Sermon Central
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Arise My Love
Contributed by Clayton Beck on Jan 16, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: The Greatest Story Ever Told
04/08/07
Arise My Love...Easter Message
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
(prayer)
The Guinness Book of World Records, records some of the most amazing things and interesting facts.
Everything in it is usually listed as the greatest, the biggest, the most expensive…
It records things like…
-The most expensive painting…The Mona Lisa…said to be priceless, yet it is insured for a mere $100 million.
-The most expensive commercially made car…a Volkswagon Bugatti Veyron…it can go up to 230 mph, and reaches 62 mph in 2.555 seconds. It can be yours for around 1.2 million.
-In Clearfield, PA you can get the world’s largest hamburger.
It weighs 15 pounds, including 10.5 pounds of beef.
Dubbed as a Belly Buster, it comes with 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, and more.
-The biggest banana split…4.55 miles long!
-In Iowa Falls, Iowa…the world’s largest pizza…4,000 pounds of cheese, 700 pounds of sauce and 9,500 sections of crust. (129-by-92 foot pizza, with 50,000-slices)
-The tallest man recorded was Robert Wadlow of Alton, Ill.
Born weighing just over 8 lbs., by age 18 he was the tallest boy scout at 7’4”. By the time he died at age 22 he had grown to 8’ 11”, he had a shoe size of 37.
While the Guinness Book of Records, records many great things…
It does not record one of the greatest things of all times…
Just shy of two thousand years ago, the greatest events in the history of forever took place. It has been said to be the greatest Story every told.
Yet, to most who were even aware of what was happening at the time, it probably seemed insignificant.
In and around Jerusalem, everyone was caught up in the events of Passover. Most were busy preparing to celebrate.
They would celebrate the remembrance of the time in their history that the Children of Israel had been delivered out of Egypt.
They would remember their captivity at the hand of Pharaoh. They would remember the stories of how Moses, their God appointed leader, had told them by God’s command that they were to take a lamb, that they were at an appointed time to kill that lamb…and then they were to take the blood from that slain lamb and put it on the sides and top of the door posts of their homes.
God said that He would send His angel, and that when the angel would come by their door and see the blood from that slain lamb, He would pass over that home and all that were in it…but, where He went and did not see the blood…He would not pass over, but would go in, and kill the first born.
And, just as God had said…He did.
And, the children of Israel…just as they believed God’s Word…they did.
Yet, those that did not believe…did not.
Pharaoh awoke to find his own first born son killed, and there was great mourning among those that had not applied the blood to the posts of their doors…for there were many killed. And the Children of Israel were compelled to leave.
That’s what the Passover celebration for the Jew was all about…their deliverance.
But, this Jesus, this person from Nazareth…To some He was messing up their celebration. They had ignored Him for a couple of years…but, this nobody had lately been creating a small stir.
He had built a small following of people.
Claims were being made about some miracles He had performed.
But, even more than His actions that upset them were His words.
He had said things like…
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19)
That remark didn’t settle well with the Jews, especially the religious leaders.
“Is He making a terrorist threat against the holy temple of God?”
“Will He destroy it and then raise it up in three days…after all the years of money and sacrifice that have been spent to build it?”
