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11/24/2012 recording date. audio/video is 18 minutes takes a few minutes to load so be patient please. Or just read ahead. Also the following week it is air on utube on turtle30cshell channel. Just type in website name when you got to utube. The Crucifixion Presented by turtle30cshell I am your host Christina Farris. Today as we continue our journey from two weeks ago to the scene of the cross, one has to consider the events that were unfolded under normal circumstances would not happen. God divine will is never for anyone to suffer, but this was the only way to redeem us. Sometimes it takes an act of horror to realize the injustice of mankind. Sometimes it takes an act of cruelty for man to realize their vulnerability to commit serious acts of injustice. Christ death was spurred on by the crowd and not by any legal code but because of man misinterpretation to what Christ said. In politics what was happening to Jesus might be considered a power play and unjust one at that, yet it was necessary to keeping control of religious sect. The way it worked was that Jesus was stuck between two groups of people. One the religious order who seen Jesus as a religious threat because of how He taught, though his teachings were of God they were not recognized as being of God. Jesus had upset the religious ruler because of his teachings. Yet Jesus never claimed to be a king in the since of ruler and bared no threat to Caesar or Herod or Pilate. Yet His birth brought the Magi who seen him as a king. He was declared a king from birth, yet his royalty was of human blood and royalty was of spiritual sort. Meaning He was king in heaven who came down from above to minister to us, a people lost in sin, to redeem us so we might have life abundantly. Christ redeemed us from corruption, yet we live in a world of corruption and must work in a world of corruption. A world that is often unjust by God’s standards, but necessary to maintain control without a chaotic state. The world has not understand or known the power of God, for it sees not and hears not the things of God. The reaction of the crowd is Jesus is causing a threat to their way of life, to their religious order and maybe their political freedom in a society built on equality of all people. I believe in equality for all people. I believe everyone needs opportunity to receive Christ that why I am active in ministry online. I want others to have that same right to choose, so I believe in what our country as whole stands for concerning freedoms. Yet for many our religious freedom as been revoked, but in truth it has not. Many of us fail to stand up and speak. Fail to speak afraid of appearing to push on political walls and will as knocking down spiritual walls with the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet when any religious groups or political groups decides that superior because of their views it becomes a problem. Knowing God has all power, makes it simple for me, but it also allows for devils to reign or leaders I disagree with to be in power. If God allows evil to rise to only once again knock it down again, we must recognize during evil days we will suffer, and when evil days are finished we rest in the arms of God breathing in the fresh air of peace within our soul. What Jesus was going to endure was based on political and religious uprisings that were unjustifiable, based only on one’s own conscious of justice and not justice of the actual law at the time. In other words a kangaroo court. Much like the westerns watched on TV and innocent man is often nearly hung because of a town does not like a stranger who meant no harm and the hero of the show always frees the man meant to hang, until he can be proven innocent he flees with the help of a friend. Jesus had no friend that day, all were against Him. All sought His life. Not one person wanted to help him, except Pilate, but He could not aid a man who would not defend himself. Who refuse to speak but allow injustice to take place, trying the best he could to wash his hands of the problem. Let us read the story of the cross. It not hard to understand. An innocent man dying without defending himself. An innocent man that was the Son of God laying His life down for us, that we can see our unfairness, unjust ways, our unbelief, our sin in the very act we do against humanity as a whole. No one is without sin. No one is just but we justified by belief in Jesus. When we believe in God and then believe His Word He justifies us through His Son upon belief. Let us begin by reading: John 19:1-24 KJV (1) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. (2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, (3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. (4) Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. (5) Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! (6) When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. (7) The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. (8) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; (9) And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. (10) Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? (11) Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (12) And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (13) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. (14) And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (15) But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (16) Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. (17) And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (18) Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. (19) And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. (20) This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (21) Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. (22) Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. (23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. (24) They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. The story of cross told differently in each gospel but the message is still the same. Jesus was crucified by a Kangaroo court. A crowd that cared not to hear the law in the matter but crucified him by their own merit. The crowd not realizing it was the will of God that Christ suffered and died. The power was not Pilate’s or the crowd to decide but the decision was made by the will of God. God had spoken through out the Old Testament and even New Testament of the His Son’s death to the heart of the believer. Jesus proclaimed his death would come. God proclaimed his Son’s death would come. Prophesy once spoken can not be undone unless by the mercy and power of God. With the change of God’s plan comes usually repentance of man. Example would be Jonah going and preaching in Nineveh, the people repented and the city of Nineveh was not destroyed at that time. Yet in time to come it would be destroyed. Nothing has changed with the power of the cross we fine that repentance must and will come to all generation that will hear the word of God. The generation that refuses God will be destroyed. It is our job to share our hope with each generation. If we can see our own sense of injustice, we can understand the need for a justifier. One would like to think their way is always justifiable, and their actions always true but it not so. When God teaches, He demonstrates what He teaches us in a way we can understand. The cross a teaching tool to all of us, but also for a greater purpose, that upon recognizing our sin and turning away from sin upon belief in Jesus we are justified, for our sin was buried with Him and upon his resurrection we raised with Him into new life and victory beyond the grave. Salvation can not come without faith and repentance. With out faith in God we can not be saved through Jesus. With faith in God comes belief in the Spirit of Prophecy. Some of Christ last words as He spoke to his disciples and mother was to take care of each other. World care not for Jesus, cared not for His testimony about His Father, or Himself. Cared not that He heal and taught. He did not stop once upon the cross to teach love. Let us continue today’s passage. John 19:25-42 KJV (25) Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. (26) When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! (27) Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (28) After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. (29) Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. (30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (31) The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (32) Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. (33) But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: (34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (35) And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. (36) For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. (37) And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. (38) And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. (39) And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. (40) Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. (41) Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. (42) There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. Jesus died and with His death came the responsibility of Him having to be buried and it was the beginning of the Sabbath. Customs of that day and time was that priest would prepare the body for burial, however the one that requested the body was Joseph of Armatheae, who was also a follower of Jesus. Nicodemus prepared the body and laid His body in the tomb. A tomb that according to other scriptural passage had a huge rock laid across it and was guarded by Roman soldiers. Women would come and finish the burial procedures. Nicodemus and Joseph both followers of Jesus but did so in private, did according to the law and custom of burial for the body had to be prepared by the Jewish leaders. Our story stop here for this week, but it does not stop here. The Story of the cross continues, for Christ would rise from dead. He would rise to victory that was already His, because He was the only begotten Son of God. Are you ready to have your sins buried at the cross and to begin your life anew with Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus is the salvation plan of God. God’s plan of redeeming us teaching us of our own injustice. |