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Matthew 27:1-50
Skip Heitzig

Matthew 27 (NKJV™)
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.
2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!"
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."
7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,
10 "and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" So Jesus said to him, "It is as you say."
12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"
14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."
25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.
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?"
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"
48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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40 Matthew - 2011

In this message, we see the ultimate demonstration of God's love—the cross. Jesus, the King of the Jews, was betrayed, falsely accused, illegally tried, scourged, and ultimately crucified. As we consider the details of His crucifixion and death, how could we be anything except amazed and humbled?

From its opening genealogy through its careful record of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled, Matthew's gospel forms a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In this in-depth study by Pastor Skip Heitzig we'll consider Jesus' ancestry, birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection, and we'll gain a clearer understanding of Jesus as both Messiah and King.

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Study Guide

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Matthew 27

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?” Matthew 27:46

PREVIEW: In Matthew 27, Jesus is brought and tried before Pilate who gives into the shouts of the crowd and sends Him off to be crucified.

Matthew 27 Outline:
Jesus is Delivered to Pilate - Read Matthew 27:1-2
Judas Repents - Read Matthew 27:3-10
Jesus is Examined - Read Matthew 27:11-14
Barabbas is Freed - Read Matthew 27:15-25
Jesus is Scourged - Read Matthew 27:26-28
Jesus is Lead to Golgotha - Read Matthew 27:29-34
Jesus is Crucified - Read Matthew 27:35-44
Jesus Dies - Read Matthew 27:45-50
Signs Accompanying Jesus’ Death - Read Matthew 27:51-56
Jesus is Buried - Read Matthew 27:57-66
Jesus is Delivered to Pilate - Read Matthew 27:1-2

1. Jesus spent a long night in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, then He was taken to Caiaphas the high priest to be tried. The rooster had crowed and morning had come. After having spat in Jesus’ face and striking him with the palms of their hands (Matthew 26:67), what did the chief priests and elders plot to do to Him (v. 1)?


2. What did the chief priests and elders do to Jesus? Where did they take Him (v. 2)? (See also Matthew 20:17-19.)


Judas Repents - Read Matthew 27:3-10
3. Once he saw Jesus was condemned, Judas had a change of heart. How did Judas feel? To whom did he go and what did he say and do (vv. 3-4)?


4. When Judas realized the outcome of his betrayal, he was filled with remorse and went back to the officials to return the money they paid him (v. 3). The chief priests did not renege on their agreement with him. What did Judas do after he realized the consequences of his actions (v. 5)?


5. Although Judas was remorseful and turned from his evil way (repented), he didn’t turn to God for forgiveness. What was the end of Judas Iscariot? (See Acts 1:16-19.)


6. What does worldly sorrow (sorrow that doesn’t cause repentance and turning to God) lead to? What does godly sorry lead to? (See 2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

7. What did the chief priest purchase with the money Judas returned to them (vv. 6-7)?


8. How was the item the chief priests purchased referred to and why (vv. 8-10)? (See also Acts 1:18-19 and Zechariah 11:12-13.)



Jesus is Examined - Read Matthew 27:11-14
9. The chief priests delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate the governor in the Praetorium to be judged by him. Why didn’t the chief priests go into the Praetorium themselves? (See John 18:28)



10. What did Pilate ask Jesus? How did Jesus answer Pilate (v. 11)?



11. The chief priests and elders brought many accusations against Jesus while He was before Pilate (v. 12). How did Jesus respond to their accusations? (See also Isaiah 53:7 and Psalm 38:13.)


12. How did Pilate respond to this situation (vv. 13-14)?




13. What other dialogue did Jesus have with Pilate? (See John 18:28-38)



14. What was Pilate’s conclusion about Jesus? (See John 18:38, 19:4-6)



Barabbas is Freed - Read Matthew 27:15-25
15. Barabbas’ full name was Jesus Barabbas. The name “Barabbas” or “Bar Abba” means “son of the father.” From other gospel accounts (see Mark 15:7 and Luke 23:19), we know Barabbas was an insurrectionist and a murderer. What word is used to describe Barabbas (v.16)?



16. Pilate recognized the motive behind the chief priests and elders accusations. What was their motive (v. 18)?



17. Origen's 2nd century Homilies on Matthew suggest that Pilate’s wife, Claudia Procula, became a Christian. What did she warn Pilate about and why (v. 19)?



18. What did the chief priests and elders persuade the multitudes to do (v. 20)? Why?



19. Pilate asked a question that has become famous. What was his question (v. 22)? His question is one that we must all answer. How do you personally answer the question Pilate asked?



20. The chief priests and elders had the crowd crying out to crucify Jesus (vv. 22-23) and Pilate saw that he could not prevail. What caused Pilate to believe he could not prevail in setting Jesus free? (See Luke 23:23.)



Jesus is Scourged - Read Matthew 27:26-28
21. What did Pilate have done to Jesus before delivering Him to be crucified (v. 26)? (See John 19:1-16 for details; see also Isaiah 50:6.)



22. What did Pilate's soldiers do to Jesus (vv. 27-28)? (See Isaiah 52:14)



Jesus is Lead to Golgotha - Read Matthew 27:29-34
23. The soldiers mocked Jesus. What did they do to mock Him (vv. 29-31)?



24. Weakened from the scourging and beatings, Jesus could no longer carry the cross Himself. Who did the soldiers compel to carry the cross (v. 32)? (See also Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13.)



25. Jesus was taken to a place called Golgotha. What does that name mean (v. 33)?



26. What was Jesus given to drink (v. 34)? Why do you think He didn’t drink it?


Jesus is Crucified - Read Matthew 27:35-44
27. Once Jesus was on the cross, the soldiers put the accusation up over His head. What did the accusation say? (See also John 19:19-22)



28. What did those who passed by Jesus on the cross do to Him (v. 39)? What did they say and why (v. 40)? (See Matthew 26:61 and John 2:19.)



29. What did the chief priests and elders do and say to Jesus on the cross (vv. 41-43)?



30. What did the robbers who were crucified with Jesus do and say to Him on the cross (v. 44)?



Jesus Dies - Read Matthew 27:45-50
31. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out. What did He cry out (v. 46)? (See also Psalm 22:1.)



32. Jesus usually referred to God as “Father” (see John 17:1). Here he refers to Him as “My God.” Why? (See Habakkuk 1:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:21.)



33. Jesus cried out one last time (v. 50). What did he cry out? (See Luke 23:46 and John 19:30.)



34. Jesus, “yielded up His spirit,” He surrendered His spirit of His own free will. In John 10:17-18, what did Jesus say about giving up His life?



Signs Accompanying Jesus’ Death - Read Matthew 27:51-56
35. What were some of the signs seen at Jesus’ death and resurrection (vv. 51-53)?




36. One of the signs accompanying Jesus’ death was an object which had significant meaning. What was that object (v. 51) and what was its significant meaning? (See Hebrews 10:20.)



37. The centurion and those with him guarding Jesus saw these signs and made an amazing proclamation. What was their proclamation (v. 54)? (See also Mark 15:39 and Luke 23:47.)



Jesus is Buried - Read Matthew 27:57-66
38. When evening came, a rich man also came. Who was this rich man and why did he come (vv. 57-58)?



39. Who accompanied this rich man (see John 19:39) and what did they do (vv. 59-60)?



40. The chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate (v. 62). What did they remember (v. 63)? What did they want Pilate to do (v. 64)?


