Scripture: Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12
Resurrection Sunday
Theme: Creating Pictures
This is a short sermon looking at the images we create around Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. It is intended to help us focus on those that bring comfort, peace, love and joy.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
I want to talk to you today about creating pictures.
We all create pictures in our minds of different things. When we hear certain words we have certain images or pictures that come into our minds. For example, when I say a word, just focus on the picture or image that comes into your mind:
+Mom +Sports
+Dad +Shopping
+Eating +Children
Now, don’t focus too much on all those pictures for the rest of our sermon this morning, but when we hear certain words we have a tendency to have certain images come into our minds.
But are they always the right or best images? Are they images that speak about that person or that thing with clarity and honesty?
I know people that when they think of the word mom/mother it is not a pleasant image that first comes to their minds and the same can be true of the word father/dad. Other people’s experiences are just the opposite. When they think of the words mom or dad the image they have is of this angel in human garb or a person who is high up on some type of human pedestal.
Most of the time when we really think about things like mom or dad, we have multiple images in mind. Images that are hopefully more positive than negative.
Now, let’s think of a few more words and the images that first come into our minds:
+Holy Week
+Easter – or Resurrection Sunday
+Jesus
There are some images that over the years have crept into the ideas of Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. Images that if we are not careful tend to down play the significance of what actually happened. Other images have crept in that tend to focus more on the negative aspects that surround Holy Week and Easter. Images that tend to cause us to lessen our celebration of this amazing spiritual transforming week.
Let’s look at three images that over the last 20 years have risen in popularity and then let’s look quickly at four images that I believe that we need to focus on more when we think of Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday.
1. Images that have taken center stage recently
A. Jesus Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane
There are a host of churches that have the scene of Gethsemane in their church; either as a banner, a picture or even a stain glass window.
Now, that is not a bad thing.
Let me reiterate that again; that is not a bad thing.
However, we must be careful to always put what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane into its proper perspective. The hour or two that Jesus spends in the Garden was very important. In fact, it shows us the depth of sin’s cost, the reality of Jesus’ humanness and ultimately the depth of Jesus’ surrender, commitment and obedience.
Those are great things to look at and study in detail.
However, far too often people spend more time looking at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and forget to focus on the totality of Jesus’ life here on earth. They focus more on the struggle that Jesus endured here rather than look at His whole life. They forget to focus on the wonder of His conception, the victory He experienced over the temptations in the wilderness and the amazing adventures He shared with His disciples as they shared the Good News all over the land of Israel.
B. Jesus’ painful words on the Cross
Again there is nothing wrong spending some quality time on Jesus’ words on the cross. Especially, when Jesus says the words:
“My God, My God why hast thou forsaken Me?”
We all have probably heard a number of sermons that have focused on these words. They are good words.
They are words that come out of Psalm 22.
What people fail to do is to look at the rest of Psalm 22. When Jesus quoted Psalm 22 it was not out of context. The people who heard His words that day would have then thought of the rest of the words of Psalm 22.
Psalm 22 is not a psalm of negativity or defeat. It is not psalm blaming God for forsaking a person. It is a psalm of commitment, of honesty, of pain and ultimately of praise. It is a psalm of David’s that reflects his struggles, his angst and his pain and yet in the midst of those things David understands the power and the mercy of God. David understands that God has not forsaken him. Just the opposite; God is and will always be with him.
Jesus was doing the same. He is not complaining. Jesus is sharing to those around him honest words of struggle and pain. Jesus knows that the Jews that were around will immediately think of the whole psalm. Jesus wants them to understand that He knows God has not forsaken Him but is there with Him at all times.
So, when we read these words of Jesus on the cross we need to open up our Bibles and read the whole psalm – Psalm 22.
C. Jesus’ Lifeless Body in the tomb
In our world today there are more and more people concentrating on Jesus’ body in the tomb. They are focusing on Jesus’ death. They want to over state that Jesus died and his body was put into a tomb.
And again there is nothing wrong in focusing on Jesus’ death as long as you don’t leave Jesus in the tomb. Good Friday is vital but without Resurrection Sunday then Good Friday doesn’t make sense.
Jesus died. He gave up His life. Let me say that again. Jesus gave up His life. It was not taken from him. The Romans did not kill Jesus. Neither did the Jews. Satan did not kill Jesus.
On the cross Jesus said these words:
– “It is finished” (John 19:30
- “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).
The Gospel writers wanted to make it very plain that Jesus gave His life. Yes, He died but his death was the giving of an innocent sacrificial life and not the taking of a life. Rome did not take Jesus’ life. Israel did not take Jesus’ life.
John 10:17-18
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus died for our sins. He gave up His life for our sins. Saying that He gave up His life may seem like an insignificant thing but in reality it makes all the difference in the world.
Jesus did not die a criminal’s death. He did not die as a result of the thorns, the nails or even because of the beatings He had received.
At any moment Jesus could have come off the cross. He could have thrown off the cross like Samson threw off lions and enemy soldiers.
Instead, Jesus poured out his life upon that cross for you and me. He embraced all the pain. He embraced all the suffering. He embraced all the sin that the world had ever known and would know. He took upon Himself all the disease and all the curses of mankind. He willingly allowed the power and penalty of sin to overtake Him because Jesus knew that the Cross was not going to be the end.
And it is to that end that I want to share with your very quickly four images that I would like for you to focus on when you think of Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday).
II. Images that Should take Center Stage
Again, let me reiterate there is nothing with those other images. I just believe that there are some more positive images that we should always focus on in our walk with Jesus.
