Resurrection of hope
John 20:1-18
Introduction- He is risen (response- He is risen indeed)
Hope is a powerful word.
With it you are able to endure great stress and look past many hard situations.
Without hope you crumble and lose vision.
To those that put their hope and trust in Jesus Christ, the future looks brighter. (Amen)
To those who have no redeemer, situations and circumstances rob us of our hope.
Hope defined
Hope is the state which promotes the belief in an outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Despair is often regarded as the opposite of hope.
Hope is to expect with confidence.
Despair is to lose that hope, and expect nothing.
For most today, Easter (resurrection Sunday) was a visit by the Easter bunny, candy companies become little richer, and most eat till they cannot eat another bite.
Their lives will not have changed and that by itself does not offer much hope.
Like the person that bites into a hollow chocolate Easter bunny in the hope that it would be solid chocolate.
Illustration-(SermonCentral)
An Illinois man left Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a trip and was planning to meet him the next day. When he reached his hotel he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream and fell dead. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw the note on the screen.
Dearest wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
Your loving husband.
P.S. sure is hot down here.
Easter is good news!
Easter is a celebration that the stone which sealed the life and love of God has been rolled away. It means that our hopes are alive in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Even the disciples struggled with what His death and resurrection meant.
John 20:1-18
I don’t know about you, but I have had to have a few fresh starts and do-overs. Amen?
To you golfers, I have had to have a few mulligan’s to get me back in the game of life.
The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead.
Out of the way.
Out of sight. That was their plan and they thought they had succeeded.
The disciples had dis-banded.
Peter denied Jesus three times, they were afraid.
Locked themselves up in a room so that they would not be the next killed.
They did not understand what happened!
I think Mary just wanted to be close to the tomb of Jesus, and when she found the tomb empty, it messed with her head. It messed up her confused feelings.
Mary wept- all her emotions had come out. We have all been there. 2 angels greet her and she turns around to a standing Jesus Christ. “Who are you looking for?”
She did not recognize Him because she was not looking for Him. (repeat )
Jesus says to her “Mary”- when she heard his voice, she cried out with excitement.
The hope that was lost was now found. Jesus gave her instructions to tell the others the good news. “I have seen the Lord.”
If you grasp nothing else this morning, understand this- “those that encounter the risen Christ will never be the same.” (repeat )
Society without hope is lost.
But as children of God we have a hope and His name is Jesus Christ.
Just like the thief on the cross that cried out to Jesus. Luke 23:41- “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (43) “And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
I. God has come to meet us where we are
Have you ever had moments where this world seems cruel, full of broken promises, disappointments, dreams shattered. The devil beat you up and you feel hopeless.
There is hope, and His name is Jesus. Hope has a name and it is Jesus.
It was the plan of God for Jesus to bridge the gap between God and man.
To bring hope to a dying world.
In the routine of life, God desires to be near you.
God desires that in the midst of all the mess of the world. He brings His comfort, His love, His passion for each one of us.
Illustration-(SermonCentral)
True story- an emergency room doctor, Dr. Krandal was working at the hospital when a man came in with a massive heart attack. They worked on him, they gave him paddles several times but they could not save this man named Jeff Markin. The doctor pronounced time of death of 11:20 am and left the emergency room. The doctor after several minutes was exiting the doctor lounge located off the emergency room when the Lord clearly told him to go back and pray for that man. The doctor dismissed it and continuing to exit, the Lord very clearly spoke to him again to go back and pray for that man. He reluctantly went back and went into the room and laid hands on the man and prayed a very simple prayer of faith. Dr. Krandal asked the O.R. doctor who came in to give the dead man the paddles again. The doctor refused to do it and said it was no use , he was dead. For me, would you do it one more time please?! The doctor prepared the paddles and struck Jeff Markin with them. Immediately, Jeff gasped for air and began to breathe on his own. It was a miracle! Some will believe it and some will not. I know this for sure-Dr. krandal believes, I know that the attending doctor believes, and for sure Jeff Markin believes. jeff Markin was asked what he felt while he was dead. He said the feeling of loneliness, darkness, hopeless. Then Jesus showed up! Doctors pronounced him dead, gave him a time of death and Jesus resurrected him.
Listen, approach Jesus as He is real. Like you are talking to God, and He will change your life forever!
Here’s the difference.(SermonCentral)
1900 BC- Jews Father Abraham died
483 BC- Buddah died
632 AD Mohammad died
33 AD Jesus Died and came back to life to 500 witnesses.
If each one would give a 15 minute testimony, it would take 125 hours to do. Because we were not there, does not make it untrue. It does not change the fact that it happened.
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is our faith.” 1 cor. 15:14
When Jesus was crucified that Good Friday, that was the worse day for mankind. But three days later Easter was coming! I try to remember that when I have troubles. It looks bad know, but the resurrection is coming.
II. God accepts us as we are
That thief next to him on the cross- was now a child of God because of calling out to God.
Isaiah 55
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the evil man his thoughts.”
He loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.
Coming to Christ is a radical change. And change is demanded.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.”
The empty tomb offers us hope.
That hope is Jesus Christ and in that hope is a transformation.
God can overcome our past.
Our past does not define us, our relationship with God does.
Lastly, bring this home,
III. God save those that call upon Him
Two thieves, one called upon God, one curse and mocked God. One entered into eternity with God, and one entered eternity without him, but they both entered eternity at their death.
They had a choice.
It is true that empty things can be the pits.
From empty cereal boxes to empty cartons of milk.
From empty gas tanks to empty refrigerators.
From empty wallets to empty checkbooks.
But there is one thing that is not the pits. It is the empty tomb of Christ Easter morning.
Life without Christ is empty.
Life without hope is hopeless.
But we have a choice this morning
Closing-
It is interesting how people try to define God to their liking. They bring him down to their level so they can understand him, then they reject him because he is too much like them.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Jesus rules and reigns, and he is sovereign
He is bigger than you can imagine, stronger than you would ever need him to be, and he is able to help you in anything that you are facing.
Matthew 27 is a dialog between Jesus, Pilate, and a crowd of rebellious people.
They were given a choice between a murderer Barabbas and Jesus Christ. They choose Barabbas. Pilate made a question available to them and Jesus gives us the same question. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ.”
Today you must do something with Christ- to do nothing is to reject Him.
Think about this- the tomb is empty. It has been for over 2000 years. What are you going to do with that? Is that the Jesus that you serve this morning?
I am not one to beg people to come to God. God works in people’s lives, God speaks to those that have a tender heart for the words that are said.
Is today the day that you turn your life over to the risen savior?
Would you bow your head?
If you mean business with God this morning, I want to pray with you.
If today is the day that you want to make Jesus Lord of your life, here is what you need to do.
Ask him for forgiveness.
Accept what He has done on the cross for your sins.
Believe that He is resurrected and with that resurrection, by acceptance that you can be forgiven and resurrected to a new life.
From this day forward, you will follow him. When you fail, you will pick yourself up and continue to follow.
If you have prayed that, the Bible says that you are a new creation in Christ. Welcome to the family of God. You are accepted and loved this morning by each of us, but more importantly, by the Lord Himself.
Amen.
