INTRODUCTION
1. Today we consider “Grace and Mercy.” Before we go too far, I want to clarify some things that I failed to say or did not say well last week about the law. (Explain)
2.We cannot adequately understand what God did to redeem us until we understand the fact that we are law-breakers. The law was given to show the righteousness of God and the righteous standards God demands. It was also given to prove once for all that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior.
3.Having been introduced to the law and condemned by the law, we are now ready to respond to the Gospel of Grace. This week and next, we will look at God’s grace and His Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News primarily about Jesus. (All of the Bible is about Jesus. In one sense all of the Bible is the Good News, but specifically our focus is on the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
4.And so we consider the Gospel accounts and we are introduced to God’s answer of grace and mercy found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. PROMISES FULFILLED IN THE BIRTH OF JESUS
A.The promise to Zacharias and Elizabeth of the coming of the “preparer” (Luke 1:5-25). This news was prophesied in Malachi 3:1, 400 years before John was born. The angel called the coming Deliverer, “the Lord.”
B.The promise to Mary of the coming Messiah (Luke 1). The name of the Son was Jesus (Deliverer, Savior). God had not forgotten His promise to send a deliverer. The promise seen in Genesis 3:15 is now about to be fulfilled. This Son would be both God and man (Isaiah 9:6-7). This God-man would have no human father (in terms of conception), though Joseph would act as his earthly father. Jesus would be holy, without inherited (imputed) sin, thus wholly without sin. (It was impossible for a virgin to have a child, but God can do the impossible. He is all-powerful). Note the normal dilemma faced by Joseph (Matthew 1 and compare it with Isaiah 7:14).
C.Concerning this Jesus …
1. He was the One announced in the Garden of Eden
2.He was the descendant of David
3.He was the Deliverer
4.He was the Savior
5.He was the Holy Son of God
6.He was God, the Son
7.He was God in the flesh
D.The OT prophecies concerning the deliverer
1. He would be David’s descendant (Isaiah 9:7)
2.He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
3.He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
4.He would flee to Egypt (Hosea 11:1)
5.He would have some specific characteristics marking His life (Isaiah 11:2)
6.He would suffer for others (Isaiah 53:4-5)
7.He would be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9)
8.He would be sold out for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13)
9.He would be accused by false witnesses (Psalm 27:12)
10.He would be smitten and spat upon (Isaiah 50:6)
11.He would be silent when accused (Isaiah 53:7)
12.He would be rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53:3)
13.He would be hated without a cause (Psalm 69:4)
14.He would have His hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16)
15.His clothing would be gambled for (Psalm 22:18)
16.He would die with the wicked (Isaiah 53:12)
17.He would be mocked and insulted (Psalm 22:6-8)
18.He would be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9)
19.He would rise again from the dead (Psalm 16:10)
20.He would ascend back into heaven (Psalm 68:18)

II. THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS
A. The birth, the escape to Egypt, the return to Nazareth and Jesus’ growth into manhood (Matthew 2 and Luke 2).
1. Jesus was sinless and holy.
2.Jesus always kept the Father’s Word.
3.Jesus was faithful in everything He did.
4.Jesus was completely righteous.
5.Jesus was merciful, gracious, loving and kind. He found favor with God and man.
B. The baptism of Jesus (The lesson here is about repentance as well as a demonstration that Jesus Christ is God, the Lamb, the promised Deliverer).
1.John the baptizer was God’s messenger to Israel. Interesting, here are the things that John taught that the people must understand and accept. He taught that God is the only true God and they should serve and worship Him completely. They had all sinned against God by disobeying His laws and they were unable to make themselves acceptable to Him. All sin is against God and God hates sin and will always punish it by separating the sinner from Himself.
2.Many people believed God‘s message through John (Matthew 3).
3.Remember what John said about the Deliverer (John 1:24-27). John baptized Jesus. (Jesus is now 30 years old). See Matthew 3:13-16. Jesus came to be baptized not because He was a sinner, but because this was God’s command to all Jews who accepted John as God’s prophet. At this baptism, note what the Father said about the Son (Matthew 3:17). See John 1:29 – Jesus the Lamb of God. John knew that Jesus was the promised Deliverer (John 1:30-37).
C. The temptation of Jesus (The purpose for this was to show that Jesus Christ as a man always obeyed God; that Satan is a liar and a deceiver; that Jesus Christ is God and thus more powerful than Satan).
1. The first temptation – stones to bread (To do this would be to act independently of the Father – something Jesus would never do). He always did the Father’s will.
2.The second temptation - miraculous deliverance (Satan uses the Word of God calling on Jesus to make a spectacle of Himself and to presume on the Father’s protection, in effect, testing the Father to see if He would protect His Son – again something Jesus would never do).
