Passage: Matthew 12:38-40; John 2:19
The Big Idea
Jesus claimed to be God and the only way to be saved, and then He was arrested, beaten and nailed to a cross. When He cried, “It is finished,” friends and enemies alike agreed: it was over. No one comes back from the dead. But Jesus had called His shot again and again: “I’ll die, and on the third day I’ll rise again.” And He did. Because He broke the one rule no one can break, we can trust every other promise He made: to satisfy our thirsty souls and to give eternal life to everyone who calls on Him.
“It Is Finished”
We’re here today because about two thousand years ago, a man broke all the rules.
Jesus of Nazareth was tortured and killed by being nailed to a wooden cross. He claimed to be God. He claimed to be the only way people could be saved. He claimed to know everything and have power over everything. He came in peace and love.
And yet He was rejected. He was arrested by mere men, beaten, mocked, and nailed to one of the most brutal torture devices ever invented.
As He died, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
And everyone who watched agreed, whether they wanted Him dead as a rebel, or believed He was the Messiah sent by God to save His people. It was finished, because He was dead. That pretty much ends it.
- No more challenging the authority of the Pharisees.
- No more excitement that things might finally change.
- No more amazing sermons with a free meal.
- No more comforting words for the sinners respectable society looked down on.
- No more promises. In fact, it looked like everything He’d ever promised was a lie.
Because no one comes back from the dead. And Jesus was dead. No doubt about it.
But no one was quite like Jesus, were they?
- No one ever spoke like He did (John 7:46).
- No one ever did the miracles He did.
- No one else had the Spirit descend on them like a dove, and a voice from heaven say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
- No one loved like He did, caring for every person He met.
- No one spoke the truth like He did.
And no one ever broke the rules like He did. Because no one ever said, “I’m going to die, and on the third day I’ll rise again,” and then did it!
Calling His Shot (Matthew 12:38-40)
Some scribes and Pharisees said, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
- “You claim all these wild things. You say all these great things. You do all these incredible things. But we don’t believe. Give us infallible proof you are who you say you are.”
Jesus answered that an evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah: just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Everyone knew Jonah’s story: the rebellious prophet running from God, the storm, the sailors throwing him overboard, the great fish that swallowed him and then spit him out right where God wanted him.
Jesus was calling His shot. Eight ball, corner pocket.
People still talk about Babe Ruth supposedly pointing to the bleachers in 1932 before hitting a home run. Jesus took calling your shot to a whole new level: “You want a sign that I am who I say I am? How about I break the one rule nobody can break? How about I die and come back to life?”
Think of the most unbreakable rules in the world. Gravity? Even gravity can be overcome with enough power. But no one overcomes death. The death rate is still holding steady at 100 percent.
He said it another way: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), speaking of His own body.
And in case that’s not clear enough, Matthew, Mark and Luke all record Him saying plainly that He would be handed over, mocked, flogged and killed, and on the third day rise again (Matthew 20:19; Mark 10:34; Luke 18:33).
This wasn’t a passing comment or a guess. Jesus claimed, undeniably, that He would die and rise again three days later.
Even the authorities knew it. That’s why they posted Roman guards at the tomb, worried someone would steal the body (Matthew 27:62-66). They should have been worried that He was telling the truth! Because on the third day, He rose.
Because He broke this rule and kept this promise, we can believe all His other promises too.
Promise 1: He Will Satisfy Your Thirst
Jesus told the woman at the well that everyone who drinks ordinary water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water He gives will never thirst; it will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:13-14).
This world will try to satisfy you. But nothing in this world can fill the hole in your heart, the longing in your soul that God Himself put there. That longing keeps us searching for something deeper. That’s why nothing else fully satisfies.
- Money.
- Fame.
- Relationships.
Each one gives a little rush. But like a drug, the next time it isn’t quite as good. And your soul craves more and more, until you crash, numb and empty.
If you’re quiet in that moment, you might hear Jesus gently saying, “I told you so.” But He also says, “I’ll satisfy you, if you’ll ask.”
On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out that anyone who is thirsty should come to Him and drink, and that rivers of living water would flow from the heart of everyone who believes in Him. He was talking about the Spirit, whom believers would receive (John 7:37-39).
