7: Best Day Ever!

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When was YOUR best day ever?

For some it was a major WIN on a court or a field. For others, it was the day of your child’s birth. Others might point to the day of your 2nd birth - the day you were born again in Jesus. Still others remember their wedding day. And then there was that day that 2 candy bars fell out of the vending machine at once!

Although the 1st followers of Jesus had many wonderful days with Jesus - watching Him heal and teach, laughing and praying with Him, and seeing Him do the most amazing things - like walking on water - I think they would say that the day we celebrate right here - Resurrection Sunday - was...

the Best Day Ever!

The reason it was SO GOOD was because it came on the heals of a day that was SO BAD. For the first followers of Jesus, Good Friday was NOT a good Friday.

Their King had been killed. After being beaten to a bloody pulp, spit on, and marched just outside the walls of Jerusalem, Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross and lifted up for all the Passover participants to see. And the end of the day, the One they had hoped was their long awaited Messiah (Lk 24:21) was laying in a tomb while their dreams were buried with Him.

As the sun goes down and that Passover Sabbath begins, thousands of Jewish people are celebrating and resting, but the first followers of Jesus were mourning and moping. Their hopes were dashed to the ground. Scared for their own lives, most of these distraught disciples protected themselves inside locked doors (Jn 20:19), except for the women who dared to journey to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body for the last time.

Unbeknownst to them, the tomb had been sealed because of a major concern the enemies of Jesus had. We read about that here.

Why Guard a Dead Body?

Matthew 27:62–64 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.

That would be a difficult deception to overcome wouldn’t it? According to His disciples, Jesus had many times foretold that He really WAS going to rise from the dead.

Matthew 16:21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.

Matthew 17:22–23 As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

Matthew 20:18–19 See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.

And so, to counter these crazy claims, Pilate told the enemies of Jesus...

Matthew 27:65-66 “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.

A guard is not a lone soldier, but a Greek term referring to a small group from 4 to 16 Roman soldiers (several soldiers are obvious later in same passage - Mt 28:11). And so, the stage is set. If anyone DOES attempt to steal Jesus’ body, they will be met with deadly force by the Marines of the day.

And yet, today, Christians gather, not to mourn a false messiah, but to celebrate The Best Day Ever! - the day that Jesus rose from the dead! How is THAT?

Depending on the lenses you see through, it seems to me that we could approach this claim 1 of 3 ways.

1. Many of you are Convinced. You believe in Jesus written about in the Scriptures and you trust Him with your life. But, I pray that you will do more than just trust what your parents, pastor, and church says. I pray you will begin to examine the evidence for yourself and become confident that Jesus actually resurrected.

Before becoming a Christian, Josh McDowell wrote these words, “My heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects.”

You and I will never become passionate about something we aren’t convinced of. And when you become convinced, you will be passionate and prepared to help answer the questions that others ask. I pray today will help you to do just that.

2. Some of you are Confused. You feel like you’re in the middle of a tug-a-war. Some of your friends and family believe in and live for Jesus and others don’t. But how are you supposed to determine whether what historical claims from 2000+ years ago are credible or not? I pray that today will help you to seriously consider the claims of Jesus and His disciples.

3. And then a few of you are Critical. You’re here today because it’s your yearly duty to your family, but you wonder why others believe all this religious stuff. Quite frankly, you likely haven’t put in the work to consider the historical claims of Jesus. In fact, if someone could give you credible reasons to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, some would still choose to reject Him.

Josh McDowell once spoke with a man who told Josh he could not believe in Jesus. Josh asked, “If I could prove the claims of Jesus beyond reasonable doubt, would you follow Jesus?” The man told him, “No.” Josh countered with something like this, “Then your problem is not an issue of the MIND, but an issue of the WILL. Even if you were convinced that the claims of Jesus are true, you would STILL REJECT him, because you refuse to bow to His authority.”

If that’s you, today. I pray you will listen over the next few minutes - regardless of how uncomfortable you might be. I’ll be totally transparent with my intentions - I want to put a stone in your shoe, a challenge for you to deal with the historical claims of Christianity.

And here’s why this message matters so much.

The risen Jesus is the Cornerstone of Christianity.

Without the resurrection all we have is a miracle-working philosopher. Further, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then He or His disciples were LIARS, as the New Testament writings are littered with the claim that Jesus WOULD and DID rise from the dead. Did you know that

Gary Habermas:

“The resurrection is mentioned in over 300 verses in the New Testament. It’s the center of almost every major area of theology…and practice.“

BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said.

