Here we are gathered together on another Easter Sunday and a question arises in my mind: “Do we really get it?”
A Sunday School teacher asked her class on the Sunday before Easter if they knew what happened on Easter and why it was so important. One little girl spoke up saying: "Easter is when the whole family gets together, and you eat turkey and sing about the pilgrims and all that." "No, that’s not it," said the teacher.
"I know what Easter is," a second student responded. "Easter is when you get a tree and decorate it and give gifts to everybody and sing lots of songs." "Nope, that’s not it either," replied the teacher.
Finally a third student spoke up, "Easter is when Jesus was killed, and put in a tomb and left for three days." "Ah, thank goodness somebody knows" the teacher thought to herself. But then the student went on: "Then everybody gathers at the tomb and waits to see if Jesus comes out, and if he sees his shadow he has to go back inside and we have six more weeks of winter."
Contributor: Andrew Chan at sermoncentral.com
Those kids didn’t get it because they didn’t know the story. We know the story, but I fear we don’t get it, because the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes so little impact in our lives. In the days and years after the Lord rose from the dead, a little band of fearful followers was transformed into a missionary force that, in turn, transformed their world. Jesus’ teaching and miracles made a profound impression on their minds, but did not provide the spark that made the disciples into a risk-taking, revolutionary movement. Today we understand that His death on the cross took away the sins of those who trust in Him, but for the disciples the crucifixion meant that Jesus’ mission was a failure. A crucified Jesus changes nothing, but a resurrected Christ changes everything.
This morning I want to demonstrate just how the resurrection should impact and transform our lives. You may know the story like the back of your hand, but have the repercussions of the resurrection permeated your heart and fundamentally changed your life?
Resurrection Repercussions
One of the ambiguous statements to the resurrection story we read has to do with John, the writer of this gospel who designated himself, the disciple who Jesus loved. After running to the tomb that first Easter morning and eventually going in to inspect the scene, John found the grave clothes and head cloth neatly placed where Jesus’ body had been, but without the body. It was clear to him that this was not the work of Jesus’ enemies or grave robbers looking for money. Any such intruders would have carried off the body and grave clothes or stripped the corpse quickly to carry it away. Before seeing the resurrected Lord, John tells us what happened in his own heart:
Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) John 20:8
John believed resurrection had taken place. He noted that this idea did not arise from his reading of the scriptures. It was the evidence that convinced him. It was only after the fact that the disciples were able to see where the Old Testament predicted the resurrection of the Messiah. Here’s the repercussion for us:
Learn the evidence that supports Jesus’ claims
It was the evidence of the resurrection that the apostles proclaimed after the first Easter morning. One of the opening lines of his gospel makes this clear:
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory …” John 1:14
Jesus came back from the dead and John, along with all of the early church, presented the evidence. The resurrection verified Jesus’ miracles, teaching, and the effectiveness of His sacrifice on our behalf.
As His followers today, our task is to learn the evidence that supports Jesus’ claims. We are to present evidence of the resurrection.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:15
Reason is evidence. We are to be prepared to present the evidence that Jesus died and rose again to lead others to faith. The evidence is easy to present, but I find that most Christians don’t know how to do it. You only have to present two pieces of evidence: 1) Jesus really died; 2) the tomb was really empty. Let’s start with the first, did Jesus really die?
One lady wrote in to a question and answer forum. "Dear Sirs, Our preacher said on Easter, that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think? Sincerely, Bewildered.
Dear Bewildered, Beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails with 39 heavy strokes, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for six hours; run a spear thru his side…put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens. Sincerely, Charles.
Contributed by: A. Todd Coget at sermoncentral.com
I would only add that it’s physically impossible to faint and survive on a cross. To stay alive during crucifixion, the victim must constantly push up with their feet to be able to exhale. If they pass out they can’t push up and they suffocate. Even if Jesus had survived all of that abuse, He would have inspired nausea, not courage. Jesus really died on the cross.
Second, the cross was really empty. Some argue that the body could have been stolen. Okay let’s roll with that. Who had motivation to steal the body? Perhaps the Roman or Jewish authorities. They wanted Jesus to stay dead. If they’d stolen the body you can be sure they would have paraded the corpse through the streets of Jerusalem. The last they would have done would be hide the body. They did not want even rumors of a resurrected Jesus.
Perhaps the disciples stole the body. Let’s say these often dim-witted and fearful young men were able to devise a plan to overpower the Roman guard and secret away the body. Let’s say they were somehow able to perpetuate a lie concerning Jesus’ resurrection. If they did, they also endured torture and painful deaths to keep it going. They did not gain wealth, power, or prestige. They died proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection. Some will argue that people will die for a lie. That’s true. The 9/11 hijackers are proof of this. People will die for a lie, but nobody will suffer torture and death for what they know to be a lie. Therefore, it’s impossible that the disciples stole the body. They were willing to endure hardship, persecution and death because they were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
If the resurrection has truly impacted your heart, you’ll learn the evidence. You’ll be prepared to present the reason for the hope that you have. When God provides the opportunities you’ll declare it.
The first person to believe in the resurrection was John, the disciple Jesus love. The first person to see and hear the resurrected Lord was Mary, arguable they person who loved Jesus the most. There’s an intensity about her desire to find Jesus that not even the disciples displayed. She was at the cross when He died. She appears to have been the first person at the tomb that Sunday morning. Mary wanted to complete the embalming process that was rushed the Friday before. Jesus had demonstrated His love for this woman by delivering her from seven demons. Rather than go on with life as usually, Mary made it her purpose in life to minister to Jesus’ needs. She maintained this course even in His death.
