Jesus And The Resurrection Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

• (1). The Women (chapter 23 verse 55 to chapter 24 verse 3)

• (2). The Angelic Beings (chapter 24 verses 4-8)

• (3). The Disciples (chapter 24 verses 9-12)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Five-year-old Brian had to recite a Bible verse in the Easter Sunday service.

• He was meant to stand up and say, “He is not here, he is risen”

• (Luke chapter 24 verse 6).

• Unfortunately, when he saw all the people looking at him, he got stage-fright.

• His mind went blank and he could not remember what to say.

• His mum sat near the front of the Church went into a goldfish impression,

• She tried to mouth the words that he should be saying.

• The little land then looked up and triumphantly shouted,

• “He’s not here; He’s in prison!”

• TRANSITION: Today, all over the world, the correct cry of,

• “He’s not here; He has risen!”

• Will be declared in almost every country you can name!

Now one word you must associate with Jesus Christ is ‘miracle’.

• He entered our world in a miraculous way;

• Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

• During his three years of ministry, the four gospels record 37 miracles of Jesus.

• Although John the apostle in his gospel tells us (John chapter 21 verse 25).

• Jesus performed many other miracles than these 37 that were not recorded.

• So Jesus entered our world in a miraculous way;

• He lived a miraculous life.

• And as we saw in our last study and will see again in this study,

• Even in his death,

• He will have that word ‘miracle’ attributed to him!

Quote: I like what Peter Larson writes:

"Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes.

The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb.

Jesus entered our world through a door marked 'No Entrance’.

And left through a door marked 'No Exit’”

Notice: the question asked in our Bible reading:

• “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (vs 5)

• That is a great question!

• We do not normally look for the dead among the living.

• e.g. When did you last go outside looking for a dead person?

• “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (vs 5)

• That is the question this angelic being posed to the women,

• Who came to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning?

• The message of Easter is simple, Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

• Jesus Christ is alive today!

And it is so important,

• When Jesus rose from the dead,

• He confirmed his identity as the Son of God (Romans chapter 1 verse 4)

• He confirmed that his death on the cross.

• Achieved reconciliation, and salvation to all who believe!

Ill:

• The resurrection is God’s receipt to the world,

• That a payment, a transaction, had been paid through the death of Jesus!

• Now, let’s look together at the narrative as recorded by Dr Luke.

• We will divide it into four sections,

• Starting at the end of chapter 23.

(1). The Women (chapter 23 verse 55 to chapter 24 verse 3)

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”

• As was the custom of the day, the woman come to embalm the body of Jesus:

• For religious reasons, they must wait for the Sabbath to end before they can do this.

• But notice they do not waste any time, they come, “Very early in the morning”.

• John in his gospel (chapter 19 verses 38-42) tells us that:

• This anointing process had been started by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimithea;

• On the day that Jesus had died,

• Nicodemus was a high-ranking Pharisee,

• And Joseph was a rich man.

• I would assume they were not very practical when it came to these things.

• These women came to do the job properly!

Now don’t miss that detail: “the women took the spices they had prepared”.

• The reason the women bought with them prepared spices,

• Because they went expecting to find a dead body buried in the tomb.

• They went to meet with a corpse!

• One of the great proofs for the resurrection is this,

• Not even one! Not one of the disciples of Jesus believed it would happen.