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Easter Season 2005
Easter 2005
Title: ‘The Passion of the Christ,
part
2’
Main Text: Luke 24
Introduction: Passion. I have found
that while the flames of passion burns hot, it can cool off all too quickly.
Am I right ladies?
Think back to when you were dating. The long hours on the phone, wanting to
see each other every day, sending one another love notes.
ILL: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (Percy
Sledge)
When a man loves a woman Can't keep his mind on nothin' else He'd trade
the world For a good thing he's found
If she is bad, he can't see it She can do no wrong Turn his back on his
best friend If he puts her down
When a man loves a woman Spend his very last dime Trying to hold on to
what he needs
He'd give up all his comforts And sleep out in the rain If she said
that's the way It ought to be
Now that’s passion! Then you get married…and passion takes a hike. (don’t
worry, it can be rekindled)
Americans are passionate about many things…their favorite sports team,
favorite hobbies, their homes, cars, you name it, and we can be passionate
about it. Whatever our passion, we give it our all.
We’ve come to the decision that cost, time, weather, comfort, even dignity
are irrelevant.
ILL: Green Bay Packer fans are
perhaps the most outrageous football fans ever. It could be 10 degrees at
Lambeau Field and there are always a lot of fans without any shirts on, with
there faces and chests painted green and yellow…wearing a triangle cheese
hat. While I would say crazy, they would say passion, giving all for their
team.
Passion Defined: So, what is
passion? It is defined as ‘aroused or inflamed emotions’. It means ‘driving
force’. When Latin was the world religion it came to mean ‘to suffer’.
Which is where we get the phrase ‘The Passion of the Christ’. Referring to
the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life.
Christ’s passion was physical.
• He felt the pain of each bone tipped strand of the whip that ripped
apart his flesh
• He felt the pain of2” long thorns thrust into his head to make a mock
crown
• He felt the pain of 6” iron spikes being hammered into his wrists and
feet…while he was fully conscious
His passion was physical. But it was also emotional.
• He felt the pain those who reject his offer of forgiveness will
experience for all eternity
• He felt the pain those who say no to a personal relationship with him
will know when they are abandoned fro all eternity.
But, it was the physical pain and suffering that the movie, ‘The Passion of
the Christ’ focused on. ‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities…by his wounds we are healed.’ Isa. 53:5-6. That’s
how the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ began. Then for the next 2 hours
we saw his pain, we felt his agony, we cringed at his suffering…his passion.
Have you seen the movie? My eyes filled frequently as I kept thinking..’It
should have been me. I sinned, not Jesus.’
I find it amazing that Hollywood and the media got so bent out of shape
about the violence in the movie. They thought it excessive and gratuitous.
What? I didn’t hear anyone complain about the violence in ‘The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre’ and all the other slasher movies. What about Alien and
Rambo, no complaints there.
• ‘The Passion of the Christ’ was not gratuitous violence, it was
historical fact.
• Jesus was beaten beyond recognition and the unimaginable pain of his
crucifixion actually happened.
But, I’m not surprised to learn that a new, kinder, gentler, less violent
version of ‘The Passion of the Christ’ has been released. People want to
skip the passion , the suffering of the Christ because when they see it,
somewhere deep in their hearts, they feel something they don’t like…guilt.
OK, why all the violence, gore and blood? Why all the suffering? It was,
believe it or not, a demonstration of Jesus’ one true passion… YOU,
relationship with you.
He loves you so much he was willing to suffer the pain we deserve to
experience for our sin, just so he could offer us forgiveness and spend
eternity with us in heaven.
The last 12 hours of Jesus’ life was the basis for the movie ‘The Pasison fo
the Christ’. It revolved exclusively around his suffering and death on the
cross. But understand something, the passion of the Christ didn’t start with
his beating and crucifixon, nor does it end there. The passion of the
Christ…the one true driving force in his life, was not his suffering and
death…it was YOU!
That’s why I titled this message ‘The Passion of the Christ pt.2’. What
drove Jesus thru the pain and to the cross, also raised him from the
dead…What was it?
• His love for you,
• His desire to be in an intimate relationship with you,
• You are the Passion of the Christ, that’s why he’s alive today..to know
you and for you to know him, to offer forgiveness for your sin and to spend
eternity
with you.
Transition: If there was a sequel to
‘The Passion of the Christ’ it would be taken from our text this morning.
Turn to Lk. 24:1 (pg. 808 in the church Bible) where we will see the one
true passion of the Christ.
