He's Alive, He's Alive!

Text: Matthew 28:1-7

Title: He’s Alive!- He’s Alive!

Introduction: The very heart of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ! In 1 Corinthians 15 St. Paul reasoned, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . .We are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead." In that same chapter he says "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen sleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." But then Paul triumphantly declares, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:14-20).

FRIDAY MORNING there was a parade in Jerusalem with Jesus now humiliated carrying the cross along the Via Dolorosa...now the crowd jeered ...screamed “crucify Him...we have no king but Caesar!”...and He was led to the Place of the Skull-Golgotha. He was stretched out for all to see on a cross...nails in His hands and feet and hung in agony...and He died--but, not before forgiving one of two thieves hung on either side of Him...and then offering forgiveness to all...His body [battered, beaten, and bruised]...His blood was shed for all mankind. He had told His disciples--“This is how much God loved the world. He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need to be destroyed, by believing in Him, anyone can have whole and lasting life!” {John 3:16}

BUT…THEN CAME SUNDAY: The cross...Jesus’ death...was not the end of the story--in a real sense, it was really just the beginning. Try to imagine the scene as described by Eugene Peterson in “The Message”-- “After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. This is not an account of how Jesus rose from the dead but of how his resurrection was discovered. The miraculous removal of the stone was not in order to let Jesus out but to let the women in to see the empty tomb. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move! “The angel spoke to the women: ‘There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here! He was raised, just as He said.

I. Come (6a)

• come hither, come here, come; interjection, come; come now! – there has been a change of plans

II. See (6b)

• See - 1A to perceive with the eyes. 1C to perceive, notice, discern, discover. 1D1 i.e. to turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything. 1D2 to pay attention, observe. 1D3 to see about something. 1D4 to inspect, examine. 1D5 to look at, behold. 1E to experience any state or condition. 2 to know. 2A to know of anything. 2B to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive. 2B1 of any fact. 2C to have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to (1Th. 5:12).

• There are some things you ought to know…

III. Go quickly & Tell (7a)

• Go - 1A to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one’s journey. 1C1 to lead or order one’s life.

• Quickly - 1 quickly, speedily (without delay).

• Tell - AV translates as “say” 859 times, “speak” 57 times, “tell” 41 times, “command” eight times, “bid” five times, translated miscellaneously six times, and “vr say” once. 1 to speak, say.

Conclusion-Tell what? Jesus has been raised from the dead! - The true Easter message is “Come and see. . . . Go and tell!” Every Sunday is resurrection day for the believer.