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This is the audio from the March 24, 2024 sermon, “Good News: A Time To DIE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 23:20-49

This morning’s message continued our Good News series from the gospel of Luke. This section of the series will take us to Resurrection Sunday as we gaze into the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to, and through, His resurrection.  In what may be the most difficult message in our Good News series at Deer Run, this week we gazed into God’s Word to consider the good news contained within the time for Jesus to die. Difficult not simply because of the seeming conflict between “good news” and “die”, not simply because of the nature of the death of Jesus, not even simply because of our sin which made His death necessary, but also because of our need to consider our own time to die.  As Jesus continued with a steadfast commitment to this road of resurrection, He approached the cross with an attitude that displayed an awareness that a road of death was a necessary part of reaching the road of life.  As we gaze upon the cross, we find Jesus calling each one of us to take up our cross in a time to . . .

• Decide: — Luke 23:20-25

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that it is possible because of His decision of obedience to His Father.  The whole process leading to the cross was filled with opportunities for all involved to decide to do what was right.  It was Jesus who decided we were more valuable than His own life.  Joining Him in His death requires that we decide He is more valuable to us than our own life.  As He calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Him, what will we decide to do in response?

• Invite: — Luke 23:35-43

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that we are invited and are given the responsibility of inviting others.  As the crowds and one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus choose to mock Him, the other criminal invites himself into the presence of Jesus.  At the man’s request, Jesus proclaims an invitation for this man to be with Him in paradise.  When we choose to die to self, we invite Jesus to be in charge of our life so that we can join in His resurrection.  As He calls us to make disciples as we go into all the world, how will we respond to His invitation and who will we invite to join us?

• Exclaim: — Luke 23:44-49

  • The good news about our joining in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is that we have a victory to exclaim to the world.  As Jesus hung on the cross with a knowledge that death was upon Him, He was able to exclaim that His work was finished.  As the centurion observed the death of Jesus, He exclaimed that this was indeed a righteous man.  When we decide to die to self and invite Jesus to be in charge of our life, we exclaim that He is indeed Lord.  As He calls each of us to endure hardship as a faithful servant, who will exclaim the goodness of God because they have seen it in us?

As you receive the good news of Jesus, how will you prepare for a time to DIE?