He is Risen!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Have you been sad in the last week? Have you had a hard day? Have you struggled in any way this last week? THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU!
Main Point: He is Risen! The Resurrection of Jesus Changed the world and our lives forever!
Main Point: He is Risen! The Resurrection of Jesus Changed the world and our lives forever!
Body
Body
Easter is a holiday that we remember on Sunday, but the events of Easter stretch from Friday to Sunday!
Before we go any further, I want to give a quick recap of what happened on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, the 12 disciples and Jesus partook in the Passover celebration. This is sometimes called the “Last Supper” because this was the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples before his crucifixion.
See, part of the way through this meal, one of the disciples, Judas, left and betrayed Jesus.
Then, the disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was a garden at the Mount of Olives.
There, Jesus prays. As Jesus prays, Judas arrives with a large mob led by the chief priests and the leaders of the Israelites, who had been plotting to have Jesus killed!
Jesus was arrested and was taken to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.
While there, he was questioned and was falsely accused. The Sanhedrin struggled because they wanted to find guilt, but they could not find testimonies that agreed on his guilt!
And that makes sense, because Jesus WAS NOT GUILTY!
The accusations were all false!
Eventually, the crowd charges Jesus with blasphemy and they begin to spit on him and beat him.
This is heartbreaking stuff! This is painful.
At the start of the day on Friday, Jesus was tied up and handed over to Pilate, the Roman Governor.
Jesus then stands on trial before Pilate. Once again, Pilate can find no falsehood or charge that stands against Jesus!
So, Pilate offers the mob that has formed a choice.
Pilate brings our Barabbas, who is a rebel who is charged with murder. Barabbas and people like Barabbas were known for killing people who they thought were “too friendly with the Romans.”
But it really was just a cover for killing people!
And Pilate says, “Do you want Jesus or do you want Barabbas?”
And the crowd cries out BARABBAS! They want the murderer back instead of Jesus!
And then Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus.
They begin to scream “CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!”
Understand, crucifixion was saved for the worst criminals. Murderers, rebels against Rome- and there were many, etc.
Pilate ceremonially washes his hands of this and then hands Jesus over to his soldiers to be crucified.
The soldiers strip Jesus, twist a crown of thorns together, force it onto his head, digging deeply into him and begin to beat him. They mock him, spit on him and drag him away to crucify him.
Jesus is then crucified. The physical torture of crucifixion is hard to explain. The Romans were masters at making it as painful as possible while keeping people alive for hours.
Jesus dies just a few hours after he is crucified.
When he dies, “the tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” There’s a huge earthquake and the curtain that separates the people of Israel from the MOST HOLY PART OF THE TEMPLE TEARS!
Listen to what the Roman Centurion who crucified Jesus says, Matthew 27:54
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
The centurion understands what has just happened.
Jesus has died. But Jesus didn’t just die, he DIED FOR US!
See, Jesus took our GUILT and thePUNISHMENT FOR OUR SIN (the wrong things we’ve done) to the cross for us!
This morning we are going to walk through what happens after this, straight from the Bible.
Everything that we just talked about is in the Bible from Matthew 26 and 27. If you haven’t heard that before, I’d encourage you to take a Bible with you today and to read it! I’d love to talk with you more about that!
Now, we will pick up in Matthew 27:57, which you’ll see on the screens and you can read in the Bible.
57 When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
After Jesus dies, we see that Joseph from Arimathea approaches Pilate.
He’s wealthy and he’s a disciple, or one who has followed, Jesus. He asks Pilate for permission to bury the body of Jesus.
This is unusual. Usually in Roman crucifixions, the bodies were thrown into a mass grave after sometimes being displayed as a warning.
But in this case, the Romans handle this differently, also because of the Passover.
The Jewish people want the crucifixion cleaned up os that they can “be pure” for the Sabbath day.
Pilate, who could not find guilt, releases the body of Jesus to Joseph.
And Joseph takes Jesus and buries Jesus in this BRAND NEW TOMB!
Tombs typically were used by multiple generations. There were multiple places to put a body inside. This tomb though is brand new. It has never been used before.
Tombs were sealed with LARGE STONES that were rolled down a ramp into the doorway to keep the bad smell in and to keep any grave robbers OUT!
Once the stones were rolled into place, it was EXTREMELY hard to roll them away. It would have taken many men to roll it away.
Mary Magdalene and the “other Mary” also known as Mary the Mother of James, went to the tomb with Joseph.
They sat there as Joseph leaves, facing the tomb.
There’s shock and confusion honestly as this is going on! Jesus has been killed!
62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.
The next morning, the priests and the Pharisees- these are the same people who just had Jesus killed- get up and go visit Pilate again.
Understand, Pilate was not popular and he was rather unsuccessful as a governor in his time in Jerusalem, in large part because the chief priests and the Jewish people hated him.
But, they go to Pilate and begin to speak to him.
They discuss how Jesus had said that he would rise again. This prophecy takes place in Matthew 16, Matthew 17 and Matthew 20.
21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.
The Pharisees and the chief priests are angry at Jesus even after having him killed. They claim they are upset because they think that the disciples might try to steal the body so that they can claim that Jesus has risen.
They ask Pilate to give them a way to make the tomb secure.
Pilate agrees and tells them to take guards and to make the tomb secure.
They set a seal on the tomb that would not have been easily broken and they leave ELITE Roman soldiers there!
Remember, the stone is already too heavy for one man to move and now they have all of this going on also!
These soldiers are a part of Pilate’s personal bodyguard. It was standard for emperors to send men who had been trained extensively to serve governors as bodyguards.
These were highly trained, ELITE soldiers! This was the equivalent of the SECRET SERVICE crossed with an elite SPECIAL FORCES unit!
This tomb WOULD NOT BE OPENED!
From Pilate’s perspective, it would take an ARMY to open the tomb now.
He’s not worried about this at all.
1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.
After the sabbath, so 3 days after Jesus has been killed, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go back to the tomb.
They go on a specific mission to embalm Jesus- something that we learn in Luke 24.
Specifically, they bring Myrrh with them.
Now, if you remember the Christmas story, the wise men come when Jesus is about 2 and they bring him gifts. One of these gifts is MYRRH!
This may seem like a coincidence, but it is not!
The entirety of Jesus’s life is built around this!
From HIS INCARNATION to THE CROSS, HIS ENTIRE LIFE WAS FOCUSED ON WHAT HE CAME TO DO!
Jesus came with a clear mission!
Now, Mary and Mary approach the tomb and there is a VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE!
An angel of the Lord descends and goes to the tomb. He rolls back the stone and sits on it!
He looks like LIGHTNING and his CLOTHING WAS “WHITE AS SNOW!”
These elite soldiers who are guarding the tomb PANIC!
They are terrified and we read that they, “became like dead men.”
They are totally overwhelmed by what they are seeing in front of them and they cannot even begin to understand what they are watching.
They are in shock honestly!
And that makes sense! They have just seen an angel and the stone is rolled away!
But Matthew doesn’t end his account of the resurrection there!
5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
The angel speaks to the women. He tells them not to be afraid! They MUST BE AFRAID IN THIS MOMENT!
Think about it! Already, Jesus, who they follow has been CRUCIFIED AND KILLED IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES AND NOW THE TOMB IS OPEN AND AN ANGEL IS SITTING ON THE STONE!
In scripture, angels are greeted with FEAR!
They are MESSENGERS FROM GOD and when they appear to people there is fear!
The angel tells them not to be afraid. Then, in verse 6 the angel makes the most important proclamation in the BIBLE!
6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
JESUS DID JUST WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD! HE SAID HE’D RISE ON THE THIRD DAY AND HE DID!
FRIENDS, HE IS RISEN! THE PROMISED SAVIOR IS RISEN AND HAS DEFEATED SIN!
Death could not hold him! The grave could not contain him! Sin was not victorious!
Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe- The Stone Table
FRIENDS, JESUS REIGNS VICTORIOUS!
PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!
The women are hearing this and then they are given another message- tell his disciples that he is going to Galilee where JESUS will meet the disciples!
8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
The women depart with great haste while being both filled with joy and fear!
Notice the mix of emotions! They are overwhelmed and they leave to go tell the disciples!
Chicago O’hare run through- THEY ARE IN THE FOUR MINUTE MILE TYPE OF A RACE!
As they run, they MEET JESUS!
And look! Jesus says HI QUITE LITERALLY!
TRULY HE HAS RISEN!
The women run to him and worship him! HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
These women understand it! They understand that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH! THEY UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAS MADE A WAY TO BE SAVED!
In Matthew 21, we read the story of how the crowds welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem. They do so with confusion saying, Matthew 21:10-11
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The crowds think he is a good prophet. But these two women GET IT!
