Resurrection Hope
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Easter has many memories for me. Growing up, my Grandparents would come over on Easter Saturday with donuts from Fleischer’s Bakery! We called them “monkeys.” Chocolate dipped delicacies that to this day, never have been duplicated. Krispy Kreme could only wish they were as good as these yummy treats! Easter baskets filled with cavities waiting to happen! Egg hunts. Family dinners with so much food that you could have fed two regiments.
We also lost my grandfather in the Easter season in 1985. I still miss Pop every day.
But all of that is history. It is part of my life. It touched my life. Maybe even shaped my life.
Memories are history. I remember History. Hopefully I learned lessons well from history.
The Promise of New Life
The Promise of New Life
But it’s not today. I live today. So what about today? Today is Easter. We have been singing about a “historical” event haven’t we? Maybe to some we have. I hope to change that perspective today.
On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which brings hope and the promise of new life for believers. No other event in the history of mankind has EVER shaken humanity in the manner that the resurrection of Christ has.
Easter brings many responses as we uncover the mysteries of Jesus Christ.
Perplexed and frightened…
Perplexed and frightened…
Luke 24:1-6
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
Here we find a couple of our 7 Mary’s from the New Testament - Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James - Also other women… but for fun, I want you to notice which Mary is missing… Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha..
Why do you suppose she was missing? She was a wreck not long ago, when Jesus was talking about His death. Now He’s died, and where is she?
I think she’s waiting for the resurrection. Because she’s ALREADY ANOINTED HIM! He’s already put her at peace. ~ Just my take, but isn’t that what Jesus would do?
From doubt to belief!
From doubt to belief!
But these Marys and the others who came to the tomb that morning weren’t mentioned with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They didn’t have the same experience as Lazarus’ sister Mary when she broke the bottle of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus.
So they come and find an empty tomb and two men in dazzling apparel. NOT what they were expecting! I ‘d be perplexed and frightened too!
Now, I’ve gotta be honest. Something has bugged me for a long, long, long time.
You know the story of Thomas? You know, Doubting Thomas? He didn’t believe the other disciples when they told him that Jesus had risen? Yeah, him. Well… Let’s look at those “other” disciples…
The Marys and the other women were at the tomb choppin’ it up with the “two men” in dazlin’ clothes…
Luke 24:7-12
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
8 And they remembered his words,
9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,
11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
The ladies tell the disciples what they did, what they had seen, what had happened and they DIDN’T BELIEVE IT!
~ LET THOMAS OFF THE HOOK PEOPLE! No one believed it!
Let’s be real, if you and I were there, we wouldn’t have believed it either! The ladies thought someone took Jesus. Remember the other accounts in the other Gospels? Where did they take Him? Where is He laid? They were looking at an empty tomb too. NO ONE believed it.
I’m kinda wondering where Mary - Lazarus’ sister Mary was… was she just camped out somewhere waiting for Jesus to show up? Hmmmm…
Assured Hope
Assured Hope
Centuries of Christians have taken shots at Thomas for doubting. Sure Thomas doubted. So do we.
Soon, Jesus appears to many of them ~ in a locked room. ~ because they are still doubting… Only then do they believe.
Jesus comes to Peter while he is fishing and makes him breakfast and restores him ~ Feed my sheep Peter…
Over and over Jesus comes over the next several weeks and makes Himself known to His disciples… Just like He wants to make Himself known to us.
Because of the Resurrection, we have Hope.
I Corinthians 15:19-22
19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
You need to understand, every single one of these people were watching as Jesus was nailed to the Cross. They watched Him get beaten mercilessly with the Roman flagellum. They watched as Roman soldiers threw dice for His clothes as He died. They watched as the sun went dark and the thunder rolled and lightning struck and Jesus offered His Spirit to God His Father in willing sacrifice for their sins and the sins of the whole world.
They could not fathom anyone ~ even Jesus coming out of that grave. When He said, “It is finished.” They believed it.
Although, they didn’t understand what He was really saying at all!
Abiding Victory
Abiding Victory
The resurrection is central to Christian hope. Without it, faith is vain.
With it, death is conquered!
With death being conquered, we have assurance of life's true meaning beyond temporal struggles. Believing in Christ's resurrection transforms our worldview, shifting our focus from despair to His promise of eternal life and victory over sin.
Too often, we view “Easter” or the “Resurrection” as a ‘Historical’ event. It is not simply ‘History.’
Nor is it only “HIS - Story.” It is Your Story. It is my story. It is OUR Story, not just then, not just now, but forevermore!
David declared in
Psalm 118: 14
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Oh, that sounds great. He’s my salvation… from what??
Psalm 118:17
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
What? But everyone dies!
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of that!
Hebrews 9:27
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…
Paul told the Romans
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is one simple sin. We inherited it. That death isn’t simply the lack of breath or a heart beat. It is eternal separation from the Righteous and Good God. So, there had to be a way home…
Romans 5:12
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
One man, one sin
Romans 5:19
19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
One man’s obedience - Jesus!
Psalm 118:14
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Psalm 118:18
…but he has not given me over to death.
WE have something to rejoice in. The work of Jesus on the Cross bought salvation ~ restoration of our relationship back to righteousness to God.
This changes the song I got really ~ I mean really sick of when I was younger!
Psalm 118:24
24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
I didn’t understand it! Now frankly, whoever wrote that tune needed a beating, but I digress… God saved my soul from Hell through the work of the Cross. He conquered death, hell and the grave on that first Easter making HISTORY! And in doing so, HIs Story became my story so I can truly say, THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE; LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!
HE IS ALIVE!
