Easter Service 2021

Easter Service

Introduction:

Good morning, and welcome Church (pause) to worship this morning. Every year, every Resurrection Sunday has pastors racking their brains trying to think of how they can make an impression on all those that may not come any other day of year.

I understand that sentiment but it runs dangerously close to leading into the kind of thinking that says we need to spruce up the story, and make it more exciting. Lets add to the dynamics, with a charismatic speaker. Maybe we should make it More heart wrenching, lets get the music just right, and set the lights just so, so.

But the reality is that this is already the greatest story that could ever be told. Whether we prefer to tell it from one of the gospels, or from all four gospels, or even from the Old Testament Scriptures, nothing greater has ever happened in the history of mankind. The entirety of our faith, (pause) hinges upon this subject we refer to as the resurrection.

So, this is not a Broadway play, nor is it a date, where we need to set the mood. This is the subject of the bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

In fact, for those of you that have not been with us the past few weeks, the word of God is clear. Without the bodily resurrection of Christ, there is no reason for our faith. And to quote Paul, we should above all others, be pitied.

And so, (pause) today I am not seeking to impress you with great rhetorical ability. Nor am I going to try and evoke some sort emotional response from you all here today.

The power of the Holy Spirit is upon the gospel, and does not need anything that we can bring to it. The thing about the gospel is that its effectiveness is not about our ability to deliver its message, but in our obedience in doing so.

Perhaps you have heard this story over and over again. Maybe, you have applied it to your life, and live as a new creature in eyes of God. Maybe today, this is the first time you have heard the gospel and as such I do not want to pollute it with theatrics.

Instead, (pause) as you all find your way to Luke chapter 23, I want to feel you in on a bit of the back story of today's message.

Why is it that Jesus had to die, and why is it so crucial that he experienced the bodily resurrection?

The story actually goes back to creation where God created something all together peculiar in the universe, mankind. While all of the rest of creation was of no consequence in decision making, mankind was different from the animals that are ignorant of their existence, or completely aware of God and His creation, but exist for the purposes of their creator.

Mankind was the birth of something unlike the rest of creation. We were offered something known as free will. With that free will, came the inevitable fall of selfish mankind.

The evil that befalls all of humanity to this day, is a product of mans ability to bring suffering upon itself. I find it interesting that so many would say God is evil because He doesn’t stop evil people from doing evil things. All of those people see themselves under the guise of their own goodness. They fail to see and acknowledge their own evil.

As a result, they fall victim of their own logical falsely. You see, (pause) God gave mankind this free will. We abuse it, and yet His promise to us remains. What you are asking for when you ask or expect God to intervene in the face of evil, is for something altogether different than humanity.

This evil that we are all born into is the evil by which death itself has entered into our world.

From the start in Genesis 4:21 we see that covering the shame and sin of mankind required a substitutionary death, as the first creatures died in order to clothe and thus cover the shame of Adam and Eve.

But that is all a sacrifice could do is cover, it could never forgive, it could never make clean, what was already stained. And so, the cycle of death continued.

But even before we see the creatures die, we see God make a promise of restoration through a Virgin birth. In Genesis 3:15 where it speaks of the seed of woman. Moses knew when he wrote those words that are now called the protoevangelium, that the seed of humanity was carried through the men of the human race.

You see, a perfect sacrifice could not be a lamb or bull dying in mans place, it needed to be a man that could somehow meet the criteria. Yet, for anyone else born through the seed of mankind, they were born under the curse of the fall.

So, the messiah had to be fully man, and yet be born outside of the curse of mankind, and therefore fully divine, even before his conception. And this is why the Virgin birth is NOT (emphasis) an optional belief within the Christian faith.

In the same way today’s topic of bodily resurrection after the bodily death of Jesus Christ is not optional either. They are required beliefs for all Christian’s.

This is where Jesus comes in, this is what lead to this moment in Israel two thousand years ago. Our free will, our being sifted upon the sands of time as burden of proof of our absolute and radical depravity. This is what led to Jesus’ death on the cross.

Please turn to Luke 23:44

Luke 23:44–56 ESV

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. 50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Let us pray...

Part II:

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.

At this point, Jesus had done exactly what he said he would do. But the disciples, Peter included, were so beat down by deaths circumstance that they lost all hope. So, much so that even an empty tomb is puzzling for Peter.

What I love is that these women knew what was up. Their faith was on point, but Simon Peter, (pause) is just confused.

The ladies see a couple of snazzy electrified dressers, and are like you know, Jesus did say he was going to do this. He said,

Luke 24:7–8 ESV

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,

The ladies went running with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection as heard from two angels, (pause) they take it to the 12 that walked by Jesus’ side for three and half years. And whether it was the frantic excitement of having spoke with angels from Heaven, or the fact that the 12 were just too hard headed to get it, they clearly didn’t understand what was taking place. Nor could they grasp the significance of what had happened. Instead, they chalked it up to a tall tale by frantic women folk.

While there are pretty clear implications to be taught here, I want us to focus on the order that Jesus’ resurrection was revealed in. First to the gentile, that had never before had hope. The Roman soldiers witnessed Jesus as He pulled off the greatest jail break in history. He was sentenced to death and had been assigned to cell block the grave, and after acknowledging the Sabath as the day of rest, he proves that not even death or the grave were enough to hold him! As on that third morning, He arose victorious over death, hell, and the grave. (Pause)

(Calmly continue…)

Next, Jesus had the knowledge of His resurrection delivered to women. Now women had been respected and treated with great respect in the Old Testament. In Proverbs 31 we see that the example of a good woman was not just a home maker but a woman who knew how to buy land and manage a vineyard. By this time in history however, Rome had an impact on Israel’s view of women. We see repeatedly in the New Testament how they were often ill treated by some.

Never Jesus though. He reveals himself almost in a way that says, Israel may have forgotten your value and importance ladies, but the God of Heaven never did.

Then finally, to the disciples. The Roman soldiers got knocked down by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. The Ladies, believed the angels. While those that walked with Jesus the closest, were the hardest to convince.

While this was clearly a faith issue amongst the disciples, it also reveals the fact that those that walked with Him still just couldn’t see Him clearly.

An example of this is seen in the way that Jesus walked with some of disciples on the road to Emmaus, right here in Luke 24, for an entire day, before removing the scales of ignorance from their eyes.

Jesus was more than just a man, and he was more than just a prophet. He is the Son of God, and not even death had the power, or authority to hold him.

At last starting in verse 36 Jesus reveals himself to His disciples.

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.”

Let us pray!

Heavenly Father, we are grateful that those of us who are really your children, you have have given us your Holy Spirit, to indwell, council, and to guide us. We know that the Holy Spirit is the power you have clothed your church with. We are thankful that you sent your Son to suffer and die in our place. Forgive us for not responding with the sense of urgency that such knowledge would demand. The world is dead in sin, and Jesus is the way the truth and the life. We say we believe this. We say that we love you and yet, we do not always act as if we have been given such an urgent and priceless gift.

Set our hearts ablaze for your resurrection gospel, that we would share it with all those around us until we draw our last breath.

Let Your church be convicted to being your image bearers in this world, so that the lost and dying world, can see the everlasting and living hope that can only be found in your you Lord.

We pray these things and we ask them in your Sons name, Jesus!

AMEN

Invitation: