He’s Alive! (But Don’t Tell Anyone)
Matthew 27 & 28: 1-10 Key Verses: Matthew 28: 6-7
Hymn Suggestions: “Were You There?,” Traditional Spiritual, Public Domain; “He Arose!,” Robert Lowry,
Public Domain; “My Savior’s Love,” Charles Gabriel, Public Domain; “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” Stuart Townend, ThankYou Music
A Brethren minister was continually bragging to his Baptist minister friends about the greatness of his church. No matter what they said, he always found a way to claim that the Brethren were better.
Eventually his friends got tired of this, and decided to play a prank on the Brethren minister. One day, they dropped a tablet in his coffee - and soon the Brethren nodded off to sleep. Then they took him down to the cemetery, and laid him in a borrowed coffin, next to a freshly dug grave. They hid behind the bushes to see what would happen.
Half an hour later, the Brethren pastor began to awake. Yawning and looking around him, he began to notice the coffin, the tombstones, and the open grave. Then he shouted: "Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! The day of resurrection has come and the Brethren are the first ones out!"
PRAYER
Since we are drawing closer to that wonderful day of April 15th I thought it appropriate to tell you a little tax story:
A local retired accountant tells about a guy who wanted to declare the loss of his Cadillac Escalade SUV on his tax return. His accountant told the man that insurance usually takes care of things like that and wondered what happened.
Here is the story: During the previous winter the owner of the Escalade and a few of his friends decided to go fishing on a nearby lake. The owner also decided at the last minute to take his trust-worthy dog, Boomer, with him as well.
At the time the large body of water was frozen over, so they parked the SUV at the edge of the lake. So, instead of going out on the ice to drill a hole by hand, they lit a stick of dynamite with a long-burning fuse and threw it out hoping to rupture an opening in the ice. Unfortunately, Boomer thought it was a stick and went out after it. Fortunately, Boomer retrieved it in record time and started back. Unfortunately, when they yelled at Boomer to drop it, the dog ran under the Escalade with the stick of dynamite in its mouth. Fortunately, though, the dog got burned on his back by the still hot muffler, came out from under the vehicle, leaving the dynamite behind. Unfortunately, the stick of dynamite went off, transforming the SUV from a useful vehicle into a pile of junk.
That is supposed to be based on a true story. If you can believe all of that, you won’t have any trouble believing the resurrection of Jesus!
This morning I’d like to ask three questions:
1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
3. Were you there when He rose up from the grave?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Let’s try to experience the grief if we can. Let’s attempt to imagine the sorrow of His loved ones as they gazed at His battered body exposed on the cross?
Some of us may be able to recall our viewing of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ just a couple of years ago. Some of us may have even made a purchase of a copy of the film for our own video libraries. Either way, the depiction of the Christ’s suffering has been burnt into our minds.
Like most of us, I am sure that you can remember the scenes of brutality made against Jesus’ character in that film; the derided trials of Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod; the shredding of His flesh and muscle through the scourging by Roman centurions; the excruciating crucifixion between two common criminals. Mel Gibson sought the poignant emotions of all those who viewed the movie to become familiar with the deep agony and throbbing pain that had been felt by Jesus, the Christ. And most of us unquestionably did.
But yet, today, the crosses that beautify our churches are elegant and adorned many times with gold and silver embellishments or encrusted with sparkling jewels. Often they are placed in conspicuous places and at times worshiped for their beauty and style. Long forgotten is the factual significance behind this symbol due to our shrouding it with our so called “artistic interpretations.”
These optimistic icons are in profound contrast to the crosses of the Romans government in the times of the Christ. They were known to split rough wood for their crosses which certainly including those found upon Calvary. Thus the surface of these implements of punishment was irregular, filled with splinters, and perhaps even crawling with insects. When the scourged backside of the Christ was forced onto His cross, the full weight of His body exposed Him to the tortures of the wood. He was bearing the repulsive pain of our sinfulness. Let’s take a few seconds to sit in silence and picture these agonizing moments for the Christ. [pause]
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Is there any way we can experience the despair of His followers and family members? Can we even begin to imagine the depression of those darkest of moments in time? In just a few hours His family and friends had suffered multiple blows. Their masterful rabbi and son had died. He had died in the prime of His life and undeservingly so before their very eyes. Some of them have deserted Him and are overwhelmed, not only with grief, but with guilt. A few of them felt as though they had lost their religion, for they had based their eternal destiny and spiritual hope in His Messiah-ship. Virtually everything in their lives had buckled and warped, and the blackness of despondency had fallen over them like the edge of night.
