A Slave For Christ Part 7
The Resurrection
Scriptures: Matthew 27:52-53; 28:1-10; Ephesians 4:9-10; 1 Peter 3:18-20
Introduction:
When I closed my message last week, Joseph of Arimathea had claimed Jesus’ body and buried it in an unused tomb. He died around 3:00 p.m. on Friday and was buried before 6:00 p.m. the start of the preparation for the Sabbath. Jesus body stayed in the tomb until early Sunday morning (3 days and 2 nights). Remember, in the New Testament times, days and nights were counted in 12 hour time increments. Six a.m. to 6:00 p.m. was a day and 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. was a night. If something happened within a short period of time on a given day, the whole day was counted. Jesus was in the grave on Friday (before 6 p.m.), Saturday (all day) and Sunday (rose after 6 a.m.). So Jesus was in the grave for three days as He stated He would be in Matthew 12:40. Some have questioned the accuracy of the time based on Matthew 12:40 but the focused on was the fact that as Jonah came out of the belly of the large fish after three days, He would come out of the grave. Because of the witnesses, we know for a fact that He died around 3 p.m. and was buried before 6 p.m. We also know that He had risen early Sunday morning before the other witnesses arrived at the grave sight (I will discuss this more later).
On Friday evening, the disciples and everyone else’s understanding was that Jesus was dead and would stay dead. He was the one who empowered them to do miracles and now He was gone. On Friday afternoon their Savior was taken from them and they had no hope. Who could raise Him from the dead after everything He had experienced? Who would now lead them and empower them to go forth? They did not understand what would happen on Sunday morning. All they knew was that the person who had changed their lives was dead. There was mourning taking place on Friday evening. There was fear running rampant on Friday evening. People who once stood boldly before the crowds and worked miracles were now in hiding fearing their lives. A mother had lost her Son. Siblings had lost a brother. The disciples had lost their teacher. Those healed by Jesus had lost their doctor. People were in shock and questioned how this could be.
When the nation watched on TV as John F. Kennedy was assassinated, people were shocked, in tears, angry, and sad. When we learned of the assassination of Dr. Martin L. King, people once again were shocked, in tears, angry, sad, and now fueled with hatred. When Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated a few months after Dr. King, the same emotions were experienced and many lost hope that America would ever reach its potential, especially as race was concerned. Some black Americans lost all hope that one day all men would be treated equally in United States. Many blacks felt that this was the end. Hope took a terrible hit when President Kennedy was assassinated; was crushed when Dr. King was assassinated and was terminated when Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated. But let me tell you something, President Kennedy; Dr. King; nor Sen. Kennedy was Jesus Christ. Although they were good men who fought for what they believed in, they did not perform any miracles; raise the dead; cast out demons; nor healed the sick. They were men and we mourned and experienced many emotions upon their passing. If you can understand how Americans felt when these men died, you can begin to understand the hopelessness that the followers of Jesus felt upon His crucifixion. They did not know about Sunday. They did not know they would see Him again real soon. The two Marys expected to see Him dead in His tomb on Sunday morning, but no one expected anything else. All hope was lost. But Jesus death offered us the greatest hope that we would ever experience!
I. All Hell Breaks Loose
Just as there were some people who rejoiced when The Kennedys and Dr. King were assassinated, there were people rejoicing when Jesus was crucified. I want you to use your imagination and picture all hell breaking loose when Jesus died because that is exactly what happened. Let me walk you through Rodney’s version of this based on how I understand Scripture.
We know that Satan was at the root of this because as soon as Jesus came on the scene He tempted Jesus to get Him to serve him (Matthew 4:1-11). When that did not work, He set his goal on destroying Jesus. Had Satan known what would happen when he succeeded he would have left Jesus alone! Luke 22:3 records “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve.” Satan was busy plotting and now he had a vessel to use. Through Judas betrayal, Satan organized the death of Jesus. When Jesus hung on the cross (before) He actually died, there was rejoicing in hell. Can you see Satan throwing a party for all of His leadership as they watched Jesus hanging on the cross and waiting with great anticipation for Him to take His last breath? He was celebrating his victory. He was celebrating the fact that he could now once again rule over the earth and set things back in order according to his desires. Jesus had temporarily disrupted things but he was now back in charge. The party lasted from the time Jesus was nailed to the cross until the time He died. Now here is where it gets interesting. I am sure that Satan was happy that he no longer had to deal with Jesus. Jesus was with His Father again in heaven and he once again had the rule over the earth. Fear reigned and he was in a very good place. I am sure he was planning how he would finish off the disciples and other followers of Jesus and get things back on track. Jesus had been such a pain in his plan that just knowing He was dead was a great cause to celebrate. Imagine if you please the following as I describe what took place between Friday night and Sunday morning.
