Transcription
[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
He, hallu, would you bow in prayer with me? Lord, how grateful we are that your death on Calvary's Cross was not just a criminal execution, but a deliberate decision. That you decided to die for. You said, "No one can take my life, but I lay it down. No Greater Love has anyone than this, than that they would lay down their life for a friend." Thank you, oh God, for what you've done for us. Now teach us what we are called to do for you. In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen.
Amen. To have integrity to Holy Week, as we find ourselves on this Saturday, it is a few hours premature to preach that Christ rose from the dead. So I need your patience as I try to have integrity to where the disciples would be on this Saturday and tie it into where we are in our lives. To do that, I'm going to invite you to hear just two verses of scripture that come from the mouth of the life of Jesus, located in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. If you would turn in your Bibles or your smart devices to Matthew chapter 17, then he the reading of verses 22 and 23 from the New King James Version of the Bible. We ask that all who are physically able, if you would stand, that together we might reverence the authority and the anointing of God's holy word.
In Matthew chapter 17, beginning in verse number 22, if you're there, I won't you to say amen. Amen. Now, while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And the third day, he will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. That's enough. You may be seated.
I, I want to talk, teach, and preach for just a few moments from the thought: "The Blessing in Bad News." The blessing in bad news. Have you ever stood in a place of loss in your life? Have you ever had to stand by and watch a loved one die? Have you ever attended a funeral that just should not have happened? Have you ever had to make sense of an unexpected tragedy? Have you ever had a moment when all of your dreams and your highest hopes came crashing down to the ground in the blink of an eye? Have you ever had a moment when what you thought was the worst was not even close to what the worst would actually turn out to be? Have you ever had a moment when all of your expectations and your prayers unto the Lord went unanswered? The very worst thing that could have happened did happen. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you were replaying the events of yesterday, trying to figure out how this happened, why this happened, and what are you now going to do?
Well, I know you have. And when you were there, you shared in the same emotions that the disciples and the followers of Jesus Christ felt on that Saturday. Friday was finished. The crucifixion was over. Jesus was dead. His body had been hastily buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The very next day, the sun rose on what the Jews knew to be the Sabbath day. That Saturday was the Sabbath. It was the time to praise. It was the time to worship. It was the time to give God glory. But for those disciples and those followers of Jesus, worship wasn't on their mind, and praise wasn't on their agenda. There would be no going to the temple on this Saturday, for their hearts were still heavy about what happened on Friday.
Can I pause to just ask you, have you ever been in a place where going to church just didn't feel right? Where worshiping and praising God was the right thing to do, but it's not what you felt like doing? There was a sorrow and a sadness, Vanessa, that clouded these disciples. This was the first day in three years that they woke up to know Jesus. This was the first moment in their life when they had no savior to run to to counsel them and comfort them. And fresh in their minds were the horrors of the execution that their loved ones suffered just a few hours ago. And if you've ever been in a place where you got news that someone you were just with the other day is now dead and gone, these disciples were doing what we do. You begin reliving all the last, last moments, wondering how this went down.
Can't you see these disciples going through the events from Monday to Friday? They remember the glorious entrance to Jerusalem. They contemplated Jesus' last supper and those final words that he spoke to them. They remember those events in the garden when Jesus was arrested. They remembered seeing him carry the cross of Calvary up the hill of Golgotha. And in their minds, they are feeling the sad and the sorrow that for the very first time, there is no more Jesus to lead them and to guide them. It's the day after the day after the worst has happened. The day after God is now dead. The day after when everything they hoped for did not come to pass. The day after when the bottom of their lives dropped out. The day after they realized that everything they had given and everything, anything they had sacrificed, there would now be no return on that investment. Here they are, the day after, filled with sadness and sorrow. And it was such a heavy Saturday. Sadness and sorrow that it followed them into that next Sunday morning.
