HE’S ALIVE

TEXT: Matthew 28:6

INTRODUCTION: It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.

 Late in the day it flashed the signal: "W‑E‑L‑L‑I‑N‑G‑T‑O‑N   D‑E‑F‑E‑A‑T‑E‑D."  Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city. The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was: "W‑E‑L‑L‑I‑N‑G‑T‑O‑N  D-E‑F‑E‑A‑T‑E‑D  T‑H‑E E‑N‑E‑M‑Y!"  It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy, defeat was turned into victory!

  So it was when Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon. Hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus' most loyal friends. After the frightful crucifixion, the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding had crept in on the friends of Jesus. They had "read" only part of the divine message. "Christ defeated" was all that they knew. But then on the third day‑‑Easter Sunday‑‑the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding lifted, and the world received the complete message: "Christ defeated death!" Defeat was turned into victory; death was turned to life!

Why was Jesus raised from the grave.  He answers this question in when he spoke to Paul and gave Paul his commission.  

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

I.         TO OPEN OUR BLIND EYES  "To open their eyes..."

A.     Blinded by Satan

B.     To open the eyes of men: to help them see the truth of God and of themselves, and of their world; to give men purpose, meaning, and significance in life.

1 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1.      Temptation of Eve

C.     That we might know God as our end and Christ as our way

D.     Man does not believe he is accountable

1.      Prepare to meet thy God

Amos 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

2.      Everyone must give an account of himself to God

Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

3.      Death and the judgment are appointments

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

E.     Satan has blinded man as to the way of salvation

1.      Reformation

2.      Baptism

3.      Church Membership

John 14:6 "Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

II.      TO TURN US FROM DARKNESS "…to turn them from darkness to light.

A.     To turn men from darkness to light: to save men from stumbling about, falling and dooming themselves in the darkness of sin and shame; to turn men from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness.

B.     Darkness represents sin

C.     Light represents salvation

D.     Man lives in sin

1.      Homosexuality

2.      Murder

3.      Stealing

4.      Abuse

III.   TO LIBERATE US FROM SATAN'S POWER "And from the power of Satan unto God.

Matthew 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

A.     To turn men from the power of Satan to God: to turn men from the slavery, control, and bondage of evil to the liberty and power and life that is in God Himself.

B.     Satan is the master of the sinner

C.     He has control over you

1.      Drugs

2.      Alcohol

3.      Discouragement

4.      Depression

IV.   TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS  "...that they might receive forgiveness of their sins.  "

Ephesians 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

A.     Guilt by association

1.      We are born in sin

2.      Example of Drugs in car

B.     To forgive men their sins. There are four main ideas in the Biblical concept of forgiveness.

1.      There is the idea of why forgiveness is needed.

a)      Forgiveness is needed because of wrong doing and guilt and the penalty arising from both.

2.      There is the idea of a once-for-all forgiveness, a total forgiveness.

a)      A man is forgiven once-for-all when he receives Jesus Christ as his Savior.

b)      Belief in Jesus Christ, true repentance, is the only condition for being forgiven once-for-all.

3.      There is the idea of forgiveness that maintains fellowship.

a)      Fellowship exists between God as Father and the believer as His child.

b)      When the child does wrong, the fellowship is disturbed and broken.

c)      The condition for restoring the fellowship is confessing and forsaking the sin

4.      There is the idea of a releasing from guilt.

a)      This is one of the differences between a man forgiving another man and God forgiving a man.

b)      A man may forgive a person for wronging him, but he can never remove the guilt that his friend feels.

c)      And often he cannot remove the resentment he himself feels within his own heart.

d)      Only God can remove the guilt and assure the removal of resentment. God does both.

e)      God forgives and erases the guilt and resentment

C.     He is the intercessor (our representative) to God

D.     He has been given the authority to forgive sins

V.      TO SECURE A PLACE FOR US IN HEAVEN "...and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me."

John 14:2-3  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

A.     To give men a spiritual inheritance: to give them a part in the promised land of heaven and eternity; to give every man a share of God’s glorious promise of life eternal

B.     Waiting for our arrival

1.      Stephen saw Him standing

C.     What is heaven like

1.      No sin

2.      No suffering

3.      No sickness

4.      No death

5.      No good-bye

D.     Story Jewish wedding

Conclusion:

Jesus is alive.

He lives to heal your broken heart.

Does he live in your heart and life? 

A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings, he became petrified. But the father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy. His father saw his panic‑stricken face. Once again the father reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to his hand. There still stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. "Do you see this?" he said. "You don't need to be afraid anymore. I've taken the sting for you."