“The Passion of Christ”
Sunrise sermon: Easter Sunday, 4/4/10
Isaiah 26:6-9; Luke 19:1-10; Mark 16:1-9

Introduction: PASSION is the fuel for life. The dictionary tells us that passion is: “the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and His death; a violent, intense, or overmastering feeling; a strong liking for or devotion to some activity, object or concept.”
We see that even the dictionary tells us that the definition of “passion” is what Jesus went through during the last few hours of His life. It was His passion, the strong devotion He had to His calling and purpose that caused Him to suffer and die for us.
This morning we remember the resurrection of Jesus. We see the white cloth draped on the cross, and it is to be a reminder to us that Jesus Christ is alive! Let us see the passion of Christ this morning.

I. Jesus’ Passion was for lost people- (Luke 19:9-10)

a. Jesus’ mission statement- We see at the end of Luke, chapter 19, in
verse 10, Jesus’ mission statement; His purpose for coming to the earth; His reason for going to the cross; it says: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who were lost.” Now, if you really think about it, this includes all people, because we are all lost. Jesus came to save us all.
Story: “The River King”- There is a story of a village that lived by a river. One day the town scoundrel fell into the river, at first no one reacts; it’s just the town scoundrel. But then the King himself jumps in and saves him. The king is able to push the scoundrel to the side of the river, just out of the fast moving water. One of the villagers reaches out and grabs the scoundrels hand to pull him out, but the king is stuck in the fast moving water, and it starts to pull him down the river. The king in his effort to save the scoundrel had used all his strength, and had no strength left to swim out of the strong current. The people watch in horror as their king is dragged over the waterfall to his death. From that day on, whenever the villagers saw the scoundrel, they would say: “You’re the one the king died for.”
This is the message that Zacchaeus heard from Jesus in Luke, chapter 19. The passage tells us that Zacchaeus was a sinner, a scoundrel if you will, and Jesus has come into the town. Zacchaeus has heard about Jesus, how He loves all, and Zacchaeus wants to at least catch a glimpse of Jesus. Being that he is short, he decides to climb a tree to get a better view. Jesus spots Zacchaeus up in the tree, and calls him down, then invites himself over to Zacchaeus’ house. We aren’t told what they talked about while Jesus was there, but I can imagine it was about Zacchaeus’ sinful life and about how he had been cheating people out of their money; how he had gone astray; how he was heading for death. Jesus wanted Zacchaeus to know that He was there to save him.
Because Jesus was so passionate about helping lost people find their way, Jesus would not have let this opportunity pass without talking to him about how he could be saved. Jesus was always letting people know that they needed to turn from their sin and follow Him. And Zacchaeus heard the message, because Luke tells us in verse 9: “Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…’”

b. Having a passion for lost people- We should never forget that
because Jesus is our Lord and Master, our example for life, we too should have a passion for lost people. We should take advantage of opportunities we have to share the message of the love of Christ with others. We should help save others who are lost by helping them find their way.
We can give hope to those who don’t have hope; give purpose to those whose lives lack purpose; give meaning to those who feel like life has no meaning; give guidance to those whose lives have gone astray. We do this by introducing people to Jesus and informing them of Jesus’ intense love. We need to help people see the commitment, the passion Jesus has for saving people, and that is why He allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross, and was raised from the dead 3 days later!

II. Jesus’ passion removed the barriers by His coming to us- (Luke 19:5; John 1:14; Mark 16:7)

a. Jesus was accessible to people- When we look at Jesus, we should
see God, because Jesus is God in the flesh. In the gospel of John, chapter 1 we are told that in Jesus we see “the glory of the One and only.” Because God took on flesh and dwelt among us in human form, in Jesus Christ, God made Himself accessible to people. As God looked down on His people, and saw the sin and the lack of love of people, and saw how lost people were, He decided that something needed to be done. He had sent prophets, and kings, and other servants, but this didn’t change people. So God did something wonderful, and that is He became flesh.
We see the example of this passionate feeling continue in how Jesus was always making himself accessible to people. Going back to the story of Zacchaeus, we see that even someone like Zacchaeus, who was short, and seemingly unimportant, was given access to Jesus. How these words of Jesus, from Luke 19:5, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today,” must have been exciting for Zacchaeus to hear. Zacchaeus had hoped to just catch a glimpse of Jesus, but now Jesus was going to be at his house! Zacchaeus would be able to talk with Jesus, and question Jesus, and interact with Jesus. He would have total access to the teaching of this great man. And in the end find out that Jesus was more than just a great man.

