Jesus Is Risen!

Jesus Is Risen! Why are we here today? Because of Jesus’ resurrection! There are 98 New Testament passages that refer to the resurrection. I invite you to listen with me to a few: Matthew 28:1–8 (NIV84) 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Now it’s Sunday. And just about dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasn’t the only thing that was shaking because now it’s Sunday. And the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone away from the door of the tomb. Yes, it’s Sunday, and the angel of the Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it’s Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel says. He is risen indeed. Friends, Christians from all over the world look very different from one another. Christians hold widely varying beliefs about many things – politics, lifestyle, and even theology. But one central belief unites and inspires all true Christians—Jesus Christ rose from the dead! This is what unite us today. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the church is built; without it, there would be no Christian church today. Jesus’ resurrection is unique. Other religions have strong ethical systems, concepts about paradise and afterlife, and various holy Scriptures. Only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever. Intriguingly, each of the four gospels differs with respect to certain details regarding the resurrection story of Jesus. For instance, Matthew tells us that two women came to the tomb, Mary Magdalene and Mary, while Mark and Luke say there were three. Mark and Luke differ on the identity of the third women; one says she was Salome and the other says she was Johanna. Matthew reports a single angel announcing Jesus’ resurrection to the broken-hearted who came to the tomb that morning, while Matthew and Luke tell us that it was two men. Again, even they differ somewhat in that one says they were dressed in white, while the other says that were wearing dazzling apparel! Matthew tells us that the appearance of the angel was accompanied by a great earthquake, while Mark and Luke either didn’t notice or didn’t care! Despite these differences, the gospels agree that Jesus of Nazareth, who was nailed on a Roman cross on the evening of Passover, who lay lifeless in Joseph of Arimathea’s borrowed grave on the Festival of Unleavened Bread, wasn’t dead on the morning of first fruits! We must get this one thing straight—when the gospels claim and Christians throughout the centuries affirm that Jesus was raised from the dead, they have a real and physical resurrection in mind. As they made this claim, they heard the echo of Jesus’ desperate cry, "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?" and his death rattling whisper, "It is finished!" When they said that Jesus was raised from the dead, they were fully aware of the dreadful process of death—the ominous last gasp, skin once pink and supple now grey and cold, joints stiffened and everywhere stillness. Death! But then—and this is the largest "but then" in the universe—but then, by a power not seen since the creation's first dawning, everything reverses! Jesus breathes, blinks, moves toward the light, and enters the marketplace of the human experience again as the living One! Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead! Listen to Peter in Acts 2:24 (NIV84) 24 But then God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 4:8–10 (NIV84) 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Peter wasn’t the only one saying this. Paul gave a masterly defense of the resurrection of Christ and its importance to the Christian faith. Through all his letters he made it clear that the gospel message that he had preached wherever he went, that they had received, on which they had taken their stand was the message of the resurrected Jesus. Romans 1:1–4 (NIV84) 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:6–11 (NIV84) 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 7:4 (NIV84) 4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. Romans 8:11 (NIV84) 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Romans 10:8–9 (NIV84) 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV84) 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. It was to these Corinthian Christians that Paul explained the importance of the resurrection the most detailed. Not only was the church in Corinth having problems with unity, it was also dealing with basic problems of theology. In fact, some of the Corinthians had come to believe that there would be no resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12). This, too, would tear apart the church. As an apostle who had himself seen the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:8), Paul took these Corinthian believers back to the basics of the message that they had welcomed and received. Because acceptance of that gospel had saved them, they should hold firmly to it. To do otherwise would mean that they had believed in vain. If they could be so easily swayed to other messages, tangents, and untruths, then perhaps what they claimed as belief was not belief at all. If the faith they thought they had could not assure them of salvation, then that faith was worthless. So, listen with me to 1 Corinthians 15 (NIV84) 1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God... 