The ripple effect of Good Friday.
When a earthquake occurs there is a ripple effect.
For example an earthquake or something like it caused the crater lake to spill over on the 24th December 1953
Tangiwai Disaster, New Zealand
Collapse of a barrier to Ruapehu Crater lake generated a lahar which devastated the Whangaehu valley on December 24, 1953. 151 lives were lost when the Auckland-Wellington express train was derailed on the Tangiwai rail bridge.
For example
Christmas eve, 1953
New Zealand’s worst railway disaster occurred on Christmas Eve, 1953. The Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, near Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning and stunned the world.
How did it happen?
The accident was caused by a sudden release of thousands of tonnes of water from the crater lake of Mt Ruapehu. The water surged down the Whangaehu River in a massive wave. The swift and turbulent deluge, known as a lahar, carried huge quantities of sand, silt, boulders and debris. Sometime between 10.10 and 10.15 p.m. it struck the concrete pylons of the Tangiwai railway bridge, fatally weakening the structure.
Minutes later, Arthur Cyril Ellis, a young Taihape postal clerk, saw the light of the approaching locomotive Ka 949. In a desperate attempt to warn the driver he ran towards it waving a torch. Later investigations showed that the brakes had been applied, but not soon enough.
At approximately 10.21 p.m. the engine, tender and all five second-class carriages plunged off the southern end of the bridge. The leading first-class carriage, Car Z, teetered on the brink for a moment and was boarded by Ellis and a guard, William Inglis, before crashing into the torrent below. The two men, together with passenger John Holman and an unidentified man, saved all but one of this car’s 22 occupants by lifting them through the windows.
This was at the time the eighth worst train disaster of all time.
What started high up on the mountain as a natural phenomenon ended up in absolute disaster many miles away as the domino effect of the crater lake bursting destroyed 151 lives.
We can’tr possibly measure the effect that that natural disaster has had on many thousands of New Zealand lives and indeed the effect of that would go throughout the world.
There are many other effects worldwide of such a disaster.
Rail safety warning systems Insurance and so much else all are affected in the domino effect produced because a mountain crater lake simply bursts it’s bank.
Human events also have incredible ripple effects.
For example when you were born it created changed lives for many many people.
When a member of the royal family finds a new girlfriend or David Beckham shifts clubs the ripples go world wide.
When something good happens like when New Zealand won the America’s cup or something bad like the 9/11 tragedy the ripples go world wide and the impact happens at many different levels.
Everynow and then there are events of such Worldwide impact that they stand out as milestones in world history.
In New Zealand there are significant times in our history that have had long term effect on our nation – two of them are.
circa 1300 AD The start of the continuous Polynesian settlement. These people, and subsequent arrivals, were the ancestors of present-day Mâori.
1642 Abel Janszoon Tasman, Dutch explorer, discovers part of the western littoral of New Zealand and names his discovery "Staten Landt".
If you were able to obtain arial photos of New Zealand in the year 1200 AD you would see a totally different landscape to now.
Why because the various migration waves that have hit our shores have totally transformed the country.
Another world event that has had an enormous ripple effect like no other is the events that involve the day that we are celebrating this morning the day called Good Friday.
The events themselves belie the Spiritual and historical significance of this amazing day in history.
In the historical events that surround Good Friday we find an event of Cosmic importance.
By that I mean the ripples or domino effect from this event go out in such profound waves to literally change everything.
Firstly what is the screen saver or ground leval view of this event.
I know no better place to go than the commentary provided by peter Marshall in his amazing good Friday Sermon.
Let me read you an exerpt.
It was not easy to make one’s way through the crowd. But it was especially difficult for the procession that started out from the Governor’s Palace. At its head rode a Roman Centurion, disdainful and aloof, scorn for the child or cripple who might be in his way. Before him went two Legionnaires clearing the crowd aside as best they could with curses and careless blows. Behind followed two short columns between which staggered three condemned men, each carrying a heavy wooden cross on which he was to be executed. Try as the soldiers might to keep step, they moved at a snail’s pace. It was evident that they did not relish this routine task which came to them every now and then in this troublesome province. The sunlight glanced on their spears and helmets. There was a rhythmic clanking of steel as their shields touched their belt buckles and the scabbards of their swords. Left, right, left, right. "Get a move on, we don’t have all day!"
