Announcements Service Opportunities, Sandy Bay Bible Study

Announcements – Service Opportunities, Sandy Bay Bible Study –

Dee 24 hours Through the Bible – Wed. 7:00 pm – Fellowship Lunch Oct. 6

Call to worship – ______

Prayer

Read Scripture John 19:38-42, 20:1-18

In 1887, twenty two years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his coffin was dug up and opened because there were constant rumors that his body was not in the grave. So they dug it up and the body was there. The rumors continued so 14 years later they had to dig it up again. Both times witnesses were present who testified that Lincoln was still in the grave.Finally his family had him buried and then poured in tons of concrete so no one could dig him up again.
Three days after the death of Jesus Christ, similar rumors began to spread throughout the land of Israel. Only this time there were no witnesses who could say that they had seen His body. In fact, to the contrary, many witnesses claimed to have seen him out of His grave and even talked with Him after the resurrection.
As great a man as Lincoln was there were witnesses to prove he was still in the grave. If one of our Presidents or another leader in our government were to cry out today to Lincoln for help, there would be no response. If a scientist were to cry out to Einstein for help today there would only be empty silence. If someone were to call out to Mohammed or Buddha or Gandhi today there would be no help. But if you and I call out to Jesus Christ there is instant power available to us... power to change lives ...why? Because He lives!

All events in history are either before the resurrection and after the resurrection. It is the single greatest event in history.

Scripture is fulfilled so we will give like Joseph of Arimathea, have faith(John) and witness of the resurrection (Mary)

Vs.38-39

He is mentioned in all four Gospels, which give differing accounts of him. According toMark 15:43, he was an "honorable counselor , meaning a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, who waited (or "was searching") for thekingdom of God". InMatthew 27:57, says he is a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. InJohn 19:38, he was secretly adiscipleof Jesus: as soon as he heard the news of Jesus's death, he "went in boldly untoPilate, and craved the body of Jesus."

Pilate, reassured by a centurion that the death had taken place, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen (Mark 15:46) and proceeded toGolgothato take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, assisted byNicodemus, Joseph took the body and wrapped it in the fine linen and appliedmyrrhandaloesNicodemushad brought, according to John 19:39. Jesus' body then was conveyed to the place that had been prepared for Joseph's own body, a man-made cave hewn from rock in the garden of his house nearby. This was done speedily, "for theSabbathwas drawing on". This event is also mentioned in Luke 23:50–56.

He is mentioned in all four Gospels, which give differing accounts of him. According toMark 15:43, he was an "honourable counsellor (bouleutēs), meaning a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, who waited (or "was searching") for thekingdom of God". InMatthew 27:57, he is not described as a counsellor, but as a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. InJohn 19:38, he was secretly adiscipleof Jesus: as soon as he heard the news of Jesus's death, he "went in boldly untoPilate, and craved the body of Jesus."

Vs 40 Bound it in strips of linen – Not mummified but wrapped in white linen cloth in sections packed with the myrhh and aloes. 20 lbs was normal amount. Double that for a rich person. This is the amount you would use for a King.

Rabbi Gamaliel – one of the famous rabbis of his day was buried with 60 lbs

Aloes had to be imported to Israel from the Island of Socrota, at the lower end of the Red Sea, near the horn of Africa. It was a powder ground from the fragrant pulp of aloe leaves.

Myrrh was extracted from a gum taken from trees grown in Arabia. Sap oozed out, soon solidified, and was ground to powder.

Vs 41 If I have a tomb and I put you in it and you are not in my family, I can never use it. Tomb was a very valuable possession. Garden Tombs were the priciest because they were cut into shear rock.

Joseph gives up his leadership, prestige, family, job, church and all he has for Jesus. When he dies, there will not be a place for him on this earth, nor for his family members. Are we willing to trust God with everything? Give up everything?

They wanted to make sure that when people go by Jesus tomb, it doesn’t smell. Are these guys expecting a resurrection? No! Their God is dead and they don’t think He is coming back alive.

Why is He put in the ground. Why 3 days and 3 nights?All that has happened has been fulfillment of dozens of prophecies of the Messiah. God is sovereign. He reigns, is in control. If one molecule is outside of His control, He is not God.

Recap of the week.