When Sunday dawns, there's no joy in their heart. There's no excitement in their spirit. There's no anticipation of things being better. They're still wrestling with Saturday sorrow. So much so that you'll recall that when Jesus died on Friday, that they were hastily trying to get his body into the tomb because, according to the laws of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 21, when a criminal had been hung on a tree, his body had to be buried the same day before the Sabbath began at 6:00 p.m. So when Jesus dies at 3:00, they are rushing hastily to get him in the tomb before 6:00 p.m. They've got three hours to bury Jesus. And as such, his burial was incomplete. It took a while for Pilate to give clearance for the body to be taken down. And when Joseph of Arimathea gets it all, he has time to do is wrap it and lay it in the tomb, knowing that the burial is not complete until the body is anointed with oils. But they can't do it on Saturday, 'cause Saturday is the Sabbath.
So when the sun dawns on Sunday, the disciples know that the burial is not complete. But none of them get up to go and do what needs to be done, 'cause they're still sad and sorrowful. These sad, sorrowful, pitiful, and pathetic disciples send a few women to the tomb to deal with soldiers and a boulder to do what they, they should be doing to anoint the body of Jesus and complete the burial. But they're so saddened and so sorrowful that they cannot go. When the women get there, you know the story. According to Luke chapter 24, the tomb is open, the body is missing, and there are some angels sitting by the door. And when these angels see the sisters come, they give them a subtle slap on the wrist, if you read between the lines. The angels say to them, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Don't you know no better than to come here looking to find a dead body? Why are you so sad and why are you so sorrowful? Why is your head hung low? Where is Peter? And where is Matthew? And where's James? Where's John? Why aren't they here with you rejoicing? Why are you so sad on Sunday morning?"
And this is what the angel tells them, "Don't you remember what he told you in Galilee? If you remembered Galilee, your head would be held up. If you remembered Galilee, there would be joy in your spirit. If, if you remembered Galilee, you would have run here expecting to find something different. Your problem is you forgot what he said in Galilee." Well, well, that ought to make you ask a question. What did he say in Galilee? That's where Matthew 17 jumps in. For it is here that Jesus gives the second of three predictions of his death. The first being in Matthew 16, the last being in Matthew 20. But here in Matthew 17, listen at what Jesus says. He gathers his disciples and he says, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And on the third day, he will be raised from the dead."
And the Bible says that when the disciples heard this news, they became exceedingly sorrowful. When they heard what Jesus said, they became sorrowful. The word used for sorrowful here is the Greek word *lupo*, which literally means to be grieved. It, it means to be offended. It means to be thrown into sorrow. When they hear Jesus say what Jesus says, they embrace a sorrow that they would then again feel on Saturday, the day after his death on Friday, and carry them into Sunday with the same sorrow. The sorrow they felt on Saturday, that they were living with on Sunday, is the same sorrow they felt when they heard Jesus speak in Galilee in Matthew 17. Teach the Bible, pastor. And the angel is upset with them to suggest that if you really heard what he said, you ought to be happy right now. If you heard what Jesus said, that should have changed how you saw your Friday. If you remembered what Jesus said, it would change the sorrow of Saturday. If you remembered what Jesus said, it would have held you together when you felt like life was tearing you apart. When the bottom dropped out and all hell broke loose, you need to remember what Jesus said in Galilee.
The accusation and indictment against these women and the disciples is that y'all missed the blessing in the bad news. All you heard was the bad news, but you missed that in the midst of all bad news, there's a blessing. And I came by to preach to somebody who knows what's like to have some Saturday sorrow, who knows what's like to feel the burden and the weight of life not turning out the way you thought it should, and dealing with unexpected tragedy. But yet, in the midst of that, Jesus says, "Let me show you the blessing in the bad news." Can we ex these two verses in 13 minutes? 'Cause I got somewhere to [Applause] go.
