OPEN: (We showed the image of a fallen tree (https://imgur.com/iP32qff)
I saw this picture on the internet about a month ago and it took me a while to realize what I was looking at. Obviously the tree has been uprooted and it’s lying on the ground with its dead limbs extending along the ground. But it doesn’t look like a normal DEAD tree does it. Why? Because… there is life sprouting up from death (new branches were sprouting up skyward out of the dead trunk).
(PAUSE) There’s a repeated theme in Scripture that God takes that which is DEAD… and gives it LIFE. I once attended a seminar where the speaker pointed out that God gives birth to a vision. Then there’s a death of that vision. And then a rebirth of that vision. And this theme is played out over and over and over again in Scripture.
And that’s the theme in the sermons I’ve been preaching this month. We’ve looked at the lives of Joseph, and David and Peter. They all had a vision of greatness, but then their vision died. Their dreams were dashed and their hopes had come to nothing. But their dreams didn’t stay dashed… because, by the power of God, their dream was reborn. Brought back to life!
I could spend weeks preaching on this topic. I could preach about Abraham – God gives him the vision that he’d become a father and then the vision dies as Abraham realizes he and his wife are too old to have children. But then the vision is reborn when God gives them a son - Isaac.
And I could preach about Esther. God gives her a vision of greatness – the queen of one of the greatest nations in history. But that dream dies as she realizes that the only way she can protect her people from danger is to go to the King and ask for a favor. But, if she does that, she risks the King’s displeasure, and he might put her to death. It is that very real possible that endangers all her dreams of success and safety and security in. But then her dream is reborn. She does approach the King and he not only spares her but is enchanted by her request to honor him with a special banquet. In the end, she not only saves her people from death, but to this day there is a yearly Jewish festival that celebrates her heroism. There’s even book in Scripture that bears her name – one of only two Bible books named for women.
I could preach on and on and on about numerous men and women who went thru the same:
VISION.
DEATH of vision.
And REBIRTH of the vision.
I could speak of Moses and Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego… etc., etc. etc. These were all comeback kings and queens whose life went from death and disaster to greatness and renown.
But THE greatest of ALL those who went through this experience… was Jesus. First there was the vision: When Jesus was born, He came as the fulfillment of prophecy. He was born to be the hope of His people. Joseph was told “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:21-23
Jesus born to a chorus of angels… and to the homage of wise men. And, as He grew up it was obvious - even to those who hated Him that this was a man born to greatness.
People came from nearly 100 miles away, and huge crowds gathered wherever He preached. He fed 1000s with just a few loaves and fish. Matthew 4:24 tells us “… his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.”
HE EVEN RAISED THE DEAD!!!
And then (after 3 years of ministry), in the last week of His ministry, it says that “The large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’” John 12:12-15
The dream of the ages had been fulfilled. The long awaited Messiah - the King of God’s people had arrived!! And people cried out “Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord.”
That was the vision…
(Pause) But then… THE VISION DIED. Jesus was betrayed, arrested, subjected to trial after trial throughout the night. And Jesus’ enemies began to whisper that He was a fraud. They said that he’d lied and deceived them about who He really was … until at last the crowds began to believe it! After all…how could the promised King of Israel be so easily be taken by His enemies? They’d expected a powerful and majestic leader, not some useless and pathetic man that couldn’t even protect Himself.
So, a few days later, the same crowds that had cried “Hosanna…”Now cried out “Crucify Him!!!” And so they led Jesus away to be crucified.
(Pause)
And as he was hung from nails that pinned Him to the cross we’re told “… those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.” Matthew 27:29-44
This tragedy was so intense, that even God mourned. “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:51
The long-promised Messiah … died. They took His body down, wrapped it in burial cloth and buried it in a borrowed tomb (pause)
BUT THEN …Matthew 28:5-6 says that “the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.’”
In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, Peter said it this way: “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Acts 2:22-24
Jesus was born … a man to fulfill a vision. That vision died at Calvary. But… the vision of the Messiah… didn’t stay in the grave. Jesus rose from the dead!
