The Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Book of John

The Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Book of John

By Pastor Kris Minefee

John 19 The Crucifixion of Christ

Jesus upon the cross John 19:16-30

Why do you think the description of the method of crucifixion has so few details?

It was a well know and ancient means of death.

Why did Pilate write “King of the Jews” for Jesus accusation?

In order to spite the ruling Jews and perhaps to appease in some way his own conscience.

Why did Jesus tell Mary, “Behold thy son” and John, “behold, thy mother.”

Jesus as the first born son was responsible for the care of his mother since her husband was dead.   This was the fulfillment of that responsibility.

How did Jesus fulfill scripture by saying, “I thirst.”

They brought him vinegar to drink as prophecy said they would.

What is the physical and spiritual application of the water and blood flowing from Christ’s side?

Physically, it shows he was truly dead.  The blood and water signified a burst heart.  Spiritually, it showed a washing of the blood from sin and of water the word or God.

What prophesies are fulfilled in this passage?

Psalms 22:7-8, 17-18; 34:20; Zech 12:10

What is significant about Nicodemus coming with Joseph to claim the body of Christ?

He had believed in Jesus, and was now no longer ashamed or afraid.

Vs. 40 How does this verse compare or contrast to the “shroud of Turin?”

The scriptures plainly say in several places he was wound in linen clothes (plural).  The shroud is one piece of cloth folded around a crucified man.

The Day Christ Was Crucified.

The Jewish "day" starts at sunset, a Roman "day," started at midnight like ours today.

The Israelites used the Roman count of four watches during the night.  These began at approximately 9:30 PM, 12:00 midnight, 2:30 AM (the cockcrow watch), and 5 AM.  Starting at sunrise they divided the day into "hours."  Thus when they said that something happened at the 6th hour it was about noon or 6 hours after sunrise, not 6 AM like we would say today.

Most scholars agree that John wrote to the Gentiles and would have used their terms for the time of day

Roman time: midnight to midnight

12a  Wed   12a		12a  Thur  12a		12a  Fri      12a		12a     Sat   12a
4th day  sundown	5th sundown to sundown		6th sundown to sundown		7th  sundown to sundown

Jewish time: sundown to sundown

Comparison of possible days Christ died.

Wednesday Crucifixion

Saturday Nisan 10th (Weekly Sabbath)	Triumphal Entry( John 12:12) Inspects the temple but does not cleanse it (Mark 11:11)
Sunday  11th	Curses the fig tree (Mark 11:12-13) Temple Cleansed (Mark  11:27)
Monday 12th	Fig tree found withered (Mark 11:20) Olivet Discourse  (Matthew 24)
Tuesday 13th	At Simons House (Mark 14) Passover Preparation
Wednesday 14th Day of the Crucifixion and Burial	(Mark 14:17-72 Mark 15:1-47) Passover eaten early after sundown Lord’s Supper In The Garden Trials, Crucifixion & Death Burial
Thursday 15th High or Holy Sabbath	Matthew 27:62-66 First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Numbers 28:16-19) Guard placed Christ in the Tomb
Friday 16th	In the Tomb
Saturday 17th	In the Tomb until Sunset then Resurrected
Sunday 18th	First Appearances to Disciples early in morning

This provides an exact fulfillment (72 hrs) of Jesus prophecy concerning the prophet Jonah.  Matthew 12:40

Has triumphal entry with people cutting branches and animals working on a Sabbath day. Note Deut 5:14

Why didn’t the women come on Friday to anoint Jesus body?

Why would Jesus wait until Sunday morning to appear?

Thursday Crucifixion

Saturday Nisan 9th (Weekly Sabbath)	Resting in Bethany at Martha’s home
Sunday 10th	Triumphal Entry
Monday  11th	Temple Cleansed
Tuesday  12th	Olivet Discourse
Wednesday  13th	Anointed (evening) Passover Preparation (next morning)
Thursday 14th Day of the Crucifixion and Burial	Passover eaten early (right after sundown) Lord’s Supper instituted; prayer in The Garden. Arrested, then trials begin (late at night) last into morning Crucified, dies around 3 pm with the killing of the Paschal lambs Buried just before sundown (same day)
Friday 15th High or Holy Sabbath	Feast of Unleavened Bread Begins In the Tomb
Saturday 16th Weekly Sabbath	In the Tomb
Sunday 17th	Resurrection early in the morning as it dawns toward the first day of the week. Women arrive to anoint the body (Matt. 28:1) Sabbath is plural in Textus Receptus Earthquake, stone removed First Appearances to Disciples Met with Disciples on Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13)

Puts Triumphal Entry on Sunday rather than Sabbath.

