The Jesus Stories | 4 Lord Over Death

We are a few weeks now into the series, called the Jesus story

is, and we've been I'm not going to do a full recap.

That's too much. Now.

You need to go into the video casts or the podcaster catch up,

but hopefully this is talking itself will stand alone and make

some sense. But we have said in this that as

Luke the author of Luke's gospel or account, has told the story.

There's a subtext in the subtext.

Is this who is Jesus, he is inviting us to engage with with

an investigation. He's telling stories, but

they're specifically designed to draw out this question and

inquiring heart, you know, in us, who is Jesus.

And what we've said thus far is that we've said that Jesus is

Lord over Evil Jesus is Lord over sin over creation.

Over sickness last week. We heard that Jesus is Lord over

death and that's a biggie. You know, he saw.

Transitions from from being a great teacher, wonder-worker of

which, you know, there are many you tracked that that, you know,

once he starts forgiving, sins and raising the dead, suddenly,

we're in a completely different tone.

So that's where we got to last week and I want to pick up the

the story as it were. We're going to be looking at a

few texts this morning, but I want to pick up the story in

Luke chapter 9 where the disciples Begin to start asking

Luke 9 · chapter mention

that question themselves, you know, and it's preempted by

Jesus challenging them. So let's pick it up.

Luke chapter 9, beginning at Verse 18, lovely.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Little passage here. So it says here, you know,

they're on a journey and they're kind of thinking about, you

know, they're just chatting as you do on Long Journeys and

suddenly, you know, Jesus turns to them.

It says here in verse 18, once when Jesus was praying and

private and his disciples were with him.

He asked him. He said, who do the crowds?

I am, who is Jesus? Who did the crowd say I am?

And they replied some say, John the Baptist others say Elijah

and still others. That one of the prophets of long

ago, has come back to life. You know, we're beginning to

think about death, to life and Life to death and all this kind

of stuff. And then Jesus says them.

But what about you? He said, who do you say I am?

Who do you say? I am?

Maybe Jesus is asking you that this question this morning.

Who do you say that? I am.

Doesn't matter what Chris Lane says.

Or anyone else for that matter? The big question is, who do you

say Jesus is? Now Peter pipes up and he says

and it's a brief answer in Luke. I'll let you read some of the

other accounts of Jesus, you know, John, sorry, Matthew and

Mark where there's a bit of an interaction there which we could

spend time on. But actually what Peter says is

in and it's very brief in the in the NIV.

It says, Peter answered God's Messiah.

I remember how a few weeks ago. I said, you know, the Messiah

was, this was this, it wasn't a mythical character.

The Messiah was somebody who the Use while waiting for who was

going to be a great deliverer. He was going to be sort of in

the in the mold of King, David. Many of you will know that he

started off as a Shepherd boy, but he ended up as as one of the

most in most amazing Kings of Israel.

The second king, but in his time, they were great victories

for one and Israel really began to become established in the

land. That God had given them.

Many stories. They're all in the book, you

know, enjoy. And the Messiah was going to be

somebody in the same mould. This was what people were

looking for. Great warrior, great king.

Yes. With with very, you know, very

human failings as well that somebody whose heart was after

God the Messiah. So when Peter says in answer to

that question, no to Jesus. You are God's Messiah.

That is huge. Absolutely huge.

Now, you know, I'm not going to extrapolate that some more.

There's more we could say there and you can do some research

yourself. So we're there.

Now. What's interesting then is the

moment in Luke's gospel, the moment that the Peter says that

Jesus goes on. In Luke's gospel.

He says this. Jesus strictly warned them.

Not to tell this to anyone. Isn't that interesting.

Once again, he's trying to keep it down.

Keep it under the radar as much as he can because there's stuff

he needs to do and he can't do it if he can't even move freely.

So he asked them to keep that to themselves.

And then he says this verse 22, the son of man must suffer, many

things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and

the teachers of the law, and he must be killed.

On the third day and Raised To Life.

