In today’s sermon, Pastor Babij teaches on the uniqueness of Jesus’ death as demonstrated by the three events that occurred during Jesus’ crucifixion and His burial.
Pastor Babij warns believers to beware of religious pluralism and the belief that it is not necessary to trust in Christ’s death and resurrection for salvation.
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okay let’s uh turn our Bibles this morning and look at and as we look at this last section about the self- sacrifice of the servant we see today the suffering and the mockery the torment and the death of uh our servant King Jesus Christ so let’s follow along as we look at the scripture today and before I do that let’s pray Lord thank you this morning for this opportunity to be able to meet with you to gather around the word of God with your people I pray Lord that as we do that you would continue to bless us with the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray Lord that we’d always be uh growing in our love for you and Lord one way to do that is to just begin to comprehend the extent you went to to save us and to secure our Salvation forever and I pray Lord as we Ponder those things that you would just encourage our hearts even when our days go wrong and we are dealing with difficulties and problems that we would always look back to the work that you’ve accomplished on our behalf and I pray that Lord through it you may encourage us you may increase our hope and increase our knowledge of you so our faith would be strong and I pray this in Christ’s name amen so this morning we’re going to be looking at verses 33 to verse 47 and uh as I mentioned before this is Friday morning um it is between 9 a.m. and 12: noon on a Friday Jesus is on the cross of crucifixion paying the debt the sin debt a debt uh we could have never paid and he’s doing it not for himself but he is doing it for vile sinners like you like me last time in our text we were in verse uh 27- 28 where I said to you that Jesus was crucified to save others not himself even though he was the son of God and a great king and there his right and one on his left these convicted robbers were directly connected to Jesus because they were Sinners and uh robbers who made a made it a career to Rob innocent victims while they were traveling from place to place and usually one crime led to another crime led to another crime so there was many things going on as uh these robbers were committing their sins Jesus is placed smack right in the middle of these two criminals and Jesus was the most important person who held centered Place between two Sinners who were dying justly for their crimes Jesus was of course fulfilling prophecy here where the Bible tells us that he was numbered with the transgressors this is what he was doing there and then also remember Jesus was not about saving himself he was about saving his people which required Jesus to stay on the cross until all the saving work was finished and complete and then the next thing is that the great king was crucified for Sinners that is Jesus was fulfilling his mission that he was not dying for the righteous for there are none but was the substitute sacrifice for all kinds of Sinners as it tells us in Corinthians he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we may become the righteousness of God in him it’s hard to believe that Jesus Christ would die for the helpless for the ungodly for all kinds of Sinners who have sinned to all kinds of extents and then to die for his enemies but that’s exactly what he came to do and so this morning as we pick it up in verse number 33 we see that Jesus vicarious sufferings were so unique and by unique I mean one of a kind that they were accompanied by unusual one-of-a-kind happenings and we’re going to mention that there there are actually pretty strange unusual but very unique happenings that are recorded by Mark the gospel of of Mark he doesn’t record all of them only particular ones and the first one he records while Jesus was on the cross is that there was going to be a unusual but unique darkness that would take place while Jesus hung on the cross three hours of Darkness a matter of fact from 12: noon to 3:00 p.m. and look at verse number 33 it says when the sixth hour came the sixth hour being noon Darkness fell over the whole land until the 9th hour so that would be 3 p.m. so the darkness came at a time of day when the sun would have normally been at its highest also this strange Darkness lasted three hours and ended before the sun went down further to my knowledge this was not a solar eclipse because I believe it’s astronomically impossible when the moon is nearly full now if it was any kind of eclipse it was definitely miraculous some linguists say that the Greek fa phrase Darkness fell over the whole land cannot mean only land or country but must mean the whole Earth when the light of the sun is shut off the day half of the globe is made dark and if the day half of the globe is made dark that means the whole world is dark so the Gospel of Luke actually tells us that in verse 45 of Luke CH 23 because the sun was obscured and the veil of the temple was torn into two The New International Version says the sun stopped shining and of course many of you have the ESV English stand Standard Version says while the Sun’s light fell in other words the translators were trying to get a sense of what exactly happened there of course they didn’t have a worldwide Network like we have where you can know what’s happening somewhere in else in the world at uh in a second so they we have to depend on what the spirit of God records for us in scripture so the possibility of when Jesus was dying on the cross the whole world was in this a a complete darkness is probably the case I would lean toward that is what was taken place there and really the only conclusion one can honestly come to is that this Darkness was wholly miraculous God darkened the Sun’s light precisely at the moment that the father hid actually the father had to