The Best NEWS | Luke 24:1-12 (Easter 2019)

A man you may be seated.

Thank you worship team. Love you guys. Thank you for bringing everything together. This is so cool. This is our third service. And this is our first Easter Service and it is just a treat and a reward to be able to have pretty much a foot worship team to have you here working with us on this very special morning. So again, just want to say thank you. My name is Douglas Humphrey. I'm delete Pastor here Bridge Fellowship Church, and I want to extend my welcome to all of you. I told you know, you could be some other place. I having your Easter celebration your Resurrection celebration, but you came here. So thank you for spending your Easter your Resurrection Sunday with us. We are going to be in the Book of Luke Luke 24 looking at verses 1 through 12 when we want to spend some time talking from the subject of the best news. The best news. We live in a time when news has the ability to travel faster and further than it ever has. Which news is created and it gets to us. It's it's crazy. Like something can happen like right now in like right now is being streamed on on Facebook live or Instagram. I guess it's like real time like right there action is happening constantly. And this is all a new thing for us a few years ago. We had to wait for news to come to us raise your hand. If you remember you having to get a newspaper in the morning to get your news, right? We had to wait for the evening news to come on. We watch channel 7 Channel 4 News Channel was to find out what happened then and by that time is like almost a day off, but now we can get real life like on the ground like play-by-play action. News is powerful. Think of the times when you got some life-altering news, maybe it was when that special someone ask you to marry them or maybe it was when you got accepted into college, or maybe you got a job offer to relocate from this place and drive across the country and being this new place. Maybe it is when you get approved for a loan that you know, you shouldn't have got but you just needed that thing where there was a car or a house whatever that thing was news is powerful. But when you get new when it gets to us when it when it's time to make that decision. It's time to make a decision. It is a response that's call for isn't it? Like we can receive the news we can act on it. We can put it into play we can be blessed by that news. Take that job relocate make more money start a family excetera or we can is stored away. Oh that happened. That's great. That's great opportunity. I can do anything with it. How we respond to news when it comes to us? It's up to us. Here's a big idea the news of Jesus resurrection it cause fraction the news that Our Redeemer, it has been resurrected and he'll is it cost for Action to take this news in the store the way in the back of your brain or two folded up in your Bible and say that's good enough to next year. That's a fail.

Here's my hope my hope is that upon hearing the news from Luke 24 that you will respond accordingly.

You see this news? That's here's the greatest news that mankind has ever received. When Jesus got up from the grave, you know, he did he reveal himself as God. He revealed himself as Lord of all he has Authority is Sovereign Rule and Reign Over All of creation not even death could hold him. It's a big deal. That's the biggest deal. Because you just proved himself as God because Jesus did these things we can trust all the promises contained in our Bible can't we every promise of God is ever made is going to come to pass every promise of God is making going forward is going to come so fast that he's made for us. And so today we celebrate Christ's resurrection. And so let's start that by remembering the truth. This is what it says in verse 24. It says on the first day of the week very early in the morning. They came to the tomb bringing the spices. They have prepared. They found the stone has been rolled away from the tune. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. A group of ladies that get up early in the morning. They travel to the tune. They're going to go treat Jesus's body to going to anoint his body with oils and they going to put spices around his body and all that. Just try to stay about that this the stench of death is his body to get to decompose.

And the fact that these ladies brought these anointing oils in the spices in the back of that got off early going to the tune to treat that the body it communicates that they believe that Jesus was still there at the resurrection hadn't happened that infect their savior was still dead. But when they got to the tomb was the text Ellis the stone has been rolled away and who's not in the grave Jesus. First four says while they were perplexed about this suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling close to the women were terrified and a bow down to the ground. And at this point you may be thinking okay. Alright, why are the lady's freaking out like Jesus talk about being resurrected from the grave. I like why are they freaking out? What I why is it such a big deal to them? Why they so confused. Jesus said he wasn't going to stay there. They should know exactly how to respond to what they just seen and you can start saying if I was there I would have that was me I could have if I do with my girls, I've been with my boys we would have known this and we would have known that Jesus has been resurrected. You see if we're not careful. We can read our Bibles like armchair quarterbacks, you know armchair quarterbacks are those people who sit back and they're easy, they're easy chair or they're watching a TV and when the quarterback throws a ball runs a player whatever it doesn't work out the way it should they would say if that was me I would have they always second-guess your decision, right? There's a thing like when we read our Bibles, we have the cumulative Knowledge from beginning of the beginning of mankind up to the Book of Revelation. We have the complete story that's been unfolded for us. Like the ladies are living out Biblical history. And so when their there they're experiencing these things that yeah, they're freaked out. You would be free. I would be freaked out. We have the Old and New Testament to provide even more context does Jesus's resurrection? It wasn't real time. It was like the news that I had already come and gone it pass. Not only is that considered a trauma that Jesus's disciples and just been through so earlier in the week. They will work their worshipping Jesus. They put them on a donkey to throw their tostada like hell the king of the Jews. Jesus is all from the Messiah is here week goes on lies allegations. He started to jail. He's he's beating he's my to spit on these crucified. He died his he dies and is put into a tune. Can you imagine the trauma that these people have been through this is his these are his day 1 these are his disciples that Jesus early early part of his ministry. I would ask you to give him a break, break. They have a right to be freaked out.

