The Resurrection: Now What?

The Resurrection: Now What? April 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome to Easter Sunday at Thornydale Family Church! We've actually been preparing for this day for the past seven weeks as we looked at the seven last "Words" from Jesus on the Cross before His death. I read a book recently that complemented the previous sermon series covered all the events of the Passion of Jesus, which describes the last 12 hours of Jesus' life, beginning with the arrest, then the trial, and the crucifixion itself. In describing the significance of the final seven "words" of Jesus on the Cross, he referred them as windows to Jesus' heart. What we wanted to do in that series was prepare us for this day. The day where Christians all over the world celebrate the risen Lord. So, where do we begin? With the account from the Bible itself, the written Word of God. I want to use the account from Mark for our time this morning. Here is how Mark sets up the death and burial of Jesus, beginning in Mark 15:37-47, 37 AND JESUS UTTERED A LOUD CRY AND BREATHED HIS LAST. 38 AND THE CURTAIN OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. 39 AND WHEN THE CENTURION, WHO STOOD FACING HIM, SAW THAT IN THIS WAY HE BREATHED HIS LAST, HE SAID, "TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD!" 40 THERE WERE ALSO WOMEN LOOKING ON FROM A DISTANCE, AMONG WHOM WERE MARY MAGDALENE, AND MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES THE YOUNGER AND OF JOSES, AND SALOME. 41 WHEN HE WAS IN GALILEE, THEY FOLLOWED HIM AND MINISTERED TO HIM, AND THERE WERE ALSO MANY OTHER WOMEN WHO CAME UP WITH HIM TO JERUSALEM. 42 AND WHEN EVENING HAD COME, SINCE IT WAS THE DAY OF PREPARATION, THAT IS, THE DAY BEFORE THE SABBATH, 43 JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, A RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, WHO WAS ALSO HIMSELF LOOKING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, TOOK COURAGE AND WENT TO PILATE AND ASKED FOR THE BODY OF JESUS. 44 PILATE WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT HE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY DIED. AND SUMMONING THE CENTURION, HE ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WAS ALREADY DEAD. 45 AND WHEN HE LEARNED FROM THE CENTURION THAT HE WAS DEAD, HE GRANTED THE CORPSE TO JOSEPH. 46 AND JOSEPH BOUGHT A LINEN SHROUD, AND TAKING HIM DOWN, WRAPPED HIM IN THE LINEN SHROUD AND LAID HIM IN A TOMB THAT HAD BEEN CUT OUT OF THE ROCK. AND HE ROLLED A STONE AGAINST THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB. 47 MARY MAGDALENE AND MARY THE MOTHER OF JOSES SAW WHERE HE WAS LAID. I wanted to include the death and burial, as it is crucial to the whole story, as will see momentarily. Mark continues in chapter 16:1-11, 1 WHEN THE SABBATH WAS PAST, MARY MAGDALENE, MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES, AND SALOME BOUGHT SPICES, SO THAT THEY MIGHT GO AND ANOINT HIM. 2 AND VERY EARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, WHEN THE SUN HAD RISEN, THEY WENT TO THE TOMB. 3 AND THEY WERE SAYING TO ONE ANOTHER, "WHO WILL ROLL AWAY THE STONE FOR US FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB?" 4 AND LOOKING UP, THEY SAW THAT THE STONE HAD BEEN ROLLED BACK-IT WAS VERY LARGE. 5 AND ENTERING THE TOMB, THEY SAW A YOUNG MAN SITTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE, DRESSED IN A WHITE ROBE, AND THEY WERE ALARMED. 6 AND HE SAID TO THEM, "DO NOT BE ALARMED. YOU SEEK JESUS OF NAZARETH, WHO WAS CRUCIFIED. HE HAS RISEN; HE IS NOT HERE. SEE THE PLACE WHERE THEY LAID HIM. 7 BUT GO, TELL HIS DISCIPLES AND PETER THAT HE IS GOING BEFORE YOU TO GALILEE. THERE YOU WILL SEE HIM, JUST AS HE TOLD YOU." 8 AND THEY WENT OUT AND FLED FROM THE TOMB, FOR TREMBLING AND ASTONISHMENT HAD SEIZED THEM, AND THEY SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE, FOR THEY WERE AFRAID. 9 NOW WHEN HE ROSE EARLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, HE APPEARED FIRST TO MARY MAGDALENE, FROM WHOM HE HAD CAST OUT SEVEN DEMONS. 10 SHE WENT AND TOLD THOSE WHO HAD BEEN WITH HIM, AS THEY MOURNED AND WEPT. 11 BUT WHEN THEY HEARD THAT HE WAS ALIVE AND HAD BEEN SEEN BY HER, THEY WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT. John's account adds to this, but I think one thing is clear: the tomb was empty. Maybe you have heard that phrase before, and that is why we gather today. Quickly, I want to point out ... THREE TRUTHS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION * Jesus predicted His death and resurrection o Here's what we read in Mark 8:31-32, 31 AND HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM THAT THE SON OF MAN MUST SUFFER MANY THINGS AND BE REJECTED BY THE ELDERS AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES AND BE KILLED, AND AFTER THREE DAYS RISE AGAIN. 