3.The third temptation – everything for worship (Remember that because of the fall, man had lost his dominion over the earth. Satan had assumed the position of the god of this world. The offer was legitimate, in that it was the Kingdom without the cross). In each case Jesus’ answer was the Word and in each case He resisted the temptation.
D. Jesus’ ministry begins – Mark 1. Jesus began to teach the people that they must change their attitude; they must agree with God that they are helpless sinners and they must believe the good news that He had come to tell them. Jesus began to call men to follow Him. He taught with authority. Jesus, as God, communicated with men. He cast out evil spirits and He healed many sick people (to show His power and authority).
E.“You must be born again” (John 3) Nicodemus came to Jesus. Jesus explained to him that man is a sinner and was helpless to save himself. Jesus made the point with Nicodemus that he could do nothing to cause himself to be born under Satan’s control. Neither could he do anything to escape Satan and change his life so that he would be pleasing God. Only God, by His almighty power, can cause people to be born again. Jesus went on to teach that in order for Nicodemus to be born again, He (Jesus) must be lifted up. Remember the account of the serpent in the wilderness? Only by trusting in the One who would be lifted up (crucified) could a person be given eternal life. Without Christ, all will perish.
F.Jesus, the Religious Leaders and the Choosing of the Twelve (Mark 2-3). Jesus heals the sick man who is brought to Him by his friends. Jesus forgave the sick man’s sins. (He could do that because He was God). Jesus called Levi, the tax collector (Matthew). Levi repented of his sins, agreeing with God, and trusted Jesus as the Savior whom God the Father had sent. The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders rejected the message of God through John and they rejected the message of God through Jesus. They hated Jesus because He claimed to be God’s Son, the promised Deliverer, and because Jesus told them that they were sinners. They acted religious on the outside, but they were truly selfish and evil. Already the Pharisees were plotting Jesus’ death. In Mark 3:13-19 Jesus chose the twelve disciples. All of them believed except one (Judas). Jesus knew Judas would one day betray Him, but He chose him as one of His followers anyway.
G.Jesus Calms the Storm and Delivers from Demons (Mark 4-5). After a long day of teaching, Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and started across the Sea of Galilee heading for the other side. Jesus fell asleep in the boat. A storm quickly came up and the disciples were afraid they would perish. They woke Jesus and He calmed the storm. (Jesus was God but He was also man. He could still the storm, for He made the sea and the wind, but He also grew tired after a long day). Jesus asked the disciples why they did not trust Him and His Father. They had forgotten that God sees everything, at all times, whether good or bad. After the storm, Jesus and the disciples encounter a demon-possessed man. The demons knew Jesus (He originally created them and He would one day punish them for eternity). He commanded them to come out of the man. They begged and were allowed to enter into a herd of pigs. The man was liberated and desired to be a disciple of Jesus, though the people of the community did not want Jesus to remain. Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan and demons. He also demonstrated the foolishness of people. He left a testimony in the village with the disciple whom He refused to enlist. (Everyone is born under Satan’s control, even though not demon possessed. However, those who trust Christ are set free, no longer under the control of Satan, but now disciples of the Lord Jesus).
H.Jesus feeds Five Thousand (John 6) Multitudes followed Jesus (Though they did not see themselves as sinners or Jesus as Savior, but followed Him for the material benefits). Jesus came not to feed them, but to deliver them from Satan, sin and everlasting death. More than 5000 people gathered to hear Jesus. It was late and the people were far from any place where they could secure a meal. A boy was found with a small lunch. From that Jesus fed everyone there all they wanted and with more left over than what was originally secured. The message was not about a lunch or sharing. It was about almighty God. It was about Jesus as the bread of life. He ultimately and completely satisfies all who depend on Him.
I.The Great Confession and the Transfiguration (Matt. 16-17; Mark 8-9). We discover who people think Jesus is and then we hear the truth confessed by Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It is of supreme importance that we believe correctly who Jesus is. (Jesus was the One God promised in the Garden of Eden to be the Deliverer. Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise of God to Abraham. He was the One promised by the prophets. He was the true prophet who spoke the truth. He was the great high priest who came to take away the sins of the world. He was the great king sent by God to be the final ruler over all the earth. It was after this great confession that Jesus foretold of His coming death and resurrection. Soon after, with some of the disciples, Jesus is transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus and talk about His coming death. Note what the Father says about the Son and what Peter said years later after the transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-21).
J.Jesus, the Door to Life – Many rich metaphors told of Jesus’ person and work. He was the door or sheep gate in the fold to illustrate Himself as the point of entry to the safety of eternal life. Satan, as a liar and deceiver, fights against God and His will. However, God’s sheep know God’s voice and they follow Him. Only through Jesus is eternal life available. There is no other way. Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd.
