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Well Jesus Christ has made our world, not just that he is God as Christians believe who has
created us
but he is the God who's shaped our values, certainly here in the West in terms of
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freedom, tolerance
progress all of those things
and Christians believe that's because he is the God who speaks true to us and
given us good things to believe and to live out.
Jesus Christ is one of the most influential figures in human history
revered as the central figure of Christianity.
Born around four to six BCE in Bethlehem
His life and teachings have profoundly shaped the moral, cultural and spiritual fabric
of civilizations
for over two millennia.
Jesus whose name in Hebrew is Yeshua
meaning God saves
is believed by Christians to be the son of God
and the promised Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures.
Raised in Nazareth
Jesus lived a humble life as a carpenter
before beginning his public ministry around the age of thirty.
His teachings focused on love,
forgiveness,
compassion,
humility
and justice.
Through parables and sermons such as the renowned sermon on the mount
Jesus emphasize the importance of loving God whole heartedly
and loving one's neighbor as oneself.
His messages often challenged societal norms
extending dignity to the marginalized
including the poor,
sinners and outcasts.
Jesus also performed miracles including healing the sick,
raising the dead and feeding thousands
which many believed affirmed his divine nature.
These acts coupled with his teachings
attracted both followers and opposition from religious authorities
who viewed his claims of divinity as blasphemous.
Christians believe
that Jesus's crucifixion was not the end
but a pivotal act of redemption.
According to the new testament three days after his death
Jesus rose from the dead
a cornerstone of Christian faith
known as
the resurrection.
This event is celebrated as proof of his victory over sin and death
offering eternal life to all who believe in him.
Beyond religion
Jesus's impact transcends spiritual boundaries
influencing art,
literature, ethics and philosophy.
His teachings on love and peace
resonate across cultures
and continue to inspire movements for social justice and human rights.
For billions of believers worldwide
Jesus is more than a historical figure.
He is a source of hope,
salvation
and a personal relationship with God.
His life and message invite people of all backgrounds
to explore the transformative power of faith,
grace
and unconditional love.
I guess we all love stories
and all of us have a story of some kind.
It usually helps us to work out what we believe, what we think about life
and many stories are just kind of formed by our experiences
or our philosophy, or
different belief systems.
I would reckon when you look at Christianity and you
look at Jesus Christ he is the best story.
It begins in the Bible in Genesis
where there's a garden of Eden
and then the whole
thing is that
sin enters the world and the
world becomes a corrupt kind of place
and then
salvation actually moves on
right in the Bible to revelation
where there's a new heaven and a new Earth, the promise of
the kingdom of God
being revealed
and coming
to fulfillment
at the end times
and that's the
salvation story but actually who is
crucial to that,
the crucial thing is right there at the
middle of it
is Jesus.
He is the kind of crucial thing for this story.
What do I mean by that, well there's a little verse in the Bible again John chapter three verse
sixteen, which many people know very well where it says
God so loved the world
that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life
and that is a kind of crucial part. God loved the world so much
that he sent Jesus.
Again if you look at the Jesus story,
what's the most important part about it I guess?
The most important part it hinges on the death
and resurrection.
Mark's gospel for example,
most of it is two thirds about his death.
The whole process of going up to his death on the cross
and his resurrection
and why is the death and resurrection of Jesus
important?
The death of Jesus is important because
the picture is of Jesus taking the sin, the wrong things
of the world on himself and dying so we may have forgiveness and reconciliation.
He's called in the old testament, is in Isaiah's prophecy the prince of peace, he came
so that we could have peace between
ourselves
and with God through forgiveness.
We could have reconciliation
and so when Jesus died on the cross, he took all the sins of the world,
your sin, my sin
and when we trust him
we can have
forgiveness,
a new life
and then three days we read that Jesus rose again from the dead.
Some people doubt this, can a man
who has died rise from the dead, can dead people rise
and become alive.
There's lots of evidence, many people have looked at the evidence and said there's a
you know if you are in a court of law
I guess people would say yes Jesus
rose from the dead it's true
but I guess the other thing we have to make
in our own minds is something like this, that if Jesus
really rose from the dead,
that is the most stupendous thing in the whole of the cosmos, how ever you want to kind of
describe it.
It's absolutely
amazing
somebody has come to life.
If that's true
then we can't ignore it, we've got to kind of
consider it,
trust it
and follow that kind of philosophy.
So I would reckon
we all have stories
and I would always ask people
the question what's your story.
I think the very best story is the Christian story.
It began
in Genesis
things went wrong,
it ends in revelation of the last book of the Bible
where there's a new heaven, a new Earth, things are restored.
The crucial part of it is Jesus
and that's why
he came into the world.
The birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most significant events in history
celebrated world wide as the foundation of the Christian faith.
This momentous occasion known as the nativity
marks the incarnation of God as man
fulfilling ancient prophecies and ushering in a new era of hope
and redemption for humanity.
According to the gospels of Matthew and Luke
Jesus was born in Bethlehem,
a small town in Judea
during the reign of King Herod The Great
around four to six BCE.
The story begins with Mary, a young virgin from Nazareth
who was betrothed
Joseph, a carpenter.
The gospel of Luke recounts that Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel
who announced that she had been chosen by God
to conceive a child through the holy spirit.
This child Gabriel declared
would be the son of God and would reign over an eternal kingdom.
Joseph initially troubled by Mary's pregnancy
was reassured in a dream by an angel who revealed the divine nature of the child.
Obedient to God's will
Joseph took Mary as his wife and cared for her throughout the journey that lay ahead.
At that time
Caesar Augustus issued a decree
for a Census to be taken across the Roman empire.
As part of this mandate
Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem
the ancestral town of Joseph's lineage
to register for the census.
Upon arriving
they found no room in the inn due to the influx of travelers.
Consequently
Mary gave birth to Jesus
in humble surroundings laying him in a manger
a feeding trough for animals
symbolizing humility and simplicity.
The birth of Jesus was heralded by extraordinary signs.
According to the gospel of Luke, an angel appeared to shepherds in nearby fields
announcing the birth of a savior
the Messiah.
The angel declared
glory to God in the highest
and on Earth, piece to those on whom his favor rests.
The shepherds filed with ore
went to Bethlehem and found the infant Jesus with
Mary and Joseph.
They shared the angel's message
and all who heard it were amazed.
The gospel of Matthew describes another remarkable event,
the visitation of the Magi
or wise men
from the East.
Guided by a bright star
the Magi traveled to Bethlehem to honor the newborn king of the Jews.
They presented gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh symbolizing Jesus's kingship, divinity
and eventual suffering.
The birth of Christ
was not without peril.
King Herod
fearing a threat to his throne
ordered the massacre of male infants in Bethlehem.
Warned in a dream
Joseph fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt
ensuring the child's safety until Herod's death.
The nativity signifies more than a historical event
it embodies the profound truth of God's love for humanity.
Through Jesus's humble beginnings
Christians see the message of hope,
peace and salvation.
The world
is a messy place
and there's all kinds of
problems in the world and that is exactly what happened when Jesus was born, the world
was a messy place.
You've got Mary you've got Joseph
and this is how Matthew talks about it, he says
that his mother Mary, Jesus's mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph
but before they came together, she was found to pregnant
through the holy spirit. That's messy isn't it.
Joseph is planning to get married
to Mary
and as they make plans, as they send out invitations as they make all the bookings and
the arrangements,
shock horror
Mary is pregnant.
What is Joseph going to do. That's a massive mess isn't it.
Well this is what it says here
because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law
and yet didn't want to expose her to public disgrace, didn't want to
make a scene and didn't want to embarrass her
he had in mind to divorce her quietly which is kind of saying to break it off
just quietly
but this is what God had planned.
He sends an angel
to Joseph in a dream
and says this, Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife
because what is conceived in her
is from the holy spirit. She
will give birth to a son and you to give him the name Jesus
because he will save his people
from their sins.
So this is the scene,
Joseph asleep at night
wondering what to do, planning the next day to break it off quietly with Mary.
He has this dream
and an angel says
don't do that
don't break it off
because Mary has not been unfaithful, she's not having an affair, she's not betraying
your trust behind your back,
no get married to Mary
in fact look after her because the baby
inside her
is actually from God.
Now would you believe that
I mean that sounds a bit farfetched doesn't it.
How could this happen, it just doesn't happen does it.
What is Joseph supposed to say, if he says that to his mates
down at the local to taverna
in Nazareth. what are they going to say
come on Joseph pull the other one.
Well Joseph takes
this message
at his words
because there is a big message here
that Jesus
is going to be born
and will save people from their sins.
Sins is a churchy
word isn't it
but sins literally means
our rebelling against our creator.
The God who has loved us and made us given us lots of good things,
the God who
is far better than the God we would
perhaps invent for ourselves
and yet we have given him the finger so to speak, we've rejected him, ignored him,
ignored his will in our lives
and it's shown in the way we hurt others, think
evil of others
and say things we, we later regret.
That is the nature of sin, we hurt other people
and it's a rejection of God and yet Jesus has promised
here
to come and save us from the mess we make, not just the mess
in Joseph and Mary's
world going on at the time,
not in the mess in the, just the mess in the huge wide world but our personal
messes as well, our sins and that is what Jesus means, the name Jesus literally means
the Lord God saves
and it saves
us from our
sins.
