2: Dead Man Walking! (MCI)

We just completed the celebration of The Weekend that Changed the World. It began with the crucifixion, but the crucifixion without the resurrection ends with the story of another wanna-be Jewish messiah killed by the Romans. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there with the defeated disciples of a murdered messiah, because....they claimed to see…

a Dead Man Walking! We've all been to funerals, but none of us...EVER...has later had a physical visit from the person whose funeral we attended. If we had, I’m willing to be the story would spread like wildfire, and some news agencies would b-line it here to interview you.

But the story of a Dead Man Walking is NOT a cherry on top of the story of Jesus - it is the FOUNDATION that our faith if built on! And here’s the BIG TRUTH...

If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said…about EVERYTHING! - relationships with God & people, money & material possessions, sin & forgiveness, heaven & hell.

If Jesus DIDN’T RISE from the dead, then Christianity crumbles, as its most important claim - the resurrection of Jesus - is a BIG FAT LIE. You might say, “Jackie, you’re making it way too simple because there’s so much more to consider.” NOPE! It IS that simple! Look at how the apostle Paul put it.

1 Corinthians 15:12–14 (NLT) But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

1 Corinthians 15:15-16 (NLT) And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NLT) And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

Do you see it? Christianity rests on the reality of A Dead Man Walking!

So, let’s take the next few moments to remember The Weekend That Changed the World.

PRAY

Last week we talked about the significance of Jesus’ death and the last words He cried out, “It is Finished!”. Jesus was brutally beaten, made fun of, scourged and crucified to make FULL PAYMENT for my sin…and for your sin. WHY?

Because...People are Precious. Sin is Serious. God is Gracious.

People are Precious, created in the image of God - intended to be image bearers who remind us of the God who made us, people created to be creative, passionate, and pure…people who love and serve and walk with the God who made them.

But...people have sinned against their Creator. We have spit in the face of the One who gave us life and breath. We have committed treason agains the King of the Universe. And Our Sin is Serious. Our lies, lust, drunkenness, selfishness, pride, evil actions, and hateful words must be punished, because…a Good God is JUST and doesn’t simply write off our wrongs.

But God is Gracious. God loves to forgive and restore people to know Him and make Him known, to be His image bearers once again. And that’s why Jesus stepped out of heaven, lived on the earth, and was lifted up on the cross. The cross is where God’s justice and God’s graciousness met. God wanted to fully forgive, but Sin had to be paid in full…and it was - BY JESUS - it is finished!

And then...Jesus breathed His last. And His disciples were devastated. Their Messiah had been murdered and they were so scared that they would face the same fate, that it seems only one of men showed up to the execution of Jesus (John).

Jesus was dead and it looked like all was lost.

There was no funeral for Jesus. His closest friends wouldn't have come anyway. They were hiding out behind locked doors in fear of the people who had Jesus killed (Jn 20:19). And even though Jesus had told them He would rise again on several different occasions,

…But the fact that Jesus was risen didn’t even register when Peter and John went to check out the women’s claim that the tomb was empty.

WHY NOT?

Had they forgotten when:

Jesus raised a 12 year old girl back to life (Lk 8:41-42, 49-56)?

And what about the man that He raised during the funeral procession to the cemetery (Lk 7:11–17)?

And then there’s Lazarus, the guy who had been dead and buried for four days (Jn 11).

Had they forgotten that Jesus had said He would raise from the dead?

Matthew 16:21 (NLT) From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

Matthew 17:22–23 (NLT) After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 20:18–19 (NLT) “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Of course the skeptics would say that maybe Jesus said that, and maybe He didn’t. Either way, they would say, Jesus didn’t rise from the dead.

I would then ask, since the tomb of Jesus was certainly empty on that Sunday morning, what happened to the body?

If the tomb was still occupied then all that was needed was to parade the corpse around Jerusalem, and Christianity would never have been know to you and me.

So, What are the options for the missing body?

Stolen Body? That was the first counter to the claim that Jesus had risen (Mt 28:11-15). So the disciples of Jesus - fishermen and a tax collector - overpowered Roman soldiers? Then what? They bury Jesus’ body somewhere else and later be severely persecuted and even DIE…for a LIE? If you were about to die for a lie - you KNEW Jesus wasn’t alive; you KNEW where his body was, wouldn’t you give it up? Someone would! People don’t DIE for what they know to be a LIE.

The late Chuck Colson, known as President Nixon’s hatchet-man, who spent several years in prison, said, “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

Swoon/Resuscitation? The claim is made that Jesus never died, but only swooned - looked to be dead, but was still alive. The Romans knew how to kill people. During the time of Jesus there were over 30,000 Jews who were crucified by the Romans. And then, what about the spear shoved into Jesus’ chest (Jn 19:34)? What if Jesus survived all that?Jesus somehow unwrapped himself, moved the 2000 lb stone without a lever - uphill - with holes in his wrists and feet, and then quietly slipped past the Roman soldiers, and conned his disciples that he was alive. Have you ever SEEN someone a couple of days after being beaten badly? Do they look BETTER or WORSE?

