Easter Sunday 2025

Introduction

Opening Illustration - Nevermore: In 1845, the poet Edgar Allen Poe wrote a haunting poem about life, title The Raven. Perhaps you’ve heard of this poem before. The poem is a narrative about an old man reflecting on life and the love that he lost, things in his life that he once treasured. As he sits and reflects on these things in his life that he has lost over the years, a Raven perches himself on his windowsill and begins repeat the awful word, “Nevermore, Nevermore.” The old man can’t quite figure out what does this Raven mean by such a word. But he soon realizes the seeming truth of that single word. That which he has lost over life, he cannot regain. Those moments of life and love that he longs for, “Nevermore, Nevermore.” Those moments where he wishes he could do it over again a different way, “Nevermore, Nevermore.” You can’t go back, you cannot undo death.

Personal: In many ways, the haunting word of that Raven reflect a reality that many of us try to hide away. There is a “nevermore-ness” to life. We see this in both the beauty and the harsh reality of life. One of my favorite parts to my day, is 7:00-8:00pm each night, when I read to three daughters. And oftentimes as I read, in the back of my mind I am very aware that these days of their childhood will not last forever. They’ll grow and one day have their children, and if God would so bless, storytime with my daughters will become storytime with granddaughters. But you can’t hold it too tight. “Nevermore. Nevermore.”

Context: Certainly on that first Easter Sunday, the words “Nevermore” were etched in the disciples minds. It was now Sunday morning, the first day of the week. Their Messiah, Jesus, who had also become their dearest friend, had only three days earlier been killed on a Roman crucifix for crimes he did not commit. The disciples all behaved differently. Some, like Peter had cowered in fear abandoning Christ in his hour of need. A very few had the courage to go to Golgotha and witness the misery of that crucifixion with their own eyes. All were stricken with grief. Nevermore would see their friend. Nevermore would his teaching pierce their ears. Nevermore would the hope they while he was alive drive them. That is we find the disciples as our passage begins.

Text: Let us read our text this morning, and then I will draw out for us three aspects regarding the significance of the resurrection.

Luke 24:1–12 “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 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? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 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, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and…”

Meaning & Application

I THE FACTS OF THE RESURRECTION

Aspect number one: The facts of the resurrection. There are many who would try to spirtiualize away the significance of the resurrection. They would try to say something like the “resurrection is a metaphor for overcoming.” But they would reject the idea that Jesus’ body which was certainly dead would historically rise from the grave. This is not an option before us. Christ certainly rose physically from the grave.

The Women: Our Easter Sunday begins with the most unlikely of people, three women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. These women of all the disciples who were gathered in fear and in grief on that Sunday morning were the only ones courageous enough to wake up before the sun had risen, and to walk to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. In their hands they carried fragrant spices that would have been placed around the body of Christ. Upon discovering the empty tomb, and upon hearing the angelic proclamation, these women run back to the disciples and they tell them what they’ve seen and what they’ve heard. And in verse 11 we read,

Luke 24:11 “but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”

Interpretation: Luke’s authorial intent is clearly to relay a story which he believed was physical history, not myth, not metaphor, but history. There are a few ways to interpret the meaning of that verse.

Ludicrous: On the one hand we could say that it is simply a very unbelievable kind of thing to believe. To wake up to frantic knocking at the door, and a group of women out of breath saying they visited the tomb and angels appeared to them. We can imagine that it must have seemed ludicrous, to all except Peter (but we’ll come to him later).

Testimony of Women: But there is another layer here. In 1st century Israel, a women’s testimony was not regarded as factual. In a court of law their testimony would hold no ground. Why is that significant? Well its significant because when Luke goes to tell this story, as a historian recording the facts of what happened, he faced a choice. If he chose to record this story accurately, the way it happened, with women being the first witnesses of the event, in many eyes of the first century it would have immediately made the claim of the resurrection suspect at best, and void for many others. Luke could have emitted this part of the story altogether, and only told the portion Peter running to the tomb. But he included the woman’s testimony despite knowing it cause problems for him. Why? The only reason he would do such a thing is if he was truly a historian trying to lay the facts of the case before us, as they actually occurred. And the fact of the matter is, on that first Easter Sunday, a group of women were the first to discover the empty tomb.

