Because He Lives

Introduction - Truths that matter to no one

Happy Easter!

Good news - I cant see you, so I am just going to TRUST you are as dressed up as I am.

The sad reality that we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic and cannot meet on Easter does not change the reality that Easter happened, and Jesus IS ALIVE!

The truth of Easter matters for everyone.

*Read John 20:1-18*

ILLUST - Random facts - My daughter likes to give our family random facts (Ex.)

-Fact: McDonald’s once made bubblegum-flavored broccoli

- Fact: There’s only one letter that doesn’t appear in any U.S. state name

- Fact: Peanuts aren’t technically nuts (easier to say than “I have a legume allergy”

- Fact: A cow-bison hybrid is called a “beefalo”

Reality is the facts are interesting (we’re both nerds) but more often than not, the facts have very little relevance to my life in general, let alone my daily life.

This is how most people view Easter and the resurrection:

Used to be the important discussions surrounding Easter focused on whether or not the resurrection actually happened — Did Jesus actually rise form the dead?

Seems today people are less concerned about finding out if a claim is actually true and more concerned about how that might affect them.

B/C we are a product of our culture:

Digital world — overabundance of information, all angles, all the time means less time to find if it is indeed true - filter out ones that might actually affect us.

Was once philosophical pursuit of academic elites now cultural mood.

A truth is true whether you believe it or not

The effects of the truth will affect you regardless of your belief.

Popular astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson

“The good thing about science is that it is true whether or not you believe in it.”

You can disbelieve gravity all you want, but it will never be a sufficient weight loss program!

Same is true in regards to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From this passage we can glean that there is a truth about the resurrection and at least three things that flow from that truth that affect us today.

The Truth is: He Lives!

central claim of Christianity is man who lived and died, and instead of staying dead like every other person in human history - this man, by his own power, came back to life, ate with disciples, spoke to hundreds of people, ascended back into heaven where he now reigns with God and waits for the day when he will return.

For the skeptic:

Fact #1 – Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion

Fact #2 – Jesus’ tomb was empty

1) The Jerusalem Factor 2) Enemy attestation (Jewish writings of the day confirm no body) 3) The testimony of women

Fact #3 – Disciples agree and believe they have seen the risen Christ Evidences: 1) The disciples believed the risen Jesus appeared to them

2) The disciples’ transformation from frightened, hiding individuals to bold witnesses of the resurrection

Fact #4 – Jesus appeared to his enemies and many others

Evidences: 1) Paul – Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee 2) James – Jesus’ brother

– Both were unbelievers before the resurrection of Jesus – Both became believers after an experience of the risen Jesus, following Jesus’ crucifixion – Neither had motive to convert – James: principle of embarrassment – Paul: earliest N.T. writings, very reliable material

Fact #5 – Explosion of Christianity

In spite of opposition, Church spread with foundation of resurrection

Most timid followers now bold missionaries and martyrs

JESUS ROSE

Moved stone

Walked into town

Scars – family, friends, 500 people, 40 days

Jesus’ disciples transformed & death not feared

Followers loyal

Worship changed (Jesus focused, Sunday, communion)

Jesus’ family

Jesus’ enemies (Saul)

Body never produced

Tomb not enshrined (Yamauchi 50 in Jesus’ day)

Christianity exploded

If you plan to reject the idea of the resurrection, you will need to do so on the basis of something other than the historical and logical evidence.

The truth is there whether you choose to believe it or not. And because the truth is there so are these three affects from the truth.

Because He lives:

There is an urgency in front of us

Why do you think everyone is running in this story?

Mary came - once realized - RAN to to Peter and John

v4 Both of them were running together - other disciple outran (= John - little dig at Peter? Maybe he just did Crossfit)

There is an importance to pursue

People either run to the resurrection or from it.

You CANNOT be indifferent to the empty tomb!

Soldiers - Matthew tells soldiers were to guard tomb. When Jesus rose - ran away - risen Christ was bad news for them

Mary sees empty tomb and others run to the tomb to see the truth.