abandon his son who had become sin for us at that moment the just suffering in the place of the UN unjust who deserved of course the unjust deserved only punishment so the darkness ended at the moment of jesus’ death darkness in scripture symbolizes the world of evil for which Jesus has come to bring Salvation Darkness has often in scripture signified judgment several passages came to my mind one would be in two would be actually in the Minor Prophets uh Joel recorded that there would be a day of darkness and Gloom a day of clouds and thick Darkness not that that referred to this but the sense that it is not unusual for a prophet of God to mention the power and authority of God over creation and even over the son’s light even the prophet Amos tells us it will come about in that day declares the Lord God that I will make the sun go down at noon and make the Earth dark in broad daylight so it’s it’s it was not an uncommon thought for one reading scripture and studying scripture that God can do do such a thing but this was very unique because it was right at the moment that the father had to turn his back completely on the Lord Jesus Christ and so that really leads us to a second unusual thing that happened at the cross and I’m calling it an unusual unique forsaking if you notice what it says in verse number 34 it says at the 9th hour that’s 3:00 Jesus cried out with a loud voice Elo Elo l sabakon or Sab sabatan which is translated my God my God why have you forsaken me so at that die and bear the penalty for sin to those who eagerly await him so Jesus was truly truly forsaken by the father now why did that take place because the world’s sin and curse laid Upon Jesus Christ and isn’t it is it not sin that the word of God tells us is the very thing which separates us from a holy God it separated Adam and Eve from God in the garden where they were blocked from the fellowship they had we can’t be saved or we can’t even have a relationship with God we can’t even come in separation between you and your God and then it says and your sins have hidden his face from you so he does not hear so it’s it’s this very fact in Scripture that it is our sin that prevents us that blocks us that separates us from a holy God as was said already crucifixion is a very horrible way to die not physical even though the physical part was necessary it was rather the agony of his soul as he bore the guilt of the world’s sin and experienced the greatest haret abandonment of the father and I mean total abandonment of the father and only by Jesus being fully and actually forsaken could the full price of redemption actually be paid only by Jesus fully paying for our sin could salvation become a reality also the forsaken meant that Jesus bore the full wrath of God he bore the full penalty of sin for us so that we could be saved so the darkness and the agonizing Cry of Jesus went together oh my God my God why have you forsaken me the confusion of sin comes in by the question it’s important to note that in the last 3 hours of his life Jesus demonstrates that he will he really still possessed physical strength he had not reached utter exhaustion in fact it says there it says several places in our text his voice was strong and able to speak loudly it says Jesus cried with a loud voice voice so that means that his human nature clothed with his divine nature left Jesus to stand alone in the three hours of agonizing darkness when the father turned completely away from him I believe that this is what Jesus trembled over and shed tears of blood over in the garden this very instant right here when he had to bear this separation from the Father which he never experienced before this is something the Lord experienced it again and maybe this is another reason for the cross so the the Lord himself would not have to experience any separation again from his father and from the spirit of God so again this was prophetic it tells us in Psalm 22 verse1 my God my God why have you forsaken me so this was already in the mind of the writers of scripture that this would come there would come a time this Messianic Psalm 22 Psalm 22 would of course happen historically and and it did happen historic historically so sin causes confusion causes spiritual deafness and causes misunderstanding and of course even at the cross there was still this misunderstanding and I want you to notice several things also at the cross and particularly the misunderstandings that actually become unconscious Prophecies of the significance of jesus’ death in verse number 35 and 36 it says in verse 35 when some of the B standards heard it they began saying behold he’s calling for Elijah and then in verse 36 some ran and filled the sponge with sour wine put it on a reed and gave him to a drink saying let us see whether Elijah will come and take him down in other words the mockers distorted jesus’ words because Eloy Eloy is a actually an Aramaic word that means my God you can’t mistake that my God my God Elo Elo so that means they weren’t crying for Elijah or uh it didn’t mean Elijah however there was a belief during the day that Elijah would proceed in mark but recorded in the Gospel of John where it says after this John 19:28 knowing that all things had already been accomplished to fulfill the scripture Jesus said I am thirsty that’s when they lifted up a hissa branch to his mouth for him to drink it now of course that also was an indication something definitely would take place but these people waited in vain for Elijah to come and the reason why is they already misunderstood everything that was going on when it came to the cross and what came to the prophets when it came to the Psalms and you know in our day unless we understand the death of Jesus in light of the consequences of the wages a sin the cross is just a symbol it’s just an emblem it’s just a piece of jewelry worn around your neck or earrings in the ears that’s all it is and many people who walk around with such things don’t believe the significance of the Cross they don’t believe what actually took place there matter of fact they don’t even know what took place there they’re totally in the dark of about it and so anybody who does not understand what the scriptures say about the cross are going to come to the wrong conclusions they’re going to come to the place where they come up with their own stuff so on the cross jesus’ mind reviewed the whole scope of prophet of the prophetic word and actually we checked off one by one right down to the end of where he says I thirst so in other words the Lord was really in full possession of his mental faculties when he cried out with a loud voice my God my God why have you forsaken me now at that particular point here’s where the scripture clearly gives us the effects of the Cross and the first would be that Jesus dies and completes God’s Plan of Salvation via the vicarious suffering on the cross where if you notice in verse 37 it says and Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathe his last in other words Jesus actually dies because he has taken on sin and the wages of sin is death Jesus not dying for his own sin he was not he was sinless but dying for the sins of others Jesus is is said to have spoken seven times on the cross I mentioned a few of them but already several have been listed and one of them in verse 34 of Mark 15 it was a cry of horror and that horror horrible cry was my God my God why have you forsaken me coming from the lips of Jesus then there was the Cry of Torment I am thirsty and then there was the Cry of victory Mark records it like this he breathed his last the Gospel of John records it like this it is finished all right it’s that word that we use in evangelism to testy testy means Jesus brought it to an end he finished it he completed it he comp he accomplished Redemption he paid the Redemption price in full and it was at that particular point of completion he bowed his head when everything was accomplished and he uttered a loud cry and breathed his last that means he actually died and of course there was in the Gospel of Luke The Cry of a commitment and that commitment was father into your hands I commit my spirit so the forsaking of the father had passed when death set in when Jesus died he placed his soul in the hands of the father when all had been endured and Jesus cried it is finished he yielded up his soul into the father’s hands as a ransom for many and that some point the promise that he gave to the thief on the cross today you will be with me in Paradise took place it’s hard to follow that you just don’t know exactly everything that happened so after Jesus said it is finished and everything was fulfilled according to scripture some immediate and significant things started taking place yes also unusual that that does bring me to the third unique and unusual thing that took place and that was this that was the place of worship that was the place God required them to come well what happened at that particular point the sanctuary of God’s presence is opened up signifying a new access to God is made possible possible and if you notice look what it says in verse number 38 and the veil of them was the inner Veil into the holy of holies that inner Veil can only be entered one time a year and that was on the day of atonement and that was by only one priest and the people knew the priest usually used to have bells uh embroidered on the bottom of their um their garment and when the high priest went into the holy of holies that one time with the blood that was already offered for the people’s sins and he would sprinkle it on the mercy seed as the the priest outside as long as they heard the bells moving they knew he was still alive in other words he was doing everything the way God required it all right in fact some say that there was a rope tied to his leg also that uh was led out of the sanctuary that if somehow they no longer Heard the Bells they would be able to pull him out but as long as they heard the bells as long as they heard the movement of the high priest everything was fine the people would Rejoice because they knew that their sins for that year would be covered would be forgiven and so therefore everything went well so what we see here is that this inner Veil that hung between the holy place and the holy of holies in the temple Sanctuary this Mighty curtain it was probably 60 foot by 80 foot and it was torn into two by the invisible hand of God from top to bottom and it was torn into the moment that Jesus died everything was was accomplished to come into the presence of God you have some new way a better way and that’s what Hebrews writes about it writes about a better way that the tearing of the great curtain was God’s Proclamation that the Jewish High priest’s ministration was at an end fact by 70 AD when the temple was destroyed it was destroyed uh but also the sacrificial system was destroyed there’s no reason to sacrifice anymore and of course Jesus now had entered the holy of holies with his atoning blood once for all making a new way a better way to God through a new Veil through the veil of his own flesh in fact take your Bibles very quickly and turn to Hebrews chapter 10 and I want you to notice a few passages verse 19 Verse 22 of Hebrews 10 and while you’re turning there according to Hebrews all true Christians have confidence now to enter into the presence of God because Jesus had opened the veil this new veil by his death so in other words we can boldly enter Heaven’s Most Holy place because of the blood of Jesus Christ notice in Hebrews 10 verse number 19 it says therefore Brethren since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and a living way which he inaugurated for us through the Veil The Veil that is his flesh in other words this Veil that blocked people from the presence of God was replaced by a new Veil and that was the veil of jesus’ own flesh that see he took care of on the cross everything that the priest took care of leading up to the day of of atonement but he did it forever you know one