(Sometime previous to the message – maybe during announcements)
Joseph Bayly - in Psalms of My Life:
Let’s celebrate Easter with the rite of laughter.
Christ died and rose and lives.
Laugh like woman who holds her first baby.
Our enemy death will soon be destroyed.
Laugh like a man who finds he doesn’t have cancer or he does but now there’s a cure.
Christ opened wide the door to heaven.
Laugh like children at Disneyland’s gates.
This world is owned by God and He’ll return to rule.
Laugh like a man who walks away uninjured from a wreck in which his car was totaled.
Laugh as if all the people in the whole world were invited to a picnic and then invite them.
Intro: A letter came from Health and Human Services to a resident of Greenville County, South Carolina: "Your food stamps will be stopped, effective March 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if your circumstances change." Good luck with that one!
Story - Peggy Key is driving to church on Easter Sunday morning. She tells her children the Easter story. “This is the day we celebrate Jesus coming back to life,” she tells them. Right away, her 3-year-old son, Kevin, piped up from the back seat, "Will He be in church today?” Yes, Kevin, He is!
Some of you are kind of resurrection re-enactors yourselves. Once or twice a year, you show up at Church. I saw a cartoon of a guy leaving a church and he says to the preacher – “You must be in a rut. Every time I hear you preach you’re either talking about Jesus’ birth or resurrection!” Well, if that’s you this morning – you know who you are – I notice that at least you’re here, and that’s a good start. It tells me that you probably realize that the resurrection of Jesus is somewhat important. You probably accept that it happened.
Joke - Sign in a San Francisco wholesale florist shop: “If you don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, you ought to be here five minutes before quitting time!”
Fact is, The Resurrection is under attack…again. It wasn’t a coincidence that a few weeks ago the Discovery Channel aired a program about the supposed discovery of the family tomb of Jesus, complete with the ossuaries of His wife Mary Magdalene and their son.
For centuries, people have tried to deny the resurrection. It started the very day it happened.
Matthew 28:12-15
When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, ’His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Why would they do such a thing? Because if the resurrection is real, it changes everything. That’s why it has always been under attack. That’s also the reason that faithful people have been deliberate to defend it. At the very center of Christianity is this claim – that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead on the 3rd day.
In one of his very first letters, Paul writes a statement of belief that was apparently widely quoted in the early Church:
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
The resurrection of Jesus is so central, so basic. If it’s not true, then what the Scriptures said would happen isn’t true. If it’s not true, then what Jesus Himself said would happen isn’t true. If it’s not true, then the Apostles who testified to the resurrection weren’t trustworthy. And, Paul adds in I Co 15, if the resurrection of Jesus isn’t true, then we have no hope beyond this life, and we should be pitied beyond all people.
Of course the enemies of Jesus are going to attack it! Take away the Resurrection, and Christianity is empty.
Many people have recognized the value of proving the Resurrection. In fact, if you want to find some cause to throw yourself into, there’s a good one – helping people understand that Jesus really did rise from the dead.
Why do you believe it, if you do this morning? And how can you help someone else to believe it?
It may be that you’re basic response is, “Well, I just believe it, that’s all. Don’t confuse me with the facts. I just believe what I believe.” I want to tell you that you need to hang your eternity on something more solid than that!
Belief in the Resurrection isn’t just some blind, brainless exercise. There are actually multiple reasons to accept it, and one of those fits the series we’ve been in these past several weeks: changed lives. One evidence of the resurrection of Jesus is the multiplicity of people that forever changed because they were convinced that Jesus was raised again. Now, that by itself doesn’t prove Jesus’ Resurrection to be true, but when you begin to put their claims together with the lives that follow, and you multiply that by millions of people and scores of generations, it makes a case for what they claim to be true.
One group of those witnesses are who Joe Garman calls the original “Big 12”: the Apostles. The word means “one who is sent” as a representative of another. These were the men whom Jesus chose to learn from Him and specially commissioned to become foundations of the Church as it began. They couldn’t be just anyone. When they were replacing Judas because he had killed himself, Peter points out that is was…
Acts 1:21-22
…necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.
Paul explains that he should be accepted as an Apostle:
1 Corinthians 9:1
…Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
The Big 12.
Simon Peter, who appears to be the older and is always mentioned first. He was a commercial fisherman, in partnership with James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Then there was Andrew, Peter’s brother. There was another James, James the Less, a son of Alphaeus, and Matthew the tax collector, who may have been his brother. Thomas, the one remembered for doubting, was also known to be a twin. There seem to be 2 who were called Judas – Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and then killed himself, and another Judas also known as Thaddaeus. There was Simon, the Jewish zealot, and Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, and Philip.
Ordinary men – fishermen, tax collector – they weren’t public speakers. In many ways, they were a source of frustration for Jesus. They had their share of mess-ups. But they changed in the time they spent with Jesus – forever changed.
