He Is Risen!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Certain dates we remember exactly where we were.
November 22, 1963.
September 11, 2001.
March 11, 2020.
April 19, 1995. 30 years ago.
A moment that changed our state and our city.
The way OKC responded to that event.
MAPS program. Revitalizing Bricktown and the baseball park.
The canal opening on July 2, 1999.
Numerous projects across our city since then.
Paycom Center (home of our soon to be championship Thunder), Oklahoma River (scheduled to host some of the river sports for the 2028 Olympics), Convention center, scissortail park.
Out of the ashes, life. Out of grief, hope.
Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the OKC National Memorial & Museum, spearheaded the “Be the light” campaign.
This understanding is grounded directly in her faith as a Christian.
She has seen in our city and the teachings of Jesus that…
Excruciating events can bring about transformation.
As we have seen in this series, Eight days to change the world…
Now we see in these eight verses the transformation that Jesus brings.
As we celebrate the resurrection, what difference does it make?
Matthew 28:6 “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
The Resurrection Transforms Your Perceptions
The Resurrection Transforms Your Perceptions
For the women who arrived at the tomb, imagine what they are feeling.
From Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.
They were going to see the spectacle. “See” is where we get our word for theater.
Theatre masks
To see something dramatic. Classic theatre fell into two categories: comedy and drama.
For them, this was the drama. One who was so influential is now laying in a borrowed tomb.
The grief and disappointment. Someone they trusted failed them.
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
Their expectation was that the dead body of Jesus would be laying there.
Immediately following the first “Behold!”
A word that means “see” but is a exclamatory word used to get someone’s attention. “Hey!”
Matthew uses it to move the narrative forward. All these divine events happen.
Earthquake. Angel. Matthew 28:3 “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.” Enough that the guards passed out.
And their pivotal words in v. 6.
And then invites them to “see” in a different way.
Different word. “Understand, experience, consider.”
An invitation to come and examine the claim.
I love this invitation. As a natural skeptic.
Jesus invites you to understand.
Come and see. Jesus has been receiving and answering skeptics for 2,000 years.
CS Lewis’s conversion story.
As these women came and examined the tomb, Jesus invites you to examine the Gospel, and be transformed.
Skeptics are welcomed at the cross.
Jesus will meet you there.
The Resurrection Transforms Your Emotions
The Resurrection Transforms Your Emotions
Back to the soldiers. They see the image of the angel and they pass out.
They faced something they could not explain, could not understand, could not control, and they experienced intense fear.
And it immobilized them.
An experience I hear often.
Fear as terror.
Fear can be immobilizing.
But, to the women…”Do not fear.”
A common refrain when they show up. Little floating babies, they are not.
Baby Angel
All of their experiences coming crashing in on them.
But, after their examination of where Jesus had lain…
They are departing with “fear and great joy” (v. 8).
Two kinds of fear that we find in the New Testament.
First, fear as terror (soldiers). But this word can also mean “respect, reverence, awe.”
This is the transformation that a growing faith causes.
And, notice that their reverence is coupled with “great joy.”
That great joy is an overwhelming emotion! You can face anything!
The anxious are welcome at the cross.
Jesus will meet you there.
The Resurrection Transforms Your Experience
The Resurrection Transforms Your Experience
The final word that we have: coming and going.
The experience in life that these ladies had on their way.
Heavy, grieving, questioning. Wondering and worrying about what was next.
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
Perplexed!
Ever felt that way?
What is life all about? What am I here for? Does my life have meaning or purpose?
The Resurrection of Jesus answers those questions!
What we see in v. 8 - They departed quickly because now they had a purpose! A mission!
To see Jesus.
To tell others about Jesus.
Both in Matthew 28:7 “Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.””
Jesus promises a full life.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Quality and Quantity of life.
But the enemy is fighting against that.
When you feel empty, confused, useless, these are the tools of the enemy.
The empty are welcome at the cross.
And Jesus will meet you there.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Events that change you. Some amazing!
Graduation. Marriage. Becoming a parent.
New life in Jesus.
For these followers of Jesus, their lives were eternally changed because of their personal encounter with Jesus.
Your life can be transformed.
For some, it’s already pretty good. Quality and Quantity.
Also there may be some here who you have lost all hope.
Jesus can transform your life for the better.
Jesus will meet you where you are.
What that looks like.
