The Empty Tomb Changes Everything
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Easter 2023
Easter 2023
Introduction:
Do you remember where you were when the single greatest event in your life took place? As Born Again Christians that moment should be the day you accepted Christ as your Saviour. Now there are definitely times in our lives that are important and special. Wedding, Kids being born, etc.. times that we think back on with pure joy! but there are also very sad and tragic events that happen in life. Loss of a loved one, being Fired or laid off from a job. Our Emotions can run really high and really low sometimes. Today we are going to look at those who were nearest and dearest to Jesus when He walked the Earth. We are going to see a group of women who were there when Jesus was Crucified and they were also the first to see the empty tomb that Changes everything!! Lets look through the Bible and see the account unfold. On Good Friday we looked to the cross of Calvary. We saw that Jesus was brought before an unjust court and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Before He was crucified He was beaten and scourged, He was mocked and spat upon and then He was crucified on a cross on Golgotha’s Hill. Jesus endured all this to redeem mankind
Jesus was Crucified
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus lived on earth for 33 years as a servant. He came and ministered to people. He healed the sick and the lame. He gave sight to the blind. He raised the dead to life. He performed so many wonderful miracles that we see in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and after all this He gave up His life and died on the cross.
Jesus came to give His life a Ransom for many!
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
He paid the debt we could not pay. He paid for our sins by dying on the cross.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
He did all this because He loves you and me!
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We celebrate this today as we think about the Resurrection of Jesus!
Lets look at the culminating Events at the end of the Crucifixion and notice some women that were close to Jesus from His death to finding out first He had Resurrected from the Grave!
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
We see in these Verses that Mary Magdalene, James the less and Joseph’s mother Mary, and the James and John’s Mother there watching the brutal execution of Jesus.
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
The Mary’s were there as Jesus was put in to the tomb. They were witnesses of His dead body being placed in to the tomb.
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
The Resurrection was witnessed first by women who were close to Jesus
Imagine these women that saw their Savior crucified and the emotion of defeat they must have felt as Jesus died, to watching His body be put in to the tomb/seplechure and then to going back to dress the body only to find out that He is Risen!! Such agony and pain to such Joy and Jubilee!!
But you might be asking a question. Did Jesus really rise from the Grave?!?!? Well the disciples wondered as well.
1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
The Resurrection is Sure
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
The Resurrection Brings Life
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
We are dead in our trespasses and sins. But Jesus died for our sins and arose the 3rd day bringing life to all those that Believe in Him!
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Brings A Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
God loved us and made a way for us to be born again through Faith in Jesus Christ and this salvation brings a Living Hope knowing that when we die we will spend all of eternity with Him in heaven!!
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
I wonder this morning, have you been born again? In John 3 Jesus was speaking to a man named Nicodemus and was telling Him that he must be born again.
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Jesus explained the purpose of Him coming and the sinful condition of mankind.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Have you been born again? Have you believed on Jesus for Salvation?
The Bible tells us that our sin condemns us. It is a judicial pentalty just as someone who commits murder is sentenced in a court of law. Every man that has ever walked the earth, besides Jesus, has committed sin and the penalty of that sin is death and separation from God.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Once you Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins and rose again three days later you are saved.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
You must repent of your sins and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and then you will be saved! For all of eternity!!!
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Salvation is free and is for anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord!
This morning let me challenge you to be born again. To accept Christ as your Savior!
INVITATION
With every head bowed and every eye closed, I want to talk to you for just a second. Today is a great day! Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday. The day we remember that Jesus died for our sins and He conquered death and rose victoriously over death. It is a joyous time for those who have been born again, but as every head is bowed I wonder if you are here this morning and you do not know Christ as your Savior, you have never been born again. You would admit, I do not know for sure that if I died today that I would go to heaven. I want to share with you that you can know that. If that is you this morning and you would admit that I want to pray for you, I won’t embarrass you but I would like to pray for you. Is there anyone like that here this morning?
I see those hands. Amber is going to play the piano and we are going to have a short time of invitation. If you raised your hand let me challenge you to call out to God. I am going to pray and you can pray in your seat. Call out to God ask Him to save you. You could pray something like this.
Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and that the wages of my sin is death and separation from you. I pray now and ask that you would forgive me of my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again 3 days letter. By faith I put my trust in what Jesus did on the cross for me. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, the Bible says that you have been saved. Romans 10 9 says that with the mouth confession is made to salvation. If you truly meant that, you won’t be ashamed to tell others of the decision that you made. I would love to talk to you after the service and we have a free gift we would like to give you.
If you are here today and you’ve been born again, what a great day to celebrate what God has done in our lives!!
Thank you for being here today and we pray that LHBC can be a blessing to you.
I am going to ask.... if you would pray and close out our service.