So that's what happens
Joseph wakes up
and it says here he did what the angel commands, he takes Mary home as his wife
and
when Jesus is born,
well that's the name
Jesus but there's a second name also
that is
referred to in this story and that is the name
Emmanuel
and Matthew writing this account of Jesus's
birth, says that all this happened predicted seven hundred years before
by the prophet Isaiah,
saying that there is going to be a virgin who will
conceive and give birth to a son
and the name here is Emmanuel. Emmanuel literally means
God with
us.
I dunno if you feel isolated sometimes in life, I think we all do, we all feel like no
one really knows us.
We all kind of feel a bit individualized and kind of cut off.
If only somebody would understand us and want to be with us
and I think sometimes I kind of think, if people really knew the real me
would they really be want to be with me that's why sometimes we put on a mask and
try and impress other people because we want them to be with us
and yet we know if they knew what we were really like
would they want to.
Well God know exactly what we're like
and in the person of Jesus he wants to be
with us.
He wants to be with you
and with me, that's fantastic isn't it, so Christmas
is about Jesus coming into the world to save us from our sins. It's a messy world, it
was a messy situation back then
for Mary and Joseph
and it's messy in our lives today
but Jesus wants to come
to be God
with us. Even though
we've messed up
that is wonderful good news
and that's the good news of the Christian faith.
It's God's way of connecting us back to himself that
God, who's the God of love
wanted
that relationship restored between ourselves
made by him
and him the creator,
the father and so he sent his son
into the world and that is who Jesus is really.
Came in a helpless vulnerable way
not, not in a way that would be all sort of frightening and awesome
and became one of us
which is why it's so important to understand that Jesus is both God,
son of God
and
and human
just
like us
and it says in the Bible he knocks on the door of our hearts
and we can come
and enjoy
a relationship with him and that's what I did.
I realize that Jesus was
was more than just
a great figure of history
and as I said yes to him,
he he
brought me
into a new place,
a new beginning, a new creation really
of life with him.
The baptism of Jesus recorded in all four gospels
Matthew chapter three verses thirteen to
seventeen,
Mark chapter one
verses nine to eleven,
Luke chapter three verses twenty one to twenty two
and John chapter one
verses twenty nine to thirty four
marks the beginning of his public ministry
and is a profound moment of divine affirmation.
This event is rich in theological and symbolic significance
underscoring Jesus's identity as the
son of God
and his role as the savior.
Jesus came to the
Jordan river to be baptized by John the baptist, his forerunner
who was calling people to repentance
in preparation for the coming Messiah.
Initially John hesitated recognizing Jesus's sinlessness and saying
I need to be baptized by you
and do you come to me.
Matthew chapter three verse
Fourteen.
However Jesus insisted explaining that his baptism was necessary to
fulfill all righteousness. Matthew chapter three verse fifteen.
Jesus's baptism
was not for repentance as he was sinless
but it served several purposes.
It identified him with humanities sin and need for redemption foreshadowing his
sacrificial death.
It also symbolized
his submission to the father's will
and inaugurated his mission to bring salvation.
As Jesus came out of the water
extraordinary events occurred.
The heavens opened, the holy spirit descended on him in the form of a dove
and a voice from heaven proclaimed
this is my beloved son
in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew three seventeen.
This divine affirmation revealed Jesus's unique relationship with the father and his
divine authority.
The baptism of Jesus is a powerful moment that highlights the unity of the Trinity.
The father's voice,
the son's obedience
and the spirit's presence.
It calls believers to reflect on their own baptism,
a sign of repentance,
faith in union with Christ and to follow his example
of humble submission to God's will.
So when we look at the story of Jesus, it begins with the virgin birth Jesus is born as a
baby, we celebrate that
at Christmas and sing the
traditional carols and
have a wonderful time
celebrating the birth birth of Jesus.
Between the birth of Jesus and then his ministry
which he began
I guess when he's about thirty, there's
not a lot of detail.
There's a story of
him being in the
in the temple in Jerusalem when they went over to celebrate
the passover
and
it talks about Jesus being
growing in favour with God and with
humankind,
so obviously he was a good kid I guess,
but there's not a lot of detail about it
and then he begins his ministry and he begins his ministry by being baptized.
He was baptized by John the baptist who is known as the forerunner of Jesus.
What does that mean? It's somebody who prepared the way.
What was happening, John the baptist who was a relative of
Jesus,
he was preaching on the banks of the Jordan, there was great revival
in the land because there was a
kind of sniff,
is the Messiah coming, is there some new king coming.
We been,
the Romans were in charge and so
there's a whole
feeling that something new is happening, the Messiah is coming
and so John the baptist who was preaching and
baptizing people in the river Jordan and
I think people probably thought he was the Messiah at the time
but he wasn't he made it very clear that he
was not the Messiah he was preparing the way.
He made preparation
for
the ministry of Jesus.
I guess if you can imagine that
there is a
revival on the banks of Jordan
by John the baptist
and
perhaps he could've took star place but he didn't
he prepared the way for Jesus. It does say that
there's one coming
that was Jesus.
He shall increase and John said I shall
decrease that was the humility
of John the baptist
and then we have this great baptism of Jesus.
John saying
I'm not worthy to baptize you but Jesus says
you are worthy.
You baptize me
and we read the picture of
a kind of a dove descending upon Jesus and a
a voice from heaven saying.
This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased
and so what the baptists,
baptism of Jesus saying is this,
one he is identifying with us.
He is baptized
he is one of us
but also he is
God's
Messiah
God's son.
Here is my beloved son
in who I am well pleased
therefore
take notice of him
and that baptism spurs Jesus on.
It's a
kind of exciting time.
Ministry he's going to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Mark
chapter one verses twelve to thirteen
and Luke chapter four verses one to thirteen
is a significant event that reveals his sinlessness,
his reliance on God's word
and his victory over Satan's schemes.
This episode occurs immediately after Jesus's
baptism and marks the beginning of his public ministry.
It demonstrates Jesus's
faithfulness to God
and serves as a model for believers facing spiritual challenges.
After his baptism
Jesus was led by the holy spirit into the wilderness
where he fasted for forty days or nights.
This period of fasting echoes significant biblical events such as Moses time on
Mount Sinai and Israel's forty years in the desert.
During this time Jesus
was physically weak from hunger
making him vulnerable to temptation.
Satan seeking to exploit this vulnerability
approached Jesus with three specific temptations
each targeting a different aspect of human desire and ambition.
The three temptations,
turning stones
into bread.
Satan's first temptation was aimed at Jesus's physical need for food.
He said if you are the son of God command these stones to become bread.
Matthew chapter four verse three.
Jesus though hungry refused to misuse his divine power for personal gain
instead he quoted scripture saying
man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew chapter four verse four
Deuteronomy chapter eight verse three.
This response
affirmed that obedience to God and reliance on his word
are more important than satisfying physical needs.
In the second temptation
Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple
and urged him to throw himself down,
quoting psalm ninety one verses
eleven to twelve,
to suggest that God's angels would protect him.
This temptation
challenged Jesus to prove his divine identity through a dramatic display.
Jesus however
refused to test God responding,
you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
Matthew four
verse seven,
Deuteronomy six verse sixteen.
His reply underscored the importance of trusting God without demanding signs.
The final temptation involved
power
and authority.
Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promised to give them to him
if Jesus would bow down and worship him.
This was an attempt to entice Jesus
to achieve his mission
through compromise
avoiding the path of suffering
and the cross.
Jesus rebuked Satan saying,
you shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.
Matthew four verse ten Deuteronomy six verse thirteen.
After Jesus resisted all three temptations
Satan departed
and angels
came to minister to him.
This moment affirmed Jesus's victory over sin
and his unwavering commitment to God's will.
The temptation in the wilderness demonstrates
Jesus's identity as the sinless son of God
and serves as a profound example
of how to resist temptation.
Through prayer, reliance on scripture and faithfulness to God
Jesus overcame the devil
providing believers with a model to follow in their own spiritual battles.
This event
foreshadows his ultimate victory over sin and death through the cross and
resurrection.
One of the things about
Jesus, he'd been sent to proclaim
the kingdom of God,
a new kingdom.
God's values in the world I guess
and
part of the story that the Bible
speaks about is that it's a kind of warfare between God and the devil.
So if you can imagine, here is the Messiah about to begin his
ministry
who wants to stop him,
the devil himself.
We read in the gospels of Jesus being driven into the wilderness
where he was tempted by the devil,
the devil wanted to bring him down to stop him
in his,
in his tracks and stop in his ministry.
And so for forty days he was tempted,
he was hungry.
The devil tried to say to him
make these stones you see there into bread and feed yourself.
It was the temptation to kind of
use his miraculous powers for self satisfaction.
That wasn't God's way.
Jesus did quote the Bible and say man shall not live by bread alone but by everywhere that
proceeds
from the mouth of God.
The devil took Jesus to a high place and said all this can be yours if you
worship me
and just bare allegiance to me
and
Jesus said,
you just worship one God
you shall worship the Lord your God.
So there was Jesus
being tempted
seeing if he can be prevented but then right at the end of the story,
we read that
yeah he was hungry, yes angels ministered to him
but
he hadn't given in
to the temptation.
So he then could continue
his ministry. He defeated the devil and the temptation
and therefore was still without sin.
The wedding at Cana in Galilee is a significant event in the ministry of Jesus
marking his first public miracle.
Recorded in John chapter two
verses one to eleven,
this moment
reveals Jesus's divine power
and serves
as a foreshadowing of his redemptive work.
It also highlights his compassion and willingness to meet human needs in the context
of daily life.
