1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,960 Bible with you. I'd like to invite you to open 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:06,240 it to Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,800 This week I popped open my text messages and I had a message 4 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,080 there. Craig, would you like to go see 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,840 David Suzuki? And I was like, of course I want 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:27,760 to. That would be rain. 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:34,120 And I was so excited. And so later I said, so do I 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,000 meet you there or you just going to send? 9 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,480 How do how do I have a ticket? And she sent the ticket. 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,760 And then Tuesday afternoon, I was so excited about seeing 11 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,920 David Suzuki. And I was at an art show that my 12 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,080 daughter was doing. And then I said, I have to rush 13 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:57,040 out of here and head to campus for this event with David 14 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,960 Suzuki. I got to campus, I parked out, I 15 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,319 hiked into campus. I came across and as I'm coming 16 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,800 down to the Sears building, I'm thinking there are not a lot of 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,320 people here. What's going on? 18 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,720 Where is everybody? I got to the door and the door 19 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:22,400 was locked and every, the whole lobby was empty. 20 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,720 I was like, either the rapture has happened or I got the wrong 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,040 day. And so I popped open my phone, 22 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:38,160 looked closely at the ticket. Oh, it's Wednesday, it's 23 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,640 Tuesday, I'll come back tomorrow. 24 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:47,320 I was really disappointed, but I was so glad that I had missed 25 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:51,720 out. Do you know Easter morning was 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:58,400 like that for the Marys? They went to the tomb not 27 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,680 excited, but dreading the fulfillment of their 28 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:09,759 responsibilities to Jesus, who had died on the cross on Friday. 29 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,240 And they went to the tomb expecting that they would find 30 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,200 Jesus there. But he was not. 31 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,320 And so in their heart, they didn't know how to make sense of 32 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,040 this. They were as confused as I was 33 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,440 standing in front of the Sears building looking in, going, 34 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,200 Where is everybody? They're looking at an empty 35 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:37,960 tomb, going, Where's Jesus? Where is Jesus? 36 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:45,160 And so the story of Easter is the experience of this great 37 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:51,240 transition of mind to a new reality, to the new reality that 38 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,720 God has made. And we don't want you to miss 39 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,880 it. In fact, all those who recorded 40 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:05,080 this message did so, so that those who came after would not 41 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:15,080 miss Jesus the resurrected, but they would actually find in Him 42 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:23,080 that He is the ticket to new life, new purpose, new meaning, 43 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:29,920 New Hope. And so this is recorded for us 44 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:35,120 so that we also might go on that journey of transformation. 45 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:42,800 Let's follow along in the story of the first Easter day. 46 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:49,200 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the 47 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,920 women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 48 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,560 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they 49 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,880 entered they did not find the body of Jesus. 50 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,560 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in 51 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,240 clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 52 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,240 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the 53 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,440 ground. But the men said to them, Why do 54 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,079 you look for the living among the dead? 55 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:28,480 He is not here, He is risen. Remember how He told you while 56 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,320 he was still with you in Galilee. 57 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:35,840 The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be 58 00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:39,720 crucified, and on the third day be raised again. 59 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:45,000 Then they remembered His words when they came back from the 60 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,800 tomb. They told all these things to 61 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:52,000 the 11 and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, 62 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:56,280 Mary the Mother of James, and the others with them, who told 63 00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:01,520 this to the apostles, but they did not believe the women, 64 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,080 because their words seemed like nonsense. 65 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,600 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. 66 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,320 Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, 67 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:20,720 and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. 68 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,640 Now, that same day, two of them were going to the village called 69 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:29,720 Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem. 70 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,680 It's quite a walk, 7 miles. Someone told me this week they 71 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,200 don't like to walk even 15 minutes. 