Now, Jesus at this point, you know, he's brought the disciples

along to this this point in time on their spiritual journey.

They've been journeying physically, but now they're

beginning to move beyond great wonder-worker.

If we stick around long enough, we might end up all rich and

famous, you know, they've moved beyond that.

They're beginning to get it that Jesus is not just any old

wonder-working preacher teacher. And so they the moment they said

the Messiah a whole kind of slow to stuff, comes tumbling in the

davidic stories and straight away.

Jesus wants to recalibrate that. And what he says is, you know,

once again his favorite title for himself was son of, man.

This is reference to the prophetic words and Daniel.

He said the son of man is going to have to suffer.

The son of man is going to suffer and he's going to be

persecuted, and he's going to be this, and you're going to be

that ultimately is going to be crucified.

He's going to, he's going to die.

Doesn't actually say crucified at that point, but he will be he

will rise from the dead. Now, there's no, there's no real

sort of comment at that point. But in Luke's account, Matthew

has three of these kind of pre crucifixion accounts for

tellings of his death and Resurrection.

There's only two in In Luke's gospel and let's just sort of

flip onto that, Luke 18, if you're following in, on your

smart devices or on your Bible or it'll come up on the screen,

you know, the Christ must suffer, Luke 18, we have on

that. Whoops.

Another one of these for tellings.

Of Jesus's forthcoming death. Verse 31 in chapter 18.

Jesus says this Jesus Took The Twelve aside and told them we're

going up to Jerusalem now. And everything that is written

by the prophets about the son of man, excuse me, it's kind of a

quick call. We're going up to Jerusalem and

everything that is written by the prophets about the son of

man will be fulfilled and he will be delivered over to the

Gentiles. And they will mock him and

insult him as spit on him, and they will flog him and kill him.

But on the third day, he will rise again.

Verse 34, we get a little bit of a commentary about the disciples

reaction, which is where it's getting interesting.

It's like, you can imagine him saying, is he on about that

again? I thought that was just a black

day, you know, but you know, Black Dog Day.

Got up that morning, was feeling a bit depressed.

But oh my gosh, he's on about this thing again.

Further study for the disciples did not understand any of this,

its meaning was hidden from them and they did not know what he

was talking about. What, but everybody loves you.

Jesus. What's the matter with you?

So that's where we're getting these for tellings.

Not just of Jesus's death, but the fact that he's going to rise

from the dead. We said last week, he is Lord,

over death. Okay, let's press on.

Now, one of the difficulties as I've already said was their

preconceived idea what the Messiah would mean, you know,

that lovely song that we're seeing at the moment.

You know, I will, I will rejoice in the simple gospel.

One of the lines is there. I'm taking it.

You know, I'm repenting of My Religion.

I'm taking God out of a box. You see, and that's one of the

great challenges for us. You know, we can look at the

disciples with the benefit of 20/20 vision, hindsight cell,

the silly idiots, you know, but the truth is, we all do that.

We all put God in a box. You know, speaking for myself,

when I first became cry, a follower of Jesus.

Jesus was gonna bless my family and give me good business leads

and find me parking spaces. That was my God.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a kind of Cornish pixie or something

like that. A little lucky rabbit's tail as

I'm like that God is God and he has his own agenda.

So I found out here, I am up here, you know.

God has his own agenda and but that's okay with him.

He knows how we come to him. A child comes to an adult or a

parent in a particular way and that's fine that really there's

nothing wrong about that if that's where you're at.

There's nothing wrong with it. Enjoy it.

Enjoy the parking spaces that you'll getting instead of me.

This enjoy, but as we go on in Christ, we start, we begin to

grow up and we begin to see who he is, as we can handle it.

And as we can take it, and we realize that we are actually

called to Eternal Venture. And in this life.

We are called to make sacrifices for the sake of the gospel, and

one another of its, as I've said, many times.

I said, in Nottingham yesterday, this gospel.

This good news. This Faith.

