Our New History

Our New History Matthew 28:1-7 Today, Resurrection Sunday, is the most glorious day of the year, and practically 2,000 years ago, it was the day that changed the universe, and us, forever. In just a few words, the angels explain how Christ changed history forever when they proclaimed, “He is not here; He has risen.” Billy Graham said, “Those few words changed the history of the universe. Darkness and despair died; hope and anticipation were born in the hearts of men. Easter Sunday is a day that changed and defined history as we know it. In Old Testament times, all of history was waiting and anticipating Christ’s coming, death, and resurrection. Now, in New Testament times, all of history looks back upon what Christ accomplished as He walked out of that tomb. In a way, you can define history in 3 parts: Old Testament when they waited for Christ to come; New Testament now that Christ has come; future, when Christ returns. It’s an unfolding story of Promises Made, Promises Fulfilled, and Promises Anticipated. As one church leader said, “Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” Well, here we are, celebrating our new history in Christ! It’s the first day of the week, and just like the two Mary’s walking to Jesus’ tomb, we’re not altogether. Instead of worshipping together on this most glorious day, like the disciples, we’re stuck in our own rooms. Now, like the two Mary’s and the disciples, we may all be feeling something different. The disciples were concerned about the events that had just happened. They scattered in fear, Peter even denied knowing Jesus, and now they sit separated from the rest of the world because of fear. Kinda sounds like today as we sit separated from each other because of the Coronavirus. Other disciples showed remorse. They were saddened by Christ’s death, and now they sit and weep, praying that they would have done something different when Christ was still with them. How many of us have felt those same painful feelings as we remember the time we spent with a loved one, and how we now wish we could have said or done something differently? Still other disciples, like John, simply sit and grieve. Greif can become so strong that when we’re suffering in the tomb of sadness, we can’t seem to move the boulder that weighs us down. But nothing is too heavy for Christ, and thankfully, because of Easter Sunday, we can trust that because Christ removed the boulder to His tomb, He can and will push aside what weighs us down as well. But just because the boulder is pushed aside doesn’t mean it’s not still there; It’s just not in our way anymore. All of us carry a boulder of mixed feelings, but Christ will help push aside any boulder that blocks us from Him, because as Jesus said, “I Am, the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Like the two Mary’s, you may have a boulder-sized obstacle you’re wondering how to move. But for those of us intent on finding Christ, He will push away the boulder and bring light to our darkness, truth to our doubts, and grief will turn into glory. That’s the glory of Easter morning, when Christ walked out of that tomb in His glory! Everyone who accepts Christ and places saving faith in Him is forgiven of all their sin. It’s a message of hope for those who feel hopeless. It brings faith to the faithless. Greif is re-defined by Grace, and history becomes, His-Story! And in verses 5-7 of today’s Scripture, the angels declare His-Story with 4 lessons I want to share with you. 1. “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid.’” Of course, a certain amount of fear is considered both normal and healthy. Fear can alert us to danger, and it can speed up our heart rate as we anticipate something, like talking in public. Fear, used properly, is a good thing because it reveals that everyone who denies Christ stands in God’s judgment. Jesus said in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.” The empty tomb and the resurrection produce hope and joy, not fear, because all who believe have “crossed over from death to life.” As Isaiah 12:2 says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.” Faith conquers fear because Christ conquered our biggest fear, death. Christ rolls the bolder of fear aside when we place our faith in Him. 2. The angel said, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” Let’s quickly break down this verse into three parts. First, “He is not here,” is the question people started asking that very first Easter morning. I heard of a little boy who had a pivotal verse to say in an Easter play: “He is not here; He is risen.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember his line, so the director quietly refreshed his memory. The little boy, now full of confidence, proudly proclaimed, “He is not here; He’s in prison!” No, He’s not in prison, but risen! You see, one of the best evidences of Christianity is the empty tomb because if there had been a body in that tomb, Christianity would have died with Jesus. The Roman guards who became so “afraid they shook like dead men” when Christ walked out of the tomb were paid off to keep quiet about what really happened (Matthew 28:11-15). The guard's story also proves that Christ’s body wasn’t stolen, because if the body was stolen, the disciples lied about who Christ was and died for that lie, and nobody willingly dies for a lie. So if “He is not here” was the question, then the second part of this verse is the answer, “He has risen.” There’s only one reasonable answer for the empty tomb and the events that followed, and it’s because “Christ has risen!” Christ being alive is not just a belief but a fact, and the basis of our Christian faith. In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, the apostle Paul says that Christ “appeared to Peter, then to the 12. After that, He appeared to more than 500 at the same time, most of whom are still living. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me, Paul.” I love the part of that verse that says, “most of whom are still living” because it’s telling all those having a hard time answering the question “He is not here” to go ask the others who have seen and talked with the resurrected Christ. The third part of that verse says, “just as He said.” Jesus did” just as He said,” so what did He say? In Luke 9:22 Jesus says, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Jesus is truth, and what He says comes from the highest authority because He is God. Remember, Jesus is the Word that spoke creation into existence, and what Jesus said came into being. “He is not here; He has risen,” is the hinge of human history and the key to the Christian faith! 3. Is the angel's invitation in verse 6 to “Come and see.” Christianity is not blind faith because Christ invites everyone to “Come and see.” Ask God to reveal Himself, and you’ll soon find those boulders in life being pushed away so you can check the evidence for yourself. The tomb was empty then, and it’s still empty today. Christ invites you to come, but what will you see when you come? And you don’t have to see an empty tomb to believe. After 2000 years, you’d expect to see an empty tomb anyway. That’s why the evidence for you to see is all around you. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – He eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Creation reveals the Creator, and it’s the Creator who is the Word of God, that walked out from that tomb Easter morning. You’ve heard me say before how much I love springtime because it’s when we see all the new life spring up after a cold winter. It’s a yearly reminder of the new life Christ brings and that death is not the end. A famous springtime flower is the Easter Lily, like the ones we have to the alter. And there’s a neat legend of the Easter lily that says they’re called the “white-robed apostles of hope” because they spring up where Christ’s tears fell to the ground during His final few hours of sorrow and distress. For centuries, people have looked at the Easter lily as they commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope of life everlasting. As Martin Luther once said, “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf and flower in spring-time.” Christ invites us all to come, but it’s up to us to see. 4. Once we come and see that the Lord is good, verse 7 says the angels instructed them to “Go quickly and tell.” Later, right before His ascension, Jesus also tells us to “Go and preach the Gospel.” So clearly, once we find saving faith in Christ, we’re to “Go quickly and tell.” We’re to share the Good News of Christ’s resurrection and the life He offers. We’re to take this message and share it with others. Those who are fearful, hurting, sick, sad, burdened, weighed down by sin; and lost. Christ’s resurrection is the Good News this world needs, and the Good news we need to tell the world. As Christian author Clarence Hall said, “The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.” You don’t have to stay where you are either because Christ’s resurrection changed history forever. That is why Our New History begins every day, not just on Easter Sunday. As Christians, we make Christ known to the world by walking in faith and sharing the Good News of His resurrection. Christ is alive; Christ Risen; Christ will come again. Brothers and Sisters of faith, let Easter stay in your hearts forever, and let Christ’s resurrection live in your actions and heard in your words. Share the Good News with all: “He is not here, He has risen.” AMEN