41. How did Pilate answer their request (v. 65)?



42. What did the chief priests and Pharisees do (v. 66)?



Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. The cross
      1. Ultimate demonstration of God's love
      2. Proclaimed the King of the Jews only days before
      3. All would soon understand He was a Savior first
      4. Crucifixion prearranged by God
    2. The chief priest and leaders plotted to kill Jesus
      1. Jews were forbidden by Rome to put anyone to death
      2. They would sometimes stone people to death (Stephen, woman caught in sin)
      3. The Bible predicts He will die on the cross, not by stoning
  2. Jesus Accused
    1. The multitude led Him to Pilate and accused Him
      1. Perverting the nation
      2. Forbidding the people to pay taxes
      3. Claims He is Christ the King
        1. The only accusation that was true
        2. He said it to the Sanhedrin and to Pontius Pilate
    2. He is the King of a spiritual kingdom
      1. People invite Him to be king of their heart
      2. He will rule eternally
      3. He will rule with love
      4. His rule is filled with hope
    3. Pontius Pilate
      1. Governor
      2. Procurator of southern province of Judah
      3. Headquarters by the sea
      4. During Jewish pilgrimages the governor and his soldiers were stationed in Jerusalem to keep the peace
  3. Judas the Betrayer
    1. Remorseful – realized Jesus was innocent
    2. Brought back the 30 pieces of silver
    3. The money was used to by the potter's field (field of blood)
    4. Hung himself
    5. Apparent Bible contradiction
      1. Hung himself
      2. Fell and spilled his guts (see Acts 1)
      3. Two stories that compliment, not contradict
    6. Divine, poetic justice (see Deuteronomy 19:15-19)
    7. Corollary between Judas and Peter
      1. Both were called the devil
        1. Peter (see Matthew 16:21-23)
        2. Judas (see John 6:70)
      2. Predicted both of them would fall
        1. Peter would deny Jesus (see Matthew 26:34)
        2. Judas would betray Jesus (see Matthew 26:23)
      3. Jesus tried to help them both
        1. Jesus looked at Peter after the cock crowed (see Luke 22:60)
        2. Jesus looked at Judas, "Friend, why have you come?" (Matthew 26:50)
    8. The corollary ends
      1. Peter repented (godly sorrow)
      2. Judas was just remorseful  (sorrow of the world)
        1. Sorry that it happened
        2. Sorry that he felt bad
        3. Sorry that he got into this situation
        4. No real repentance
    9. Purchase of potter's field
      1. Predicted by Jeremiah the prophet (see Zechariah 11:13)
      2. Contradiction—Prophecy was from Zechariah not Jeremiah
        1. Talmudic tradition— Old Testament divided into three
          1. Law
          2. Prophets
          3. Writing
        2. Jeremiah was the first in the list of prophets
  4. Jesus Tried
    1. Are You the King of the Jews?
      1. Emphasis on the word "You"
      2. Pontius wasn't expecting a man covered in blood, a peasant
      3. Jesus says yes (see Matthew 27:11)
        1. Not a political king (see John 18:36)
        2. A spiritual king
          1. Rule and reign in your heart
          2. Rule over you
          3. What is a Christian, really?
            1. Not as I will
            2. Someone who has allowed God to rule and reign in their life
        3. Eventually He will be a political, worldwide, ruling king (see Revelation 11:16)
    2. Jesus answered nothing
      1. Pilate was blown away
      2. Θαυμάζω; thaumazó – marveled greatly
      3. "He opened not is mouth" (Isaiah 53:7)
      4. Criminals usually proclaim their innocence
    3. Pontius Pilate
      1. Not Roman, from Spain
      2. Fifth governor of Judea
      3. Given post in AD 26 by Tiberius and occupied for ten years
      4. Joined the Roman army
      5. He married Claudia Procula, granddaughter of Augustus Caesar
      6. Bible portrays him as a weak, selfish, and arrogant man
    4. Barabbas
      1. At the feast it was customary to release one prisoner
      2. A Roman citizen could not be crucified
      3. People given the choice to release Barabbas or Jesus
        1. Barabbas' name
          1. Jesus Barabbas – son of a father
          2.  Jesus – son of the Father
        2. People chose Barabbas
      4. What to do with Jesus? Crucify him!
      5. The Judge and the Accused
        1. Jesus and Pontius Pilate
        2. One who is judged and one who is being judged
        3. Pontius is the one really being judged?
      6. "What then will I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?"
      7. Pilate could not prevail, a tumult arose
      8. Washes his hands
      9. Release of Barabbas
      10. Jesus scourged and delivered to be crucified
    5. His blood be on us and our children
      1. Pilate washes his hands "I am innocent of the blood of this innocent man"
      2. The crowd said, "His blood be on us and our children"
        1. Peter and apostles arrested for preaching (see Acts 5)
        2. Chief priest, "You're trying to bring His blood on us and our children" (Acts 5:28)
  5. Jesus scourged and crucified
    1. Three levels of flogging
      1. Fustigatio – less severe, warning
      2.   Flagellatio – brutal flogging
      3. Verberatio – terrible, associated with crucifixion
        1. Hands raised above head, sometimes dangling
        2. Two lictors, men with whips
        3. Leather thongs with bone, metal or glass in the tips
        4. Tear the skin
        5. Diagonal blows across the back
        6. Many victims died from the flogging
        7. Lictors took out anxiety and frustrations on the victim
        8. Skin so lacerated sometimes great vessels and organs exposed (Eusebius – church historian)
    2. Jesus delivered to be crucified
      1. Soldiers took Jesus and mocked him in the Praetorium (King's game)
        1. Gather whole garrison (600 men)
        2. Stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him
        3. Twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head
        4. Put a reed in His hand
        5. Bowed before Him
        6. "Hail, King of the Jews!"
        7. Spat on Him
        8. Struck Him (Hot Hand game)
        9. Put His own clothes back on Him
      2. Led Jesus away to be crucified
        1. Man of Cyrene, Simon, bears Jesus' cross to Golgotha
        2. Gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink
        3. Tasted and did not drink
        4. Crucified Him
        5. Divided and cast lots for his garments, fulfillment of prophecy (see Psalm 22:18)
        6. Golgotha
          1. The place of the skull
          2. גֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶת; gulgoleth -skull
          3. κρανίον; kranion  –  skull
          4. Rock escarpment looked like a skull
          5. Not on top of hill; flat, level ground right in front of hill
          6. Along a road to warn people not to mess with the Roman government
        7. Posted accusation: "This is Jesus, King of the Jews"
        8. Two robbers crucified on either side of Him
    3. The origins of crucifixion
      1. Not invented by the Romans
      2. Invented by the Persians years before
      3. Persians, Carthaginians, and another group long before the Romans
      4. Romans adopted it and used it for capital punishment
      5. It delayed death for hours and usually days
        1. Maximum torture inflicted before death
        2. Sometimes a vertical stake; sometimes a stake with a horizontal cross beam with a sign placed above the horizontal beam
        3. Cross beam weighed about 75 – 100 lbs.
        4. Jesus unable to carry due to His wounds, loss of blood, and lack of sleep
      6. So brutal people usually die of asphyxiation
        1. Spikes through the wrist, not the hand
        2. Weight of the body taken by the wrists
        3. Spike through the  heel with the feet to the side
        4. Unusual, twisted position
        5. Only way to get breath was to raise up on the spike through the heel
        6. Legs often broken in order to relieve the tension
        7. Jesus died earlier than expected and His legs were not broken
        8. Legs of the criminals broken
    4. Passersby and chief priests mock Jesus (v. 39)
      1. Blasphemed Him
      2. Chief priests admitted He saved others but said He could not save Himself
        1. "If He comes down from the cross we'll believe in Him" (v. 42)
          1. If He were to come down, He wouldn't save others
          2. Because He didn't come down, He bore our sin
        2. Since He didn't come down from the cross, we believe in Him
        3. God the Father treated Jesus Christ like we deserve to be treated; so that God could treat you and I like Jesus deserves to be treated (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)
        4. Robbers mocked Him also
    5. Darkness over all the land for three hours at Jesus' death, noon to 3 pm
      1. Not a sandstorm
      2. Not a local eclipse
      3. It was something supernatural
      4. Origen and Tertullian reference the darkness
      5. Historical letter from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar hinting that that darkness was worldwide
      6. Why darkness
        1. High priest at Yom Kippur in darkness and secrecy sprinkles the blood (Old Testament)
        2. Jesus presents His blood before the Father
        3. A darkness of wickedness—the world was extinguishing the light of the world
        4. A darkness of judgment
          1. Babylonian Talmud – God reserves darkness to punish someone for an unusual sin
          2. Ninth plague in Egypt – darkness over all the land for three days
          3. Fifth bowl judgment in Revelation
    6. Jesus cries out
      1. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
      2. Martin Luther meditated in seclusion and still did not get it
      3. Why would the Father allow the Son to be so forsaken?
      4. God the Father broke fellowship with the Son (see Isaiah 53)
      5. Jesus never experienced this kind of abandonment before
        1. Disciples sleep
        2. Peter denied Him
        3. Eventually all the people left Him
      6. Fulfills Psalm 22:1
      7. Sour wine offered
      8. With a loud voice, yielded up His spirit

