Awake Us Now

The Biblical truth "God is good" is easy to say when things are going smoothly, but what if everything seems to be going against us? In trials and cruel suffering through the ages, believers have found strength and restoration in that truth and can testify that God truly is good. The enemy loves to tell us God's the bad guy. That's a lie! The truth is: God IS good and His goodness is incredible.

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 17 Scripture: Luke 23:26-34, Mark 15:21, Hosea 10:8, John 19:19-27, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:39-43, Matthew 27:45-49, Psalm 22, John 19:28-30., Luke 23:46, Psalm 31:5, Matthew 27:50-54.

Today we take a look at a moving, powerful and emotionally packed teaching on the subject of Jesus' crucifixion. We will explore the accounts of Jesus' crucifixion using all four gospels as each gives us unique details and special insights.

Jesus' crucifixion was painful, prolonged, humiliating and demeaning, but the four gospel writers do not dwell on the sufferings of Jesus. What they dwell on is what He won for us and what He offers to each of us.

Our story opens with Jesus' walk to Golgotha (Hebrew word - translates to "Place of the Skull" - Calvary - is the Latin word for 'Place of the Skull.")

As Jesus was brutally beaten, tortured and whipped He is exhausted, weak, in great pain and unable to carry His cross to Golgotha, so Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry Jesus' cross.

Jesus' first words from the cross were "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." A display of His love even from the cross, even in extreme suffering and incredible pain, He cries out on behalf of others. Don't ever doubt God's love. No matter how we've fallen, our God loves us dearly! The enemy likes to make us think that God is the bad guy, but the truth is - if you want to know what God is like and want to know how He feels about you, then all you have to do is look at Jesus, the One who is the visible image of the invisible God - and He says, Father, forgive them." He offers mercy to all of us - we all are sinners and we all need a Savior and that's who Jesus is!

Our story continues with Pilate making a sign in 3 languages: Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The sign says, "King of the Jews." The way Romans announced the crime for which the individual was being executed was to post it over their heads on their cross. When Pilate had the sign placed above Jesus' head the Chief Priests became upset. Pastor takes time to dig into some truly interesting insights into why the sign made them so angry.

The next words Jesus says are to His mother and the disciple next to her at the foot of His cross. He says, "Woman, here is your son." And to the disciple He says, "Here is your mother." Jesus' second set of words from the cross were again for others and of showing his deep love and concern for His mother.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals, one of them joins the crowd in mocking Jesus. The one not joining the crowd says to the one that was, "Don't you fear God? This man has done nothing wrong,.." Then turning to Jesus he says, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Jesus replies, "I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise."

This criminal displays great faith in asking, Jesus, who is beaten, brutalized and nailed to a cross, "Remember me!" This man saw what is unseen - He saw into heaven. He saw what is true. Again Jesus' words are for others, these comforting words of promise given this man hanging on the cross next to Him. The promise is for all those who believe in Him, that we will be with Him and we will see His kingdom in all its glory and fulfillment.

As we continue with the story, darkness came over the land in the middle of the day and Jesus cries out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus endured the judgement of God for us - He became sin for us.

Pastor talks about these very words of being forsaken having been written in Psalm 22, 1000 years earlier, and they were words that every Jew was familiar with. Pastor shares how that would have impacted those around Him hearing Him say these words - they were a testimony to who Jesus is!

Then Jesus says, "I am thirsty." And He is offered wine vinegar on a sponge on the end of a hyssop stalk. Pastor shares insight into this prophetic action of using the hyssop stalk being lifted to Jesus to drink from.

When Jesus had the drink, He said, "It is finished." Meaning PAID IN FULL. The debt for sin was paid. The price for our salvation has been paid in full. Jesus drank the cup of the wrath of God, He is the sacrificial victim - the Real Passover Lamb, who offered up His blood for us all and His blood covers our sin. And then Jesus' speaks, "Father, into Your hand I commit My Spirit." And He dies. ⁃ The price is paid ⁃ The battle is won ⁃ The victory is assured

At Jesus' last words the curtain of the Temple is torn in two. Why?…

This was a massive curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies where a High Priest went once a year before God making atonement for the sins of the people.

Now all of a sudden people, not just the High Priests can look into the Holy of Holies and have access to the Living God. God dealt with human sin in the very Person of His own Son. The curtain is now open and the way to the Father is exposed - all are given access into the place where only a High Priest could go because Jesus open it through His sacrifice on the cross.

Our time together ends with the words of the centurion guarding Jesus on the cross as the day turned dark, as the curtain tore, as the earth shook, rocks split and people walked out of tombs, the centurion exclaims, "Surely, He was the Son of God!"

What a shocking day this was! This was the day the Savior gave His life for all! And it changed everything because now - He offers life to all who believe in Him.

Join us next time as we discover that Jesus is our Victor!

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

Up to Jerusalem is a study of the final weeks of Jesus' ministry. The earth shakes concluding with His resurrection and ascension, using the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together with material from ancient sources and recent discoveries. Up to Jerusalem is part five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Up To Jerusalem is the story of the plan of God to redeem the world, and the story of a Savior willing to obey the Father's plan. As we study Jesus' final days, we will be impacted as we discover the Love of God for each one of us.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time.

