Love Never Budged (Part A)

Jesus again, the fulfillment of all the sacrifices and offerings in tight end.

Everyone missed it. No one connected this they loved him. They grieved over him. They followed him. They tried to understand what he was saying they did not understand that he is sacrifice. He's going to rise. There were some shadows of hope, but really not much. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the Gospel of Mark chapter 15 as he begins his message. Love never bunched you have your Bibles. Let's turn to the gospel according to Mark the gospel according to Mark chapter 15 will take verses 42 through 47 now when evening had come, because it was the preparation day.

That is the day before the Sabbath.

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God coming and taking courage went into pilot and asked for the body of Jesus pilot marveled that he was already dead and summoning the century and he asked him if he had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the century and he granted the body to Joseph, then he bought fine linen, took him down, and wrapped him in linen. And he laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Josie's observed where he was laid love never bunched. That's the title of this message after Jesus had breathed his last while still on the cross, his body, at least, there remained the work of removing his body to the grave. After all, what would happen to someone who was crucified and died on the cross. What would happen to their bodies aroma just take them and discard them.

If the family asked, they might say yes and granted to them. In this case, the Sanhedrin may have asked for the body or saw to it that it was dishonorably treated and so here amongst the grieving confused and shattered hearts of the disciples. Their faith was battered, it was severely injured in a man steps forward, we known as Joseph of Arimathea and he asked for the body.

While it still hung on the cross because even though their faith had been greatly wounded.

Their hearts were broken their love never bunched it never flinched. Love was still there. In fact, I believe in Joseph's case at least and perhaps Nicodemus the faith of the love intensified Jesus and that hopefully will see some of that in this consideration. We look now in verse 42 now when evening had come, because it was the preparation day. That is the day before the Sabbath was stopped there midsentence. There is so much going on here, culturally and traditionally these activities are swirling around the Passover.

While again.

Christ is still on the cross. Mark mentions so this first 42 a for his Roman audience who were unacquainted with the Jewish customs. It is potentially confusing to get into it from the pulpit. It's a little easier.

If you're writing it, but just to speak it. For example, he says here now when evening had come, while the Jews think they counted early evening and late evening early evening began at 3 PM and lasted to six and then he is so you have all of these twist and turns going on here that we might lose sight of so suffice it to say that Christ that he who is the Passover is. He died at 3 PM. His body is likely remove before 6 PM before sundown and that's what this is moving Joseph when he steps forward to get the body of Christ down before others can get to him now.

It's also important to understand that while he was on the cross of the daily sacrifices were offered and the Jews would have their morning sacrifice with a wood sacrifice animal than offered to the Lord and then they would have the evening sacrifice and offer that to the Lord will hear on this day being up high day there would also be the Passover sacrifices were cries of course he feels the he is the fulfillment of all of the sacrifices he is the daily sacrifice and he is the Passover for us gives a little bit more thrust to when Jesus says, take up your cross daily and follow me. Being a daily sacrifice for Christ. Well, here sunset. Remember is going to mark the change of days. So, for the Jew. It is now Thursday at sunset that will start their Friday still our Thursday this week. It's a little confusing.

I believe in the Thursday crucifixion.

Some even go so far back as a Wednesday but I don't think you can make that work. Friday is out.

If you consider that Jesus said that as a Jonah was in the belly of the fish to so will the Son of Man be in the belly of yours three days and three nights will to get that three day and three night you can only do it on Thursday, crucifixion. In spite of what the tradition may may declare many great Bible commentators still hold to a Friday crucifixion because it's not that important of a matter by making it more important by by staying on perhaps. But it's good to know these things.

I think it makes us better at approaching the Scripture looking for the truth, and for what it's really saying anyway.

They had to hurry to get the body of Christ off the cross and wanting to fulfill the requirement in Deuteronomy a person that was hung on the cross was accursed and they were not to remain there overnight and so they are certainly mindful of this also.

John writes in the 19th chapter he says because it was the preparation day that the body should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath or that Sabbath was a high day continuing. John does the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So when the Jews talked about Sabbath it's not only a Saturday, the Saturdays were Sabbath, but their high days their holy days, and fell on a Tuesday or a Monday or any other day. It day was the Sabbath to and because this is the Passover beginning at Thursday sundown starts that high day. The Passover now you have an over a million people coming into Jerusalem, offering up sacrifices they can't wait to the last minute to start slaughtering the sacrificial lambs. This is been going on what Christ is on the cross in preparation so again a lot of activity taking place this Christ on the cross at the time of the sacrifices of the animals matches what was going on in when the Jews were bringing being brought out of Egypt on the first Passover. You remember they sacrificed the animals they put the blood on the doorpost and the angel of death would pass over all of that having significant meaning to sinners, which we are. There are two types of sinners. Those sinners that are lost in those sinners that are saved. The saints in the aims and that's what we should preach well Jesus again, the fulfillment of all the sacrifices and offerings in type and everyone missed it.

