ENCOUNTERING THE RESURRECTED CHRIST
OPENING TEXT:
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence… When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:1-4).
• This has been a prayer that I have often prayed, but do we need to pray this?
• “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.” (Matt. 3:16). Jesus already tore the heavens open when God came to the Earth as a man!
• When Jesus died: “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” (Matt. 27:51).
• Why did Jesus die, and come back to life? So we could have access to God!
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE RESURRECTION?
“But tell me this – since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless.” (1 Cor. 15:12-14).
• Easter Sunday – or resurrection day – is the most important day of the Christian year.
• I’m not going to take the time to convince you of proof for the resurrection (this week I will cover that in my daily devotionals online). Jesus is alive!
KEY TEXT:
“That I may know Him, in the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” (Phil. 3:10).
THE BIG IDEA:
What if... Jesus really did rise from the dead? And what if... we can know Him in the power of His resurrection? When we encounter the resurrected Christ, everything changes.
ENCOUNTERS WITH THE RESURRECTED CHRIST:
1. TO MARY AND MARY MAGDALENE – SUNDAY MORNING: JOY
“1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matt. 28:1-10).
• Here the women came weeping, mourning, grieving and fearful.
• But after encountering the resurrected Christ, they were full of fear and great JOY!
• Right away, they went and told other people the Good News.
• The journey: Hurting, Healed, Helping Others.
2. TO THE DISCIPLES – LATER SUNDAY MORNING: PEACE & POWER
“9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.” (Mark 16:9-14).
FROM JOHN’S ACCOUNT:
“19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:19-21).
• The disciples were hiding inside for fear because of the things going on in the world.
• Jesus came and spoke PEACE to them.
“15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature… 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” (Mark 16:9-15).
• The disciples were mourning and weeping, and didn’t believe He was alive.
• It wasn’t until they saw and encountered the resurrected Christ that everything changed.
• They were EMPOWERED with a new boldness to share the Good News with others.
3. TO CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE: JOY AND HOPE *time-permitting*
“13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" 18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" 19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.” (Luke 24:13-21).
• It’s amazing that even after the resurrection; these two disciples were sad and troubled!
• They were upset about ‘the things which were happening in those days.” Hope was lost!
• How many people are upset about things in the world today, and have lost hope?
“30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (v.30-34).
• After they encountered the resurrected Jesus, their slow hearts became burning hearts.
• Sadness was replaced with JOY, hopelessness replaced with HOPE.
SUMMARY:
• After these different men and women encountered the resurrected Christ:
o They experienced joy, peace, hope, empowerment
o Their lives were changed forever!
SO WHAT? What’s the point?
• Because Jesus died and rose again, we can encounter the resurrected Christ today, and have our lives changed forever!
HE LIVES LYRICS:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me, Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
• August 14, 1989, I encountered the resurrected Christ.
• He changed my life, and will change yours, too!
CLOSING TEXT:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17).
• Have you encountered the resurrected Christ? Come to Jesus today and be saved!
BENEDICTION:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Cor. 13:14).
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