Gary Habermaus: This point is very significant and I want to develop it just a little further. We must not dare make the mistake of spiritualizing away the centerpiece of human history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gary Habermaus, a New Testament scholar has demonstrated quite thoroughly why it is that Christian and nonChristian historians alike all acknowledge that indeed the tomb where Christ’s dead body was laid, was empty on the first Easter morning. The testimony of the women is one powerful piece of historical evidence that tells us it is true. But Habermaus lays out five others in support.

Preached in Jerusalem: First, the gospel was preached in Jerusalem first. That was the same city where the body of Jesus had been laid in a tomb. If the body was still there, anybody at any time could have just said, “The body’s over here.” But that never happened.

Jews Never Counter-Claimed: Second, the Jewish leaders who had every reason to try to bury this story, never counter claimed the empty tomb.

Earliest Writings Within 7 Years: Third, we have evidence that the earliest writings that record the empty tomb and the resurrection are dated to within seven years of the event itself. These are early eye witness accounts.

Joseph of Arimathea: Fourth, it is written Christ was placed in a tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had purchased. Joseph was a very well known and very important leader in the Jewish Sanhedrin. It is highly unlikley that a man of his prominence would let a false story circulate among the Israelites regarding him.

Tomb Never Enshrined: Fifth, the tomb of Jesus was never enshrined. Today, we don’t know where it is. in terms of religious history, that makes Jesus an extreme outlier. All around the world are shrines to burial places of dead religious leaders. Jesus’ tomb was never enshrined, because he wasn’t in it.

The fact is our Lord’s resurrection rests on evidence that nobody is able to adequately counter. It is confirmed by eye witness testimony. The more we examine the claim, the more we discover it is true. The skeptic doesn’t just have a hole in their telling of history, they have an empty tomb.

Application: How do we apply such a truth? The age old question of what happens after we die has been answered. Jesus Christ claimed to hold the keys of life and death, and he proved it when he rose from the grave. And what a precious comfort this is. For while we do not like to think about it much, death without the certainty of Christ is an awfully fearful thing. But if Christ truly rose from the grave demonstrating that he is exactly who he claimed to be, and that he accomplished exactly what he came to accomplish, then we cry out with the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 when he cries out,

1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Confidence in this life, and confidence in the next. That is the application.

II THE MEANING OF THE RESURRECTION

The second apect is the meaning of the resurrection.

Angel’s Message: If we go back to our story, the women are confronted by two angels who appear to them shining brightly. And the angels deliver this message,

Luke 24:5–7 “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen [FACT]. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

One Word “Must”: There is a little word in there that makes all the difference in the world. “The Son of Man must be delivered.” It is not simply that he would be delivered. If that were the case that would make him a wonderful prophet. No, the Son of Man “must” be delievered in the hands of sinful men. The Son of Man “must” be crucified. And the Son of the Man “must” rise on the third day.

Road to Emmaus: Very interestingly in the very next passage, when the resurrected Christ appears next to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He says something very similar.

Luke 24:25–27 ESV

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So when Jesus explains to the men on the road why “must” the Son of Man by delivered, crucified, and rise from the dead, Jesus opens up the prophetic literature written hundreds of years prior to the life of Christ. And he explains why it was necessary. Now we do not know exactly what texts Jesus went to. But I have a good guess.

Isiah: And while we could look to many places in the OT right now. I want to turn our attention to one chapter in particular, Isaiah 53. Isaiah was written 700 years before Christ. And this prophet spoke with great clarity about the Messiah, who he would be, and what he would do. While time does not permit me to read the entirety of this wonderful chapter. Let me read a few verses.

Isaiah 53:4–6 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah here speaks about the atoning work of the Messiah. He actually uses the word “pierced” to describe his death. And that last verse says it all. “All of us have gone astray.” Each of us stand guilty before a wonderful Holy God. And because God is Holy and God is just and God is right, the ancient curse of death is applied to each of us for our part int that rebellion against God. But God the Father, in his infinite mercy, sent Christ the Son to take that curse in our place. His death was a substitution, him for us. All of our sin applied to him, and when he receive Christ by faith, all of his righteousness applied to us.