This life can have purpose and meaning. This life can be redeemed. And so can the next one.
Promise 2: He Will Give Eternal Life
Jesus said whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it through Him (John 3:15-17).
Believing and trusting in Jesus results in the gift of eternal life, no matter who you are or what you’ve done. No limitations, exclusions or fine print. Especially if you’re a sinner.
Is anyone here a sinner? That’s the first qualification for being saved. Do you need to be saved? Yes. You need a Savior to save you from your sin.
Imagine the job posting:
Wanted: Savior for all mankind. Must be blameless in every way and willing to offer body and soul as a substitute for the just punishment of every sinner who ever lived. These people can’t do anything to save themselves and won’t help you at all. In fact, they’ll probably torture you and nail you to a tree. Basically, you have to be God. It’s going to take a miracle.
We don’t deserve eternal life. It’s what we were created for, but we took the exit off that highway long ago.
But Jesus promises it, and it’s available right now to everyone.
What the Resurrection Proves
- We can believe His promises. The resurrection validates His words. We can have His living water. We can have eternal life.
- His sacrifice was accepted by God. Paul says that if Christ hasn’t been raised, our faith is futile and we’re still in our sins, and we’re the most pitiable people in the world (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). God could have said, “That’s not enough.” But the resurrection proves the Father accepted Jesus’ work on the cross for you. It was enough. It can save everyone who cries out to Him in faith.
If it was good enough for the Father, is it good enough for you?
When we stand before God at the end of our lives, not one of us will be able to say, “I’ve never sinned,” which, unfortunately, is the standard for heaven. The popular idea that your good deeds just need to outweigh your bad isn’t biblical. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
So the only other destination is separation from God forever. I don’t want that, and I don’t think you do either.
But many will be welcomed into heaven with joy and love. Why? Because God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
It’s true we all sin, and perfection is required to be with God. God knew all of that and provided a solution: a salvation, a substitute, a Savior.
In our sinful rebellion (which you might just call “finding your own path”), God showed how much He cares by sending Jesus to die as your substitute.
- That was our penalty.
- That was our pain.
- That was our death, not just the physical pain but the spiritual separation from God.
- Jesus endured it all.
Getting Personal
This is where it gets personal.
Paul says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Everyone who trusts Him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:11).
The world says, “Be true to who you are.” God says something similar: if you truly believe in My Son, say so! Confess it, and you’ll have assurance of what’s in your heart.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). It’s open to everyone today.
Call on His name in repentance.
“Aha! I knew he’d say it: that nasty word, repent!” If any word ever got a bad reputation, it’s that one. But it’s actually beautiful.
Peter told the crowd to repent and turn back to God, so their sins could be wiped away and times of refreshing could come from the Lord’s presence (Acts 3:19).
- Do you want refreshing? Do you want living water? Do you want your sins wiped out?
- Repentance simply means turning: a change of mind. “I used to think I was free to serve myself. Now I’ve been freed from myself to serve God.”
- It’s just agreeing with God.
Paul said God overlooked times of ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).
This is the time to respond:
- Will you believe the miracle of the resurrection?
- Will you turn from your sin and say, “I’ve been wrong. My way hasn’t worked. I’ve sinned, and I need a Savior”?
- Will you trust Jesus alone as your substitute on the cross, and follow Him with your life?
It’s your time to have peace with God, to know you’re forgiven, to come to the grace of our Lord.
A Prayer
If you want to turn from your sin and trust Jesus alone for your salvation, you can pray something like this from your heart:
Jesus, I believe. I believe You are God’s Son and God Himself, and that You gave Your life as a ransom and substitute for mine. I confess my sin to You and ask for Your forgiveness. I turn from living for myself, and I want to follow You all my life. I surrender everything to You. Please come into my life and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for rising from the dead and giving me new life. Amen.
If you prayed that, welcome to the family of God! Tell someone, find a church family, and start reading the Bible. It’s the beginning of a whole new life.
Grace Takeaway
When Jesus died, everyone thought it was over. But He had called His shot, and on the third day He walked out of the tomb, breaking the one rule no one can break. That means every other promise He made is just as sure: living water for thirsty souls, and eternal life for every sinner who calls on Him. The resurrection proves the Father accepted His sacrifice. It’s enough for God. Is it enough for you?
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