R1529 Rethinking Easter, Pt.1

He is risen indeed, many of us said that yesterday's we celebrated Easter today we continue the Easter celebration was studying God's word, yes. We celebrate Easter one day, but we celebrate the truth of Easter this week, all week long with special messages from Dr. Don Wilton will head to Matthew chapter 28 in just a moment. But as we begin. Dr. Wilton want to remind you were here for you. We would love to pray with you and for you are toll-free number 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 were also connecting on our website as well as GW online.org some unique resources. A special book from Dr. Wilton transforming Marty and it's all on our website. T. E. W online.org the open God's word. Let's open our hearts to see what God can do with us as we began to rethink Easter so I grew up in Africa. Easter schools in Africa in the British system is to close on Friday and Monday every year. Friday and Monday, so on Thursday we get home from school and just stick with me because this is Africa malachite only to shop but we get home from school about three 4 o'clock and we'd run over to our church and we'd have young people, hundreds of them come from all over the place and we getting trucks. I mean literally, these Laurentian of these big old trucks and we'd have more stuff they be hundreds of us students and then we headed out into the African wilderness on the coast on the wild coast of Africa and we had teams.

That's where we stayed we get to where it goes.

We were going and then the first thing we know all the guys would get off and we'd have to set up the tanks so the girls will always, like over there that was had the baseball and so we put up your note 20 tanks for the girls and then the guys were set up van to the other side of the river that had plenty of crocodiles in it, but we were on the other side of it and then we had a major stain where they made the good grub and we had a like a marquee team play. We would meet for worship so we'd spend Friday Saturday Sunday and then Monday and it was the best fun.

You can imagine, I mean serious water stories, but that's my lot of my memories about Easter and Easter, of course, is is a great time. I mean people just look so wonderful and families together. Memories good food here in the US you know it's springtime just glad it stopped raining yesterday and so there is a lot of great things you know. The interesting thing about Easter is that's not really what it is. It's about something a lot more than that. So you know Jesus lives in my heart and I'm a Christian man and I I'm I have a lot of fun. I enjoy a lot of things but Easter I have to rethink Easter every year I go to rethink what this is. That's what I'm going to ask you to do� Bow hits from an old right now we going to Austin you speak to each one of us in our enjoyment of this time of the year and our families and the things that we have going on. Lord, there's a lot of us that need to rethink Easter because this is the single most bit of good news that could ever be shared anyway because the thing that happened at least has allowed the likes of me to walk free.

Like Barabbas, who was condemned to death like me a call of us and I'm free today even though I have a death sentence because of my son. I am sick free because Jesus took my place. I want to really get a hold of this Lord I pray that you would speak to all of us today.

In Jesus name, amen. Let's start here. I want you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 28, so we write down the Matthew 28 okay, that's the lost book of the gospel of Matthew. You get Matthew Mark Luke and John.

The four Gospels, and each one of these men were part of the group that were known as Jesus disciples so we need to understand this at the beginning, they were there. Everything that I'm about to share with you right now like sort. That's why they wrote about it. Okay, we got a firsthand account and so I want to read to just the first six verses of Matthew 28 is what Matthew said about that. Now off to the Sabbath, toward the door on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the two and behold it was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and settlement. His appearance was like lightning, and ease clothing want to slow and full fear of him. The gods trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the woman.

Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as he said so, and see the place where he lay. I want you to come with me for a minute so I I'm going to put up your a map right you going to see a map care of Jerusalem. There it is. This is an ancient map of Jerusalem, let me just say a few things to help orient you first thing I want you to notice if our point that you can see the golden dome. Everybody knows that is the golden door that they is today controlled by the museums at some Muslim temple. Let me tell you about that spot there.

This is called the temple mount. So just focus right there. I want to tell you why you need to focus right there where my okay right there. Just just take a hard look at this see that there that is going to be the center of heaven by the Bible says.

When Jesus comes back, he's going to go to that spot. He's going to set up his throne right there gonna say to me what is that place that is mount Moriah. What's significant about mount Moriah member if you go back in the Old Testament God came to Abraham had only one son saved in my RAM.