K.Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life (Lazarus). Late in Jesus’ earthly ministry, His good friend Lazarus dies. Four days later Jesus arrives on the scene and teaches that He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus illustrated this truth by raising Lazarus from the grave. Only God can give life to that which is dead. Jesus called out to Lazarus while he was dead. He told Lazarus to do what he could not do, to come forth. Lazarus, though dead, was quickened to life, and heard the voice of the Lord and came forth from the grave. The illustration is that of us who are dead in sin, who cannot respond to God because we are dead, but when God calls us, we do respond and we are raised, not just to physical life (only to die again), but to eternal life, so that we will never perish. As was true with most of Jesus’ miracles, some saw and believed and some saw and were further hardened in their hearts. The difference was the work that God did in them.
 

III. THE FINAL WEEK BEFORE CRUCIFIXION
A. The Triumphal Entry – (Mark 11) – Crowds of people followed Jesus everywhere He went, following for various reasons. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, the people welcomed Him as the Deliverer (note Zechariah 9:9). They praised Him as the fulfillment of the prophets, looking to Him as a King. However, they did not trust in Him to save them from their sin or from God’s promised judgment.
B. The Betrayal and the Lord’s Supper – Mark 14-15. The Jewish leaders were determined to kill Jesus but they were afraid of the crowds who were following Jesus. Through Judas and a deal struck by the Jewish Council, a plan was made to betray Jesus in the darkness of night and to place Him on trial for blasphemy. See Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13. Jesus knew His betrayer. While with his disciples, Jesus taught them the truth of the bread and wine – His coming in the flesh (the incarnation) and the truth of His death by the shedding of His blood for the sins of His people.
C. The Arrest and Trials - In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Jesus. It was there that He was arrested and taken away. All of His disciples fled from Him. He was tried before the Jewish leaders (though nothing could be found against Him – Psalm 27:12). They did challenge Him as to who He was. He declared Himself to be the Son of God. At this, the high priest ripped his clothing in horror and protest (Isaiah 50:6). Jesus was then taken to Pilate (Because the Jews could not enact capital punishment they were seeking permission from the Romans to carry out the death sentence). It was the custom at Passover to release a prisoner. Pilate offered a known rebel and Jesus as two choices probably assuming Jesus would be set free and he would be off the hook. The people chose the murderer, Barabbas. Jesus was taken, beaten and mocked, crowned with a crown of thorns.

IV. DEATH RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF JESUS
A. The Crucifixion and Death – Jesus was nailed to a cross (Psalm 22). A sign, used to make know the reason for the punishment, was affixed to the cross declaring Jesus to be the King of the Jews. In this case, the Jewish leaders wanted the sign to say, “He said that He was the king of the Jews.” Instead, by the providence of God, they got, “Jesus Christ, King of the Jews.” That is who He was and that is why He was crucified. He was mocked and abused. Keep in mind what was happening here. Death was the penalty for sin. Jesus never sinned. He was the perfect “lamb of God” who was given as a sacrifice in the stead of others. He was separated from God the Father for sinners. This was God’s plan before the foundations of the earth were laid. Jesus did all that was necessary for deliverance from Satan, sin and death. The promise was made in the Garden right after the first sin that a Deliverer would come. God kept His promise and sent His own Son as that promised Deliverer. As Jesus died, the veil of the temple between the holy place and the most holy place was ripped down the middle, signifying that the payment for sin had been made and was accepted by a holy God. There was no more need for animal sacrifice. Access to God was now made open by the blood of Christ.
B. The Burial – Jesus was buried (Isaiah 53:9). He remained in the grave until sometime early Sunday morning (the first day of the week). The tomb was sealed by the Romans to guard against any attempt to steal the body and claim a resurrection to life.
C. The Resurrection, Appearances Ascension and Promise of Return
1.Millions of lambs were slaughtered but none of them came back to life. Jesus was raised from the dead, coming back to life and remains alive forevermore.
2.The women heard the message of the angels at the empty tomb that He was indeed alive from the dead. The resurrection was proof that Jesus not only is the Son of God but also that the sacrifice for sin satisfied the Father. He demonstrated that He was alive by appearing to a number of witnesses. His followers recognized Him as Lord.
3.Jesus gave some final words to His disciples and then He ascended into heaven. After He ascended, angels reminded them that this same Jesus who ascended would one day descend to earth. When He returns, He will not come back as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in power and great glory to judge all the earth.
 

Conclusion
1.God’s message is very clear. All of Jesus’ disciples (except for Judas) believed in Jesus. They knew He was the One whom God had promised to send.
2.They saw His miracles; they saw Him die; they saw Him alive again; they saw Him ascend into heaven.
3.The disciples went out and told others about this wonderful message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ who could set men free from Satan, sin and death. Others opposed them even as they opposed Jesus. These apostles (disciples) all died (directly or indirectly) for their faith. They did not die for a lie. They died for the Good News that they had believed and that had changed their lives.
4. What was this good news? More about that next week!