When did it happen? Was it when they saw a man born blind healed or when a deaf man could hear again? When a paralyzed man was told to pick up his bed and go home? Was it when they saw a man with a shriveled hand suddenly made whole again? Was it when 10 lepers were cleansed of their disease? Could it have been when they watched a woman with chronic bleeding healed? No. When were they changed? Was it when they saw Jesus cast a legion of demons out a man? Was it when He fed over 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish? Was it when He taught with authority? Was it when He calmed the wind and waves on the sea with a word? No.
Luke 8:25
"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
Well when were they changed? Was it when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, or when He stopped a funeral procession and raised a widow’s son, or was it when He called Lazarus out of the grave? No. Not even then. When were these Apostles changed?
Because, what we read about them in the gospels compared to later is quite different. Remember the night that Jesus was arrested?
He had told Peter that he would deny Him. No way! I’d go to the death for you, Lord! The rest said the same thing. But when it came down to it,
Matthew 26:56b …all the disciples deserted him and fled.
There was even one guy there wearing a linen robe that night. They tried to grab him, and all they got was an empty robe and him running off into the night in his skivvies. Peter and John followed the mob from a distance into the courtyard of the priest. It was there that Peter denied he even knew Jesus. As He is interrogated and beaten, no one comes to Jesus’ defense. When we look around the cross, there are only 2 Apostles we can see: Peter and John. And after Jesus dies, the Apostles are gathered together in a closed room, doors locked, because they’re afraid.
These are the men Jesus commissions to carry on His work. These are the men who are accused later of turning the world upside down! It makes me want to know: when did they change? What made the difference? If it wasn’t all those things they saw and heard from Jesus in 3 years’ time, what did it? The answer is the empty tomb! They were changed when Jesus rose from the dead.
They were changed when, for 40 days, Jesus appeared to them, and taught them, and finally ascended into heaven.
Thomas, who had doubted it even when the others told him, saw Jesus and called Him “My Lord and my God!”
The Apostles who had been so afraid before, now stayed in Jerusalem because Jesus told them to stay.
Peter, who had denied even knowing Jesus, stood up on the day of Pentecost and along with the 11 others preached Jesus to the people.
By the way, there were some others too – Jesus’ family. Before His resurrection, there were moments they were not only not believing in Him, but were trying to come and stop Him because they thought He’d kind of lost it.
(John 7:5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.)
(Mark 3:21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind.")
But after the resurrection, we find them gathered with the others, ready to carry on Jesus’ work.
Peter and John healed a lame man. And when the Jewish Council questions them, they boldly speak of Jesus. And Luke records an interesting note about them…
Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
In chapter 5, all the Apostles are arrested. The Council tells them to stop preaching Jesus.
Acts 5:29
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
And
Acts 5:42
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
The Apostles, ordinary, timid, afraid, doubtful, with all their baggage, had become a bold, powerful, force to be reckoned with. They had seen Jesus killed and raised from the dead. So, at the center of their message was the resurrection:
Acts 4:2
They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
Acts 4:33a
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…
Acts 17:18b
…Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
Acts 23:6
…I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
But nothing tells more of how much they changed than the way they all gave their lives for Jesus. Only one of them, John, is believed to have died of natural causes. They rest died as martyrs because of their belief in Jesus. The Bible doesn’t record it, except for James, who was put to death with a sword in Acts 12. The rest of their deaths we have only sketchy histories and traditions to go by. Peter is believed to have been crucified upside down by the Romans. Matthew, according to legend, was run through with a spear. Paul is believed to have been beheaded by the Romans under Nero. Andrew and Simon were crucified. James was stoned to death by the Jews. Philip was stoned and crucified. Matthias, stoned and beheaded. Bartholomew was beaten, flayed alive, crucified and beheaded. Thaddeus was beaten to death and beheaded. Thomas was run through with a spear, or by 4 soldiers with spears, in India. In fact, you can visit Mt. St. Thomas there in Chennai. They’ve put together some interesting things – a painting supposedly done by Luke and carried to India by Thomas. And there, on the very spot where he was supposedly killed, they’ve built a monument.
Now, I’ve shared these details to make a point.
First, the disciples claimed Jesus really did rise from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection was central to their message, and that belief was largely what got them into trouble. It wasn’t a mistake. They didn’t apologize for it. They had seen Jesus killed and had seen Him alive later. They claimed that Jesus really had come back from the dead.
Second, their changed lives supported their claims. There is no other explanation for what transformed this group of ordinary, timid men into the world changers they became. Until the resurrection, the change hadn’t happened. But after Jesus was raised, they were never the same as they had been before.
Third, their willingness to die for their beliefs proves their convictions.
Now, here’s the deal. People die for some pretty stupid reasons, including something they might think is true but they’re mistaken. But no one dies for something he knows to be hoax, when all he would have to do is renounce it and live. That’s where the Apostles were as they died. They could have denied the resurrection and lived, but each one of them didn’t. Why not? Because those eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus, those men who saw Jesus killed and then alive, those men couldn’t act like anything else was true. Jesus died and rose on the 3rd day!
