Title You are Special (Luke 23:50-56)
Who is Joseph of Arimathea? The Bible records what he did in all four Gospels. Because, in God's eyes, what he did is important. Tomorrow is Easter. Jesus died on the cross on Friday and rose again on Sunday. So what happened on Saturday? The Bible records what Joseph of Arimathea did on Saturday in Luke 23:50-56.
Without the event of the Resurrection, the Christian faith is meaningless. Those who followed Jesus saw Him dying on the cross. His death itself is a story that stirs emotion and emotion. But the reason we worship and serve Jesus Christ as the Son of God is because He has risen. (very living God) No matter how good a person is, he cannot come back to life. Resurrection is all about Christianity. All the gospels of the Bible are linked to the cross and resurrection of Christ. Our faith is in the ‘empty tomb of Jesus’, and this is the highlight of the gospel.
That is why Joseph of Arimathea is considered to have done such an important job. Because he was a respected member of the Council and had access to Pontius Pilate, he could request and take over the body of Jesus Christ and place it in a tomb specially prepared by him. Otherwise, if Jesus' body had been left unattended, His resurrection could not have been recorded or confirmed. It is this “empty tomb” that builds our faith. He considered this role as something that only he could do at that moment, and Joseph of Arimathea did it, so it could be recorded in history. As such, in the kingdom of God, the role the Lord has given me to perform is something that only I can do.
1. You are the only one who can stand in the position you are given.
Only you can stand where you’ve been placed.
You are the only one in this world. God has made each of us unique and special. God puts each of us in the most appropriate place and allows only me to do what I can handle. Only I can be myself to God. When the entire Jewish nation was slaughtered, Queen Esther went to the king and persuaded the king to save the country to do what she could in her place. (Esther 4:14) There are things that only we can do for us. There are people that only we can evangelize, and there are prayer topics that only us can pray for. It is a responsibility that only we can achieve.
2. God made you special. including your weaknesses.
You’ve been uniquely made by God, even though your weakness.
Joseph of Arimathea once served Jesus secretly. ( John 19:38 ) He was afraid that people would know that he was serving Jesus, and he feared that he would lose his position and possessions. However, when he sees Jesus dying on the cross, he realizes that he is the ‘God who died for my sins’ and no longer secretly follows Jesus. Now I am determined to follow him openly and proudly. When God saw his weakness, he did not disobey him, but rather used his weakness to beautify him. ‘God made all things, and made them beautiful in their seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:11).’ Giving our weaknesses before the Lord is a precious gift we can give to God. As we give our weaknesses, the Lord who is greater than our problems will meet you in our weaknesses and we will come to know Him in a deep place we did not know before.
3. The Son of God gave his life for you.
The very Son of God gave His life for you.
The most important truth that can prove that we are very special is that the Son of God gave his life for us. The King of Kings, who became the beginning and the end, and created the universe, died on the cross for us. Because he loves us so much, ‘Christ died for us while we were still sinners’ (Romans 5:8).
Jesus died for our salvation and rose again for our righteousness. That is why we are essential people for the kingdom of God. Thank you for making us special today, and we will do our best to present ourselves as holy living sacrifices.