Story of the Bible Part Two

I - A failure story cover it up or not

how I avoid falure

W -

Setbacks,

failures,

flaws,

regrets,

sins,

injuries,

illnesses,

enemies,

wounds,

weaknesses,

and

DEATH

and other stuff that happens that we dont know what do to with...

Ignore it

Avoid it

Move Past it

or

Get Crushed by it

there has to be a better way...

G - He is risen changes everything

Trans: this last month we have been talking about the bible itself, how to read it and the story it tells. We believe the bible was written in Partnership between Regular people who lived a very long time ago, and the Holy Spirit of God. And its story is constantly playing with these things we are so hesitant to engage in our own lives. It is a long story all about failure, wounds death, weakness, loss, and what it is like to live in a world like ours with that stuff in it.

Last week we talked about PART ONE of the story the bible tells. How that cycle of people failing to partner with God and the pain tragedy and death it brings about in the world. And how Jesus went to the cross to break that cycle of failure.

On the last page of Luke, chapter 24 we find Jesus’ closet friend reeling from his completely unexpected and earth shattering death. But to understand how crushing it was we have to take a step back.

You are a lower class Jew living under Roman Occupation

Jesus comes around

Surrounds himself with people like you.

says he is turning the world upside down

Promises you that God cares about you even though it doesn't seem like it.

Promises that he is here to SAVE you

Reveals he has power to do it

Heals

Teaches with authority

Wins arguments with the smartest people around

Heals the sick

Feeds the hungry

Casts out demons

raises the dead

You are right there as the crowd of people like you GROWS behind Jesus and you march all over the place (the authorities are SCARED) and you have been there since the beginning.

A week ago you walked behind him into the capitol of your homeland while crowds of people cheered and called Jesus a king.

This is like if your buddy Jon started a nation wide political movement, and you and thousands of others just walked up to the front door of the white house Surrounded by 100,000 people chanting John is the real president.

You really believe that God was using this person to usher in a new era of Justice and Peace on earth through the Power of this person.

For a moment you felt like

But instead

One of his closest friends betrayed him, and he didn’t fight back.

The authorities arrested him and he didn't fight back

The Cheering crowds stop changing crown him, and started chanting Crucify Him. and he didn’t fight back.

They beat him and killed him, and he didn’t fight back

You, and his closest followers ran away scared.

he died up there and he didn’t fight back.

After three years of learning to hope again, 3 years of seeing amazing things, everything ended in less than three days.

Hopes, dreams, big plans, all fell flat.

There is no coming back from this kind of loss. The messiah, is gone, and if he is dead It means he never really was the messiah to begin with.

The last page of Luke Has three stories about Jesus friends and their sadness at his death and their clear desire to MOVE ON from it. It looms so large its almost impossible for them to accept the miracle that has happened

Some Get busy moving on.

Some hide

Some shut down

But most people when something like that happens Quit dreaming, Vow to never get their hopes up like that again.

This is the worst case scenario and there is no coming back from this.

Women at the Tomb - Doing the Work

They arrive

stone gone

they wonder

angels appear

TERROR

This is what they say. They Say REMEMBER.

The New International Version Chapter 24

6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

The women go tell the REST the good news.

No One believes them. They just keep going. on mourning, trying to Forget and move on.

2 Disciples on the Road - “Uh isn't it terrible”

A couple of other disciples out for a walk moping and talking about what had happened.

Jesus appears and they dont recognize him.

asks them “why so sad?”

Our Prophet/Messiah was killed, the project failed its been three days.

Worse yet, now our women are claiming he is alive.

Interesting - Not only do they not believe the women, they are troubled by what they had to say. They are still trying to move on, to make sense of what happened and get back to life. But in their effort to move forward. In their “Isn't it terrible talk.” They are missing the good news, failing to see what is happening.

Jesus shows them, He helps them to remember what they have been taught. That ‘The messiah must suffer these things to enter his glory.” Jesus explains to them that all of Scripture was pointing to that moment on the cross (like we talked about last week the snake and the snake crusher)

Its not until Jesus breaks bread with him that they recognize him and immediately he vanishes.

Like the women the two on the road run back to the rest of Jesus Friends and tell what they have seen. Leads to the third story on the last page of Luke.

Jesus appears in the House

The two tell the rest what they have seen.

Simon says he has seen Jesus too.

The women have share their stories too.

Everyone should be on the same page. Everyone should get it, but then.

Jesus appears.

The New International Version Chapter 24

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

They think Jesus is a Ghost!

standing in this room are no less than 7 people who have either seen Jesus alive or been told by Angels he is alive. And when he appears. Everyone in the house says, “Ahh! its a ghost!”

Jesus touches them, he eats with them, and again teaches them that the Whole story led up to this moment. And finally his closest friends get the message and Jesus tasks them with being his witnesses. With doing the same for others.

