Hope for The Hopeless

Hope for The Hopeless

The Shepherd that became a Lamb to become THE Shepherd

Rev 7: 14-17

The Death of Jesus The Crucifixion Of Jesus

Thur/Fri

He laid down his life---even on the cross His thoughts were with the people Luke 23:34, 44-48
Was at end of Feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread----offered as a First Fruits was barley harvest, offered to God as thanks for His gifts
Today Passover is the Eucharist
Broken bread represents His body, pierced and the broken relationship He experienced on the Cross Mark 15:34 Why Have you forsaken me
The sins laid on Jesus –God could not look on the sin during His wrath
Main harvest Feast was at Weeks/Pentecost----50 days later—Gift of the Holy Spirit

Cant stay focused on Jesus sufferings

The shepherd that rescues

OT—Psalm 23:1 "the Lord is my Shepherd"
Psalm 79:13 "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture will thank you forever"
Psalm 95:7 "For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care"
David wrote these while watching his sheep
No shepherd ever off duty no fences or walls to hold the sheep shepherd had to watch for straying sheep went and found them if they fell he carried them if they got hurt he healed them

God is like a shepherd cause we are like sheep

Sheep are dumb and so are we at times
Sheep need someone to get them to water, to get them food, to get someone to protect them , the shepherds knew the sheep by name and the sheep know the shepherds voice, even if there were 2 shepherds calling at the same time
We need a shepherd, one who knows our pace, grieve, pain loneliness
One who does not look down on us when we’re lost but looks for us
One who carries us when we lag behind
One who hears our cries and sees our hurts and heals us

The Lamb who redeems

Lamb would gives its life for the shepherd
Take lamb to sanctuary, lean on its head and confess sins
Lamb would be sacrificed, its blood would flow, life for a life
Jesus became that lamb
Isaiah 53:4-7 Jesus the good shepherd became a lamb to sacrifice his life for our sin
Gave his life for us to save us from Gods wrath
The story turns –what the disciples thought would be triumph over the world was not
Life dies, victory defeated, God is crucified, savior hangs on a cross, their hopes and dreams gone, their king is dead, they all sorrow and cry at the funeral, he is buried
The shepherd became a lamb
Jesus like a little pet animal takes our place on the cross

The Shepherd Who Reigns

Followers thought that was the end, the messiah was dead
Jesus didn’t stay on the cross, God died, but rose again, just like Lazarus
Went to the tomb, but it was empty
He showed himself but many did not believe it was him Mark 15:11 Mary Magdalene
They saw but did not understand
John did not go in the tomb, Peter went first
Sometimes we analyze too much
Devil thought he had won, but he didn’t
The slain lamb became the shepherd again
He had lived with us, ate with us, cried with us, led us healed us saved us, bled with us and for us!
No more sacrifice for sins---only believing in Him on Him and giving control of us to Him
Not only redeems us back to Him but reigns as well
Rev 7---God is alive and we will reign with Him as he is the shepherd that rescues, redeems and reigns with the lambs
He will leads us home to be in green pastures beside the living waters
No hunger, no thirst, no pain , no suffering, no funerals, no sickness, no failure, no hatred, no violence
This is our hope and promise to us that if we persevere to the end, will shall be saved

The Gospel

Made possible by the entry into Jerusalem, the trial, crucifixion the death, the burial and resurrection
It’s Because of God, from God , thru God , to God to be saved from God
The temple veil was ripped---now had access to God himself, we are not worthy, Jesus makes us so

Without THIS week there would be no Gospel, no resurrection, no power over death no victory, no glorious appearing for 40 days of a risen Savior, no hope for mankind
He came because of our sins
Rom 3:10 "No one is righteousness" 3:23 all have sinned and fallen short
1Tim 1:15 "A faithful saying, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am chief"
He died to pay for our sins Isa 53:5 "wounded for our disobedience"
Rom 5:8-9 "God shows his love, while we were sinners Christ died for us, having been justified thru His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him"
Colos 1:14 "We have redemption and forgiveness of sins thru His blood"
a week that was to establish undeserved grace—birth pains of the church – simple salvation, belief – way back to peace within and peace with God our Maker and Father

Easter teaches us to wait

He rose the lamb that died would rise to live again as the shepherd and guardian of our souls 1Pet 2:25
We will have tribulation and disappointment, hold on, just wait, it may be Friday Sundays coming
Soon we will shout songs of victory
Because a shepherd became a lamb to become a shepherd again

Have you accepted what He has done? Believed in Him Made Him Ruler Lord of your life?
Can you rejoice that He made the journey into the Holy City for a week that changed everything including you and me?