Now He is gone. His life ended. He has been buried in a borrowed crypt. A massive boulder has been placed over of its opening, blocking their access to His corpse. What do they do now? Where do they go? Are their lives over, too? Only time will tell.
Where you there when He rose up from the grave? Now let’s experience the ecstasy. Let’s attempt to imagine the exhilarating enthusiasm that dawned on that first Easter Sunday. The Resurrection of the Christ is biblically rational and theologically essential. None of us could invent a story like this, but as we look back we can see the brilliance of God in the plan formulated from the foundation of the world. God, himself, is in the Christ overpowering sin and Satan, and annihilating death and hopelessness forever. No wonder the angels tell Mary Magdalene and the other women, “Go and spread the news!” Can you visualize their eagerness which annuls their capability to keep this a secret?
Marty Halyburton’s husband, Porter, was shot down during the Vietnam War, and Navy personnel came to her home to tell her he had died in battle. For several days, Marty was too numb to respond. Flags flew at half-staff all over town, and a grave-marker was placed in Porter’s memory in his family’s cemetery.
Eighteen months passed quite slowly, and though Marty tried to adjust to her loss, it was very tough. Then one day, a group of military staff came yet again at her house, this time with remarkable news. Porter was alive, in relatively good condition, being detained by the North Vietnamese.
Marty’s emotions soared as if she had her own set of wings. But they implored that she keep this amazing information to herself for fear of reprisals against the POWs with him in captivity if the news got out. That was almost a little too much to ask, but she was obedient to their insistence, for Porter’s well being.
How does one hide the sparkle in the eyes, the hop in the step, and the smile on the face? How does one hide the sudden a transformation of persona? How does one talk to friends and family without blurting out the wonderful report?
In the end, the Navy officials realized Marty’s predicament and made it easier by formally changing Porter’s status, and now she could phone everyone with this life changing news: “He’s alive!”
The delight of the Resurrection is irrepressible. No true follower of the Christ can keep it buried in the recesses on the mind. We should be enthused to live out that joyfulness each and ever day; and we can do so through the giving our lives without any reluctance to our Lord.
The unfamiliar parson, Robert G. Lee, once told of a horrifying train accident that took place near Kinston, North Carolina. An excursion train plunged into the Elizabeth River through an open draw bridge. Eighteen passengers were killed or drowned.
An inquiry to determine the source of the accident heard from both the signal man on the bridge and from the engineer aboard the train. The signal man swore under oath that he had brandished a red flag, warning the train to stop. The engineer, however, swore that the flag had been white, signifying to him to proceed full speed ahead.
The mystery was solved when the flag was obtained and offered as evidence. It certainly was a red flag, but it had faded over time that it inadvertently would have appeared white from quite a distance.
Many of we Christians have become like that discolored flag. We, too, fail to get across God’s message of warning to the endangered within today’s world. It is the result of our unfaithfulness which in turn has become a faded banner. If the Resurrection of the Christ has really pumped up our spiritual well being, then why not discard that faded flag for one that is full of redness and flash the warning far and wide?
Before one more souls falls eternally into the eternal lake of fire, let’s react with God’s goodness and inform the hurting and abused of our world that Jesus, the Christ, is alive and well!
What the Christ did was very public before the entire world, but it’s very personal to each of us. In His omniscience, I believe the Christ had in mind every individual in the world who needed or would ever need redemption. He was thinking of you. He was thinking of me, too. This morning He is calling you and me to become His followers. He wants to forgive us of our sinfulness, heal our inward pain, and give to us everlasting life.
Amen and amen!
