The Story: Holy Week - He Came to be a Savior

Focus: Matt 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 13-19

 I walked into the auditorium excited to be at this mega church for an exciting conference on outreach and preaching. The speakers were first rate and the conference was sold out. I saw banners proclaiming some of the opportunities for members to work in the inner city with the homeless and posters for several missionaries that they were supporting. Yet, something felt wrong as I walked into this sanctuary. I wondered what it was. Then it hit me. There was no cross in this building. It could have been a college lecture hall or symphony concert hall. I am not sure why there is no cross in some churches when they are doing great ministry. It does point to a concern of mine. What does it mean that Jesus is Savior? For us, the story of the cross is central and we show it, but savior had different meanings to many in Jesus’ day.

Some want a Savior who will give an easy life. Matt 17:4 On the way to the cross, Jesus takes three of the disciples up on a mountain for the transfiguration. There they get a bit of heaven. Moses and Elijah are there and Jesus is in all His glory. Here trouble was far away and the gates of heaven were opened. Some still think that Jesus came to give the easy life. They are disappointed when life has problems or when ministry is tough. There is a desire to expect heaven without the cross. And when the Christian life is not easy or people face problems, they think that Jesus has failed.

Some want a Savior who will provide for their needs Luke 19:38 It is Palm Sunday and Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on a colt. The people decided that the Messiah had come and was ready to take His throne in Jerusalem. He would push out the Romans and would take over the throne of great king David. Peace and prosperity will be had by all men here in Judea. Some still think of Jesus as the savior from our problems. Feeling sick, Jesus will cure you. Need a job, the answer is a simple prayer away. What if someone doesn’t get well or that job doesn’t come?

The real Jesus came to be a Savior from sin John 19:30 He never said that His work as Savior was done when he rode into Jerusalem or when He healed some sick person. His work when He diedon the cross. It was what God had promised Adam and Eve in the garden and what God had continued to promise through the ages. The Savior had finished it. Man was forgiven. It is what all of us are really here for. We need someone who will take away the guilt that haunts us from the past and the eternal death that haunts the future.

It isn’t pretty to see His beaten and bloody body on the cross. It was something that only one of the twelve disciples could bear to come and see on that day. Yet, it was for this reason that He came. Make Jesus a great prophet who died too early in life or a caring man who helped many who were ill or hurting and you miss the whole point of His life. He came to die. He came to save us from sin. Everything else was secondary to Him and should be to us. The heart of the Bible is that we are all sinners who sin daily and can’t save ourselves, but that God sent His son to come and save us by His death and resurrection. Believe in the cross and everything changes. All the other things that people want from Jesus are now possible. Savior can mean many things to many people. What it meant to Jesus was a cross and salvation from sin and eternal death.

The Story: No Ordinary Man - He Redefines Extraordinary

Focus passage: Gospels

What is extraordinary really like? Our culture is filled with self-proclaimed and media proclaimed heroes. They are athletes and movie stars and the ordinary guy who saves a woman from a burning car. What makes someone extraordinary for more than their minute of fame? An extraordinary person does things that no one else can do and does it repeatedly. Jesus was such an extraordinary person. He did things that no one else had ever done. He healed the blind and spoke like He knew God first hand. You want to be around extraordinary people so that you can be better. Those who realize how extraordinary Jesus really is and who build their lives around Jesus will be the most blessed of all. Here are four ways that Jesus is extraordinary.

He has an intimate knowledge of God Mark 1:22 Jesus did not teach like the Jewish teachers of the day. They taught out of a book sharing ideas of past scholars. Jesus taught as if He knew God personally. Jesus is still an extraordinary teacher and we would be wise to hang on every word that He says. His teaching gives people an edge in life. The bible is filled with insights about how to raise a family, how to be a good employee and how to manage your money that really work.

He seemed to be able to heal anyone Matthew 15:31 The days of miracles had seem to have passed. Then Jesus burst on the scene and the lame could walk and the dead were raised. The number and scope of his miracles were like nothing that had ever been seen before. Jesus is still a great miracle worker for those who come to Him in prayer. He is worth following when life is filled with troubles. He still performs miracles of healing and provides for His people when they hurt.

He could give orders to demons Luke 4:36 Satan had the hearts and lives of many. He controlled them and often they were naked, half crazed and out of control. The demons were afraid of Jesus. They cried out in fear when He came. Yet, when Jesus cast them out or commanded them to be quiet, they had to obey. Life can easily be out of control for you and me. We may not believe in demons, but they are still around us. It can be the unreasonable person at work or a string of “coincidences” that are all bad luck. Those are the times to come to Jesus for help.

He had great compassion for the helpless He was never too busy to help someone. Even when He was tired, He stopped to heal the mob of people begging for help. He saw their pain and how their illness had destroyed their bodies. It broke His heart. Jesus still has compassion for people like you and me. He hurts when you and I are feeling pain. He grieves when someone dies too early or when a child doesn’t have a meal all day. He is the friend that every person needs.

Those who know Jesus will never forget Him Sixty-five years after Jesus had died, John writes because he still could not get Jesus out of His mind. He had a front row seat and could call this one his friend. Jesus was so extraordinary that John had lived his whole life for Jesus. He had spent these sixty-five years in a nonstop conversation letting people know all that Jesus had done for him and others. Yet, the best part is that the extraordinary rubs off. The book of Acts describes the change that had come on the disciples because of their connection with the extraordinary Christ. What would you be willing to do to be a little more amazing? Would you be willing to spend a half hour a day in prayer to have less worry in your life or find a place of service so you can do miracles for God? Jesus is extraordinary and being with Jesus lets the extraordinary rub off on you.