Job 12:7-9 - But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
Psalm 96:11-13 - Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all it contains; Let the field exult and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.
Nature proclaims... The trees sing joy, for they already know how this ends.
It ends with Christ Jesus praying... your will God ---
Matthew 26:39 and going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will"
It ends with His betrayal, with one of his own turning on him, this man that had broken bread with him, had seen the miracles, that had walked in his dust... Betrayed!
Matthew 26:48-49 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him." And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and he kissed him.
It ends with those that welcomed him into the city just a few days before were now a mob saying "crucify Him" (Thank you Pastor A, I borrowed that last bit from you). It ends with him blameless and beaten, it ends with his walk to the mount. It ends with the cross in the ground and Him lifted up high.
It ends with His forgiveness for those that put him there; "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"...
It ends with "It is finished"...
John 19:28-30: After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on hyssop, and put it to his mouth. So when Jesus has received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" and bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
It ends with a finale better than a movie.... HE.IS.NOT.HERE!!!! HE HAS RISEN!!!
Matthew 28:6 He is not here; He has Risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
We have nothing to fear for we follow a risen God, we follow the One who Saves all... Not just that guy over there because he's great and he volunteers and his wife is beautiful. Not just that lady in line at Target with the pretty clothes and perfectly coiffed kids. Not the elderly neighbor because he serves in church and sings in choir... not just the ones that look like they got it all together because... they don't, they didn't always... and they won't always.
He came to be born, to live, to die and to raise from the dead so that we all could live...
For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! This is a day to proclaim. To shatter the strongholds of our faiths. To come together as one and proclaim... HE. IS. NOT. HERE!!! HE.HAS.RISEN!!!
There is not one single soul who can take that from you... don't let your voice dim, don't let the other voice shush you... This is the best news ever my friends!