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Dr. Campolo
tells how he preached a great sermon but as he sat down by his pastor
and said “Top that” The older black pastor looked at him and said, “Boy,
watch the master.” He got up and preached: “It’s
Friday. But Sunday’s coming.”
It was a simple sermon, starting softly, building in
volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely
involved, repeating the phrases in unison. The sermon went something
like this. It’s Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was
praying. But Sunday’s coming. It’s Friday.
The disciples are hiding and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord. And
each time after the statement of fact he repeated: “But Sunday’s
coming.” It’s Friday. Jesus
is standing before the high priest of Israel,
silent as a lamb before the slaughter.
It’s
Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon.
It’s Friday. Those Roman
soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of
bones
and glass and metal,
tearing at his flesh. It’s Friday.
The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into
his brow. It’s Friday. See
Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from
His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath
the load.
It’s Friday. See those Roman
soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my
Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them.” It’s
Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying.
It’s Friday. The sky grows
dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for
us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that
perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, “My God, My God. Why hast thou
forsaken me?” What a horrible cry. It’s
Friday. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of
the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God
was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday’s coming.
It’s
Friday. Jesus is hanging on
the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that’s because
it’s Friday, and they don’t know it, but Sunday’s a coming. And on that
horrible day 2000 years ago, Jesus the Christ, the Lord of glory, the
only begotten Son of God, the only perfect man died on the cross of
Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the
victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had
disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was
to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday.
Now it’s Sunday. And just about
dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But
that wasn’t the only thing that was shaking because now it’s Sunday. And
the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone
away from the door of the tomb. Yes, it’s Sunday, and the angel of the
Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep
the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it’s
Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the
resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel
says. He is risen indeed. It's Sunday and the crucified and resurrected
Christ has defeated death,
hell, sin and the grave. It’s Sunday. And now everything has changed.
It’s the age of grace, God’s grace poured out on all who would look to
that crucified lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given
to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary
was buried and rose again. All because it’s Sunday.
At the end of the message the
pastor shouts out:
It’s
Friday!
And the whole congregation
responds:
But
Sunday’s Coming!
Rejoice this Sunday in the
greatest miracle of all time. Christ is
risen from the dead! |