"No Idle Tale"

Intro: Nonsense. Sometimes we here stories so incredible dumbfounding or unbelievable that sometimes we just say, nonsense. Sometimes, they are true, and sometimes, they aren’t true. I can tell you today that I shot ten this past week at Mulberry Hill golfing. And you would rightfully say, nonsense. Or you could send me a video of Bigfoot walking around and say, look, here’s Bigfoot! Nonsense.

And that’s exactly the initial response of the disciples to the news of the resurrection from the ladies that proclaimed it to them. And that can be the response of many in our world today. It may even be the response of some of you here today in this place. And then, though we may not say nonsense, may even say we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, but our lives don’t reflect it. We functionally believe this to be an idle tale.

But if the resurrection is true (and it is), then the implications mean that our lives change. From death to resurrected life, our lives are transformed.

CTS: True faith in the resurrected Jesus brings promise of grace, peace, and purpose.

I. The Reality of the Resurrection

A. The buried body (23:44-56)

Death is the reality that all people face because of sin.

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus came willingly to die. He really gave up His spirit and put into a tomb. Jesus had to die because he was paying our sin debt. In order to defeat death, a sinless sacrifice who was like us in every manner. Jesus is fully God, yet fully man. And he died a real death. He didn’t swoon. The apostles and disciples didn’t hallucinate. He was really laid in the tomb. The fact of the matter is that Jesus is recorded in history to have really lived and to have really died by crucifixion. Historical records say this to be true, but more importantly, the Scriptures say this to be true. But there is one fact that remains...

B. The empty tomb (24:1-12)

Yet the text indicates that on the third day, fulfilling again what Jesus promised would happen, the tomb was empty. The women that watched Jesus die also go to make sure he would be prepared for that burial. They were not able to do so on the day he died, so that had to wait. They see the stone rolled away, and to their confusion, the body wasn’t there.

The empty tomb does not prove the resurrection. Why? Because someone could have moved or stolen the body. That’s why the women were confused. That’s why there were many quick to doubt. Many messianic figures had come and gone and died, so Jesus must have just been another failed messiah.

But it was the beginning of the truth. And the angels make it very clear to the women who are confounded and confused.

First, there a gentle rebuke: Why are you looking for the living among the dead?

Second, they remind them of what was said: Remember when he said? (three times in his ministry did he predict his death and resurrection)

And the dawn of realization that Jesus really rose, they began to go. These women are the first proclaimers of the resurrected Jesus. A little side not here: Remember ladies. You are instrumental in the kingdom of God, and have been called clearly to go and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

C. The bodily resurrection (24:36-43)

But the empty tomb is not enough. The appearance of the actual resurrected Savior would solidify what actually happened. Jesus is alive! Just as He promised. He isn’t a ghost. He isn’t there to scare them. He brings peace through his resurrection. No need to be afraid. He can be touched just as we are touched. He eats just like we eat. Jesus bodily died and bodily rose again. Death has been defeated. Nothing has ever been done like this. Jesus rose two people from the dead in his ministry. But greater than that, the God himself raised himself from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 ESV

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So yes, peace to them, to not be afraid. But even further, peace to you, for I have made you at peace with God through what I have just accomplished. I finished the work of your salvation and redemption.

So the incredible truth of the resurrection is clear to see. The disciples saw Him. It says in 1 Corinthians that Paul states 500 others saw him resurrected. But so what? What are the implications of this resurrection? Why is Easter morning so important?

II. The Implications of the Resurrection (44-52)

A. God makes good on His promises

Jesus says all the Scriptures point to Him (44-45)

Jesus declares that what He predicted came to pass (46, 6-8)

Promises of grace and peace are tangible and real.

Application: Foundational to faith is the revelation of God to us. This event wasn’t something that randomly came about. This promise of redemption has been made clear through God’s revelation of Himself throughout biblical history in which we have in our hands today called the Bible. This truth of the promises of God are founded in these promises made for thousands of years. The resurrection proves that what God promises He would do, He did. The Bible is the foundation of God’s revealing. Do you want to know the risen Savior? Know the Bible that clearly promised him, reveals him, and tells us how to live for him and his glory.

Someone might say, if Jesus would just show up in front of me right now, I will believe in Him. And that has already been stated in Scripture as not the case. Listen to what is said by Jesus when he tells the story about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man is in hell and asks Abraham to send Lazarus to tell his family about the reality of eternal life.

Luke 16:27–31 ESV

27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

The implications of the resurrection from Scripture is much more than just facts to know. It’s a life to be lived. Trusting in this Savior, to know that He will redeem and save mankind through Himself, that He came to save sinners like you and me and to redeem us by His own sacrificial death and resurrection. Do you trust in this, as the Bible tells you to put His trust in Him?

B. True faith is necessary to receive grace

Believing in Jesus, in who He says He is and in who we are as sinners (identity)

Believing in Jesus, in what He did for us (grace)

Confessing and turning away from the sin that transgressed His law, His standard, that deserved death (repentance)

Application: Today, I know that many of you have heard this story countless times before. Some may be here today, and you come on the holidays with your family. We are glad that you are here, I am glad that you are here. But I want to speak to everyone here today and let you see from Scripture what true faith is. True faith is not just believing that Jesus existed. It’s not just believing that the tomb is empty.

True faith is trusting in Jesus. What does that mean? That you submit your life to His. You acknowledge who He is, that He is God himself. And if He is God, there are implications for our lives. He is Lord, He is God, and what He says goes.

You also recognize who you are, that you are a sinner that have broken God’s laws and standards. That in that, you cannot save yourself, that your works cannot save you.

Ephesians 2:5 ESV

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

And that what Jesus has done, is that He really died, He really rose again for your redemption and your salvation. You must believe in Him by faith, saved by His grace for your salvation. You repent of your old ways, your sin, and turn to Christ and trust in Him for salvation and trust Him with your life.

C. Our lives are changed

We are at peace with God, no longer in sin, no longer facing His wrath for our sin, because Jesus took our place and paid our sin debt.

We no longer face death because Jesus crushed death for us and crushed the head of the serpent

We are given resurrection life that begins now

Our lives are no longer our own, but belong to God

United in Christ

We are now made part of His people, the church

We are now witnesses who proclaim the Gospel of repentance (48-49)

Application: That last point that I made in the previous section on faith is that our lives our His. Why? Because our lives have been bought with a price. That price was paid by Jesus, our Lord and Savior. The resurrected King is king over us. What does that look like?

- We no longer are in sin, so we desire to sin no more.

- We no longer face death, so we live our lives in with no fear of death, willing to give it all to Christ, no matter what the cost.

- We are resurrected, so my life begins to live like a new resurrected life.

Romans 6:5–11 ESV

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

- The new life includes a new family: the church. And no, not just a casual relationship with the church, but a committed covenant with a local church where the people gather for worship, for discipleship, and for disciple making. And guess what? The church doesn’t just celebrate the resurrection on Easter. We celebrate the resurrection EVERY SUNDAY. And those that know Christ need to be a part of this resurrection body of believers called the church, universally and locally.

- We are now his witnesses. Luke 24:48-49 says this very clearly. The rest of the Scriptures make it clear. The life of the believer, the one who has repented and trusted in Jesus are in Christ, made part of His church (which is why the local church is of vital importance for every believer). We are then called to go and make disciples, proclaiming Christ to our neighbors, friends, coworkers, community, family, and strangers alike. We proclaim it here, there, and everywhere, to the ends of the earth. Why? Because our Savior is worthy of it, and we want more people to worship the worthy One, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:17–18 ESV

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Do you know the one who holds the keys to Death and Hades? Have you put true faith in Him? And is your life a resurrected life with purpose for His glory?