When Jesus took His last breath, the first thing that happened is that hell literally broke loose. Matthew 27:52-53 recorded the following: “The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” Some of the righteous who had died in the Lord came out of the tombs and appeared to many. This is not something to be taken lightly. In order for them to come out of the tombs, their natural bodies had to be restored or they were given their new bodies like Jesus had. We are not told how long they stayed out of the tombs, but imagine how Satan felt – people who had hurt his kingdom were now walking the earth again. Satan was rejoicing and enjoying his victory party when one of his demons rushes in and tells him that there were people who were once dead and out of their way now walking the earth and testifying to the greatness of Jesus. Imagine how this could change the party atmosphere. But for Satan, it got worse. This was Friday evening before Jesus arrived there. You see, in Satan’s mind Jesus’ spirit would just go back to the Father and he would not have to deal with Jesus again. All he had to be concerned about is building on the fear that had started when he killed Jesus. Imagine his surprise when Jesus made a house call on hell between Friday night and Sunday morning. Let’s examine two references from Ephesians and 1 Peter.
Ephesians 4:9-10 records the following: “Now this expression, ‘He ascended” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.” Let’s also turn to 1 Peter 3:18-20: “For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamations to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient. When the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”
Jesus made a house call on Satan. Imagine Satan’s surprise when Jesus showed up and began ministering to some of his captives. This gives a new meaning to having a prison ministry. Jesus’ prison ministry involved him visiting hell to talk to a few folks. Satan thought Jesus was going up, but Jesus chose to go down and pick up some additional souls. Can you see Satan crying out and demanding that Jesus leave and that he had no right to be there? Can you see him burning red with anger when Jesus told him to shut up; that he had come to set some souls free? Satan was not expecting this. Remember, his goal is to get as many people as he can to not have a relationship with God and to end up in the lake of fire with him. Some of the souls that he held until Jesus death were his prized possession and he had no thoughts of losing any of them, but here is Jesus setting them free. Imagine being one of those souls that was in hell and having Jesus set you free and take you with Him?
Between Friday night and early Sunday morning, Jesus continued His ministry and completed His work. Those who were left on the earth did not know any of this and were without hope. Had they known Jesus was in hell stripping Satan of his power they would have truly been rejoicing and waiting for Sunday morning to hear about everything that He had done – only if they had known. Now we get to the reason all of us are here today – because Christ rose from the dead, we have a hope unlike the hope of anyone else.
II. The Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-10 records “Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightening and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into, Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you. And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and Mary came to the tomb. They came to see Him and to continue to tend to His body. Where were the men? Do you realize that it is the same way today in our Churches? There are more women that seek Jesus than men? When they got to the tomb, the stone had already been rolled away. The angel did not roll the stone away to let Jesus out; he rolled it away so others could enter. The chief priests and other leaders had requested the grave be guarded to keep the disciples from coming and stealing the body. They did not understand that there would not be a body available to be stolen. When the guards saw the angel move the stone from the grave they were frozen with fear. I believe they began to understand just who had been buried in that grave.
Do you realize that Jesus is the only man from any of the present day major religion that does not have a grave sight? You can find the locations where the others are buried, but there is no grave for Jesus because He did not need one. Our ultimate victory was given in His resurrection. Satan was stripped of His power forever. What is so important is that Jesus did not die for His benefit, but for ours. He did not suffer and die because of something He did, but because of what was done before arrived on earth and for what we continue to do. We are beneficiaries of the grace that came through His death and resurrection. Do you realize that if Jesus had not rose from the dead we would be like others without any hope?
III. Our Hope
Our hope is based on Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, we have a hope unlike any other. The promises that we were given for what lies ahead for us after death was given by someone who had been in heaven; left heaven and came to earth; died and went back; and has made visits back here to let us know what lies ahead for those who love Him. No other man or woman who has ever walked this earth has been able to make these promises and back them up with evidence. Only our Jesus has been able to do so.
There are many things that we deal with in this life. There are times when we are filled with hope and there are times when our hope fails us. But there is one area where our hope will never fail us and that is in the promises that Jesus has made to us. All of us know someone who does not have a personal relationship with Christ. Do you know that it is all of our responsibility to do our best to help them get one? The promise of eternity with Jesus does not apply to them if they refuse to have a relationship with Him. It is not just lip service, but actionable service. Let me close with these words about the promise of what lies ahead for us. As you hear these words be comforted in knowing that whatever you’re dealing with right now will pass. The disciples did not recognize that Jesus was going to rise from the dead and were surprised when He did. We know that He is coming back so we should be looking forward to it. Hear now these words and understand:
John 14:1-3 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: “But we do not want you to be uninformed brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first... (Note not all of the dead are dead in Christ and therefore only those who are dead in Christ will rise first. The others will wait for the Day of Judgment.)…Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Matthew 24:29-31, 42: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other….Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Revelations 21:1-5: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
I leave you with these words. Have a very blessed Easter and may God continue to bless and keep you.