72 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,920 This was a long walk. They were talking with each 73 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:48,120 other about everything that had happened, and as they talked and 74 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,440 discussed these things with each other, Jesus came up and walked 75 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,800 along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. 76 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:02,240 He asked them, What are you discussing together as you walk 77 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:08,080 along? They stood still, their faces 78 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,920 downcast. One of them named Cleopas asked 79 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,760 him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not 80 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,080 know these things that have happened there in these days? 81 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,120 What things? He asked about Jesus of 82 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,160 Nazareth, they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in 83 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,120 Word and deed before God and all the people, the chief priests 84 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,680 and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and 85 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:43,080 they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the 86 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,920 one who was going to redeem Israel. 87 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,880 And what is more, it is the third day since all this took 88 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,520 place. In addition, some of our women 89 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,560 amazed us. They went to the tomb early this 90 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,440 morning but didn't find his body. 91 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,960 They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who 92 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,880 said he was alive. Then some of our companions went 93 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:14,360 to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said, But they 94 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:19,560 did not see Jesus. He said to them, How foolish you 95 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,400 are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. 96 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,880 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things, and then 97 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,600 enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all 98 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,000 the prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the 99 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,440 Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village 100 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,280 to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if as if He was 101 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,040 going farther, but they urged him strongly. 102 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,880 Stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over. 103 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,720 So we went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with 104 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:01,920 them, he took bread and gave thanks, broke it and began to 105 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:06,440 give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and 106 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:11,040 they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 107 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,440 They asked each other, will not our hearts burning within us, 108 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,200 while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures 109 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,800 to us. They got up and returned it once 110 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,280 to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 and 111 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,440 those with them assembled together and saying it is true, 112 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,240 the Lord has risen and he has appeared to Simon. 113 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,919 Then the two told what had happened on the way and how 114 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:43,400 Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. 115 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:54,720 I have sympathy for those who find moments in their lives when 116 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,760 they hope there is someone for them. 117 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:05,200 They hope there is something on their side and in their search 118 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:11,280 to describe this kind of grace, they say something like this. 119 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:16,080 Well, I hope the universe is for me. 120 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,560 I hope the universe will be on my side. 121 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,920 Have you ever heard someone say such a thing? 122 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,040 I love looking at the stars at night. 123 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:37,960 Difficult to do in Vancouver, but if you get out where the 124 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,840 light pollution is less and you look up into the stars, into the 125 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:50,800 heavens, you see light, you see the far reaches of the universe. 126 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,480 Is it for you or is it against you? 127 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:06,640 Is the universe friendly and on your side or is it impersonal? 128 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,720 Is there anyone out there who is for you? 129 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:23,200 We see the light of those stars, the far reaches of the universe, 130 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,120 and none of us have been there yet. 131 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,960 I guess there's hope that we might get to Mars because some 132 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,760 people are going to make it to the moon this week. 133 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:42,920 Did you all know that? But who has come from the far 134 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:52,240 reaches of the universe in order to show that He is for us only 135 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:57,800 God, the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Alpha and the 136 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,920 Omega? Only God has come to show us 137 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:07,520 that He is for us. And He is not impersonal, He is 138 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:17,480 so personal and He is for us. But in looking at the cross, we 139 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:22,080 would not imagine that the cross, the picture of a man 140 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:27,880 dying between two thieves, would actually be the picture of God 141 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:35,600 loving us. Because just taken as it was, it 142 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,920 was the picture of a man who had done good things, who was deemed 143 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:44,360 to be a prophet, a great preacher, a worker of some 144 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:52,320 powerful deeds, who died on a cross and perhaps was just a 145 00:11:52,320 --> 00:12:01,040 tragedy, A tragic ending. And so he died, and it was over 146 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,600 without the resurrection of Jesus. 