It got bad for Jesus.

I've been asked by a few people to transcribe the last few minutes of the sermon that I preached last weekend (Because you can't quit). So...here it is:

When it comes to fighting for the heart of our King, we as followers of Christ ought to recognize and accept that sometimes it's just gonna get bad...sometimes things are just gonna go wrong. That's very apparent as you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and it's the core of Jesus' story as you study the final hours which led up to the crucifixion.

One of Jesus' friends betrayed him for a pile of silver.
It got bad for Jesus.
Jesus was brought up on bogus charges and arrested like a common criminal.
It got bad for Jesus.
He was brought before Caiaphas who spat on Him and struck Him in the face.
It got bad for Jesus.
He appeared before Pontius Pilate who had the authority to let Him go free, but instead of sighting His innocence, Pilate sent Him unto Herod.
It got bad for Jesus.
Pilate later sentenced Jesus to a beating so vicious and gruesome that many men would have died from it. They bound Jesus and beat Him with "the cat of nine tails" ripping the flesh off of His back.
It got bad for Jesus.
When they were through scourging Jesus they placed a crown of thorns upon His head which lacerated His head and face.
It got bad for Jesus.
They forced Him to carry a cross from the temple courts uphill to Golgotha, and when He fell, unable to carry His cross out of sheer exhaustion and dehydration, no one offered to help Him. They had to force Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus against his will.
It got bad for Jesus.
They drove nails through His hands and through His feet.
It got bad for Jesus.
Even after He had breathed His last breath, they speared Him in His side for good measure.
It got bad for Jesus.
His disciples scattered out of fear and heartbreak.
It got bad for Jesus.
And for 48 hours Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod rested...smiling...cheerfully celebrating their victory. They were certain that this King of the Jews was a king of the past.
It got bad for Jesus.

But what they didn't know....what they had forgotten was that when the Temple had been destroyed it would be rebuilt in just three days time...what they had forgotten were the ancient words spoken unto all eternity...because when the sun rose on the third day, everything that had gotten bad got better...when the sun rose on the third day the angel descended and the stone was rolled away and Jesus walked out of His tomb. And that should remind us all today and everyday that it's always too early to quit fighting for the heart of our King. We should look upon that tomb that is still empty and recognize that we have a Savior who is still alive and be reminded that we still have hope! We should look upon that empty tomb and know that, even though it may feel like Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday is coming...and coming for us...We should look upon that empty tomb and say today, "You can't quit, Jacob, because Israel, your blessing, is closer than you think!"

Grace and Peace be unto you.