No one connected this they loved him. They grieved over him. They followed him. They tried to understand what he was saying they did not understand that he is sacrifice that he's going to rise. There were some shadows of hope, but really not much and we get that from when the disciples were on the road to Emmaus talking to Christ, not knowing it was the risen Lord and they say today is now the third day we had hoped, but that hope was so far in the back because of the grief the sorrow, the shock, the suddenness of everything that was going on around them, and these things are recorded for us, so that when it is our turn, to struggle in life struggle with in faith.

We look to the Scriptures and we see how we we are supposed to behave, what God is looking for from us.

Hopefully the Scripture is real to us and hopefully Jesus is real to us. I think that most of you all the Christians. Christ is very real to you, but how about you younger Christian and you got so much happening in your life so many distractions so many things to do so many things to not want to do but there they are.

You have to face them. What are you facing those things in life. With or without Jesus.

Is he real to you when you pray to him. Are you just mimicking something you've learned from your parents watched other Christians do, or are you genuinely in dialogue with God. One who said in the beginning, let there be light verse 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God coming in taking courage went into Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus Arimathea that is, say, a Greek form of the Hebrew Rama Rama was that Old Testament city was Samuel, the great prophet was was born and hear Samuel's Old Testament town passes into the New Testament is Arimathea and if I were a Jew living at this time. Knowing these things I would have a warm heart over making this connection that this man that steps forward from the same place that Samuel that would mean something to me going back to Jesus being real to you being meaning something to you. I bet the devil is real to you when you're afraid something is coming against you. I bet you Satan is real to you will then let Jesus be more real to you because he is superior. Of course, to Satan is not the opposite of and may we never lose sight of that is so easy to have faith when everything is going right when the trouble comes, or on the other side of that things can go be going too well.

Who needs Christ then these dangers we are aware of and we prepare for them.

Says here that Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent Council member is a top dog in the Sanhedrin that governing body of religious leaders in Israel amongst the Jews. He is rich. We know that we know that he is a secret disciple and we know that he never cited against Christ. Luke tells us in the 23rd chapter of his gospel. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He wasn't one of them was on the Council to serve God and to serve the people. But he was not against Jesus Christ. Now when we talk about the Jews.

There are two types there of the righteous Jews in their unrighteous Jews just like we Gentiles the righteous Gentiles to unrighteous Gentiles, so it is not coming against the race of the Jewish people. When we say just in in speaking for example the Jews that had him crucified.

Well, so that the room so that the Romans so to the Gentiles. Ultimately, who was responsible for the crucifixion of Christ was Christ himself is the author and finisher of our faith in the Beano faith worth wild if we could not get to be with him for all eternity and he is the one that made that so their goal. The tearing of the veil in the temple when he gave up his spirit. So here is Joseph and he openly now breaks ranks with his colleagues. He is no longer a secret disciple.

He will not be bullied by them anymore. He had hoped that Jesus was indeed the Jewish Messiah.

But now what's going through his head.

Now, as he goes to speak with Pilate to ask for the body of Christ. What's he thinking is he settling in his head that okay this wasn't the Messiah but he indeed was a prophet worthy of the highest honors. I think that's closer to what was going on in his head. It says here in verse 43, who was himself waiting for the kingdom. It's not a casual statement because of the status of the manlike Joseph of Arimathea most of the site. Disciples probably never got to talk with him be around him just a social gap between the two, and I'm sure when they wrote this. They were delighted that such a man could love the Lord if he could do it. What was the excuse of the other ones if if other people your age can love Christ and what's your excuse. If you know that I just want to play. I just you know I'm angry at something I getting my way and lie whatever it may be not a good enough reason to turn your back on Christ whatever reason these men had for turning their back on Jesus was not good enough for God, and they have where are they now will we know it. Joseph of Arimathea is a Nicodemus, where the rest of them? If you don't want to go to your grave with on your life.