Hebrew terms: נְבִיאִ֔ים; nebiim – prophets; גֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶת; gulgoleth -skull
Greek terms: Θαυμάζω; thaumazó – marveled greatly, κρανίον; kranion  –  skull
Figures referenced: Eusebius, Origen, Tertullian, Tiberius Caesar
Cross references: Deuteronomy 19:15-19; Psalm 22:1; Psalm 22:18; Isaiah 53:7; Zechariah 11:13; Matthew 16:21-23; Matthew 26:23; Matthew 26:34; Matthew 26:50; Luke 22:60; John 6:70; John 18:36; Acts 1; Acts 5:28; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Revelation 11:16

Transcript

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So let's pray. Father, we pray the prayer that the Apostle Paul said we should. We present our bodies before You as living sacrifices. Holy and acceptable to You, which is our reasonable service or our spiritual act of worship. We need wisdom. We need insight. We pray, Father, that as we cover familiar ground, the crucifixion of Christ, that our hearts would be once again stirred in Thanksgiving that You gave Your only Son to die in our place so that we might be Your sons and daughters and spend eternity in heaven with You. We couldn't do it, unless, Jesus would have decided to come to this earth at Your bequest, in cooperation with the plan of the God, Head, Father, Son, and Spirit to give himself for us. So we thank You and we present ourselves to You for Your will to be done.  In Jesus' name, amen.

I think if you were to take a poll and ask people the meaning of the cross, you would get some typical answers. Probably, most people would say, "The cross is the symbol of Christianity" as opposed to "The star of David" or other icons or symbols of world religions. That's the symbol they would say of the Christian religion. Others who know their history perhaps a bit better would say, "Well, yes. That's true.  But I see the cross is historically simply a means of Roman Justice. It's how they dealt with people who committed capital crimes and needed in their view to be dealt with as criminals." Both those answers would be insufficient.

The real meaning behind the cross is that it is the ultimate demonstration of the love of God. Paul said in Romans Chapter 5, "God demonstrated his love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Paul the Apostle said that to him in 1 Corinthians, it was the focus of his entire life. He said, "That I have determined to know nothing among you except Christ and him crucified." He identified with Jesus so much so that in Galatians, Paul writes, "I am crucified with Christ:  nevertheless I live."

William Barkley said something very interesting. I'm trying to remember the quote. He said, "The cross is the proof that there is no length to which God won't go to win the hearts of men. It shows how far God will go to bring us to him." However, for the Jews living 2000 years ago in Israel, it was unexpected. "A cross.  The Messiah, on a cross?  No way Unthinkable.  Untenable." Because, you remember the Jewish nation expected a political Messiah. One who would come in and conquer the Romans, overthrow the enemies, set up Israel in Jerusalem for a theocratic kingdom.

So, that when John the Baptist came and he said, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand," that got people's attention.  "At hand?  Is he announcing that that kingdom is about to start?" Then just a few weeks later, Jesus came on the scene, same message. He said, "The Kingdom of God is at hand" and the hopes of people began to rise. So that when Christ started going from place to place and healing people, performing miracles, people recognized this can be none other than the promised Messiah. They were told that in Galilee, in John Chapter 6, they sought to take Jesus by force and make him a king. Then finally, just a few days before the event we're reading about here tonight, when Jesus crested to Mount of Olives, and sat on that donkey fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah and started marching into Jerusalem on that donkey, and the crowd said, "Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!" The crowd went nuts. They thought, "This is it!" It reached fever pitch the expectations that Jesus would be the Messiah.

So they did not expect a crucifixion at all, even the disciples did not. But they would soon understand. They would be corrected. Their thinking was amiss because Jesus first, before he will become king, and he will, he must first be the savior. That's what the angle predicted. That's what the angels told Mary and Joseph before his birth. "And you will call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sin." In other words, first, he must deal with sin. That's what the cross is all about then eventually, he will come and he will reign.

So Chapter 27 begins. When morning came, all of the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. Now, the reason they had to plot to put him to death is because they couldn't put him to death on their own.  The Romans had taken away their right of capital punishment years before. They didn't want anyone putting down the gavel as judge, executing a person, unless they, the Roman government, the government now in charge of the world at that time, the known world, this part of the world, they were the only ones that had that right.

There's something else going on behind the scenes. They want Jesus killed. So they bring Jesus to Rome for a trial. Verse 1 signifies the third trial Jesus is going through. The night before, he went through a trial before Annas, the high priest, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Number two, before Caiaphas. Then the next morning, early in the morning, Verse 1:27, the third trial before the whole court, the Jewish Sanhedrin. But even though they deemed him worthy of death, they couldn't execute him, so the Romans must have a trial. They bring him there before Pontius Pilate, the procurator, the governor, the Roman prefect to Tiberius Caesar.

There's something interesting though that I just want to throw out. Even though the Jews had no right of capital punishment, do you remember when they brought that woman who is caught in adultery before Jesus, and they said the law commands that we stone her and they had rocks in their hands ready to execute death by stoning? Then fast forward to the Book of Acts, when Stephen, who stood before that same Sanhedrin, was executed and they stoned him to death. So even though the Romans reserved the right of capital punishment, evidently, the Jews would sort of sneak one in here and there, and face the consequences, but they would still go out and kill people by stoning even though it was forbidden. They did it with Stephen. They tried to do it with the woman.

The reason, however, that they're going before the government unwittingly, unbeknownst to them is because the Bible predicted that Jesus would die by crucifixion, not by stoning. "Cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree," the Bible says. And Jesus became a curse for us. The Bible predicts that it would be death, not by stoning but by the cross. So all of these, the writers of the Gospels will often show was prearranged by God, so they bring him before Pilate to put him to death. When they bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

Now, I'm going to tell you a little bit about Pontius Pilate as we go through our study tonight, but he was the governor, the procurator of the that southern province of Judea. His headquarters was not in Jerusalem. His headquarters was on the ocean.

He was, in that sense, a smart man. Because if you've ever been to Caesarea by the sea where the Roman procurator had his palace, you look at that Mediterranean and there are even waves out there. I mean, this guy just had it made. Beautiful ocean view.  That's where they kept the center of power for the province of Judea.

However, because the Jews made pilgrimages three times a year to Jerusalem for Passover here, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, because there will be so many people that would gather in the City of Jerusalem, millions of them, and that could mean that riots could develop, the governor, Pontius Pilate and at least 600 of his men, an entire cohort, would go and station themselves during the festivals in Jerusalem. There's a section in the Temple Mount area. I could show it to you today. If you've been to Israel, you have been there. The remains of what is called the "Antonio Fortress" or the "Ancient Roman Praetorium," where Pontius Pilate had his headquarters and where people were judged for capital crimes, Jesus included. In fact, the very pavement is still intact today, the pavement that Jesus stood on to be judged by Pontius Pilate. You can stand on it to this day.

So about 6:00 in the morning, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate. Now, you don't have to turn to it, just keep reading, but I'm flipping now over to Luke Chapter 23, the Parallel Account. It says this, "The whole multitude of them arose, and led him to Pilate." It's the same scene, but listen. "And they began to accuse him saying, 'We found this fellow perverting the nation' -- there are three charges. Charge number one, perverting the nation. A better translation would be subverting the nation. Number two, forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar. And number three, saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

Were those charges true or were they false? Well, look at the first charge. Number one, he is subverting the nation.  Was that true or false? That was false. Because he came and he said, "Don't think that I've come to destroy the law or the prophets, which is what binds your nation, the Jews together. I've come to fulfill it."

Second charge. "He's telling us not to pay taxes."  True or false? False. Jesus had a coin and he said, "Whose inscription is on this?" They said, "Caesar." Jesus says, "Great! Render to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar," which would mean tax money, "and render to God the things that are God's." So, out of the three charges, two of them are false.

The third one, however, was true. He says that he is a king and he did say that he was a king. He said it to Pontius Pilate. He said it to the Sanhedrin. He claimed to be a king, but he wasn't the kind of king that they thought. He wasn't a political reactionary. He wasn't setting up an immediate theocratic kingdom on earth at that time.  It was the spiritual kingdom where people would invite Jesus, the Messiah, to be the king of their heart, rule internally, a rule of love, a rule filled with hope. But eventually, he would set up his kingdom on the earth. He was indeed a king.

So Verse 3 now, Chapter 27. "Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned was remorseful and brought back 30 pieces of silver to the chief priest and the elder, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.'" They said, "What is that to us? You see to it." I find this absolutely fascinating, that Jesus, after being observed by Judas all of this time, and Judas did betray Jesus, but now, Judas is remorseful and he says, "I betrayed innocent blood."

Don't you think that if Jesus had been a hypocrite in any area, I mean, let's just say he got angry a lot and kick dogs when he was traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, anything at all. That Judas would have noticed living so closely to him any hypocrisy at all, any shadow at all in him, and would have justified what he did in betraying Jesus.

He betrayed Jesus.  We discussed some of the reasons for that in the past but here, he was remorseful. He realized he's innocent. He didn't do anything wrong. Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and he departed and he went and he hanged himself. But the chief priest took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury because they are the price of blood.  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore, that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

Now we have a discrepancy. Now we have a contradiction, so-called "supposed contradiction." At least some people will say that. Here it says, "Judas went out and hanged himself." In Acts Chapter 1, Peter addressing his brother said, "Well, we know that happened to Judas. Judas bought that field." Then he said this, "Falling headlong, he burst in the middle and all of his entrails gushed out." That is he fell down. He broke his gut open and all of his intestines poured out.

So, some people will read these two things and go, "Oh, we have a contradiction." Mathew says he hanged himself. Peter in Acts Chapter 1 says he fell down, he busted a gut, and his guts poured out. They both can't be right. There's a contradiction. Really?  Do you think Peter will be that stupid? Do you think Mathew and these early people who knew each other would be that idiotic to have such an apparent contradiction? No contradiction at all. Each is telling a piece of the story.

Here's the full story, put it all together. Judas buys the field. It's on a precipice. If you go to Jerusalem today, you can see the area where the Valley of Hinnom and the Kidron Valley meet in an area known as Akeldama, the Field of Blood, known as the ancient potter's field where they would dump pottery in the ancient times.  Worthless field. Judas, in remorse, tied a rope around his neck and tied a rope around the tree and then he jumped and the weight of his body either broke the rope or broke the branch, he fell down and then busted a gut. No discrepancy. No contradiction. Complimentary, rather, to each other in telling the full story.

Now, interesting thing about Judas. He died by hanging on a tree. "Cursed, the law says, is everyone who hangs on a tree." In Deuteronomy Chapter 19 -- you can just write it down and look at it later -- there's an interesting little phrase that says, "If a malicious witness comes forth and accuses somebody wrongfully, and the judges discover it was a false witness that the guy who came forth was lying, that you shall do to him what he sought to do to the innocent victim." Judas sold Jesus to be crucified. Death on a tree.  Judas dies by hanging on a tree. Sort of a divine poetic justice even though tragic at the same time.

Something else.  Did you know that if you were to look at the list of the apostles in the New Testament, Peter is always listed first when the apostles are listed and Judas is always listed last. But I think there's sort of an interesting corollary between Peter and Judas. Both of them are called the devil. In Cesarea Philippi after Peter said, "No, Jesus. You can't go to Jerusalem, far be it from you." Jesus said, "Get behind me, Satan. You're thinking not as God but as a man." But then Jesus also said of Judas Iscariot, "Haven't I chosen 12 of you, but one of you is a devil?"

The second interesting corollary is that Jesus predicted both of them would fall that night. "Peter, before the cock crows twice, you're going to deny me three times." "Oh no, never," Peter said. Jesus predicted he would. Jesus also predicted that Judas would betray him. When they said, "Who is it? Who is the one that betrays you?" "It's the one that dips his hand in the sop with me," and Judas dipped at the moment.

The third interesting corollary is that Jesus tried to help them both. With Peter, after Peter denied Jesus the third time, the Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. I don't know how you pictured it. Maybe you thought Jesus sort of looked at him like, "You rat. You idiot. You untrustworthy friend." I don't believe he looked that way at all. I think it was a compassionate, loving look. That kind of a look that Peter needed, because it says, "Peter went out and he wept bitterly." I think it was that help, that look from Jesus that kept Peter from committing suicide.

Because he was overwhelmed with sorrow, he went out like Judas and he wept bitterly. "I betrayed him. It was wrong." But he didn't, he was restored. He was repentant. Judas, on the other hand, was also helped by Jesus because you remember in the garden when they came to arrest Jesus and Judas came and kissed him? Jesus turned and looked at Judas and said, "Friend, why have you come?" He reached out to him, "Friend." Friend? How do you call him a friend? He just betrayed you. He was giving him a hand, willing to help. Even at that moment, "Judas, it's not too late. You can turn. You can repent."

But therein lies the big difference. Peter repented. Judas was just remorseful. He was just sorry, sad and sorrowful. The Bible says in Corinthians that godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, but the sorrow of this world produces death." It wasn't godly sorrow. He was just sorry that it happened. He was just sorry that he felt bad. He was sorry that he got in this situation, but no real repentance. Therefore, Verse 8, "That field has been called the Field of Blood to this day." "Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying, and they took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they have the children of Israel priced and gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me."

Now we have another contradiction, it would seem, because Jeremiah the prophet never announced that at all. This is a direct quote out of Zachariah Chapter 11, Zachariah, not Jeremiah. So the untrained reader would look to this and go, "There's another problem with the Bible. It's a misquote." Okay. So again, just think. Matthew had a Jewish background. He was the son of a Levi, he was the son of a priest, he became a tax collector, but he knew the law really well and he knew the scriptures really well. Do you think he was really that much of a dummy that he would purposely misquote saying Jeremiah when it was Zachariah? So how do you deal with the discrepancy?

Simply this. According to Talmudic tradition, Jewish Talmud, Jewish tradition, the old covenant, the Old Testament writings were divided into three by the Jews: the Law, the Prophets, the Writings, or in Hebrew: Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim. Law, Prophets and Writings. The prophets were listed in the order in the Jewish Talmudic tradition as number one, Jeremiah; number two, Ezekiel; number three, Isaiah.

Now, in our Bible, Isaiah is first and then Jeremiah. Jeremiah in Jewish tradition was always first and often referred to -- when they wanted to refer to any prophet would just use under the first heading of the most prominent book in the Canon, Jeremiah, since he was first on the list. Because if you said, "The Prophet Jeremiah," they didn't have Bibles like this. They had scrolls that would cover all of the prophets. You could say Jeremiah because hew first in the canonical list of prophets and you could be quoting any of the number of the prophets. So, that's how it is resolved. I've seen a few other attempts, but they don't work. That really is the answer.

Now, Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." Now, all four Gospels record that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus this question, and the way it is written in the Greek, the original, there's an emphasis on the word "You." "You, are you the king of the Jews?" Now you can understand why Pilate would ask that question that way. He is looking not at Roman regalia. He is looking at a peasant. He is looking at somebody dressed in simple clothes, blood stained from the Garden of Gethsemane, beaten up, tired. This isn't the frame of reference that Pontius Pilate would have would have for a king. For him, Caesar is a king, and a kingdom is Rome, and the Roman armies rule by force, "Are you the king of the Jews?" It's not what Pilate expected.

Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." In other word, "Yes. That's right. You said it. I am a king." Not a political king. John's Gospel said that he said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my subjects would rise up and they would fight." Then Pilate said, "Oh, so you say you are a king." Jesus said, "You said it, I am."

So he was not a political king. He was a spiritual king, that is, you can ask him to rule and reign in your hearts so that the kingdom of God can come to you in your life experience right here, right now, as you allow him to rule over you. That, by the way, is what a Christian really is. A Christian is somebody who has allowed God and His Kingdom to take the place of me and my kingdom. It's surrendering my self to an alien will, not as I will, but as you will. That's what a believer is. It's not just somebody who goes to church and sing songs and says, "I feel really good when I go there." It's somebody who has allowed kingship of Christ to take the place of his or her own desires.

So not a political king, a spiritual king, but make no mistake, he will eventually be a political worldwide, real, ruling king. Revelation Chapter 11, "The seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet and the good news is broadcast throughout all of the earth. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule forever and ever." That will happen. He will bring in a millennial kingdom in which he will rule and reign for a thousand years upon the earth.

So, an interesting conversation with Pontius Pilate, and while he was being accused, the chief priests and elders, by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Pilate said to him, "Do you hear how many things they testify against you?" But he answered him not one word so the governor marveled greatly. Thaumadzo is the Greek word. We would say, "Pilate was blown away." He has been in many of these trials before and he was used to criminal saying, "Please, let me go. I didn't do it. They're wrong." Jesus said nothing. Isaiah the prophet said, "As a lamb, before its shearers is silent so he opened not his mouth."

Now, who was Pontius Pilate? He actually wasn't Roman at all. Let me give you his background. Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of Judea given the post in 26 A.D. by Tiberius Caesar and he occupied that post for ten years. He wasn't Roman. He was Spanish. He was born in Seville, Spain. He loved fighting, he loved armies, and when the Roman legions came to his area of the world, he decided to join the Roman army and fight for Rome. But how did he get a job like this? Well, he married well.

He married a young lady by the name of Claudia Procula, the granddaughter of Augustus Caesar. So he got a good post. He got a government job. He was the governor, the procurator of Judea. The Bible portrays him as a weak man, not a good leader, very selfish, self-inclined, one who is arrogant and that comes through in several passages.

Now, at the feast, Verse 15, the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wish. At that time, they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. A notorious prisoner would be a murderer or an insurrectionist or a terrorist, somebody really, really bad, because prisoners awaiting crucifixion -- a Roman citizen couldn't be crucified. He was exempt. It had to be somebody who was really, really, wicked and subversive in the Roman government's eyes. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" for he knew that they had handed them over because of envy.

Okay now, get this. According to church history and origin, the name of Barabbas was Jesus Barabbas. The word Barabbas means "son of a father," "bar abba" in Hebrew. "Bar abba," "son of a father." So his name was Yeshua or Jesus, "son of a father." Interesting said origin that you have here; Jesus, "son of a father" and Jesus, "son of the Father." That is the option the crowd is asked to choose between.

"Do you want the notorious criminal Yeshua, son of a father, that is of human origin or do you want Jesus called the Christ, messiah, son of the Father, the only begotten son of God?" Origin said that is always the choice people have to make between human kind or God, man's choice or God's choice. Well, we know what their choice is. You're familiar with the story.

While he was sitting on the judgment sit, his wife -- remember, this is the granddaughter now of Augustus Caesar -- sent to him saying, "Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him." But the chief priest and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas" and Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" They all said to him, "Let him be crucified." Okay now, just tebow(ph) this scene for a moment. Just pause it and walk around the characters in the scene. You've got the judge and you have the accused.

Pontius Pilate and Jesus. One who would willingly give up power, that is Jesus, Philippians Chapter 2, "He poured himself out" and one who would grab a hold of power at all cost. One who is all about spiritual kingdom, one who is all about an earthly kingdom of might and strength. One who is the judge and one who is being judged. But now, keep looking at the scene because ask yourself this question, "Who's really the judge? And who is really the one on trial?" Not Jesus, it's Pilate. Because depending on what Pilate does with Jesus, he will stand before the ultimate tribunal God the Father who sent Jesus and be judged for that choice.

The question he asked, mark it well, is a question every human being must answer. What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ? What will you do with Jesus? Will you stand against the crowd? Would you stand and give him honor or will you bow to the winds and the whims of the crowd that says, "Get rid of him. Crucify him. We're into that kind of Jesus." What will you do with Jesus who was called the Christ?

They all said, "Let him be crucified." Then the governor said, "Why? What evil has he done" but they all cried out the more saying, "Let him be crucified." When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water, washed his hands before the multitude saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it." All the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and our children." Then he released Barabbas to them. When he had delivered Jesus, when he had had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

What did the crowd say? The crowd said, "His blood be upon us and our children." Ooh, big words. So brave. "We'll take the blame. His blood be on us and our children." Fast forward, Acts Chapter 5, "Peter and the other apostles get put in prison for preaching the gospel. An angel gets them out at night. They go back into the temple, and they proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ."

The chief priest hears about it. He gets all riled up, brings the apostles before them and he says, "What are you trying to do? Didn't we strictly forbid that you can't preach this Jesus anymore?" Then he said, "You're trying to bring his blood upon us and our children." Exactly. It's what you called for. It's what you demanded. You said, "We'll take the blame for it" and now, in Acts, it says, "Are you trying to blame us for it?" So Peter said, "This same Jesus, whom you crucified, God has raised from the dead" and Peter preached the gospel to him.

Verse 26 shows us what they did first, "Then he released Barabbas, Yeshua, Jesus, son of a father, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. There were three different levels of being whipped or scourged according to the Romans, and according to what crime you committed.  Level number one, fustigatio. Fustigatio was if you committed a minor crime and they would rough you up a little bit, verbally threaten you and let you go.

The second level was called flagellotio. It was more of an intense beating with a whip reserved for tougher crimes. The third was the most severe. It was called the verberatio, and it was always associated with another form of punishment, usually capital punishment, in this case, crucifixion. It's where the victim would have his hands raised above his head. In some case, he would actually be raised up from the ground so he would be dangling his back, the skin of his back would be pressed tight because of that kind of pressure. There were two lictors or men with whips. The whip was a wooden handle with leather thongs attached and at the very end of the thongs, the little leather strips was a piece of bone or a piece of metal or a piece of glass.