I want you to take your son I want you to go to Mount Moriah. I want you to sacrifice your son and Abraham did it. He was completely obedient when he climbed up. None of this was here during the time of Abraham. This was just a mountain. He climbed up that mountain and he was about to sacrifice Isaac and God interrupted him and said no.

Now I know that you are willing to be obedient. I want you to know that there's a better way. This is mount Moriah.

And when Jesus comes back I'm going to show you that in just a minute he's going to set up his kingdom here heaven is going to be on this earth. It's not up there. God's kingdom now is up there because he went up into heaven, but Revelation 21 tells us that at the end of times the end of the age, the heavenly Jerusalem is going to come down from God, not of heaven and is going to land right there, and God sees in Revelation 21.

Not me, not any theologian, not the Pope. God sees from now on I will make my dwelling place with mankind.

Now you might say to me what happens to heaven that is heaven because it's all going to become one of these no see there's no separation, no gravity and everything's going to become perfect so when we live there with him. The earth and the whole Galactic orbit of God's creation is going to go back to the Garden of Eden, which was perfect.

We can't figure that out. Can so what is rethinking Easter. How does this all come together so want to go back to a full map you and I'm going to show you something arrived to take you on a journey very quick journey.

I want you to listen carefully and I want you to read think Easter with me. First of all I want you to rethink the upper room. The Bible tells us that Jesus at the time the parts of a cold Matthew Mark Luke and John and the other disciples. They were 12 of them including Judas who was going to betray him, and he called them into one room and that upper room is roundabout in this area here there is the Mount of olives is the Mount of olives is the dome of the rock that's the center point Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room and watered the children, he took bread, he broke it. He took the cup and they drank it and he said this bread is broken for you. My body, my blood is being shed for you. Bottom line, don't forget when you really think Easter done. Forget that church don't forget, that's the starting point.

So when Jesus had this step was likely equivalent about Thursday not. It was the night before he was betrayed. The Bible says so on Thursday night or early Friday morning, Jesus lived here and he went down this valley. There is a valley that comes in from the side and joins with this valley.

This valley here is cold.

The valley of Gahanna Gahanna. Can I give you the literal translation hello HE double L that is the place of hell. The valley of hidden you know where it gets its name from member Judas betrayed Jesus for just a little bit of money and offer all these things happen. Judas went out and he hanged himself in the field of blood at the place called hell he was sentenced to hell the valley of Gahanna. Often Jesus showed his disciples in the upper room. He walked over hell took a left turn and he came up.

If we come to the top right side of this map, I'll show you how he came up and then he turned left and he went up this valley here in this valley here is cold.

The valley of Jehoshaphat and what you suppose the word Jehoshaphat means judgment so often Jesus will over hell. He then walked up the valley of judgment.

We are judged for our sins and he came to this place right there, which is called the garden of Gethsemane. Now, the garden of Gethsemane is a place it's a garden at Gethsemane.

The place was cool Gethsemane and Gethsemane. There is a God beautiful garden with a lot of all of trees that are there from the time of Jesus, but right as you get to the garden of Gethsemane. There are some incredible caves in the Bible tells us that Jesus during these last days he would come and teach in the temple and he would tell people about himself and every night he would cross through the Kidron Valley and he would go into the caves at Gethsemane and that's where he would spend the night and just to connect all the dots. That's the same place where Jesus made Nicodemus memo Nicodemus came to him at night you can read about it in John chapter 3 and say to him, Rabbi, what must I do to go to heaven.

Jesus said to him you must be born again. It was right there in Gethsemane and what happening.

Gethsemane will right there in Gethsemane. We find agonizing submission because Luke tells us that Jesus went down on his knees. Jesus fell on his knees and he God the father to remove the cup of his suffering. Now why would Jesus do that is why he did that because Jesus was all God and he was old man. That's the word deity you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher on The Encouraging Word. Please don't go away. Be back in just a moment for today's message Dr. Don Wilton to remind you that we are connecting on our website 24 hours a day with remarkable resources that can help you grow in your faith right now many people are asking about the opportunity to pray for adult children with special resources available right now on our website. It's TW online.org remarkable book by storming regarding some cardio resources from the pastor. It's available right now.

