A Day Death Died / A Day Hope Arose

It is Finished! Done! Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit! He was gone. Satan and his demons rejoiced! They had killed the Son of God! They had put to death one third of the Trinity! His disciples had fled in fear. It was a dark day! His disfigured and mangled body was taken down from the splintered piece of wood. A large hole was in His side where a Roman spear had been thrusted into His lifeless body causing His heart to explode releasing water and blood. Jesus Christ was Dead!

If that was the end of the story, there would be no Christianity, there would be no salvation, there would be no eternal life, there would be no HOPE.

Yet, that is not the end of the story, it was just the beginning!

After the death of Jesus He would be taken and buried in a tomb by Joseph Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-61). This tomb is only around 100 yards (300 feet) between Calvary and the tomb. In John’s Gospel we learn that Nicodemus also was there with Joseph (John 19:38-42).

After His body was sealed in the tomb and a guard put around it (Matthew 27:62-66). No one was going to get into this tomb and the guard would guard this with their life.

Sunday morning is where things get interesting:

· Matthew 28:1-8

· Luke 24:1-12

· John 20:1-10

Something that I had not thought about until Chuck Swindoll brought up last year. The Guards were the first ones to witness the results of the resurrection (Matthew 28:2-4). The angel came not to let Jesus out, but to let others in to see He was not there, He had risen!

· Do not be afraid (angels always bring fear)

· I know that you seek Jesus

· Who was crucified (He died)

· He is not here (He is no longer in the tomb)

· He is risen (as He said…He had told the disciples and the crowds that He would die and rise again)

· See the place where the Lord lay (it is empty) – visual confirmation He is not there.

· Tell the Good news (don’t keep it inside) to the disciples.

· He will meet them in Galilee

· The women came out with fear (phobou) and joy (exceeding joy) (mixed emotions) ran to tell the disciples.

· Then they meet Jesus (9-10)

Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10

· Mary M goes and meets the angel and sees the clothes

· Peter and John go to the tomb see the clothes.

All the Gospels share accounts of meals with Jesus after the resurrection! Jesus would remain on earth for 40 more days before He ascended into Heaven.

Yet, is the resurrection just a nice story? Or did it really happen?

In his book “Why I Believe” Chip Ingram writes these words:

“there’s one thing that very good atheists and very good Christians have in common. The central issue for these diametrically opposed groups is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s where we must begin. Either Jesus rose from the dead, or He’s just another religious teacher and you should go to the salad bar of religion and pick the one you like. But if He really rose from the dead, if He’s actually alive right now, and if we worship a living Savior and His resurrection power actually lives inside our mortal bodies . . . then that is a whole different story.” (Chip Ingram)

He goes on to talk in his book about Antony Flew and Gary Habermas and their debates. He writes this:

“Prominent atheist professor of philosophy Antony Flew and Christian professor of apologetics and philosophy Gary Habermas began debating in 1985. Over the next two decades, their debates led to several books, including Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate. In this book, Flew writes,

First, we [Habermas and myself] both construe resurrection, or the rising from the dead, in a thoroughly literal and physical way. . . .

Second, we are again agreed that the question whether, in that literal understanding, Jesus did rise from the dead is of supreme theoretical and practical importance. For the knowable fact that he did, if it is indeed a knowable fact, is the best, if not the only, reason for accepting that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.

Third, we are agreed both that the identification is the defining and distinguishing characteristic of the true Christian, and that it is scarcely possible to make it without also accepting that the Resurrection did literally happen.1

What Flew is saying is, if Jesus rose, you have an intellectually feasible argument that everything Jesus said could be true. If he didn’t, all of Christianity falls” (Chip)

The Apostle Paul agrees with this. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (the Apostle gives a brief recount of what happened that Resurrection morning).

Then he looks at what if the Resurrection didn’t happen. What if it is just a nice story? The Apostle looks at that (12-19)

· No Resurrection…Christ has not risen from dead

· No Resurrection…everything I am saying is empty and meaningless

· No Resurrection…my faith and everyone who is a born-again Christian’s faith is also empty and meaningless

· No Resurrection…false witnesses

· No Resurrection…Faith is Futile

· No Resurrection…No Forgiveness of Sin

· No Resurrection…Those who have died believing they have gone to Heaven have not.

· No Resurrection…NO HOPE and we are pitiable people!

True Christianity a relationship with Jesus Christ hinges on the Resurrection!

Verse 20: But now Christ is risen from the DEAD!

The Resurrection DID happen! The question is: What are you going to do about it?

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? The day that Satan and the demons rejoiced ended up being their defeat. The day that one third of the Trinity didn’t exist was the day my sin and your sin was put on the Sinless Lamb of God. The day the disciples fled in fear was the day they were going to receive hope for eternity. Jesus Christ did not stay physically dead. He arose from the grave. He conquered sin, Satan, and the separation we had from Him and His Heavenly Father.

Plan of Salvation.