This religion will inconvenience you and if it isn't, you're

probably not trying hard enough. It's going to income the

inconvenience. You.

Jesus said, unless you take up your cross yourself and follow

me. You are not worthy.

Now, that may be bad news. If you've just become a

Christian. Listen, don't worry about it.

Enjoy. Enjoy the ride.

Enjoy it. Please nod enthusiastic.

It's a blast, really. So that's why we're up to their

problem. Was they had God in a box, God

in a box. They were they knew the

scriptures. They had been trained in the

scriptures since their earliest of days, but they were blind to

various parts of scripture that didn't suit them.

So I mean, for example, we have got a lot of time to spend on

this, but if you turn back with me into our lives, got a in the

Old Testament, that sort of roundabout, the middle of your

Bible, I would say Isaiah 53. This is a prophetic.

Hundreds of years, before Jesus is bought about the Messiah, and

Jesus is the Messiah. And what does it say?

In Isaiah 53, who has believed our message and to whom has the

arm of the Lord been revealed, this Messiah grew up before us

like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry.

Ground up our own people, but there was nothing beautiful.

No Majesty about him verse 5. Skipping on.

It says, and he was pierced. For our transgressions and he

was crushed. For our sins, our iniquities.

What you be the Messiah. You must be somebody.

I will surely know the Messiah. You see what the Jewish people

wanted to believe, then. And what we want to believe

about God is that he'll just come as a rescuer and God

Rescues Me Everyday. Truly does still one of my

favorite both just rescue me. Sometimes, it's Rescue Me From

Myself, you know, I'm a danger to myself.

Let alone anybody else. But there's other bits where we

kind of go now and then and then and then, but the Messiah, you

see, that's it was said of him that he would, he would die for

his people and not just died. He would die, you know, in such

a way. That their sins, the punishment

we deserve was laid on them. And as it says in the

scriptures, he was like a lad who would be like a lamb to the

slaughter. A lamb to the slaughter, a

little innocent lamb in a skipping around, not knowing

that Round. The Corner was a butcher

sharpening his blade all Innocents little recipe, like a

lamb to the slaughter, the Messiah went to his death that

we might have life. Okay, so that's that's what

Jesus is agenda. Is that's what he knows is going

to happen. The disciples are on a Learning

curve, that believe it or not is is is almost introduction.

But the M. What I want to say is going to

have take less time than that. Lord.

Just help me with this. So as we know Jesus, long story

went to the Cross, he died upon that cross.

He was an innocent man. He was foully ill-treated and he

ended up dying on the cross at Calvary to two other criminals,

one on either side of him. I'm in Luke 23.

Skipping on in Luke's gospel. So if you've got your Bible with

you or smart device and we shove it up on the screen gives us the

sort of culmination of that. Luke 23.

Let's see if I can find it here and read it to you.

Luke 23, beginning, at first 44. Jesus is on the cross.

His disciples that are all over the place.

Some of hung around, some have scattered, its complete disarray

in in in hours. It seems the whole thing is

falling apart. The whole mission of Jesus, you

know, the campaign other like, you know, Hillary Clinton must

be feeling this week months and months and months of expense and

travel and all the rest and suddenly I bet she still

pinching herself. She can't believe is actually

like what And so, all those who are rooting for, Jesus were

going, what? Because there's Jesus on the

cross at Calvary bleeding to death.

Verse 44. It was now about noon.

This is sorry, Luke 23 verse 44, it was now about moon and the

Luke 23:44

Darkness came over the whole land until three in the

afternoon for the sun. Stopped shining and the curtain

of the temple was torn in two. That of course was the temple

that separated the holy of holies the place where no Could

go except one priest once a year and he was chosen by Lottery.

The holy of holies, the curtain is great thick heavy probably

dust ridden to be honest. Tapestry that separated the

inner sanctum from the rest. Was torn into wonderful

symbolism there of the barrier between God who is Holy and us

being ripped apart. It reprobate damaged never to be

replaced. So that nothing impedes.