A. Jesus Victoriously coming out of the Tomb
The shame is no human saw this event. It was seen by God the Father, God the Holy Spirit along with all the angels and even the demons. And of course you could add the birds and other creatures of nature that lived around the garden.
There should have been thousands of human beings gathered around the tomb that morning. After all, Jesus made it pretty clear time and time again that after three days He was going to rise from the dead. (John 2:18-22; 11:25-26; John 14:9; Mark 8:31-33; 9:9; Matthew 16:21-28; Luke 9:22-27).
But no one believed Jesus. NO ONE. Not one single person living on the earth at that time.
Think about that for a moment. No one believed that Jesus was going to be raised from the dead.
Personally, for me the image I think of when I think of Resurrection is Jesus coming out of the tomb. This is what I see when I hear the message of Resurrection – Jesus coming out of the tomb – Victorious, Alive and Well!
For this is what Holy Week was all about. This is what Jesus’ mission was all about. This is why Jesus came in the first place.
It wasn’t just to teach and perform miracles.
It wasn’t even to suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And it wasn’t just to die on the cross.
It was all about coming out of that tomb as the Risen Savior and LORD. It was all about Jesus defeating the powers of evil, hell, death and the grave. It was all about Jesus being the Second Adam. It was all about rescue and redemption. It was all about what Jesus fulfilling His Mission and now being the Risen Lord.
The greatest image of Resurrection Sunday is just that – Jesus has risen from the dead. Jesus is the Savior of the World. Jesus has broken the power of sin and has paid the penalty for every sin that has ever been thought or done.
This morning, we don’t serve a dead Jesus. We don’t serve a defeated Jesus. We don’t serve a doubting Jesus. We don’t serve a forsaken Jesus.
We serve a Jesus who on the third day walked out of that tomb alive and well and walked around in His glorified resurrected body. We serve a Jesus who has the keys to Hell, the grave, to salvation and New Life.
When I think of this day the image that comes first and foremost is Jesus coming out of the Tomb – victorious and glorious.
B. Jesus giving some Love to Mary
Another image that I hold dear is the image of a loving Savior reaching down to Mary Magdalene and allowing her to understand that He is Her Risen Lord.
Here is this woman that loved Jesus with every fiber of her being. Here is a woman that had been filled with all kinds of evil. Here is a woman who knew what it meant for demons to control her life and yet here is also a woman that Jesus is calling her name to give her peace and assurance.
Jesus does not condemn her for her lack of faith for bring spices for a dead body. Jesus does not dismiss her in the midst of her pain. Instead, He calls her by her name. A name only the Good Shepherd would know. His only desire is to bring her peace. His only desire is to bring her joy. His only desire is to anoint her as the first missionary to tell the world that He is Alive!
What a great image!
C. Jesus walking with the couple on the Road to Emmaus.
This couple should have never been walking away from the Garden of the Tomb. Instead they should have been camping out waiting for the Resurrection.
But St. Luke tells us that they were going the wrong direction with the wrong thoughts running around their heads. They were sharing the wrong message; a message of doubt and defeat.
If you ever wondered about the importance of small groups then don’t wonder any more. Jesus joins this couple and for the next few hours they have one of the greatest small group Bible Studies the world has ever known.
Jesus gently takes them through the Bible to show them exactly why this last week had transpired the way that it did. He gently leads them to understand the real meaning of Jesus’ life and ministry.
And then He reveals Himself to them as they break bread together.
I love the image of Jesus reaching out to people; good people who were struggling over His life and mission. I love the image of Jesus taking time out on Resurrection Sunday to be with these two people who were not a part of the twelve but needed Him and so there He was. He was meeting their needs where they were and taking them to the next level. We see that happening as they break bread together.
D. Jesus Breathing Peace (His Holy Spirit) Into His Disciples
In John 20:19-23 we see this beautiful story of Jesus appearing to His disciples on that Sunday. His first words are vital –
“Peace be unto you.”
Jesus could say that now. The power of sin had been broken. The penalty of sin had been paid.
For the first time since the time of Adam and Eve true peace could be experienced. Peace between man and God. Peace between humans. Peace between humans and creation.
Peace that is more than not fighting. Peace that opens the door to sharing agape love. Peace that opens the door to a blending and melting of heart, mind and soul. Peace that changes the very atmosphere of wherever we find ourselves. Peace that brings healing, wholeness and oneness.
And then Jesus says these words which tell us how we are to live after His Resurrection:
“even so I am sending you”
“Receive the Holy Spirit”
This is a wonderful image of Resurrection for it shows what can happen to us and then what we have been called to do.
We have been called to receive His Holy Spirit. That means we have been called to be One with God. We have been called to forsake our sinful path and turn (repent) towards God. We are called to be One with God – to receive His Spirit – A Spirit of Regeneration, of New Life and of Holiness.
We are then called to go and tell others – Jesus is Risen. Salvation is Now. Sin(s) are forgiven. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Savior. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Abundant Life is Now. Heaven is Now.
Now, are those some great pictures/images to have in your mind on Resurrection Day?
Take a moment as we close and focus on one more picture – this one involves you and Jesus.
+Focus on Jesus being right in front of you
– He wants to bring you His love, His peace and His joy.
He wants to infill you with His Holy Spirit.
He wants to be Your Savior and Lord.
He wants to join His heart, mind and soul with your heart, mind and soul.
As we take Communion this morning will you allow Him to do just that?
As we receive the elements that speak of Salvation of Body and Soul will you allow Jesus to be Your Savior and LORD?
As we receive the elements of His body and blood will we allow Him to make us One – One with Him and One with One Another.
Sharing of Holy Communion
Prayer/Blessing