The event took place at a wedding
a celebration deeply rooted in Jewish culture and tradition.
Weddings were joyous occasions
often lasting several days
where the host's ability to provide for guests
was seen as a matter of honor.
Jesus
along with his mother Mary and his disciples was invited to the gathering.
During the celebration
a problem arose,
the wine ran out.
This would have been a source of great embarrassment to the host
reflecting poorly on their hospitality.
Mary, aware of the situation turned to Jesus for help saying,
they have no more wine.
John chapter two verse three.
Her request reflects her trust in Jesus's ability to address the issue,
even though he had not yet performed any public miracles.
Jesus initially responded woman
why do you involve me
my hour has not yet come,
John two four.
This statement suggests that his ultimate
purpose was not to perform miracles for display
but to fulfill God's redemptive plan.
However
he honored Mary's request
and instructed the servants to fill six large stone jars with water.
These jars used for ceremonial washing
held a significant amount of water.
When the servants drew some out and presented it to the master of the banquet,
the water had been transformed into wine.
The master,
unaware of the miracle
remarked
that the wine was of exceptional quality
better than what had been served earlier.
This miracle revealed Jesus's divine authority over creation
and his ability to bring abundance out of lack.
It also symbolized the transformative power of his ministry
foreshadowing the new covenant he would establish through his death and resurrection.
The use of ceremonial jars
emphasizes the transition from the old ways of purification
to the new life found in Christ.
John concludes by noting that this was the first of Jesus's signs
revealing his glory and prompting his disciples to believe in him.
John two eleven.
The wedding at Cana illustrates Jesus's care for human needs and his power
to transform both circumstances and lives
inviting faith and trust in his divine mission.
When John's gospel John's telling of
Jesus's life, the first miracle that happens is that Jesus
turns water into wine,
this was a wedding
in Cana. We do refer to it certainly in our church, in the wedding service, the marriage
service.
John is the only
gospel writer who records it and John being
very very close to Jesus
I guess he felt it was important to record it and he,
actually he, John only records about seven or so, what he calls signs. He doesn't call
them miracles he calls them signs, because signs
point to something don't they.
I don't know if you take a sign to get
to drive around the country or to find your way around the airport or where ever it might
be, you follow the signs don't you because the take you to a destination. Well the signs
in John's gospel, the miracles are like signposts
pointing to who Jesus is and why he came.
This is the way it's recorded,
Jesus's
disciples they are invited to a wedding in Galilee, that's in the North of the
part of the world of Israel at the time
and the wine
runs out,
which was
a very embarrassing thing back then because culturally if you providing a wedding you
would make sure there was plenty of wine
for all your guests and the groom whose
job it was, well this is a big embarrassment for them
and Jesus's
mother says, they've got no more wine
and Jesus says well look,
my time has not yet come, my hour is not yet come. You see Jesus is going to use this miracle
turning water into wine
to show something of his glory, his power
but also what he has come to do
which is to
die on the cross, to give us forgiveness, to give us access
to God. He says, my time has not yet come
and his mother says,
look
servants do whatever Jesus says and there's these stone water jars, they're used for ceremonial
washing, they've got special religious significance.
They can hold a lot of water eighty to one hundred and twenty
liters, that's like a a wheelie bins worth
of
Water.
That's quite a big jar isn't it.
Jesus says, fill them with water, so they fill them to the brim and then he says draw the
water
take it out, take it to the master of the banquet and this is what they do
and the master of the banquet tasted the water
and he didn't realize where it come from,
though the servants knew and he calls the bride groom to him and says this
everyone brings out the best wine first
and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink.
Well that makes sense doesn't it.
After you've had lots of this really nice wine
let's get the cheap stuff out because
you're not going to notice to much, after you've had a few.
But then he says this,
you saved the best wine
till now.
See what Jesus has done here,
Jesus has rescued this
wedding, he's rescued the groom's blushes
and he's provided not just some wine
but provided even
better wine. I think this is pointing to the fact that Jesus can provide something far better
than you and I can provide. He provides the best wine but also you got to remember
that in the Bible, the whole idea of a wedding
is a picture of God's love for his people, so the Bible begins
effectively with a wedding
described as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so
effectively it's a wedding, Genesis two.
It describes this,
the joining together of Adam and Eve,
as the prototype sort of marriage relationship,
that
all marriages afterwards copy
but Bible doesn't just begin with a wedding,
it ends with a wedding.
So in revelation the last book of the Bible which John also wrote,
he describes
Heaven coming out,
Heaven coming down to Earth
and describes it as God being with his people like a wedding
and Jesus is the real groom
and Jesus's people are the bride and it's God and his people being united together forever
in perfect love, in fact that's what all human weddings in the Christian faith point to.
All human weddings are
a man and woman coming together
appointed to that
ultimate relation between God and people,
God pursuing his people who don't really want him but he's still loving them,
still forgiving them, wanting to be with them
and here Jesus, as he turns water to wine he shows that actually he is the true groom,
he's the true provider of the wine
the wine that is better.
The best
till last being saved.
He uses the ceremonial, he's pointing to
some sort of cleansing in this wine, which
is pointing to his cleansing death on the cross
and it is revealing his glory. This is what John writes,
Jesus what he did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of his signs pointing to his
glory
and he reveals his glory to his disciples and they believed
in
Him. That's the thing about signs,
we're not just meant to look at what Jesus does and say
oh isn't he amazing,
he could do these nice tricks.
No we're supposed to put our faith, our trust in him
and trust in him that he wants to be with us
and to save us and to restore us to be with him
forever. This is what this sign is about
and that's what Jesus did,
when he turned the water
into wine.
Jesus's encounter with the Samaritan woman
at the well,
recorded in
John chapter four verses one to forty two
is a powerful story of grace,
inclusivity
and transformation.
This meeting occurred as Jesus traveled from Judea to Galilee
passing through Samaria,
a region Jews typically avoided
due to deep seated animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
At Jacob's well in the town of Sika,
Jesus weary from his journey rested while his disciples went to buy food.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water and
Jesus initiated
a conversation by asking her for a drink.
The woman was surprised saying
you are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.
How can you ask me for
a drink?
This moment broke cultural and social norms
as Jews did not associate with Samaritans
and men typically did not publicly address women.
Jesus responded
if you knew the gift of God
and who it is that asks you for a drink
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.
Intrigued but confused
the woman questioned how Jesus could offer such water.
He explained that the water he gives leads to eternal life
unlike physical water that temporarily satisfies.
As their conversation deepened
Jesus revealed his knowledge of her life
including her multiple relationships
demonstrating his divine insight.
This revelation led her to recognize him as a prophet
and sparked a discussion about worship.
Jesus declared that true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth
transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.
When the woman expressed hope in the coming Messiah
Jesus revealed
I who speak to you am he.
Overwhelmed
she left her water jar
and shared her experience with the townspeople
who came to see Jesus and believed in him.
This encounter underscores Jesus's mission to offer salvation to all
regardless of social or cultural barriers
inviting everyone to receive the living water of eternal life.
So here in John chapter four,
this is where Jesus
is
Walking through
Samaria.
Now
the Jews didn't walk through Samaria,
they would have
left
Judea,
Samaria sits above Judea
and instead of walking a
straight path, they would have gone across the river Jordan
up around the area of Samaria in order to reach
Galillee
but here's Jesus
in Samaria.
He's took his disciples
via that route.
There's
a moment of destiny awaiting,
which Jesus needs to
keep that appointment as it were
and in this instance it's with a
a woman.
We know her as the
the woman at the well
and Jesus
arrives at the well, he sits down
and she comes out
with her jar
in order to collect some water
but it's the wrong time of day
the heat is out.
The other women from the village
would have got their water much earlier
but she's not like the other women
in the village.
She's something of an outcast.
She's had a number of husbands
and the person that she's living with at the moment isn't her husband
and Jesus
reveals this to her
in the course of asking for a drink
and she's wondering well who are you
and as he begins to reveal who he is to her
she talks in terms of well we are waiting for the Messiah
and he' saying
but if you knew
who I am
that's in front of you
you would be asking me for living water.
See there comes a decision
time in each one of our lives
when we are confronted with something which we can't necessarily understand
but we have to make a decision about.
It's probably in signing
you know
paper documents
for a will
or
Whether I get double glazing in my house or whatever it is, a car contract
and you're looking at this and you're trying to make sense of it and
there comes a time when you just need to sign on the bottom, on the dotted line if you
want this thing to happen
and you try your best to understand it
but we're not all of great legal minds and
often these things come to us in legal speak.
Yet here is this man speaking plainly
into something which she has some insight into.
She's awaiting for the Messiah
the people are waiting for the Messiah
and yet here he is
standing in front of her,
revealing himself to her
as the Messiah
and that
the time will come
when
those who follow after
will worship in spirit and in truth.
Not just in the temple in Jerusalem
but can you see how this is
then transported out across the world.
Not necessarily to be in a temple or a church
but in a place
where we can make a connection with God.
Whether that's washing the dishes, washing the car
bathing the kids, taking them to school
or in the care home or wherever it is in life
we have that
available to us.
Prayer
talking
to God
worshiping him
in spirit and in truth.
Of course
this is
revelation to her
and she
needs to tell someone so
she tells
the community around her.
Those whom she's been outcast from
and they come to see
who this man is, this
this person that's revealed these things to her
and what do they say,
we don't believe on account of you
woman
but we believe on account of what we have seen
and heard for ourselves.