Our present progress into his presence.

The curtain is torn in two and verse 46.

It says, Jesus called out with a loud voice.

Said, father, into your hands. I commit my spirit when he had

At this, he breathed his law, Jesus dies.

And the story. No.

Jesus is Lord over death? Say that with me, Jesus is Lord

over death. And again, Jesus is Lord over

death. So, then, let's skip on it.

Stay in the scriptures, same chapter.

Sorry, chapter 24. Big upon that was chapter 23

were in the 24:36. Yeah.

So, where I want to be? No, 24 verses 1 to 8.

That's what I want to be chapter 24, Luke's gospel versus 12 way

on the first day of the week, Sunday of you will.

Jesus died. He's been taken off the cross.

He's been buried. Hastily.

In actually a rich man's grave. A Hume Rock Stone Cave.

Thing kind of a supporter, a well-wisher had gifted this rich

man's tomb a very expensive to and he was hurriedly placed in

that. First one, then chapter 24 on

the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women

took the spices. They had prepared and went to

the tomb. This was to sort of finish off

the burial rites and they found the stone rolled away from the

tomb. But when they entered, they did

not find the body of Jesus. Where's Jesus?

Yes, Jesus. What?

Excuse me. They found the stone rolled

away, Great Big Stone. And where's Jesus?

And while they're wondering about this, suddenly two men in

clothes that gleamed like lightning Stood Beside them and

in their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the

ground, but the men said to them, why do you look for the

living? Among the dead?

Whoa, what a question. Why do you look for the living

among the dead? He is not.

Here. He is.

Risen. Remember how he told you when he

was still with you, in Galilee? The son of man must be delivered

over to the hands of Sinners, be crucified.

And on the third day, be raised again, then they remembered his

words. They can hardly believe what

they're hearing. Can it be true.

They're full of, you know, this was not the reality that they

Expecting when they woke up that morning just as Hillary

Clinton's waking up that morning.

It was not her reality. This was not their reality.

This was a huge shock but as they kind of clutch at straws

and try and work out what has happened.

Suddenly these two angelic beings appear and say he is not,

here He Is Risen Lord over death.

Lovely, I love the way that that Luke describes the cell will

read. One more of these your first

day, appearances. Luke 24, 36 to 43.

While they were still talking his, the disciples.

Now, they've heard the news that there's, Jesus has spoken to

marry, and there's various things that's going to rumors

flying around and they gather together and they've locked the

doors because they're wondering there waiting for the sort of

sound of, you know, soldiers feet on the steps and rattling

at the door there, they're expecting to be arrested.

So they're talking about this. You know, what on Earth is going

on? What has happened?

You know, what do you know? What did you hear?

What do you say? So, That too eccentric cetera

while they were talking about this verse 36, Jesus himself,

stood among them and said peace be with you.

Whoa. Can you imagine it?

I bet he had a twinkle in his eye.

I mean, you've got a really haven't, you know, because, you

know, he's going to freak them out.

Peace be with you. And I love the commentary here.

They was. It's so real.

They were startled. Yep, and frightened, thinking

they saw a ghost. Will you work?

When you I love it? They're not saying.

Oh, yeah, of course, Isaiah prophesied.

That this was going to happen. We always expect welcome.

Jesus, do take a seat. And, you know, nobody was gonna

say, yeah. Well, I knew it was gonna

happen. Yeah.

It was like, wow. There was startled, and

frightened, terrified thinking, they were seeing a ghost but

Jesus knows our hearts. He knows what we're like, he

knew what they were like in you what they were thinking.

There's a 38 he said to them. Why are you troubled?

Why do doubts, arise in your mind?

Isn't that lovely? There were doubts there?

There were doubts. Look at my hands and my feet.

Yeah, he's got the mail imprints.

There it is. I myself.

Touch me and see a ghost does not have Flesh and Bones.

As you see, I have I wonder how many rushed forward to touch

him. Hmm.

