Bethlehem Baptist Church Bethlehem Baptist Church

2024 Easter Sunday: Journey to the Cross (Luke 24:13-35)



Luke 24:5 The angels said “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen.”



Praise the Lord! Jesus is ALIVE!!!




Let’s be real for just a second:

Sometimes life gets difficult doesn’t it?
Sometimes don’t you feel alone?
Sometimes don’t you struggle in your faith?
Have you ever doubted?
Have you ever wondered where is Jesus in all this? In all that you have going on?
Have you ever strayed from the Lord?
Have you ever found yourself asking Why? Or Why me?





You are not alone!

Matthew 21:7-9

 

Hosanna is typically translated as “Please
Save Us”.

 

Timeline of Jesus last week:

•   Sunday:

•   Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Everyone
shouts Hosanna!)

•   Monday:

•   Jesus cleanses the temple and runs out the
money-changers

•       Matthew 21:13 “He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be
called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

•       Matthew 21:15-16 “But when the chief
priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children
crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were
indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are
saying?” And Jesus said to
them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants
and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

•   Tuesday:

•   Jesus curses the fig tree.

•   Wednesday:

•   Sanhedrin plot to kill Jesus

•  
Wednesday/Thursday:


•   Preparations begin for Passover

•  
Thursday:

•   The Last Supper - Jesus with Disciples

•   Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane -
Jesus sweats blood during prayer

 

•   Friday (Good Friday)

•   Jesus betrayed by Judas

•   Jesus arrested

•   Jesus put on trial with Jewish leaders: Annas
and Caiaphas

•       Peter denies Jesus three times

•   Jesus put on trial with Roman leaders: Goes
before Pilate (Everyone Shouts Crucify Him!)

•   Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and
mocked as Kings of the Jews

•   Jesus is crucified on the cross

•       Started about 9am

•       Jesus died on the cross about 3pm

•       This is Day 1

•   Jesus is buried in the tomb in the Evening.

•  
Saturday:

•   This is Day 2

•   Sunday: Easter Sunday

•   This is Day 3

•   Mary Magdalene finds the empty tomb.

•   Mary tells the disciples and Peter and John
go to see for themselves.

•   Jesus appears to His disciples.

•   (Jesus is not dead, He is Alive!)

 

How did we go from praising Jesus and yelling
“Hosanna” to yelling “Crucify Him” in the span of a week?

 

The issue is our sin.

•  
Romans
2:23 “For have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

•  
We
wanted Jesus to be something He wasn’t and do things against His plan.

•   We still do this today.

•   We still try to get Jesus to do our will
instead of accepting the Will of Jesus.

•   We still try to get Jesus to bend to our will
and do our bidding.

•       Jesus is not a genie in a bottle. You don’t
get your wishes.

•   We choose things and people over Jesus all
the time!

•                                 
We
choose our own Barabbas…sometimes daily.

 

We look to Jesus just as the Jewish people
did…wanting a mighty King and warrior who is to overthrown the darkness that
has taken over.

 

Lets look at what scripture says…

•   John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In
the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the
world.”

•   1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

•   Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities
and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

 

What are you to yell now church? Hosanna!
(Please Save Us) or Crucify Him!?

 

You want a King that has won the battle?

You want a King that was the victory?

You want a King who is willing to take your
place and raise you up on high?

You want a King who would die for you?

 

You have One…His name is Jesus!

Mark 2:1-12

Mark 1:21-45

Mark 1:16-20

How many in this room would call themselves followers of Jesus?

How many in this room would call themselves Christians?

How many in this room would call themselves Disciples?

All four Gospels and Acts include Jesus calling the first disciples and who they were. 

Mark 1:16-20

Matthew 4:18-22

Luke 5:4-11

John 1:29-2:2, John never names all the disciples in full.

Acts 1:13 names all the disciples except Judas Iscariot since he betrayed Jesus and killed himself.

The men at the heart of the verses we are looking at here in Mark…at the point of these verses already knew who Jesus was, heard of Him, seen Him and were following Jesus. 

The point of these verses in Mark is this…


These four men (Simon, Andrew, James, and John)

They are already followers, or “disciples” of Jesus, and now being called into action.
They now had to choose obedience to the Lord or to themselves.
They now had to choose Jesus above all.

This couldn’t have been easy because Jesus was setting out to shake things up.

Jesus was healing people on the Sabbath
Healing diseased people like lepers
Causing a ruckus and turning over money-changers tables in the temple
Casting out demons
Jesus wasn’t playing around.


So who did Jesus get to be followers, or disciples for Him?

Fisherman

Tax Collector

Zealot who supported anarchy, and plotted to overthrow Roman rule

Treasurer, dealt with money (and stole it)

So mostly fisherman and a few with less than desirable resumes.

Who did Jesus not call?


Jesus didn’t call the Pharisees, Sadducees, or the Scribes.
Jesus didn’t call those who were actively in schools or seminaries.
Jesus didn’t call those who were rich and could provide for His ideas.
Jesus didn’t call those who were perfect and had everything figured out.

Jesus called on those who would follow Him!

Three places in the NT that mention the word Christian and this is where we get our understanding of what it means to be a Christian:


Acts 11:19-26
1 Peter 4:14, 16
Acts 26:28-29

Being a Christian is the same as being a disciple. There is no difference. When one professes faith in and receives Salvation through Jesus Christ they are at that moment disciples.

On the C.S. Lewis Institute website there is an article by Thomas A Tarrants from June 5, 2014 titled: ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN OR A DISCIPLE? IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? WHY IT MATTERS!


In this article “Noted New Testament scholar Michael Wilkins is quoted as saying, “a disciple is “one who has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked on the life of following Jesus.”

So the definition of a follower of Jesus is really a Disciple of Jesus, which is also a Christian!

Who here today would agree that we who profess to be Christians are to observe the command given us in Matthew 28:19-20?

How can one who is not a disciple of Jesus, go and make disciples for Jesus?

When Jesus called to Simon, Andrew, James, and John they responded immediately.


They left their boats, left their family and went walked with Jesus.
I wonder if there are some in this church who are being called?
Are you responding immediately?

How are we as Christians living today?


Just showing up to church constitutes being a Christian?
Better yet some don’t even go to church, the just claim the word Christian!
Remember that being a Christian is following Jesus, it’s being a disciple!

It’s living like Jesus and doing what He would do.
Is that you? Are you ready to give up everything and follow Jesus who gave up everything for you?
Are you ready to begin living out your Christianity and become true disciples of Jesus?


Cite from CS Lewis Website: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/are-you-a-christian-or-a-disciple-is-there-a-difference-why-it-matters/

14. William L. Kynes, PhD, New Testament scholar, pastor, and currently moderator of the Evangelical Free Church of America, i