Sermon Tone Analysis

SERMON TITLE: The Crucified & Risen King

Good News : Special Easter Edition

Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed!

But 2000 years ago that headline - Crucified King Seen Alive - seemed impossible.

The Women Expected Death At The Grave

2000 years ago, Mary Magdalen, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome expected to prepare Jesus body for burial.

They expected to find a the body of Jesus in the tomb.

They expected weep and mourn.

They expected to see a bruised and mutilated body.

They expected to say goodbye to every hope and promise.

They expected to share stories of the way he loved them, to share stories of that time he turned the water into wine, or healed Peter’s mom, or stood up for the woman in the face of accusers, or raised Lazarus from the dead, or taught them what the Kingdom of Heaven really is.

They expected to leave the garden tomb that day feeling the weight of sorrow and grief.

They expected to leave the garden tomb that day confused about what would come next…

What about the Kingdom Jesus said was coming?

What about the revolution we had hoped for?

What about the restoration of Israel?

What about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees?

What about the temple?

What about the prophecies of Jesus?

What about the claims of Jesus? - He claimed to be the fulfillment of the Prophets of Israel - He claimed to be the the Son of God - He claimed to be equal to the Father - He claimed he would build his church -He claimed hell would not stop his Kingdom - He claimed to be the Messiah, the Promised and Anointed one - He claimed to be the Ancient One - He claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob - He claimed that he was the Resurrection and the Life - He claimed he was instituting a new covenant and the bread was his body and the cup was his blood.

They expected to find what everyone finds when they go to the grave of a dead loved one.

They expected to find Jesus, dead.

They had seen the evens of the week.

Palm Sunday : The King Arrives

The women had seen Jesus fulfill the Prophecy of Isaiah.

The had seen Him worshiped.

They had seen him rebuke the Pharisees and welcome the coranation.

They saw Jesus enter Jerusalem welcomed as a miracle worker, a prophet, a teacher, a rebel revolutionary, as a KING.

The women saw Palm Sunday.

Monday - The King Decrees

The women heard.

The women knew what Jesus has done.

How He cursed this fig tree.

He says your days are over.

You will no longer bring heal and life and fruit.

Of course the fig tree is a symbol of Israel, the Law, and the Old Covenant

And in Luke 19:45-48

The women heard.

The women saw.

It was the talk of Jerusalem.

Jesus turning over tables.

The King is Decreeing and Declaring that his house will be a house of prayer, of communion, or fellowship.

The King is bringing judgement of those who would exploit others in the name of God.

On Monday the King is cleaning house.

It’s Passover Week.

The Temple was even busier than normal.

And here come the King restoring order and driving out oppressors.

He comes Jesus standing up for the pure in heart, the marginalized, the faithful.

And the women saw Jesus using his Kingly authority to defeat bad religion.

The women saw Monday.

Tuesday : The King Cautions His People

Luke 21:34–36 (CSB)

What is Jesus talking about?

He’s talk about the destruction of Jerusalem.

He’s talking about the final revelation of Jesus at his second coming.

He’s talking about future events - some that that generation would see and some would come later.

And the women hear it.

Jesus is cautioning His people.

Be ready for that day.

Be ready for the day of judgement.

Be ready for the day of reckoning.

Be ready for the day of the LORD.

Be ready for the day of destruction.

He is cautioning His people.

And the women hear it.

And the women see it.

Wednesday : The King Continues / The Council Conspires

It’s Wednesday.

Jesus is continuing to teach in the temple.

Jesus is not just teaching in synagogue He is in the Temple, the most revered space in Israel.

The Women hear Him teaching in the Temple.

Claiming the prophecies for himself.

Pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Religious Council

Explaining and expounding on the Scriptures.

Revealing himself to be the point of the Holy Scriptures.

And the more He shows that the text in its proper context reveals the pretext of the Pharisees the more the Jewish Council seeks to get rid of Him.

It‘s Wednesday.

Passover is quickly approaching.

A Sacrifice is about to be made.

A Sacrifice that will atone for the sins of all men.

A Sacrifice.

An innocent man.

Thursday : The Covenantal King

A New Covenant.

It’s Passover.

The celebration of the deliverance of Israel from bandage in Egypt by God under Moses.

Here Jesus is instituting a New Covenant.

He’s saying that His death would be the ratification of this Covenant.

That his blood guarantees the covenant.

That like the Passover Lamb saved Israel from the death of their firstborn, Jesus the only begotten Son of God’s death would save and deliver all who would apply the covenant to theor lives.

Jesus is this Covenantal King.

A King who in his death would bring life.

A King who would sacrifice himself to deliver and rescue His people.

A King who would make all how apply the blood to their lives kings and priests in the Kingdom of God.

When you, in faith, receive the bread and the cup you are remembering the Covenant, the King, and that by the death of Jesus you have a place in the Kingdom of God.

It’s Thursday.

The women are preparing for Passover.

Jesus is preparing to be the Sacrifice.