Hope is Here
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: This morning we have gathered as we do every Sunday to recognize the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By doing so we acknowledge that something extraordinary has happened. God has truly visited mankind, made himself known, took the sin and offenses of mankind upon Himself, and fulfilled the legal requirement of death to free humanity from the curse of sin. God has died as a man for mankind, but because He is God death cannot hold Him and the grave cannot keep Him. Luke 24:1-9 tells the story of resurrection morning. Look there with me this morning.
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ” 8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
We live in a world of misplaced hope. We hope in our government, our wealth, our jobs, our education, our physical relationships, our talents, skills, abilities, our strength, or ingenuity. Anything that makes us feel secure, safe, or superior.
If we are honest with ourselves and others we must admit that somewhere down the line all of those things fall short of their intended purposes. Hope is other world, it is beyond us, out of our reach. Hope cannot be found in just the physical world or in ourselves. Real hope and security is anchored in God. Everything else is terminal! If we put our hope in those things we know that we are just appeasing ourselves temporarily because they must come to an end. .
So, how does the resurrection of Jesus Christ give us hope?
We Can Be Confident in the Achievement of Christ
We Can Be Confident in the Achievement of Christ
The Angels’ word about the resurrection speak clearly about the achievement of Christ.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” He is not here, He is risen!
The empty tomb gave proof to the claims made by Jesus in John 2:19 that He would raise the temple or His body in three days if it were destroyed.
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
These words also speak of another truth and achievement.
The truth is Jesus was the sinless Son of God and Son of Man. Listen to Hebrews 4:15
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
This resurrection of this sinless priest proves that the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf was acceptable in God’s sight, sufficient for eternal life, and powerful enough to endure. He has become a surety of a better covenant and that covenant is immutable and unbroken because He has risen to live forever more. Hebrews 7:22-28
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
We have nothing to boast of. We stand before God redeemed because of the achievement of Jesus.
I’m sure many of you have seen the video by Alistar Beggs called “The Man on the Middle Cross Said I Could Come.” He share how he perceives the reception of the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom.
He knew nothing of religion, theology, scripture, church, or baptism. He probably could not even perceive why He was in paradise. After much questioning and unknowing, he said, “the Man on the middle cross said I could come.”
The resurrection is the seal of God’s covenant to save those who repent and believe the Gospel. It is a sure sign that God will receive repentant sinners, that work is complete, the covenant will endure, and in fact Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Hope is found here in the achievement of Christ. But also…
We Can Be Confident that the Grave Holds No Power Over Us.
We Can Be Confident that the Grave Holds No Power Over Us.
The Bible speaks of mankind being held in the clutches of death all of our lifetimes in Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Why didn’t God just overrule Satan and acquit us without requiring the death of Jesus? Because we were guilty! We don’t talk about this much anymore. We were more than trapped; we were imprisoned in death because we are in fact sinners not innocent bystanders. Romans 3:23, 6:23.
We’re guilty and rightly condemned as the thief on the cross recognized Luke 23:40-41
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Are you in favor of a guilty, unremorseful person being acquitted, or a liar that says what they think the judge wants to hear being set free?
Well, of course we are not. Jesus bore that condemnation on the cross and world stood in silence for three days. If he remained in the grave we remained in our sin and this man was a fraud. But, up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph over His foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saint to reign. He arose, He arose hallelujah Christ Arose.
Peter said that He was delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. Taken by lawless hands, crucified and put to death. But God raised Him up loosing the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by death. Acts 2:23-24 paraphrased.
Because He lives, we live, and as death has no power over Him death cannot hold us. 2 Corinthians 4:14
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 reminds us to be steadfast and abounding because death has lost its control over us.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Hope is Here because because death and its fear has lost its grip on us. There is another message that comes through clearly by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that is God is for us.
We Can Be Confident that God is For Us
We Can Be Confident that God is For Us
Do you that doubting God’s love and intentions is the oldest trick in Satan’s playbook? In Genesis 3 he said, “Is that what God said?” He convinced the first humans that God was keeping something from them.
Easter reminds us that not only is God for us, but He will transcend incredible limits to be with us. He will prove His love by subjecting Himself to shame, suffering, ridicule, and death to redeem us.
You may say, “He knew that He would raise from the dead.” Yes, He must’ve known because He is God, but that doesn’t lessen the pain, humiliation, and suffering that He endured.
Not only did God in Christ Jesus suffer greatly to redeem us, but He gladly and willingly suffered for us. Hebrews 12:2 has always been intriguing to me.
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Because of joy He endured the cross. What greater expression of love than to joyfully suffer for someone.
Romans 8:31-39 reminds us of God great and everlasting love for us.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the seal of God unending love for us. God is for us.
God has sacrificed His life to redeem us but don’t mistake His love for weakness. He has sacrificed to make a legal mediated means for you to be reconciled to Him. God will not sacrifice His attributes of holiness and justice for all to come. You must come by the legal, mediated means or not make it at all!
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