147 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,960 The cross itself is really confusing. 148 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:17,120 The cross itself is really ugly. It is the picture of Roman 149 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:23,800 power, the power of empire in the state, being exacted on an 150 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:29,080 individual and a people in order to show them who's really in 151 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:33,120 charge. It was a terrible death of 152 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,760 violence, where a body was broken and blood poured out and 153 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,040 ultimately all the air drained out of a person. 154 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:51,240 And this would have been a terrible ending except for the 155 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:55,120 resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus 156 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,880 transforms that moment. In fact, it illuminates that 157 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:07,720 moment so that now we can see the meaning of his suffering, we 158 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:14,200 can see the truth of his message, and we can experience 159 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:20,200 the abiding communion of his Commission with us. 160 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,520 So first is suffering. Jesus himself shows that the 161 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,280 resurrection illuminates his suffering and gives it meaning. 162 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:33,240 He says the Scripture says that He opened their minds so they 163 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,200 could understand the scriptures. He told them this is what is 164 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,080 written. The Messiah will suffer and rise 165 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:45,280 from the dead on the third day. They could not imagine that 166 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,360 God's appointed and anointed one would suffer such terrible 167 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,640 things and die. They could not imagine that God 168 00:13:52,640 --> 00:14:02,040 would rather love his enemies than kill them until he died on 169 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:06,000 the cross according to the Scriptures and what had been 170 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,120 said. But it's the resurrection that 171 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:13,280 illuminates it. Without Resurrection Sunday, we 172 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:18,800 would not even remember Crucifixion Friday. 173 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,800 It's the resurrection of Jesus that shines a light backwards 174 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:33,400 and says that historical moment changed the whole world, changed 175 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,320 the cosmos. Here's Jesus on his cross. 176 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:41,000 Jesus said this. He said this on the occasion 177 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:46,200 that some Greeks came and said we want to see Jesus and the 178 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,480 disciples were wanting to protect Jesus from this moment 179 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:57,360 and from these Greek fellows. But Jesus says no, Now is the 180 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,560 time for judgement on this world. 181 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,640 Now the Prince of this world will be driven out, and I, when 182 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,400 I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 183 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:12,000 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 184 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:17,840 Jesus says that the cross was going to do three things. 185 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:26,240 It was going to judge the world. He says the cross is going to 186 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:33,560 actually drive out Satan. He says that the cross will then 187 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:39,720 drag people. That word draw is drag. 188 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:45,080 It's going to drag people to himself that it's going to have. 189 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,400 It's like an attractional force. It's like a tractor beam that 190 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,760 draws people in. It was only after the 191 00:15:53,760 --> 00:16:01,560 resurrection of Jesus that these words began to make sense, that 192 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,120 the cross actually has great meaning. 193 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,480 We've been singing about it all morning. 194 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,640 We've been singing about it because of Resurrection Sunday. 195 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:15,640 In fact, every Sunday after this is a celebration of the 196 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:21,560 resurrection of Jesus, and it's a remembrance of his death on 197 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,840 the cross, that he was accomplishing something there 198 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:32,640 for you and for me, that his suffering actually had great 199 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,480 meaning. Paul said it this way about the 200 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:39,760 suffering of Jesus. It's a great reversal. 201 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,400 Having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which 202 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,680 stood against us and condemned us, he has taken it away, 203 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,600 nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers 204 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,880 and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, 205 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,800 triumphing over them by the cross. 206 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,160 Do you know Roman execution was so humiliating? 207 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,640 In fact, 1 was stripped of your clothes. 