Look, look at what Jesus says. He said, says, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed." Paul, stop. Rewind. "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed." Now, now, now, let me get to the shout real quick. The betrayal doesn't happen to chapter 26, but in chapter 17, Jesus has already seen it. You got too much Saturday sorrow. It, it's about to go down, but Jesus already knows it's going to go down. It hasn't happened yet, but the Lord has seen what's going to go down, and he knows everything and how it's going to play itself out. He wants him to know, listen, whatever happens on Friday, it ain't a surprise to me. I am so omniscient that I can see into the future and I know what's about to happen long before it even, even goes down in your life. Can I push your amen button? Here's your amen: that whatever goes down on your Friday, it's not a surprise to the Savior. The Lord knew what was going to happen. He knew your heart would be broken. He knew the pain you would endure. He knew the enemies that would come against you. He knew the loved ones you would lose. God has seen what you're about to go through. Oh, okay, okay. Um, you, you, you, you don't figure out the joy in that. Um, I take my sons to the movies all the time. And now that the oldest is going on 13, almost, he, he wants to see movies a little bit more advanced, right? So me being a good dad, I, I try to go see the movies before so I know whether it's appropriate for them to go see the movie. But, but I don't tell them that I've seen it because I don't want to ruin their joy in thinking that we're seeing it together. And so, Ray, I went to see a movie the other day in preparation for taking them. And when we got to the movie, I was sitting in the movie, and they started to figure out something, 'cause there was a scene that shocked everybody, and the whole theater jumped, but I was sitting still. [Applause] Another scene came up where everybody was worried and sitting on the edge of their seat, and I was texting on my phone. And when we got in the car, the younger one said, "Daddy, you didn't jump like everybody else, and you weren't worried like everybody else." And the oldest turned around and looked at him and said, "That's 'cause he seen it before." Ooh. Can I tell you why God ain't jumping at what's going on in your life and why God isn't panicked about what you're going through? 'Cause he's seen it before you get in it. [Applause]
It, can I push it? Now, now, if you go see a movie and you know how something ends, and you tell someone how it ends before they've seen it, you are called a spoiler. You are spoiling the surprise. And that's what Jesus does when he gives him the bad news. He says, "I will be killed, but I'll be raised again." He's spoiling the end of the struggle. That's why you ought to take courage every time you open your Bible and read, because you're reading the word of a God who has seen what you're about to go through. And in his word, he is spoiling the outcome of the struggle. So that when he speaks, it's not just to people of antiquity. He's not just talking to David. He's not just talking to Isaiah. He's not just talking to Paul. He's talking to you, 'cause he's seen your struggle and wants to spoil the ending. So he tells you, "All things are going to work together for your good." "I shall supply all of your needs." "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come." He, he said, "Listen, listen, I've seen it before you get in it."
Watch what else he says. He says, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men." Now, Judy, when you read this at the surface, in in English, it's almost depressing because the reference to being betrayed into the hands of men is obviously a reference to Judas, and it seems as if Jesus is saying, "I'm about to be put in Judas's plan, that the chief priests are about to have their way, the Pharisees' plan is about to unveil, evil is about to be in control." That's what it seems like Jesus is saying, until you do a little homework, which is what y'all called me to do. The verb that Jesus uses, "to be betrayed," is the verb *paradidomi*. And, and it literally, you have to understand that *paradidomi* is almost exclusively used in the passive voice. Now, because I know you have forgotten grammar 101, I need to let you know what happens when you have a verb in the passive voice. Whenever you have a verb in the passive voice, there are three things you must identify in the sentence: there is the direct object, there's the indirect object, and there's the subject. Go on, teach grammar, pastor. The, the, the direct object is the recipient of the indirect object that's being acted upon by the passive verb that is being controlled by the subject. Say that again. The direct object is the recipient of the indirect object that's being acted upon by the verb that's under the control of the subject.
So when you break this verse down grammatically, H, the direct object is the hand of men. The indirect object is Jesus. But that leaves the question: who is the subject? The subject is the one who's in control of the verb that's acting on the indirect object to put it in the hand, hands of the direct [Applause] object. The direct object is Judas. The indirect object is Jesus. But the subject, who's in control of the verb that's making it all happen, is God himself. Ooh, ooh, that ought to put some clapping in your hands to know that God is always the subject. God is always in control. God has written the script. God has produced the play. God has marked out the territory. God is in control. Oh, can I push it? I feel like preaching on Saturday.
