From bewilderment to boldness
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Seldom do we come across events that change the lives of massive amounts of people, from all over the world, in a very positive way. War can change the lives of massive amounts of people, but war is not positive.
Theme: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is histories most positive life-changing event.
Bewilderment
Bewilderment
A.The mournful journey.
A.The mournful journey.
1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
They had not seen the guards because they, unlike the Jewish leaders, had taken the Sabbath rest.
They know where they are going.
They are not searching as is commonly believed by many Muslims. These ladies had been at the cross. They saw Joseph and Nic wrap and place His body in the tomb.
They saw the stone rolled in front of the entrance and wondered how to get it out of the way.
The intentions was to pour fragrances over the wrappings to keep down the stink.
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
B.The Divine Intervention
B.The Divine Intervention
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
“great earthquake”
Another one! v51 said there was one at Christ’s death as well.
Angels of the Lord appear
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
The stone is already moved. This was not to let Jesus out, but to let people see the empty tomb.
An angel is at rest as he has sat on the stone.
The guards pass out from fear.
An angel has a conversation with the mournful women.
Benevolence
Benevolence
Heritage of Great Evangelical Teaching Moral Attributes and Benevolence
all the moral attributes of God and of all holy beings are only attributes of benevolence. Benevolence is a term that comprehensively expresses them all.
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
“Don’t be afraid...”
Remember Mary seeing an angel with the same message?
God has made this a consistent message of His special revelation.
“I know ...”
…why you came.
...how you hurt.
...that you are looking for the body
They are in a graveyard after all. The place of execution is near by.
...All you will find is undisturbed burial cloth and a folded face cloth.
“He is not here; for He is risen”
Already happened
It was “as He had said”.
It’s better than you hoped
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
“Come, see...”
Not the body, but the place His body used to be laying.
He was already gone. These ladies got up early, but Jesus got up earlier still.
While the disciples were locked away in a room in Fear, the ladies were trying to do a good thing, and Jesus accomplished the best thing.
The resurrection has always been about the proof that God the Father was satisfied with the finished work of the cross. Jesus had paid 100% of the cost for my sin, for your sin, and the sin of all who would call upon Christ and be saved.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Boldness
Boldness
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
“Go quickly”
This will become the very thing that spreads the church around the world. The angel says go in verse 7. Jesus will tells them to go a couple times (10;19) before the end of the chapter.
“Tell His Disciples”
An easy and appropriate place to start.
They are not told to go boast in front of the Jewish Leaders.
They are not told to go tell Pilate that his seal did not work.
They are told to go tell people that loved Jesus!
If you are uncomfortable sharing your faith, start by telling people who already love Jesus. Don’t start with the hardest case you know.
“You will see Him”
Rather than huddle in fear behind locked doors, Jesus had told them to meet Him in Galilee.
32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
We know Jesus will be seen by the disciples just down in verse 17.
We know Jesus will be seen by many who could testify that Jesus was alive.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Paul’s list here is not exhaustive. The first to see Him are the women looking for Him in the first place.
Just as the Wisemen wanted to seek Jesus after His birth, and the ladies of today’s passage wanted to seek Jesus, so too He can be found by those today who seek Him with all their heart.
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
Give gospel!
Conclusion: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is histories most positive life-changing event.
Conclusion: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is histories most positive life-changing event.
The Resurrection takes people from Bewilderment to Boldness. The Bible records several times when people were raised from the dead - from Prophets who prayed and saw God work, to Christ’s ministry that saw a couple of Children as well as a friend named Lazarus who came back to life, and later still the work God did through the Apostles. However, no other resurrection was proof that God had finished His work of redemption than the resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself. No other resurrection was such a fulfilment of Scripture prophesied way beforehand.
1. When we see people bewildered, how do we help them?
2. Knowing who God is and what He has done so that we can have a relationship with Him is worth repeating. How confident are you in sharing your faith? Can we help you make that easier?
3. Can we as a church help you make sharing your faith easier?