Do You Believe?

That’s Why We Praise Him

Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)

WELCOME

He is Risen!

Psalm 118:22-24—The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Welcome! . . . especially those of you who may be here for the first time or the first time in awhile

What should I expect? > serious about the Bible > read the Word, pray the Word, sing the Word, preach the Word

This isn’t a show. Engage!

PBC app

Blue flag (GIFT), white flag

If you have a Bible, you can turn to Luke 24:1 as Phyllis Higgins comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Luke 24:1-11)

Prayer of Praise (Jesus is Alive!)

The Power of the Cross

Prayer of Confession (Eli Dowell)

In Christ Alone

NEW CITY CATECHISM #14

PASTORAL PRAYER (Mike Lindell)

SERMON

Five guys were on a plane: the pilot, a doctor, a Boy Scout, a pastor, and the smartest man in the world. 

The pilot came on the intercom and said "Mayday! Mayday! We're going down and there are only four parachutes on the plane. You decide who is staying but I'm jumping now!"

The doctor said "I've saved lives my entire life so I think that I should get one." and he jumped.

The smartest man in the world looked at the pastor and the Boy Scout and said, "It'd be a shame for the world to lose the smartest man in the world so I should definitely get one!" and he jumped too.

The pastor went up to the Boy Scout and said, "I've lived a long and happy life and your whole life is in front of you. Besides, I have a relationship with Jesus Christ so I know where I'm going. You take the last parachute and go."

The kid said, "No , you take this one and I'll take the other one. The smartest man in the world just jumped out with my backpack."

It’s possible to know a lot, and yet be sadly mistaken about what matters most.

Consider The New York Times. Esteemed by many as one of the most elite newspapers in the world. And yet, in 2013, a New York Times article offered this explanation about the Christian holiday we call Easter: “Easter is the celebration of the resurrection into heaven of Jesus, three days after he was crucified.”

In case you’ve already started napping, Easter is not the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection “into heaven.” It’s the day we celebrate His resurrection on earth. 40 days later, we believe He ascended into heaven.

This same error would be repeated just five years later by National Public Radio. Once again, some of the most highly trained, elite reporters in the world proved themselves confused about the resurrection. This article described Easter as "the day celebrating the idea that Jesus did not die and go to hell or purgatory or anywhere at all, but rather arose into heaven."

Your tax dollars at work.

Thankfully, both The New York Times and National Public Radio published corrections to their original articles. But the fact remains, many people who know a lot about a lot of things do not understand what Christians believe about the resurrection.

This is not a new problem. Not long before His own resurrection, Jesus had a conversation with one of His followers who was confused about the resurrection.

Turn to John 11

[RECAP CONTEXT OF LAZARUS’ DEATH]

Jesus is visiting His friends in a village called Bethany, about 2 miles from the city of Jerusalem.

But this is not a fun visit. Jesus is visiting to attend a funeral.

About a week earlier, Jesus received news from His friends Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus was sick.

Jesus could heal the sick, but rather than hurry to Bethany to heal Lazarus, Jesus waited for two days where He was.

By the time He eventually arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days.

John 11:20-24—So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 

Mary believed that Jesus’ power was limited by space and time

Space — “if you had been here”

More than once Jesus healed without being physically present. . .

An official’s son in John 4 and a Centurion’s servant in Luke 7

Time — “on the last day”

Sure, there would be a resurrection eventually but not here, not now

Don’t misunderstand me: Martha is not like one of those confused reporters. Even in her confusion, she has not lost complete confidence in Jesus. She believes Jesus is special. She believes Jesus has a unique prayer life, so much so that whatever He prays for God will give Him. But she’s still confused. She doesn’t understand the staggering significance of the resurrection.

Perhaps in many ways, you’re a lot like Martha. You’re not completely clueless about Jesus and the resurrection. Perhaps you know more on this issue than National Public Radio or The New York Times. But you’re still confused. Because you haven’t yet understood the staggering significance of the resurrection.

This morning I want you to see that Jesus loves to bring clarity to people confused about the resurrection.

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Martha. He doesn’t mock her confusion. He doesn’t shame her.

He tenderly speaks three simple sentences that bring clarity to our confusion about the resurrection.

Let’s read those sentences, and then we’ll examine them one at a time.

John 11:25-26—Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

PRAY

Three simple sentences that bring clarity to our confusion about the resurrection.

A resurrection claim

A resurrection promise

A resurrection question

In His first sentence, Jesus makes . . .

A Resurrection CLAIM

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. . . .”

Jesus doesn’t say . . .

“I teach about resurrection”

“I have resurrection power”

“I do resurrections”

“I can resurrect Lazarus”

“I will be personally resurrected”

All those things are true, but that’s not what He says! He says. . .

“I AM the resurrection and the life.”

Before you can understand resurrection as a principle, you must understand resurrection in a Person.

It’s possible to think you understand a person, but you understand him wrongly.

For example, let’s say you’re eating Easter dinner and someone asked what you did this morning. You say, “I went to PBC” and they respond, “Oh I love the pastor at that church! Isn’t he the guy who’s like 7 feet tall with bulging biceps and a six pack? He’s like a body builder, right? With blonde hair a massive beard and a thick Russian accent?” They love an idea of me. But that idea of me is wrong.

Many love the idea of Jesus, but their idea of Him is wrong. We can know the truth about Jesus by studying His Word.

Study the Bible (perhaps start with book we’re giving away today)

Come back and learn more!

Young people: there’s no shortcuts to understanding this Jesus. There’s no Wikipedia article or YouTube video or social media influencer that’ll tell you everything you need to know

“I am THE resurrection and the life. . . .”

There is no other! You either take Jesus at His Word, or you reject Him. There is no middle ground.

Missionary in India: Tells Hindu about Jesus. He says He believes! But later the missionary visits his house and finds a picture of Jesus on his mantle alongside dozens of other gods and goddesses

John 14:6—Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 6:68—Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

“I am the RESURRECTION and the life. . . .”

If you make a claim like this, you better back it up

Of course, Jesus does. He resurrects Lazarus later in the story. A few days or weeks later, He Himself dies and rises from the dead.

Many people witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection. Even more witnessed Jesus’ resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6—For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep

Christian faith in the resurrection is not blind faith. It’s grounded in historical events and in logic. [Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb.]

“I am the resurrection and the LIFE.”

True life begins with Jesus

Christian: don’t wait for ______ to happen before your life truly begins. If your faith is in Christ it’s already begun!

C.S. Lewis—"The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's own or real life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life--the life God is sending one day by day."

Why resurrection first and then life? Why not the other way around?

You must first prepare yourself for the life to come before you can ever find lasting meaning and purpose in the life you have now.

Jesus loves to bring clarity to people confused about the resurrection. In His first sentence, Jesus makes an astounding claim: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

In His second sentence, Jesus makes . . .

A Resurrection PROMISE

“. . . Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. . . .”

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

In 2021 we might change that to death and stimmy checks, but the death part remains

Death in a time of Covid-19

And Covid-19 isn’t the only thing killing people. We’ve been reminded of that here at PBC as we’ve grieved the losses of several members in the past year.

But where did death come from?

Adam and Eve and the curse of death

Romans 5:12—“. . . sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

Jesus comes in and promises to reverse the curse. . .

“. . . Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. . . .”

Two parts to this promise. . .

If you believe in Jesus, you will live after death

And if you live after death, you shall never die again

John 3:16—“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

How can the curse be reversed?

2 Corinthians 5:21—For our sake He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Explain the Gospel

Jesus loves to bring clarity to people confused about the resurrection. In His first sentence, Jesus makes an astounding claim. In His second sentence Jesus makes an unbreakable promise.

In His third sentence, Jesus asks. . .

A Resurrection QUESTION

“. . . Do you believe this?”

What does it mean to believe?

Belief has three ingredients. . .

Knowledge—you can’t believe in something you don’t know

Agreement—you can’t believe in something you deny

It’s more than that. Even the demons knew who Jesus was and agreed He was the Son of God. . .

Trust—put all your weight on Jesus (requires you to stop trusting in anything and everything else)

In the summer of 1859, Charles Blondin walked on a tightrope 160 feet above Niagara Falls several times back and forth between Canada and the United States as huge crowds on both sides looked on with shock and awe. 

Once he crossed in a sack, once on stilts, another time on a bicycle,  and once he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet!

On July 15, Blondin walked backward across the tightrope to Canada and returned pushing a wheelbarrow.

The story is told that after pushing the wheelbarrow across while blindfolded that Blondin asked for some audience participation.  The crowds had watched and "Ooooohed" and "Aaaaahed!"  He had proven that he could do it; of that, there was no doubt.  But now he was asking for a volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow and take a ride across the Falls with him!

It is said that he asked his audience, "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?"  Of course the crowd shouted that yes, they believed!

It was then that Blondin posed the question - "Who will get in the wheelbarrow?” CRICKETS.

Trust is to get in the wheelbarrow!

Getting in that wheelbarrow also requires you to leave what’s sturdy and stable behind you. This is what the Bible calls repentance, to turn away from everything you used to trust in and trust in Christ alone.

Mark 1:14-15—. . . Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

“. . . Do you believe this?”

That Jesus is the author of life and the source of resurrection

That He alone is the way to God

That He really lived, died, and rose again

That the reward for those who believe is eternal life

Martha’s answer—She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

“. . . Do you believe this?”

I believe there’s three groups of people in the room. . .

Some of you truly believe

It’s not the job of NPR or the NYT to get the story straight about Jesus’ resurrection. It’s our job.

It’s our job to publicly identify with Jesus’ death and resurrection through baptism

It’s our job to publicly follow Jesus through commitment to a local church

It’s our job to speak the Good News about Jesus to those who don’t know Him

Are you doing that? How can we help you be faithful to this calling?

If you are being faithful, how can you help others?

Some of you say you believe, but your life is no different

What if I told you I was the smartest man in the world from the joke I told you when we began?

What if I told you that before service I jumped out of an airplane with a backpack instead of a parachute?

You can’t have an encounter with the ground traveling 14,000 feet at 120 MPH and not be changed

You cannot have a genuine encounter with the Resurrection and the Life and not be changed!!!

Some of you want to believe, but you’re not sure you can

If you were on that airplane, what matters most? Your feelings of confidence when you jump? Or what you put on your back before you jump?

Grab Christ! Trust Him! Believe what you understand. Come back for more!

Jesus says to you, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though they die, yet shall they live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do YOU believe this?”

PRAY

Christ The Lord is Risen Today

BENEDICTION (Mike Lindell)