Sermon Notes Courtesy of Dr. Tamala R. Maddox

45 Way of the Cross – The Greatest Conspiracy….Ever
Matthew 28:11 – 15

Conspiracy behind the scenes. Need to be aware lest ye find yourself involved

Roman govt put a guard and a seal on the tomb.
When Mary and the other Mary arrived, they found the stone had been rolled away.

v. 6 For He is risen as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.

Both Mary’s are astonished and excited.

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ldiers had seen the angels appear on the scene. They were not excited, they were terrified. They passed out with fear because they saw the angel appear. When they are revived, not only have the women run away but the body was gone.

The guards got up and ran to the elders of the church to report that He was gone. The church leaders said they needed to get things figured out. They didn’t want it to get out because it would mean they had crucified The Savior. The elders gave the soldiers a lot of money and started a conspiracy that has lasted until today.

Tell everyone that His disciples came and stole His body. We (the elders) will clear you. This was the cover story.

Greatest conspiracies in America
Watergate – Richard Nixon
Enron – fuel company conspired to take profits from the company; 21,000 employees lost everything they had
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction – none were found

Conspiracy – an agreement between two people to commit an act; an inappropriate act and a guilty mind

They conspired to cover up the holiest of truths…..tried to cover that His resurrection never took place. The perpetrator of this conspiracy was the church.

Single most important event in human history is Easter – His Resurrection

We don’t wear crucifix because He is no longer there. Our cross is empty because He is no longer there.
A. Your Enemies Really Do Pay Attention To What You Say
Enemies remembered His promise but the disciples were scattered everywhere. They listened and recorded what He said. Enemies listen because they want to use your words against you. Jesus taught us to still love our enemies. Father forgive them.

Asked Pilate to secure the tomb from all possibilities of theft. However, there is nothing you can do to stop what God says is going to happen.

Went to the religious leaders for help. The religious leaders, who had taught about Him in scriptures, used church money to pay off the guards. They had been telling of the coming Messiah.

B. People Will Lie Against The Truth To Keep From Looking Bad
Have to have faith to believe the Jesus Christ actually did rise like He says He would. He died all the way. God Resurrected Him. The soldiers couldn’t tell that story. It was easier to take the money and leave.

This passage of scripture was written about 70 years after His resurrection so the story was holding and is still alive.

C. It’s Hard To Tell The Truth If The Focus Is On How You Will Look
The truth would make them look incompetent. It would make it appear that they had killed the wrong man. They were motivated by jealousy, selfishness and keeping their lifestyle in tact.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want Him to come. They just didn’t want Him to come in their lifetime. They would have to give up their lifestyle if He came then. It’s inconvenient to follow Jesus.

D. How Do You Break A Conspiracy
Tell the Truth

The One we’re trying to cover up is the One who shows up when we need Him.

Sermon Notes Courtesy of Dr. Tamala R. Maddox

45 Way of the Cross – Last Will and Testament Jesus Christ
John 19: 25-27

Seven statements attributed to Jesus Christ when he was on the Cross.
Jesus Uttered a Prayer – Father forgive them for they know not what they do
Jesus Uttered a Promise – Told a man who didn’t have the right to ask him by our standards, asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom
Jesus said Today You will be with me in paradise

Today we will talk about a provision.

The first was a prayer
The second was a promise
The third was a word of provision

Jesus said we should be considerate of other people at all times. Your misery doesn’t mean you get to be selfish.
Jesus says we should be concerned about enemy, if there’s someone we can extend grace to, you should and you should forgive others.

A Dying Savior
A Dying Son

Jesus had to look out for his mother. Joseph is not mentioned in the bible again which leads us to believe that something happended to him.

When Jesus was on the Cross, He looks out and sees His mother. He uttered (even though there were three women there) she knew He was talking to her. There’s something unique about the relationship between a mother and a child….even if you’re the Savior.

He wanted her to see WHAT HE WAS DOING and not WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO HIM.

Woman behold your Son. He has to make provisions for his mother. He looks to the disciple who is standing there. He writes his Last Will and Testament. He says Behold you mother to John. He bequeathed his mother to John. John did a good job. We know this because when Luke wrote his Gospel many years ago, he got his info from Mary because she held these things in her heart. Indicates she was well taken care of.

Three lessons:
1. Being a Family Requires Relationships – go fix whatever problem you have with your family. You’re not always likable so why should you be able to decide you don’t like what someone else does in the family. Stop drawing circles around what is good and what is not, what you like and what you don’t like.

2. Being a Family Requires Obligations – when Easy Money won’t, you do; gotta figure out what the limit is; blood is thicker than water – even if that blood is by marriage or by desire (friends).

3. Being a Family Requires Love – not a regular kind of love but a cross kind of love; evidence of this love in the scriptures – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

 

Sermon Notes Courtesy of Dr. Tamala R. Maddox

45 Way of the Cross
Forgiveness
Luke 23:33 –
Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Lessons to be learned from how Jesus died. We can learn to live better by looking at how He died.

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

How do you forgive someone like that? Where do you go to find forgiveness under those circumstances.

Luke wrote, “There they crucified Him.” Simple words. Doesn’t tell how horrific crucifixion was. There was no worse death than crucifixion. It lasted hours and the purpose was to make the person being crucified to suffer. Wanted others to know, don’t mess with us. It was the most extreme torture. Jesus’s mother didn’t recognize Him by the time He actually made it to the cross. It was not simple that He did for us.

What is it about Jesus’s crucifixion that shows us how to live?

First word He said on the cross was Father. He starts praying audibly.

I. His prayer reinforces the significance of Relationship
Him saying Father reinforces the significance. It implies a relationship that is beyond any other. Jesus never had anything of material wealth. For all He didn’t have, the one thing He did have was a relationship with His Father. When things were bad, when the disciples were not listening…He turned to His Father…the listening ear. He consistently looked to His Father. In the Word, He proclaimed that I and the Father are one. The same relationship that I have, you can have. Jesus is the reason we have a relationship with the Father. He created bond with us and the Father. We should not let a moment go by that we’re not saying Our Father.

II. His prayer elevates the practice of forgiveness
He said two words – “Father forgive” Christ didn’t think of Himself. He didn’t ask for relief or pray about His suffering. He wasn’t trying to escape His torture. He prayed for others. He prayed for what WE needed most, not what He needed most. When the “hotness” of life hits you, what’s in you slips out.

He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our inequities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And by His stripes, we are healed.
With every lash, we got better.

III. His prayer is a mirror to my soul
He said “Father forgive them” Who is them? Who was responsible? We need to come to grips with our own complicity in this act. None are innocent….Paul says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all could have been standing there. We need to examine our own role. Are we the “them”? We have problems with diversity. We want everyone to be like us. How many times have we remained silent because it made us feel uncomfortable.

IV. His prayer brings conviction
That’s what his prayer was about. You must accept your own guilt.

This week concludes a church swap between Reverend Sparks and Reverend Ferguson of Rocky Ridge Church on the topic of “On This We Agree”.