Holy Week: Life After Death Series

“Holy Week: Life After Death”

Resurrection Sunday

NewSong Church – 03/23/08

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**NOTE: THIS IS A CONCEPT OUTLINE FOR THIS MESSAGE. GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THIS SERIES.

:: Life after Death ::

Luke 23:48-56

“And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

As Jesus’ body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.”

Loss & Loneliness

• 5 Stages of Grief

• Denial

• Anger

• Bargaining

• Depression

• Acceptance

We can assume that to some degree, the disciples were experiencing some of these emotions.

They had just lost their friend, their teacher, the one they thought was the Messiah

We Had Hoped He Was the Messiah

Luke 24:19-21 “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel.”

When Hope is Gone

• Without hope, our lives become filled with confusion

• We wander without purpose, without direction

• We look for something to latch onto, to find foundation for our lives

We thought that we had found that hope in Jesus, but now we’re not so sure.

There are times when it seems that he is gone.

When we are alone.

And we ask ourselves -what do we do now?

:: The Resurrection ::

Luke 24:1-12 - “But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

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? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 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.”

Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 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.”

Caught by Surprise

One element is common throughout the Gospel narrative: a sense of wonder, astonishment, surprise.

• Despite the prophecies and statements made by Jesus forecasting his resurrection, when it happened, no one expected it.

• The first people involved in His resurrection were totally involved in His death – the resurrection caught them off guard, forcing them to deal with life out of death, and creating in them a sense of awe and wonder.

• It makes you wonder why, if they didn’t expect Jesus to rise again, is it so important?

Why is the Resurrection Important?

Hank Hanegraaff writes, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest feat in the annals of human history. It is the very “capstone in the arch of Christianity.” Without it, all else crumbles. When we fully comprehend the significance of resurrection, our lives will be revolutionized. Without resurrection, there is no hope. Indeed without resurrection, there would be no Christianity.”

If there had been no resurrection, then Christ proved Himself nothing more than a self-deceived prophet or crazy man and all of us are fools for trusting Him.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 - “But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.