BECAUSE JESUS LIVES
- Read Matthew 28:1-10
A man was walking down a street when he noticed in
a store window a beautiful painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He stood there gazing at the picture for the longest than realized that a little boy was standing beside him. He patted the little boy on the head and said, "Son, what does that mean?" The little boy said, "Doncha know? That there man is Jesus, an’ the woman that’s crying is His mother, an’ them others is Roman soldiers. They killed Him." The man smiled and then started walking away. In a few moments he heard someone running, turned and saw that it was the little boy. He came running up to the man, out of breath, and said, "Mister, mister, I forgot to tell you that he didn’t stay dead."
Today is a special day for Christians. It is Easter. It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is interesting that we think of this event only 1 day a year, while the early Christians celebrated that fact every week. That is why they began worshipping on the first day of the week instead of the 7th.
They celebrated each week the resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event that changed not only the Christians’ day of worship, but all of human history.
My friends, today we celebrate because of an empty tomb. We celebrate because Jesus lives. Folks I want you to know this morning, that because that tomb was empty, because Jesus is alive, there are 4 things you can be sure of.
Because Jesus is alive, you can be sure:
I. DARK DAYS WILL NOT LAST
Things looked pretty dark just a few days before Jesus’ resurrection. Things looked pretty bad on Thursday evening and on into Friday. Think about it. Those were dark days.
Thursday and Friday, Judas took money and that long-time companion of Jesus, betrayed him with a kiss.
On Thursday & Friday, they held a mock trial for our Savior. Witnesses were called that lied about Him. Imagine the darkness of that day, when the followers of Jesus heard the terrible sound of the cat-of-nine-tails, swing through the air and rip the flesh of our Savior. Because He’s alive, we remember, dark days to not last.
Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the head of our Savior? Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the brow of the Creator of the universe? Remember how the blood from those thorns mingled with His sweat and ran down His cheeks? That was a dark day, but dark days will not last.
I imagine the mouths of those who spit on Jesus, would have gone dry if they had known Whom they were spitting on. That was a dark day, but there at the tomb and remember, dark days will not last.
Remember how Pilate and Herod ordered Jesus to be led here and there? Remember how Jesus, the Creator of those rascals allowed Himself to be led here & there? That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb and remember, dark days do not last.
It was a dark day, when Jesus was led down the road, carrying His cross, while the crowds yelled and cursed at Him.
It was a dark day, when they lay our Savior on the cross, and drove their wicked spikes into His hands and feet.
Remember when the 2 thieves cursed Him? Remember when the religious leaders made fun of Him and told Jesus to take Himself off the cross, even though He was up there dying for them? That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, and remember, dark days do not last.
Remember when God turned His back on Jesus and for the first time in all of eternity, Jesus was cut off from fellowship with His Father? Do you remember how Jesus cried out and asked why God had forsaken Him, and how darkness covered the earth? That was a dark day.
Remember when Jesus told His mother goodbye? Can anything known to man match the grief Mary felt as she cried at the foot of Jesus’ cross? Let me tell you, that was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, remember Jesus is alive and because Jesus is alive we know, dark days will not last.
Was there ever any darker day, than that day, when they placed Jesus in the tomb, rolled a stone in front of it, sealed it, and placed Roman soldiers there to guard it? It seemed that all the disciples had devoted their lives to was over. They had left their families. They had left their homes. They had left their careers. They had abandoned their possessions. They had placed all of their hope in Jesus and now He was rolled behind a rock. He was stuck behind a seal. He was guarded in a garden.
That was a dark day. But look there my friend, at the empty tomb, remember Jesus is alive, and because Jesus is alive we know that dark days will not last.
My friend, I don’t know what you are going through right now. I don’t know what pain you are enduring. I don’t know what bills you have stacking up. I don’t know what friends have hurt you, what family has abandoned you, what illness has struck you, or what people have neglected you. I don’t know what setback has frightened you, but I do know this. Jesus is alive, and because Jesus lives I know that dark days will not last.
Because Jesus lives, I know that dark days will not last. Because Jesus lives, I know nothing is beyond God’s power.
II. NOTHING IS BEYOND GOD’S POWER
Listen, on that Friday, the Romans did everything they knew to do to make sure Jesus was dead. They beat Him. They crucified Him. They drove a spear into His side. They put Him in a tomb, rolled a rock in front of the tomb. They put a seal on the rock, and then placed a guard on the tomb to make sure nobody messed with Him.
I assure you, the Pharisees and the religious leaders were looking over the soldiers’ shoulders to make sure they didn’t miss a thing. And looking over all of their shoulders, the Devil was a work. He sent a spirit of fear against the disciples, to make sure they abandoned Jesus. He strengthened the hand that held the whip and guided the hand that drove the spear.
The Romans, the religious leaders, and the Devil did everything they knew to do to make sure Jesus was dead and to make sure that He would stay that way.
- verse 6
But now, come and look at the place where Jesus lay. It is empty. There is nothing there now but an empty tomb, because Jesus is alive!
Let me tell you my friend, because Jesus lives I know that nothing is beyond God’s power. Nothing is beyond God’s power.
My friend, you can look there at the empty tomb of Jesus, remember our resurrected Savior and remember that nothing is beyond God’s power.
It may seem right now that everything and everyone is against you. It may seem like you are in an impossible situation. It may seem that nothing can fix your problem. You may feel that no one can help you now.
> Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is from Me.” [This is] the LORD’s declaration.
> John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.
Jesus is living, and because Jesus lives I know dark days will not last. Because Jesus lives I know nothing is beyond God’s power. Because Jesus lives I know hard times are never wasted.
III. HARD TIMES ARE NEVER WASTED
On the night Jesus was tortured and crucified, it didn’t make much sense. The followers who witnessed it, didn’t understand. If Jesus really was the Messiah, and He was, what in the world could be accomplished by His suffering and dying? My friends, Jesus is alive and we know that hard times are never wasted. The Bible says in:
- Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
Jesus went through all of that for us. His hard times were not wasted and if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, yours is not either.
> Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
Listen, there is a condition to benefiting from hard times. Did you hear it? Look there, “of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”
If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have never made Him the Boss of your life, then the hard times you go through are not guaranteed to do you any good. That’s just part of living in a fallen world. Suck it up and live with it. But, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have asked Him to forgive you of your sins and have invited Him to come into your heart to be the Boss in your life, then the pain you have come your way, comes with a promise. It will be used for your good.
Because Jesus lives, we know that if you are a believer your hard times are never wasted.
Because Jesus lives, we know dark days do not last. Because Jesus lives we know nothing is beyond God’s power. Because Jesus lives we know hard times are never wasted, and because Jesus lives we know better days are coming.
IV. BETTER DAYS ARE COMING
When you get past the grief, when you get past the pain, when you get past the hard times, we know that better days are coming.
It seemed like hard times were here to stay. But look there at the empty tomb. Remember that Jesus lives, and because Jesus lives we know better days are coming.
- John 14:1-3
BECAUSE HE LIVES
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know … He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives.