I wonder. And when he had said this, he

showed them his hands and his feet.

And while they were still, did not believe it because of joy

and amazement. He said them.

Do you have anything to eat? What?

They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and he ate

it in their presence. Can you imagine that Jesus picks

it up? And they're all going.

Gulp. Jesus is Alive.

Jesus is Alive. You know, if you've just done

the alpha course. A few weeks ago, you will know

that there is a whole session on the resurrection and proofs of

Jesus being alive, you know, things about who moved the stone

things about the grave clothes collapsing, as if what was in

them, was sort of to sucked out isn't the whole lows of

theological and philosophical debates about that.

Do you know, one of the things I have myself always found and it

may not work for you, but I'll share what works.

Me always found the most convincing.

Was that something happened to these guys?

Post Jesus death, that turned a load of blokes and women too who

thought they were seeing ghosts. Into an army of people.

That changed the face of the known world, then.

And were willing. And this is the thing that

really gets me. Willing to die for it, you know

all these disciples. Died.

A martyr's death. And the question I ask myself is

if you were just kidding along, if we were just saying, if you

were just sort of, you know, cynically saying, well, Jesus

was such a great, you know, a great teacher.

Maybe we can publish his Memoirs and maybe we can sort of keep it

alive, and maybe we can have a sort of a, you know, a club for

four followers of Jesus. And we can all have a reunions

once a year. And we can sort of a little

money spending, we can make some sort of bubbling, gz, Jesus,

head, souvenirs, and stuff like that, you know, we can really

make this work for us. No, no, no, it wasn't like that

at all. Something galvanized these guys

something absolutely extraordinary so that they were

willing to die themselves for the truth of it.

If it was a lie, there would have been, you know, they would

Ben would have been torture room confessions.

No, not sorry. It was just a big joke.

It was such a big scam, you know, was Peters.

I didn't know it was actually, and people say was not my idea.

It was your idea James accepted. Yeah.

No, we were just trying to make a bit of money, you know, you

know, we'd given up there was none of that these Eyes went to

the Lions, went to the Cross. Luke was Luke.

Was he shot in the back, know that was Thomas.

It was shot in the back with arrows and stuff like this.

You know, these guys died the death.

Would you die a death for Ally something?

You knew to be a lie, a conspiracy, would you?

No. To a man to a woman, they died.

Terrible deaths to establish the freedoms that we today.

Enjoy. Because they went absolutely

convinced beyond all shadow of a doubt that Jesus is Lord.

And Alive. Our man, let's have the band up.

This is price. Could you please stand?

No, I said right at the beginning that.

I wanted all of us including myself are.

Agenda, if you will. Is that we all have a greater

real Revelation and understanding of who Jesus is?

That we go beyond Jesus, the comforter and Helper, and I need

Jesus, the comforter and Helper and provider of parking spaces.

I truly do. But that we go beyond that to

Jesus is Lord. Because if Jesus isn't lord,

well then we can keep him in this box.

We call church. But if Jesus is Lord, wherever

you are in the community at work at the school gate, wherever he

is Lord there too, and that is going to impact you and affect

you and give you a whole different way of doing life

because you will know and you do know, God bless you.

That if Jesus is Lord over all nothing is hidden from him.

It's not just an hour and a half on a Sunday morning.

It's what we do out there and it's as we witness in our life,

and our work to him being Lord in our lives and Lord over

everything that we find ourselves, really beginning to

gain some Traction. In this thing.

We call the kingdom of God, bless you.

Let's pray, Lord God I ask you, Holy Spirit to help me.

I said I would do my best and I've done my best.

I pray Lord. Holy spirit, that you would.

Write this on our hearts that you'd open our eyes.

Lord, if we're blind, if we've got you in some kind of a box,

some whatever, that might mean, just pray that you break that

office that you would be, you would be who you are to us.

And that Lord, God, we would find ourselves living and moving

and having our being in the presence and under the watchful

and loving, I of the Living. God. and everyone said,