Pre Easter Series 2004

Mark 15:16 - 41

Message 7 “His battle cry of Victory”

What sound do you typically hear when the Super Bowl is won?

What shout do you hear when a team wins game 7 of the World Series?

What do people yell when Rio wins a football game? HUH? We never had to shout then before!

Typically – we yell out great shouts of VICTORY!

Right at the moment that satan thought he had it all figured out and his sinister battle won:

Jesus gives a shout of VICTORY!

Mark 15:37 “Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last.” (NLT)

What was this loud cry? What was so important that Jesus would expend so much energy to shout is loudly enough for all to hear?

“It Is Finished” (John 19:30)

The drama had been building to a powerful turn and now we are here. The work His fleshly body could do is now complete.

The Temple veil is ripped in two – No easy task – the veil was over 1 foot thick and most reports state that two horses pulling it in opposite directions could not tear it apart.

The veil is removed

· Now there would be no separation between God and man. We have full access to the throne of God through the Blood of His Son Jesus Christ. No need for human or priestly intervention – we now have a Great High Priest who intercedes for us.

· It also exposed the false faith of the temple priests who had been “faking faith and practice” for a very long time. The Shekinah Glory of God had not indwelled the temple for some time. Ezekiel 11:22-“Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.” (NLT)

· The God’s Spirit had not returned to the temple until He sent His Son there. Luke 4:17-21 - ”The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him, and he unrolled the scroll to the place where it says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently. Then he said, "This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!” (NLT)

“IT IS Finished”

What is finished? Jesus had completed everything His Father sent Him to do.

He had:

Preached the Gospel
Set captives free

Freedom from religion
Freedom from oppression

i. Finances

ii. Race

iii. Color

iv. Gender

v. Language

vi. Education

vii. Job/skills

viii. Illness

He was the Lord’s Favor upon us

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (NKJ)

What is finished?

His sufferings at our hands
The completion of the Old Testament Prophecies
Sin was defeated and had no more power over those who would believe in Him. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (NLT)
His life in His Fleshly container was now finished
His work of redemption. Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (NKJ)
His purpose here - Colossians 2:13-15 “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.” (NLT)

The victory is won.

Picture of a victorious general standing in the middle of a battlefield covered with enemy soldiers bodies as he drives his sword into the opposing leaders heart.

VICTORY! The battle is over!

Just like David used Goliath’s own sword to kill him, Jesus has used satan’s cruel tool of death to defeat him – once and for all time.

The wrath of God had to poured out onto man because of our sins and darkness.

Jesus Christ became a man so He could stand in the gap between God’s wrath and us.

He bore that wrath and died for us. A sacrificial lamb

The Roman soldier was looking at Jesus – not the crowd, not the Temple leaders – he was looking at Jesus. He was not focused on where the danger may come from – he was looking to where his future and eternal life was nailed to a tree. He kept his eyes on Jesus and was saved.

This Roman soldier would have been a gentile; not a Jew – salvation is for everyone who believes.

Mark 15:39 “When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" (NLT)

Are you ready to make this same decision for your life today?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ as God’s only Son who was born of a virgin, lived with us but never sinned like us so He could be the Spotless Lamb for the sacrifice of our sins.

Do you believe that He shed His blood for you, died, was buried and rose again on the third day – with victory and love?

“Surely, this is the Son of God”

Romans 3:25-30 “For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.