32 AND HE SAID THIS PLAINLY. AND PETER TOOK HIM ASIDE AND BEGAN TO REBUKE HIM. o Matthew 27 records an account of the guards and Pilate acknowledging this very prediction and making plans in case it actually happened. o Jesus' prediction has significant implications on our faith. In fact, because it came true, we can confidently hold fast to His future promises. o As noted, this is because we know this next truth: * Jesus died and was buried and rose on the third day o The Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 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, o Not only are His words preserved for you and me today, but the same predictions were also available to Paul, even before the New Testament was written. o This affirms that the Old Testament predicted the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. o This is why Jesus Himself said that He came to fulfill the Scriptures. o Finally, and importantly ... * Jesus appeared to many o Jesus appearing to many provides undeniable evidence - especially for the people of Paul's day. o This is what Paul said as he continued to speak to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthains 15:5-8, Paul says - 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. o C H Spurgeon writes that...The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the best attested facts on record. There were so many witnesses to behold it, that if we do in the least degree receive the credibility of men's testimonies, we cannot and we dare not doubt that Jesus rose from the dead ... o Another source said it this way: You might get two or three people to admit to a lie and even have them die for it. It is perhaps believable that twelve people might die for a lie that they know to be a lie. But here we have over 500 witnesses. Paul says that most of these 500 witnesses to the resurrection are still alive. The implication is obvious. If you have any doubts about the truth of the resurrection, you can go to Jerusalem and ask them. o Why is this so important? We, Paul answers it simply later in verse 14 when he said ... IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN OUR PREACHING IS IN VAIN AND YOUR FAITH IS IN VAIN. o We must believe it, and we must do something with it. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was and will remain the most important event in history. Without it, we could not be saved from our sins that eternally separate us from God. Most of you know, I realize this. So, the million-dollar question is ... NOW WHAT? Back in Matthew 28:7, Jesus told His disciples to return to Galilee. So, to close our time this morning, I want to read one last Word from Jesus to be consistent with our prior sermon series. Here are the final words of Matthew's account, found in chapter 28:16-20 - 16 NOW THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES WENT TO GALILEE, TO THE MOUNTAIN TO WHICH JESUS HAD DIRECTED THEM. 17 AND WHEN THEY SAW HIM THEY WORSHIPED HIM, BUT SOME DOUBTED. 18 AND JESUS CAME AND SAID TO THEM, "ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. 19 GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, 20 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE." The "now what" comes from Jesus' final words. In fact, the final words come from a singular command, which is to ... GO MAKE DISCIPLES. Jesus first commands that we are to share with - well, the whole world - beginning at home, then spreading outward. Jesus then tells us what the discipleship process is in two steps and closes with a word of encouragement. So, I will summarize this in three words. First: * Baptize. o Jesus makes it clear here that baptism (by immersion) is a requirement for the believer. o Romans 6 provides the backdrop to baptism by immersion, illustrating that as we are immersed, we are placed in water to symbolize being placed in a grave, and then brought up to symbolize our future, bodily resurrection. o Next, * Teach. o This is a present tense verb which implies that we are always teaching, and the disciple is always learning. o That's why we study the bible together, and why we encourage personal and family study. o The instruction - as I hope I made clear when we opened the morning - comes from the Bible, the Scriptures, which is the Word of God. o Paul made it clear that people are saved because they hear the spoken Word. o Finally, the encouragement in one word: * Spirit. o In John 14, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come when He departed. o Just as Jesus glorified the Father when He was here, the Spirit glorifies the Son. o The Spirit comes upon every believer once they believe. o Jesus is present among us, because the Spirit dwells in each believer. o This word of encouragement was Jesus' way of reminding His disciples to not worry. To summarize, we all, as a response to the resurrection, should share the Good News of Jesus Christ, or as we call it, the Gospel. * The late pastor, writer, and theologian R.C. Sproul summarized the Gospel this way: The gospel is about Jesus-what He did, His life of perfect obedience, His atoning death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church. How will you respond today to the resurrection? Maybe you have never made the decision to follow Jesus. May you do that today. Maybe you have not been baptized as a response to that faith. May you commit to that today. Maybe you have not been going to church regularly or studied your Bible regularly. May you re-commit to that today. We all must respond to the "now what" question regarding the resurrection. How will you respond today? Let's pray. 2