He’s Really Alive

Introduction

When I was in the 10th grade, my basketball team went to the state and overall championship game. We had a great team - no thanks to me. I sat on the bench.

But, we lost in the state championship only to go to an overall championship (several states were included) and lose to the same team.

I remember riding to both of those games were much different from the ride home. On the way there, we were filled with so much hope and focus. On the way home, we were filled with so much disappointment.

What do you do with disappointment? And moreover, what do you do with disappointment in the Lord? When you want something and you hope and pray for it… but you don’t get it.

Read Luke 24:25-49.

Explanation

An Apologetic for Jesus

Historians have to do something with the Resurrection because of the documentation surrounding it.

Some of them believe that Jesus swooned and the cool dampness of the cave revived him.

He walked for 7 miles. I can go up the two flights of steps and get out of breath.

NO WAY Jesus walked 7 miles after going to the cross, with a crown of thorns, etc.

I would suggest you read, “The Case for Christ” or “The Case for the Resurrection,” by Lee Strobel.

How Jesus deals with our disappointment.

They were walking home. What a letdown the whole Jesus situation has been. They thought He was the Messiah, but His death proved otherwise. Jesus appears and he begins to walk down the road with them, but they do not recognize him. When Jesus asks what they are talking about, “they stood still, looking sad.”

Maybe you have felt letdown by God before. I have seen more people lose their faith to disappointment than I have to ideological arguments and resurrection theories.

Poet John Keats once said that disappointment was the parent of despair.

Life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to

I can hear it in the voice of Jesus disciples “We had hoped He was the one to redeem Israel.”

I had hoped He was the one who could have healed my dad.

I had hoped He was the one who would have helped my marriage.

I had hoped he would bring my wayward child home.

I had hoped He would have given me the person I would be married to by now.

I thought he would have helped me more to get over this addiction.

What does disappointment look like? And how do you look up when you are disappointed.

Just because you don’t see Jesus doesn’t mean He isn’t there. (v16)

The Lord is quietly drawing out their disappointment in a pursuing way. Have you ever had to go after the heart of your child and draw out what they were struggling with so that you could speak truth to their hearts?

Your disappointment, whether in a circumstance or an unanswered prayer or God not showing up the way you thought he would, means nothing about how God sees and loves you.

He may be doing something totally different than what you think. (all)

We have to acknowledge that the Lord’s priorities are not our own. The Lord is looking at and accomplishing different things than we are.

Philip Yancey // “We tend to think, 'Life should be fair because God is fair.' But God is not life. And if I confuse God with the physical reality of life- by expecting constant good health for example- then I set myself up for crashing disappointment.”

It is quite possible that your vision is limited, and the Lord’s vision and action is infinitely beyond what you think it is.

There have been times in my life that I was looking for something, and God gave something to me that was completely different.

A. T. Pierson // “Disappointments are His appointments.” Your scars are opportunities to show others going through the same thing that you survived.

Trust the promises of God. (25-27)

Jesus tells them, “I TOLD you, I would have to be crucified by sinful men, and I would rise on the third day.”

Sometimes, you have to write the promises of Scripture on a post it note on your mirror and MAKE yourself look at it.

In a day where we are overly inundated with information, we lightly esteem the words of Christ like we do the articles we see on Facebook and the reels we see on TikTok. But only one is truth that will anchor your soul and lead to eternal life.

Know that He will make clear what He wants you to know.

Be careful when you ask God for clarity. He just might give it to you. And peace and clarity are not the same thing. Jesus received clarity in the Garden of Gethsemane.

It is important to pray for clarity knowing that your don’t ultimately need it to be obedient to the Lord.

In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet cries out to God at the blatant injustice in Judah. Why do you allow all of this evil, Yahweh?

Habakkuk 1:5 ““Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”

God then says, “I am going to use the Chaldeans to bring justice to Judah and punish them for the things they have done. But I will not forget them.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”

He is constantly pursuing you.

In your pain, he pursues with tears in his eyes. He is the God who cries, the God with scares, the God who experienced hunger. He is not unaware nor is he uncaring.

And in your pain, he pursues to give you the greatest good - Himself.

He will make clear to you what He wants you to know - and the one primary thing He always wants you to know is Himself.

Luke 24:25–27 “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.”

A Christ-centric Bible.

Jesus is the whole point of the Scriptures.

From Genesis to Revelation, the whole point of the revealed Word of God is that we would know our need for a Savior and we would know who that Savior is.

The Christ in All of Scriptures

In Genesis, He is the Ram caught in the thicket that Abraham sacrificed instead of his own son.

In Exodus, He was the Passover lamb sacrificed for the sins of the people, and the serpent lifted up in the desert for all who will look upon Him.

In Leviticus and Numbers, he is the high priests who atones for the people.

In Deuteronomy, He is the great prophet who God will raise up to fulfill the Mosaic law. Moses came down from the mountain with a law, and Jesus came down from eternity with a fulfillment of that law.

In Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, he is the great high King who will usher in a day of peace with an eternal timestamp that no earthly king can compete with.

In Proverbs, he is Wisdom incarnate. He is the answer to the Messianic psalms, and He is the One worshiped throughout the rest.

In Isaiah, he is the suffering servant. In Jeremiah, he is the weeping prophet who weeps over the lostness of the world. In Ezekiel, he bring dead bones back to life.

This is but a starting point for the whole book - the Bible from start to finish is about Jesus and his redeeming work on the cross.

Luke 24:36-49. Jesus reveals himself to the disciples.

Jesus appeared to them and stated, “Peace to you!”

He had to tell them peace so that they would calm down.

I am sure that finally seeing Jesus after his rumored resurrection might have struck them a little afraid.

“Why do you doubt? See my hands and feet. Touch me and see.” And he asked for something to eat. I am really here, and I really rose from the grave!

He’s Alive! I can never be truly and forever disappointed again.

In 1945, a small group of Japanese soldiers remained on an island, believing the war had not ended. They fought on for nearly three decades, unaware that the world had moved on. When they were finally discovered, they were told the truth: the war was over, and their fight was unnecessary. Many believers live like this, unaware of the resurrection power of Christ that is already at work within them. Understanding and accepting His resurrection frees us from old battles and urges us to embrace the new life He offers.

Invitation

Jesus says, “The fight is over! I have won. No more doubting. No more straining. No more pain. No more sorrow. No more death having the final say.”

And He offers the same to you. 3ew2