Don’t Be Foolish When It Comes To The Resurrection

Don’t be Foolish when it comes to the Resurrection

Do you ever worry about being a fool? I’m not talking about just being considered a fool, but being an actual fool! I don’t know anyone who actually wants to be a fool!

Now imagine if Jesus were to call you a fool, now how would you feel?

Ouch!

There are many fools in this world. I implore you not to call anyone a fool, that’s just not nice and in the Bible it’s considered quite a sin. (Matthew 5:22)

In my opinion, anyone who does not figure out how to be saved is a fool since they will spend an eternity in hell! That is the ultimate foolishness, imo!

In this chapter, we are going to see where Jesus called His disciples foolish!

Hopefully, we can learn from this chapter so that we will not suffer this same fate and turn out to be fools! So this message is about Jesus’ Resurrection, but it’s also about not being foolish as the disciples were! So the title of this message is: Don’t be Foolish when it comes to the Resurrection!

I know these verses are sacred (as is the entire Bible), but let us look at these verses both as excitement in the resurrection, but also as they show us how we can learn from the disciples' failings and to not be foolish.

Before this chapter, of course we know that Jesus was crucified, and He was buried, and had been in the tomb for 3 days.

The disciples were discouraged. They were thinking that Jesus was the Messiah, but now they had their doubts. So much so, that they had almost given up hope!

Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt to have lost Jesus and wondering if He would come back?

The disciples appear to have made up their mind that He wouldn’t come back and that it was all a lie and they were fools for believing in Him!

Their hope was almost gone!

Luke 24

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, …

Now here’s the first problem. If the disciples were in their right mind and understood what was happening they would have gone to the tomb expecting Jesus to have been risen. For that matter they wouldn’t have even gone to the tomb, they would have just known He was risen and would be somewhere else! The fact that they went to the tomb shows their lack of understanding or even lack of faith. Of course hindsight is 20-20 and if we were in their shoes we would have probably behaved the same so you can’t blame them too harshly.

4b … behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.”

So these ladies were sort of scolded by the angels for coming to the tomb. Why are you seeking the living among the dead! They should have known. Then they were schooled by the angels too! Remember, crucified, rise the third day. Oof!

8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 Now these women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe the women. 12 Nevertheless, Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and when he stooped and looked in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

So the women went back to the eleven and reported what had happened but even the eleven considered what they said as nonsense? Ugg.

Even after Peter went to the tomb himself, he had trouble “getting it” and it says he was marveling about it which seems to suggest that it didn’t immediately “click”.

The Road to Emmaus

13 And behold, on that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia* from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they came to a stop, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”