back to the text with their faces to the ground the Angels Bay begin to ask the lady some thought-provoking questions. Don't they they say, why are you looking for the living among the Dead? Ask the men he isn't here but he has risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee 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. You see these angels. They're trying to get them to remember. They're trying to jog their memories are trying to get them to see the empty tomb has a time and as a means to celebrate, is that a time to mourn? Is that a time to anoint a body? That's no longer. There is no longer going to be sad. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the truth, don't we? You see when were hurting were depressed or in the middle of something. We're fearful when we are uncertain when we were emotionally drained. We need to be reminded of our Lord's promises.

When we're in the middle of where I like to call them the middle of the suck. We can't think clearly

you see in order to be reminded is something we must first have a prior knowledge. Need to have a foundational knowledge. The ladies had foundational knowledge of who Jesus was essentially the Angels were just reminding them of some truth that they already had in their hearts and true that they already knew for certain and I say that because verse 8 tells us this it says they remember his words. They remembered Jesus's words.

I would encourage you this way. Become a student of God's word. If you hang around me anyway for time you'll hear me say this over and over again. You have to be a student of God's word is that that I want your head to get really big with lots of biblical knowledge, but knowledge is power and and the word of God. It has ability to change you from the inside out in the more. You know, the more you change your change your transform for God's glory. In God's word. You can learn what he expects of you. You can learn what righteous living is. You can learn what the future holds for you. People are freaked out nowadays not knowing what the future holds for that way. I know what the future holds for me right? I know that death in this life is immediately face to face in front of Jesus Christ for eternity life living.

I would encourage you getting God's word for sure get into a bridge group out. Those are our small groups. Learn how to apply the word of God to your life be held accountable with your peers. Share those things grow in that setting. Moving on once the ladies were reminded of the truth. They did something they ran to tell the others. You see good news. It has to be shared so that our second point is run tell others run tell others or you can say run tell somebody I guess once the light bulb goes off. This is what they did. Look at verse 9 returning from the tune. They reported all these things to be 11 and to all the rest once they realize that Jesus was a lie, they got up and they ran to the disciples and it says there is not just a disciple, but if you'll see there's also some other people there some other followers of Jesus Christ that everyone else it points to they couldn't keep the good news. They couldn't keep what they just experiencing the tune to themselves. So they get up and they will go tell others. Burst into tells us exactly where the female Messengers. Were. You have Mary Magdalene. You have Joanna Mary the mother of James and other women and all these women are telling the exact same story to the groups that contain there in that room there telling them what they just experienced in Jesus's tomb.

I love reading the Bible and asking questions, right? Cuz there's a big gigantic? Why the middle is entire narrative do we get introduced to the ladies? Why not do it up top? I was introduced to the ladies in the middle of the narrative.

