Jesus - The Champion
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST: Basketball nets - spoils for the victory
READ: Mark 12:1-11 - Parable of the Vine-grower
Jesus summarizes the battle, the war being waged, through a simple parable of God’s love for the world
In the parable, the vine-growers assumed killing the son would rid them of having to deal with the vineyard owner
This parallels God’s relationship with people, and their response to His love
Why send the son?
Why send Jesus? Good question…
Because Yahweh desired reconciliation, restoration of relationship
Time after time after time - He sent people to invite others to His kingdom
You today, are hearing an invite to that Kingdom
QUESTION: What is YOUR response to God’s love?
You’re in church today? No really, what is your response to God’s love?
You have rejected the Cornerstone…OR
You have built your life around the Cornerstone
Either way, your life shows your choice
BUT…You have to decide who your life is about
You have to decide on a Champion - the battle, the war, is all around us
It started in Genesis 3:15 - the promise of a Redeemer, Messiah, after the Fall
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Yahweh vs Satan
Yahweh vs the world
Yahweh told Satan that Satan would get his licks in, that the “seed” - the Redeemer, Messiah - would have His heel bruised -
but that Satan would have his head bruised, a crushing, blow of total defeat
But when?
Satan fell, this created being, chose self over Yahweh, and convinced angels to follow
Satan became the god of this world
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Satan sought to entice people to follow him, in essence, by following themselves - convinced angels, remember?
Satan’s tactics/plans/goals
Clever, cunning, deceptive (not playing ‘fair’)
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Use others to teach false Gospels, opposed to Christ
Always seeking more and more people
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Encourage people make a practice of sinning, rebellious to Yahweh
But the choice is on each person
We cannot blame Satan for our sin
We cannot blame Satan for our not following Jesus
Down through history - captured in the 6000 years or so in the Bible
Satan has used this world, its weapons (lies, deceit, pride, love of self), to try to block Yahweh’s plans - and Yahweh responded with His plan
Some examples:
Adam and Eve - pride
Yahweh responded with promise
Cain and Abel - anger, sin, selfishness, lack of repentance
Yahweh gives Adam and Eve Seth, a Godly line of faithful
The Flood, rampant immorality and other wickedness
Yahweh had Noah build an ark, foreshadowing Christ
Babel - arrogance, self-sufficiency; people refused to scatter and populate the earth
Yahweh confused the language, to populate His world - people were spared
Yahweh has ALWAYS had the best interest planned for His crowning achievement - humans
Yahweh has the best interest for YOU
YAHWEH’S PLAN ALWAYS INCLUDED THE DEFEAT OF SATAN AND HIS WORKS
Over and over, God warned, promised, warned, promised
And the fight had to be settled
Champion Warfare - explain
Not often utilized, there a few accounts in history
Most notably David vs Goliath
Philistines sent out their biggest and best - their champion
David steps up
You can read what David says in 1 Samuel 17: 45-47
“I AM GOING TO REMOVE YOUR HEAD FROM YOU”
And David does just that
Then David goes to Jerusalem, then controlled by the Canaanite Jebusites
And David shows them the head of Goliath - 1 Samuel 17:54
David will soon conquer the city, His city, City of David, where Jesus comes
“Goliath of Gath” - from the words “Gola Gotha”
It is speculated that David buried Goliath’s head on a hill outside Jerusalem - a valiant show of victory
This hill, outside Jerusalem - Golgotha - the place of a skull
Goliath was the enemy of God’s people - defeated by God, through David
Why did Yahweh send Jesus?
1 John 3:8 (NASB95)
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
Yahweh sent His CHAMPION
Genesis 3:15 (NASB95)
He shall bruise you on the head…
Satan is the enemy of God’s people
Jesus dies on a cross, on Golgotha - His “heel bruised”
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
Jesus, on that cross, was lifted up, for all to see
To see - Not His defeat, but His victory!
Like David - “Hey, here is the head of your champion!”
Jesus - “Hey, Satan, watch this!”
“Bruise my heel, it’s all planned out”
“Your head…CRUSHED!”
Sunday morning, that tomb is empty
Jesus is alive
Death has been defeated
Satan’s works are destroyed
Jesus - our CHAMPION
Sent on a mission - destroy the works of the devil
The resurrection - the ultimate sign of VICTORY
But what is that victory?
FORGIVENESS
Satan cannot defend against FORGIVENESS
THAT is the point of the resurrection
Forgiveness is freely available to everyone…who asks
And Satan will encourage you not to ask
Rely on yourself, live like the world, take what you can
Die in your sin, and be with Satan forever
Satan thinks the fight is still on
The resurrection shows that victory is complete
But there DOES remain one battle, for the ultimate prize
The ultimate prize - is YOU
Satan wants you - lost or living like it
Jesus died and rose again for you
1 Thessalonians 4:13ff explains the hope of believers
1 Corinthians 15 as well
CLOSE
David used a stone
Jesus used a cross
The battle is over, the victory is certain
You have to decide if you will claim that victory
It’s called repentance - turning from the world, and toward Yahweh, looking to the cross
Rejoicing in the empty tomb
Nothing compares to repentance and forgiveness
“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Like the parable we opened with
Yahweh has sent the son to be the Savior of the world
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
The resurrection means Jesus WINS!
“The world” = every single person who ever lived, is living, and will ever live
“The world” includes YOU
TODAY - You are invited into the Kingdom
TODAY - I announce your invitation to ask Jesus to be your Savior
And He will say YES when you ask