As Mark Lowry once observed: “When the dead rise up… the funeral’s over”
But now, the question is: WHY? Why would God do it this way? Not just with Jesus, but with almost every other story in Scripture. (Vision/Death/Rebirth)
ILLUS: Max Lucado made an interesting observation: “The women have anointed his body and placed it in Joseph's tomb. The cadaver of Christ is as mute as the stone which guards it. He spoke much on Friday. He will liberate the slaves of death on Sunday. But on Saturday, Jesus is silent. And so is God. He made himself heard on Friday. He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven. Earth heard much from God on Friday.
But nothing on Saturday.
Jesus is silent. God is silent. Saturday is silent.
Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday. Friday and Sunday get all the press. The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts.
But don't ignore Saturday. You have them, too. Silent Saturdays. The day between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.
Saturday's silence torments us. Is God angry? Did I disappoint him? God knows Jesus is in the tomb, why doesn't He do something? Or, in your case - God knows your career is in the tank, your finances are in the pit, your marriage is a mess. Why doesn't He act?
And what are you supposed to do until He does? Well, you do what Jesus did. Lie still. Stay silent. Trust God.
Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27). Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave.
And YOU need to know; God will not leave you alone with your struggles. His silence is not his absence; his inactivity is never apathy. Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God's strength. If God had raised Jesus 15 minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appeared, would you appreciate His strength?
For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays. And all we can do … until God acts in our lives… is wait. As James 5:7 tells us “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (Daily Heartlight for 03/26/2016 Written by Max Lucado).
ILLUS: Years ago Guideposts had an intriguing story that illustrates this truth. A man explained: “It was a beautiful spring day, and a sense of peace stayed with me as I left church. I paused for a moment on top of the steps leading to the avenue... Sitting in her usual place inside a small archway was the old flower lady. At her feet corsages and boutonnieres on top of a spread-open newspaper. She was smiling… her wrinkled old face alive with an inner joy. I started down the stairs - then, on impulse, turned and picked out a flower. As I put it in my lapel, I said, "You took happy this morning." And she said: "Why not? Everything is good." But she was dressed so shabbily and seemed so very old that her reply startled me.
"You've been sitting here for many years now and always smiling. You wear your troubles well."
"Ah… you can't reach my age and not have troubles." she replied. "Only it's like Jesus and Good Friday... ' She paused for a moment.
Intrigued, he leaned forward: "Yes?"
"Well when Jesus was crucified on Good Friday that was the worst day for the whole world. And when I get troubles I remember that. And then I think of what happened only three days later – on Easter and our Lord arising. So when I get troubles, I've learned to wait three days ... somehow everything gets all right again.” (Pat Barnes, April 1956 in Guideposts)
CLOSE: I want to close with a couple final thoughts. When Jesus rose from the dead… He became the ultimate “Comeback King.” His death, burial and resurrection are the core of our faith. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:14-17 “… if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
Then Paul says: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (I Corinthians 15:20). That's why we're here this morning. We're not here to go through the motions of singing and praying and hearing a sermon. We're here because Jesus has risen from the dead. In fact, the most important thing we do here each Sunday has to do with these plates on the table up front. The bread and the cup remind us that THIS is why we gather each Sunday - to remember that Jesus died for our sins... and rose from the dead to save us. Jesus' vision, death of that vision, and the rebirth of the vision in His resurrection are the key to why we exist as a church.
In fact, it is in Christ that we live out our own birth of a vision and the death of a vision, and rebirth of that vision to a new life. The Bible says that you and I have been created in the image of God. That’s the vision! We were born to have value and purpose because we bear the mark and the image of God. BUT that vision died when we sinned. And all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible says that (because of our sin) we were enemies of God and objects of wrath.
So… how then do we experience “rebirth”? Romans 6:3-8 tells us “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in A RESURRECTION LIKE HIS. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that WE WILL ALSO LIVE with him.”
INVITATION