‘The Resurrection of the Christ’
Read: Luke 24:1-12
‘Why do you seek the living among the
dead?’ The women shouldn’t have been surprised. Jesus told them he
would rise from the dead. He told them he would see them again. Matthew’s
account tells us that Jesus actually met with the women and spoke to
them…personally. That was his style, it’s what he did, it’s what he still
does.
Jesus rose from the dead so we could be assured that those who place their
faith in him will rise from the dead too, because nothing, absolutely
nothing can ever separate us from Jesus’ love for us, not even our death.
Transition: You are the Passion of
the Christ.
‘The Fellowship of the Christ’
Read: Luke 24:13-35
Jesus was dead and with him died all the dreams, and hopes of his followers,
his friends. Everything they believed in…gone, and so was their friend.
There was nothing to do but go back home.
As two of Jesus’ followers traveled home after the crucifixion, Jesus met
and traveled with them. Not recognizing him, the two men spoke of how Jesus
had died but a couple of women said they had seen him alive. They didn’t
seem to believe the women. Jesus spoke to them, reminded them that the
Christ must suffer and die and that he would be raised again. Then, he went
to their home for a meal. As Jesus blessed the food and shared fellowship
with them at the kitchen table, the men recognized him and Jesus
disappeared.
Jesus revealed himself to assure these men that he did what he had to
do..suffer and die, but also that he was alive to fellowship with them.
These men were so excited that they ran the 7 miles back to Jerusalem to
tell the other disciples that Jesus was alive and had spent time with them.
Transition: You are the Passion of
the Christ.
‘The Compassion of the Christ’
Read: Luke 24:36-49
The disciples were afraid, devastated…but a little bit curious too. After
all three women had said they saw Jesus alive, that he spoke to them. Then
two out of breath followers of Jesus ran into the room saying that they too
had met and spent time with Jesus.
Jesus, knowing their fears, enters the room and says ‘Peace be with you.’ In
other words, Don’t be afraid, it’s OK, I’m here with you once again. Then he
said something which seemed out of place… ‘What do ya got to eat?’ Don’t
you love it?
Jesus showed his friends compassion with his words and by his actions he
spent time with them, just like friends do.
Transition: You are th epassion of
the Christ.
‘The Blessing of the Christ’
Read: Luke 24:50-53
‘He blessed them’. O, to be blessed
by Jesus himself.
Blessing Defined: ‘To speak well of’,
‘To cause to prosper, to make happy’.
Jesus suffered and died a horrible death while his friends denied knowing
him, and ran away in fear. Yet, Jesus blessed them, he spoke well of them.
In Matthew’s account, Jesus meets with his friends and just before he goes
to heaven he tells them ‘Surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age.’ (Matt. 28:20)
What better blessing than to know that once you become Jesus’ friend, he
will never leave you nor forsake you. Never!
Transition: You are the passion of
the Christ.
Conclusion: ‘The Passion of the
Christ’
Question: Is there anything you are
passionate about? Anything you really love to do?
I really love spending time on my motorcycle with my wife. I enjoy the
feeling of freedom and the clear view of the beauty of God’s creation with
the most beautiful of all God’s creation, my wife, Kathy sitting behind me.
I will work hard all week to get everything done so I can spend a few hours
with my wife riding my motorcycle.
But my passion for riding motorcycles and the Green Bay fan’s passion for
their Packers pale to the passion Jesus has for you. ‘The Passion of the
Christ’. As a Christian I never get tired of hearing about what Jesus did
for me on the cross of Calvary. Jesus’ passion blows me away.
To know, to be assured
• That Jesus, God’s Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords loves me so
much and wants to be with me so much
• That he left all the glories and joys of heaven
• To put on flesh and bone, endure all the pain and suffering we saw so
vividly in the move ‘The Passion of the Christ.’
• Just so we can accept his offer of forgiveness and be together for all
eternity in heaven.
The Passion of the Christ…is you! Jesus loves you, personally, powerfully
and passionately. You are the object of his one true passion.
In an age of cool, detached demeanor, where we rarely let anyone close, we
can’t picture Jesus as Charles Wesley the great hymn writer did when he
called him ‘the Lover of my soul’. In those dark times when you sense no one
else loves you, when no one else is doing anything for you or with you,
Jesus is there, passionately pursuing you with a love that is unmatched and
unending.
I hope that one day there is a ‘The Passion of the Christ pt.2’ and they
look at the one true passion of Jesus, living… to show his love for you.