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Just as we are yet without sin. But at the same time, he was always God and he told his disciples that if you see me you seen God the father. So Jesus the man in the garden got on his knees because Jesus the person understood pain. He knew what was about to happen to there was nothing worse than being crucified there was no greater torture. It was the worst torture anybody could ever have, and he knew it and so he said father would you take the cup of my suffering. Nevertheless, because I'm God on the son of God, and we saw that in the life of Abraham, who is completely obedient Jesus incomplete obedience to the father agonizingly submitted.

Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done so as we rethink Easter by came and arrested him.) The garden of Gethsemane a step downhill into this valley, remember what we called the valley of Jehoshaphat, you know what it's other name is the Kidron Valley KIDRON you know what Kidron means in the Hebrew text destiny so he walked up the valley of judgment was arrested and began the journey of his destiny. Why did Jesus come to this earth. Why was he born what was his destiny so he walks back down the Kidron Valley when he gets down to about their he takes a turn again going shopping inclined cost the city of David right up into this place over here and he goes to the house of Annas or Anna a in in and I was very high up in the hierarchy. He was the father in law of Kai FS, the high priest, so there is a connection here between Anna who is one of the rulers and Kai FS, the high priest so look what happens here he goes up and he's very sharp and he doesn't miss a lick and he's right here at the house of Anna and guess what happens. Anna Aust seen a loaded question you rethink Easter and you get to Canada where Jesus was taken off to his arrest. He gets a loaded question you not a loaded question is ever had someone come up and say to you, did I see you at that steakhouse loss not and you know jolly well you were at the strikeouts and that they knew you were the strikeouts.

It's like big dummy.

What you are asking me that what you mean, did I see you like Rudy to toot toot what you mean, did you see me as a loaded question. So Anna in all his religious all mightiness turns to Jesus and seized him excuse me Jesus on you the one that's been causing all this trouble and speaking to all the Jews at the temple and showing good works in healing people on to the one Jesus turns back to him and seized him excuse me, you know that I'm the one Chris you've seen me teaching and preaching and healing people do not. Jesus got for that power.

One of the guards stepped up and smacked him up one side of the face and see dim hot day you talk to someone so important like Anna's rethink Easter. By the way, how important do we have to become in order to give Jesus a slap in the face and teach him not to talk to us like that. Jesus did it well. Anna sent them off with you and he went to the house of Caiaphas when he went to the house of Caiaphas, even to this day there are huge pits prisons and they took Jesus in life through him down into the bottom of one of these pits even David the psalmist inspired by the Holy Spirit in Psalm 88 wrote about you not happen to Jesus you want to rethink Easter was totally abandoned as nobody else with him is in the bottom of the pit. Guess yes what's happened.

Darkness closed him you know Jesus is the light of the world, and yet he allowed darkness to close over him. He became a man, Kai FS sent them off with you and so Kai FS same team right over here to this area.

Writer next to the dome of the rock between the all oxo Mosque in this area right chair was known as the San Hebron San Hebron is a in HPD are in the Sanhedrin was the upper headquarters of the religious elite in Jerusalem.

You know who live there all the top dogs of the church and get this. The Bible tells us that these very top religious people condemned Jesus. The church church can dampen. Indeed, the church did Jesus pray that as we began to understand more about what Jesus went through for us. We would understand how deep his love is for us been listening to Dr. Don Wilton teaching and preaching from the pulpit and as he steps in the studio. Open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me box today. I repent of my sent in by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new welcome to the family convinced that some of you are praying along with document moments ago to give your life to Christ for the very first time, or perhaps others are rededication your life. Even right now saying it's time it's time to put what you've done in the past in the past and know that God has a great opportunity now with your sins forgiven with a chance to find a purpose for living and know that a place for heaven waits for you. We love to rejoice with you in your decision. If you'll give us a call. 866-899-WORD Dr. Don Wilton would like to pray for you and love to send you some special resources as well help you grow.

The phone number again is 866899673 love to connect with you our website as well@tewonline.org that's tewonline.org he. If you have one of his talk with you privately about your questions were available 24 hours a day.the number down stored in yourself. It's 86689866899673