thing when you’re reading the Old Testament and you read all the stuff the priest had to do I mean there was sacrifice after sacrifice these guys were exhausted I mean they they they were truly ex matter of fact by 50 years old a priest was done he he was like re relegated to the guard shack he was re relegated to help the other priests do their job because they were so exhausted by so many sacrifices had to be offered before God so the sins of the people can be atoned for and covered for just one year and this went on year after year after year after year notice from verse 21 of Hebrews chapter 10 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God verse 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart and full Assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkle clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water in other words he’s saying there that listen not only is the inside clean but the outside is clean too that means now you are clean to go into the presence of God and who does that Christ does that by his blood so see we don’t have to have all this ritual and all the stuff that went on in fact this event was so significant that the priest had to give up all the ceremonies and rituals of the temple and why is that because the Fulfillment of all those ceremonies and rituals were brought to an end and found their full fulfillment in the Lamb of God Jesus Christ who takes away the sin of the world the death of Jesus Christ made these sacrifices unnecessary because his death our sins because of his death our sins were completely forgiven and fellowship with God had been restored so that means when the reality Christ to which the shadow was pointing when Christ came and shed his blood historically the shadow gr gradually faded away having served its purpose the levitical priesthood and the law that guided it and the sacrifices that were daily offered were set aside because a better hope had come the finished work of Christ so then that Jesus can do and has accomplish what the old priesthood could have never have done and what is that he can give us access to God he can do everything so we have access to God you know there’s there’s many religions and all of them have some Works based procedure and of course also in their procedures there’s this kind of like man I hope I can please God and I hope that I’m good enough or do what I is required of me so I can go to heaven or wherever they’re going but they never can get any assurance that that could ever be true in fact in our day religious pluralism abounds everywhere you go but I I really have to warn you about pluralism Theologian Don Carson defines pluralism as listen what he says the view that all religions have the same moral and spiritual value and offer the same po potential for achieving salvation however salvation be construed by any particular group that is the mindset of our day the pluralist question is this is the work of Christ necessary for salvation or is made for the Christian but there are other ways of getting right with God and gaining Eternal Bliss in other religions see the work of Christ in other words is useful for the Christian but not necessary for the non-Christian this is the mindset that pervades our day in a large way scripture strongly presses upon us the impossibility of Eternal salvation outside and the Hindu can by their resolutions of renunciation accomplish salvation or the Buddhists keeping their ethics can accomplish Eternal salvation and forgiveness of sins or the inherent inherent righteousness by keeping the sacraments again it’s still a work bace system I have to do something and hope I can have my sins forgiven and eternal life or any other works space system and there’s many of them out there there’s hundreds of religions and they’re all come from the mind of man they all have been manipulated and formed and practiced because what man thinks go God ought to do and all yet because he accomplished everything that we could have never or any religious system could have ever accomplished so we can actually be made right with God well so then it cannot be possible it cannot possibly be that his death was necessary for the Salvation of some is the only necessary means provided by God for Eternal salvation for all people for all times I said this before a Abraham could never have been saved unless it was for Christ dying on the cross but for Christ dying on the cross so I say it like this eternal life cannot be found outside of Christ amen that’s what you learn in scripture so completely does Jesus save those who receive him as Lord and Savior that he makes them fit to come to God to dwell with God and to be one with Jesus throughout all eternity that’s what God does no one else could do that so this event of the Cross is so marked for a particular reason that I just said the door is open through the veil of Jesus Christ right into the presence of God well if you notice the Gentile or or the Heathen Centurion joined in with jesus’ faithful Jewish followers in attesting that Jesus is the son of God notice what it says in verse 39 of 15 it says when the Centurion who was standing right in front of him saw the way he breathed his last he said truly this man was the son of God so a heathen soldier who so powerfully and fearfully struck by jesus’ death and the events that occurred that day all flowing in upon him the darkness of that was so unusual Matthew records the earthquake that was very unusual that took place where the Earth Shook and The Rock split in two and then here it says jesus’ demeanor and character was so unusual it was so like it shouldn’t be it caught his attention through his sufferings the mockery of the religious EST establishment the abuse of the soldiers this the miscarriage of justice and it it recorded here the way he breathed his last bread there must have been a strength that came came over this Soldier the way Jesus died that he was way more than just the man that there was something going on that day that