Easter Sunday

 How could He have appeared on the road to Emmaus a short time later?

 How could He have used His arms after they had been stretched and pulled from their joints?

 Remember the massive wounds on His back?

 Remember the spear thrust into His side?

L. Let me ask you this: Do you think for a moment that s person, in that kind of pathetic condition, could have ever inspired His disciples to go out and proclaim the He is the Lord of life and that He had triumphed over the grave? No Way!

1. After suffering the horrible abuse, with all the catastrophic blood loss and trauma, Jesus would have looked so pitiful that the disciples would have never hailed Him as the victorious Conqueror of Death!

2. It’s impossible to say that if He had appeared to them in that awful state, that the apostles would have started a worldwide movement based on the hope that someday they too would have a resurrection body like this? There’s just no way!

III. A Question For The Heart.

Jesus intentionally walked into the arms of His betrayer; He didn’t resist arrest; He didn’t defend Himself at His trial – it was clear that He willing subjected Himself to an agonizing torture. Why? What could have possible motivated Him to agree to endure that punishment?

A. Jesus knew what was coming and He still went through it anyway! Why?

B. Because this was the only way He could redeem you and me! By becoming our substitute and paying the death penalty that you and I deserve! That was His whole mission for coming to earth!

1. The answer can be summed up with one word – and that would be LOVE!

IV. What Happened at The Tomb?

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 (TLB), “I passed on to you right from the first what had been told to me, that Christ died for our sins just as the Scriptures said he would, 4 and that he was buried, and that three days afterwards he arose from the grave just as the prophets foretold. 5 He was seen by Peter and later by the rest of “the Twelve.” 6 After that he was seen by more than five hundred Christian brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. 7 Then James saw him, and later all the apostles.”

A. This was a very early creed passed on by Jesus to the church. 1 Corinthians 15:3 (“For what I received I passed on to as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins just as the Scriptures had said. Then verse 4 says: that he was buried, and that three days afterwards he arose from the grave just as the Scriptures said.”

B. The creed then goes on to say: 5 He was seen by Peter and later by the rest of “the Twelve.” 6 After that he was seen by more than five hundred Christian brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. 7 Then James saw him, and later all the apostles.”

1. Essentially this creed is a 4-line formula.

 The 1st one refers to the crucifixion

 The 2nd refers to His burial

 The 3rd to His resurrection