Scripture References
(Jn 20:1-31, Mtt 28:1-20, Mk 16:1-20, Lk 24:1-49)
We have been following- footprints of Jesus as He journeyed to Jerusalem and the cross.
He left footprints in the sands of time- footprints that-
left an impression on- conscience of mankind that he cannot wipe away
tell us- what kind of man Jesus was and the type of life that He lived,
also tell us what kind men we ought to be and the type of lives we ought to be living.
Challenge- what type of life are you living, what type of prints are you leaving behind in- sands of time?
foot prints, face prints, or butt prints?
As we walk in obedience to God, we leave clear footprints for others to see and even follow.
There are times we will stumble/fall- leave our face print in the sand, but Jesus is ready to pick us up.
At other times, as we struggle against the purposes of God, He has to drag us and we leave butt prints.
What kind of prints-you leaving- in the sands of time?
Our Journey Continues
Once a year- around the world- people get up early in the morning to have church while the sun is rising.
They do this to celebrate the early morning resurrection of Jesus/new life that He has given us.
Friday night Jesus-arrested in- Garden of Gethsemane.
Throughout the night- into the next morning- He was tried, beaten, sentenced to death by crucifixion.
At 9am the next day the Roman soldiers drove nails into His wrists and feet as He cried out to God,
“Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”
He was hung on-cross-hillside overlooking Jerusalem.
At noon- darkness- came over the land until 3PM …
Jn 19:28, 30 … Jesus … said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Even in His death there was life …
Mtt 27:51-53
51 … the earth shook and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. NASU
His body was taken down from the cross- laid in a tomb w/large stone placed in front of the entrance.
Early Sunday morning several women went to the tomb-only to discover- stone had been rolled away.
The tomb was empty- Jesus had been resurrected.
Over- next 40 days- Jesus appeared- over 500 people.
There is no lack of historical evidence to support that Jesus Christ was indeed raised from the dead.
He died in our place, for our sins, that we might experience resurrection and live with Him forever.
But also consider the words of Jesus in - Jn 7-
Jn 7:38 "He who believes in Me … ’From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’" NASU
The day will come when we will be resurrected.
However, if you have put your trust in Jesus, you already have the eternal life of God living in you.
You have the resurrected life of Christ alive in you.
The life of God should be bubbling up out of us and be a source of life and blessing to others.
I want us to see the resurrected life of God not just as something future, but something we have now.
Something that can bring life into any situation.
Living in an age of doubt
We live in an age of doubt and unbelief.
The idea of a man dying and being raised from the dead is not very fashionable today.
People-increasingly agnostic/atheistic- in their beliefs.
They have concluded that God is dead yet they …
believe in human rights,
protest the violence/inhumanity of war,
as if to say- life has some inherent value.
If there is no God/life is merely- accidental collection of atoms, then life can have no inherent value.
There can be no sense that peace is good and violence is wrong, if life is an accident.
It is only if you believe that the world was made by a God of peace/justice/love, that you can conclude
that violence, oppression, and hate are wrong.
The only hope for this broken creation is for them to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord/Savior, so they
can experience the resurrected life of God today
Conclusion
Let me leave us w/another reason to get excited as you watch the sun rise over the ocean.
Mtt 24-Jesus talks about-events leading up-2nd coming
Jesus- coming back for those who- believe in Him.
In Matthew it says this about His coming …
Mtt 24:27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. NASU
An alternate translation of that verse might be …
Just as the sky gets lighter from the east to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
In other words- as the sun rises in the east/progresses towards the west, so will be-coming of-Son of man
The coming of Jesus is going to be a royal procession around the entire earth, just like a sunrise.
1Th 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout … First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. NLT
This year- as we look out over the ocean- remember- one day it will be Jesus coming over the horizon.
And when He does …
there will be thousands of resurrections,
we will meet Him in the clouds, and
the whole earth will watch it happen.
Can there be anything be more exciting than that?