was beyond him and so this Heathen Soldier by actic conclusion was about exactly what Mark is about who is Jesus all right who Jesus is in reality beyond all the lies and the misinformation of the press he says in verse number 39 truly this man was the son of God is that not an absolute emphatic statement of testimony this guy probably had no knowledge of the Old Testament maybe scant know knowled he was a Roman soldier did his job and he concluded that this man Jesus was the righteous one in fact it’s it’s recorded in uh other translations in the King James it says certainly he says this man was a righteous man and then also in The New American Standard certainly this man was innocent that Jesus was the righteous one the man who was innocent and if there was ever ACC claimed a deity this man Jesus was the real deal this is what he this Heathen Roman soldier concludes so you see something’s going on here see the veil is broken open for the Gentiles for the Heathen not just for the Jews salvation in other words is now for All Peoples everywhere the gospel is preached and then something else goes on because of this event the his faithful followers continue to follow him but notice who’s listed in verse number 40 to 42 these faithful women followers demonstrate by Jesus special burial that he is the Son of God notice the women in verse number 40 there were also some women looking on from a distance among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Les and josies in salomi when he was in Galilee they used to follow him and minister to him and there was many other women who came up with him from Jer uh to Jerusalem when evening had already come because it was the day of preparation Sabbath and have everything done before Sunset because at Sunset and Friday the Sabbath started no one could work so this is what is going on here here and it was the where it says the day before Sabbath so what’s Mary Magdalene you know who is she she was a woman it says in Luke who was healed of evil spirits and sickness Mary who was called Magdalene from whom seven demons were gone out or cast out by Jesus she’s there at the cross at the burial she’s there with the other women meaning that if you put it all together that Jesus seems to have authority now over all people and their human hearts by breaking it open to the Gentiles he has authority over demons where this woman is now set free forgiven and now is following him Faithfully he has authority over death Matthew 27 tells us Mark doesn’t record this that the tombs were open and many bodies of the Saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after the resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many and I think about that verse I said man that’s a real Horror Story right there all right that is something that would be M imagine that you had somebody die who who became a believer in Christ and they’ve been dead for a long time and they show up at your door is that freaky anyway but see the power of God over death over demon Dem over human hearts and also over the stronghold of religious systems look what it says in verse number 43 and 46 and what I mean by that is this the believing religious leaders demonstrate by Jesus special burial the reality of who Jesus is now notice first of all a secret disciple actually two secret disciples only one mentioned by Mark all right it says this in verse number 43 it says Joseph of arthea came a prominent member of the council who himself was a was waiting for the kingdom of God he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus now the actions of several absentee Sanhedrin ists you remember the Sanhedrin were against Jesus the whole time but what we did not know that is that there were some Sanhedrin that weren’t for it they were actually Believers so the action of several absented San Sanhedrin who had concern for obtaining the body of Jesus in order to give Jesus a proper burial and there were two Courageous Courageous ones Joseph arthea mentioned here and then in John 9:39 Nicodemus remember Nicodemus met with Jesus that night the whole story about being born again the message I preached not too long ago where the serpent was lifted up on the standard if you looked you would be saved soon as Jesus said that to Nicodemus that was it conversation was over he looked he believed in Christ he was saved so now he goes with Joseph of of arthea and they go get the body of Jesus now get this you don’t go get a body of a crucified criminal you know what you do to crucified criminal you pull up the cart you dump the body in the cart and you dump it in a mass grave you don’t care about how they’re buried right that’s all you have to do do it before Sundown before the Sabbath starts and everything’s fine but that’s not what’s happening here they’re treating Jesus as someone very special in fact if you notice in verse 43 what kind of man was Joseph of arthea he was a prominent member of the council he was a high ranking Sanhedrin also he was a man of Hope in verse 43 he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God he knew the scripture he knew something was going to happen he believed that was the time he hoped it would be Jesus he believed that Jesus was was the one so Joseph was waiting a long time for the kingdom of God to come but the problem was Jesus did die so was his hope shattered in verse number 43 It also says that he was a courageous man he got his courage together to go to pilate why would pilate believe a Sanhedrin he couldn’t wait they were like Li to him get me get them out of my presence I can’t take them and now he’s coming to get the body of Jesus also in ver Matthew 27 verse 57 he was a rich man but also Matthew 27:57 it says something else that Mark doesn’t record Mark doesn’t record some things because he takes he’s writing so things happen rapidly so you feel like you’re there and he assumes you know something maybe from the other gospels but that it says in Matthew 27:57 when it was evening there came a rich man