Lacks a full 72 hours in the grave, but note Acts 10:40

Double Sabbaths explains why women waited to anoint the body.

Reconciles with Luke 24:21 (see chart below)
 

 Friday Crucifixion

Saturday Nisan 9th Weekly Sabbath
Sunday 10th	Triumphal Entry
Monday 11th	Temple Cleansed
Tuesday  12th	Olivet Discourse
Wednesday 13th	Day of Silence
Thursday 14th	Passover Preparation Passover eaten early Lord’s Supper In The Garden
Friday  15th Day of the Crucifixion and Burial	Trials, Crucifixion, Burial
Saturday 16th Weekly Sabbath & High or Holy Sabbath	In the Tomb
Sunday  17th	Resurrection First Appearances to Disciples

Has only 1 ½ days in tomb.

Has to have one day (Wednesday) with nothing happening.

Simplest interpretation of John 19:31

The following is by Lori Eldridge and taken from her website http://www.prophezine.com/

Nisan 8th:

     Jesus and all his disciples arrive from Jericho on the 8th of Nisan. They probably stayed at Lazarus' house in Bethany for the night after such a long journey. (Matt 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-19:28; John 12:1-2).

Nisan 9th:

     This is the only day in the week that could have been the weekly Sabbath due to all the work being performed on the other days and all the nights Jesus returned to Bethany.

Nisan 10th:

     Jesus spent the night in Bethany. Jesus goes from Bethany to Jerusalem for Triumphal entry (Matt 21:1; Mark 11:1; & Luke 19:28,29).

Nisan 11th:

     Jesus went out of the city to Bethany for the night (Matt 21:17; Mark 11:11) Jesus goes back into the city [Jerusalem] early in the morning and curses the fig tree that is near Bethany (Matt 21:18,19; Mark 11:12).

Nisan 12th

     Jesus spend the night in Bethany (Mark 11:19). Mark indicates that the next morning on the way from Bethany to Jerusalem they saw the fig tree withered on the way back to the Temple (the tree was near Bethany). Mark and Matt differ on when they saw it withered but it is possible one of them didn't see it the night before in the dark.

          Jesus went into the Temple courts (Matt 21:23; Mark 11:20, 21). This is the day all the Pharisees, Sadducees and others tried to trap Jesus into saying things that they could arrest him with. All three gospel accounts are almost word for word on the events of this day. Jesus then gave the Olivet Discourse before leaving the city that afternoon while sitting on the Mount of Olives (Matt 21:23-26:1, Mark 11:20-13:37; Luke 20:1-Luke 21:5).

Nisan 13th

     Around sunset they leave Jerusalem and head for Bethany where they will be eating dinner at Simon's (Matt 26:6; Matt 14:3, John 12:1-8). They obviously spend the night in Bethany. Next day (but same day according to Jewish time) the disciples ask where to prepare the Passover. Jesus tells them where it will be and they go to make preparations in Jerusalem.

Nisan 14th

     Jesus and his disciples are now in Jerusalem eating their Passover shortly after sunset as God had instructed in the Exodus and Leviticus passages on Passover. Jesus retires to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.

     He prays while his disciples sleep till dark (John 18:3). He is arrested (Matt. 26:20-50; Mark 14:17-46; Luke 22:14-54; John 13:1-18:12). He is tried all through the night and hung on the cross and dies about 3 PM in the afternoon. He is buried before sunset (still the same day) because of the High Holy Day coming on for Passover

(Nisan 15).

CONCLUSION:

          By counting backwards from the day of the crucifixion it is easy to see that several days in a row could not have been the Sabbath. That leaves only one day that could be a Sabbath: Nisan 9. It is also very logical that Jesus would have rested on this day after such a long trip and especially with all the activities of the coming week and especially the 10th which was one of the most important days of his life. If you add seven days onto the Sabbath of the 9th then you get Nisan 16th as the next Sabbath, which would mean there was a High Holy Day Sabbath on the 15th and then the weekly Sabbath on the 16th, i.e., back-to-back Sabbaths right after the crucifixion. Also if the 16th was a Sabbath then that made Nisan 14, the day of the Crucifixion, a Thursday.

