Resurrection 1
Today we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, which happened more than 1900 years ago. This was the brightest day in history, But just a few days before that, was the darkest day that the world has ever known, because Jesus Christ was crucified. He was hung on a cross, and on that cross He cried, “It is finished.” He then took His last breath and died.
I) He was taken by those that loved Him and placed in a Tomb.
A) But the Jewish leaders, the chief priest and the Pharisees, went to Pilate and asked for a guard to be placed at the tomb and the stone to be sealed. Pilate granted their request.
B) In the darkness and emptiness of that hour, 11 men huddled together in fear, thinking about this man Jesus.
1) This man, they gave all to follow, now was gone, dead at 33.
(a) Now their own lives were at risk. They must have been reflecting all the things that Jesus did and said, but now He was gone. Now He lies in a tomb and there was darkness and Despair.
II) The Romans crucified Him at the Jews request, thinking they could silence forever the Son of God.
A) Not knowing by crucifying Him they would seal forever that Jesus is the Savior and the Deliverer.
B) Jesus died and was buried for you. ROM 6:8-11
1) On that cross God made Jesus to be sin for us, not that Jesus ever sinned, but he paid the price for us.
2) (2COR 5:21) “For He hath made Him {to be} sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
(a) Jesus paid the price for us.
(i) All who except Him will have eternal life.
3) When Satan had Jesus crucified; He thought that He had it made.
(a) Little did he know that God was going to turn this thing around. He was going to turn what looked like defeat into Victory.
(b) If the devil had known what would have happened, he would never have crucified Jesus.
4) Did you know that it was the religious leaders that convinced the Romans to crucify Jesus?
(a) Religion is always trying to crucify somebody.
(b) God is always trying to restore and love people.
(i) If someone is always trying to crucify somebody and hang them out to dry, know that it’s religion and not God and His love.
III) And now in this darkest hour throughout all of history, these 11 remaining disciples must have been thinking over and over in their minds all the chain of events. They were mourning over the loss of this man whom they loved.
A) Did they give up their fishing, their tax collecting, and their occupations to come to this end, to stand in fear of the religious leaders of the day? Their dreams and their hopes come crashing to an end.
B) 1COR 15:54b-57
1) Death was there.
(a) But Paul said, “Death where is your sting? Grave where is your victory?”
2) Death and the grave could not have the victory over our Lord Jesus Christ.
(a) There was a boy that was riding in the car with his father to school, when a bumblebee flew in the car. The boy began to panic because of a near death experience he had with a bee sting. He had an allergic reaction to bee stings, to where it could kill him. They call that the sting of death. The father quickly garbed the bee in his bear hand and through it out the window. He pulled the car over to calm the son down. The boy began to cry and scream, not because of his own life but he was afraid for his father that his father was going to die from the sting.
(b) The father said “no, no, no son that bee sting isn’t the sting of death for me. I took the sting of death so that you would not take the sting of death, because it can’t hurt me like it can you.
3) Thank God Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us. Because it could destroy us but it could not destroy Him.
C) ACTS 2:22-24
1) Death could not hold him. The grave could not keep Him
(a) Jesus Christ died for every person.
(b) (JOHN 3:16) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(c) Then Jesus said in (JOHN 11:25) “I am the resurrection, and the life.”
IV) As Mary came to the tomb that Sunday morning, she saw that the stone was rolled away, the soldiers were gone, and the tomb was empty.
A) And in (JOHN 20:11) it says that Mary looking inside the tomb, wept. She wept because He was gone.
1) Thank God He was gone.
2) MATT 28:5-7a
(a) Just a few days prior were the darkest day ever, but this early Sunday morning was the brightest and glorious day ever.
(b) All of a sudden that darkness turned into light, the shadows faded away, the hopelessness turned into hope, despair and sorrow turned into joy.
(c) Jesus was alive, risen from the dead, just as He said.
B) Let me say this, any other religious leader that ever lived is still in the tomb. Mohammed is in the tomb; Buddha is in the tomb. All the other religious leaders are still in the tomb.
1) But JESUS is NOT IN the TOMB. His tomb is empty.
(a) He’s alive and alive forevermore.
C) Did you know that the stone that was in front of Jesus’ tomb was not rolled away to let Jesus out. (Walked through walls)
1) The stone was rolled away so that we could see that He was no longer there. He was risen. That he was alive.
V) What does the resurrection mean to us?
A) COL 2:12-15
1) Through Jesus resurrection the greatest problem in our life is solved—the sin problem.
2) HEB 2:14
(a) It’s because of Jesus’ Resurrection that we don’t have to face Hell, where it’s torture and torment.
3) 1JOHN 3:8
(a) It’s only those that have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will spend eternity with Him in heaven.
(i) (REV 1:18) Says, “I {am} he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (KJV)
(ii) No longer do we have to fear going to hell; no longer do we have to fear death. Jesus has already paid the price for our sin.
(b) Jesus paid the price so that we don’t have to.
(c) Because He lives I can face tomorrow.
(i) Because He lives I have hope for tomorrow, hope for eternity in heaven.
B) When the 2 Mary’s arrived at the tomb the stone was already rolled away, and they saw an angel “And the angel said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come; see the place where the Lord lay. ”
1) He is not here, He is risen, and He is alive and alive forevermore. He will never die again.
2) Look at ACT 1:10-11
3) (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (KJV)
He’s alive
WOLCC SUN AM 4/11/93 and WOLCC Sun AM 3/30/97 & WOLCC Sunday, April 15, 2001 Sunday, March 31, 2002