Did she remain an outcast, we're not told.
Was she someone who is embraced back into the community
as being the first person
to
To see this Jesus, this this this Messiah,
to have himself reveal in this way,
we're not told.
I would like to think that that's the case
but human nature is such
that perhaps she still remained
outside
of that community
but the significance is
what change took place within her.
One of the first people
to see and to understand
Jesus
as the Messiah.
One of the most pivotal moments in the new testament occurs
when Jesus publicly announces his identity as the Messiah.
This event is recorded
in the gospel of Luke chapter four verses sixteen to twenty one
and offers profound theological and historical significance.
In this moment Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue of
Nazareth, his home town
and declares that the prophecy has been fulfilled in him.
Jesus had recently begun his ministry
performing miracles
and teaching in synagogues throughout Galilee.
His reputation as a teacher
and healer was spreading
and when he returned to Nazareth
the people were eager to hear him.
As was customary for Jewish men
Jesus attended the synagogue on the sabbath.
Synagogues were centers of worship and study were scripture was read and discussed.
Luke describes Jesus standing to read from the scroll of Isaiah
which was handed to him.
The choice of passage was not random
Jesus intentionally unrolled the scroll to a specific prophecy
Isaiah chapter sixty one verses one
to two.
The congregation likely anticipated a familiar
and traditional interpretation of the text
but
what they received was a revelation that would challenge their expectations.
The passage Jesus read proclaimed
the spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the
captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Luke
eighteenth and nineteen.
This text outlines the mission of the Messiah
to bring liberation, healing and restoration to a broken world.
It reflects the heart of God's redemptive plan emphasizing justice, mercy and hope.
By selecting this passage Jesus highlighted his purpose
and the transformative nature of his ministry.
After reading Jesus rolled up the scroll
handed it back to the attendant
and sat down.
A typical posture for teaching in Jewish tradition.
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him
anticipating his interpretation.
Jesus then made a startling declaration,
today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
Luke four twenty one.
This statement
was revolutionary.
By declaring that the prophecy was fulfilled
Jesus claimed to be the anointed one,
the Messiah foretold by Isaiah.
His words were both
a declaration of his identity
and an invitation to recognize the kingdom of God breaking into history through him.
Initially the crowd marveled at his gracious words
however
their amazement soon turned to outrage.
They questioned how a carpenter's son
someone they had known since childhood
could make such a claim.
Their skepticism revealed
their inability to reconcile Jesus's humble origins with the grandeur of his
messianic mission.
This event encapsulates the paradox of Jesus's ministry.
He came to fulfill divine promises,
yet his message and identity challenge societal expectations.
His proclamation in the synagogue not only affirmed his role as the Messiah
but also set the tone for a ministry
would confront both religious and social norms.
Jesus's reading of Isaiah and his declaration serve as a powerful reminder of his
mission to bring hope,
healing and salvation to all people.
This moment stands as a cornerstone of Christian faith
pointing to the fulfillment of prophecy and the inauguration of God's kingdom on
Earth.
You have an amazing moment in Jesus's home town
where he's invited
in the synagogues that he
is accustomed to go to week-by-week, he'd gone to the synagogue
worshipped, read the scriptures.
He comes to
the synagogue in his hometown
and reads out
from the scroll,
the passage in Isaiah that describes
in prophetic terms
who the Messiah to come might be, what the Messiah might look like,
what the Messiah's mission might be like and it's all described in terms of healing
miracles and
a wonderful
release from
from sin and poverty
and
Jesus reads this out
and then says,
today
these words have been fulfilled
and what he means is, he's fulfilled them,
he is
there as the fulfillment
of these
he is the Messiah
and
it causes a huge stir, well
I don't know what you think but
you know it says, that Jesus actually says that a profit is not honored in his
hometown.
You know when people
saw you grow up,
when they've
changed your diapers, your nappies as it were.
When they've seen you
playing football
and then you turn round and
and say and I am
the Messiah.
It gets a reaction
and not one
where people say oh yes you know that you are the Messiah.
Familiarity
breeds contempt so
I do
I do find it quite interesting
that God sets Jesus up
to go to his home town
and face
the music
and declare himself
and get the reaction
that he got. I mean they were going to kill him
but because it wasn't his time,
he walks through
and
nobody, nobody touches him
as they are about to throw him off the cliff
on the outskirts of Nazareth.
God intervenes in some way
that we really don't understand but he walks through
that
that crowd that
was so upset
that
their,
their Jesus
from Nazareth
was saying such
preposterous things as
I am
the fulfillment of old testament prophecies
that I've just read out
in this amazing scroll.
When Jesus first goes about his public preaching ministry, different
gospel writers record it in different ways
they're focusing on different things. In Mark chapter one
Mark records Jesus bursting on the scene
and saying the kingdom of God is
near
repent and believe the good news and that was a summary message
turn to God's King the kingdom of God is near
because Jesus is on the scene he is the king of
of God's kingdom
but in Luke chapter four, Jesus stands up in Nazareth in a synagogue
and unrolls a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. I guess maybe you could say that was their
old testament Bible reading
of the day
and he quotes from Isaiah sixty one saying the spirit of the Lord is on me because
he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor
he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free
to reclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and then Jesus rolls up the scroll, gives it back to the attendant, sits down
and everyone's looking at him and he says this,
today this scripture is fulfilled
in your hearing.
Jesus is saying there that this is about me.
I am the one that the spirit of the Lord is upon. He's anointed me to proclaim
good news to the poor and in fact that actually correlates
with what we've said from Mark chapter one, repent and believe the good
news. Jesus is saying he's good news
and we are saying good news, he's not just saying
oh good news yeah, there's
a special deal on at McDonald's or something like that so
no this is
good news as in war is over,
peace will last.
It's the good news of having a diagnosis that
cancer is gone and it'll never come back, it is that good
good news, it is the news that
forgiveness is possible that
life beyond death
is available.
Jesus is that kind of good news. Jesus says it like this
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.
Now he's not just talking about setting bad people free,
terrorists, murderers, those kind of people no
he's referring to what was referred to in Isaiah's time. He's quoting Isaiah
and in Isaiah's time, Isaiah was talking about a time when God's people would be conquered
by
A big bad land
Babylon would take them away and imprison them,
imprisoning God's people
and that is the kind of release that Jesus is talking about
quoting from Isaiah, it's spiritual release. They'd taken God's people away from God
into a different place
and they couldn't be set free to worship God and Isaiah
there is talking about that kind of freedom
and Jesus is saying I've come to bring that freedom,
to set people free from slavery, a slavery
that stops people from loving God as they ought to.
A slavery that means that you actually
keep doing the things and being stuck in a habit of
a cycle of bad or addictive behaviors that are negative in some way.
I've come to set you free from sin in other words, that kind of prison.
It's a recovery of sight for the blind. We try and woe for this life
kind of thinking what should I do, how should I live, what is true,
is there a way through, can I make sense of it all.
That is blindness and yet Jesus says
he's going to give sight
to the blind, he's going to set the oppressed
free to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. God looks at us
and says I love you, I know what you've done.
I know you've ignored me and yet I'm going to show you
my favour and that is proclaimed through Jesus coming into the world, to die on the cross,
so that we are forgiven
and will focus on that
I'm sure another time.
So Jesus says this is about him, this is what he has come to do
and the response is a positive one.
It says here,
all spoke well of him and were
amazed
at the gracious words that came from his lips. Jesus's
words are gracious
and yeah they are also surprised, isn't this Joseph's son they asked
and Jesus says look,
you might think you know me but you don't.
He refers to the fact that in the old testament, prophets like Elijah
and Elisha
were not accepted in their home town
and that actually, it was the people who didn't know
them that the best such as Naaman a Syrian, not a, not a Jewish person,
they were,
they were the people who received
God's profits of old and so it is today.
The people were furious of him, they tried to throw him off a cliff but Jesus
manages to evade them because
the time for his death wasn't then.
The point is this,
we think we can
sometimes you
can you think you know someone really really well
and you might think you know Jesus really well but
the thing is we shouldn't,
we should be careful not to assume
we know Jesus a swell as we think we do.
Perhaps you've experienced
that with a friend
or even a family member, you think you know them,
I grew up with them,
I know what they're like
I know all kinds of things
but actually maybe we don't know them as well as we think we do and sometimes we
expect people to fit our kind of mold, our expectations
what they'll say, what they'll do
and we can make that mistake with Jesus.
Well rather than having the Jesus in our heads, as the Jesus who we want to believe in
and who we want to exist,
we need to be careful that we're actually letting Jesus be the real Jesus
and paying attention to him,
listen to him
because Jesus does surprise people. He surprised me many many times
and we need to let him surprise us.
He's come
to bring good news
and the question is
will be willing to really really listened to what he has to say about that
because many people have found
it is indeed the best news ever,
that Jesus has come
to set us free.
The feeding of the five thousand is one of the most well known miracles of Jesus
recorded in all four gospels
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke
and John.
It is a profound demonstration of Jesus's compassion, divine power
and ability to meet both physical and spiritual needs.
This miracle is significant not only for its
scale
but also for its symbolic meaning
pointing to Jesus as the bread of life.
The miracle took place during a time when Jesus's
ministry was drawing large crowds.
His teaching and healing
had garnered widespread attention
and people followed him wherever he went.
According to the gospel accounts
Jesus had withdrawn with his disciples to a remote area likely seeking rest after
an intense period of ministry.
