made with us that we too can escape death, eternal death, if we would only believe in His Son, Christ Jesus, and follow His voice! The only proof we have of any of this, of any of the events of these three days in the life, is what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John left for us, and what Paul contributed in his letters to the church. But John says that we have enough, that what the Apostles left for us is all we need to believe.
It’s all we need because we have faith, yet another wonderful gift from our Father God. But we must exercise that faith to keep it strong. We must stop betraying Jesus by not doing the simple things He asks of us. We must stop denying Him by not giving Him our voice so that others might believe and be saved. We must stop driving nails into His hands by claiming to be His followers, by calling ourselves by His name, but by living our lives in the same way that the rest of the world lives!
We must help others believe in what they cannot see. Love unconditionally, sacrificially, making of ourselves a living sacrifice in service to our Lord. Share the Gospel, be a witness for Jesus, testify to others how our life has changed for the better just because of Him. Stay alert and watch, for He will return someday, and when He does, all who refuse Him will rue their betrayal, their denial. Help spread the love and light of Jesus everywhere we go, in all that we say, in all we do.
Believe, and help others believe. In the beautiful name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, the Apostle Paul tells us that all things work together for good to those who love You, who are the called according to Your purpose. Your Son Jesus certainly loves You and definitely did everything You asked. And You did indeed make it all turn out good, not only for Him but for us as well. Forgive us, please Father, when we doubt You and Your intentions because we can’t see far enough ahead. Thank You for loving us. Please help us better see and understand Your will in our lives.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, Your last days of mortal life were horrible. You suffered terrible pain and anguish, heartbreak and despair, at the hands of the very people You tried so hard to save. And still today we cause You to suffer, through our continued betrayal and denial. We pound a nail into Your hand each time we strive to please the world rather than please You, each time we seek the world’s approval rather than Yours. Help us, please Lord, to more closely follow You, to be a brighter light unto the darkness around us. Help us show You to others by sharing our love with them, without conditions, without concern for what we may have to sacrifice. Help us spread Your Gospel and God’s kingdom across the face of the earth, starting right here in our own community. Help us be the blessing to others that You are to us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
But when we look at three days in the life of our Lord, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are by far the most crucial, the most meaningful to us today. For on this third day, Jesus rose again from the dead! He walked among men once again, so that they could see Him and believe in Him.
Some were more stubborn than others, like Thomas, not accepting what eye-witnesses reported, but needing to see for themselves. Some, like John, could figure it out and accept the truth based on what Jesus had said, and the signs He left for them.
Jesus defeated death itself, living the promise, sealing the covenant God made with us that we too can escape death, eternal death, if we would only believe in His Son, Christ Jesus, and follow His voice! The only proof we have of any of this, of any of the events of these three days in the life, is what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John left for us, and what Paul contributed in his letters to the church. But John says that we have enough, that what the Apostles left for us is all we need to believe.
It’s all we need because we have faith, yet another wonderful gift from our Father God. But we must exercise that faith to keep it strong. We must stop betraying Jesus by not doing the simple things He asks of us. We must stop denying Him by not giving Him our voice so that others might believe and be saved. We must stop driving nails into His hands by claiming to be His followers, by calling ourselves by His name, but by living our lives in the same way that the rest of the world lives!
We must help others believe in what they cannot see. Love unconditionally, sacrificially, making of ourselves a living sacrifice in service to our Lord. Share the Gospel, be a witness for Jesus, testify to others how our life has changed for the better just because of Him. Stay alert and watch, for He will return someday, and when He does, all who refuse Him will rue their betrayal, their denial. Help spread the love and light of Jesus everywhere we go, in all that we say, in all we do.
Believe, and help others believe. In the beautiful name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, the Apostle Paul tells us that all things work together for good to those who love You, who are the called according to Your purpose. Your Son Jesus certainly loves You and definitely did everything You asked. And You did indeed make it all turn out good, not only for Him but for us as well. Forgive us, please Father, when we doubt You and Your intentions because we can’t see far enough ahead. Thank You for loving us. Please help us better see and understand Your will in our lives.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, Your last days of mortal life were horrible. You suffered terrible pain and anguish, heartbreak and despair, at the hands of the very people You tried so hard to save. And still today we cause You to suffer, through our continued betrayal and denial. We pound a nail into Your hand each time we strive to please the world rather than please You, each time we seek the world’s approval rather than Yours. Help us, please Lord, to more closely follow You, to be a brighter light unto the darkness around us. Help us show You to others by sharing our love with them, without conditions, without concern for what we may have to sacrifice. Help us spread Your Gospel and God’s kingdom across the face of the earth, starting right here in our own community. Help us be the blessing to others that You are to us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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