Isiah Continued: Isaiah goes on to speak of his death, and then he says,

Isaiah 53:10 ESV

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

You know what that teaches us? That teaches us Easter was always the plan. Christ’s death and resurrection were planned from long ago for a purpose. To accomplish one end.

Answer: So that the love of God, that infinite immersive abyss of love like no other, would be made available to you and me. Through the cross and resurrection, Christ offers you to swim in the infinite full love. It’s all available to you. It cannot be taken from you. Will we deny such a love as this. Are we so bold as to refuse that love? Are we so attached to our sinful minds and sinful hearts, that when an ocean of love is presented before us we refuse to jump in. May it not be so. May we cry out with those words of Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 8:6 ESV

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.

III THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THE RESURRECTION

The third and final aspect I want to examine today is the right response to the resurrection. Here you are, on Easter 2025. What is the right response to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter: When Peter hears that the tomb is empty, and that angels have appeared and proclaimed his resurrection from the grave, he “rose and ran” to the tomb. I love this language, it gets into the heart Peter. He made haste. There was nothing that stood in his way. If it’s true, it changes everything. And he had to know now, “Is it true?” He arrived and saw the tomb just as the women had described it. And the text says,

Luke 24:12 “… he went home marveling at what had happened.”

What must have been going through Peter’s mind as he looked in that tomb, and as he made his way back to the house. Oh! I imagine his grief was being flipped upside down into a sense of wonder at the miracle of it all. I imagine that Peter was realizing that if Jesus has truly risen from the grave, then Jesus has fulfilled it all. He is risen!

Personal: We come into a room like this, and though it is Easter and we are joyful, the reality is that there are all sorts of hardships we carry with us. Christ has defeated the grave, and he has gone to prepare a home for us where death dot reign. And yet here in this life we live in a tension. We still experience the residue of death and the impact of sin all around us. For some in this room, your grief and hardship is as heavy as Peter’s was yesterday morning. On Saturday, Peter had just buried his best friend. On Friday he had betrayed him and acted the coward. There is a sadness and a despair to many areas of your life.

Forevermore: Peter went to bed on Saturday with that old raven croaking in his ear, NEVERMORE But when he peered into that empty tomb, and when he realized that Christ had defeated death, and all that that meant, the only refrain echoing in his mind was “Forevermore. Forevermore. Death is defeated forevermore.” That is the outcry of the resurrection.

Trial: “Forevermore” shouts the resurrection, “Christ is by my side.” Though this world will be filled with every kind of evil and trial, in Christ I am not alone.

Mistakes: “Forevermore” shouts the resurrection, “I am forgiven.” Though I may fail a thousand times over, Christ’s blood is stronger than my greatest sin and my most vile weakness.

Death: “Forevermore” shouts the resurrection. “Death is defeated, and our eternal home is secure.” Because though our bodies will grow sick, and will age, and one day should the Lord tarry, we too will face that great chasm between this world and the next. Christ has risen from the grave, and therefore we shall too. Those who are in Christ will rise to everlasting life, and those who refuse him here, will be refused there.

Conclusion

It is Easter morning, and I want to close with an appeal to two groups of people in this room today.

Believer: To the Christian. Today is a day for renewed marveling at your Savior. The tomb is empty. Your debt is paid. You are fully known and fully by God. Your life ought to reflect the reality that your soul is loved by God. There ought to be a holiness about your life. Do not hold back. Cast all of you affections on him. Cast all of your desires on him. Cast all of your worries on him. He is yours forever. The grave is empty.

Unbeliever & Backslider: Now, to the unbeliever. I leave you with a charge. There is only one Savior between God and man, and that is Christ Jesus. He proved his claims by rising from the dead. There is salvation in no other name. Not just in the life to come, but the meaning and the purpose and the satisfaction that you were made for, can be yours in Christ Jesus. He offers grace upon grace to you freely today. What would you back from receiving such a gift as this. It requires nothing on your behalf. There is no amount of merit you earn with God to prove your worth. You either receive his gift of life as a free gift through Jesus, or you refuse it altogether. Today, may it be the day of the salvation.