However when he saw the crowd that had followed him
he was moved with compassion.
Jesus began teaching and healing the people
addressing their spiritual needs.
As the day wore on the disciples became concerned about the practical issue
of feeding the large crowd.
They suggested sending the people away to nearby villages to buy food.
Instead of sending the crowd away Jesus challenged the disciples.
You give them something to eat,
Luke nine
thirteen.
The disciples were bewildered
noting the impossibility of feeding such a vast crowd with their limited resources.
They had only five loaves of bread and two fish, a small boys offering according to
John's account.
Jesus took the loaves
and fish gave thanks
and began breaking them.
As he distributed the food through the disciples
it miraculously multiplied.
Everyone ate until they were satisfied
and afterward the disciples collected twelve baskets of leftovers
emphasizing the abundance of the provision.
This miracle
is rich in meaning.
Firstly
it showcases Jesus's divine power
demonstrating that he is Lord over creation
and able to provide abundantly
for humans needs.
The transformation of such meager resources into a feast for thousands
highlights his ability to bring life and blessing from seemingly insufficient means.
Secondly
the event underscores Jesus's compassion.
Despite his own need for rest he prioritized the needs of the crowd ministering to
both their spiritual hunger through teaching
and their physical hunger
by providing food.
This act
reveals the heart of God as a provider who cares deeply for his people.
Thirdly
the miracle carries profound symbolic significance.
The bread broken and shared among the crowd
foreshadows Jesus's own body
which would be broken for the salvation of humanity.
In John's gospel
the feeding of the five thousand is followed by Jesus's declaration,
I am the bread of life
John six thirty five
emphasizing
that he is the ultimate sustainer
of both physical
and spiritual life.
The feeding of the five thousand
reminds believers of God's power to meet needs no matter how overwhelming the
circumstances may seem.
It also calls followers of Christ to trust him with their resources however small
knowing he can use them to accomplish great things.
Finally
it invites reflection on Jesus
as the bread of life
the one who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human sole.
of course there's lots of miracles in the
Bible. One of the most significant miracles,
miracles is the one that's in
every gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, it's the feeding
of the five thousand
so it must be significant I guess.
You may know the story.
Jesus
was
speaking to the crowds, with his teaching, the crowds were following him
and
it got late in the day and they were hungry, so he had compassion upon them and
said to the disciples
have you got any food and they said no we haven't, but there was a young lad there with
five barley loafs and a couple of fishes
and if we know the story, he blessed them
and then he fed,
he fed the five thousand.
It was
five thousand
men, so there must have been women and children to, so it's more than five thousand
and what does it teach us?
Well it teaches us,
one thing would be that
just five loaves and two fishes, what is small
can be used by God
in a great way to feed
folk.
So what little we have, we may think we have little
but if we give it to God, he blesses it
and he uses it.
I guess the other thing is that when Jesus said
just around that time I'm the bread of life
he was really saying
he is the one who feeds us
we feed off Jesus
and so what it teaches us, is that if Jesus is the bread of life, here's the one who
he gives satisfaction,
he gives us fullness, he feeds us
and so if we want the very best life, we we trust in Jesus that's what
part of the teaching
of the feeding of the five thousand. He is the perfect
satisfaction in a world where people look for satisfaction all sorts of ways.
True satisfaction
is found in Jesus Christ.
The story of Jesus walking on water is one of the most remarkable miracles recorded
in the gospels, appearing in Matthew chapter fourteen verses twenty two to thirty three,
Mark chapter six verses forty five to fifty two
and John chapter six verses sixteen to twenty one.
It demonstrates Jesus's
divine authority over nature,
his care for his disciples in times of trouble
and his invitation to trust him fully
even in the midst of life's storms.
This event occurred shortly after the feeding of the five thousand.
Jesus had sent his disciples ahead in a boat to cross the sea of Galilee
while he stayed behind to prey on a mountainside.
The disciples found themselves
struggling against strong winds and waves in the middle of the night.
It was during the fourth watch of the night
approximately three to six AM
that Jesus came to them
walking on the water.
As Jesus approached
the disciples
were terrified
mistaking him for a ghost.
Their fear highlights the overwhelming nature of the storm
and their inability to comprehend the miracle unfolding before them.
Jesus immediately reassured them saying take courage it is I
don't be afraid, Matthew fourteen twenty seven.
In Matthew's account Peter responded boldly
asking Jesus to command him to come to him on the water.
Jesus invited Peter to step out of the boat.
Initially Peter walked on the water toward Jesus
but when he noticed the wind and waves he became afraid
and began to sink
crying out Lord save me.
Peter was immediately rescued by Jesus
who extended his hand and lifted him up saying,
you of little faith why did you doubt?
When Jesus and Peter returned to the boat
the wind ceased and the disciples worshipped
him declaring truly you are the son of God,
Matthew fourteen thirty three.
The miracle of Jesus walking on water demonstrates his authority
as the son of God.
By defying the laws of nature
he showed that he is Lord over creation
echoing God's control over the waters in the old testament,
like in psalm seventy seven
verse nineteen.
The calming of the storm upon his arrival further emphasized his power
and care for his disciples.
Peter's experience highlights the importance of faith and focus.
While Peter was able to walk on water by keeping his eyes on Jesus,
his fear and doubt caused him to sink.
This serves as a powerful lesson for believers
trust in Jesus enables us to overcome life's storms
but losing sight of him leads to fear and uncertainty.
This story encourages Christians to trust Jesus in challenging circumstances.
Just as he came to his disciples in their time of need, he is present with his
followers during life's struggles
offering reassurance and strength.
The episode also underscores the importance of worship
and recognition of Jesus's divine identity.
The story of Jesus walking on water is a vivid reminder
that faith in him allows believers to rise above fear
and experience his peace
even in the most tumultuous situations.
Another miracle that has really
impacted me, the story, is when Peter walks
on water, well when
Jesus walks on water and then
and then Peter
also walks
and it's just after the feeding of the five thousand.
Jesus
wants, I think, to get away, to have a bit of time just talking to his father
and
so he tells the disciples to get in the boat and
go across to the other side
and then
they
do that and then suddenly a storm breaks out
and they're
finding it quite difficult
and then they see
they see someone walking
towards them
and they're really scared.
They think it's a ghost
they don't realize it's Jesus at first
and he's walking on the water
and
then they realise, then they, when they know it he says
don't be afraid it's me you know
and when they realize it's him,
Peter
is always the
sort of
out there ready to go kind of person,
says Lord if it's you
just call me and
let me come, come out
and walk on the water as well, let me come to you
and so Jesus says come
come on
and
he gets out of the boat, that's the amazing thing.
You know
I'm someone who doesn't actually swim, so this will be really
something you know,
that Jesus
says come
and Peter actually
gets out
of the boat.
The other disciples I don't know maybe were in shock
and starts to walk to Jesus
and
I just
wonder how he felt at that moment actually
he was actually doing the same thing as Jesus and I think he was looking
at Jesus as he walked out and then suddenly he became aware
of the wind and
the waves
and
thought oh my goodness what am I doing
and
then it was at that point,
because of fear came in again,
it was at that point that,
that he
he's
he says Lord help me because he starts to drown, he starts to fall in the water
and Jesus says, just
puts out his hand.
There's some wonderful paintings of that, Jesus putting out his hand
and Peter grabs it and he
and then they they both
get
into the boat
and I don't know how Peter
felt because I was always think well it was amazing that he,
he walked on water
and so
even if he might have been feeling like quite
weak at that point that he'd
shown his fear
and fear
is a big thing
that I've had to struggle with in my life so this story
has really spoken to me.
But he did
actually walk on water
with Jesus
and I think sometimes
that's a good,
a good thing to remember when we're afraid
that if we do something when we are afraid,
there is a great deal of success
just in the doing
even if
the fear
we've had to,
maybe is still there a bit inside and that we still struggle
in that area
so
That's why I kind of like
that miracle
because it gives me hope
that Jesus can help me in scary situations.
The raising of Lazarus recorded in John chapter eleven verses
one to forty four
is one of the most profound miracles performed by Jesus.
It reveals his divine authority over life and death,
his compassion for humanity and his role
as the son of God who brings eternal life.
This event which occurred shortly before Jesus's crucifixion
serves as both a sign of his power
and a foreshadowing
of his own resurrection.
Lazarus along with his sisters Mary and Martha
were close friends of Jesus
and lived in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem.
When Lazarus fell gravely ill Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus saying, Lord
the one you love is sick.
Jesus's response was unusual.
Instead of immediately going to heal Lazarus
he stayed where he was for two more days.
He explained to his disciples that Lazarus's illness would ultimately glorify God
and serve as a means for others to believe in him.
By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany
Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days.
Jewish tradition held that the sole lingered near the body for three days,
so the fourth day
signified that death was final
and irreversible.
When Jesus arrived
he was met by Martha
who expressed both her grief and her faith.
If you had been here
my brother would not have died
but I know that even now
God will give you whatever you ask.
Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise again declaring I am the resurrection and
the life, the one who believes in me will live even though they die, John eleven twenty
five to twenty six.
Mary also came to Jesus weeping.
Moved by the sorrow of the sisters and the mourners
Jesus himself wept,
a poignant demonstration
of his humanity and compassion.
This moment shows that Jesus deeply shares in human suffering
even as he holds divine power.
Standing before Lazarus's tomb
Jesus commanded the stone to be removed
despite Martha's objection that there would be a strong odor.
After praying to God
Jesus called out in a loud voice
Lazarus
come out.
