Come Forth! Series

Come Forth! Easter Sunday am

We move from the realm of shadow, type, and prophecy, into the full sunshine of the presentation of the Son of God.

The Old Testament speaks of him on every page, but speaks in shadows, in types, in symbols, and in prophecies---all looking forward to someone coming

When we open the Gospels, that someone steps forward in the fullness of his glory. As John says, "We have beheld his glory...as of the only Son from the Father." (Jn. 1:14)

Let’s look at the day when the resurrection itself took place:

Matt 28:1-10 (reading)

We have here the testimony of the angel, and of Christ himself to the resurrection

When the women came at the end of the Sabbath, at dawn toward the first day of the week this fixes the time of Christ’s resurrection

He arose the third day after his death; the time, which he had often spoken about

He was buried in the evening of the sixth day of the week, and rose in the morning of the first day of the following week

He lay in the grave about thirty-six or thirty-eight hours. He lay so long, to show that he was really and truly dead; and no longer, that he might not see corruption

He arose the third day, to accomplish that prediction (Hos. 6:2), The third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight

He arose after the Jewish Sabbath at Passover

All that day he lay in the grave, to signify the abolishing of the Jewish feasts and other ceremonial laws

People must be put aside such observances

Christ on the sixth day finished his work; he said, It is finished; on the seventh day he rested, and then on the first day of the next week he began a new world, opening up new work through a new way

Let there be light! Gen 1:3

It’s interesting to note how when Jesus died the curtain was torn from top to bottom

It was our entry into his presence, but it was also God saying ‘I’m leaving this temple.’

One thing God detests is religion and observances which nothing to the change of the sinful nature within mankind

What is the point of Easter if not to change the heart of man?

Easter wasn’t for God’s benefit but for man’s; the same as the Sabbath and the law

Without the resurrection of Christ, His deity could be debated; the doctrine of salvation would be destroyed

The Bible would be denied

Had Jesus just died and stayed dead, He would be like other religious leaders

The world could say there is “no difference”

He would be just like Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, and Joseph Smith (just to name a few)

The graves of these leaders are all occupied!

We know it was a bodily resurrection; he ate and drank

1 Peter 3:18-9, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit”

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification

So now the work was finished, the dawn of a new era had dawned

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who sat at the cross, now sat at the tomb

But where was Jesus?

Some say:

· They went to the wrong tomb

· They stole the body

· The authorities took it

Over 500 witnessed his resurrected state

Easter resulted in a change of day they set to worship (now Sunday, the lord’s day)

It also birthed the church

It wasn’t the first resurrection, OT and NT detail accounts of people being raised from the dead

Even Mary’s brother Lazarus had been dead for 4 days!

Surely she was waiting for Jesus to walk out of the tomb

So what was different about this resurrection?

I Cor 15:17-19 (reading)

If Christ is not raised, your faith is futile…

The doctrine of Christ’s death and resurrection the foundation of Christianity, remove this, and the whole thing will fall

All hopes for our eternity are gone

By holding this truth Christians can stand in a day of trial

Paul was answering those who rejected the resurrection

Paul knew it was true for he had encountered Christ himself

If Jesus’ claims were not confirmed in the resurrection, on what basis does the Holy Spirit now testify?

If Jesus wasn’t whom he claimed, then to whom does the Holy Spirit witness?

During the reformation they believed in a three-fold conception of faith

1. Faith begins with the ‘nortitia’; the knowledge of the history of who Jesus is

2. Then there’s the ‘assensus’ the spiritual acknowledgement or agreement that Jesus is divine, which translates into