So that when the lictors whip went across the back of the victim, it would actually stop, grab into the skin, and then the lictor would pull back and eviscerate or tear the skin. Two lictors in diagonal blows across the back so severe was this verberatio, this flogging that many victims died and never went on to crucifixion. They died simply from the scourging itself because these Roman soldiers hardened, frustrated, hating their position and post in Jerusalem at a Jewish festival day would take out all of their anxieties and frustrations on the victim.

According to one church historian, Eusebius, the skin was so lacerated in ribbon-like shreds that he said, oftentimes, the great vessels could be exposed and even the organs, like the kidneys, exposed to light, exposed to sight. That's what a scourging was. A painful, often ending in death kind of an experience, and Jesus was then delivered after that to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium, that is that Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem, and gathered the whole garrison, that 600 men around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe, probably something that a solider had.

Twisted a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. They bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying, "Hail, king of the Jews." They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. When they mocked him, they took the robe off him, put his own clothes on him and led him away to be crucified.

When a criminal is handed over to Roman soldiers for capital punishment, crucifixion, they would first often toy with the victim and they would play games. One of the games was called the "Kings Game" and the idea of the crowning of the thorns, the reed, and the robe, was all part of the Kings Game.

If you come with us to Jerusalem, I will take you to the pavement of the Antonia Fortress where this took place. They made an interesting discovery several years ago on the original pavement. They found actually etched in the pavement one of the carved markings for the Kings Game in Jerusalem, thought to be the game that was played with Jesus when the robe, and the crown of thorns and the reed was placed upon him. You can see it today.

Another game was called "Hot Hand." The Hot Hand is where they would blindfold the victim so he would not be able to know where the hits were coming from and they would slug him in the face. They would say, "Okay. Now you have to guess who hit you. If you could guess what soldier then they would be easy on you. If you didn't guess which solider hits you, somebody else would hit you in another direction." Now, when you can't see where the blows are coming from, you can't move you just are coldcock, and it seemed they played that with Jesus as well. They led him away to be crucified.

Verse 32, "As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene -- which is North Africa Libya -- Simon by name: him they compelled to bear the cross. When they had come to the place called Golgotha, that is to say The Place of the Skull, they gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he tasted it, he would not drink. Then they crucified him and divided his garments casting lots," that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. Golgotha is the Hebrew name, it means "skull." The Greek name would be "cranion" or we would say "cranium." The Latin name was 'calveria." We get the name of our church "Calvary" from the Latin "calveria" from the Greek "cranion" from the Hebrew "Golgotha." The same thing, it means the "skull." That is because, where Jesus was crucified, looked like a skull.

We could show you today outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem and we're showing you a picture, the mountain that is part of mountain Mount Moriah, where Jesus was crucified. You can look across the street and you can see as plain as day, there's an Arab bus station there today that sort of messes it up. But right above that Arab bus station is this rock, a escarpment that looks like a skull. It is believed that Jesus was crucified here. Not on top of the hill. That's not where Romans crucified him. I know all the songs saying on a hill far away and there are three little cross on the top of the hill. It didn't happen that way. Romans always crucified on flat level ground in front of a hill, typically, on the side of a road so that people walking by the road would see right in front of their eyes, at street level, crucified victims.

See, Rome wanted to send a message. "Do not mess with the Roman government. This could happen to you." Sometimes they would crucify hundreds, even thousands of victims along long road sides. So Jesus was crucified at Golgotha at The Place of the Skull. They 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." Sitting down, they kept watch over him there and they put up over his head the accusation written against him, "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews" then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and the other on the left.

Romans did not invent crucifixion. It was invented by the Persians years before. The Persians, the Carthaginians and another group, it didn't come to my mind unfortunately, practice crucifixion long before the Romans did. But the Romans adopted it and used it as their principal means of capital punishment and here's why.

Crucifixion delayed death for hours and usually for days so that maximum torture could be inflicted before a person would eventually die. The condemned was often consigned to carry the upper part of the cross. Sometimes it was simply a vertical stake; at other times, it was in the shape of a T. It seems that Jesus have what we call the traditional cross where the patibulum or the crossbeam was placed a little bit lower than the top vertical stake so that a sign could be affixed above it. This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

The patibulum or crossbeam weighed about 75 lbs. to 100 lbs. Jesus is already sweating drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, already been beaten up, already been scourged, was extremely weakened without sleep, loss of blood and he tried to carry this upper beam but he couldn't make it all the way. And so, Simon of Cyrene from North Africa, Libya carried it the rest of the way.

Crucifixion was so brutal that typically people die of asphyxiation. They are on the cross and they are there with spikes that would go to the radius and ulna, not through the hand but through the lower part of the hand, the wrist where there's a hook where two bones come together so that the weight of the body can be taken by the wrist. And then a spike through the feet usually with the foot placed sideways through that heel bone, the calcaneal bone and it was driven all the way into the wood.

And so the legs were off to the side and it was an unusual twisted position where the only way one could get air -- because the pectoralis muscles, the pectoralis major would become paralyzed and the diaphragm would become paralyzed -- and the only way to get breath was to raise up on the spike through your heels to take in a breath and let it out and go down again and push up again. And that is why Roman soldiers, just to relive the tension, would break the legs of the victims so they would die quickly.

They were going to do that with Jesus. They found out he had died earlier than they expected and they broke the legs of the criminals that were on either side of him. It says, "Those who passed by," Verse 39, "blasphemed him wagging their heads saying 'You who destroyed the temple and built it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.'" Likewise, the chief priest also mocking with the scribes and the elders, said, "He saved others." Interesting they admitted that. They knew of his miracles.   They were undisputed. They knew of his reputation. "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 in him."

Now examine Verse 42 a little more carefully. "Himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross." He saved others but he can't save himself. If he were to save himself, he couldn't save others. If he did come down from the cross, there would be no hope. "Well, if he comes down from the cross, we'll believe in him." Because he didn't come down from the cross, I believe in him.

He bore my sin; my Jesus took the blows that I deserve. God treated Jesus -- God the Father treated Jesus Christ like you and I deserve to be treated so that God could treat you and I like Jesus deserve to be treated. That's the message of Second Corinthians 5:21. Paul said, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him."

He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said "I am the Son of God."

Even the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him with the same thing. Now from the sixth hour, that's 12 noon by ancient reckoning, until the ninth hour, that's 3:00, three hours, there was darkness over all the land. Think about that, darkness over all the land when Jesus was being crucified. When Jesus was born, the skies lit up.

The shepherd saw the angels and the glory of the Lord shown round about them, but now there's darkness. Now there's a darkness that is more than a sandstorm as some people have said, or a local eclipse. It was something supernatural. I just quoted a guy by the name of Origin(ph), an early church father from Northern Africa. Origin interestingly has in his writings the quote of a Roman historian who acknowledged that there was a darkness that the Roman Empire knew about and there are several sources of that.

Later on, Tertullian, who was also an early church historian biographer writes to a pagan, writes to a Roman saying about the darkness. He said, "Which is written about in your annals and archived in your own history until this very day." Then there's also something interesting found in history, a supposed letter from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar assuming that Tiberius in Rome knew about the darkness that was pervasive, hinting perhaps that it was worldwide. Something gets local, no way to tell, but three different historical sources acknowledge that there was darkness over the land, and here it says it was for three hours. Now, why darkness?

Do you remember in the Old Testament when the high priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, went behind the veil. He went there in darkness. He went there in solitude. He was the divine transaction of sprinkling the blood on the Mercy Seat for atonement. It was to be done in darkness; it was the darkness of secrecy. And so here you have Jesus on the cross when for three years he lived publicly out in the open. But for three hours in this divine transaction of our salvation, this vicarious atonement, this substitutionary atonement, presenting himself, presenting his blood before the Father. Like the priest on Yom Kippur, it was a darkness of secrecy.

Another way to look at it is a darkness of wickedness. A lot of times the Bible will speak about walking in darkness versus walking in the light, walking in wickedness, sin, versus walking in the open, in the light before God and before people, being open and honest. The Nation of Israel, the world was extinguishing the light of the world. They were putting out the light and darkness covered the land.

But a third way to look at it is it was a darkness of judgment. Get this. according to the Babylonian Talmud written long before this, "The Jews said that God reserves darkness when he wants to punish someone for an unusual sin." And they cite the ninth plague in Egypt. What was the ninth plague? Darkness that covered the entire land for three days, a darkness that could be felt. I believe the fifth bowl of judgment in the Book of Revelation, in the tribulation period is a bowl poured out on the kingdom of the anti-Christ and it's a darkness that brings sores out on people's flesh, darkness that can be felt palpable.

God judging for an unusual sin, extinguishing the light of the world, darkness covers the land. In 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?" This verse so bothered Martin Luther when he read it that he read it over and over and over again and he even went into seclusion to meditate on it and to understand it. And when he came out of seclusion, he said, "It was far worse off than before he went into seclusion to try to figure it out." He didn't get it. Why would the father allow the son to be sole forsaken?

You see, it seems that for a moment, in a way, God the Father who had always been close to Jesus broke fellowship with his son. His eyes were too pure, the Bible says, to behold evil and he turned as it were his face away, predicted on Isaiah 53. As Jesus bore the sin upon himself, our sin, God the Father turned away. Now this is something Jesus never experienced before. Oh, he had been abandoned up to this point.  He knew what it was like to be abandoned.

For example, Jesus brought 12 men into the upper room for pass over. One of them, Judas, walked out into the night to betray him, so he had 11 left. With those 11, he walked into the garden of Gethsemane, he took three and said, "Let's leave the others. You guys, come. Peter, James, and John, pray with me for an hour." They fell asleep; he woke them up. They fell asleep again. He woke them up; they fell asleep again. Then Jesus was taken away to the house of Caiaphas. John and Peter followed him; Peter denied him. John was left but eventually the Bible says all of the disciples fled and forsook him.

But although people have forsaken him, Jesus never had experienced the father leaving him until now. Now as the weight of the sin is placed upon him, the father turns away his face for that moment, Jesus felt it and then said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" fulfilling Psalm 22:1. And some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said "This man is calling for Elijah." Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink. The rest said, "Let him alone. Let's see if Elijah will come to save him." Jesus cried out again and with a loud voice yielded up his spirit.

Now there is an interesting reason why the first time they offered Jesus that sour wine he didn't take it, an interesting reason. But it's 8:31, so that reason's going to have to wait until we gather together next time as we discover why Jesus refused at the point of his utmost suffering to take something that would have swashed his pain. So hold that thought until next time.

Father, how grateful we are, how humbled we are when we read these passages that we just fall silent because we realize that you did it for us. As we look at the crucifixion scene, we see that those two criminals on either side should have had somebody else being crucified with them and that was Barabas, probably their gang leader. But Jesus literally took Barabas' place. Jesus, Son of the Father, took the place of another one named Jesus, the son of a human father. God died in our place. We're amazed; we're humbled; we're grateful.

Father, reading these passages, we feel like we've just stood on Holy Ground. And our response is simply glory to God, thank you Lord because now we have a relationship with you. Now we have hope. Now we face our future even the end of years and death itself with hope because Jesus conquered death and took the full grunt of pain and suffering so that we might have life. Lord, we'll never really know the depth to which Jesus suffered in those three dark hours feeling forsaken by you but what a glory is truth that Jesus was forsaken so that we never would have to be. So that your promise to us, to everyone here is you will never leave us, you will never forsake us. Lord, I am with you always even to the end of the age.