I would have this is the reason why there are their identity who these ladies were it authenticated their message. It authenticated their message. They want some random women who travel across uses tune. They want some passer Byers these ladies. They had a special connection with Jesus. They knew him personally. They were faithful followers of Jesus. They weren't fair weather fans Jesus. I think we have Luke 8 on Luke 8 verses 1 through 3. It says this it says afterward he was traveling from one town at an end and Village to another preaching and tell him the good news of the kingdom of God. That's Jesus the twelve were with him his original 12 disciples and also some women who have been healed of evil spirits and sickness. Mary called Magdalene 7 demons that come out of her Joanna the wife of chuza. I'm here at Stewart's Susanna and many others were supporting him with their possessions. These are prominent women. I want you to know there's women were an integral part of Jesus's Ministry when Jesus decided that I'm going to do ministry with both men and women who broke the cultural norm didn't say that women are less or inferior. He's like, no women are equally important. To the fact that Jesus chose to show himself or reveal his resurrection to women first. And now I only did it it elevate the role women played in biblical times. But it also I'm solidifies their message for these are women that Jesus have been doing Ministry work for years. And all of which all of which makes this message makes their message rather even more trustworthy. The ladies they were obligated to share the good news to tell the good news. They had to pass on what they just experienced what the disciples but the disciples on the other hand. They were responsible for their response. And boy, did they respond? This is what verse 11 says I love this response. It says the words of the smoke make total sense and entire group believe the women, right? Is that what that is make that up? I tried to trick you verse 11 really says but these words seem like nonsense to them and they the disciples Jesus is day one of the 11 disciples. They didn't believe the women. They rejected the truth. There was like that can't be right.

What I appreciate about this response is that is genuine. What I appreciate about this response is that is real. Not imagine that you and I we would have responded the exact same way. If someone broke into his room and we all recognize maneuver they were and they're starting to share about Jesus and we're like, we would like this kind of sketchy. We don't know.

Once again, let's consider the context context. The word of God is King context is King these men that had to have been hand selected by Jesus, right? They got the 11 disciples as their they've been hand selected by juice. If they've done life with Jesus. Jesus has raised them up the past three years. They spent damn night with Jesus. He's fed them. He's empowered them all this stuff with them and you would think that everybody anybody these guys would know how to respond.

But Jesus is gone. They're indestructible. Messiah has been silenced. And they been label enemies of the state.

Their leader is gone and they have no clue what to do. And the ladies again. They were Duty bound to deliver the news to deliver the message that the Christ have been resurrected. His tomb is empty. The stone has been rolled away his grave, but Jesus has been resurrected. but the response was up to them the recipients. You see when you receive a message when you receive a message from somebody musical biblical message or message from the Lord. You must decide for yourself how you're going to respond. The onus is on you to respond. So today after hearing this message. However, the Lord moves upon your heart to to to respond to onus is on you to respond. I'm just a messenger in this example.

But regardless of whatever that looks like for you the first step is up to you. That's the third point take the first step take the the first step first 12. Says this Peter however got up and ran to the tomb when he stooped to look in weave this pic down in the doorway. Look at mirror. He's hauling the linen clothes. So he went away amazed at what had happened. Out of all the people there Peter is the only one who took action. He hears it and when he got there, he found things just as a ladies had described them. The stone door have been rolled away and Jesus Jesus his body. It was missing. Until he leaves the tomb he's a maze that wasn't what happened the tomb that previously held the messiah's empty. Jesus was gone the word amazed here. This is what it means in this context. It means alot to become or to be or become a status to such a degree as to nearly lose one's mental composure. I read that again the word amazed here means to be or to be, status to such a degree as to nearly lose one's mental composure another words in other words. Peter is all messed up. Peter is all messed up. He was like Jesus was here, but now he's gone. I don't know what to do. So people just starts walking back to the other disciples.

Peter is visibly Shucks. God has done something amazing his resurrected Jesus from the grave. Of the 11 disciples plus countless others Peters the first one to respond.

I want to encourage you to be like Peter. Take the first step. I don't know what God is currently saying to you got a strong showing you what you need to change in your life. Some things are just quiet working out for you. But let me encourage you to be like Peter and take the first step.

Don't wait for other people. Maybe your first step is believing that Jesus is God. He holds all power and authority in his hands. Maybe you're in the first step is recommitting your life to Jesus Christ. I mean at early age mom and dad took you to church and that was good and then you've got growing you went off to college and start living your own life and you and you kind of outgrew Jesus quote on quote.

Maybe your first step is a trust Jesus more. To take your hands out of whatever you have going on in your life right now and to turn it over to the Lord. Let us stay there and let Jesus work it out for you.

Maybe your first step is to be consistent with your walk. Maybe you're a fair weather fan. Like when things are going great when things are going awesome. I'm all about Jesus, but when life happens when I enter into the quote-unquote suck like Jesus isn't as important to me. You see regardless of where you're at. It's up to you to take the first step Peter heard the good news. He processed it a took that first step. He went to the tomb to see for himself and he wanted to confirm that Jesus and deed have been resurrected. Jesus said, it's time to her. This word resurrected set times. What does that matter to me? Why is that important to me on this Easter morning?

