WEBVTT 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.379 This is your daily reminder. God has not run 00:00:05.379 --> 00:00:09.199 out of mercy, not for you, not today. Welcome 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.189 to the New Mercies Podcast. Welcome back. Today 00:00:12.189 --> 00:00:15.710 is Monday, March the 30th. So thankful you have 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:17.629 made it here. If you're new, be sure you like 00:00:17.629 --> 00:00:19.649 and subscribe and follow and all the things. 00:00:19.829 --> 00:00:22.149 And if you feel compelled to donate, you can 00:00:22.149 --> 00:00:24.629 do so at the link in the description. Now, here's 00:00:24.629 --> 00:00:28.170 what I love about today's scripture. We are back 00:00:28.170 --> 00:00:31.550 in Luke chapter number 23 again. I preached this 00:00:31.550 --> 00:00:34.850 text yesterday. We've read it now a few times 00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:38.009 last week in the podcast and in our daily readings. 00:00:38.090 --> 00:00:40.750 But Luke 23, specifically verses 26 down through... 00:00:40.750 --> 00:00:42.689 the end of the chapter. And so we're going to 00:00:42.689 --> 00:00:45.350 go all the way to verse 56 today. I know in some 00:00:45.350 --> 00:00:47.030 of our reading plan things, it goes through verse 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:49.149 50, but I went ahead and preached through 56. 00:00:49.729 --> 00:00:52.149 I wasn't going to originally, but then I did. 00:00:52.229 --> 00:00:54.350 And so it kind of adapted and changed. But here's 00:00:54.350 --> 00:00:56.289 what I want to talk about today. We've looked 00:00:56.289 --> 00:00:59.289 at this text. We've talked about this text. We've 00:00:59.289 --> 00:01:02.369 meditated on it. We've prayed over it. I'm going 00:01:02.369 --> 00:01:03.770 to share something today that didn't make it 00:01:03.770 --> 00:01:06.250 into the sermon. I also meet with a small group 00:01:06.250 --> 00:01:09.290 on Sunday nights, and I did not even get a chance 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:11.980 to share any of this during my small group. So 00:01:11.980 --> 00:01:14.200 if you're a small group listener, thank you so 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:15.819 much. And I'm going to give you something new 00:01:15.819 --> 00:01:18.079 today. Don't want to be repetitive. So here you 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:19.900 go. I want to read just a little bit in Luke 00:01:19.900 --> 00:01:25.079 23, down in verses 50 through 56. So I'm going 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:26.900 to read a couple of verses, talk about it, read 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:28.719 a couple of verses, talk about it back and forth, 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:31.079 because this text is what's jumping out at me 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:34.439 today. And I just, I love how it will all come 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:37.700 together and connect. Here we go. Luke 23, beginning 00:01:37.700 --> 00:01:39.489 at verse number 50. Now there was a man named 00:01:39.489 --> 00:01:42.609 Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He 00:01:42.609 --> 00:01:45.269 was a member of the council. a good and righteous 00:01:45.269 --> 00:01:48.030 man who had not consented to their decision and 00:01:48.030 --> 00:01:51.030 action, and he was looking for the kingdom of 00:01:51.030 --> 00:01:53.689 God. I want to stop right there. Whenever I think 00:01:53.689 --> 00:01:55.969 about this guy Joseph of Arimathea, a couple 00:01:55.969 --> 00:01:58.090 things it tells us about him. He was an aristocrat, 00:01:58.150 --> 00:02:00.790 meaning he was the guy on the council. He was 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:03.810 a Sanhedrinist, if you can, if you will. He was 00:02:03.810 --> 00:02:07.390 a guy that was a part of that leadership in Jerusalem, 00:02:07.670 --> 00:02:11.530 in the Jewish culture, and he was a wealthy, 00:02:11.629 --> 00:02:14.879 influential man. but he was not one of those 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:17.979 against Jesus. He was for Jesus. He loved Jesus. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:21.400 He did not consent to this brutal, awful display 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:25.800 that we saw. So here you have a guy who has shown 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.960 up at the death of Jesus. He has just died on 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.699 the cross, just given up his spirit, committed 00:02:31.699 --> 00:02:34.639 his spirit into the hands of the Lord, and this 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:37.719 guy named Joseph shows up. Now, here's a couple 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:40.240 of things I want to point out. Number one, here's 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.909 a fun little fact. If you look at the life of 00:02:42.909 --> 00:02:47.509 Jesus. When he was born into this earth, he was 00:02:47.509 --> 00:02:52.189 given a man at his birth named Joseph, right? 00:02:52.289 --> 00:02:54.889 Joseph was not the biological father of baby 00:02:54.889 --> 00:02:58.250 Jesus. Mary was the mother of Jesus, but God, 00:02:58.310 --> 00:03:00.590 the Holy Spirit was the father. God was the father. 00:03:00.750 --> 00:03:03.310 And so we see this guy named Joseph show up at 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:05.550 the birth of Jesus to care for him at his birth. 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:10.139 Now we see another Joseph at his death. to care 00:03:10.139 --> 00:03:13.419 for him at his death. These two Josephs are the 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:16.280 bookends, right? They're the one and the first 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:18.900 and the last. And they kind of complete this 00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:21.300 idea that Jesus was cared for from the beginning 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:24.800 to the end. And as he had this care, this shown 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:29.319 respect, this honor, this dignity, it is a beautiful 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:33.020 picture. I love the thought that God puts the 00:03:33.020 --> 00:03:34.939 right people at the right places at the right 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:37.060 times. But here's what I think is awesome about 00:03:37.060 --> 00:03:39.500 Joseph of Arimathea. This guy who shows up. He 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:42.659 has influence. He is a Sanhedrinist. He's of 00:03:42.659 --> 00:03:46.780 the council. He's got some power and he can flex 00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:50.199 some muscle. But here's what has to happen. Because 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:53.699 of the time Jesus died, he has to be very... 00:03:55.339 --> 00:03:58.599 He has to move hastily. He has to move in a way 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:00.919 that is trying to get everything done very quickly 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:03.099 in order to make sure that his body is cared 00:04:03.099 --> 00:04:06.620 for. And here's what he does. So he goes to a 00:04:06.620 --> 00:04:08.340 guy named Pilate. I want to read the next couple 00:04:08.340 --> 00:04:09.960 of verses to you just so that you see it in the 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:12.259 Scripture. Here's what the Bible says. This man 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:15.520 went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:18.800 I'll stop there. One of the things that I think 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:21.589 about Pilate in this situation. Pilate has got 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:23.629 to feel terrible, right? He's just announced 00:04:23.629 --> 00:04:26.870 Jesus is innocent multiple times. He's turned 00:04:26.870 --> 00:04:29.730 him over. He's handed him over to the religious 00:04:29.730 --> 00:04:32.050 leaders, the Jewish leaders, and then they handed 00:04:32.050 --> 00:04:34.649 him over to Rome, which ended up crucifying Jesus. 00:04:34.889 --> 00:04:38.930 And Pilate has got to feel a little bit... I 00:04:38.930 --> 00:04:40.889 mean, terrible about this, right? Now, there's 00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:42.949 some political things happening here. I don't 00:04:42.949 --> 00:04:44.430 want to jump too far into that because I don't 00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:46.310 want to get us off on a rabbit trail that may 00:04:46.310 --> 00:04:48.089 not help us. But there's some political things 00:04:48.089 --> 00:04:49.829 happening that Pilate's probably making a decision 00:04:49.829 --> 00:04:54.769 that will poke at Annas or poke at some of the 00:04:54.769 --> 00:04:57.350 others that were involved in this situation when 00:04:57.350 --> 00:05:01.550 he gives Jesus a dignified burial. Most of the 00:05:01.550 --> 00:05:03.769 time, people on the cross, their bodies were 00:05:03.769 --> 00:05:05.129 just kind of thrown into a trench or just kind 00:05:05.129 --> 00:05:09.170 of wasted and gotten away from. But Jesus got 00:05:09.170 --> 00:05:13.129 to have this delicate, beautiful dignity in his 00:05:13.129 --> 00:05:16.310 death. After he had died, his body was given 00:05:16.310 --> 00:05:19.470 shown respect. And so Pilate allowed that to 00:05:19.470 --> 00:05:20.889 happen. He said, if anybody's going to take it, 00:05:20.889 --> 00:05:23.050 I'm going to give it to this guy, Joseph, because 00:05:23.050 --> 00:05:26.850 he is a well -known council member and he's trusted. 00:05:27.009 --> 00:05:29.769 And it will also be a little bit of a jab to 00:05:29.769 --> 00:05:32.449 the Sanhedrin at the same time, right? They were 00:05:32.449 --> 00:05:35.069 the ones that wanted Jesus dead. And now they've 00:05:35.069 --> 00:05:37.199 got this one of their guys is wanting to. to 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.240 care for the body of Jesus. So Pilate allows 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:42.379 Joseph to take him, and here's what happens. 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:44.459 Then he took it down, the body of Jesus, and 00:05:44.459 --> 00:05:47.899 wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in 00:05:47.899 --> 00:05:50.980 a tomb cut in stone where no one had yet ever 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:55.000 been laid. I want to stop there. Again, this 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:00.399 is something incredible. If we read Luke 23, 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:03.970 the whole chapter, or go back to Luke 22. Let's 00:06:03.970 --> 00:06:07.329 look at him getting betrayed. Let's look at him 00:06:07.329 --> 00:06:11.170 getting overwhelmed. He's with his disciples. 00:06:11.250 --> 00:06:13.410 He was giving them great messages. And then he 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:16.829 gets betrayed. He gets arrested. Mob comes. And 00:06:16.829 --> 00:06:19.149 from the moment that he is betrayed, after the 00:06:19.149 --> 00:06:22.110 last supper, he goes into the garden and he prays. 00:06:22.149 --> 00:06:26.050 And at that moment, it begins to be. Evil after 00:06:26.050 --> 00:06:29.189 evil after evil after evil. It gets worse and 00:06:29.189 --> 00:06:31.110 worse and worse and worse. He's treated with 00:06:31.110 --> 00:06:34.209 absolute disdain. He's treated with the worst 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:38.750 possible human emotions ever. ever created, right? 00:06:38.850 --> 00:06:41.930 Ever out there. And as he's going through that, 00:06:41.990 --> 00:06:44.269 he's getting bruised, he's getting mocked, he's 00:06:44.269 --> 00:06:46.410 getting cut, he's getting beaten, he's getting 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:49.649 scoffed at, he's getting humiliated, he's getting 00:06:49.649 --> 00:06:51.970 everything you can imagine. They're gambling 00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:54.329 at his feet while he's suffocating on a cross. 00:06:54.470 --> 00:06:59.089 It is scene after scene of absolute terror over 00:06:59.089 --> 00:07:02.550 and over again towards Jesus until he dies and 00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:06.649 it's quiet. And you can almost hear, as this 00:07:07.129 --> 00:07:09.629 text will say just before this text that I've 00:07:09.629 --> 00:07:12.290 read. Go and read the whole thing today. Even 00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:15.149 them leaving the cross, the people leaving the 00:07:15.149 --> 00:07:18.750 scene of the spectacle, it's been revealed who 00:07:18.750 --> 00:07:21.290 this person is. This man is not just a regular 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:24.410 guy that died. The temple veil was torn. There's 00:07:24.410 --> 00:07:26.509 darkness over the earth. It's a lot. And I can 00:07:26.509 --> 00:07:29.009 just imagine the people walking away, the centurion, 00:07:29.009 --> 00:07:31.970 the guard, saying this guy was innocent. We made 00:07:31.970 --> 00:07:35.589 a mistake. We should not have done this. Everybody's 00:07:35.589 --> 00:07:37.170 beating their breasts, or they're saying, we 00:07:37.170 --> 00:07:38.870 just can't believe this has happened. We feel 00:07:38.870 --> 00:07:43.470 at fault here. Now we pick it up, and it's quiet. 00:07:43.870 --> 00:07:46.610 It's silent. This guy named Joseph goes and gets 00:07:46.610 --> 00:07:48.689 the body of Jesus and begins to wrap his body 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:54.110 in fine linens, in these cloths, in these moments, 00:07:54.250 --> 00:07:57.250 in these things that are the best of the best. 00:07:57.720 --> 00:07:59.579 So here's what happens. Joseph of Arimathea, 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.040 a wealthy man, has a lot of influence, a lot 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:04.839 of pull. He takes Jesus' body down with care. 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:08.180 The first time his body is handled with care 00:08:08.180 --> 00:08:12.680 is after he dies. And this man is the one that 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:14.620 takes care of that. He said, I want to handle 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:17.000 this body with care. This is not just any body. 00:08:17.379 --> 00:08:20.819 This is the body of the Lord. And then begins 00:08:20.819 --> 00:08:24.480 to put expensive spices and things together as 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:29.100 the Scripture says. He was wrapped him in fine 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:32.399 linen shroud. This is good stuff. This is not 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.059 the cheap stuff. This is not them putting on 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:37.179 a robe that looks ridiculous and mockery and 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:40.500 scoffing. This is a nice, wonderful thing that 00:08:40.500 --> 00:08:43.159 this guy is doing. And he's laid him in a tomb 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:46.279 cut in stone. No one's ever been laid there. 00:08:46.379 --> 00:08:49.820 It's brand new. He gets the best in his death. 00:08:50.570 --> 00:08:52.909 There's something really awesome that we will 00:08:52.909 --> 00:08:55.529 see now from these ladies. Listen to what happens. 00:08:55.730 --> 00:08:58.529 In verse 54, it was the day of preparation and 00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:01.309 the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had 00:09:01.309 --> 00:09:05.129 come with him from Galilee followed and saw the 00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:08.470 tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned 00:09:08.470 --> 00:09:11.629 and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath, 00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:15.600 they rested according to the commandment. There 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.080 was a lot to be said about these verses. First 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.240 off, I had somebody ask me about how was the 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:23.820 timeline when all this took place? Well, here 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:26.220 it gives us the timeline, right? So you've got, 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:30.019 it says the preparation day of the feast. So 00:09:30.019 --> 00:09:33.220 the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.159 There's a couple of Sabbaths that were happening 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:38.200 here in the Passover. I don't want to get too 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:40.480 much into the weeds to this. I've already kind 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:43.720 of... recorded this once and it got way too complex 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:46.539 and I didn't have graphs and charts and all kinds 00:09:46.539 --> 00:09:48.840 of stuff. But basically, here's what's happened. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.080 There's the 14th day of Nisan, which is the preparation 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:55.500 day of the Passover. Then there's the day of 00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:59.940 the Passover feast, which is the 15th of Nisan. 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:03.000 And then there's the 17th day of Nisan, which 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:06.519 is the final, the third day of the feast. Now, 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.120 all that to say, here's kind of what took place. 00:10:09.500 --> 00:10:12.960 Jesus was in the tomb for three days. As we work 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.320 through that timeline, here's what you need to 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:17.559 know. These women were doing exactly what they 00:10:17.559 --> 00:10:19.220 were prescribed to do, exactly what they were 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:22.100 supposed to do. They show up and prepare the 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:24.759 day before the Sabbath that they couldn't come 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:28.860 and do those preparations. So they came. first 00:10:28.860 --> 00:10:31.500 part of that feast of the Passover, which, by 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:33.200 the way, all this is still happening because 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.700 Jesus is the Passover lamb, right? He's been 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:39.360 prepared the day that he died, and then the feast 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.679 fully takes place on the first day of the week, 00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:45.559 as we know, which he rises again. So the Jewish 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.259 Passover is now no longer in effect. It is now 00:10:49.259 --> 00:10:51.620 the Passover lamb has been slain for the final 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:55.179 time. You no longer have to take part of the 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:57.759 Passover. No longer is it necessary. But here's 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.159 what I want. want to talk about today. The last 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:01.620 three things I want to say. The women do something 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:05.580 powerful in this story. It says first they watched. 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:08.360 They watched where they laid the body of Jesus. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.879 Here's what I'll say. Watch where Jesus goes. 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:14.879 Just watch where he goes. Watch where he goes. 00:11:15.019 --> 00:11:17.820 And then what you do is exactly what they did. 00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:21.419 They watched and then they worked, right? They 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:23.840 come back and they prepare spices and the ointments. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:27.809 They prepared the things for the Lord. After 00:11:27.809 --> 00:11:31.090 they did that, they waited. Then they couldn't 00:11:31.090 --> 00:11:33.389 go back. They couldn't do anything on the Sabbath. 00:11:33.669 --> 00:11:36.049 Can I tell you, that's the prescription for all 00:11:36.049 --> 00:11:40.029 of us. Watch where the Lord is, work for Him, 00:11:40.210 --> 00:11:43.279 and then wait. Wait on Him to do the miraculous. 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:46.320 It's not our job to do miracles. It's not our 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:48.940 job to do the great spectacular things. It's 00:11:48.940 --> 00:11:52.960 our job to watch Him, to work for Him, and then 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.620 to wait on Him. That is our job. I hope and pray 00:11:56.620 --> 00:12:00.879 today that as you... read the scripture. You 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.600 allow it to read you. You look in and see how 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:05.799 the Lord has put all these things together so 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:09.120 that he can have a closer walk with you. That's 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.500 the purpose. I'm sharing something this Easter 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:13.320 that I'm very excited about, an illustration 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.220 that the Lord was walking me through as I was 00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:18.259 digging into the scripture more and more. There 00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:21.480 was a moment where I got a little bit, I don't 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:23.179 even know the word, maybe a little bit frustrated 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:27.429 that I wasn't inspecting the word enough and 00:12:27.429 --> 00:12:30.570 I wasn't diagnosing it and I wasn't extracting 00:12:30.570 --> 00:12:32.509 it and trying to figure, I felt like I wasn't 00:12:32.509 --> 00:12:35.169 being a good Bible study guy. And I realized 00:12:35.169 --> 00:12:39.090 that everything in this book is to bring me closer 00:12:39.090 --> 00:12:42.649 to him. That's the purpose. So when you read 00:12:42.649 --> 00:12:45.950 today, my encouragement is let it bring you closer 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:47.149 to the author.