208 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,319 When we go into some churches, you will find a cross there, and 209 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:17,880 most often Jesus is clothed on the cross. 210 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:24,160 We're fairly modest people, but when Jesus was crucified, he was 211 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:29,840 actually stripped of his clothes and nailed to the cross. 212 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,800 When Jesus died on the cross, there was a sign above his head 213 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:41,600 that said Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 214 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,360 What kind of king is this that Rome exerts such power over and 215 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:53,360 humiliates completely? Who's completely powerless to do 216 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:56,200 anything yet Jesus said of his own moment in this. 217 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:01,200 No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own 218 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,680 accord and I have authority to take it back up. 219 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,680 It's the resurrection that shines a light on that moment, a 220 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:16,600 great reversal, Jesus. Paul says here that the cross 221 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:24,080 actually strips away the thin veneer of respect and nobility 222 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,840 that the authorities in this world carry themselves in 223 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:35,960 because they believe that their power, their ability to kill, 224 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:41,600 their ability to exact violence on others is actually a sign of 225 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:46,480 their great strength, their great personhood, their great 226 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:52,400 power. But Jesus says no, I'm going to 227 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:59,240 show them for who they really are, with my cross and with my 228 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:09,680 life given out, with my death given on their behalf, and then 229 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:15,400 with my resurrection, I will show them. 230 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:28,480 I will make a spectacle of them. Pilate and the authorities had 231 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:36,960 more trust in Jesus's words and suspicion about Jesus than the 232 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,200 disciples did. Did you know that when they 233 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:45,160 buried Jesus in a borrowed tomb given by Joseph of Arimathea, 234 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:51,120 Pilate ordered that the stone be put there, the stone be sealed, 235 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,080 and then have soldiers surround it. 236 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,480 And so, since Friday night, the soldiers had been standing guard 237 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,080 at this tomb. Why? 238 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:06,720 Because they had heard there was some rumor, perhaps that Jesus. 239 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,800 Would be raised from the dead and the disciples seem to have 240 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:21,600 forgotten in their grief, in their trauma, they forgot and 241 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,680 God did the very thing he promised. 242 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,600 Now this also illuminates his message for us. 243 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,440 This great reversal is a change for us. 244 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,920 Even while Jesus was on the cross, he said, Father, forgive 245 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,040 them. But its meaning for us is this, 246 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,080 that repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be 247 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:47,640 preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 248 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,360 I want you to think for a moment for the thing that you wish no 249 00:20:52,360 --> 00:21:01,500 one knew about you. I want you to think for a moment 250 00:21:01,740 --> 00:21:04,980 of the thing for which you have most regret. 251 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,920 I want you to think for a moment of the thing that you know would 252 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:25,700 embarrass your family. And it's for all this that Jesus 253 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:30,420 died. For all of those things, the 254 00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:36,900 guilt we fill, the shame we experience, the fear that fills 255 00:21:36,900 --> 00:21:43,160 us, it's for all of that, that Jesus died, that it might be 256 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,760 transformed and changed in our lives, that it might be 257 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,800 forgiven, that it might be dropped. 258 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,080 That if God looked at us and said, I have an issue with you. 259 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:03,320 But now, because of Christ Jesus, his death on the cross 260 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,840 and his resurrection, I'm going to drop it. 261 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:12,280 Imagine that God had an account of your life and all the things 262 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,840 for which there is guilt that you have, and all the things for 263 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,040 which there is shame that you have, and all the things that 264 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,560 fill you with fear. And he looks at that and says, 265 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,680 oh, what a terrible wait in their lives this is to bear. 266 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,880 I will bear it myself. It shall be nailed to the cross 267 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,600 with Jesus so that now I can forgive them. 268 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:42,920 I can drop it, for that is what the word forgiveness means. 269 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:48,440 God looks at us and those who receive him in faith and say I 270 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,440 receive you, Lord Jesus, as Lord God says all of that that might 271 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:59,120 be held against you. I drop it, I forgive it. 272 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,840 Jesus did this at the cross and he does it for everyone to this 273 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,440 day. It says that the cross, two 274 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,520 other men, both criminals were also let out with Jesus to be 275 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,480 executed. And when they came to the place 276 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,320 called the skull, they crucified him there along with the 277 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:22,080 criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. 