The crosses were heavy, however, and the first of the victims was at the point of collapse. He had been under severe strain for several days. He had been scourged - lashed with a leather whip in the thongs of which had been inserted rough pieces of lead. Slowly they all moved forward from the courtyard of Pilate’s palace and made for one of the gates leading out of the city.
The sun was hot. Sweat poured down the face of Jesus, and he swayed now and then underneath the weight of the cross. A group of women went with the procession, their faces half hidden by their veils, but their grief could still be seen.
As Simon neared the city he began to hear shouting. It grew louder and louder and there seemed to be sort of beat to it, a rhythm, a kind of chant that he thought sounded like "crucify, crucify, crucify!" They met right at the city gate, Simon of Cyrene and the crowd.
He found that the procession was headed by some Roman soldiers. It was obviously official, but Simon had little time to gather impressions. As for asking questions, that was impossible - he could not make himself heard in all the noise.
There was a sinister, throbbing malice in the air that made this pilgrim shudder. He was aware of two moving walls of Roman steel between which there staggered a man carrying a cross. And then he saw there were three men, but it was one, one in particular, that attracted his attention.
As Simon continued to look at that face and Jesus was raising His weary head, their eyes met. The look that passed between them, Simon never forgot as long as he lived. For no one can look at Jesus and remain the same.
Suddenly, the Man with the cross stumbled and the soldiers, moved more by impatience than by pity, seeing that the Nazarene was almost too exhausted to go any farther, laid hands on Simon and forced him to take the cross. Simon’s heart almost stopped beating - he was terrified. Just a few minutes before, he was a lonely pilgrim quietly approaching the Holy City. Now he is a beast of burden, his shoulders stooped under the weight of a cross on which this Man, this Man with the arresting eyes, was soon to die.
Only a short distance more. They called the place Golgotha. Visitors to Jerusalem would be asked if they agreed that, seen in silhouette, it suggested a human skull. It was where two great highways converged upon the city, and down in the valley below, a place of stench, a place of horror, a place of ugliness where garbage always burned and the evil smelling smoke curled up and was wafted over the brow of the strangely-shaped hill. This was the place of public execution - Calvary - and here the procession stopped.
Now the shouting stopped as well. Thud, thud, thud. There was a hush. Even the hardest of them were silent. It is not pleasant to watch nails being driven through human flesh. Mary, His mother, stopped her ears and turned away her head. They could hear the echo across the Kidron valley, the hammer blows. John stood beside Mary and supported her. The other women were weeping. But as soon as the Nazarene had mounted his last pulpit, as soon as the cross had fallen with a thump into the pit they had dug for it, the shouting broke out again.
One of the thieves crucified with Him, drugged and half drunk, cried out to Jesus, "Can you not see how we suffer? If you are the Son of God save yourself and us." He raised his shoulders and twisted until he leaned from the crosspiece and then he begged and taunted Christ. What he sought was salvation from the suffering, not salvation from sin. Then a spasm of pain gripped him - his weight once again fell upon the nails that held his hands and he began to curse and swear until his companion turned his head and rebuked him. "What has this man done that you should treat him so? We deserve our fate, but this man has done nothing wrong." And then he said to Jesus "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." And Jesus, His face drawn with agony but His voice still kind, answered, "This very day, when the pain is over, we shall be together again. Truly I say to you, you will be with Me in paradise."
The sun beat down with relentless heat. Time oozed out like the blood that dripped from the cross. Jesus opened His eyes and saw His mother standing there and John beside her. Jesus called for John to come closer and said, "Take care of her." And John, choked with tears, put his arm around the shoulders of Mary. Jesus said to His mother, "He will be your son." His lips were parched and He spoke with difficulty. He moved his head against the hard wood of the cross as a sick man moves his head on a hot pillow.
A thunderstorm was blowing up from the mountains. It was becoming strangely dark. People looked at the ominous sky and became frightened. Women took little children by the hand and hurried back to the city before the storm would break. It was an uncanny darkness - it had never been as dark at midday before.