To the amazement of the crowd
Lazarus emerged still wrapped in his burial cloths.
Jesus then instructed them to free him.
The raising of Lazarus was a powerful demonstration of Jesus's authority over death
affirming his divine identity.
It also prefigured his own resurrection
showing that he is the source of eternal life.
This miracle led many to believe in Jesus
but it also intensified opposition from religious leaders
ultimately leading to his crucifixion.
The raising of Lazarus is a vivid reminder
of Jesus's promise to bring life and hope
even in the face of death and despair.
It underscores his mission as the savior who conquers death
and offers eternal life to all who believe in him.
Jesus was a very popular figure when he was around, people followed him, crowds
followed him.
Why did they follow him,
well many people followed him because of his miracles, his
healings,
compassion he had on people.
One particular miracle
which
we could think about is the raising of Lazarus.
The story is that here is Martha and Mary and Lazarus
were a family group
who were very friendly
with Jesus, they were his friends
and
Jesus was heading towards their home, just
kind of visiting I guess
and as he was
journeying, he heard this sad news that Lazarus,
the brother
had died
and so Martha and Mary wanted Jesus to just
simply come to them I guess to offer some help
in their bereavement.
Jesus tired a little bit, he didn't go quickly but eventually he went
and he went to the tomb and there was Lazarus in the tomb
and
he just said Lazarus come out
and Lazarus came out with his grave clothes
and he was alive.
It was fantastic.
Martha, Mary Lazarus were reunited.
Jesus had raised somebody
from the dead.
I guess the question is
what is Jesus doing
and
every miracle, every
story
has a kind of meaning.
Just as he was journeying
towards the house when
Lazarus was still in the grave
he
Said to people, I am the resurrection
and the life and do you believe this?
And so what he was doing, was just not simply raising Lazarus from the dead important as
that was
but he was teaching this great truth.
He was
the resurrection
and the life.
That actually if you trust him
you can be raised from the dead
you can have new life
you can have eternal life
in,
in the last days.
So he was teaching this great truth
Jesus is the one
who can conquer death.
He is the resurrection
and he is the life.
The arrest and trial of Jesus are among the most profound moments
in the Christian narrative
marking the path toward his crucifixion and ultimate sacrifice for humanity.
These events
recorded in all four gospels
reveal the depths of human betrayal,
the corruption of earthly justice
and the steadfastness of Jesus in fulfilling his divine mission.
After celebrating the last supper with his disciples
Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane
on the Mount of Olives.
Here
he prayed fervently
expressing the anguish of what lay ahead.
He asked the father my father if it is possible
may this cup be taken from me
yet not as I will but as you will,
Matthew twenty six thirty nine.
This moment underscores his humanity and his submission to God's plan of redemption.
While Jesus prayed
his disciples
whom he had asked to stay awake and keep watch
fell asleep.
Their inability to support him during this critical time
highlights his isolation
and the human tendency toward weakness.
Suddenly Judas Iscariot one of Jesus's
twelve disciples
arrived with a mob armed with swords and clubs
sent by the chief priests and elders.
Judas identified Jesus with a kiss,
the prearranged signal for the authorities.
Jesus fully aware of what was happening
confronted the crowd saying
am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me.
Matthew twenty six fifty five.
Despite the betrayal and hostility,
Jesus displayed composure and acceptance of his fate.
One of Jesus's
disciples
identified as Peter in John's gospel
attempted to defend him by striking the high priest's servant
cutting off his ear.
Jesus rebuked Peter saying, put your sword back in its place,
for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
Matthew twenty six fifty two.
He healed the servant's ear
further demonstrating his compassion even in the face of violence.
Jesus was arrested and led away
while his disciples fled in fear
fulfilling the prophecy
that the shepherd
would be struck
and the sheeps scattered.
Zechariah thirteen seven.
Jesus was taken to the high priest Caiaphas
and the Sanhedrin,
the Jewish ruling council.
The trial was conducted hastily and in secret
violating Jewish legal procedures.
The religious leaders sought to condemn Jesus to death
but struggled to find consistent testimony against him.
Finally Caiaphas directly asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, the son of God.
Jesus responded you have said so
but I say to all of you
from now on
you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one and coming on
the clouds of heaven.
Matthew twenty six sixty four.
His declaration of divinity led the council to accuse him of blasphemy
a charge punishable by death under Jewish law.
The council however lacked the authority to carry out a death sentence
so they brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
Before pilot
the Jewish leaders reframed their accusations
claiming that Jesus posed a threat
to Roman authority
by declaring himself king.
Pilot questioned Jesus asking, are you the king of the Jews?
Jesus replied,
you have said so.
Mark fifteen two.
Pilot found no basis for a charge against him
recognizing that the accusations were driven by envy.
Pilot attempted to release Jesus offering the
crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas
a notorious criminal.
Influenced by the chief priests
the crowd demanded Barabbas's
release
and called for Jesus to be crucified.
Pilot
hesitant but fearing unrest
ordered Jesus to be flogged and handed him over for execution.
Symbolically washing his hands
he declared himself innocent of Jesus's
blood,
though he ultimately authorized the sentence.
Before his crucifixion Jesus was mocked and beaten by Roman soldiers.
They dressed him in a purple robe,
placed a crown of thorns on his head
and mocked him saying,
hail
King of the Jews.
Mark fifteen eighteen.
They spat on him, struck him, and knelt before him in
mock worship.
Despite the humiliation and suffering
Jesus remained silent
fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant
who did not open his mouth.
Isaiah fifty three seven.
The arrest and trial of Jesus highlight the depths of human sin.
Every detail of the arrest and trial fulfilled old testament prophecies
affirming Jesus as the promised Messiah.
From his betrayal by a close friend,
psalm forty one nine, to his silence before his accusers,
Isaiah fifty three seven,
the scriptures were fulfilled
revealing the divine orchestration of these events.
The disciples failure to support Jesus and they're fleeing during his arrest
highlight the frailty of human faith.
Yet
Jesus's
forgiveness and restoration of his followers after his resurrection demonstrate
the depth of his grace.
The arrest and trial of Jesus
are pivotal moments in the story of redemption.
They reveal the stark contrast between human sinfulness
and divine grace,
the corruption
of earthly power
and the obedience of Jesus to the father's will.
These events invite believers to reflect on the cost of their salvation
and the profound love of Christ
who endured betrayal humiliation and injustice for the sake of humanity.
In the face of suffering
Jesus remain steadfast
providing a model of faith, courage and unwavering trust in God's plan.
We come to the climax of
all of the gospels really which is to understand
the mission
of Jesus
to bring us back to
his father God was going to have
to
Result in his laying down his life
a sacrifice
of himself on
the cross.
I mean that really is
an act of faith to believe that
what Jesus
believed he was up to
as
The son of his father God
was going to make this wonderful difference
and bring peace
between
ourselves
and God.
So we have
a climatic end to the gospels.
Jesus
knows what's going to happen
his disciples don't really
quite believe it but
you do feel
in the final week
before
what we know is now going to happen, the cross,
a building up of tension.
It's like Jesus has put himself in the center
of the viper's den, you know
he's walked into
the mess of it
willingly
and intentionally
knowing
that
the reaction is going to be
a bit like how people react to marmite, you know,
you're either gonna
hate,
hate him or love him
and both of those kind of reactions are coming up
from,
from people. The crowds love him.
The religious leaders have a lot to lose.
They don't want anyone
upsetting
a very delicate political religious balance going off that
affects them,
affects their pockets,
affects their status in society.
This is an occupied
nation. The Romans
have occupied
Jerusalem in Israel
and
they you know one step out of line, one
step into disorder
and they're going to have to explain
what's going,
what's going wrong here.
So they're bothered
and they really want to get rid of Jesus
but they've got to do it in a very underhand
way, they can't just walk in
to some public arena where he's teaching
day by day through that final week
and arrest him.
They'll be
just complete riotous chaos
people
everywhere.
They've got to do it more sneakily if you like, get the, get him
at a more
secluded moment
and they have
Judas as their
key way in
to identify where Jesus might be
for them
to grab him
and that's what happens.
He has his final
meal with his disciples, goes out
into the dark to
a favoured spot
and Judas knowing where Jesus would be
comes
with the arresting party
to take him away
and for them to put him on trial and it's all done very
secretively.
Councils are called in the middle of the night.
None of the normal rules of
fair trials is,
is taking place at all
and in fact
they,
they end up basically
stringing together a bunch of
false witnesses
that don't even agree with one another
about what Jesus is supposed to have done
but
the high priest
cuts through all of that
in the end and asked Jesus
a point blank question
and
Jesus just answers him
and says,
this is who I am
and even if you like underlines it by saying, quoting
a bit of
one of the prophets, the prophet Daniel in the old testament
who had a vision
of a son of man
riding on the clouds coming out of heaven which
was seen as a
a prophecy
about
the Messiah that was to come
at which point clearly the high priest understands it that way, the others
understand it that way
don't believe for a moment that this could possibly
be the Messiah.
They start ripping their clothes as an act of sort of outward
devotional horror
that this man standing in front of them should dare
to declare himself
to be
a Messiah figure.
They really just can't accept it.
He just doesn't
add up for them.
So
The trial
is a show trial, it's a kangaroo court, it's a
an attempt
to
Trap Jesus
and Jesus walks in
if you like as a meat lamb for the slaughter.
He then gets passed around
the
official authorities
that have, that would be put out, if they didn't have a say.
