The “Dream Team.”
God’s redemptive power & plan are unstoppable.
“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” —Jesus, Matthew 20.18-19
“He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” —Isaiah 53.5
“Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” —Matthew 27.59-60
A Jewish tomb:
“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” —Matthew 27.62-63
“‘So, give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’” —Matthew 27.64
“‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So, they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.” —Matthew 27.65-66
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary wen to look at the tomb.” —Matthew 28.1
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from Heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” —Matthew 28.2-4
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.”’” —Matthew 28.5-7
The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” —Jesus, Acts 1.8
“On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” —Jesus, Matthew 16.18
God has an
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” —Solomon, Proverbs 19.21
“You can’t go against the grain of the universe and not expect to get splinters.” —C.S. Lewis
- God’s unstoppable plan for my life
- God’s unstoppable plan for my life
- God’s unstoppable plan for my life utilizes
The Myth of Sisyphus’s punishment:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” —God, Jeremiah 29.11
- Knowing and following God’s plan isn’t a
- You can’t stop God’s purposes for human history, but you can stop God’s plan for
- Where God
- God never
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” —Paul, Philippians 1.6