Jesus - mocked and put on the cross Matthew 27:27-44

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Originally preached at Poulner Chapel 25 March 2012

Introduction

Here is a complete outline of this event from all 4 gospels! We will look at briefly the events as recorded by Matthew!

• Pilate's soldiers crown and mock Jesus - Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-3
• Pilate tries to release Jesus - John 19:4-7
• Pilate questions Jesus again - John 19:8-11
• Pilate attempts to free Jesus again - John 19:12
• Pilate sentences Jesus - John 19:13-15
• Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified - John 19:16
• Jesus carries the cross - John 19:17
• Simon of Cyrene bears the cross - Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:20-21, Luke 23:26,
• Jesus speaks to weeping women - Luke 23:27-32,
• Jesus is brought to Golgotha - Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:32-33, John 19:17
• Soldiers offer Jesus sour wine mix - Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23
• Jesus is crucified at the 3rd hour - Mark 15:25
• Soldiers divide the Lord's clothes - Matthew 27:35-36, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24
• Accusation written by Pilate - Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38, John 19:19-22
• 2 Robbers are crucified with Jesus - Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:33, John 19:18
• "Forgive them..." - Luke 23:34
• "Behold your mother." - John 19:25-27
• Multitude mocks Jesus - Matthew 27:39-43, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-37
• Robbers mock Jesus - Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32, 29:39
• One robber rebukes the other - Luke 23:40-41
• "...you will be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:43

As you know from the reading we are looking at this event in the life of Jesus Christ, as recorded by his friend and disciple, Matthew. Tonight we look at Jesus mocked, Jesus crucified, and the implications and challenges we are presented with. Matthew, throughout his Gospel, presents Jesus as King - and it is probably his main theme as he writes his gospel. In Chapter 27 alone, Matthew ascribes Jesus as king 7 times. He uses Old Testament imagery from passages such as Psalm 22, Psalm 69 and parts of Isaiah to build his story.

Even if you are new to this story, nobody here should really be shocked by this macabre tale. I don't think anybody could really be that naïve about human history and some of the horrors it contains. Human history is full of incidents of people treating others in less than a human and dignified way. The horrors of the killing fields of what was Cambodia, the systematic brutality of Nazi Germany and the macabre excesses of Uganda in the last century, have often been repeated throughout history. Sadly, even at times, by Churches and those purporting to be Christians...

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29th March 2012

Be Kind!

1 Corinthians 13:4 says ”Love is ... kind” How often have we read that verse but not stopped to think about it. Of course I’m kind, we would cry if questioned. But what does kind mean?

The oxford dictionary definition of kind is (adjective ) - having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature:

Well that’s ok ... but is it? How friendly are you? Do you make an effort to speak to people you don’t know at church or do you always speak to people you’ve known for years? How many people that you don’t know very well have you invited back for a coffee in the last month? I’m afraid those of you who are shy do not have a let out clause. You may have to pray a bit harder before you go up and speak to someone you don’t know very well, than those of us who are more confident , but you cannot be a Christian, and remain in the clique you’ve been in for years.

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God doesn’t ask us to do anything that He doesn’t equip us fully to do but do we have faith in Him to be there for us to help us through any awkward silences.

Those of you who are retired – how fantastic is that – you have so many more free hours to serve God, So many free hours to invite people round for coffee. So many free hours to be friendly. So many free hours to be kind.

Just in case you doubt that that’s what God wants you to do. Romans 12:13 “..... practice hospitality.......” Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers…” and 1 Peter 4:9 “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Going back to the oxford dictionary definition of kind, just to remind ourselves – “having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.”

Hmm generous, that’s a tricky one isn’t it. Unfortunately, here in the west our attitude is all too often – well I tithe, that’s enough, or I support such and such a charity. Or a good one is, well I give my time instead. Jesus described what he means by generosity in Matthew 19:21 He said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

And in Luke 12:33, he says “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

Obviously generosity applies to time as well but being generous with your time does not mean you don’t have to be generous with your money and possessions.

The last adjective in the dictionary definition of kind is considerate. I think the verse love others as you love yourself sums this up nicely. Basically it means treat others as you would like them to treat you .

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26th March 2012

G'day and welcome to Partakers ThinkSpot on Monday, the 26^th of March 2012. Play the audio and see how Jim and Joy are challenging you to live your faith out this week!

You may well have heard the song 'Love Changes Everything' made famous by Michael Ball several years ago. One of the lines reads Life will never be the same again.

Certainly when a young man meets a girl and like turns to love and from once a week the scene changes and they cannot see enough of each other. In fact t they do not want to be out of each others company and marriage takes place and they become One. Life will never be the same for them ever again.

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Likewise when a person realises who Jesus Christ is and what Jesus Christ has done for them they see that in God not only do have they a Saviour but see that a vital part of their life has been missing and God has a plan for their life. Having dealt with their sin problem through atonement and now He wants them to love and serve Him. Again think of the line of that hymn. Life will never be the same.

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22nd March 2012

Overcoming Envy!

1 Corinthians 13:4 says” Love does not envy.” It is a hard to put into practice at all times. As a divorced woman, I find it hard sometimes not to envy those people who have someone with whom to share their lives. Someone to cuddle up next to on the sofa, someone to share how each day has been, and someone to care about me. Of course I have family and friends who love me dearly but they have busy lives and don’t have the time always to listen, when I need to talk.

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I don’t work at the moment so money isn’t in abundance, so occasionally I envy my sisters who are both very high earners and can buy what they want, when they want. Or I walk past a huge rambling house in the country and think, wouldn’t it be nice to live there.

Mark 7:21-23 mentions envy amongst a list of evils including murder! It states: "For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Romans 1:29 also has envy included in a list of types of depravity: This list too includes murder "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice." So evidently envy isn’t too be regarded as a minor sin.

Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

In Philippians 4:12, Paul says he has learnt the secret of being content at all times, whether in times of want or times of plenty. The secret I believe is in knowing God our father intimately, the more we know God the easier it is to trust Him that He knows what’s best for us. The next time you find yourself envying someone, try to think of something to thank God for, or just praise Him for who He is.

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Psalm 89

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¹I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

²For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

³I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

⁴Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

⁵And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

⁶For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

⁷God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

⁸O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

⁹Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

¹⁰Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.

¹¹The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.

¹²The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

¹³Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

¹⁴Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

¹⁵Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

¹⁶In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

¹⁷For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.

¹⁸For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.

¹⁹Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

²⁰I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

²¹With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

²²The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

²³And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

²⁴But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

²⁵I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

²⁶He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

²⁷Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

²⁸My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

²⁹His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

³⁰If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

³¹If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

³²Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

³³Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

³⁴My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

³⁵Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

³⁶His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

³⁷It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

³⁸But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

³⁹Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

⁴⁰Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

⁴¹All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

⁴²Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

⁴³Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

⁴⁴Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.

⁴⁵The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

⁴⁶How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

⁴⁸What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

⁴⁹Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;

⁵¹Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

⁵²Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

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