from arthea named Joseph who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus now why wasn’t he public with well because of fear of the Jews Joseph kept his faith hidden but we see right here not anymore he was public with his faith he came out with his faith now now the next thing that we see here is a very surprised politician look at it says in verse number 44 pilate wondered if he was dead by this time and summoning the centurum he questioned him as to whether he was already dead now why was Pilot’s surprise he was surprised because death by crucifixion was extremely slow even that he should have been on the cross another three hours before at least before sunset or maybe maybe that’s not right but the thing is that he was he was be on the cross a little bit further and then because of course there was the preparation day and they had to get ready for the Sabbath they would break you know break the legs of the people who were being crucified to expedite the crucifixion they would die by Suffocation they would suffocate right that’s the way they the way they would die and so Pilot’s wondering here wait a minute this is too soon he can’t be dead yet so it’s still death by crucifixion though exceedingly painful and usually very slow sometimes people linger two or three days Jes Jesus had been already dead only after 6 hours of of being on the cross was was not normal for Roman crucifixion now of course unless Jesus voluntarily laid his life down by himself which of course he did so pilate did not take Jesus as at his word without an official confirmation by his soldier who was in charge and once the official confirmation was received pilate granted the body of Jesus for burial to Joseph of aramia and of course to Nicodemus uh and we know that this special burial meant something very important to not only the Jew but also to Tak a criminal and taking such care in preparing his body of course this uh this was something that is mentioned in scripture uh Jesus was buried sometime before Sundown on Friday he had to be buried Before Sunset because that was when the Sabbath began when no one could work so the care and attention given to the body of Jesus was above and beyond the Call of Duty we we know in verse 54 that Joseph and Nicodemus obtained the burial materials uh Joseph uh bought the burial cloth or the Shroud for wrapping the body and Nicodemus bought the spices pounds of spices that’s a lot of spices because as they wrap the IND visual arms and legs they would fill it in with the spices right and of course that is to keep down the stench uh and it was of course also that of respect in verse number 46 they removed jesus’ body from the cross in verse 46 also they prepared the body and wrapped him in the linen cloth in verse 46 uh they laid him in a tomb which had been yed at a rock and we know the tomb that have been was UN out of rock whose tomb was it it was Joseph of ARA’s tomb it was a brand new Tomb nobody laid in that tomb um and they put the body in that new Tomb and U and then of course in verse 46 it says and he rolled the stone against the entrance of the Tomb so they secured the tomb with the flat circular immense Stone was set in the in the groove uh in the stone and held on a slant uh to the left of the Tomb opening held there by a a stopping block until it was released and the the Rolling Stone came down in front of the entrance and closed it there was no way you were going to roll that stone back up these Stones were enormous and of course it was to secure that tomb and so all these things take place and we have this singular group of ladies still hanging around it says in verse number 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jos were looking on to see where he was laid the reason why they were looking is because they wanted to know where they put him so they can come back after the Sabbath to do the rest of the preparation but of course when they came back after the Sabbath he wasn’t there right so from a secret disciple to a surprised politician to a special burial to a singular group of ladies all pointing to how unique the death of Jesus Christ was and how special it was so the father made sure everything was taking place so some thought they were Killing Jesus and succeeded some thought possibly Our Hope in the Messiah is gone others didn’t know what to think but remember it’s Friday when Resurrection comes it all comes alive right it all comes alive and because the Lord is raised from the dead we are given the hope that we too will be raised from the dead so all these things recorded in scripture show how unique how uniqueen let’s pray Lord thank you again for the goodness that you have given to us by giving us us the scripture by giving us the truth even though Lord we live in plural pluralistic times even though people are crying that there’s many ways to God and everyone saying that their religion is the right way we know Lord when we come to the word of God it clears everything up it makes everything understandable and it brings us to one person and that’s the person that was ordained before the world was created to be crucified he was predetermined to be crucified for us and we thank you Lord that not everybody knows this or believes it or understands it but you’ve given it to us so I I I want to just praise you for that Lord I pray the knowledge of the truth to Salvation would be not something we keep to ourselves but we we broadcast it to those around us to our family our friends our co-workers and Lord cause us Lord to also live it that our words would be backed up by our actions and Lord we would be able to if we’ve been a secret disciple like Joseph we would go public and we would tell people and we would share our testimony so I thank you Lord for for the word of God and I pray Lord that we would always take it as your word and we would believe it and we would CH cherish it in our hearts and in our minds and I pray this all this morning in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen