Grave Robber

John 11:25–26 (NASB 2020)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus is life and a revival of life. A new beginning. If we believe in Him, we will have eternal life.

Do you believe this? Do you live this way?

Even when we die, we will live forever and defeat death when we follow Jesus.

PRAY

Most people think we are in the land of the living on our way to the land of the dying. But actually, we are in the land of the dying on our way to the land of the living. . . . Death is a conjunction, not a period. . . . Death is a conjunction followed by a destination.340

Tony Evans, Tony Evans Speaks Out on Heaven and Hell

Tony Evans

Mark 5:1–13 (NASB 2020)

They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had already been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding nearby on the mountain. And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

Jesus came across a possessed man living in a graveyard.

The demons gave him extraordinary strength. He had been bound several times.

Even the demons bowed down and knew Jesus.

Not only did Jesus deliver the man from living among the graves, He delivered him from a quickened death.

Why pigs? A demons role is to kill and destroy. They could enter the pigs and still mess with the herders.

Mark 5:35–42 (NASB 2020)

While He was still speaking, people came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?” But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the synagogue official, and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. And after entering, He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was in bed. And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha, kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ). And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished.

Messengers came to Jesus about a synagogue ruler’s daughter about to die.

Jesus got held up and the young girl died.

We need to rid our lives of the nay Sayers and focus on Christ.

Instead of a funeral, they celebrated the resurrection of the little girl! Jesus robbed the grave and brought her back to life.

Luke 23:39–43 (NASB 2020)

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Jesus was crucified with two other people. 2 criminals.

One of them mocked Jesus while the other knew exactly who He was.

That man repented and asked to be with Jesus that day.

This man was on his wait to a physical death and eternity in hell.

Jesus robbed the grave again and the man is living forever with Jesus to this day and beyond.

He didn’t save the man’s physical body, but Jesus did save his eternal life.

John 11:32–45 (NASB 2020)

So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could this man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”

So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

Jesus was late getting to his friend, Lazarus while he was about to die.

Even 4 days late, Jesus was still on time.

Lazarus was put into a tomb or grave, but Jesus resurrected him.

Jesus was, yet again, a grave robber! He snatched Lazarus from death.

Matthew 28:1–10 (NASB 2020)

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men. And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!” And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go, bring word to My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Jesus died on the cross. He was laid in a tomb. He was dead

Jesus rose again on the 3rd day!

He conquered death. He robbed the grave!

The enemies thought that they had one and defeated Jesus, but they were wrong!

It is curious how forgetful we are of death, how little we think that we are dying daily, and that what we call life is really death, and death the beginning of a higher life.

Max Müller

1 Corinthians 15:54–58 (NASB 2020)

But when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Death is a part of life

In order to truly live, we must die

Sure, our physical bodies will be buried and gone, but our soul can live forever in Heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ if we just accept Him.

Die to your self today so that you can live with Him forever.

Jesus is a grave robber and he can save you from eternal separation from Him.

Romans 6:6–8 (NASB 2020)

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for the one who has died is freed from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

He died for us. Let us live for Him!

If you are lost and do not know Jesus…if you are on your way to eternal separation from God, let Him rob the grave again. Let Him save you from a life in hell.

Let the old you die so the new you can be born!

INVITATION