Easter 2021 "Words from the Resurrected Christ"
Sayings of the Resurrected Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Matthew 28:1-10
Matthew 28:1–10 (NLT)
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
No one expected resurrection - not that morning
They were hopeless that Sunday morning
The angels’ messaage to the women shows that they had fear. Although fear is somehting people experience when angels appear, their fear was beyond the fear of angelic appearances - Jesus also calms their fear.
Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
Scripture makes it very clear that when the women went to the tomb, they did NOT go expecting to see it empty. They went to see a dead body! They just simpy did not expect resurrection.
This was because although Jesus told them about resurrection they probably heard what Jesus said and interpreted it in light of their current beliefs. They believed resurrection would happen at the END of time when God would set foot as King of Earth. But, they did not expect resurrection NOW in the middle of the story.
But, into the darkness light shone through and brought hope, peace, comfort, and joy!
God DID resurrect Christ! God DID do soemthing amazing when no one else was expecting it or looking for it. God DID work in the midst of death, darkness, and despair. And God CHANGED the way we view LIFE AND DEATH!
Because of the Resurrection there is Good news!
The Resurrection brings forgiveness, freedom, and power and purpose
Forgiveness/Love = Sin and death dealt with COMPLETELY. The old order of life and death has been done away with and a NEW order and NEW way of doing life has been mad availble! In this NEW way of LIFE Sin and Death are NO MORE! It is an experience of life DOMINTATED by God’s great love for us!
Colossians 2:13-15
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
John 3:16-17
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Romans 5:8
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Freedom = What can people do. Because of this new way of life, we are free from fear of sin and death. We are also free from those who would try to use violence to coerce us to follow their way of living.
They killed Jesus, but he was resurrected providing power over death = FIRSTFRUITS (Feast of Firstfruits!!) - THIS ALSO GIVES HOPE AND ASSURANCE!!
1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT)
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
There is something to note here… The first day of the week AFTER passover was the beginning of the celebration of firstfruits. The feast of firstfruits was when the people would bring in the first of their harvest and give it to the LORD. They would do this with the faith and assurance that the God who provided the firstfruits would also provide the rest of the fruits.
The day that Christ was resurrected from the dead was the Feast of Firstfruits! Christ is the firstfruit of the GREAT resurrection of the dead. He is the FIRST that God gave US to show us that there would be more. The God who provided the FIRST would be the same God who provides for the resurrection of ALL HIS FOLLOWERS!
This sets us FREE! What can people do to us. The worse they can do is take our life - but Christ as the Firstfruit proves that is ony TEMPORARY!
And this gives us Power = since there is freedom, this empowers Christ's followers to share the good news with others WITHOUT FEAR. Since we have freedom and full deliverance over sin and death we also have deliverance over their power too. Not only do we have power to witness, we have POWER to live a NEW LIFE - a life no longer dominated by sin!
And this gives us a new Purpose = The purpose is to use this forgiveness, freedom, and power to share the GOOD NEWS and hope of JESUS resurrected from the dead
Those are great truthes that the resurrection teaches - but the living Christ does something else amazing...
The resurrected Jesus speaks specifically into these ladies life and situation!
And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Into their situation the Resurrected Christ meets them and speaks! Over the next several weeks we are going to look at what the Resurrected Christ says to his followers. Today, we see what he says to these women. He speaks directly into their fear, doubt, uncertainty, and concern.
He speaks eace, and purpose.
He calls their fear with his greeting and showing his body and showing them he is really alive. He speaks to them, encourageing them not to fear whatever it was that they feared.
Maybe they feared for their lives
Maybe they feared what others would do to them and other followers of Christ
Maybe they feared what the other disciples would think with Jesus’ body not in the tomb.
Whatever their fear, the Resurrected Christ reminds them that there is no longer any reason to fear.
But, he also speaks words of PURPOSE - GO TELL THE OTHERS!
Other similar passages...
John 20:15-17
“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
“Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
The Resurrected Christ knows these women so well that He knows what they need to hear from him - Peace and Purpose.
But, the Resurrected Christ knows us well too. He knows that you and I ALL need to hear a messaage from HIM. He joins us and speaks specicially into our situations the words that we need!
What situations in your life does Christ need to speak into?
And what does he have to say?
Does he need to speak peace into a chaotic situation?
Does he need to speak comfort into your struggles?
What about hope into an otherwise hopeless time?
Maybe he speaks a messaage the reminds us of His love for us and his desire to forgive?
Or, a message encourageing us to forgive someone who has wronged us?
Maybe he speaks words of encouragement into a time of depression or anxiety.
Maybe, for some of us, he speaks lvingly, but sternly reminding us of our need to give up a habbit or attitude. Maybe there is a sin we return to and the resurrected Christ speaks with love, yet straight forward that we must allow him to lead us from sinful habbits and ways.
Maybe he speaks with love some disappointment that we still get hung up in certain attitudes or ideas. He doesn’t write us off and chastise us, but is maybe disappointed that we haven’t taken seriously his call to leave our sinful ways behind. But, he is still speaking to us - even when he is disappointed.
What does the Resurrected Christ have to say to YOU this morning?
Close your eyes
Picture you are in a peaceful spot. Maybe it is on a hiking trail, or you’re on the lake shore, or your flyfishing, or you’r eriding horseback near Buffalo Bridge… think of a spot where you find peace.
Now, imagine a situation you are facing, or a temptation you struggle with, or and attitude you hold tightly to.
Now, imagine, while you are there enjoying that spot and the activity that goes along with it The Resurrected Christ meets with you.
What words does he say to you about yoru situation.
The Resurrected Christ is willing to speak, if only we would be willing to listen!
Communion...
Would the three communion servers please come forward.
Today when we receive communion the trays will be passed through the rows. Please grab a cup with a peice of bread and a cup of juice. Hold onto the bread and juice and ponder God’s love for you in Christ, God’s forgiveness, and the hope we have of resurrection and new life. We are going to sing a song together while the elements are passed. After the song, and after all have received, we will receive the elements into our lives together. Please, do your best NOT to break the cups - we will use them after we receive communion.
PRAYER that God would be glorified during this act of worship and that we would allow the Spirit to speak to us through this time.
AFTER THE SONG
For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.