When every door to victory appears locked, Jesus' letter to Philadelphia contains the key!

Do the glory days of your faith lie in the past? Christ has a prescription for revival!

In Jesus' letter to the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29), what is the "Jezebel spirit" that He refers to, and how is it opposed to the Spirit of God?

The church in Pergamum had compromised with evil. How about us? In love, Christ offers to renew and restore our relationship with Him!

"Be faithful until death" sure is a tall order. But Jesus' letter to Smyrna equips us to attain it!

Purity is not optional for a genuine disciple of Jesus. Pastor counters the societal confusion around purity with truths from the Bible, and teaches us four steps to living in purity.

2 Year Gospel Study - week 74 (Friday, 05-30-25)

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 16 Scripture: John 18:28-32, Mark 15:2-5, John 18:33-38, Luke 23:4-16, Matthew 27:15-26 John 19:1-16

Pastor explores Jesus' trial using all 4 gospels and proposing a possible timeline that tells the story with new insight. Also, throughout today's teaching he shares interesting and important historical information and relationship information between the players in this day's events that brings greater insight and understanding to this story of Jesus' trial.

We tend to look at the story of Jesus' trial and crucifixion as a story we are familiar with -- the old, old story of Jesus and His love…. But today Pastor will bring a freshness that will make it new as we look at the unique things each of the Gospels' authors has to say about the events that led up to Jesus' crucifixion. Pastor will use all four gospels, combining them together in a dramatic picture of the day's event.

We pick up the story of Jesus' trial with Him leaving Caiaphas the High Priest's home and going before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. It is the continuation of the story of the day we call Good Friday.

Pastor shares pictures from a past trip to Jerusalem that show the possible place of Jesus' public trial.

Once everyone is in the courtyard, Pilate makes this a legal Roman trial by asking "what charges are you bringing against this man?" But the high priests and their associates didn't want a full Roman trial - they simply wanted the Roman Governor to give them permission to execute Jesus. (At this time in Roman history permission was necessary for the Sanhedrin to be allowed to execute an individual) Pilate didn't give them that permission, instead now they have a legal trial.

Many charges were being brought against Jesus - all sorts of charges and Pilate takes Jesus out of the public courtyard and into the Palace for a private conversation to figure out what Jesus has done.

Following the private conversation - Pilate tells the crowd He finds no basis for a charge against Jesus and because Jesus was Galilean, He was under Herod's jurisdiction. As it happens, Herod was in Jerusalem for the Passover so Pilate sends Jesus across town to see Herod Antipas.

Herod had been longing to meet Jesus and asks Him many questions, but Jesus does not answer against any of the accusations and charges. Herod's soldiers ridicule and mock Jesus - dressing Him in a purple robe and send Him back to Pilate.

Back in the courtyard of Pilate's place, Pilate brings Jesus before the high priests and people stating that both he and Herod find Jesus guilty of nothing, but the crowd rebels. Pilate says he will beat and torture Jesus and let Him go. And again the crowd disagrees greatly with this decision and Pilate then asks the crowd if he should release Jesus or Barabbas (a criminal). It's at this point that Pilate receives a letter from his wife about Jesus because of a dream she had and the note says that Pilate should have nothing to do with the innocent man, Jesus.

The chief priests and elders persuade the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and yell for Jesus to be crucified. This crowd shouting "Crucify Him" was not the crowd who had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with hosannas earlier in the week when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This crowd in Pilate's courtyard were most likely temple employees. The temple at that time employed about 20,000+ people and so the high priests had probably gathered this crowd in their favor.

Pilate at this point says again that he finds no basis for a charge against Jesus, gives in to the crowd, washes his hands, claims innocence, releases Barabbas, and has Jesus flogged.

Pastor shares in depth what a flogging from Roman soldiers was like during this time in history. It was an incredible cruel torture, horribly brutal and painful.

Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified. In his soul, Pilate knows injustice has been committed, yet Jesus goes silently and quietly, just as it says in Isaiah 53.

Jesus doesn't try to disprove the charges against Him of blasphemy - remaining silent - as the charges are true. He IS the Son of the Living God. More than that, the accusation is a statement of Truth! Jesus is the Son of the Living God and we see the Messiah being turned over into the hands of wicked men and being crucified not just for others - BUT for each one of us.

Here's the question: WHO REALLY PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS?

It wasn't the High Priests, Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate, or even all people ULTIMATELY THE ANSWER IS ME. I did. It's my sin that put Him there. This story is personal. It is a beastly, brutal and tragic story but it is also the old, old story of Jesus and His love…

Pastor closes with a heartfelt prayer acknowledging all the Savior endured. And then ends with a teaser about next week's class that may well be absolutely shocking - something that's often overlooked yet so dramatic it will cause us to gulp!

Join us!

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

Up to Jerusalem is a study of the final weeks of Jesus' ministry concluding with His resurrection and ascension, using the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together with material from ancient sources and recent discoveries. Up to Jerusalem is part five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Up To Jerusalem is the story of the plan of God to redeem the world, and the story of a Savior willing to obey the Father's plan. As we study Jesus' final days, we will be impacted as we discover the Love of God for each one of us.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time.

"You've Got Mail!"... and it's from Jesus! What if you received a letter like the church of Ephesus did in Revelation 2:1-7?