The Resurrection - The Devoted Women At The Tomb – Resurrection Message For Easter – Part 1 Series

THE RESURRECTION - THE DEVOTED WOMEN AT THE TOMB – RESURRECTION MESSAGE FOR EASTER – PART 1

[A]. INTRODUCTION TO RESURRECTION

As I am sure you all realise, this Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. (This message was given on an Easter Sunday). All our churches will be empty for Good Friday and Sunday services, the first time ever in Australia (that was during Australia’s draconian Covid lockdown – worst in the world). Many consider Easter to be the pivotal time for the Christian faith, but in fact, the events focused on at Easter, need to hold equal importance all through the year.

The death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are fundamental to our faith, not just a “once a year” consideration. This is why Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the Passover/betrayal night so that we could have a reminder before us always. We know from the New Testament and early Church writings that the Christians remembered the passion of the Lord weekly, often at night or very early in the morning, sometimes by a river, because Sunday was not a holiday in the Roman Empire. The weekly remembrance of His sacrifice draws the child of God closer to his/her Lord. I know this varies a lot in churches with some having “Communion” twice a month or once a month or quarterly and one group does not have it at all. There is much value in a weekly remembrance. It keeps the cost of our redemption close to us.

{{1Corinthians 15:3-8 “I delivered to you AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”}}

Everything God does for human confirmation is done with two or three witnesses. At this Passover time nothing was done in a corner. The dealings of God are open and transparent and there are several reasons for that. The first is that there is abundant proof of what transpired so that man is without excuse, so he can’t claim he did not know.

Secondly, the soul of man is dark and darkened solidly by sin so the word of God needs to be a hammer to break the hard heart – {{Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”}} Multiple witness can be that hammer. The Lord made sure that for the Resurrection, there were so many witnesses. Anyone living at the time of Paul could have sourced first hand witnesses of the resurrection easily enough.

What about us today? Well it is by faith. All the way through Hebrews 11 Paul uses the words “By faith,” and they are crucial for any approach to God as he also explained here – {{Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”}}

{{1Corinthians 15:12-20 “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain. Your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. IF THE DEAD ARE NOT RAISED, NOT EVEN CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied, BUT NOW CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD, THE FIRST FRUITS OF THOSE WHO ARE ASLEEP.”}}

While here on earth and at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus authoritively claimed He was the Resurrection and the Life. He did so BEFORE He raised Lazarus so after the appearance of Lazarus, His words were sealed. Without doubt Jesus is THE Resurrection and the Life. I thought I would look at the change in the women at the tomb of the Lord, and what the resurrection did for them, in these two Message Parts. This is more of a devotional message I want to share. I will begin with the burial and all the primary text today is taken from Luke’s Gospel.