Luke 24:1-12
“Lessons from an empty tomb”
“Through the empty tomb we know the power of God.”
Sunday Morning Sermon – Easter Sunday
04.08.07
Intro:
Intro – Video Free from Sermonspice.com “Easter Drawing”
(Title and Text)
The resurrection… the empty tomb… a risen savior…Jesus exalted to the highest place, given the name above every name… the hope of our resurrection, the hope of our eternal salvation, the hope of an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for us. We celebrate; we gather together, we anticipate our communion with him in glory, all because of the resurrection of Jesus. Every ounce of belief, every display of faith, all the good works you could do, in his name – would be void and without meaning if the resurrection weren’t true. The Bible says that my preaching is worthless and so is our faith if the resurrection didn’t happen. So central is the resurrection: If you disprove the resurrection, disprove Jesus rising from the death, disprove the power over death and the grave, you could disprove and throw out the window all of Christianity. That’s how important this one event is, that’s how huge this one day is. It’s so important that if it didn’t happen, we would still be lost in our sins.
Discussion:
But Jesus has been raised – Glory has been fulfilled – power has been displayed – Authority has been given.
The seriousness of God the father allowing his one and only son to die on the cross – a horrible death so that if we believe we could have salvation – means that God is serious about the separation that our sin has created. He meant it – it was purposed in the heart of God to bring us back to him, to bridge the gap, remove the space and bring us peace. God is serious about you – because he loves you.
If you have your bibles this morning turn with me to (advance) Luke 24:1-12 (Read)
The story of the empty tomb is told by all four gospels – each adding different features, each for a different reason. Here’s a few things we can learn this morning – Lesson # 1 (advance)
I. Jesus died
Jesus declared it is finished, gave his spirit to the father and breathed his last. He didn’t somehow avoid the cross, bypassing the need for the resurrection, run off to Italy with Mary Magdalene and raise a family. How mindless we can be when we play games with God’s gift!
a. Most people in that time
i. Died from the beating that took place before the cross
ii. The ones who didn’t were hung on the cross – they suffocated.
1. Breathing required lifting the body with the legs
When a person was unable to lift themselves they would stop breathing. So how do you check to see if they are dead? Cause, good Jewish people wouldn’t leave bodies on the cross during the Sabbath. You don’t have to check. You break their legs. They didn’t have to break the legs of Jesus, it was clear he was dead – instead they took a spear and pierced his side, just to make sure. (advance)
John 19:32-36 (NIV)
32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"
Assume for just a second that he wasn’t dead before the spear went into his side, assume for just a second that he was still alive – this would have killed him for sure. Church – Jesus died.
b. He wasn’t guilty of anything – the reason for his death
i. Our sin.
Christ died for the ungodly. Here it is again – God has taken our sin and the punishment that was intended for us, he took it for us. I was raised in a really small school – 100 kids in the entire school – 13 in my graduating class. Our principle was a wimp – he didn’t give hard licks – they used a board for a paddle to spank the kids with. The boys in our class made a contest out of how many times we could get paddled during a school year – I was up over 70 and I didn’t win the contest. Never once did any of the other kids who were not in line, to get punished, offer to take the punishment that I earned. It never happened.
ii. That’s what Jesus did –
1. He wasn’t guilty of anything –
2. the perfect lamb of God –
When we sin, we earn what sin pays… (advance)
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death…
3. he took the place for punishment that you and I have earned.
God, who is rich in mercy has given us a gift but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God has given us a free gift of eternal life – free for us to accept it, but also free for us to refuse it. Some of you this morning have done everything BUT accept his free gift of eternal life – How do you accept this free gift – Confession, baptism, discipleship, growing, walking daily in his word. (advance)
c. The death of Christ
i. brough us peace
ii. brough us healing
Isaiah 53:5 – But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus died – that’s lesson # 1; Here’s the second: (advance)
II. Jesus defeated death
This is where Jesus and Mary run off to Italy and raise a family – Um…NO. This is where our scripture picks up – none of the gospels describe the resurrection, all of them describe the empty tomb.
a. The women prepare spices
i. They go to the tomb
ii. They find that the stone was rolled away
iii. They look inside and they didn’t find the body of Jesus
Ok, stop right here – they aren’t thinking resurrection. They are thinking someone came and stole the body. They aren’t celebrating the risen Lord, but almost paralyzed by grief. Luke says: (advance)
Luke 24:4 – While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
b. The women do what anyone would do when surrounded by the glory of God
i. They worship – they bow their heads with their faces to the ground
The angels rebuke them – asking them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead.” -- Here you have a place of death, it’s dark and cold, kind of creepy – but the one who is suppose to be there – he’s not there – he has risen. He predicted this – on the third day he would rise. The angels point this out and the women remember the words of Jesus. O, the joy that floods my soul….to learn of my risen savior, Death and the grave have no power, no victory, no destruction, death is defeated– Hosea says that God will have no compassion on death. Because Jesus was raised from the dead
c. This becomes our hope – this is our victory
i. They remembered his words – wondering what this could mean
They sprint back to the eleven and to all the others, and told this to the apostles. The women were not believed – because after all it is pretty crazy. Luke says that their words were like nonsense. Because of their culture the witness of a woman wasn’t good enough, they were considered unreliable as a source. I’m not saying it’s right, but just that’s the way it was. What confuses me more – why would God use the low of the society to tell the good news of his son? Could it be that God doesn’t recognize value in the kingdom of God like we do? Could it be that God sees people who need him and need his healing, and we, his people have placed a value on the lives of those around us so we don’t tell them about what he’s done, because we see less value than God does? I hope not.
d. Peter gets up
i. Runs to the tomb
ii. He looks inside and sees the strips of cloth he goes away
iii. Wondering what has happened….
Of course we know the rest of the story…Jesus appears – he eats with them, he stays with them, offers proof, allowing them to touch him, his hands, his side. This story is really just amazing. And I guess it would be easy to join the disciples and the women in wonder and awe. I suppose from time to time it would be even good to do that.
Conclusion:
What would happen if we took ownership of this story, this message of hope and applied it to our lives? What would happen if you and I not only applied it to our lives but we told others about it – not just loving them to the cross but teaching a message of the hope we have. I don’t think God gave his one and only son to die on the cross, raise him from the grave so that you and I could get a warm fuzzy feeling, and feel good about ourselves. So that we could go back to our everyday lives, our everyday habits, our everyday frustrations and sins. I believe God was serious – Church, we should be just as serious. His power is revealed through the empty tomb -- the power to transform, the power to renew, the power to bring hope and with that hope assurance of peace and ever lasting life.
Let’s pray
This morning if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as lord – if you have never been baptized – we invite you to make that decision. A few years ago I was a boy scout leader – we would build fires and I was amazed at how close the boys would go to the fire – right up to the edge – always testing the limits to see if they would get burned. I think we do that sometimes in our walk with God – right up to the edge of acceptance – so close – even warm but not on fire. Some of you here this morning have been warm in the past – possibly even hot – but you’ve allowed the cold water of this world to extinguish those flames – personal problems, bad friends, old habits – God wants to renew that relationship with you – restoring what has been broken down. The Bible says that although your sins are dark red they will be washed whiter than snow. Come this morning, if you have a decision to make – we’ll stand and sing.