278 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:28,840 And Jesus said, Father forgive them for they do not know what 279 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,560 they are doing. And they divided up his clothes 280 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:45,560 by casting lots. When God comes to visit, when 281 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:52,360 God is treated shamefully as if he is guilty, he is not filled 282 00:23:52,360 --> 00:24:00,880 with fear. He's filled with forgiveness and 283 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:07,080 looking out from the cross. Jesus says, Father, forgive 284 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,680 them. They don't know what they're 285 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:23,420 doing. This echoes the very teaching of 286 00:24:23,540 --> 00:24:27,340 Jesus. Forgive your enemies. 287 00:24:27,980 --> 00:24:31,780 Forgive those who persecute you and hate you and treat you 288 00:24:31,780 --> 00:24:34,580 badly. Forgive them, pray for them, 289 00:24:34,580 --> 00:24:39,680 love them, do good for them. Bless them and here at his life, 290 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,520 he end of his life, he embodies the teaching and he shows us 291 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,560 what is coming. Forgiveness. 292 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,760 And now the message of the church is to be forgiveness. 293 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,960 Now, the message and move of every disciple of Jesus is to be 294 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:04,040 the power to forgive your enemies, the power to forgive 295 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:09,600 those who have been filled with fear, shame, and guilt, and they 296 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,280 don't know what they're doing, but to forgive them. 297 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:23,000 What a transformation of life. It's the resurrection that 298 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,880 illuminates this, but it's also the resurrection that makes it 299 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,960 possible. Because how many of us want to 300 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,000 volunteer for an assignment that says, I want you to go out into 301 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,120 the world on Monday and you're going to find that you have 302 00:25:38,120 --> 00:25:41,520 enemies and I want you to forgive them? 303 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:43,880 Anybody volunteering for that one? 304 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,200 It's just reality. It's just the experience of 305 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:54,560 living that if you go through this life, you will actually 306 00:25:54,560 --> 00:26:00,560 find that you carry within yourself grudges and resentment 307 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:08,080 and hurts and pain, not just towards people but perhaps also 308 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:14,640 towards God. What a misunderstanding we have. 309 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,120 So how is it possible that we could actually take a message of 310 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:25,760 forgiveness and repentance to the world unless God is actually 311 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,520 with us and in US? Notice Jesus says you are 312 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,000 witnesses of these things, and I'm going to send you what my 313 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,920 Father has promised. But stay in the city until you 314 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,040 have been clothed with power from on high. 315 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,040 You're going to be clothed with power on on, on high. 316 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:49,680 I wonder if in that moment they remembered Jesus naked on the 317 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:57,520 cross, stripped in all appearances of power, but in 318 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:01,760 that moment he was actually clothed with power from on high 319 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:09,080 'cause he could say, Father forgive them what power 320 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:16,800 demonstrated in weakness. And this is our Commission, that 321 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,800 we would be witnesses of these things and that we would be 322 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:27,120 clothed with power from on high. I'm not sure what you think is 323 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:29,440 going to make you a powerful person. 324 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,640 Is it your degree? Does that make you a powerful 325 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,520 person? Does it command respect? 326 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,640 A little bit, yes. I give you hope for your 327 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,840 studies. Yes, it does. 328 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:50,400 Maybe it's your culture. Does your culture create power 329 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,840 for you? Maybe a little bit. 330 00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:59,400 But cultures and societies come and go and change and and we 331 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:05,240 actually become hybrids. We become morphs of our cultural 332 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:11,640 legacies. Is it your maleness or your 333 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:16,080 femaleness? Is your great power, your 334 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:21,640 intellect and your brain? Is your great power your ability 335 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:30,240 to collect wealth and money? Or is your great power the very 336 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:36,000 presence of God in your life? Because this is the power, the 337 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,280 clothing that God wants to provide. 338 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,320 This is how Jesus described it. He said, I will not leave you as 339 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:47,000 orphans. So an orphan you might imagine 340 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,920 is is one who doesn't have a family, doesn't have a heritage, 341 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,360 who's lost track of all of that. And they might not even have 342 00:28:54,360 --> 00:29:01,000 shoes. Their clothes may not indicate 343 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,040 that they have any greatness about them. 344 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:07,960 But he says I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. 345 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,880 Before long the world will not see me anymore. 