Luke 24 tells us that on the first day of the week (Sunday), after Jesus arose, two disciples were walking to Emmaus and were greeted by Jesus, but they didn't recognize him. They told him what had recently happened to their Savior and that it had been "the third day since all this took place." This probably occurred in the afternoon because shortly after this they are eating dinner in Emmaus (Luke 24:21-29).

          The following chart is provided so you can count backwards from Sunday to see which day fits the 3 day requirement.

          S = Sunset (beginning of the Jewish "day")

          D = Dawn (approx. time of resurrection )

          3 = 3 PM (approx. time of crucifixion)

          

Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
S - - -  D -- - 3-	S - - -  D -- - 3-	S - - -  D -- - 3-	S - - -  D -- - 3-	S - - -  D -- - 3-
NIGHT   DAY	NIGHT  DAY	NIGHT   DAY	NIGHT   DAY	NIGHT   DAY
Day 4	Day 3	Day 2	Day 1	Day 0

          If you count backwards from Sunday, before dawn, to Wednesday 3 PM, you get four nights and four days. If you count backwards to Friday you only get two nights and two days. Thursday is the only combination that produces three days and three nights.

John 20 –21 The Resurrection of Christ

Peter and John see the empty tomb John 20:3-8

Who is “that other disciple?”

John refers to himself this way.

The three words for see or saw in these verses are different words in the Greek.

blepei: Vs. 5 A mere partial viewing of the burial spot form the entrance to the tomb.

theorei: Vs. 6 beholding something, looking close, examining it.

eiden: Vs. 8  perceiving to the point of belief.

Does the description of the grave clothes fit the description of the “Shroud of Turin?”

Not at all.  These are in two pieces wound about the body.  The “Shroud” is one piece folded once and laid from the head down to the feet.

Vs. 11-18  Why doesn’t Mary react to the angels or recognize Jesus when he first speaks to her?

Shock and deep grief prevent her from seeing what would be obvious in a normal situation.

What finally causes Mary to recognize Jesus?

He calls her name.

Explain why Jesus told Mary, “touch me not?”

Literally, the phrase means “don’t cling to me.”  Jesus was not going to continue living on the earth.  His relationship with Mary and the other disciples would not involve his physical presence.

Vs. 19-31 Jesus appears before the disciples.

Why did Jesus breath on the disciples?

He gave them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as he had promised in John 14:17.

What authority did Jesus give them?

The authority to forgive or retain the sins of others.

How is this authority administered?

Through the gospel, which is given to all conditionally.  If they accept the gospel their sins are forgiven if they reject it their sins remain.

Thomas was absent at the first appearance and did not accept the testimony of the others.  When Jesus appeared the second time, what was Thomas reaction?

Faith, even without having to touch the scars.  His statement, “My Lord and My God” is one of the strongest and plainest in scripture.

Vs. 29 What does Jesus say about faith and signs after Thomas’ confession?

Those who believe without seeing are blessed.  A greater faith and therefore a greater blessing for those who could not see Jesus.

Vs. 30-31 What is the purpose of John only recording the certain miracles of Jesus?

To cause belief without seeing to those who followed.

Cry of the Stones Luke 19

Cry of the Stones Luke 19:29-40

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Powerpoint

Introduction:

A preacher was vacationing at the Grand Canyon.  Standing on the edge of that great chasm, he was inspired to loudly quote some scripture.  Into his mind came, Revelation 6:12-14 and he shouted into the canyon in his most powerful voice, "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." 

And His voice boomed and echoed down the walls of the canyon until it was heard by one lone hiker way down below the rim, hiking up from the bottom of the canyon..

He stopped as he heard this powerful, booming voice echo down the canyon walls.  When the voice stopped he dropped to his knees and said, "Oh Lord, I promise I'll be in church next Sunday if you'll just wait on that earthquake until I get up out of this canyon!"

The passage from Luke 19 we will read today probably took place on a street lined with paving stones and surrounded by building made with quarried stone. When you think of the setting in which Jesus said, "The stones would cry out" it was not just a few rocks laying on the ground, it was every stone in a city built of stone. 

The Plan Luke 19:29-35

And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,  Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him

Jesus Had a Plan For His Disciples

Last week in our series on Exodus we talked about the providence of God. Providence is God’s sovereign will being played out in the event of time and in our lives. Here in Luke 19, in the story of the Triumphal Entry we see one part of that providence and the plan of God for the salvation of the world.

We first glimpse this plan prophetically, in the OT book of Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Only an omniscient God could foresee and plan events hundreds of year into the future. But the triumphal entry was just one small part of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. It was and is a plan that was made before time began and includes of all time and eternity. A plan that includes the nations of the world but is so detailed that Bible says a sparrow doesn't fall to the earth but He knows it.

God's plan includes even numbering the hairs of your head. (Jason McEntire, Harry Smith and I have decided to give God a break on this.) God’s plan reached from the Garden of Edan and then right down to this man who owns some donkeys.

This man was touched by the plan of God for the ages, when the disciples said, "The Lord hath need of him." Now, that man must choose to give what is his to God. He had to choose if he was going to be a part of God’s plan for the ages.

God Has a Plan For Us

The Bible says He has planned for us before time began 

Eph 1: 3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will

God’s providence, God’s plan reached out that day recorded in Luke 19 and included a man and his donkey. God’s plan is still active today and it extends and encompasses you and I today.

Jer 32:17-19  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,  Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

How can we know when we have been touched by God's plan for the ages?

I believe it is in the same way it happened to the man with the donkeys that day. You find yourself confronted with the same statement as he did,  "the Lord has need of these"

It happens first when you are confronted with salvation and the Holy Spirit says, The Lord has need of your most valuable possession, you very soul.

It happens when reading your Bible or hearing a sermon about service or sacrifice and you hear the Spirit of God say "I have need of your life."

It happens when you bring you children to church and you realize the Lord has need of your family.

It happens when hear a missionary speak of the need of the gospel and you realize the Lord has need of your gifts to save souls that you will never see this side of heaven.

And yet so infinite is the wisdom of God that His plan even has made allowances for you to say no when he speak to you of his will.

If you say no when you are invited to God’s gracious and loving invitation for forgiveness and salvation then His plan still includes you, but now your place is as far from God as any place can be and God has place for those who refuse his love. That place is called Hell.

If you say no at the offering of your life, or your marriage, or your family or your finances God's plan includes the emptiness, loss, pain and suffering that comes when man chooses his way over God's way.

Oh how many would go back to the time when they heard the Lord say “I have need of this” and gladly and freely give to the Lord of creation all that we have. How many look back on ruined lives and wasted souls, broken hopes and destroyed families and wish they would have given them all to God.

Illustration:

I can think of no better response than the response which was given by Jonathan Edwards who God used to spark a revival which swept the 13 colonies in our countries early history.

The Dedication of Jonathan Edwards

I claim no right to myself, no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me; neither do I have any right to this body or its members, no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears or eyes.

I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own. I have been to God this morning and told Him I have given myself wholly to Him. I have given Him every power, so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect. I have expressly promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail. I take Him as my whole portion and felicity, looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness, His law is the rule of my obedience.

I purpose to be absolutely His.

Transition

Next we see how Jesus’ plan touched much more than just one man with some donkeys but would include and entire city.

The Praise Luke 19:35-38

And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

The People Praise their King.

The people praise the Christ, the Messiah. They as a people for over 3000 years had looked for, prayed for and hoped for his coming and now right before their eyes, He was here.

They knew it was Him because of all that He had done, the miracles, the teaching, the authority shown in the Temple but they had fully realized it today because God' s plan had revealed it in Zech 9:9 and they were seeing it take place this very moment.

Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

And my oh my, how they did rejoice greatly. They cast their garments upon the colt and spread their cloaks on the ground that he might ride over them. Rejoiced and praised God with a loud voice for all the miraculous works they had seen and now they could see prophecy fulfilled right in front of them.

In Matthew 21:8 it says, "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way."

This was the traditional way of greeting a great king and now their King had come and all the world would hear the sound of their praise.

Praising Our King

Can you imagine what it would be like to see Jesus coming in the clouds today? Can you imagine the feeling to hear the trumpet blow and know that all the prophesy you had ever read about His return was coming true right before your eyes on this day? Wouldn’t you get a little excited?

But let me challenge you for If you are a child of God, then you have already experienced the coming of the King, not through the sky like lightning shining from the east to the west but you have felt him come into your heart and your burdens and sorrow fell away. If that is true in your heart and soul then just like those who say Jesus ride into Jerusalem that day, all the world should hear your praise.

As they cut branches from trees to lay in front of Jesus, we should be praising Him with the work of our hands. As they took the cloak off their backs and placed them at his feet, we should be praising Him with your substance and possessions. As they praised Him with their voices, we should be praising Him in the songs we sing and most importantly in the lives we live.

