IT IS FINISHED! I. INTRODUCTION- For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. JN 3:16 A. PALM SUNDAY 33 AD- Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey riding on a donkey s colt. 10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. ZECH 9:9 All of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! LK 19:37 B. JESUS THE SUFFERING MESSIAH- He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. ISA 53:5 John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! JN 1:29 Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! LK 9:38 Pilate said to the people, Look, here is your king! 15 Away with him, they yelled. Away with him! Crucify him! JN 19:14 II. JESUS FINISHED HIS MISSION- Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, I am thirsty. 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, It is finished! Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. JN 19:28 A. OUR SINS WERE PAID FOR- Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. COL 2:13 You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God I PET 1:18 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. EPH 2:8 B. WE CAN NOW ENTER GOD S PRESENCE- Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. MAT 27:50 Dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. HEB 10:19 C. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR GOOD- Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. EPH 1:4 III. APPLICATION- A. EASTER SHOWS THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AND THE SUPERNATURAL NATURE OF THE BIBLE- The Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. AMOS 3:7 Don t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. MAT 5:17 B. PROOF THAT JESUS SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTED BY GOD- Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. I PET 1:21 He said to Thomas, Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don t be faithless any longer. Believe! 28 My Lord and my God! Thomas exclaimed. JN 20:27 C. EASTER IS ABOUT HOPE- Since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. HEB 4:14
The Arc of the Covenant
The entrance to the tomb of Jesus
The empty tomb of Jesus