Lord, whatever our situation, whatever our struggle, whatever our trial, whatever our hardship, I pray that everyone here would experience this closeness with you, fellowship and intimacy with you as you meet their needs, as you meet our needs. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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9/7/2011
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Matthew 1:1-18
Matthew 1:1-18
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As we turn our attention to the New Testament, Pastor Skip explains what transpired during the 400 years of silence since the Old Testament. Our firm grasp of the political setting, language, and Matthew's purpose and perspective establishes a solid foundation for understanding his gospel. In Matthew 1, we see Jesus revealed as the royal Heir to the throne of David—the Messiah, Immanuel: God with us.
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9/14/2011
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Matthew 1:18-2:23
Matthew 1:18-2:23
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Every year people around the world recognize the birth of a poor Jewish child born in an insignificant city. The birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, beckons us to worship and obey the King of the Jews. Let's examine Matthew's account of the miraculous circumstances of the nativity and the prophecies it fulfilled.
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9/21/2011
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Matthew 3
Matthew 3
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Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man among those born of women. John saw himself in the light of who Jesus is: not even worthy to loose His sandal. From the womb, he was filled with the Spirit, continually pointing people to Christ. Let's consider this powerful prophet, his ministry, and the message he preached.
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9/28/2011
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Matthew 4:1-17
Matthew 4:1-17
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Prior to the start of Jesus' public earthly ministry, He was led up to be tempted by the devil. As we review His encounter with Satan, we uncover important principles of spiritual warfare. We consider not only when and how Jesus was tempted, but also how He fought—and the ministry that began on the heels of the battle.
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10/5/2011
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Matthew 4:18-5:4
Matthew 4:18-5:4
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Leaving life as they knew it, the disciples followed Jesus and became intimate witnesses of Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing. As we dive into this portion of Matthew, we turn our attention to their calling and listen in as Jesus begins the greatest sermon ever preached.
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10/19/2011
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Matthew 5:5-16
Matthew 5:5-16
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The economy in God's Kingdom is quite different from that of the world: it's paradoxical; it's progressive. Let's consider the Beatitudes and discover what kingdom living looks like, and how it impacts those around us.
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10/26/2011
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Matthew 5:17-32
Matthew 5:17-32
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The multitudes listening to Jesus teach were undoubtedly shaken by His powerful statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). How, then, could one be saved? As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we remember that salvation is not available through human achievement--only by divine accomplishment.
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11/2/2011
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Matthew 5:33-6:8
Matthew 5:33-6:8
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As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we'll grow in our understanding of the contrasts between the world and the kingdom of heaven. Followers of Jesus are called to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees—a righteousness based on our genuine relationship with Christ, rather than mere outward obedience.
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11/9/2011
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Matthew 6:9-34
Matthew 6:9-34
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Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we learn that when we make God's kingdom our focus, He provides everything we need.
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11/16/2011
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Matthew 7
Matthew 7
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Jesus calls His followers to live differently from the world -- to live a kingdom lifestyle. In this study from the Sermon on the Mount, we consider what kingdom living looks like in both our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
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12/7/2011
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Matthew 8:1-26
Matthew 8:1-26
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Throughout his gospel account, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah. Building upon the foundation of fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' identity is authenticated by miraculous signs. As we examine Matthew chapter eight, let's consider the compassion and grace Jesus demonstrates.
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1/18/2012
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Matthew 8:23-9:9
Matthew 8:23-9:9
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Matthew carefully crafted his gospel to speak directly to the hearts of his Jewish audience. Through his detailed record of Jesus' genealogy, fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' actions, instructions, and miracles, Matthew proves that Jesus is Messiah. Let's take a close look at several of those miracles, and gain a firm grasp of His Deity.
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1/25/2012
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Matthew 9:10-31
Matthew 9:10-31
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To the Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners were part of a lower, unpleasant class. But Jesus longed for fellowship with all people. He shared intimate meals with them, ministered to their needs, and reached out to the unlovely. As we study this passage in Matthew 9, we learn how we are also called to be heralds of the good news that brings spiritual health and enduring joy.
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2/1/2012
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Matthew 9:32-10:31
Matthew 9:32-10:31
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The Lord calls His followers to proclaim His message to the world—we are appointed to carry out a divine purpose. We learn in this study that we, like the apostles, find abundant life only in letting go of our own ambitions, plans, and comfort.
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2/8/2012
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Matthew 10:32-11:19
Matthew 10:32-11:19
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In His second major discourse of Matthew, Jesus equips and instructs His apostles about going into the world and reaping the spiritual harvest. In this passage, Jesus expounds on the courage needed to complete the mission and warns His followers of certain persecution. He reminds us that while not all who hear will believe, God's wisdom is powerfully demonstrated in changed lives.
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2/15/2012
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Matthew 11:16-30
Matthew 11:16-30
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In order to truly worship God, you must know Him. Speaking clearly and openly in this passage, Jesus proclaims some of His strongest warnings and makes some of His most intimate promises. He reveals the Father to His followers and assures us that life lived under His rule yields peace and rest.
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2/22/2012
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Matthew 12:1-21
Matthew 12:1-21
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Though God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath became difficult work by New Testament times. The oral traditions of the Pharisees had become weighty burdens-burdens the Lord did not mean for His people to bear. In this passage, Jesus demonstrates mercy and the true intent of the Sabbath as He and His disciples meet physical needs in the face of strong opposition.
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2/29/2012
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Matthew 12:22-42
Matthew 12:22-42
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Though our current culture embraces a form of spirituality, the biblical view of God, Satan, and good versus evil has been dismissed by most. Ignorance and indifference cause them to relegate Satan to the stuff of fairy tales and myth. In this study from Matthew 12, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the devil and his minions--giving us a glimpse into the supernatural and a reminder that, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
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3/7/2012
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Matthew 12:43-13:17
Matthew 12:43-13:17
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Jesus consistently brought His message of hope to the common man: He spoke in parables to bring revelation to His followers and to conceal heavenly truth from the hard-hearted. In this message, we examine parables of our Master Teacher and Holy Judge, and discover that truth can be a blessing, but also a curse--we must be diligent to understand and apply God's Word to our lives.
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3/14/2012
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Matthew 13:18-52
Matthew 13:18-52
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Jesus often used parables to explain spiritual truth to His followers. In Matthew 13, His seven kingdom parables are recorded--word pictures which explain the beginning, opposition, expansion, and culmination of His kingdom. Let's consider His teachings and apply these lessons, so that we may be fellow workers with Him in spreading the good news.
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3/21/2012
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Matthew 13:53-14:36
Matthew 13:53-14:36
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In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, we see powerful examples of the results of both faith and the lack of it. Those who might have known Jesus best failed to trust in Him and missed out on His work in their lives, while others were carried through the storm in His care. As we consider our own trials, we should rest in His hands, knowing He has power to change us and use our lives for His glory.
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3/28/2012
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Matthew 15
Matthew 15
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God is less concerned with the outward appearance than He is with the inward attitude. In this passage, Jesus boldly proclaims truth in a confrontation with the Pharisees, warning his followers to avoid hypocrisy. We also witness His tender response to the persistent faith of a Gentile woman, and His mercy for the multitudes. As we study Matthew 15, let's consider our own approach to Him: Do we recognize that we cannot live without Him?
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4/11/2012
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Matthew 16:1-20
Matthew 16:1-20
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Through stern rebuke, gentle prodding, and powerful teaching, Jesus instructs those around Him about who He is and how we can know and serve Him. Matthew 16 records several lessons in faith - warnings and wisdom which encourage us in our own spiritual journey.
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4/25/2012
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Matthew 16:21-17:27
Matthew 16:21-17:27
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Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. From this passage, we gain a clearer understanding of what it means to exalt Him as King in our lives and also get a preview of His future glory, when He will reign over all the earth.
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5/2/2012
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Matthew 18
Matthew 18
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How should sin be dealt with? As we examine Matthew 18, we learn not only to deal radically with sin in our own lives, but also the steps toward reconciliation with a sinning brother.
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6/13/2012
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Matthew 19
Matthew 19
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In the U.S., the lifestyle of Christians often mirrors that of unbelievers--divorce, self-indulgence, misaligned priorities. Using God's Word to teach lessons about divorce and eternal life, Jesus exhorts his followers to enter the kingdom of heaven--to live in wholehearted faith and obedience to the Him. Let's consider what Scripture says about godly living and the reward Jesus promises to His faithful followers.
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6/20/2012
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Matthew 20
Matthew 20
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As followers of Christ, what awaits us in eternity? In this study, we consider not only our eternal home but also our eternal reward. Saved by grace through faith, we must see beyond the circumstances and status of this world, and look toward our future glory.
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7/11/2012
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Matthew 21:1-32
Matthew 21:1-32
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In this intriguing passage, Jesus enters Jerusalem in a precise fulfillment of prophecy. It's an exciting study, where those who know they need forgiveness find refreshment and hope—and those who rely on their own righteousness receive a stern rebuke.
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7/18/2012
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Matthew 21:33-22:22
Matthew 21:33-22:22
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Jesus taught with complete authority, denouncing the misconceptions of the religious leaders of the day. With skill and precision, Jesus uses parables and their own words to silence their challenges and expose their motives. Let's consider His words, heed His warnings, and remember that He alone is righteous and worthy of praise.
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7/25/2012
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Matthew 22:23-23:39
Matthew 22:23-23:39
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In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven—His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold—to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable—we learn here danger of that the perilous position.
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8/1/2012
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Matthew 24:1-30
Matthew 24:1-30
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In this passage—the Olivet Discourse— Jesus provides a summary of end time events: the future of the world. We look forward to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus, but those found outside of Christ face unparalleled suffering and judgment. Let's contemplate the wrath of God that's in store for this world—and share the hope of the gospel with those who don't yet know Him.
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8/8/2012
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Matthew 24:31-25:46
Matthew 24:31-25:46
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In this section of the Olivet Discourse, we consider Jesus' Warning Parables. As we examine the text, let's remember that while the church escapes judgment, many are left to suffer the Great Tribulation. We must be righteous, be ready, and be responsible.
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8/15/2012
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Matthew 26:1-30
Matthew 26:1-30
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As Jesus gathered with His disciples to observe the Passover one last time, He brought fresh meaning to a festival which had been celebrated for thousands of years. Rather than a memorial to their physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the meal represents His broken body and shed blood—and spiritual deliverance from sin for those who believe.
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8/22/2012
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Matthew 26:31-75
Matthew 26:31-75
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Message Summary
Following the Last Supper, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and willingly surrendered Himself to the will of the Father: Jesus was crushed for our sin, abandoned to the Cross, so that we might have fellowship with Him. As we study Matthew 26, we consider the spiritual battle before us, the choices we make, and the ultimate victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.
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9/19/2012
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Matthew 27:50-66
Matthew 27:50-66
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
As He hung on the cross, betrayed by his friends and separated from His Father, Jesus declared "It is finished!" Victorious, not defeated—He completed the work the Father gave Him to do. In that dark hour, the grave gave up some of her dead, the earth quaked, and in the temple, the curtain that separated men from God was torn from top to bottom. As we study this text, let's consider the price Jesus paid to redeem us and the personal, intimate fellowship with God now available.
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9/26/2012
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Matthew 28
Matthew 28
Skip Heitzig
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Jesus' resurrection: great news for His disciples—troubling news to his enemies. As the chief priests grappled with a cover up, the disciples met with the risen Lord and were commissioned to "Go and make disciples of all the nations." As we consider our text, we discover the good news for ourselves: Jesus is not dead—He's alive and has all authority in heaven and earth.
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There are 36 additional messages in this series.
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