He said, "Listen," he said, "he says, 'I'm about to be betrayed into the hands.'" Now, the phrase "the hands of men" is this Greek verb, this Greek term, noun, which literally is referred to in the Bible in two senses. In one hand, it's used to refer to the hand of men. And in the other sense, it's used to refer to the hand of God. When it's used to refer to the hand of men, it's always used in a sense of there being frailty in the hand of men, in counter-distinction to the omnipotence of the hand of God. Pastor, you are teaching in this house that the hand of men, the, the literal image is that there's a hole in it, so, so that whatever is put in man's hand has a hole to escape. That's why you can't hold on to nothing, 'cause you got holes in your hand. But the hand of God is so omnipotent, and the hand of God is so controlling, that what Jesus literally says is that although I'm going into the hand of men, I will be escaped from the hole in the hand of men, only to find myself still stuck in the sovereign hand of God. You just missed your shout. So that when I'm in the hand of men, I'm still in the hand of God. That no matter what goes down in my life, I'm still in His hand. And that ought to give an amen in your spirit. That I'm in God's hand when all hell breaks loose. I'm in God's hand when the enemy stands. Uh, I'm in God's hand when death knocks at the door. I'm still in His hand. Boy, I better get on out of here. I got to be here at 6:00 in the morning. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.
Hey, he says, "Listen, I've seen it. I'm in His hands, and He's in control." And watch what he says. Watch it. He says, "And he will be killed, comma, and on the third day, he will be raised." And the Bible says, "When they heard, 'He will be killed,' comma, 'and be raised,' they became sorrowful." When they heard, "He will be killed," comma, "and be raised," they became sorrowful. Say, "30 times a charm." When they heard that he would be killed, comma, and that he would be raised, they became sorrowful. What Jesus was trying to clue them in is that Friday is never followed with a period. That there's always a comma after Friday, and there's always a Sunday after Saturday. He wanted them to know, "Don't you worry about what you see happen on Friday, 'cause Sunday's coming." And I know it'll look bad on Friday, but if you hold on a little while longer, the good news is that Sunday is coming. When Peter denies, and Judas betrays, and Pilate convicts, Sunday is still coming. When death knocks on the door, and the enemy seems to win, one Sunday is still coming. When your heart gets heavy and you can't take no more, the good news is that Sunday is coming. Would you nudge somebody on your pew and tell them, "Cheer up, 'cause Sunday is coming"?
I've got to leave you, saints. But I got some good news for you. You've been around a long time. You've been around the block a couple times. You've seen a whole lot in your life. But the one thing, the one thing you have never seen: you've never seen a Friday that wasn't followed by a Sunday. You've never seen a bad day that wasn't followed by a glorious day. The Bible says, "I once was young and now I'm old, and I've never, I've never, I've never seen the righteous forsaken," 'cause God says Sunday is on the way. And when Sunday comes, angels will descend. And when Sunday comes, the stone will be rolled. And when Sunday comes, life will be restored. 'Cause Sunday, [Music] Sunday, Sunday is on the way. There's a blessing in that bad news. He's seen it before you get in it. He's in control. And you're in His hands. And know that every Friday is followed with a comma, and Sunday is coming. Don't let the sorrow of Saturday cause you miss the joy of when Sunday's coming. There's always a Sunday.
Jesus, how we thank you for the blessing in bad news, to remind us that whatever we go through is not a surprise to you. You saw it, and you spoiled the struggle when you reminded us that all things will work together for our good. I'm grateful, oh God, that you and you alone are in control, and that I am still in your hands. And Lord, now we wait for Sunday to come, not with the sorrow and sadness that stilled the disciples, but with a joy and anticipation of knowing that if I hold on a little while longer, Sunday is coming. Thank you, oh God, for the blessing in bad news. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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