They understand the truth! JESUS IS THEIR SAVIOR! JESUS HAS COME TO SAVE!
Please hear me, I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know if you know Jesus personally or not, but what I do know is that there’s a lot of confusion about WHO JESUS IS in our world!
And I want to clear that up. Jesus is not just a good teacher, or a healer, or a prophet, or a man, JESUS IS… (FULLY GOD- FULLY MAN, PERFECT, THE SAVIOR, THE ONE WHO HAS SAVED US FROM OUR SINS!)
And JESUS ROSE AGAIN!
Jesus does not just leave. Instead, Jesus tells the women to gather his disciples and go to Galilee.
They go and they will meet with Jesus.
Now, Matthew jumps a bit in the next few verses and shows how the Pharisees attempt to silence what has happened. They continue to try in the book we call ACTS which records what happens JUST AFTER JESUS RETURNS TO HEAVEN!
But Matthew then in verse 16 resumes talking about what happens after Jesus’s resurrection.
Let me read those few verses before we move into a time of application. These verses are central to WHO WE ARE at CORNERSTONE!
16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus has made a way for us to be saved and THEN, JESUS GIVES A CHALLENGE TO US!
First it’s to his disciples but it’s also to US!
We are to take THIS MESSAGE THAT HE IS RISEN TO THE WORLD!
Conclusion
Conclusion
And today, as we celebrate Easter, that is what we aim to do! We aim to take this message to the world.
See, the Bible is applicable! It should shape our lives and we really believe that here at Cornerstone.
So every week, we have a few applications that are designed to help us see how we can LIVE OUT OUR FAITH THIS WEEK! Because we don’t just study God’s word to gain head knowledge, we want our lives to be transformed.
This week, we have two.
The Resurrection gives Forgiveness!
The message of Easter is a beautiful and simple message! The message of Easter is that there is hope!
See, GOSPEL! WITH PASSION!
Let me speak to you directly. If you are here and you HAVE NOT placed your faith in Jesus, then let me call on you TODAY to do that!
TODAY, PLACE YOUR FAITH IN JESUS!
The Bible is really clear on how we do this. Romans 10:9
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
So today, confess with your mouth and be saved! Today, BELIEVE IN JESUS!
Let me encourage you right now to do that! Confess and believe!
The Resurrection gives NEW MEANING TO LIFE!
The Resurrection gives forgiveness and it gives NEW MEANING!
We have NEW MEANING because we have been saved!
And our salvation gives full new MEANING TO OUR LIVES!
Hear me on this! Our lives have a full new meaning because of the resurrection! I think we see that in Matthew 28!
When the women leave the tomb, they see Jesus and they WORSHIP HIM!
Why do they do that? It’s because their lives have a totally new meaning!
The words Jesus had spoken about being saved were true and the proof was in the resurrection! And that meant that their lives were changed forever!
Their lives had a totally new meaning! This isn’t just something that I see in this text, it is also clear in 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
We are MADE NEW because of the resurrection! All the guilt and the shame, the pain of previous mistakes- IT’S ALL GONE! IT’S PASSED AWAY!
YOU HAVE BEEN MADE NEW IN CHRIST IF YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR FAITH IN HIM AS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT!
And that has HUGE meaning for your life! The women in Matthew 28 respond with WORSHIP! They are filled with HOPE BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE AND THEY WORSHIP HIM! And I want to challenge us to do the same! See, we can worship Jesus whether we are having the best week of our lives or the worst week of our lives because through it all, JESUS IS THE SAME!
We can worship not because things are perfect, but because we have hope!
The new meaning to our lives is simple! WE HAVE HOPE BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE CROSS!
So let me call on you today, if you are here and you are not saved, BELIEVE IN JESUS NOW! DON’T DELAY!
On the other hand, if you have already believed, then let me speak to you. Do you feel like you’ve wandered away from God? RUN BACK TO HIM! Have you had a hard week? GO TO THE LORD ABOUT IT! DON’T DELAY, AS WE DO THESE THREE LAST SONGS, GO TO GOD! BE WITH GOD!
Pray
Before we sing these three last songs, I just want to invite you…. (Mike, Dennis, myself). If you have placed your faith in Jesus today, then can I encourage you to let us know? If you have decided to come back to Jesus, let me do the same! Let us know so that we can walk with you and support you.
At Cornerstone, we are ALL ABOUT MERCY AND GRACE! There is no judgement! We aren’t perfect! We want to support you as you walk with God and love you!