Sunday's Coming

April 8, 2007

DBC

Easter

Sunday’s Coming!

Luke 24-47
©Pastor Jerry Branch, 2007

**Video clip (Sunday’s Comin’)(Igniter Media Group)

What did Jesus accomplish on our behalf?

After seeing the pictorial dramatization of the events leading up to Easter,
does the Easter Message end with the empty tomb of Christ?

Or does the ‘concept’ of “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming”
extend beyond the Easter story?

Is the story still going on? And IS there still more to come?

Read along with me this morning,

The Resurrection

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

The women came to the tomb on the first day of the week.

You know something?

I believe that their spirits were at an all time low.

And no wonder…

Their friend, teacher, and leader, Jesus Christ, had been handed over to
            a kangaroo court trial…
            He had been beaten;
            He had been mocked;
            then He had been led off to Golgotha,
                        the place of the skull to be executed…
                        crucified, alongside two criminal.

He died.

            His dead body had been taken down from the cross
                        and placed in a borrowed tomb…
                                    the tomb the women were approaching.

No doubt they had the same kind of thoughts anyone would have had…

            What had happened?
            Was Jesus not the promised one?
            Why did the religious leaders do this to Him?

And now, how are we going to roll away that heavy stone at the tomb?

But, when they got to the tomb itself, they found the stone rolled away.

And the body of Jesus Christ was gone.

I imagine their heads were spinning in unbelief
and their minds were still clouded with grief.

When all of a sudden,

Here are Two angels who are standing beside them in the tomb…

And the angels announced…
“why do you look for the ‘living among the dead?’
He is not here; He has risen.

            The Son of Man must be delivered into hands of sinful men;
            be crucified…that was the Friday of Fridays;
            and on the third day be raised again…
                        and now, this is the Sunday that was coming.

That’s pretty amazing in itself.

But the Easter story continued…not only was the tomb empty,
and the Lord, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,
but then He appeared to the disciples.

Look over in verse 36-39 Jesus Appears to the Disciples

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

Peace be with you!

Why are you troubled?

Why do doubts rise in your minds?

Look at my hands and my feet (see the nail scars).

It is I Myself! Touch Me and see! A ghost does not have flesh and bones”

Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, comes with the greeting of peace.

He comes with a greeting of comfort.

This is the same Greeting Jesus extends to you and to all today…
He offers Peace and He offers comfort to all people…

Jesus offers peace…He offers comfort…and He offers Power…the same power that raised Him from the dead!
To people whose lives are really messed up

To people who are struggling with addictions

To people who are struggling in abusive relationships

To people who thought they had it all together,
but have found out that something is missing.

Here is my Lord, Jesus Christ…

Jesus Who endured the mocking for you and me;

Jesus Who endured the scourging, the beating,
by the Roman soldiers for you and me.

Jesus Who endured the nails driven into His hands and feet.

Jesus Who endured the agony of dying by crucifixion for you and me.

Jesus Christ did that for you and me so that our wages of OUR sin
could be paid up in full.

He did that so you and I could choose through Him
to have a relationship with God.

And on the third day, Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead,
and gives to us who know Him the blessed hope of resurrection
to be with Him forever.

Verse 46 sums it up…

46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

But Easter does not stop with the rock rolled away and an empty tomb.

Jesus lives today.

Jesus still invites people to accept His gift of salvation and eternal life.

And Jesus is coming back.
Or another way to say it,
            there’s ANOTHER Sunday that’s coming…
                        Jesus Christ will return again.
            Are you ready for that day?

You can be sure today.

The Good News is that
            God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, because He so loved the world…
                        Jesus Christ came to die for each one of us
                        so that we could have a lasting relationship with God…
                        He did that for you. He did that for me.

That’s why we celebrate Easter…or Resurrection day.

But I have to ask you to examine your heart this morning and therefore,

I ask you right now,

1. If you were standing before God right now, and God said to you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ What would you say.

2. Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain…have you come to a place in your life where you are 100% for sure that you have eternal life and will go to heaven when you die?

3. You can. You can respond to Jesus this morning and accept the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven. If you want that, why don’t you come right now, and talk with one of our counselors to find out how.

1. It could be also that you feel you’re not as close to Jesus as you once were, or maybe you realize that you’re not continuing in your growth toward spiritual maturity, and you want to rededicate yourself to Jesus and again walk close with Him. If that’s the case, please come and pray with one of our men or women this morning.

2. It also might be that you feel you’d like to be a part of this church family. If that’s the case, come now, and talk with one of our counselors and they’ll tell you how to take that step.