The Day Death Died

Introduction

Jerusalem - Obituaries - Calvary

"Jesus Christ, 33, of Nazareth, died Friday on Mount Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull. Betrayed by the apostle Judas, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, by order of the Ruler Pontius Pilate. The causes of death were crucifixion, extreme exhaustion, severe torture, and loss of blood.

"Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, was a member of the house of David. He was the Son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted Mother. Jesus was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem, Judea. He is survived by his mother, Mary, His faithful Apostles, numerous disciples, and many other followers.

"Jesus was self-educated and spent most of his adult life working as a Teacher. Jesus also occasionally worked as a Medical Doctor and it is reported that He healed many patients. Up until the time of His death, Jesus was teaching and sharing the Good News, healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry, and helping the poor.

"Jesus was most noted for telling parables about His Father's kingdom and performing miracles, such as feeding over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and healing a man who was born blind. On the day before His death, He held a Last Supper celebrating the Passover Feast, at which He foretold His death.

"The body was quickly buried in a stone grave, which was donated by Joseph of Arimathea, a loyal friend of the family. By order of Pontius Pilate, a boulder was rolled in front of the tomb. Roman soldiers were put on guard.

"In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that everyone try to live as Jesus did. Donations may be sent to anyone in need."

i. Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit."

ii. Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

In 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul talks about his "departure is at hand."

Note: 2 Tim. 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Timothy 1:8-12 needs to be viewed against the back-drop of 2 Timothy 4:17-18: "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!"

I. The Encouragement from a Mentor 8

A. Do not be ashamed 8a

"therefore do not be ashamed" - a feeling of fear or shame which prevents a person from doing a thing. A feeling of shame arising from something that has been done.

The imperative is based on 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Of Jesus - Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

Same word for ashamed is used in 1 John 2:28 concerning the Judgment Seat of Christ. 1 John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

In Heb. 11:16, God is not ashamed to be called the God of believers. OF PAUL

Paul led Timothy to Christ and personally discipled him. There could have been a misunderstanding of whose prisoner he was; not Rome, but the Lord's.

B. Do not be afraid 8b

"but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God" - bear evil treatment along with; emphasis is on the "gospel." It is a "whatever it takes" mentality.

1 Peter 4:14, "If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

"according to the power of God" - dynamite that blows us free to trust His ability and His resources.

W.W. Wiersbe:

"Years ago, I read about a Christian who was in prison because of his faith. He was to be burned at the stake, and he was certain he would never be able to endure the suffering. One night, he experimented with pain by putting his little finger into the candle flame. It hurt, and he immediately withdrew it. 'I will disgrace my Lord,' he said to himself. 'I cannot bear the pain.' But when the hour came for him to die, he praised God and gave a noble witness for Jesus Christ."

Do not be ashamed and do not be afraid. In other words: Don't neglect your privilege. Don't negate His power.

II. The Explanation of His Message 9

A. The Plan of Salvation 9a

2 Timothy 1:9, "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works..." John 3:17 reminds us that Christ did not come to condemn but to save.

John 3:17-18, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

"called us" - describes the process of salvation. The call has been made outwardly by the preaching of the gospel, inwardly by the influence of the Spirit working through the Word.

"not according to our works" - not human merit; not what you bring or do, but what He did.

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

B. The Purpose of Salvation 9b

"but according to His own purpose and grace..."

Saul's conversion is a great illustration for the context of this passage.

Acts 9:15-16, "But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.'"

"which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began"

Ephesians 1:4, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."

This magnifies God's purpose.

III. The Enlightenment Of His Message 10

"now been revealed" - "brought to light"

A. Jesus Christ is the Savior

"The appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ" - speaks of the Incarnation - God becoming a man; putting on flesh in order to identify with His creatures. Jesus' appearance on earth made visible God's intent to save sinners.

B. Jesus Christ is the Destroyer of Death

"who has abolished death" - to render idle; inactive, inoperative; take out the sting.

1 Corinthians 15:55, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"

Death has not been completely done away with at the first coming of Jesus Christ, but because of the salvation which He provided, death no longer has the power it once had.

Hebrews 2:14-15, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

R.L. Child, "By his patient endurance of the judgment of God upon sin, and by His steadfast testimony to the character of God as loving and good, Jesus has transformed the significance of death, and in so doing has destroyed it's power to hurt us...the resurrection of Jesus exhibited once and for all His victory over sin and death, and demonstrated the reality of life beyond death."

Crown Him With Many Crowns

"Crown Him the Lord of life;

Who triumphed o'er the grave,

Who rose victorious to the strife

For those He came to save.

His glories now we sing,

Who died and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring

And lives that death may die."

C. Jesus Christ Is The Revealer

"and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel"

They were already present, but He focused special attention on them; to turn the light on. "through the gospel" - the good news;

1 Corinthians 15:1-4, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

The preaching of the gospel allows these benefits to become operative within the world.

IV. The Engagement of His Ministry 11-12

A. His Calling 11

"appointed a preacher" - a messenger who gives public proclamation of the emperor's message.

B. His Comission. 11

"an apostle" - one sent forth with orders His Clarity. 11

"a teacher" - imparting the message

C. His Confidence. 12

"for I know whom I have believed"

Note the emphasis on the person of Christ. Salvation is not the result of believing certain doctrines, though doctrines are important. A sinner is saved because he believes in Jesus Christ.

"believed" - perfect tense, indicating something that began in the past and has continuing results. "The object of Paul's certain knowledge was not a thing, or even God's truth, as important as that is, but rather God Himself. It was not Paul's divinely revealed theology, but the One who revealed to him that theology, in whom he believed." John MacArthur

"and am persuaded" - convinced; Why? It continues to bear fruit in the life. "He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day"

Paul had committed the safekeeping of his soul to God and was confident that God would guard it until a future day.