Joy in Jesus' Resurrection

Intro

When I was a kid, there were many things that I did not see the importance of:

Why does Dad have to work to make money? I thought we can get money from the money machine whenever we want.

Why can’t I eat cookies for every meal?

Why do I have to make my bed? It just gets messy again.

Why can’t I be batman when I grow up? I don’t have any superpowers, and neither does he. And If I need more money I’ll just go to the money machine at the bank.

In life, there are many things that are important, they are right in front of us, but we miss it.

During most of my Christian life, I did not see the importance of the resurrection.

Cross makes sense - death paid for my sins

Cool that Jesus is alive, better than dead

But why did Jesus have to rise? Couldn’t he just be in heaven?

Maybe you are in a similar position. What is so important about the resurrection?

Today, we will see how the resurrection is one of the greatest sources of Joy in the Christian life

Context

Luke 24:1–12 ESV

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Next he reveals himself to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35).

Walked and talked with them

Explains the OT to them

Breaks bread and vanishes

The two disciples find the 11 main disciples, and they are discussing it, then this happens.

Luke 24:36–49 ESV

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Disbelief of Joy (v. 41a)

Why did the disciples disbelieve when they saw Jesus? (V. 41 “For Joy” / “because of Joy”)

How would you say this in your own words? “Disbelieved because of Joy” (too good to be true)

Joy is good, but it is incomplete without faith.

Without faith, joy is “too good to be true.”

Feelings are important, but they can’t dictate our life.

Do you have faith to believe God, even when your feelings don’t match?

Illustration/Application: The camp high is real, but God wants us to live by faith.

As we’ve seen - as a Christian, there are many reasons to rejoice, but joy is incomplete without faith.

So, when we have faith, we do we rejoice in the resurrection? (3 reasons)

Jesus is Alive (vv. 36-42)

When Jesus appears before them, what is their first reaction? (v. 37 startled and frightened)

Why do they respond this way? (because they think he is a spirit/ghost)

Why do they think he is a spirit/ghost? (He’s supposed to be dead / he ‘magically appeared,’ maybe walked thru walls)

What does Jesus do to offer them proof that he is a living human being?

V. 39 - See my hands and feet (nail marks and scars)

V. 39 - ‘touch me, ghosts don’t have skin and bones’

V. 42 - he eats a ‘fish sandwich’

We rejoice because Jesus is alive, right now.

Mistaking Jesus as living only “in the past”

remembering that Jesus is still a human being in heaven, representing us before God the Father

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

The witness of the Apostles’ martyrdom

Application - Do you think of Jesus only in the past tense? Because he is alive right now.

If you are a believer in him, you are united in a relationship with the God-man, the living Lord of the universe.

Trans: On to the second reason

The Scriptures Are True (vv. 44-47)

In vv. 44-47, Jesus gives them another reason to believe. What reason does he give? (Read Scripture Below)

Luke 24:44 ESV

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Is Jesus here talking about the OT or NT (OT - NT doesn’t exist / Summary of OT categories)

Who does he say that the OT is about? (About “Me”)

We rejoice at the Resurrection because The Scriptures are True

The OT and Jesus himself both predict Jesus’ resurrection. If it’s true, then Jesus is who he said he was.

You must decide, did Jesus rise from the dead or not. If he did, then that changes everything!

‘But The Scriptures are hard to understand / hard to believe’

V. 45 “He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures”

Would you be bold enough to ask Jesus to open your mind to understand the Scriptures?

Story: My Freshman year of College, I fell in love with God’s word. All I can say is, “Jesus opened my mind”

If the Scriptures are True, the the Gospel is also true

Luke 24:46–47 ESV

46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

If Christ is not raised, then the gospel is not true.

1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

How is this verse true? Why does Jesus have to be resurrected for our sins to be forgiven?

Illustration: Jesus’ death pays the price (Justification), and his resurrection is the receipt (the confirmation).

Trans: On to the third reason...

We Have the Spirit of Resurrection in Us (vv. 48-49)

Luke 24:48–49 ESV

48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus says, “I am sending the promise of my Father,” what is he talking about? (HS)

What does it mean to be “clothed with power” (HS, at Pentecost)

Notice the Trinitarian nature of what Jesus is saying

All 3 persons of the Trinity are active in the Resurrection

We as Christians have the Holy Spirit inside of us!

We rejoice because we have the Spirit of Resurrection inside of us

The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in every Christian

Today I want to focus on one thing that the HS will do for us. (Rom 8:11)

Romans 8:11 ESV

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

What does this passage say that the Holy Spirit will do? (Give life to your mortal bodies) Say it in your own words.

Because we have the Spirit of Resurrection, we as Christians will experience our own physical resurrection

We rejoice because we have the Spirit of Resurrection inside of us, and we will resurrect too

Conclusion

A lot of people think the only hope of Christianity is “going to heaven when I die”

But the hope of the Christian is so much more.

We hope for a physical resurrection of our bodies, and of the entire creation.

The Christian hope is not boring…it’s awesome.

We should rejoice in the resurrection because...

1 - Jesus is Alive

2 - The Scriptures are True

3 - We have the Spirit of Resurrection in us

Because Jesus rose, we too will rise.

But remember, joy is incomplete without faith.

Do you believe in the resurrection?

If not, would you be bold enough to ask God to give you faith?

“The Resurrection may be too good to be understood, but its not too good to be true.”