HoHum:
A Sunday School teacher had just finished telling her third graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: "And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?" A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom. Attached to it was the arm of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly "I know, I know!" "Good" said the teacher, "Tell us, what were Jesus first words." And Extending her arms high into the air she said: "TA-DA!"
WBTU:
The Easter message is one of great joy. Matthew 28:8, NIV.
Preacher who meets another preacher asks, “Did you have a good Easter?” Even if it is October he asks because almost every church has a good Easter. A time of celebration.
Also a time of responsibility. VS. 7 and 19. Easter is a reminder of our responsibility to tell others the good news.
Thesis: Let’s review the responses of these disciples in Matthew 28 and then imitate their response to the resurrection
For instances:
I. Convinced that Jesus rose from the dead
Women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. The resurrection began with a group of women who believed that Jesus was alive. Vs. 1
There was Mary Magdalene. “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.” Mark 16:9
other Mary- Mary the mother of James Mark tells us. Other women as well.
Vs. 2-4
4 persuasive evidences that Jesus was alive:
1. The angels testimony- vs. 5-7
2. Jesus’ prophecy: Vs 6- he has risen, just as he said- told the disciples this several times. Vs. 7- is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Talked about this at the Sunrise service. “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”” Mark 14:28, NIV.
3. The empty tomb. Vs. 6- Come and see the place where he lay. The women went in and saw the empty tomb. Peter and John did the same in John’s account.
4. The appearance of Jesus himself. Vs. 9-10
For us to convince others, we need to be convinced ourselves. There is so much evidence for the resurrection, so much more evidence for resurrection of Christ than any other historical event. Josephus wrote- Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by Pilate and his disciples claimed that he appeared to them after his death.
Chuck Colson was convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the Watergate scandal. Chuck Colson was involved in the cover up. “There were only 8 or 10 of us around the President who really knew the situation. All we had to do was stonewall for a period of months and then the Watergate scandal would be over. We had all the power and prestige of the Presidency at our fingertips. If the truth broke out it would be an embarrassment to our career and maybe a short prison sentence, but there was no grave danger, our lives were not threatened, but we could not hold the conspiracy together for more than 2 weeks. We could not contain the lie. Once prosecution was possible, the instinct for self preservation was so overwhelming that the conspirators one by one deserted their leader and caved in and sprinted into the prosectors office to tell the truth and escape jail.” From this Colson reasoned that the disciples could not perpetrate a lie like the resurrection because not just their reputations were at stake but their lives were in danger. They had nothing to gain by the lie and yet they all stood fast in their conviction that Jesus was alive. Colson wrote: Take it from one in the Watergate web looking out, one who saw first hand how vulnerable a cover up is, nothing less than a witness as awesome as the resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whisper that Jesus is alive.
Peter wrote: “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16.
II. It takes conviction but also courage to testify of the resurrection.
A. Not everyone was excited about resurrection. Vs. 11-15- Couldn’t deny that it happened but so hardened they tried to cover it up. Problems: 1) If soldiers are sleeping, how did they know disciples came and stole the body? 2) If a Roman soldier was caught sleeping on duty, he could be executed. Soldier wouldn’t want to talk about this 3) How did the disciples manage to roll a stone that weighed at least a ton away from the door without waking any of the soldiers up? 4) If disciples stole body, when things got hard, why not bring body out to clear themselves?
B. this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day- everywhere disciples preached and taught about Jesus the Jews dismissed the resurrection with this shallow excuse.
C. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4, NIV. When we believe this the world will tries to come up with arguments why it is not true and the first denial of the resurrection is right here in Matthew.
D. When convinced about the resurrection and start to tell others, get ready the adversary always has a counter argument ready. “You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come” 2 Peter 3:3, NIV. Many fictional tales in our day to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
My series of messages before Easter I entitled the Passover Plan. That was my second choice. My first one was the Passover Plot. Sounded better, more intriguing. As I studied for these series of messages in the back of my mind I thought something wasn’t right with the title. Looked up the Passover Plot and in the 1960’s a man wrote a book called the Passover Plot. In the book he outlined his theory of how the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not true. The main crux of his argument was about Joseph of Arimathea. “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.” John 19:38, NIV. In the book the Passover Plot Joseph of Arimathea hides Jesus’ body away never to be found again and with the help of John the Beloved Apostle they come up with this story about how Jesus Christ rose from the dead even though it wasn’t true. This is a work of fiction, making things up that are not true. Took all of Joseph’s courage to ask Pilate for the body let alone conspire with an apostle of Jesus and then lie about all of it. Joseph has no motivation to do this, why would he do this? Again scoffers will come up with anything to discredit the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
III. It takes conviction and courage to be committed to the Great Commission.
Some think that they just need to live a good life and then others will know that they are Christians. Takes 2 things to be committed to the Great Commission: Teaching it and living it. Teaching is making disciples, baptizing them, teaching them to obey. How can we teach that if we are not trying to live it? They do go together but for many they are unwilling to open their mouths and teach, stand up for Jesus.
Facts on how people are brought into the church: 1/2 to 1%- Evangelistic crusade; met a special need- 1 to 2%; a church program- 2 to 3%; Just walked in- 2 to 3%; Sunday school- 4 to 5%; The preacher- 5 to 6%; Brought by a friend or relative- 75 to 90%
3 reasons why resurrection of Jesus Christ should lead us to take Great Commission seriously:
1. Jesus Christ is the ultimate authority. Vs. 18. What words are these to come from One who has just been put to death for claiming to be the king of the Jews! King of kings and Lord of lords is his title now. "All authority has been given unto Me" -- given as the purchase of His pain: authority in heaven, as Priest with God -- authority on earth, as King of men.
2. Jesus Christ is the universal Savior. Vs. 19- make disciples of all nations “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6, NIV. If a radio station is giving away $100 to someone and only to that particular someone, we don’t say, My that’s exclusive. No, we say that is generous. Only one way. Could be no way but God has provided one way. “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”” Acts 4:12, NIV.
3. Jesus Christ is the permanent hope. Vs. 20. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”” John 11:25, 26, NIV. Life without Christ is a hopeless end but with him it is an endless hope.
Conclusion and invitation:
One writer put it this way:
1. Jesus predicted His own resurrection. 2. The Old Testament prophesied it. 3. The tomb was empty and the grave clothes were vacant. 4. Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat. 5. The lives of the disciples were revolutionized. 6. The resurrection was the central message of the early church. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church. 7. Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives.
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”” Acts 17:31, NIV.