Well, when Joseph went into the presence of Pilate, he contracted defilement. This was the place where the other Jews didn't want to go before the Passover feast. This made it impossible for him to take part in the feast as a righteous Jew would that defilement deepened with contact dead body. Joseph had so now love the Lord ritual meant very little to him. However now that he is defiled from celebrating the ceremony of the Passover. I don't think they could've been a greater celebration of the Passover that he and Nicodemus engaged in and taking care of the body of the Passover lamb. Jesus Christ of this was a greater honor than sitting at a table eating a lamb to take care of the Lamb of God, so they dared ceremonial defilement in order to take the holy one of God and properly take care of what remained with tender hands rigged risking at the same time, being alienated from their colleagues, their social status could've been lost. They could've incurred great many problems for doing what they were doing so again, what did these men feel Joseph and Nicodemus as they attended to the body of Christ. It was a gruesome task what was happening in their heads. They labored to lay Christ to rest in spite of the misery in their hearts. Hopelessness on their faces, loss of excitement in the tone of their voices, they too were severely injured their money and their status did not protect them from how they were feeling at this moment of all possible disappointments to be disappointed in Jesus Christ is the worst. And if you serve Christ enough there will be those times we you are disappointed with what Christ has allowed or disallowed.

You will struggle with this whole concept of the sovereignty of God. If God is sovereign, why doesn't he do more. Why doesn't he. Why doesn't it goes on and on. Hope was dead in their hands for the time being, but they didn't know that they didn't know that he was going to get up hogan from their hearts but love love never budge because there's still so concerned about him. They risking their risking ritual and status, and perhaps even more.

Just to get their hands on the lifeless body of Christ. That's love. There was nothing else to drive them. It was no other reason.

Nothing to push them forward. That should be a ministry for us all. What motivates us to serve what we want to do well we don't want to let down our fellow servants.

That's part of it for the greater part is the love of Christ and if it's not, it needs to be. Maybe you say maybe your you know you seven.

I don't feel like I used to feel it, then your and you're still doing yes why because I love the Lord but I don't feel it. That's war and that's good war that's that's how we beat back the devil we don't wait to feel good about it.

We go by faith, the just shall live by faith.

It does not say the just shall live by feelings. What would get done then.

Well, there are things in life that can bring profound misery and disappointment with God's way and we accept that and if we love him we won't budge.

We will move those who become apostates have run out of love. There is this love that stands and takes what life throws our way. Because of Christ know people who don't have Christ can take what life throws at them to, but it only carries them through one lifetime and it dies after it dies when they die is in the world and they're accomplishing a great many things will been building things and developing things and discovering things and yet it what does it really matter. I mean, he walked up to Abraham said you know they actually went to the moon and landed and walked on the moon will Abraham had a conspiracy theory know he didn't know what it didn't matter.

I needed to do that they can live up to.

Okay so you go to the front of the line and going into heaven. What is it profit a man if he gains the world.

It's not about that coming there have to be things on earth to keep us busy as we get into trouble but when it comes down to it comes down to you. Love the Lord, it says here in verse 43 coming and taking courage how much thought went into his taking courage, knowing the consequences there would be evidently a need to be courageous at this point.

Otherwise we would not read these words, they would not have been necessary to write Mark and the other apposite writers of the Gospels, when they put the sender is saying this man was it in danger. It took courage to do what he did. John's gospel chapter 19 verse 38 Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, again using that recording the Scriptures talking about the Jewish leaders. It's not a ethnic slur at all knowingly putting himself in harm's way for the body of Christ for a dead body John in his letter. Maybe he was thinking of Joseph when he said there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear.

You see the connection between what this man is doing in love. It was not his duty as an Council member of the Sanhedrin. There was no sense of well is the decent thing to do. Otherwise he would've asked for the bodies of the two other outlaws to to outlaws, not other outlaws. Christ was no outlaw's sole purpose is sole focus was Christ and his love for Jesus and though he may have been a secret disciple prior to the crucifixion. Watching how Jesus handled it all and how he was out Christ was handled by his enemies just made this man love more Roman mine had a different view. King should not be treated this way.

That's carnal. Joseph knew he knew better by what he heard preached because he knew enough of the Scripture to make it at least sound conclusions concerning the righteousness of Jesus is just the whole Messiah thing escape them. Who else amongst the disciples would be granted an audience with Pilate. I mean John may have wanted to meet with Pilate asked for the body, but Pilate would never meet with a man like Johnny Lee, was not he did not have the social stock clout to merit an audience but here is Joseph he has. He can get a meeting with the governor, and he does get he went into Pilate and asked for the body of Christ. Whatever shame they had in mind to handle the body of Christ with before Joseph showed up was blocked by the father, God would not allow so God provides this servant Joseph it is a divine appointment and we read this was supposed to say there comes a time when God needs a specific individual. Where there come a time when he needs me with there come a time when he wants me to do something and I am handpicked for the task.

Will I notice, will I act. Or maybe I live my life in such a way God can ever ask. Maybe my Christianity is too shallow.

Maybe I don't have enough desire for Jesus Christ who thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Reiki on cross reference radio