Here it is guys. Jesus resurrection is the fulcrum of Christianity all Christianity dispersed Upon Jesus resurrection. Check this out. If you remove the resurrection from the Bible basically everything from the book of Acts in the New Testament up to the book of at the end of Book of Revelation is like it's just it's is nonsense. It's worth noting you don't even exist.

If the resurrection hasn't happened the resurrection isn't real.

If Jesus has not been resurrected and where does another group another nonprofit group that wants to do good works with no Eternal value?

And on a personal level I have three things to share with you regarding the Resurrection on the personal level first and foremost his resurrection it confirms Jesus deity.

It confirms that Jesus is indeed the god-man when we worship when we got them. We strive to be Godly when we hear the word of God being preached we witness we do it all in the name of Jesus. And Jesus is the foundation of everything that we do Jesus is also the head of the church. Number to get Bella dates the Bible Jesus is so bad that he foretold his death hit he foretold his death in the in the Old Testament. He tells you to get in the New Testament on places like John 2 19 through 21 in March 8th 3. I'll give you these later on he foretells it again in the New Testament and Jesus so bad. He says I'm going to do it. I'm going to die for your sins. I'm going to come back in 3 days. Does it?

The Bible contains the written account of what Jesus said he was going to do in Jesus Ashley does those things like or else can do that? But God Number three, this is probably one of the most striking most important to you for three it gives us hope. It gives us hope that like Jesus Christ when they were going to be resurrected no more. Misery no more pain no more sorrow no more anything there going to be a day when we get to stand before God the Father for all eternity and enjoy the fullness of his glory. I don't know about you guys. I love my life. I love being a father. I love being a pastor this church. I love the way up way. My life is but I want more. I want to get to Glory one day and be with my savior day in and day out. I have good days. Just like you guys have good days. I have bad news like you got to have bad days. I'm looking forward to that day when those things won't even be a thing anymore. I'm looking forward to the day when I get a glorified body have to worry about illness is a sickness anymore. If there is no hope in the resurrection, and there's no hope in the resurrection than this life is as good as it gets.

Don't worry about you. That's not very much.

1st Corinthians, 15 verses 14. It says this listen to the Bible says about the resurrection. If Christ has not been raised dinar dinar Proclamation, the gospel message is in vain and so is your favorite 15 moreover. We are found to be false witness is about God because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up raised that he raised up Christ whom he did not raise up if in fact the dead or not raised for if the dead are not raised not even Christ has been raised as terrified to think about and if Christ has not been raised your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. That's a giant implication if Christ has not been raised and we profess Christ is our Lord and savior, then guess what we are still at We're still stuck in the pit of our sin. We're still worthy of judgment and wrath and combination having does not await us the rather hell awaits us to ponder. That's a huge implication. If Christ has not been raised in everything that we do is pointless and there's no hole. This life again becomes As Good As It Gets. our savior has been raised death could not hold him. So let me encourage you to put your faith in Jesus Christ and to celebrate him as a risen savior. I have a short video. I want to show you guys a spoken-word video and I think it's going to tie a bow and everything. I just got done saying and also the magnitude of what today holds so take a look at this.

He is risen. Three small words that brought the collected pace of humanity to an absolute standstill. He Is Risen 3 words that shattered prison words that shook the Earth's foundations words that transformed a sense of utter despair into cries of pure joy and ecstasy Echoes of History's Greatest Triumph that still shave our reality Even today we're salted by constant distraction countless doors, this Waging War for Our intention yet three words pierce the noise. In our hunger for validation are desperately for love and attention three words call Marin Society in the universe spinning at Breakneck speed its inhabitants locked in an existential crisis three words proclaim the purpose of our existence he is risen. Lay, hold of his truth and embraced the peace Within. Yesterday fear rain in our heart yesterday. We sat in crippling Darkness yesterday. We suffered abuse and all the accusations of a broken world. But today our King our healer our Defender is risen and this reality doesn't merely accompany us on a meeting with journey this changes everything.

For you see if he is risen than all other Pursuits become secondary. All of our failures become insignificant or criticisms and condemnations become irrelevant. There is only his word Mission and His Infinite unconditional love for you. Because he is risen we look to tomorrow tomorrow. We will stop to finding are worth their status and social media tomorrow. We will together building Everlasting Kingdom tomorrow and everyday after we will dance in the radius of a redeeming savior who crushed death and set us free.

There is nothing that Jesus cannot overcome.

We know this because he lives we know this because he is risen.