Gary Habermas notes 4 Facts that Historical Scholars Agree On:

1. Jesus died on the cross and was buried.

This is a historical fact undisputed by credible scholarship. What IS disputed is to WHY Jesus was crucified.

Some say Jesus was killed because He was a false teacher. Jesus claimed to be the Messiah - God in skin, but He wasn’t. Others say Jesus was killed because people misunderstood His message. Jehovah’s witnesses, for example, don’t think Jesus claimed to be God, but that His audience misunderstood what He meant. And many in our day claim that Jesus died as an act of love. And while this was the ultimate act of love, it was much more than that. Here’s what the followers of Jesus taught about His death.

John 1:29 “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Just hours before Jesus was arrested & taken to be killed, Jesus had the Passover meal with His disciples.

Matthew 26:26–28 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

If this is true, then it tells us 3 important truths: 1) Our sin is SERIOUS. 2) People are PRECIOUS. 3) And Our God is GRACIOUS.

Jesus died on the cross and was buried - this is undisputed by credible scholarship.

2. The tomb was EMPTY & the body of Jesus was never found.

I had the privilege of going to Jerusalem a little over a year ago. I walked inside the walls of Jerusalem and journey 2 different burial sites that are claimed to have housed the body of Jesus just after His death. However…I can report that His body is not in either place.

Of course, no one would expect us to find His body 2000+ years removed from that event. But just 3 Jewish days after Jesus had been buried, all the Jewish skeptics and Roman soldiers had to do was PRODUCE THE BODY and parade it around the streets. Of course, they couldn’t because, as scholars recognize, the tomb was EMPTY & the body of Jesus was never found.

What happened to the Body?

Stolen Body? This is what Matthew notes as the reason the enemies of Jesus gave as to why His body was missing. Let’s walk through that: Fishermen and tax collectors somehow fight past Roman Marines, remove the body, and then do WHAT? Like bury it somewhere else? Then they announce that Jesus is alive and for the rest of their lives, all are persecuted and some are even murdered. If you were about to die for a lie - you KNEW Jesus wasn’t alive; you KNEW where his body was, wouldn’t you give it up? Someone would! People don’t DIE for what they know to be a LIE.

Chuck Colson: “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

Swoon? This is the theory that Jesus never really died, he just looked dead. He was buried and revived and then showed himself to the disciples, who concluded he had risen. Hmmm…let’s consider that: The Romans knew how to kill people. During the time of Jesus there were over 30,000 Jews who were crucified by the Romans. And then, what about the spear shoved into Jesus’ chest (Jn 19:34)? What if Jesus survived all that? Then how does Jesus move a 2000 lb stone without a lever - uphill - with ripped up wrists and feet, get past the Roman Marines, and con his disciples into believing he has resurrected? Have you ever SEEN someone a couple of days after being beaten badly? Do they look BETTER or WORSE?

Resurrection? And then, there’s the resurrection, that the Gospels point to. The women arrive at the tomb and Jesus’ body is no longer laying in it. And there’s a GOOD REASON. That’s because...

3. The disciples claimed to interact with the resurrected Jesus.

This is an incredible claim. I mean, think about it. What would you think of multiple people around our community began to talk about how they seen, talked with, and even eaten with a man who died a few days back? Whether or not they actually saw the risen Jesus, that the disciples of Jesus claimed to interact with resurrected Jesus is an undisputed fact of history.

And if they were making this story up, then they used some super strange tactics. For example, the gospels all claim that the first people to see the risen Jesus were WOMEN! Why’s that a BIG DEAL? In that day, women’s testimony was not considered reliable in a court of law. So, if we were making up a story to make it as credible as possible, why would all 4 Gospel accounts mention women as the first to see the risen Jesus (Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-18)?

Here’s what the apostle Paul, a former CRITIC and persecutor of Christianity, wrote about these interactions with the risen Jesus:

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.

*all the apostles is likely referring to the 120 disciples that would be “sent out” (the meaning of “apostle).

This supposed interaction with the resurrected Jesus wasn’t a flash in the pan, a momentary event that only impacted people for a couple of weeks.

4. The resurrection transformed the disciples.

The Scriptures say that Peter and John were the first apostles to respond to the women’s incredible claim that Jesus’ body was gone (Jn 20:3-10).

They RAN to the tomb to see for themselves! And when they got there…NO BODY was around. They return to lock themselves away from their enemies (Jn 20:10).

Meanwhile, Jesus appears to the women in the garden (Jn 20:11-17) and they return to testify to seeing the risen Jesus (Jn 20:18).

And then, that Sunday evening, it happened. The worst weekend ever ushered in THE BEST DAY EVER!

John 20:19–20 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

After Jesus ascends to heaven, the once frightened followers of Jesus, the same ones who once hid behind locked doors in fear for their lives, stood with boldness before the very people who put Jesus to death!

Here’s the story: Peter & John went to the very temple where their enemies worked had healed a lame man by the authority & glory of the risen Jesus. The people who heard about the healing gathered to Peter & John share how this could happen.

Frightened Disciples Become Bold

Acts 4:1–4 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

2000 more people put their trust in Jesus. This is all happening in Jerusalem - the place where Jesus had been arrested, beaten, spit on, flogged, and marched out to be crucified - the same place where Jesus had been buried.

Acts 4:5–7 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family. After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

Would Peter & John back down? After all, these were the same men who had their King killed. These were the same ones they had earlier been hiding from.

But now things had changed. They had seen Jesus alive, and they trusted Him to help them speak the truth regardless of the consequences. They knew what YOU and I need to know,

BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said.

Acts 4:8–12 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

Wow! How does that happen!?! How do you STAND before the people who want you dead, the same ones who killed your King…in the same city? The Scripture doesn’t say it, but I would have loved to see Peter and John say, “How about let’s take a stroll to the tomb…you remember, the one you asked Roman soldiers to guard, and see that the tomb is EMPTY!

These guys were convinced that Jesus was ALIVE!

The scholars are right: The resurrection transformed the disciples.

Put yourself in their SANDALS. If you had seen what they said they saw, the RISEN JESUS standing right in front of you it would transform YOU TOO!

You realize that the One who rose from the dead can cause YOU to give you eternal life, and when the time comes, raise you from the dead. You know that the One who rose from the dead promised His Holy Spirit would never leave you, and empower you to share His message with others. You know that the One who rose from the dead would fulfill His promise to return.

They lived EVERYDAY with this reality on the front burner of their minds...

BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said.

If Jesus says He will never leave those who follow Him...then WE can trust that. If Jesus says there really is a heaven & hell, and judgment is coming…then WE can trust that. If Jesus commands us to walk in the forgiveness He died to pay for and offer His forgiveness to others…then WE should do THAT! If Jesus expects us to serve our family, friends, and even enemies...then WE should do THAT!

BIG QUESTION: What difference does the Risen Jesus make in my Daily Decisions?

Do you turn from sin & obey because Jesus is alive? Do you serve & give because Jesus is alive? Do you forgive others because Jesus is alive? Do you share with others because Jesus is alive?

OR is it possible that you haven’t experienced the BEST DAY EVER? Today could be the day you bow before the RISEN KING…the One who hung on a tree for you!

Turn from your sin and trust Jesus with your life.

A Prostitute Weighs the Price

Pastor John MacArthur tells the story of a woman who came to his office, informed him that she was a prostitute, and said, “I need help; I’m desperate.”

After presenting the claims of Christ to her, I said, “Would you like to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord?”

“Yes,” she replied, “I’ve had it.” She was at the bottom and knew it. So she prayed a prayer and seemingly invited Christ into her life. I said, “Now, I want you to do something. Do you have your little book with you that has the names of all your contacts?” When she replied that she did, I suggested, “Let’s take a match and burn it right now.”

Looking surprised, she responded, “What do you mean?”

“Just what I said,” I explained. “If you really met Jesus Christ as your Lord, if you really accepted His forgiveness and are going to live for Him, let’s burn that book and celebrate your new birth right now and just praise the Lord.”

“But it’s worth a lot of money, a lot of money,” she objected.

I said, “I am sure it is.”

Putting the book back in her purse and looking me in the eye, she said, “I don’t want to burn my book. I guess I really don’t want Jesus, do I?” And she left.

What do you want more than you want Jesus?

This week you & I need to ask ourselves, do we REALLY believe Jesus rose from the Grave, because...

BIG TRUTH: If He rose from the dead, we can trust what He said.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? Great! We don’t want you to believe what we say just because we say it! We want to help you EXAMINE the EVIDENCE! If you will send me, Justin, or Christy a TEXT this week, one of us WILL touch base with you today or tomorrow.