*Book to Read: Evidence for the Resurrection (Josh & Sean McDowell)

https://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Resurrection-Josh-McDowell/dp/0830747850/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=evidence+for+the+resurrection&qid=1650134893&sprefix=evidence+for+resurr%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1

*Article to Read: https://www.gotquestions.org/swoon-theory.html

And then there’s the claim of the Resurrection - the claim that TRANSFORMED the same ones who had been HIDING in the city Jesus was tried, convicted, beaten, crucified, and buried in…they began to boldly proclaim the Risen Jesus, because they were the first of...

Multiple people who claimed they saw a Dead Man Walking - the same Jesus who had been beaten, brutalized, and crucified just a few days before.

Some say, “No way. They just made that stuff up to form a new religion. People don’t rise from the dead.”

But…if the disciples of Jesus were making up the story of Jesus resurrecting, then they used some super strange tactics.

For example, the gospels all claim that the first people to see the risen Jesus were WOMEN! Why’s that a BIG DEAL? In that day, women’s testimony was not considered reliable in a court of law.1 So, if we were making up a story to make it as credible as possible, why would all 4 Gospel accounts mention women as the first to see the risen Jesus (Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-18)? Why would they say that…unless it’s TRUE?

Some of the disciples who saw Jesus were skeptical at first (Mt 28:17). Why mention this…unless it’s TRUE? This was no individual hallucination, nor was Jesus immediately received as being physically raised from the dead.

At first they thought this was some kind of ghostly experience. Look at what His disciples claimed. As they were behind locked doors, Jesus appeared right in front of them! And they were skeere-T. So Jesus showed them His hands, feet and would in His side (Jn 20:19-20), and just to show them that He wasn’t a ghost, he asked them for some fish and ate it in front of them (Lk 24:38-43).

Convinced that Jesus was ALIVE, these men and women carried His message to millions, even when it cost them on this side of eternity, all because...

If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said

And we conclude with what the apostle Paul, a former CRITIC and persecutor of Christianity, wrote about these interactions with the risen Jesus:

1 Corinthians 15:3–5 (NLT) I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:6-7 (NLT) After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then He was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

*all the apostles is likely referring to the 120 disciples that would be “sent out” (the meaning of “apostle).

This appearance of Jesus changed the direction of James’ life.

James (better translated as Jacob), the half brother of Jesus thought Jesus was “out of his mind” at one point and didn’t believe Him (Mk 3:21, Jn 7:5), but later calls Jesus his Lord!

And the appearance of Jesus changed the direction of Paul’s life.

1 Corinthians 15:8–9 (NLT) Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

Until Jesus appeared to him, Paul once killed followers of Jesus and had them thrown into jail. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT GUY? Why did the MVP of the other team jump on TEAM JESUS? More luxury, comfort, and fame? NOPE. It cost him dearly - sometimes being beaten and running for his life. Ultimately beheaded. WHY? Because He saw a DEAD MAN WALKING - the Risen Jesus!

And Paul lived for Jesus the rest of his life, for the same reason you and I should, because...

If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said…about EVERYTHING! - relationships with God & people, money & material possessions, sin & forgiveness, heaven & hell.

Are you READY for ETERNITY? Here’s one way to tell.

Ask this question, What difference does the Risen Jesus make in your daily life?

Today we celebrate the weekend that Changed the World, but what if…what if…this was the weekend that changed YOUR world? What if - like Paul, James, and the other disciples of Jesus - what if you committed the rest of your life to follow Him because you were convinced that...If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said?

Talk with Christians who will help you build friendships and grow in Jesus.

Get in the Scriptures. 1 Chapter a day.

If you’re not ready for that yet, will you at least EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE?

I’ll look into bring you some books (More than a Carpenter)-

Josh McDowell tried to disprove the message about Jesus and was confronted with the evidence that demanded a verdict. That verdict meant changed the direction of Josh’s life. The man who had been sexually abused, the man who had hated his own drunkard of a father was so transformed that he began to tell his Dad, “I love you”. His dad responded, “If Jesus can do for me what I’ve seen Him do for you, then I want to know Him.”

PRAY

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Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 899.

discussionquestions Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

What challenged or encouraged you most from today’s teaching? Explain your answer.

Read 1 Corinthians 15. How significant is the resurrection of Jesus? If He didn’t rise, how should that impact a person who claims to follow Jesus? How should the Risen Jesus impact our words, thoughts, & actions this week?

Why should the conversion of people like James and Paul cause us to pause and ask, “What happened to those guys, that they would move from skeptics or enemies to become devoted followers of Jesus, who risked their lives to tell others about Him?”

Consider our BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said…on everything. If this is the case, why is it so important to spend time reading the Scriptures? Is there anything that Jesus teaches that you have had to trust Him with, even though you don’t necessarily like it? Explain your answer.

Share prayer needs and pray for one another. Continue to pray for our Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade. Pray for Christians in Ukraine and Russia to carry the message of Jesus with them wherever they go. Also, PRAY that God will greatly use us during this Easter season, to impact people who need to follow Jesus.