Herod
rules over
Galilee where Jesus is if you like a
citizen of, so
he's got to have his
little say
and Herod has
questions to ask Jesus, he's kind of hoping Jesus might do some kind of miracle because
he's heard a lot about him but Jesus
doesn't give him if you like
the pleasure of that.
He doesn't say anything.
This is the amazing thing he doesn't
do anything outside of that declaration
in answer to the high priest.
The rest of the time
he stays very quiet.
He then gets passed on to
the Roman authorities, the governor,
the Roman governor Pontius Pilot
who
again can see that
the politics of it all
and really
would rather not bother.
Wouldn't like to be involved at all but while Jesus is with him
he gets a message from his wife.
His wife has had a dream
in which she,
she has a bad dream
in which
she
feels that
her husband should
have nothing to do with Jesus, that this will be a big disaster
if
He harms Jesus
and
she says don't have anything to do with him
but
he overrides that. Now why does he override that. He really doesn't care that badly
whether Jesus lived or not
but he gets trapped
by
The clever
set up of arguments from
the Jewish leaders, the experts of the law because they say
that
this man
claims that he's a king.
Jesus himself
says to Pilot well yes
I am a King but not of this world
so I am no threat
to worldly kings
and Pontius kind of understands where Jesus is coming from
but taking those words that
he was a king
the
Jewish leaders
trap Pontius into feeling that all he has, the only thing he has to do is get rid of
Jesus because
they say well
hang on a minute,
the only king that we acknowledge
is your Roman ruler Caesar, the emperor king
we, you know that's the king we should all be loyal to isn't it Pontius
and he gets the feeling that if he lets Jesus off the hook
even though it was completely insincere of the religious leaders to talk this way
he's going to have some
back channel noises coming along
from Rome itself, from the emperor from Caesar himself saying,
I heard that you
let somebody off who claimed to be a king
and I'm the only king around here mate
and so
he succumbs to this pressure
to
Have Jesus crucified.
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ stands at the heart of the Christian faith
representing the ultimate sacrifice for humanity’s
sins
and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.
This event recounted in all four gospels
is both a moment of profound suffering
and a declaration of divine love.
Through his death on the cross Jesus provided a way for humanity to be
reconciled with God.
After being condemned by Pontius Pilate
Jesus was handed over to Roman soldiers to be crucified.
Prior to the crucifixion
he endured severe flogging,
a brutal punishment that left him weakened
and in immense pain.
The soldiers mocked him
dressing him in a purple robe and placing of crown of thorns on his head,
hailing him sarcastically as King of the Jews.
Mark fifteen eighteen to twenty.
Jesus was then forced to carry his cross to Golgotha also known as Calvary,
the place of his execution.
Weakened by the flogging he struggled under the weight of the cross
and Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry it for him.
Luke twenty three twenty six.
At Golgotha
Jesus was nailed to the cross with his hands and feet pierced by iron spikes.
He was crucified alongside two criminals,
one on his right and the other on his left
fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah fifty three twelve
that the Messiah would be numbered with the transgressors.
Above his head
a sign was placed reading,
Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews,
written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek
as he hung on the cross Jesus endured physical agony and public humiliation
passers by mocked him
challenging him to save himself if he truly was the son of God.
The religious leaders joined in
ridiculing him for his claims to be the Messiah.
Despite the scorn
Jesus displayed remarkable compassion.
He prayed for his executioners
saying
father forgive them
for they do not know what they are doing.
Luke twenty three thirty four.
This prayer exemplifies his divine love and willingness to offer forgiveness even to
those who persecuted him.
One of the criminals crucified alongside Jesus
recognized his innocence and asked Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus replied truly I tell you,
today you will be with me in paradise Luke twenty three forty two to forty three
demonstrating his authority to grant salvation
even in his final moments.
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness fell over the land
symbolizing the gravity of the moment.
At about three PM
Jesus cried out in a loud voice my God my God why have you forsaken me.
Matthew twenty seven forty six
quoting psalm twenty two.
This cry reflected the spiritual anguish of bearing the weight of humanity’s sin
and experiencing separation from the father.
Shortly after
Jesus declared it is finished.
John nineteen thirty.
Signifying the completion of his redemptive work.
He then surrendered his spirit saying father
into your hands I commit my spirit.
Luke twenty three forty six.
At that moment
the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom
symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity.
An earthquake shook the land
and tombs broke open
with some dead being raised to life.
The centurion and those guarding Jesus were struck with ore
exclaiming
surely he was the son of God.
Matthew twenty seven fifty four.
After Jesus's death
his body was taken down from the cross
by Joseph of Arimathea,
a wealthy follower of Jesus who had secretly believed in him.
Joseph placed Jesus's body in a new tomb
sealing it with a large stone.
This burial fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah fifty three nine
which foretold that the Messiah would be buried with the rich.
Jesus's crucifixion
was the ultimate act of atonement.
Through his death
he bore the punishment for humanity’s sins
satisfying the justice of God
and opening the way
for reconciliation.
As Paul wrote,
God made him
who had no sin to be sin for us
so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God. Two Corinthians five twenty one.
The crucifixion fulfilled numerous old testament prophecies
affirming Jesus as the promised Messiah.
From the piercing of his hands and feet,
psalm twenty two sixteen,
to his prayer for his persecutors
Isaiah fifty three twelve,
every detail testified to God's sovereign plan.
The cross is the ultimate expression of God's love for humanity.
John three sixteen declares for God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.
Jesus's willingness
to endure the cross reveals the depth of his love
and his desire to save humanity.
While the crucifixion appeared to be a moment of defeat,
it was actually a moment of victory.
Through his death
Jesus conquered sin and its consequences
offering eternal life to all who believe in him.
His resurrection three days later
would confirm this victory
and provide hope for all who trust in him.
The crucifixion of Jesus is a moment of unparalleled significance in history.
It reveals the depths of human sin and the heights of divine love.
Through his suffering and death
Jesus secured salvation for humanity
fulfilling God's redemptive plan.
For Christians
the cross is a symbol of hope
forgiveness and eternal life
inviting all to accept the gift of grace offered by Christ's sacrifice.
If you've ever read a biography of someone's life
you'll find all kinds of interesting things about perhaps their childhood and their
education and then maybe
they're working life and possibly
the bit about their retirement in later life but
you'd get very little written about their
death.
It might just be a sentence, might just be a paragraph
there might be something about the funeral
but their death
would be a very small
sliver
within the whole book of their biography.
Not so
with Jesus. Jesus's death takes up about a third of the accounts of his life, in Matthew
Mark, Luke
and John. It's as if
there's some sort of special weight to his death
and after all that is
the symbol of the Christian faith isn't it for Christians, it's the cross, Jesus's
death. We could have used a manger or scroll
or some sort of symbol of Jesus's healing but we haven't, we've got a symbol
of the cross to remember Jesus's
death. That's really weird isn't it. Some people have crosses as earrings or
a chain around their neck, tattoos even
off a cross but you wouldn't have
earrings of an executioners chair or a hangman's noose hanging around your neck or
at tattoo of
a lethal injection syringe
and yet people do this with the cross. Why,
why the cross why is the cross so important?
Well the cross is important
because it shows us the full extent
of God's love
for us.
I'm just going to read from
Mark's account
of the cross
and pull
a few things out of it.
It says here,
noon,
noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon
and at three in the afternoon, Jesus hanging on the cross cries out in a loud voice
Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani
which means my God my God
why have you forsaken me
when some of those standing near heard this, they said listen he's calling Elijah.
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar
put it on a staff and offered it to Jesus to drink.
Now leave him alone,
let's see if Elijah
comes to him
to take him down, he said.
With a loud cry Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom
and when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said
surely
this man
was the son of God.
There are three strange things that happen
in this telling of Jesus dying on the cross. The first of all is it's dark
for three hours, it says from noon until three
in the afternoon.
That's a long time isn't it, three hours of darkness.
A total solar eclipse
might last three or so minutes
but this is dark for three
hours.
It's a supernatural darkness.
It's passover time in Jerusalem,
a time when they would remember
the time when
Moses and the Israelites in Egypt
some fifteen hundred years earlier,
were set free as a result of several plagues that God had sent
upon Egypt and one of those plagues was darkness for three days
and the darkness in the Bible represents God's
anger.
God's anger at all that is wrong in the world. God's anger
at somebody being abused.
May be a woman or a child.
God's anger
at people being trafficked across the world.
God's anger at terrorists blowing up innocent people.
Those injustices that rightly
anger us.
A sense of justice.
That is God's anger and yet here God's anger with the darkness
is on
Jesus.
Jesus is innocence and perfect.
You see the reason God's anger is on display here in this darkness is because
Jesus was dying for you and for my sin,
our rebellion against him and
the justice that we deserve
for the way we have treated other people, the way we've treated God our maker,
the good God who loves us.
Jesus suffered God's anger
on that cross because he's dying on, in that place. That is the darkness,
God's anger and Jesus.
Secondly,
the thing we see
is the
curtain.
The curtain is torn in two. It says the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. This
curtain
was hanging up
in the temple in Jerusalem and it was like a big no entry sign,
a bit like a, if you go to
a big castle,
whether it's a national trust or English heritage, those kind of stately homes
and you can get to go around but there is certain places, that you can't go. There is
a no entry sign, private,
do not pass, do not go through this door
and that's what the curtain in the temple was a bit like, it was like a no entry sign like
God's special room that no one could enter
because God is pure and holy.