Bring it together

Luke Goes out of his way to tell this same story 3 times.

3 times Jesus closest friends, who had seen everything he did are togtehr mourning what had happened, shaking thier heads, trying to move on, trying to make sense. Together, tyring to plan their next step

3 times they come together to try and put the dark events of the last week in the past and MOVE ON

3 times people are told “He is risen.”

3 times they dont understand, they dont get it

Jesus tells them

3 times Jesus Death and Resurrection is explained to them.

3 times they are told that it the cross was necessary, that its not a footnote, that its not and unfortunate failure, but that it was part of the plan all along

ANd it takes all three times before they are willing and able to understand. Before they understand that the Cross and the Empty tomb arent problems to the story, but the ultimate event that MAKES the story

three times before they realize He is risen changes everything.

Luke, The Angels, The Women at the tomb, Peter, Jesus, his friends on the Road, the friends of Jesus gathered in the house are all trying to communicate this one message.

That Jesus death.

that puzzle piece, that piece of the story that doesn't seem to fit anywhere that thing everyone so desperately wants to move on from, bury in the past, wipe away and ignore...

ACTUALLY PULLS THE WHOLE STORY of Jesus, the bible and the whole WORLD TOGETHER.

That He is risen changes everything

3 stories one main point for understanding the whole story - HIS DEATH - IS NOT - A SETBACK

its a turning point.

THIS DEATH

That because of the resurrection His death on the cross. That tragedy, that hurt, that seemingly failed rebellion, that great loss, that suffering that pain.

IS NOT

a set back to move past

a hurdle to over come

an unfortunate event to hide from

something to get past

a bad circumstances that is best buried covered or ignored

THAT IT IS

a KEY PLOT POINT

what the WHOLE story hinges on.

That Jesus DIED and he ROSE and that CHANGES EVERYTHING.

And when Jesus’ friends finally do believe it. When they stop trying to hide it away and instead start seeing the world THROUGH it. It really does change everything.

The rest of your bible. The new testament is written to explain HOW it changes everything.

4 stories of Jesus, who he was, what he did, how he died and rose again.

1 story of his friends, followers, and witnesses dedicating his lives to that story.

21 letters encouraging, explaining, and teaching people how to experience Jesus Death and Resurrection in their own lives and communities.

ending with 1 letter Revelation that reminds readers living in light of the Resurrection is not always easy, but one Day Jesus will return and finish bringing new He is RISEN life to the dead places of this world.

When they lived through “he is risen” it looked different than anything the world had ever seen before. They started to see miraculous “he is risen stories” all over the palce

Rich poor, jew greek, slave master, man woman, young old dine together at one table

worship togeter from an equal place.

Enemies of God became his strongest advocates

Great trials, losses and tragedies became “light and momentary troubles

all because he is risen changes everything.

The rest of the story of the bible is this

Jesus died and rose, and that changes everything.

even for us today.

If he is risen - It means that

If HIS DEATH - IS NOT - A SETBACK

but a turning point.

Then neither is ours

Our

setbacks

sin

failures

tragedies

weaknesses

mistakes

hurts

losses

hang ups

pain

missed oppertunities

broken dreams

flaws

fears

april snowstorms

even our Deaths

Are NOT

setbacks

fatal flaws

things to cover up

unfortunate circumstances best hidden

nailes in the coffin

things to move on from

sad events we should shake our head at

something to say “oh isnt it terrible…” over

They are TURNING points

He is risen means that they TOO are key plot points, states waiting for ressurection.

Key moments our own personal stories hinge on

tilled soil waiting for seeds to be planted

bare banches awaiting buds

they are Death AWAITING ressurection

The story of the bible is this.

“if he died and rose for you. THERE IS NOTHING GOD CANT BRING YOU BACK FROM.”

maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but there really is NOTHING he cant bring you back from.

That is how HE is RISEN changed the lives of Jesus closest friends and how it changes our lives today.

Sum up

at its very basic unit the story of the bible is this.

That Jesus came to defeat Evil

That he died and rose

and That means that the DEATH in your life.

the brokenness, the tragedy, the failure, and the sin are not things to bury, hide, and forget but that they really are awaiting RESURRECTION.

and if you let him

the same God that emptied the tomb will empty the tombs in your life.

And will one day raise you up from the dead to a life that will never end.

Y - I dont know what you carry but...

W -

God wants you to carry those things to him. To come to him looking for Resurrection.

you might just catch a glimpse to day, or tomorrow.

perhaps you will go your whole life waiting for resurrection to come from some loss. Some hurt, some failure, perhaps you wont see it until Jesus comes back.

But keep going, keep looking, dont give up, and PUT your hope in He is risen,

Lets Pray together.