This is
Message #214 in the Restoration Series
Introduction: In Jesus’ closing ministry, He is doing His best to establish with His disciples the difference between God’s Messiahship and man’s Messiahship. He is trying to get the disciples to understand what His death and resurrection really means.
A. Here was a pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry.
1.
He had left Caesarea
Philippi, a safe refuge, headed for Galilee and Jerusalem.
a.
The cross was right before
His face.
b.
He moved quietly to and fro
in Galilee.
c.
He was avoiding the big
crowds.
d.
He was getting closer and
closer to Jerusalem and the cross.
2.
All this time His
consecration was on teaching the disciples.
a.
They were drilled on the
fact Jesus was to die and rise from the dead in three days.
b.
This fact must be instilled
in them, contrary to their thinking.
c.
They wanted the Messiah to
rule and reign with power and authority.
d.
The disciples did not
realize or understand Jesus had to suffer and die in order to save man.
II. The death and resurrection of Jesus. Vs 31
A. Jesus taught that He was to die and rise from the dead.
1.
His teaching was a
continuous process.
a.
He taught and taught,
drilling the fact of His death and resurrection into them.
2.
Delivered means, “to be
delivered over and into death”.
a.
It means that His death was
determined, ordained, set in the plan and consul of God.
b.
Vs. 31 Note: Jesus said, “The Son of Man is delivered”.
c.
Now, His death is right
before His face.
d.
God delivered Christ up to
be betrayed. Acts 2:23, Romans 8:32
e.
Jesus delivered Himself up
to be crucified. Galatians 1:4,
Ephesians 5:2, Titus 2:14, 1John 3:16.
f.
Judas betrayed Him to the
elders, chief priest, and Scribes.
3.
Note: Several reasons Jesus repeated and repeated
the fact.
a.
To enforce that He was “dying as a willing sacrifice”, not as a
martyr or a mistaken man who thought he was Messiah. John 10:11-18
b.
To stress that He was “dying
to redeem men”, just as God willed.
Romans 3:24-25, Ephesians 1:7,
5:2, Colosians 1:14, Hebrews 9:12, 1Peter 1:18-19, Revelations 5:9
c.
To assure that His death was
deliberately planned in the purpose of God and that he was willingly dying to
fulfill that purpose. Acts 2:23, Romans 8:32
d.
To keep the disciples from
thinking the Messiah, the Son of God could never die.
e.
To drill His death into His disciples so they better
understood the truth after the resurrection.
III. The disciples response to Jesus’ teaching
about His death.
A. The disciples rejected what they did not wish to see.
1.
Jesus kept stressing the
point; He was going to die.
a.
He was also going to be
raised from the dead.
2.
The disciples just could not
accept the fact.
a.
They had been taught that
Messiah was coming to free them from slavery and all bondage and suffering.
b.
Jesus taught the kingdom was
at hand, ready to be established.
c.
The disciples had to
un-learn beliefs and totally accept all of Jesus’ teaching.
3.
The disciples were
spiritualizing His death and resurrection.
a.
They noticed a change in
Jesus, knowing something was drawing Him forward to His destination.
b.
They asked themselves, What
did this death and resurrection really mean?
1.
That He had to die
to self, be ridiculed and shamed enough to rise up and establish His kingdom.
2.
That He had to die
to self, reject the present order of things, and establish a higher order of
things.
3.
That freeing Israel
would be like death and the victory would take three days.
c.
The disciples did not
understand and accept the fact. Acts
28:27
Conclusion:
Restoration: Looking again at the full meaning of the death, burial and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, one must reaffirm their faith in
God. We must realize the power of the
blood that was shed for our redemption.
The full reality is that we can have eternal life because of that
eternal fact.
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