NOT business as usual - simply pretend it didn’t happen or have effect

Running from

No less urgent today:

Paul in Athens — ‘modern’ city — they are searching for something.

— Explains they are made in God’s image, they rebelled against God by chasing idols— chasing life on own terms — sin

Acts 17:30–31 (ESV)

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Judgment will come — by a man — risen Jesus!

WARNING

Warning not evil — it’s loving

If you are unsure of God’s love for you, look back two days — the very One who will return as Judge has already taken your sentence!!

That truth exists and if will affect you, but you must receive by faith God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Stop running from the tomb — Look, See, Believe

Running to

Followers of Jesus - running to tomb = running to hope.

Urgency was, “Is it true?”

John 20:6–9 (ESV)

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

They believed based on evidence they now had, but had been with Jesus and had all Scripture that told this would happen.

They were believers, followers of Jesus

period of time lived as though resurrection had not happened.

life as they knew it gone - purpose over, anxiety, fear of death, etc.

All while Jesus was ALIVE! So they run to tomb to make sense of it.

There are some of us who have been believers for long time — need to run to the tomb this Easter

— peer in — Jesus is ALIVE — start living In light of the resurrection

One of favorite newer hymn, “In Christ Alone”

There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

There is a new life to live

When we say Jesus is ALIVE we mean two things:

Jesus rose bodily from the dead.

not spiritually (would have been easier)

other disciples saw evidence and believed — Mary saw Jesus and believed — “I have seen the Lord” - not something like the Lord

ate with disciples

Jesus rose with a renewed body.

Body same but different

13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, . . .

She didn’t recognize Jesus from his appearance at first.

- still bore scars but healed

- Looks young and strong again?

What we see in Jesus and his resurrection will be for us in ours:

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 (ESV)

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Eternal life in Heaven

Jesus rose to NEVER die again

For those “in Christ” (Paul) — Placed faith in Jesus — receive forgiveness from God for their sins — all sins

reconciled to God — relationship fixed so they can live forever with God.

Promise of eternal life — living in heaven is not based on:

good things / bad things

religious you are

somehow God will change His mind on judgment

Promise of eternal life is based on RESURRECTION and faith in Jesus

Earthly life with Hope

The promise of eternal life filters into this life now

1 Corinthians 15:54–55 (ESV)

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is the fear it brings in thinking of our own death and grief when those we love die.

Because of the resurrection we have HOPE!!

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (ESV)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Because He lives:

There is a story to tell

7 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Not optional request

I have never seen the world, in my lifetime, more ready to hear the truth of the resurrection than right now.

What if Mary and Peter and John wanted to relish the resurrection and enjoy the presence of Jesus?

they would haven been less holy!

Jesus said GO! Saved people are sent people

They wouldn’t live like Jesus who came to serve not to be served

They may love God with all heart/soul/strength but not neighbor as self

Not a professional task

Jesus asked a WOMAN to go and bear witness — in that day women were not considered trustworthy enough to testify in court, yet Jesus knew that a transformed life was the only qualification necessary to tell the story.

A witness is a window to see the resurrection

Conclusion - Personal Questions

Do you see?

There are two ways to ‘see’—

You can see with your eyes or see with understanding based on the evidence.

ILLUST - Because of the truth of something we cant physically see with our eyes, our lives have been completely changed.

The truth of an invisible virus has radically changed the way we live. You’d be a FOOL to ignore it.

So if you are washing your hands, stocking up on toilet paper based on the witness of some and the evidence you see, then why would you NOT apply that same concept and address the evidence for the resurrection?

Do you believe?

The moment is urgent, the time now -

stop standing and staring at the tomb!

There is not a more important / more urgent truth in the world!

The truth is true whether you believe it or not

You can’t go on with life as if this truth doesn’t exist or doesn’t affect you!

Some of you need to run to the empty tomb today and let the truth of the resurrection free you from the guilt and shame of sin by finally placing your faith and trust in Jesus.

Urge you to:

Place faith in Jesus for the first time

Recommit your life to live in light of the resurrection

Jesus as Lord

Telling the story

Baptism?