Someday the Book of Revelation tells us we join a choir that includes all of heaven and earth and we will bow before the Lamb and then we will sing a new song and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  And every creature will sing, "Worthy is the Lamb to receive power and honor and glory!"

But I don’t want to wait till then before I begin to sing that song. Are you?

Illustration: Experiencing the Hallelujah Chorus

Do you want to experience just a touch of what it's going to be like?  Go someplace where they will be singing Handel's Messiah and when they come to the Hallelujah chorus it is traditional to stand and sing with the performers, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah. For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, halle-lu-jah.

If you’re a child of God at one of those performances, the tears will flow, the hairs will stand up on the back of your neck and you might just get a small glimpse of what it will be like one day at in throne room of Heaven when all of creation starts to sing.

Until then praise Him will what we have and where we are today.

Transition

There is one other thing that I want to call your attention to from Luke 19. It is the answer Jesus gave to the Pharisees that day who told him to make the people stop. It is a remarkable answer, one found no where else and one that could not be applied to anyone else by the Creator of the World.

The Power Luke 19:39-40

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

The Stones Cry Out

Jesus looked into the cold, passionless eyes of those who rejected him and hated him and He told the Pharisees that even the stones would have to cry out in praise of the Messiah that day.

I wonder if Jesus was being prophetic as well as rebuking the Pharisees in his statement for in only 4 days the stones would did cry out as proof that Jesus was the Messiah and King.

For we read in Matthew 27:50-51 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

The Bible says, when he was crucified there was an earthquake and darkness for the space of 3 hours and the stones were torn in pieces in anguish, pain for their creator was dead and creation knew it and cried out.

Not only on this dark day did the stones cry out but they would be heard again this time crying out in joy upon His resurrection.

Matthew 28:1-6 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

The very stone placed there by those who would silence Him. The very stone that was meant to seal Him away, became the stone that joyously proclaimed He is risen!

And yet there is one more time that the stones will cry out. This time to announce His return as conquering King.

Revelation 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;   And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.   And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The stones cry out once again and those who finally see the terribleness of the wrath of God, will cry out to the stones and beg,  "Fall on us, hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.“

The Next Time The Stones Cry Out

The first times the stone cried out are behind us in history and time, but one other time is yet to come. I wonder where will you be the next time the stones cry out?

Will you be in the heavens waiting with Jesus Christ to join the procession of the Host of Heaven as they accompany him back to take the earth?

Or will you be on the earth feeling the ground heave and shake and knowing that this is the announcement of His Return  and of His wrath, and His judgement?

God’s providence includes you. He has a plan, a plan that will include you in the armies of heaven, a plan that will forgive your sin, a plan that will give you eternal life. Or a plan that should you deny His love and mercy now then that plan will bring you to a time and place where you will experience God’s now undeniable power but this time not in love, not in grace but in wrath, and in judgement.

In that day no one will stand and say, "You didn't include me. You didn't plan for me. All will know He planned for you even down to this day, this hour, this moment.

Illustration: The Rich Man in Hell

We have an example of one who chose his own way instead of God’s way in -

Luke 16: 27-31 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.   

You realize that Jesus is not just talking about the Rich man, but is also talking to us. God’s plan, that included Jesus dying for us and coming forth from the grave, also made sure that “Moses and the prophets.” , the scriptures, recorded those things and we could hear it this day, this hour, this moment and respond as we know we should.  

Conclusion:

If I had been in that crowd that morning, and has seen Jesus riding into Jerusalem,  what would I have done? Would I have stood on the sidelines thinking how foolish this was?  Would I be watching but not willing to take part? Or would I be one cutting branches from the trees and spreading my coat for the Messiah's journey? Or perhaps could I have even been one in the group that traveled with Jesus, willing to walk through the gates of Jerusalem and face death because I loved Him?

We tell ourselves, if I were there I'd welcome Him. I would even march in with Him, but your life now is probably an indication of what you would have been doing back then. Are you on the sidelines now, cheering but not participating?  Are you willing but not working?  Are you holding back your possessions not laying them at the Savior's feet?  Are you holding back your life not willing to commit it to the same path that Jesus walked?  Are you even this morning opposing Him? Telling Him He has no right to be your Lord and King.

Listen once again to what Jesus said, "Even the stones will cry out."  If even the rocks of creation know Jesus as creator then why wouldn’t we acknowledge Him as Savior and King?