God he is, God he is perfect, he is not like us and
we can't just stroll into his presence and expect
to
Enter as if nothing's happened. It is God's
perfect Holiness that you and I are not like
and yet that no entry sign here is torn up from top to bottom,
as if God is saying
you are very welcome,
you can come in,
we can be friends again.
Why because Jesus has died on the cross
so that
we can be access, accessing
God.
And the way that we can access that,
God is because Jesus
was abandoned or forsaken that is the cry.
Jesus calls out my God my God
why have you forsaken
me.
The reason we can be accepted into God's special place since that behind the
curtain representation there in the temple,
the reason is because Jesus was cut off,
he was abandoned God has forsaken him.
He's actually quoting psalm twenty two, a hundred,
a thousand years earlier, psalm of David,
where David describes being abandoned by God and it's very clearly that psalm
is describing the cross, it's describing
somebody who's suffering agony
as
Their bones are on display effectively,
as
Lots are cast for their clothing.
Well that is prophesying what Jesus went through
on that cross as he was ashamed, naked
insulted,
tortured.
He wasn't just the physical suffering
and the physical shame
but it is the anger of God that he was suffering
for our sin against him.
Why?
So that God's anger upon him meant that we could be accepted.
All our sin is paid for.
There is no guilt, there is no shame to bear.
All because Jesus died on the cross, all we need to do
is make Jesus our Lord and God
just as said
the centurion, the Roman centurion says,
he sees how Jesus died and said surely this man
was the son of God.
The question for you and for me, is that a confession, that we can make about Jesus.
Can we also say about him,
this man
surely
is the son of God.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith
symbolizing his victory over sin and death
and confirming his identity as the son of God.
This
miraculous event
recorded in all four gospels
marks the culmination of
his earthly
ministry
and the beginning of the spread of the gospel.
Following his resurrection
Jesus
appeared to his
disciples
providing them with
proof of his victory
and commissioning them for
their mission.
After his crucifixion
Jesus
was buried in a tomb
belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.
The tomb
was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers to prevent any tampering.
On the third day after his death
early in the morning
women who were followers of Jesus including Mary Magdalene
went to the tomb to anoint his body with spices.
To their astonishment
they found the stone rolled away
and the tomb empty.
An angel appeared to the women proclaiming, he is not here
he has risen, just as he said.
Matthew twenty eight six.
The angel instructed them to go and tell the
disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Overwhelmed with a mix of fear and joy
they ran to deliver the message.
Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus near the tomb though at first
she did not recognize him.
When he called her by name she realized who he was.
Jesus instructed her not to cling to him
but to go and tell
his disciples of his resurrection.
Later that day
Jesus
appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Initially they did not recognize him
but as he explained how the scriptures pointed to his death and resurrection
their hearts burned with understanding.
It was only when he broke bread with them, that they realized
it was Jesus
and he disappeared from their sight.
Filled with ore
they returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples.
That evening
Jesus appeared to his disciples as they were gathered in a locked room,
fearful of the Jewish authorities.
He greeted them with
peace be with you and showed them his hands
and side,
offering undeniable evidence of his resurrection.
The disciples were overjoyed
at seeing their risen Lord.
Jesus breathed on them and said receive the holy spirit,
empowering them
for the mission he would soon entrust to them.
One disciple Thomas
was not present during this appearance.
When told of Jesus's resurrection he doubted
declaring he would not believe
unless he saw and touched the wounds himself.
A week later
Jesus appeared again
and this time
Thomas was present.
Jesus invited him to touch his wounds saying stop doubting and believe.
Overcome with faith Thomas exclaimed my Lord and my God.
Before his ascension
Jesus appeared to his disciples in Galilee.
On a mountain he gave them the great commission instructing them
go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them
in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit
and teaching them to obey every thing I have commanded you.
He promised to be with them always, even to the end of the age.
The resurrection affirms Jesus's
divinity and validates his teachings.
It demonstrates his power over sin and death offering eternal life to all who believe
in him.
By appearing to his disciples
Jesus provided them with irrefutable proof of his resurrection
transforming them from fearful followers into bold witnesses.
The resurrection
is the foundation of Christian hope
promising that just as Jesus was raised
his followers will also be raised to eternal life.
For Christians
the resurrection and Jesus's
appearances to his disciples
serve as a reminder of God's faithfulness, the truth of his promises
and the mission to share the gospel with the world.
One of the things about the resurrection is its
interesting ideas
are drawn from it
and I
look at this and think,
well
A, show me, show me what, what evidence that you have in order to contradict
the crucifixion.
One of the ideas being that you know,
thunder storm happens,
people runaway
and they take down Jesus.
They heal him or whatever.
These these ideas are bound
or he was taken from his tomb.
You think well, what does this profit anybody.
I quite often say to my folk
in church,
every
word
of the Bible
is contested territory,
even down to where you put
the full stops
and the commas.
Everything is up for grabs.
It's a place of mischief.
It's a place of distraction.
It's a place where if there is a gap somehow or other
we have to fill it
and of course that's always
about
a denial of faith.
Faith in a creator God.
Faith in a God who comes to us.
Who dies for us
and is raised again
for us.
So that we can be a people
of a hope and a future.
So did somebody take Jesus down off the cross, well of course they did.
He had to be buried.
Would the Romans really of runaway?
No
I very much doubt it.
What purpose would it serve?
They would be answerable.
They would be answerable in terms of, your
a soldier.
You've
a dereliction of duty.
No they oversaw his death.
They cast lots for his clothes.
They put the spear into his side
of course the man's dead.
Crucifixion makes sure that you are really dead.
Your asphyxiated
as part of that dying process.
No
And the time it takes to pull out a nail.
No,
he's dead.
He's taken down
by request
to be buried
in the tomb.
What of his rising then,
because all sorts of stories are abound about this.
Did the Jewish authorities
take him out
and hide him somewhere.
Well all they've done
is to give credence to the story that he is raised from the dead.
What would that profit them,
absolutely nothing.
Oh,
well they could produce his body at a later date
but they didn't
and they couldn't because they didn't have a body
to produce.
Did the disciples come and take his body out
during the night well the tomb was guarded
and were told that.
There was a big stone put in the tomb
in front of the tomb,
and it was guarded. Well they could have bribed the guards.
Well that would have been the death penalty for them
and again
what were they then going to produce?
Another dead body.
Say oh we've we've we've got him.
Did they have to hide him somewhere.
But what accounts for people,
many
many people,
seeing
the risen
Christ,
not least the women.
Now folks,
if you want to give credibility to a story
you do not send the women.
In first century
Palestine,
first century Judea,
you do not send the women, you send the men
because it's by their testimony
that
people will believe,
not by the testimony
of a woman.
Things have changed and rightly so
but in those days
the testimony of a woman was not worth very much
but the testimony of a man
was.
So sending the women down to say,
make up this story about the body not being there
doesn't really get them very far.
The truth of the matter is
the women went
to embalm
and saw
that the risen
Christ
was present at the
tomb
in one version.
The angel speaking to them
in the other version of the synoptic gospels.
They ask where've you put my master?
When it dawns upon them
that this is their risen Lord
they hot foot it back
to see the disciples,
to tell
an unbelieving
bunch of men
who have to race down to find out and see for themselves
that he is indeed risen.
You can make up stories, you can make of as many as you like
but why bother
when we have a documented account
which is credible,
workable,
believable,
and anything else that's been put forward
doesn't meet that criteria.
Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity
whose life,
teachings,
death,
and resurrection have profoundly shaped history and continue to influence billions of
lives.
His message of love,
grace and redemption transcends cultural and temporal boundaries
offering hope to humanity across generations.
Born in humble circumstances
Jesus's life exemplified humility,
compassion and obedience to God's will.
His ministry focused on
proclaiming the kingdom of God
calling people to repentance
and demonstrating God's love
through miracles, healings
and acts of mercy.
His teachings such as
the sermon on the mount,
emphasized love for God and neighbor,
forgiveness
and the pursuit of righteousness
establishing moral principles
that have endured for centuries.
Jesus's willingness to associate with the marginalized
and challenge
the religious and political authorities of his time
revealed his commitment to truth
and justice.
He was a friend to sinners,
a healer of the broken
and a teacher who spoke with unparalleled authority.
Yet his path was not without suffering.
Betrayed, abandoned and crucified, Jesus endured unimaginable pain and humiliation.
His death on the cross was not merely a tragic end
but the fulfillment of God's plan to atone for humanity’s sins.
Through his sacrifice
he bridged the gap between a holy God
and sinful humanity
offering salvation to all who believe in him.
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian faith
confirming his identity as the son of God
and validating his promises.
By conquering death
Jesus demonstrated his divine power
and opened the way for eternal life.
His post resurrection appearances in the great commission empowered his disciples
to carry his message to the ends of the Earth.
Jesus's impact extends beyond religion,
influencing art,
literature, philosophy and social movements.
His teachings have inspired efforts towards justice
compassion and reconciliation.
For Christians Jesus is not merely a historical figure
but a living savior,
a source of hope,
guidance and transformation.
In conclusion
Jesus's life and mission
reflect the profound love of God
for humanity.
His call to follow him challenges individuals to live with faith,
love and purpose.
Jesus is the ultimate example of selflessness,
the embodiment of divine truth
and the hope of salvation for all who believe.
Through him the promise of peace with God
and eternal life is made accessible
offering a path of redemption and eternal hope.