Out of the tomb!
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Walking with Jesus: Out of the tomb!
What is the Easter story about. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The empty tomb is the foundation upon which all of Christianity rests.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
If Jesus did not walk out of the tomb then He is not Lord. Lord, Liar, or Lunatic.
It is easy for most ppl to believe in the historical Jesus of Nazareth. His death, burial, but not his resurrection.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
Emmaus - they were heading home.
Seven Miles - The resurrection of Christ historically again is hard for some people to grasp. One theory is: Jesus was able to walk out of the tomb because he was not dead.
Think about this. They arrested him, beat him a dozen times, yanked the beard out of his face, ripped the skin off his back, drove nails through his hands and his feet and left him hanging on a cross for 6 hours. Then they took a spear and drove it under his rib cage through his lungs and blood and water spilled out all over the cross. Then he was put into the grave and two days later he's walking to emmaus with two guys 7 miles after being crucified and beaten for close to 20 hours?
Virtually every scholar on planet Earth concedes that Jesus was dead after crucifixion. We have no historical record of anyone, anywhere, ever surviving a full Roman crucifixion.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)publish a peer reviewed scientific medical study of the evidence for the death of Jesus and said, “Clearly the weight of the evidence indicates that Jesus was dead even before the wound to his side was inflicted.”
Even the atheist New Testament scholar Gerd Lüdeman says, “Historically it’s indisputable that Jesus was dead.”
They were kept from recognizing him / Undercover Boss- He distorted their eye sight. Why?
People tend to hold back what they really want to say when they know the person. People share so openly until they find out that I am a Pastor. Did Jesus want to hear what they had to say without a filter?
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
Vs. 17: The question stopped them in their tracks. Their faces showed the sorrow they were feeling.
Vs. 18: Where have you been the past few days? Are you the only one?
It was as if they would say to him, "Where in the world have you been?"
Jesus didn’t answer the question precisely and directly, He could have said to them, "I'm the one person on this planet who understands comprehensively every single thing that has happened in the last few days."
He could have answered by saying, "Well, let me start with last Thursday night.
I was with some of my friends, and we celebrated the Passover together
After that, I went into the darkness to the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, and I prayed so intensely that I was sweating drops of blood, begging my Father concerning the mission he had set before me. When that prayer was finished
In the darkness of the night, I was met by a company of soldiers carrying torches and swords and led by a former friend who came up and gave to me the kiss of death, and they arrested me.
Then they took me into the city, and they took me back and forth between the Jewish authorities and the Roman authorities until finally I was put on trial before Pontius Pilate.
After my interrogation, he said to those who were standing by, 'I find no fault in him.' He was about to release me, but the screaming crowd began to cry for my blood, and they said, 'Crucify him.'
Pilate surrendered to the voices of the crowd, had me scourged and beaten and crowned with a crown of thorns and then led off out of the city of Jerusalem, outside the camp, outside of Zion to a barren hillside called Golgotha, where I was executed by crucifixion.
I was not simply executed as a criminal to satisfy bloodthirsty men, but I was subjected to the unmitigated wrath of God where before his face, I was forsaken and he placed upon me his holy curse and counted me as sin as he placed upon me the sins of the world, something that no human being had ever been asked to endure in the history of this world, and finally it ended.
It was finished, and I gave up my spirit and commended my soul and my spirit to the care of my Father, and I died.
They took me down from the cross and instead of burying me in the traditional place of disposal in the burning garbage pile outside of Jerusalem called Gehenna, somebody step in. I was given into the hands of a secret disciple whose name was Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man who owned a marvelous tomb in which I was entombed. They took my broken body and placed it on the ground and wrapped it in grave clothes and anointed me with spices and posted a guard in front of the cave that was also guarded by a huge stone that was rolled in front of it, and there I was, a corpse in the ground.
Early this morning, a cosmic burst of creative power supernaturally came upon me, returned my soul to my body. My brain waves began to operate anew. My heart began to beat and was pulsating with blood driving through my veins and arteries and opened my eyes alive, and by the power of God, I was able to escape from the binding grave cloths that held me there. Angels came and rolled the stone away and I walked out into the dawn alive. Where have you been for the last few days?
19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
Vs. 19: This is so funny!
Vs. 21: We hoped that he was the one - But now we are disappointed. (was he a liar or lunatic)
22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
Vs. 22: Amazed how?
The “great stone” that sealed His gravesite was set on an incline in a channel cut in the rock, making it easier to cover the tomb by rolling the stone downhill. The stone rolled over the tomb's entrance weighed 1-2 tons (2000-4000 pounds).
Again this refutes any theory that Jesus, not having died, regained consciousness and rolled the stone away Himself.
The other amazing detail that corroborate the historical authenticity of the resurrection was the seal and contingent of soldiers placed at the entrance to the tomb. The seal was a soft, moldable substance, probably clay, that was imprinted with the Roman imperial seal and attached to the stone with a rope. Breaking the seal would incur the Roman Empire’s wrath — that if someone could get past the guards.
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Foolish - Listen carefully, to the rebuke, "how foolish, slow to believe all that the prophets have taught concerning the Messiah." He didn’t call them stupid. He didn’t say that they were unintelligent or uneducated. He called them foolish, and in Jewish categories the term "fool" does not describe somebody of low intelligence. It's not an intellectual assessment. It's a moral one. It is the fool who says in his heart there is no God.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
I once read this was the greatest sermon never recorded.
“The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.”— Saint Augustine
This famous statement by Saint Augustine expresses the remarkable way in which the two testaments of the Bible are so closely interrelated with each other. The key to understanding the New Testament in its fullest is to see in it the fulfillment of those things that were revealed in the background of the Old Testament. The Old Testament points forward in time, preparing God’s people for the work of Christ in the New Testament.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
Jesus does not go were he is not invited.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Vs. 30: Guest do not take the liberty to take the bread / bless it / break it / and then serve it.
Vs. 31: Could not recognize him now recognized him.
They were not looking for Jesus but then He reveals himself to them. Was this a hallucination?
32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Vs. 34: our hearts burning while he talked - opened the Scriptures.
Vs. 33: They arrive to share what had happened but before they could share they heard that Simon had seen him as well.
Vs. 34: It is true! the Lord has risen
The "hallucination" theory: The Hallucination Theory is the idea that argues that the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were not literal appearances but were instead hallucinations experienced by His followers.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
"I went to a psychologist friend and said if 500 people claimed to see Jesus after he died, was it just a hallucination. He said hallucinations are an individual event. If 500 people have the same hallucination, that's a bigger miracle than the resurrection." - Lee Strobel
Hallucinations do not generally transform lives. However, in the case of those with eyewitness accounts of Jesus, their lives radically transformed. Many died on behalf of their belief that they had literally seen the risen Jesus.
So this Easter -
If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus and accepted Him as the Lord of your life be strengthen this Easter walking with Jesus.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour but have had a season of not walking with Jesus, maybe you walked away, good news, this Easter you can renew your relationship with Him. Jesus wants to walk with you again.
Has your eyes been opened to Jesus? Are you sensing that Jesus wants to start a relationship with you? If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Invite Him into your life. Remember that Jesus does not go where He is not invited.
Ending Song: