Easter Sermon
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Jerusalem trip. Massive Roman pillars lying on the ground. Meant to hold up buildings. If they fall, the building collapses.
Need: Why do we celebrate Easter? The resurrection is a pillar of our faith. If you take the resurrection out of our faith, then we worship in vain. Paul writes that we are to be pitied above everyone if the resurrection isn’t true. If Jesus defeated sin and death, then the rest is true.
Main Idea: The resurrection is a pillar of our faith.
Fast forward to the resurrection of Luke 24. Last supper, Garden of Gethsemane, trial, crucifixion, burial, Sabbath.
Luke 24:1-12
Truth #1: The resurrection is physical (1-3)
Exp. The women had come preserve the body. Skipped the Sabbath. They come on Sunday. Verse 1. They were surprised at what they found. Verse 2-3. Stone had already been moved. That’s not the unusual part. His body wasn’t there. Could his body been stolen? He rose physically. This wasn’t a spiritual just yet. His body that died returned to life.
Ill. Restoration shows. They started with the broken down, old thing. They restore it to it’s former glory. It’s the same thing, but brought back to it’s former state. That’s Jesus’ resurrection. His body died, and then God brought his body back to life.
Arg. Jesus appeared to the disciples in bodily form. Emmaus road in bodily form. Ate food with them. Thomas touched him. Paul writes about his appearing. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Paul said, you can go ask them all.
Christ - Jesus is not dead. He is alive. His resurrection was witnessed, and it was physical. Pillar of the faith because if this didn’t happen, then we have no hope in the future. His resurrection is the pinnacle of the gospel. Victory over death is achieved because of the resurrection.
App. What do we do?
Hope in the resurrection.
Believe in the bodily resurrection.
Truth #2: The resurrection is spiritual (4-7)
Exp. Not finding his body didn’t bring them to realize he was resurrected. Verse 4. Perplexed = at a loss. They still weren’t fully aware. Two men = angels. Dazzling = lightning. Angels. Don’t say, “Do not fear.” Early dawn, likely still dark. Lightning contrasts the darkness. Verse 5. Why do you seek the living among the dead? Jesus wasn’t at the tomb because he is alive! You don’t find living people in tombs.
Ill. Rhetorical. Abby didn’t want chicken at Chick-fil-a. You don’t go to chick-fil-a for a hamburger. You don’t go to the graveyard looking for living people.
Exp. The question is a mild rebuke, but he offers another. Verse 6-7. Why are you here? Remember what he told you? He must die and rise on the third day. Verse 8. The empty tomb did not lead to belief. Remembering Jesus’ words leads to belief.
Christ - Jesus is the bringer of life. He spoke about this very event. And it came to pass. If this came to pass, then everything else he said is true. That leads to faith. Faith is the belief in something you don’t see. The empty tomb left them perplexed. The words of Jesus is what brought faith.
App. What do we do?
Place your faith in Jesus.
Live in your new life in Christ.
Truth #3: The resurrection is why we are witnesses (8-12)
Exp. The women go from surprised spectators to willful witnesses. Verse 9. Returned to tell the eleven. No Judas. All the rest = likely 120 mentioned in Acts 1:15. Verses 10-11. They became messengers. Idle tale = pure nonsense. They didn’t believe. Jesus’ own disciples are the first skeptics of the resurrection. Multiple witnesses still led to unbelief. Verse 12. Peter ran. If anyone needed to see for themselves, it was Peter. We know they believed because he appeared to them. He told them they would be his witnesses. Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Ill. They will be witnesses at what they have seen and now believe! Live in a yelp review type of world. Why? Because other people’s experiences matter to us. The product ad is one thing, but if someone tells you how good something is, you’re likely to try it. Now, if someone is willing to die for it, all the more reason to believe.
Arg. These disciples weren’t just witnesses, they became martyrs. Why would so many people willingly die for something that wasn’t true?
Christ - The resurrection is why we are witnesses. It changed everything. Jesus defeated sin through the crucifixion and death through the resurrection. Your only hope for eternal life is in the one who delivered it. Faith in Jesus.
App.
Place your faith in Jesus.
Be a witness for Jesus.
Conclusion
Invitation.