Daniel 9:24-27 prophesied that Jesus would present Himself as the Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb at His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus triumphant entry occurred 4 days prior to Passover (aka His Crucifixion). This was the day required to select a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed as a burnt offering at the temple.

Vs 1 If they had fabricated this story, you would never would have put Mary Magdalene in the account. Former prostitute, who had been possessed by seven demons. If you are on trial, “You’re honor I’d like to call the little girl from the Exorcist” who can vouch for my where abouts.” In addition, she was a woman, Testimony wasn’t accepted in a court of law in that day. Mary is there first is because Mary loves Him most. Mary sinned grievously, Jesus delivered. Mary is the one who anointed his body for burial. They hadn’t finished the preparation before sundown so they came back to finish.

Vs 2 In her mind, she is thinking someone stole the body to desecrate it.

Vs 3-7 White linen cloths, wrapped tight so no bugs or anything could get in. Jesus did not unwrap. He simply sat up and let the wrappings pass through His body. He is in a resurrected body, can pass through walls, eat, hug, talk, fly.

“to depart, and to be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23), “waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23).

You may ask, if He just passed through the coverings, Why did he need the stone rolled away? The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out. The stone was rolled away to let people in to see that He is not there. He is risen.

Drive down West End, see a store, closed for renovations. When it is all ready and fixed up and ready, they reopen.

Philippians 3 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,21who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Vs 8-10 John Looks and Believes. The first to trust in Jesus resurrection is John.

Mary is there with them and both her and Peter don’t believe. But Mary stays out of love.

Vs 11-13 Mary is beside herself with grief. Why are you weeping?

This is the only place in Scripture where we see angelssitting.

Exodus 25:17-19—"And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold . . . and thou shalt maketwocherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them,in the two endsof the mercy-seat.

She doesn’t even pay attention to the two angels. She keeps weeping.

Vs 14-15

Jesus speaks to her and she is still weeping. He asks her, Why does He ask? He knows why, He is trying to stir her mind to reassess the situation.

Jesus is standing there and I’m not sure why she doesn’t recognize him but I think it is a couple possibilities:

The last time she saw Jesus, he was unrecognizable as a man from beating
The resurrection body probably removes the effects of the fallen world, scars, sunburn, looks healthier than ever.
Jesus is last person she expects to see, she is looking for a corpse not a risen Savior.

Vs 16-17

"The sheep follow him, for theyknow his voice"(John 10:4)

As soon as Christ addressed her by name, she"turned herself,"and saith unto Him, "Rabboni."After His first word, when she supposed Him to be the gardener, she had turnedaway fromHim, her attitude still toward the tomb; but now that He called her by name, she turns her back on the tomb and falls at His feet—it is only asHeisknownthat we are delivered, experimentally, from the power of death!

Joseph and Nicodemus give all their possessions, John gives his belief, Mary gives her love and is sent as the first evangelist to tell Jesus is risen.

You mean the first evangelist is a woman?

You mean the first evangelist was a prostitute?

Was demon-possessed?

Yes! Why? She loved much because she was forgiven much!

We are forgiven much, right? It wasn’t the amount of her sin as much as her view of her sin and her view of Jesus.

Father of me, father of you, God of me God of you.

We are now related, you are my spiritual sisters and brothers now. By His death and resurrection, we are children of God. John 1:12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Before there was a separation between God and man. Now there isn’t. Thomas later says to Jesus, My Lord and My God.” In verse 28 of this chapter. John 17:20-22

There is an old story that Abraham Lincoln went down to the slave block to buy back a slave girl. As she looked at the white man bidding on her, she figured he was another white man, going to buy her and then abuse her. He won the bid and as he was walking away with his property, he said, "Young lady, you are free."

She said, "What does that mean?"

"It means you are free."

"Does that mean," she said, "that I can say whatever I want to say?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say."

"Does that mean," she said, "That I can be whatever I want to be?"

Lincoln said, "Yes, you can be whatever you want to be."

"Does that mean I can go wherever I want to go?"

He said, "Yes, you can go wherever you want to go."

And the girl, with tears streaming down her face, said, "Then I will go with you."

Hosea understood, you and I understand that we were bought back—His own, lovingly, wonderfully, set free.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins(Psalm 130:7-8).

Benediction: 2 Corinthians 1:2-5