Luke #18: Easter 2022

The gospel of Luke, was written by a doctor, Dr Luke, he was a medical doctor, he also wrote the book of Acts. Acts is the story of the Spirit of God and the Church… The gospel of Luke is the story of Jesus and God’s plan to save the world.

His story leads up to the Passover when Jesus was crucified.

So, for those of you who have been following along, today I’m going to fast forward to the end.

This is good as we continue to work through the gospel because it frames what we will be studying in the weeks to come… and it’s the Easter story.

I’ve asked Michelle to read it for me… you can follow along in Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1–12 NLT

1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

This is truly an amazing story. No one expected Jesus to be killed but he was… and his family and followers were heartbroken.

But once he did, they expected to find his body right where they left it… but it’s not there.

You see, no one was expecting a resurrection. Why would they?One reason might be because he had told them this would happen. But they aren’t thinking about that right now. Now all they want to know is what happened to Jesus.

Now no one expected the resurrection, yet that is exactly what has happened.

The next scene in the story of the resurrection we find two of Jesus followers walking home and Jesus comes upon them and the Spirit keeps them from recognizing him and Jesus asks What are you talking about?

And they are like… don’t you know what’s happened? Where have you been? They go on to tell the story of what had happened to Jesus and how the others had looked for him that morning only to be told he’s alive… but not seeing him yet.

With that news Jesus begins to tell them all the ways that the OT had said this would happen. They walked several miles together that afternoon.

Then they came to their village and Jesus was going to continue, but they asked him to come to dinner… not knowing still it was Jesus. He agreed… far be it for Jesus to skip a meal.

Then during the meal Jesus went to break the bread and give thanks and in that moment their eyes were opened. They realized it was Jesus.

And then he disappeared the bible tells us.

Well, the time for being sad and angry was over. These two immediately got up and went back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples Jesus is Alive.

In a moment everything changed for these two.

One minute they were sad, confused and hopeless… the next they were renewed.

They had experienced something that would change their lives.

What happened? The Resurrection.

The resurrection gives hope.

Hope is something that more and more people in our world need.

It seems that from a pandemic, to the economy, to politics, to family problems, mental health, social media, everywhere you look today it seems there is a need for hope.

I’m more convinced than ever that what we need, what our neighbors need, our world needs is a reminder of how the resurrection brings us hope.

Today I want to remind you of 5 ways that the resurrection brings hope to our lives today. There are probably more, but I want to just remind you of 5 big ones… connect the dots again for you… or for the first time.

How does the resurrection give hope for today?

5 reasons… that demand one response

First.

Guilt and Shame have lost their power.

Guilt is that feeling you get when you do something wrong… even if you don’t feel it - it’s what happens when you make a mistake… you are guilty.

We’ve probably all heard or been told that Jesus died for your sins. But I don’t know if that gives as much hope as it should.

Probably because by and large we think of ourselves as pretty good people right… on a scale of 0-10 in the need for forgiveness we like to think of ourselves as good as most folks… like a 6 or maybe a 7.

Problem is, we know God judges on a different scale. It’s all or nothing. and since we aren’t perfect… and we know we aren’t perfect… we know we are guilty.

And this guilt can be a good thing… when it corrects us we call it conviction. That feeling in our heart that we are off track - in dangerous territory… slow down people look up to you… don’t eat that, drink that, look at - say - do that, because it’s not going to solve your problem - it’ll just make the problem worse.

That’s conviction.

The real problem is that we allow our guilt to take over. We get stuck in it and that’s where shame takes root.

Shame is when we start to believe that we are the mistake… not our behavior.

We were created in the image of God, but we start to doubt that God would want anything to do with us because of our guilt… that’s our shame talking.

Jesus died to pay the price for our sin… to take our punishment so that we would be free!

Scripture tells us in

Ephesians 1:7 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

WE have hope today because through faith in Jesus’s work on the cross, we have been redeemed. That means our sins have been paid for… we owe nothing.

As followers of Jesus, guilt and shame no longer have power over us.

Jesus has set us free. We access the freedom Jesus made possible by trust in his work on the cross.

First the Resurrection gives us hope because it tells us that Jesus died to redeem us from our guilt.

Second, we have hope because in the resurrection

Death is defeated.

Since creation everything dies. We know that. And yet that is the one thing we all fear… probably the greatest fear of our lives is death.

It’s a fine line between being safe and cautious because life is precious and people depend on us and getting wrapped up in fear of dying...

Think of all the money we are willing to spend to stay alive here on earth just a little bit longer.

Death touches us all. It doesn’t respect anyone. Gender, wealth, position.

Think of how a fear of death can limit your life.

How trying to maximize this life causes us to miss the point.

That’s what the disciples were doing when Jesus was arrested and on trial… they were trying to squeeze more out of life. They ran, hid, sought safety above everything else.

But then, everything changed.

Acts 1:3 NIV

3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Disciples changed from coward to courage.

Because they were no longer afraid to die… death had no more sting.

At the moment they had no idea the significance of it, in fact, Jesus’s closest followers ran and hid, thinking Rome would come for them too.

A scared bunch of poorly educated men and women hiding… and just a few weeks later they would launch the greatest movement the world has ever known.

They were convinced… because of the resurrection of Jesus, and the promises that he had made, there’s a greater life to come after our death

John 11:25 NIV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

That’s God’s promise to us.

We need not fear death, because the resurrection of Jesus is proof that death has been defeated.

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The third way the resurrection gives hope is that as a result of the resurrection...

We have God’s Spirit in us.

When Jesus knew he was about to be arrested and be crucified, he told his followers:

John 16:7 NIV

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus is saying to his followers, there’s something better than having me with you…

Having the Holy Spirit IN YOU

And Jesus said I will send him when I die.

As Jesus said to his disciples before he left the last time

Acts 1:8 NCV

8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”

This Holy Spirit brings power… resurrection power. Power to continue the work of Jesus.

Showing the whole world how regular people can be transformed by faith in Jesus. This power would enable them to live the new life that Jesus gives us when we believe… when we are born again.

As Paul wrote in Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:19–20 NLT

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Having God’s spirit in us means we have God’s power… resurrection power in us.

Power to keep us - hold us - in spite of death for sure...

But also power for living.

Power over addictions.

Power over self defeating lies.

Power over selfish desires.

Power to forgive people who haven’t earned it.

Power to love those you don’t like.

Not only are sin and death defeated… but whatever power they had is overcome by the power of God… the power he gives his disciples.

Life is hard. God knows because Jesus lived it… God knows because it’s been this way since Adam and Eve first sinned.

But just because life is hard doesn’t mean God doesn’t have a plan.

The reality is we weren’t meant to live by human will power alone. God wants us to have His power.

The only way for us to have it is if He lives in us… and that happens when we trust in the work of Jesus on the cross, accept the forgiveness for sin that He offers, and accept Jesus as the Lord of our life.

“But I can’t stop”.

Maybe not… but the spirit alive in you can help.

Say No

Use the sword of spirit

Rebuild the house

Many of us are continuing to battle sin and it’s effects in our lives… and this Easter morning we rejoice in having the power of God in us...

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The resurrection also brings us hope because it shows us that

God won’t stop loving us

There is literally nothing you could do to quench God’s love… because God is love.

I tell my kids that there’s nothing they could do to make me love them more… and nothing they could do to make me love them less. My love for my kids is a reality… it’s not a feeling.

And my love is limited… but God's love is limitless… Jesus said:

John 15:13 NIV

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

We talked about this at our Maundy Thursday service… that love of God.

Love that goes first every time that Jesus described at the last supper.

John 13:34 NIV

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

As I loved you… love one another… how did he love us? He gave his life for us. And who are we?

Let me ask you something… who killed Jesus?

- Rome (soldiers and courts)

- Jews (pushing the case)

- Us (our sin)

- God (for us)

IF God gave up his son for us how much more could he do to save us…

Romans 8:37–39 NIV

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That’s our purpose… to be in relationship with God… loved by him - loving him - and through the work of Jesus on the cross, that relationship has been restored.

That’s why you are here… to love and be loved by God.

No matter what the world tells us we know our lives have purpose.

God won’t stop loving us

We have God’s spirit in us

Death is defeated

Shame and Guilt are powerless - we are forgiven

The 5th way the resurrection brings hope today.

We will never be alone

This one seems like an obvious one. But being alone can be one of the most hope depleting experiences.

It’s considered to be one of the biggest sources of mental illness today as we all experienced in one way or another over the last few years during the Covid epidemic.

Why was it such a problem? Because we were created to be in relationships with others.

But if we isolate ourselves from others because we think we might have a virus or we don’t think we are good enough… worth enough… what ever lie it is we tell ourselves that’s exactly where we find ourselves… alone in our lives… alone in our thoughts… alone in our problems.

But the resurrection brings hope because Jesus will always be there.

Hebrews 13:5 NIV

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Don’t let the worries of this world distract you from the fact that GOD IS WITH YOU.

Even death couldn’t keep Jesus down… and through faith you are eternally with HIM.

We will never be alone.

God won’t stop loving us

We have God’s spirit in us

Death is defeated

Shame and Guilt are powerless - we are forgiven

Paul wrote in Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:18–21 NIV

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Resurrection = Hope

Because His power over the grave is living hope, the hope that Christ offers us it’s constant, active, and it lasts forever. It’s never dependent on us and our abilities; it’s only found in Him. In a world of darkness, we often feel that we’re up against hard struggles, or we’re constantly battling fears and worries that seek to overwhelm us. It’s easy sometimes to lose our hope. Maybe we’ve tried to put our hope in other temporal things or even in the people that mean most to us. But people leave us or let us down at times; money is here today and gone tomorrow; material possessions fade away. The only true promise of lasting hope in this life can be found in Christ. He is stronger than all the things that we can lose here in this world. He defeated the powers that seek to pull us from Him. He’s the author of hope and the giver of peace in times when we experience troubles or struggles. If you’ve found your hope has run dry through the difficult seasons you’re facing, ask Him for His help and refreshment in your life. His hope never runs in short supply, and He promises to provide all that we need to live strong and free.

The hope you want is right here.

Knowing this, I want to give us all a chance to walk in this new way starting today… this hope is found in trusting what Jesus said and did, surrendering to His way for your life. Giving your heart to God.

WE do that in prayer… You can pray like this… in fact, I invite you to pray even if you are a life long follower of Jesus because you know as well as I do that salvation isn’t a one time thing… but an ongoing process that begins with a prayer like this:

"Dear God, I come before you today with a humble heart and surrender my life to you. I believe that Jesus died, innocent of sin, on the cross as a payment for my sin, and three days later he rose from the dead. Thank you for saving me from my sin and giving me eternal life because of what Jesus did for me.

God, today I repent, I turn from my old way of life, living for me. Because of your grace, my life can be restored.

Today I ask for new life through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Thank you God for giving me Jesus, for forgiving me my sin, and making me brand new.