b. Making ourselves accessible- As a people of God, as a church, we
need to have this passion for people. We need to look for ways that will help us to be accessible to people; accessible to our community; accessible so that we can take the gospel of Christ into the world.
Illustration- “Abundant Entreaties,” 1001 Humorous Illustrations, #426, p. 169.
There is a company in Chicago called the Ruben Donnelly Company. It is the nations largest printer of magazines. The company has a machine that sends out notices to people whose subscriptions have expired, letting them know that they need to renew their subscription. One day the machine broke and ended up sending this farmer in Powder Bluff, Colorado 9,734 notices that his subscription to National Geographic had expired. Because of this influx of notices, he rode 10 miles to the post office and sent his money with a note that said: “Send me the magazine. I give up!”
If we are to have the passion of Christ, we need to do more than just show token love for people; we need to pile on the love of Christ to others. We need to always be looking for ways to share the good news of Christ; that Christ loves all and has died for all, and His death is there to save all who are lost. We need to persevere in telling people about Christ, and inviting people to church, even after they say “no.”
Even the message of the angel at the tomb was for Jesus’ followers to go out and to tell others that Jesus was alive, and that they would see him. The angel reminded them that we are to always be ready to speak about Christ; Christ who is risen and alive!

III. Jesus’ passion did not let Him reject anyone- (Rom 3:23, 5:8; Lk 19:7)

a. Sinners and outcasts- As we look at Jesus and that passion that He
had, we are amazed at how He was always going to the sinners, the outcasts, the so called rejects of the world. In Jesus’ thinking no one was more worthy or less worthy of salvation. Paul sets it straight for us, as he tells us in Romans 3:23- “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is important for us to understand that Jesus went to the cross not because He loved some more than others, but because all needed saving. Paul again tells us in Romans 5:8- “For God demonstrates His love fur us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Going back to Luke 19, when the people saw that Jesus was leaving with Zacchaeus they responded in verse 7- “… ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” They couldn’t believe that Jesus was going to hang out with a sinner; eat lunch with a sinner; socialize with a sinner. They said this in a way that implied that Zacchaeus was lower in standing than they were, not realizing that we are all in the same place: sinners in need of being forgiven and saved.

b. A unique party- One of my favorite stories is told by Tony
Campolo. Tony Campolo is a sociologist at Eastern College in Pennsylvania. He is always a well known Christian speaker who speaks at conferences all around the world. He tells of a time when he was in Hawaii to speak. Because of the time difference he found himself wide awake at 3:30 p.m. wandering up and down the streets of Honolulu looking for a place to get something to eat. Finally he found a little “greasy spoon” restaurant, went in and sat down at one of the stools. He was afraid to even touch the menu. The guy behind the counter came over and said: “What d’ya want?” He ordered a donut. While sitting there eating his donut 8 provocative prostitutes walked in. Because there were so few stools they had to sit on either side of him. They didn’t care that they were talking loudly and crudely. Because of this, Campolo could easily hear their conversation. He heard one of the prostitutes say that he birthday was tomorrow. One of the other prostitutes responded: “So what do you want from me? A birthday party?”
The first one said back: “Why do you have to be so mean? I was just telling you it was my birthday, Why should you give me a birthday party? I’ve never had one in my whole life.” After they left Campolo asked the man behind the counter: “Do they come in here every night?” He responded: “Yeah, every night. The one whose birthday it is is Agnes.” Then Campolo got an idea that they could throw Agnes a birthday party. This excited the guy behind the counter, thinking it was a great idea. He called his wife, and the 3 of them started to plan the party. The next morning, at 3:30 a.m. the place was all decorated, and sure enough all 8 prostitutes walked in again. They screamed out: “Happy Birthday,” and started to sing happy birthday. Agnes didn’t know what to make of it, or what to do, so they told her to blow out the birthday candles. Then Agnes was asked to cut the cake, but before she could do it tears came to her eyes, as she said: “Look Harry, is it all right with you if I…I mean is it OK if I kind of….what I want to ask you is…is it OK if I keep the cake a little while? I mean is it all right if we don’t eat it right away?” “Sure,” Harry said. “Take it home if you want.” “Really?” she asked. And with that she was out the door cake and all. When the door closed there was silence, and no one knew exactly what to do. So Tony Campolo broke the silence by saying: “What do you say we pray?” When he finished praying Harry leaned over and said: “Hey! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?” Campolo answered back: “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.” Harry looked at him quizzically, and then said: “No you don’t. There’s no church like that. If there was I’d join it!”
What a sad statement. People don’t think that there are any churches that cares about prostitutes, or would throw a party for one. Jesus’ passion led him to the outcasts and the sinners. Does ours?

Conclusion: In Isaiah 26:9 we read- “…This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Mark 16:5 says: “A young man, dressed in a white robe said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.”

The passion of Christ is what led Jesus to be crucified for our sins. To give us salvation through His death. But a dead Lord would not have any power. His resurrection reminds us that He is indeed alive and able to keep us from the darkness of sin. It is the empty tomb that brings us life, because Jesus Christ conquered death, and thus conquers death for us as well, and the power that sin has over us. We see the passion of Christ in His seeking and saving the lost. We see the passion of Christ in His being accessible to people. We see the passion of Christ in His caring for all people. It is faith in the resurrection that brings us to Jesus, gives us life, and fills us with passion. As the poem “If Easter Be Not True” says:

If Easter be not true, then all the lilies low must lie, THE Flanders
Poppies fad and die; THE spring must lose her fairest bloom, FOR
Christ were still within the tomb, if Easter be not true.
If Easter be not true, then faith must mount on broken wing,
Then hope no more immortal spring. THEN hope must lose her
might urge, LIFE prove a phantom, death a dirge. If Easter be not true.
If Easter be not true, ‘Twere foolishness the cross to bear. HE died in vain,
Who suffered there; WHAT matter though we laugh or cry, be good or evil,
Live or die. If Easter be not true.
If Easter be not true—but it is true, and Christ is risen!
AND mortal spirit from its prison, OF sin and death with Him
may rise, worthwhile the struggle, sure the prize. Since Easter
aye is true!” (Knight’s Master book, p. 565)
AMEN.





“Where Have They Laid Him?”
John 20:1-10
10 a.m. Service; 4/4/2010

Introduction: “The Show.” A woman watched a man struggling to swim to the rock where she was sunbathing, only a hundred yards from the shore. When he finally got there, exhausted, she looked at him and said: “Wow, that was quite a show.” Then she stepped down from the rock, into the water and WALKED to the shore!
Many people have wondered why God chose to come to the earth in human flesh, die on a cross, and then be resurrected from the dead. This has confused more than one person. But the answer is because God has seen us put on quite a show of trying to do things on our own, trying to get ourselves to heaven. We struggle and struggle, but the truth is, we can’t get there on our own; we get there by simply believing in Jesus Christ, and what Christ has done on our behalf.

I. The Story- (John 20:1-18)

a. Where have they laid him? We have a tremendous story that takes

place at the end of the Lenten season (a season that starts on Ash Wednesday, and finishes on Easter Sunday). It is the story of Jesus Christ: his arrest, trial, beating, and crucifixion. It is the ultimate story of love; one who gives His life for those He loves. But it is more than that; it is the story of power and new life!
In the twentieth chapter of the gospel of John, that we just read, we see Mary Magdalene come to the tomb to pay her respects to Jesus. But when she approaches the tomb, she notices that the stone has been removed and that Jesus’ body is gone. So Mary runs back to where Peter and John are, and tells them that Jesus’ body has been taken, and it is not known where the body is.
Can you imagine the panic in Peter and John? The same panic and fear that was in Mary Magdalene. The same fear that would happen if a loved one of yours would be taken from their grave. So Peter and John run to the tomb to see for themselves. They BOTH saw and believed that Jesus was not there. Which is not surprising, because if you see an empty tomb, you will believe that Jesus is gone.
The question on their heart and mind? Where have they laid him?

b. Mary sees Jesus- A little later in the story, Mary is still at the
tomb, she is distraught, weeping with sadness at the emptiness of the tomb and the fact that she doesn’t know where Jesus is. Along comes 2 angels, clothed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been. Mary then makes this statement in John 20:13b- “…They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
At this statement, she turns, she sees Jesus, and is filled with joy!
Illustration: “The Water of Life.” In the Australian Outback, which is a desert-like area in the northern and central part of the continent, they have discovered an enormous body of life-giving fresh water. It is a huge underground lake. Now the existence of this body of water was a surprise to everyone, but one that brings great hope to those living in this dry area. It makes the future look good both economically and culturally.
In a similar, but far more profound an powerful way, when Mary sees Jesus ALIVE, she is filled with joy because Jesus is the real life-giver. Jesus is there to bring great hope to her life and the lives of all who believe. In a fraction of a second, Mary goes from despair (wondering where Jesus’ body has been laid) to being filled with hope and joy. She goes from sorrow, to seeing the glory of Jesus; the glory of God in the risen Christ! As Mary said to the disciples in John 20:18, “… ‘I have seen the Lord; and she told them that He had said these things to her.’”
This should be true of all who believe in Jesus Christ. The One who died for our sins, has been raised to life. We can see Him, we can experience joy and hope.