346 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,160 But you will see me because I live. 347 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,720 You also will live. On that day you will realize 348 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:21,840 that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in 349 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,920 you. This is the power that Jesus 350 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:29,440 wants to grant us, that by His Spirit, the gift sent from the 351 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:35,080 Father, He would clothed you with the presence of God in your 352 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:44,640 life so that you are not alone in this world. 353 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:51,200 You are not the only one in charge of your destiny, but you 354 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:58,520 have God on your side. The invitation then in our lives 355 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,200 is to actually let the resurrection shine this way into 356 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,120 our life. Not just back on the cross, but 357 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,200 let the resurrection of Jesus shine towards our lives so that 358 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,440 there is meaning granted to our suffering. 359 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:17,280 And the story we tell about the sufferings in our lives is 360 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:23,440 transformed because we say God showed up and brought healing in 361 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:28,840 my life, that God transformed the messages that we have 362 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,920 beforehand. Our messages in life may have 363 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:36,920 been around our own petty differences with others or with 364 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:41,560 our experience of difficulty of our experience of broken 365 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:45,240 relationships. But now in Christ, our message 366 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,720 becomes God forgave me. God's transforming my 367 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,920 relationships. In fact, He's giving me more 368 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,920 Lovejoy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, 369 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:01,520 faithfulness, and self-control. He forgave me. 370 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,640 I do not carry the weight of my guilt or shame. 371 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,120 I am not filled with fear anymore. 372 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:15,680 And then we have a new mission. And our new mission is to live 373 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:20,000 in the presence of God for the rest of our lives. 374 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,800 And the resurrection shines a light towards us, towards you, 375 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:42,500 and says, hey, this is possible. FIFA is coming to town and 376 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:45,220 they're going to play the beautiful game, aren't they? 377 00:31:48,780 --> 00:31:55,140 That's our idealism about soccer, football, That is the 378 00:31:55,140 --> 00:32:01,120 beautiful game. But I I wonder if in your own 379 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:06,040 life you realize that you are intended to live a beautiful 380 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:12,440 life, that there is a beauty that's meant to inhabit and take 381 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:25,840 shape from your life. Our fear is that our life is 382 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:32,840 just a series of terrible crosses to bear, terrible 383 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:38,920 disappointments, terrible pain. But the Scripture says that 384 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:43,480 anyone who sets their heart in Christ Jesus goes on pilgrimage 385 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:48,240 so that they transform those places of pain into places of 386 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:55,800 incredible beauty. This is our destiny as 387 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:04,080 Christians today, if God can take a cross and turn it into a 388 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:09,680 beautiful thing such that we would actually take the Roman 389 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:14,760 cross and wear it as jewelry. Do you have a cross on today 390 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,880 that we would actually have it as a tattoo on our bodies? 391 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:29,320 Anybody have a cross tattoo? Do you want to confess that we 392 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:35,040 would actually have great art made over the last 2000 years 393 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:38,080 that shows a cross? And we look at that picture and 394 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,920 we go, wow, that's sort of beautiful. 395 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,880 How did the cross become a thing of beauty? 396 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:52,960 It's because it doesn't just show the ugly side of life, it 397 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:59,280 shows the beautiful side of the creative power of God to 398 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:06,080 transform our lives. And so then I know if God can 399 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,239 make a cross beautiful, he can make my life beautiful. 400 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:14,040 If God can make a cross of Jesus beautiful, he can make your 401 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:26,239 lives beautiful. Do you want that? 402 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:34,639 Do you want a beautiful life? It starts with saying yes to 403 00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:42,840 Jesus and saying I've had lots of fear and pain and shame and 404 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:46,760 guilt in my life. I have stories that I don't know 405 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:53,040 how to tell. Oh Lord Jesus, come and start 406 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:59,320 your work of transformation. This is how it starts with you 407 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:06,800 saying yes to Jesus. Heavenly Father, we pray that 408 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:12,320 you would transform our lives so that in your time you would make 409 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:17,720 all things beautiful as we come to your table and remember the 410 00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:23,440 body of Jesus broken for us and your blood poured out for us. 411 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:30,120 We pray that you would even now transform our lives so that we 412 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:35,880 might live a resurrection life, that we might live a life in 413 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:52,400 which you dwell in US. Lord, we pray make all things 414 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:57,600 beautiful in your time. Let's stand together.