The tears of the women were drying now. The Centurion was silent - every so often he would gaze up at Jesus with a strange look in his eyes. The soldiers were silent too, their gambling was over. Suddenly Jesus opened His eyes and gave a loud cry. The gladness in his voice startled all who heard it for it sounded like a shout of victory. "It is finished. Father into your hands I commend My spirit." And with that cry, He died.
On an earthly plain that is a summary of what happened – and even at this level we observe profound life changing ripples going out from the crucifixion of Jesus that were to have profound effect on both those who followed him and – those who didn’t.
I want this morning to suggest to you that those ripples leave the Good Friday death of Jesus and have incredible impact on the world around us.
There are three levels that his happens at.
First level is the immediate physical level
Some physical things happen around the death of Jesus that have profound effect on the world around jesus and provide a testimony about the importance of his death.
What are some of these physical things?
Well there is three hours of darkness – the coming of darkness in the day time is an incredible reversal of the normal rules and dynamics of what people call nature.
It is a fearful thing and it is quite incredible.
The tearing of the curtain is another incredible physical phenomenon that causes ripples throughout the Jeswish community.
What do these physical things proclaim – Well I think they proclaim that god can change the dynamics of the tried and trusted rules of life that most people take for granted.
At another level the parting of the curtain the tearing of the curtain which led the way to the holy of holies which is where the presence of God dwells is God’s visual aid to what the blood of Jesus that was being poured out on the ground at the same time – it is god’s way of saying – things have changed – now all people have access to God if they will but avail themselves of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Those ripples move throughout history and across that planet to this day.
God still through Good Friday breaks the physical rules.
A few weeks ago a few of us went to see Weston Carrier – He prayed for a young girl who I later heard had never run in her life – After he prayed she sprinted across the church – Whose name did Weston pray in?
Jesus Christ – You see Good Friday sends physical ripples throughout history right down to this day.
The second level of massive change is in the area of sacrifice.
Before Jesus died there was no perfect sacrifice available – that is why the Jews had to sacrifice animals over and over again in timeless rituals.
When Abraham has Isaac up on the mountain – he is provided with a Ram to sacrifice in isaac’s place.
So the Ram is a forerunner of jesus – But as you know that is not the last sacrifice to be made.
Why because the Ram is not a perfect sacrifice –
In the book of numbers there is a long list of sacrifices:
Here is an account of one of them by a man called Eliab:-
NU 7:24 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering.
NU 7:25 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 26 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 27 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
Was that sacrifice important – yes – But all the sacrifices before Jesus foreshadowed Jesus.
The truth is that foregiveness is now freely available.
Hebrews chapter 10 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
What does that mean?
There is a ripple of forgiveness flowing out from this death of Jesus on good Friday that changes everything – so much so that many many millions who claim forgiveness from the blood of Jesus enjoy forgiveness for eternity!
Do you know I was talking about sacrifice to some jewish people lately and they were telling me that even the Jews don’t sacrifice like they used to any more.
Even in Israel sacrifice has diminished – and yet they are still waiting on the messiah – But they don’t they do do some representitive stuff but the practice of Old Testament Sacrifice has changed everything.’
So there is a massive ripple of Grace flowing out through history and the world.
Thirdly there is a ripple of the Holy Spirit throughout history.
The ripple of the Holy Spirit is also released by the power of calvary.
JN 16:5 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
The pre-condition of the counselor – that is – the Holy S[pirit coming is that Jesus goes away.
The pre – ordained way in which Jesus goes is by crucifiction.
The ripples of the Holy spirit have moved throughout the entire world.
Last year we were in the village where Claire grew up and we read about the holy spirit profoundly affecting the villagers so much so that everyone was opowerfully and profoundly changed.
Who did that – the Holy Spirit.
Every week people in this church tell me how the Holy spirit has been working in their lives.
Good Friday releases ripples of power of the holy Spirit throughout history and over this planet.
Friends Good Friday ripples today over the Riversdale – Waikaia area.
May God profoundly move you through ripples of love – ripples of salvation and ripples of his Holy Spirit today.