One of the high points in Western literature is Mary’s encounter with Jesus at the tomb. She’s weeping and wailing because she believes His body has been stolen as Jesus walks up behind her.
"Woman,” he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, "Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16
Mary’s eyes were filled with tears. Jesus physical appears had also been altered by the resurrection, therefore she was unable to recognize him. Jesus made Himself known by calling her name. The sound of His voice calling her name brought Mary to her spiritual senses.
That same resurrected Lord comes to us in our times of grief and pain and uncertainty as well. If we seek Him we will find Him because He’s not dead, He’s alive forever more. The second repercussion of the resurrection:
Identify the Savior who meets you in adversity and calls you by name
In your times of adversity the resurrected Jesus Christ, who is no longer bound by time and space, will comes to you if you seek Him. Like Mary, His voice will be recognizable to you. By calling your name, I meant to say that He will speak to your heart personally in a way you can understand. That’s the only way we can make sense of verses like these:
“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. …I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:2-3, 14-15
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
If He cared enough to die for your rotten sins, your resurrected Lord certainly cares enough to come to you in your time of need. You’ve got to seek Him. Look for Him. Identify Him when He calls you by name.
I’ve met far too many church folks who proclaim the name of Jesus when all is well, but when adversity comes it’s as if they forget all about Him. I’d say the majority of church people who undergo painful, bewildering, or sorrowful experiences focus on their troubles rather than call out to the resurrected Lord, when I ask them, “Where is Jesus in all of this?” They usually look at me as if I’m from outer space. It’s like there’s a disconnect between present circumstances and an ever-present Jesus Christ. Whatever comes your way, call out to Jesus. Seek Him as Mary did. You will be able to identify Him in your adversity.
One thing that I love about this particular resurrection story is that it flies in the face of what many people believe about women in ministry. If you think women should not preach, what do you do with the fact that the first person to proclaim the gospel was a woman? Mary was the apostles to the apostles. Jesus commissioned her for this role:
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them …” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:17a, 19
Mary wanted just to cling to Jesus. She didn’t want to let Him go apparently out of fear that she’d lose Him again. Jesus reassured her that He wasn’t ascending to the Father permanently just yet, so she could turn loose of Him. Out of her encounter with the risen Lord came a mission. She was the first witness to the resurrection and her job was to proclaim it. Let me tell you folks, you have the same mission. The resurrection calls you to …
Venture into a missionary life at Christ’s command
If you know Jesus Christ as your forgiver and leader, if you’ve been thoroughly convinced of His resurrection you’ve been recruited to a missionary life. Everything after your belief and baptism is supposed to be a witness to the resurrection of the Lord. If you don’t really trust Jesus and His resurrection or if you’ve just been faking all these years, don’t bother. If you haven’t been impacted by the resurrection you won’t impact others. But if you’ve entered into a relationship with the resurrected Jesus by faith you’re a missionary. That doesn’t mean you have to pack up and go to foreign lands. It does mean that you go anywhere, any time, and any way Christ sends you to bear witness to His life. It could mean you go across the street. It could mean you go to a family member. It could mean you go live in the city. It could mean you go to Saudi Arabia. It doesn’t matter. If the resurrection has permeated your heart you’re a missionary all your life and you cannot resist the call and the urge to go. Just in case the story isn’t compelling enough, let me remind you way Jesus said:
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Chris Moretz decided to ride out Hurricane Katrina alone at home. After the worst of the storm had passed, his house was flooded and destroyed. Chris needed to let his family know that he was still alive. But they were in Tucson, Arizona, and there was no way to contact them. So Christ painted the message on the roof of his home: “C. MORETZ IS ALIVE. PASS IT ON.” Also included was the phone number of Chris’s brother, Gerard.
Some hours passed, but then Chris’ rooftop message was shown on TV and posted on some web sites. Chris’ family began getting phone calls from all over the country that he was alive.
The simple message of the first Christians was “JESUS IS ALIVE. PASS IT ON.” This message has been passed on for 2000 years giving people hope. It has touched your life. Now you need to keep passing it on.
Brian Mavis, http://www.sermonnews.com/
Don’t fear. As you go and pass it on …
Expect a sustaining and empowering Spirit to guide you
Jesus extended a great promise to Mary and the other disciples. He said …
“‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17b
This was a reminder of something He told them previously. His ascension to the Father would facilitate the coming of the Holy Spirit.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18
The resurrection made possible the ascension. The ascension made possible the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. No longer would God’s Spirit come and go. He would dwell permanently in every person who placed their faith upon Jesus Christ. It’s like having the resurrected Jesus living inside you all the time. The Holy Spirit would be necessary for effective proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The Holy Spirit also descended to dwell within us so that we could live godly lives.
But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:11
Let me summarize all this. Here’s how you can tell whether or not the resurrection has made a difference in your life. Are you convinced of and prepared with the evidence for the empty tomb? When adversity hits do you seek Jesus and identify His voice calling you by name? Has the great salvation of our resurrected Lord so consumed you that you see yourself as His missionary for life? Are you empowered to live in purity and effectiveness by the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead? A crucified Jesus changes nothing, but a resurrected Christ changes everything.
Bruce Larson said, "The events of Easter cannot be reduced to a creed or philosophy. We are not asked to believe the doctrine of the resurrection. We are asked to meet this person raised from the dead. In faith, we move from belief in a doctrine to the knowledge of a person. Ultimate truth is a person. We met him. He is alive."
Contributed by: Scott Sharpes at sermoncentral.com
A resurrected Christ changes everything. Have you met Him?
