The Christ
Luke 23:44-49
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
The word says it was about the 6th hour (or 1200).
This is when the sun is the highest in the sky, but the word says the sun’s light faded, the whole land was dark until about the 9th hour (or 3pm).
The curtain of the temple was torn in two.
This is the temple curtain that separates the holy of holys from the rest of the temple. This is essentially saying, there is not any more need for mankind to intercede for mankind.
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Let’s continue with our text today and the first realization of this joy among His followers:
Luke 24:1-12
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
What do you think was going through their heads? We know, as there are some other accounts in the gospels, that they were very afraid.
One account in John, the disciples John and Peter ran to the tomb, when they received the report that some had taken the body of Jesus.
This is that glorious moment when it is first revealed. He was not in the tomb.
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
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Why do you seek the living among the dead?
This is not possible…
Well brother and sister, it is possible, because as we see in Matthew 19:26, Jesus talking about salvation says:
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Luke 24:8
And they remembered his words,
What words?
Jesus was continually teaching the disciples, and in Matthew 16:21-28 He says:
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
These are the words they would have remembered…
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Verse 9-12 says:
9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
Like the angels said,
He was not there, He was not dead,
He was living,
and they were seeking the dead among the living!
This is Good News!
Jesus is Alive!
He is Risen!
Praise the Lord for His faithful provision of Grace, Mercy, and Love, not only at the cross of Christ, but in the empty tomb.
Have you trusted Him?
Will you follow Him?
He is the Christ, or anointed one, or Messiah!
He is not dead, He is alive, and this changes everything.
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