II. The Story re-told-

a. Edith Burns- DO YOU BELIEVE IN EASTER? (internet via Sandra Henningsen)
Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of doctor Will Phillips. She was Dr. Phillips’ favorite patient. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: “Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?” Beverly said, “Why yes I do.” Edith then said, “Well, what do you believe about Easter?” And Beverly responded, “Well, it’s all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up.” Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Dr. Phillips said, “Beverly, don’t call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room. After being called back to the doctor’s office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?” Dr. Phillips said gently, “Edith, I’m the doctor and you’re the patient.” He paused for a moment and then continued: “Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you’re not going to live very long.” Edith said, “Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I’m going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!” Dr. Phillips thought for a moment, and then responded: “What a magnificent woman you are Edith Burns!”
Edith continued to come to Dr. Phillips office. During the Christmas holiday the office was closed. When it reopened on January 3, Edith did not show. Later that afternoon Edith called Dr. Phillips and said that she think she needed to go to the hospital. Then she said: “Doctor, could you put me near people who need to know about Easter?” Many women were saved because of Edith’s presence in the hospital. And not only patients; staff and nurses too. Almost everyone, except the head nurse Phyllis Cross. Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith. She had been in the army as a nurse; a real G. I. Jane. She had been married 3 times, and was hard and cold.
Well, one morning Edith was very sick and Phyllis had to go in to give her a shot. When Edith saw nurse Cross, she said, “Phyllis, God loves you and I love you and I have been praying for you.” Phyllis responded by saying: “Well, you can quit praying for me, it won’t work.” Edith answered: “Well, I have prayed and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family.” Phyllis Cross said: “Then you will never die because that will never happen.” And she left the room.
Every day she would walk into the room and Edith would say the same thing: “God loves you and I love you and I’m praying for you.” One day nurse Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith’s room like iron to a magnet. She sat down on the bed and said to Edith: “Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, ‘Do you believe in Easter?’ but you have never asked me.” Edith responded, “Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked and now that you have asked…” Edith went on to share with Phyllis about Jesus death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection. And then she looked at Phyllis and asked: “Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?” And Phyllis said: “Oh, I want to with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life!” And right there Edith prayed with Phyllis to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Shortly after this, Edith died.

b. You and me- What a great story! There is often life that comes
from death. What a great opportunity you and I have to tell others about Jesus dying on the cross for all people, because God’s love is there for us and for them. We can tell others about how Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive. We can tell them that Jesus is ready to live in their hearts. We can tell them that their lives can be changed if they would only believe in Easter. The true Easter. Not Easter eggs, and bunnies, and candy. But Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“A Lesson in Time Management.” One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. He had been talking to them about how to best organize and use their time. He decided to give them an illustration to drive home his point, so he said to them: “Okay, it is time to take a quiz.”
With that he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar, and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one by one, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top, and no more rocks could fit inside, he asked: “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said “yes.”
“Really? He asked with a smile. He then reached under the table to pull out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some of the gravel in, shook the jar, causing the pieces of gravel to work themselves down, and continued to do this until no more gravel could fit. A second time he asked the class if the jar was full. This time the class was on to him, and so they said “no.” “Good,” he replied.
Then he pulled out from under the table a bucket of sand. He dumped the sand into the jar, and the sand went into all the spaces left between the rocks and gravel. “Is the jar full?” “NO,” the class shouted.
Finally, he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked: “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager student blurted out: “The point is that no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit more into it.”
“NO,” the speaker replied. “That is not the point. The point is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
Easter needs to be a day that reminds us what is truly important. RELATIONSHIPS. First, our relationship with God through Christ. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection makes it so that we can have relationship with God. Then our relationships with those important to us (family, close friends, mentors, etc…). Jesus’ death and resurrection makes these relationships deeper and more meaningful.

Conclusion: If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior, you can do so this morning. Please come talk to me and I will lead you in a prayer where you can give yourself over to God; where your sins and wrongdoings will be forgiven and removed; where you can “believe in Easter.”
In the end, Mary Magdalene and the disciples saw Jesus and believed. Where have they laid Him? Where have they laid my Lord? The answer should be “in my heart!” If this is true, then Easter will not happen just one day a year, but every day of the year. Amen.