The Resurrection

Passion Week  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  1:12:10
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Scripture Intro:

On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus...
a real historical event.
The power of God over death.
And this pattern of the resurrection
is also the way God works in us.
He takes us (dead in our sin and in bondage as a result)
And he gives us new life.
I’ve asked Kevin Ford to share his testimony.
He had prepared it along with the Men’s retreat announcement a few weeks ago...
I told him, “This would be perfect for Easter Sunday.”
Kevin Ford Testimony
New life in Christ...
Now, what are the events from the life of Jesus
that made Kevin’s story a reality?
What is our hope as well?
Scripture Reading (“Please stand…”)
Matthew 27:62–63 ESV
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’
Matthew 27:64 ESV
Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”
Matthew 27:65–66 ESV
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
Matthew 28:1–2 ESV
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. 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.
Matthew 28:3–4 ESV
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
Matthew 28:5–6 ESV
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Matthew 28:7 ESV
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.”
Matthew 28:8–9 ESV
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Matthew 28:10 ESV
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Pray...

Intro:

The Intention of God Overcomes the Plans of Man

(v. 63) Chief priests and Pharisees
“that imposter said, ‘after three days I will rise.’”
Just to be sure that won’t happen and they don’t steal his body...
(v. 64) “order the tomb to be made secure until the third day.”
“lest his disciples steal him away and tell people he has risen”
“the last fraud will be worse than the first.”
(v. 65) “You have a guard of soldiers.”
“Go, make it as secure as you can.”
“sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
Plans of man...
Let’s stop this already.
This has gone on for far too long.
This is our chance to put the nail in the coffin.
Put a contingent of soldiers at the tomb.
Seal the tomb.

The Power of God Overwhelms the Strength of Man

(v. 2) another earthquake
An angel rolled back the stone...
and sat on it. (I love this picture)
Angel just chillin’ on the stone after he rolled it back.
(v. 3) His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.
Matthew 28:4 ESV
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
Remember, these are Roman guards.
The best in the business.
If they failed in their mission,
they were put to death.
“Zero tolerance” for mistakes.
The power of man is no match for the power of God.
Nothing can thwart the work of God.
To the women… just let the soldiers stay frozen.
Matthew 28:5 ESV
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
Notice the reactions when people see a greater glimpse of the power of God.
Soldiers - fear, trembled like dead men.
Women - “Do not be afraid.”
When they departed (v. 8),
“with fear and great joy...”
(From Mark) “trembling and astonishment had seized them”
When Jesus met them (women or disciples),
“Do not be afraid”
When we see the power of God,
we are not used to it.
We will be filled with all sorts of emotions.
Matthew 28:6 ESV
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Resurrection overcomes the power of death.
The disciples did not understand that He would rise again.
“Don’t you remember?”
The resurrection is about power...
the power of God on display....
Both to raise Jesus from the dead,
but also to bring his life-changing power into our lives.
Romans 1:16 (ESV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Faith is NOT simply reciting a few trite words you learned from Sunday School.
Faith is believing (fully accepting) that Jesus is who He claims to be
and that he has accomplished all that the Bible said he has done...
Lived a life you could not live.
Died to pay the penalty for your sin.
Rose from the dead to give you life.
When you believe (faith)...
you experience the power of the risen Christ in your life.
That’s why Paul says in Philippians 3,
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”

Resurrection Power at Work in Those Who Believe

Matthew 28 is the closing chapter of Matthew’s Gospel.
The resurrection, but also what is called the Great Commission.
The last of Jesus’ teaching that Matthew recorded.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations....”
But I want us to focus on the promise that Jesus makes,
not the command that Jesus gives them.
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Only a risen Savior can be with you.
He promises his disciples to be with them.
and as we are made disciples,
he promises his presence to us as well.
So… we ought to expect the active presence of Jesus in our lives.
we should be looking for the active power of Jesus at work in us.
Doubting Thomas...
Jesus appears to him and the disciples eight days after the resurrection...
“Peace be with you.”
John 20:27–28 ESV
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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:29 ESV
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
---
John 20:30 ESV
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
John 20:31 (ESV)
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.
“The Western church has been strong on Jesus’s death for us, but weak on his resurrection for us.” (Paul Miller)
(not on screen)
“We affirm the resurrection, of course, but tend to trot it out just at Easter.”
“Our lack of emphasis on resurrection is one reason why even mature Christians can go on endless idol hunts, looking ever deeper into their hearts for roots of sin…
We can get stuck in death and don’t have a vision for the beauty of Jesus that God wants to imprint on us. We participate in his death, but not his resurrection.” (Paul Miller)

Close in Prayer

Closing Song:

Benediction:

Extra Stuff:

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