Matthew 28 (Easter 2024)

Matthew 28

Happy Easter! Resurrection Sunday! WELCOME!

No matter why you’re here…The Resurrection of Jesus is relevant to everyone… Because death is relevant…

Many weddings and many funerals… I would much rather do funerals… PEOPLE ARE FAR MORE ATTENTIVE…

Death: (1) Denial, (2) Fear, (3) Believe some story about the afterlife (“better place”/“see them again someday”)

Other religions: Do good= Good place/ Be enlightened= Reincarnation, Soul rest/ Beat the curve= spiritual afterlife

Christianity: Need saving… can’t do good… BIG PROBLEM… NEED SAVIOR… JESUS/DEATH/RESURRECTION

Popular today to believe this is a preference… Which version do you like? (But of course they can’t all be right)

Employer pays you 1/2 of what they are supposed to… Their truth= you make that much… Someone is right…

The Christian gospel story is easily disproved if the resurrection didn’t happen- Read 1 Corinthians 15:14-19

Yet… if Jesus did rise from the dead… it proves He was who He said He was… and we can trust Him.

The resurrection- Read Matthew 28:1-10- Crucified, in the tomb for three days, rose… (Why you’re dressed up…)

Foundational to the gospel- Defeated sin and death/Promised He would/… Read Romans 10:9

Something happened 2000 years ago… Billions of people since then have claimed Christianity/Today 31% (2.5 Bill.)

There was an event that happened that changed the world… (Airport since 2000/Security/Can’t go…)

Pretty crazy story though… there must be some other possibilities: (Creation of world/Virgin Birth)

(1) Jesus didn’t die (Muslims- Jesus didn’t go to the cross)(Swoon- Hurt didn’t die)

Woke up/rolled back stone/fought off guards/deceived billions of people (Romans were good at Cruc.)

(2) Wrong Tomb (Show the body), (3) Impersonator (Show the body), (4) Hallucination (Show the body)

(5) Disciples stole the body (best one… oldest one)- Read Matthew 28:11-15- Does explain missing body…

They lied about it… but then died for it… every one of them killed for this

If they did… they should have made themselves look better (surprised, didn’t believe, confused)

Should have said… John 11… John 2… “We immediately understood and believed”

Women were first witnesses… No credible… They wouldn’t say this unless it was true…

For the disciples to steal the body and deceive billions… we must believe they were very gullible then…

He appeared to 500 at one time (1 Cor 15)… just go ask… most are still alive (15 to 30 years later)

Corey Seager is my brother/in club house before game/with some others/go ask…

There is just too much evidence not to believe that Jesus rose from the dead…

Don’t believe?- Easter brings to the surface again the importance of this question… (Reject, Believe, Ask Questions)

Only the Spirit of God can persuade you… open your heart… I can’t…

But the Christian worldview answers all the questions (Purpose, Problem, Solution, Death and Eternity)

Read C.S. Lewis quote from sheet

Maybe you’ve been telling yourselves stories to deal with death… But only the Res… Read 1 Corinthians 15:54b-56

Ryan, even if I wanted to… I’m not good enough for this stuff… YOU’RE RIGHT… THE GOSPEL!!!

Believe?- Two kinds… (1) Intellectually believe it happened… “I’m here”… (believe it like Pearl Harbor/Mem. Day)

If Jesus died and rose… then He is Lord and KING over life and death… YOUR LIFE AND DEATH…

Christianity isn’t intellectually believing… it’s TRUSTING… THIS WAS FOR MY SALVATION… THIS IS SUFFICIENT…

This changes you: Look at the disciples from the first day to a few days later (gospel spread/church/love)

(2) Trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for salvation.

THIS IS YOUR RECEIPT… PROOF OF PURCHASE… NEVER TO BE PAID FOR AGAIN!

PEACE… JOY… REST… WORSHIP…

Don’t Bel? Intellectually Bel? Trust?… THIS EASTER SUNDAY IS DIFFERENT… THE RES OF CHRIST IS REAL & CHANGES YOU!