Resurrection: The Great Interruption

Introduction

So far in our mini series entitled God’s covenant of Redemption (which we learned was planned and decreed in eternity past before one molecule was created), we’ve seen how Jesus declared himself to be the Messiah, the King of Peace, and how Palm Sunday was The Great Preparation for Jesus as he looked toward the cross. Then Friday night, we saw how God’s Servant, the Messiah, was to be a “Suffering Servant” as he gave his life as our substitute in The Great Propitiation or appeasing of the wrath of God against our sin. Now this morning, we will close this series with the greatest of all events, as God’s Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, our substitute was raised from the grave and is now alive! This reality has interrupted time and space as we shall see in the Resurrection: The Great Interruption.

For we live in a time where we presume much about our lives. We plan our weeks, our vacations, our futures, and our retirements. All the time presuming that our plans will go through uninterrupted, and especially, as a believer, most likely we believe that all our plans are sanctioned by God, so why wouldn’t they happen. Even celebrating our Christian holidays causes us to be happy as we plan to go to church to hear the glorious truths surrounding this holiday, and then get together with family and friends for food and fun. All is well and God is good! We go through cycle after cycle of life, thinking, hoping that nothing interrupts our little world. This may not describe some of you here this morning, but for others of us, it’s spot on.

This we might say was what had happened to Jesus followers on that Sunday morning so long ago. They had been with Jesus for 3 years. They had seen his miracles, heard his teaching, and were heralded as his followers, presuming possibly to have a place of prominence in the Messiah-Jesus’ Kingdom. But something happened that interrupted their dreams…the crucifixion. Their hopes and dreams where shattered, but were they…let’s read the account from John’s gospel, chapter 20.

Text: John 20:1-31

John 20:1–31 ESV

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Main Idea: Because of Christ's Resurrection, we who place our trust in him have our lives wonderfully interrupted forever!

I. The Resurrection Interrupted Death (v. 1-10)

(6-8) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John where confronted with something that was unexpected and supernatural. To them, death was final and there was no way in their minds of assuming anything different.

Though they had been with Jesus and heard him talk of his death and resurrection, they did not believe it until it happened.

II. The Resurrection Interrupted Life (v. 11-18)

As Mary Magdalene weeps because she remembers her life with Jesus, and is saddened to think that someone has stolen his body, she is confronted with the supernatural angelic beings, seeking to awaken her to the reality of what has just happened.

(17) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

She is then confronted with the risen Lord Jesus who redirects her focus from the physical norm of life to the spiritual risen, soon-to-ascend Lord. Her norm would now be shaken forever. The everyday things of life and death have been invaded by the supernatural resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Note wonderfully, that Jesus, the Lord, Master and King, declares that his disciples are his brothers and the his Father is their Father!

Romans 8:14–17 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The resurrection interrupts life as we know it…we no longer focus on a cursed, dying world, but have the hope of life instilled within us as Paul declares to the Corinthian church...

1 Corinthians 15:17–20 ESV

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

In other words, if Christ had not raised from the dead, the norms of life would have continued without hope.

III. The Resurrection Interrupted Fear (v. 19-23)

(19) On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

The disciples, fearing for their lives, were confronted with the risen Christ.

Not only were they not to fear any more, but they were given the command to continue and finish the work that Father had given the son (v. 21 - Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”). Two things were needed for this to happen:

The Resurrection

The Holy Spirit (v. 22) - And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

IV. The Resurrection Interrupted Doubt (v. 24-29)

(24-25) Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Thomas, not believing what the disciples reported, was shown the physical reality of the risen Lord, removing all his doubt.

(28-29) Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Greater then Thomas’s belief based on empirical evidence, Jesus said, is those who believe without that evidence.

V. The Resurrection Interrupts Destiny (v. 30-31)

(30-31) Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - Note that these verses are the purpose statements for the book of John. Notice that they appear in the text strategically after the resurrection. This is no accident, since there is no life apart from the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

We must remember that we are born into this world as sinners, with our eternal destiny set for the lake of fire, or hell, as a result.

The resurrection was God the Father’s signature, assuring us that he had recieved the substitutionary payment made by his son on the cross on behalf of his people, thus interrupting their destiny of judgment, and securing for them a new destiny of reward and inheritance, being kept in heaven for them. Peter tells us this in his first epistle:

1 Peter 1:3–4 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

This is what is meant by believing you may have life in his name. This life comes through repenting of our sins, and placing our trust in Jesus Christ alone as our savour and Lord! Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

So What?

Do you find it hard to be interrupted?

Have you considered that life as you know it will not continue without interruption no matter how well thought through your plans are?

Death itself will always interrupt life as you know it.

Have you considered the impact the resurrection had on time and space?

Jesus Christ died for our sins and was buried, and rose again on the third day as the first fruit, which means that all those who trust Christ will also be resurrected unto life as Christ was.

Will you allow Christ to interrupt your destiny this morning?

Repent of your sins, and confess Jesus as Lord, putting you complete trust in him for both time and eternity!