Easter Sunday 2025 - The impact of the resurrection for us

The impact of the resurrection

Luke 24:1–12 CSB

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’8 And they remembered his words. 9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. 11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.

I wonder how many of us have given any serious consideration to the question of what the implications of the resurrection are for us today in 2025. I mean working out what it means for us living today here in South Africa.

Ask your kids some times and they might say things like, “Jesus dies and the Easter Bunny came and brought eggs!”

Let’s state a few things that are important up front.

The tomb is empty – there’s no question there. Even secular historians have wrestled with this trying to explain it. They have to face the fact of an empty tomb and a missing body. And so do we!

It’s foundational for ALL that Christians believe. Jesus said it would happen and if it didn’t it would make the whole Bible obsolete and Jesus a liar e.g. it would means that parts of the Old Testament are simply untrue – Job 19:25-27; Isaiah 26:19. Paul was an honest guy and he said, “If Jesus hasn’t been raised, everything about what you believe that Jesus did is useless.”

It’s the only answer for what we find in the growth and impact of the rest of Christian history after this time.

What we are saying today is that the resurrection makes all the difference. The impact of the resurrection for us is huge.

1. Challenges what we believe is the truth

It calls us to decide what we believe. It’s either all true or none of it is true.

That’s a challenge for all of us and everyone around us.

If it’s true then we must go on and ask what the impact is for us in our lives. We find this illustrated in this past resurrection account.

1.1. The women at the tomb

On the first day of the week they are off to the Tomb because they want to finish what they couldn't finish before the Sabbath started. They are grieving women.

The angels remind them of what Jesus had said must happen 24:7. Here’s the incredible thing, they faced a crisis of belief and remembered and believed. It was like the light just came on. That seemed easy!

1.2. The disciples

They also faced a crisis of belief found it harder. The belief of the women drives them to tell the disciples. But there seems to be no comfort here. So e won’t believe. They won’t believe it. Until later when they see Him and touch Him.

Peter’s crisis of belief drives him to discover if what they are saying is true. He’s an example to all us to search our the claims of Christ.

1.3. The disciples on the road

The faced a crisis of belief.  They knew what had been said and their eyes were opened, they believed.

1.4. You

We are all at a crisis of belief on this point – all the time. Jesus brought this challenge to Martha when he is faced with the reality that his good friend Lazarus had died.

John 11:23–26 CSB

23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

We must respond to the crisis of belief. What will you believe? What are you looking for? Are you searching for Jesus?

Is what you believe evident in your life? This becomes practical!

Isn’t it interesting to see how God has wired each one of us and how God works in us to bring us to an understanding of the truth. Sometimes we need patience because the opening of the eyes is really a work of God.

1.5. For the around

This is a reality that they need to be challenged on.

It challenges the view that truth is relative i.e. what is truth for you is not truth for me.

It challenges the hostility to Christ.

It demands the acknowledgement of God and Christ as God. Yet the Atheist mantra is normally, “There is no God and I hate Him.”

2. What made the difference?

Let’s take a journey in exploring this together.

2.1. The empty tomb

Over the years people, in trying to deal with this question, came up with a bunch of theories. Most of the time it’s because they wants to start with a point of denial and refuse to move on.

Swoon theory – he never died but went comatose and then recovered in the cool of the tomb and managed to find strength to roll back the stone.

The wrong tomb – if this was the truth, all the Jews needed to do afterwards was bring out the body – problem settled

The followers hallucinated together – thinking they saw Jesus. But that’s a pretty big trip for 500 people to have together.

Stolen body. Some have speculated that the disciples stole the body and buried it in another place and then made the claim that he rose. But think about it. The persecution, death, and advance of the hope that is in Christ.

We must look at the empty tomb!

2.2. What Jesus had said

A reminder of the fact that Jesus said he would.

Luke 9:22 CSB

22 saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

2.3. The whole message of the Bible v27

Luke 24:27 CSB

27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

2.4. Seeing Jesus

It was hard, and we don’t all get to see Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.” You don’t have to see to believe, you can listen to those who have seen and believe. Or look at the evidence.

What about for us?

2.5. The ongoing evidence of the resurrection

Women – this is not the stuff of a good story teller! This is truth!

Sunday worship – change of the day of worship after 3000 years – we all know how hard it is for Christians to change anything. When we moved to Empangeni we had an organ and a big pulpit. I had to get creative to devise a plan to move these. And yet the church moved the day of worship to a Sunday.

Witnesses

The church’s unstoppable growth

Jesus family worshipped Him

James, His brother, was told to recant and he wouldn’t do it. So he was thrown from the top of the temple and never died. He actually began to pray for their forgiveness. So they smashed his head in.

Mary, his mother, worshipped him as God.

Many witnesses - over 500 people saw Jesus - not just the 12.

Readiness of the disciples to die – and so many since

The testimony of historians

3. What difference did it make for the disciples?

3.1. Boldness and confidence

They have to tell! They know it’s true.

3.2. New hope

3.3. New purpose

3.4. Fresh Faith

4. What difference does it make for us?

4.1. It’s all true

4.2. Teaches us that God is in control

4.3. His promises are true

4.4. Confidence that their sins are forgiven and that what Jesus did was final and finished

4.5. We can pray because Jesus intercedes

4.6. That there was the hope of a future resurrection - Jesus wins!

4.7. Worshipping Jesus is right and Jesus is worth laying down everything for!! Seeing your dog in heaven is not the prize. Seen your family in heaven is not the prize. Being with Jesus in heaven is the win!

Philippians 3:7–11 CSB

7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.