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man… 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”… Paul’s argument is called a reduction to absurdity. The point of the argument is to reduce the claims against the resurrection to their logical absurdity, dismiss the absurdity, and thereby uphold the opposite. This was a popular, though complicated form of argumentation among the philosophers of ancient Corinth. But it appears that Paul either grows impatient with the argument or simply cannot contain his gospel excitement, because he cuts his argument short and proclaims, "But in fact Christ has been raise from the dead!" And because of that everything is different! Ephesians 2:4–5 (NIV84) 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Colossians 3:1 (NIV84) 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Timothy 2:8 (NIV84) 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, The Gospels do not explain the Resurrection; the Resurrection explains why we have the Gospels. Belief in the Resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith. The preaching of the gospel, then, accomplishes two purposes: (1) The message offers salvation to those who have not yet responded; and (2) the message challenges believers to remain faithful. "If Christ has not been raised from the dead your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (and) those also who have died in Christ have perished . . . but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who died!" Just think of it—if Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, so the argument goes, the hem of every other doctrine unravels like a cheap dress. "If Jesus Christ has not been raised your faith is futile . . ." If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead the towering comfort usually associated with God’s foreknowledge, predestination, and calling is a cruel joke without a punch line. Without Jesus’ resurrection from the dead the incarnation is fake news, the miracles stories are smoke and mirrors, and our best Holy Spirit doctrine is "fixation of the mind!" If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, you can scrap the ecumenical creeds, write off the reformation as the desire to usurp power, and call our keenest eschatological hopes a bollocks. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead all Christian practices are foolish, our services a waste of time, and all the best gospel songs screech like fingernails on a chalkboard. If Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead . . . Actually, Paul says it best, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are among all people most to be pitied!" The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives life and meaning to every other imaginable thing! As Peter reminds us: 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV84) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and 1 Peter 1:21 (NIV84) 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. The psalmist saw it coming centuries before: 1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1–5 (NIV84) In Revelation John bears testimony to the permanent impact of Jesus’ resurrection, “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” Revelation 1:12–19 (NIV84) Jesus has been raised from the dead! Just think of it—if Jesus Christ has not been raised, our sins are like a locked door and the key has been thrown into the depths of a thousand seas. "If Christ has not been raised your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins." Of all the commodities on the stock exchange of the human experience, none is more precious, none more sought after than this, to be forgiven! Despite all evidence to the contrary, "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!" "(God who) is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!" How do I know this? Because the Bible tells us this is true…(1 John 1:9) In Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV84) we are told: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Jesus resurrection display the extremity of this love. Therefore, we can rejoice! Revelation 5:5–12 (NIV84) ‘Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”’ Just think of it—if Jesus Christ has not been raised, those whom we have loved and lost are nothing more than smudges on the window of our fading memories. "If Christ has not been raised your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins, (and) those who have died in Christ have perished." In the Christian faith Jesus’ resurrection and ours are the front and rear side of the same gospel coin. He is "the first fruits of those who have died!" There will always be people who say that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. Those who deny the Resurrection are neither brave nor original in their ideas. They have nothing but futility and depression to offer those who believe them. Their struggles simply emphasise the significance of Jesus’ triumph. Why is the Resurrection so important? Because it is the centre of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead, as He promised, we know that what He said is true; that He is God. The Resurrection upholds the accuracy of Jesus’ life and words. The Resurrection ratifies Jesus’ distinctive right to say to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25). Friends, our faith in the Resurrection is not an add-on to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith. Because He rose, we have certainty that our sins are forgiven. Because He rose, He lives and represents us before God. Because He rose and defeated death, we know we will also be raised. Because He rose, we can take Him at his word and believe. Yes, it’s resurrection Sunday, and the crucified and resurrected Christ defeated mortality, hell, depravity and the grave. It’s Sunday indeed. And because it is resurrection Sunday everything changed. Now, is the age of grace, God’s grace poured out on all who look to that crucified lamb of Calvary. Yes, because it is resurrection Sunday, grace is freely given to all who believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary was buried that horrible Friday. Yes, He and rose again. Christos Anesti! Alethos Anesti! Christ has risen. He has risen indeed! All because it’s Sunday. Amen.