So, this morning, Easter Sunday, I want to ask, What about You? Do you claim that the resurrection, as told in the Scriptures, is true? Do you believe in it, or are you allowing unanswered doubts to fog your thinking? You need to decide what you’ll believe. I know of a group of eyewitnesses who were convinced enough that they paid for it with their lives.
And that’s my 2nd question: Does your life support your claim?
You say you believe. Good. Even the demons believe and tremble.
What about the way you live shows that you believe this really happened? What about your thoughts, your words, your motives, is a testimony to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead?
1. The Resurrection Changes Our Perspective on Life
When we get in tune with this truth, we begin to put other pieces of life together – like the fact that life is eternal in nature – we’re just setting up for where we’re going to spend it! Life is also recoverable. To die isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a person who’s anticipating being made alive again! Life isn’t hopeless. We’re told in I Thes not to grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. Knowing that we can see our loved ones who loved Jesus is a great thought.
2. The Resurrection Confirms the Authority of Jesus
Jesus claimed to have authority, and He taught as One with authority. The resurrection shows He has power over death, and it also confirms His rightful position as King.
3. The Resurrection Backs all The Claims of Jesus
It’s one thing to claim you’re someone great – especially the Son of God. Many have done just that. But to make such a claim and then back it by rising from the dead leaves little room for doubt for anyone who honestly examines the evidence. You see, if we say we accept the resurrection, we’re also saying that we accept the word of Jesus as truth, and the commands of Jesus as our own. The resurrection has all kinds of implications for how we think and live.
Conclusion:
Lee Strobel was an atheist – but an honest investigator as well. As a legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, he set out to discover the truth behind Jesus. His search took him to interviews with a lot of PHD’s from schools like Cambridge and Princeton. One of those was Gary Habermas, a professor, a debater, a hockey fan - a guy Strobel said looks more like a nightclub bouncer than an ivory tower intellectual. He went through his questions with Habermas and then threw a last one in that drew a response he didn’t expect. I’ll read from Strobel’s account in his book,
“The Resurrection of Debbie” (from The Case For Christ – Strobel, Pg.325)
Habermas rubbed his graying beard. The quick fire cadence and debater’s edge to his voice were gone. No more quoting of scholars, no more citing of Scripture, no more building a case. I had asked about the importance of the Resurrection, and Habermas decided to take a risk by harkening back to 1995, when his wife, Debbie, slowly died of stomach cancer. Caught off guard by the tenderness of the moment, all I could do was listen.
“I sat on our porch,” he began, looking off to the side at nothing in particular. He sighed deeply, then went on. “My wife was upstairs dying. Except for a few weeks, she was home through it all. It was an awful time. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen.”
He turned and looked straight at me. “But do you know what was amazing? My students would call me—not just one but several of them—and say, ‘At a time like this, aren’t you glad about the Resurrection?’ As sober as those circumstances were, I had to smile for two reasons. First, my students were trying to cheer me up with my own teaching. And second, it worked.”
“As I would sit there, I’d picture Job, who went through all that terrible stuff and asked questions of God, but then God turned the tables and asked him a few questions.
“I knew if God were to come to me, I’d ask only one question: ‘Lord, why is Debbie up ‘there in bed?’ And I think God would respond by asking gently, ‘Gary, did I raise my Son from the dead?’
“I’d say, ‘Come on, Lord, I’ve written seven books on that topic! Of course he was raised from the dead. But I want to know about Debbie!’
“I think he’d keep coming back to the same question—’Did I raise my Son from the dead?’ ‘Did I raise my Son from the dead?’—until I got his point: the Resurrection says that if Jesus was raised two thousand years ago, there’s an answer to Debbie’s death in 1995. And do you know what? It worked for me while I was sitting on the porch, and it still works today.”
“It was a horribly emotional time for me, but I couldn’t get around the fact that the Resurrection is the answer for suffering. I still worried; I still wondered what I’d do raising four kids alone. But there wasn’t a time when that truth didn’t comfort me.”
“Losing my wife was the most painful experience I’ve r had to face, but if the Resurrection could get me through that, it can get me through anything. It was good for 30 A.D., it’s good for 1995, it’s good for 1998, and it’s good beyond that.”
Habermas locked eyes with mine. “That’s not some sermon,” he said quietly. “I believe that with all my heart. If there’s a resurrection, there’s a heaven. If Jesus was raised, Debbie was raised. And I will be someday, too.”
“Then I’ll see them both.”
Friends, that’s the practical outcome of your belief in the resurrection of Jesus – wanting to live forever with the Lord and doing what we can to take others there. What do you believe?
Today your life can be forever changed; to be lived not only in the shadow of the cross, but in the shadow of an empty tomb as well.
