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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

Three Days That Changed Everything

And today as we are together in His presence, in the presence of the living Savior, He has a word for us today.

You know, 1 of the most remarkable functions of human beings created in the image of God.

It's the gift of mental imagery, shall we say imagination.

So I invite you to come with me as we share this time together, through your mind's eye, and come with me to the very last 3 days of the life of Jesus before he breathed his last on the old rugged cross.

My message today is entitled 3 Days That Changed Everything.

Let's bow our heads together as we acknowledge him.

Father in heaven, we just want to take a moment once again to acknowledge you, not to invoke your presence.

You have been here since a long time ago.

In fact, you got us out of bed and you brought us here to this place.

It's not a mere coincidence that we chose to come here today.

May the Holy Spirit, Lord, tune our hearts to listen to that still small voice as we ponder and meditate on the cross and 3 days that changed everything and may it change us.

There are days in our lives and days in history when the atheist and non-believers have most of the answers.

They seem to have convincing evidence that God is dead.

This goes back to the days of the prophets and the ancient apostles.

They also had moments in their lives when days were black.

Job cried out, I just can't take it anymore, I give up.

And Jeremiah, he grieved and he said, I wish I had never been born.

You know, they had their doubts as we have our doubts.

They had their dark days as we have ours.

And our human attitudes that changes everything.

A second day speaks loudly, loudly with the sound of silence.

Yet the third day is 1 of brightness and victory.

The sun retreated, leaving the first day buried in the dusk of the night.

The Gospel of Matthew is 1 of the books in the Bible that chronicles these 3 days.

He records in verse 37, Matthew chapter 26 verse 37, that Jesus took with him Peter and 2 sons of Sabbath, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

Verse 38, Then he said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.

In verse 39, he went a little further, and he fell on his face, praying, saying, Oh my God, my Father, if it is possible, let This cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

He's Fully God and fully man in deep anguish and sadness.

Angels, angels and many of them, angels are looking and they're weeping.

Demons, they're also looking and they're laughing.

It's 3 days that changed everything and we're only on day 1.

Blood oozes through the pores of his skin.

On the very first day, my Jesus is asking for prayer while weeping.

But he comes to his disciples and finds them sleeping.

He prayed for a second time and then he comes back and he found his friends sleeping again.

But then his betrayer, the other friend, found him.

Now verse 47, And while he was still speaking, behold, Judas, 1 of the 12, with a great multitude, with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

They came with lanterns and swords to brighten their dark deeds.

That word cease, when you look it up in the original language, is to take a hold of violently.

He kissed him and in doing so, he kissed away his salvation.

It's significant that he called him friend.

This is the very reason why it's called a betrayal.

And without it, there's nothing to betray.

Then the 11 disciples, they forsook him and they fled as a mob of men and soldiers came and demons drew near and surround him.

The disciples running away from the presence of the master and we're still on the first day.

They came, they came with chains and ropes and locks as if they could chain deity.

He is led to the high priest who called a general assembly of elders, of scribes, and of chief priests.

Matthew chapter 26, notice verse 59, Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false witnesses, testimony against Jesus to put him to death.

Many false witnesses had been called to come and give testimony, to accuse the great I am, but Jesus remained silent.

Verse 63, And the high priest answered and said to him, I put you under oath by the living God.

Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God.

And Jesus, also known as Emmanuel, meaning God with us, replied, It is as you say.

The high priest tore his clothes, saying, He spoke blasphemy, and He is deserving of death.

Verse 67, Matthew chapter 26, verse 67, Then they spat in his face, beat him, and others struck him with the palm of their hands.

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Three Days That Changed Everything

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