Because He Lives

BECAUSE JESUS LIVES

- Read Matthew 28:1-10

A man was walking down a street when he noticed in

a store window a beautiful painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He stood there gazing at the picture for the longest than realized that a little boy was standing beside him. He patted the little boy on the head and said, "Son, what does that mean?" The little boy said, "Doncha know? That there man is Jesus, an’ the woman that’s crying is His mother, an’ them others is Roman soldiers. They killed Him." The man smiled and then started walking away. In a few moments he heard someone running, turned and saw that it was the little boy. He came running up to the man, out of breath, and said, "Mister, mister, I forgot to tell you that he didn’t stay dead."

Today is a special day for Christians. It is Easter. It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is interesting that we think of this event only 1 day a year, while the early Christians celebrated that fact every week. That is why they began worshipping on the first day of the week instead of the 7th.

They celebrated each week the resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event that changed not only the Christians’ day of worship, but all of human history.

My friends, today we celebrate because of an empty tomb. We celebrate because Jesus lives. Folks I want you to know this morning, that because that tomb was empty, because Jesus is alive, there are 4 things you can be sure of.

Because Jesus is alive, you can be sure:

I. DARK DAYS WILL NOT LAST

Things looked pretty dark just a few days before Jesus’ resurrection. Things looked pretty bad on Thursday evening and on into Friday. Think about it. Those were dark days.

Thursday and Friday, Judas took money and that long-time companion of Jesus, betrayed him with a kiss.

On Thursday & Friday, they held a mock trial for our Savior. Witnesses were called that lied about Him. Imagine the darkness of that day, when the followers of Jesus heard the terrible sound of the cat-of-nine-tails, swing through the air and rip the flesh of our Savior. Because He’s alive, we remember, dark days to not last.

Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the head of our Savior? Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the brow of the Creator of the universe? Remember how the blood from those thorns mingled with His sweat and ran down His cheeks? That was a dark day, but dark days will not last.

I imagine the mouths of those who spit on Jesus, would have gone dry if they had known Whom they were spitting on. That was a dark day, but there at the tomb and remember, dark days will not last.

Remember how Pilate and Herod ordered Jesus to be led here and there? Remember how Jesus, the Creator of those rascals allowed Himself to be led here & there? That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb and remember, dark days do not last.

It was a dark day, when Jesus was led down the road, carrying His cross, while the crowds yelled and cursed at Him.

It was a dark day, when they lay our Savior on the cross, and drove their wicked spikes into His hands and feet.

Remember when the 2 thieves cursed Him? Remember when the religious leaders made fun of Him and told Jesus to take Himself off the cross, even though He was up there dying for them? That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, and remember, dark days do not last.

Remember when God turned His back on Jesus and for the first time in all of eternity, Jesus was cut off from fellowship with His Father? Do you remember how Jesus cried out and asked why God had forsaken Him, and how darkness covered the earth? That was a dark day.

Remember when Jesus told His mother goodbye? Can anything known to man match the grief Mary felt as she cried at the foot of Jesus’ cross? Let me tell you, that was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, remember Jesus is alive and because Jesus is alive we know, dark days will not last.

Was there ever any darker day, than that day, when they placed Jesus in the tomb, rolled a stone in front of it, sealed it, and placed Roman soldiers there to guard it? It seemed that all the disciples had devoted their lives to was over. They had left their families. They had left their homes. They had left their careers. They had abandoned their possessions. They had placed all of their hope in Jesus and now He was rolled behind a rock. He was stuck behind a seal. He was guarded in a garden.