“They Remembered His Words”
Luke 24:1-12
A sermon for 4/4/21 – Easter Sunday
Pastor John Bright - Harmony & Swansonville UMC
Luke 24 “1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
“8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.”
Everybody who has been married or even in a long-term relationship has heard those words - “I don’t remember you saying that.”
Every parent has heard those words - “I don’t remember you saying that.”
Every teacher or boss or coach has heard those words – “I don’t remember you saying that.”
Unfortunately, the older I get, the more I find myself saying those words - “I don’t remember you saying that.” Did I mention that preachers hear those words from the congregation on a regular basis? 😊
All the gospels have women going to the tomb early in the morning. Luke names three of them - Mary from the town of Magdala, someone named Joanna, Mary the mother of James (the Lesser – Mk. 15:40). That morning, there is unfinished work at the tomb. There was a flurry of activity on Friday afternoon to get Jesus off the cross and into the tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea before sunset – the start of the Jewish Sabbath. All the next day these Jewish women were prohibited from doing this work because of the Sabbath customs of that time. So, early on Sunday morning comes the time to finish the preparation of Jesus’ body for burial.
This is a foreign concept for those of us who live in civilized cultures – we have little or no contact with body of a loved one following death. We call 911. The funeral home is called. There is no washing, no dressing, no preparation for a prayer-watch over the body. That was the experience of our grandparents and great-grandparents. They would understand the work these women are prepared to be about that Sunday morning long ago.
Just understand this – to finish their work, they need a body. Every time any of these folks have gone to a tomb to prepare for a burial… there was ALWAYS A BODY. So, if that was your “normal” – how would you react to an empty tomb? Really – seems like a normal reaction in a situation that those women were not prepared to face that morning. The large, heavy stone that covers the opening is moved aside – not normal. They enter the first chamber of the tomb and find it empty – not normal. Luke describes what I think is a normal reaction to their present situation – “… they were greatly perplexed about this….”
As if there had not already been too much not-normal – now, two angels appear. They know these are messengers from God and bow down in reverence. Now, these women are told that what they expected to be normal that morning – to find a dead body in a place for dead bodies – that is NOT NORMAL on this day where everything changes. Here’s that “new normal” that we take for granted – “He is not here, but is risen!” You have been to so many Easter Sunday services that the greatest news of all time does not even move you to speak, or clap, or yell – shame on you! Let’s try this again – “He is not here, but is risen!” Much better – I heard you that time!
These angels remind the women – Jesus already told you this would happen. Bet I know what you are thinking they said – “I don’t remember you saying that.” Nope – their response is the title of my sermon this Resurrection Sunday of 2021 - 8 And they remembered His words.
Do we remember the words of Jesus? The words meant for us? Let’s remember today, just like the women at the tomb faced with a “new normal.”
Jesus spoke words of HOPE
Billy Graham once said - “For the believer there is hope beyond the grave, because Jesus Christ has opened the door to heaven for us by His death and resurrection.”
Paul put it this way – 1 Corinthians 15 “16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Jesus told the apostles and others, on multiple occasions, what would be coming. In Luke’s gospel – we often see this phrase – “The Son of Man must be….” Those words – must be – is Luke’s short hand way of saying – This is God’s Plan. It was God’s Plan, from before there was ever time and space, to give us the hope of Resurrection from the Dead.
Jesus also spoke words of HOPE about the life that would be possible (note that word) for Believers after He is crucified, resurrected, ascended and He sends the Holy Spirit.
John 4:13-14 – “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
We have the hope of Eternal Life in the presence of God Almighty. That will be the Believer’s existence until the return of Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead. We can’t comprehend that life in heaven. Think about this – a Believer who died 1,000 years ago has experienced a day around the throne of God.
We also have hope for life here on earth.
John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Have I reminded you lately that I am NOT a prosperity gospel preacher? I am NOT! If Jesus is not offering you abundant back accounts or big churches – what is it? Abundant life is life that is full of the Holy Spirit and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). After the year we have had – those sound great! When we look around and see the turmoil and chaos in the culture of today – that Life in the Spirit is the ONLY HOPE we may have. Listen to that list again and hear the word of HOPE in each and every one - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Jesus spoke words of LOVE
There is a popular meme today that I have also seen on t-shirts - “I always thought love was shaped like a heart, but it’s actually shaped like a cross.”
When Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night – He told this religious ruler all he needed to know about love – John 3 “14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Speaking of a “new normal” – when Jesus spoke words about the LOVE Believers should have, it’s hard to see what we call love today. His call to us is a radical call to extravagant love that is more about being inclusive than being exclusive. How radical is this inclusive call to love?
Matthew 5 “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
In the early days of Methodism, John Wesley connected the perfection of sanctification to this call to love. He described perfection as “being made perfect in love – loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself.” Being more loving – in this day and time – can seem like a bit too much to ask, but if we only love when it’s easy and we only love those who are easy to love – we will look like those heathen tax collectors Jesus warned us about. And, by the way, you usually don’t have to look any further than the local church you are in to find folks that are hard to love – start there! If you think about it, Believers who hear Jesus and get that radical in the call to loving others, would end up with no enemies at all.
Jesus spoke words of JUDGEMENT
Hey guys – don’t worry – I’m not going to be Debbie Downer on Resurrection Sunday – but – if we think Jesus only spoke words of HOPE and LOVE, we are not hearing the full counsel of the Word. Listen to these words of JUDGEMENT – John 14 “1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And 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. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
I could spend a lot of time talking about how most folks don’t believe this anymore and how so many of them think we are being judgmental when we say “Jesus is the ONLY WAY.” Since those folks are not here this morning – let me explain how this is a word of Judgement to the Church today. Jesus suffered and died on a Roman cross. He was raised on the third day. All of this to secure – to pay for – your salvation and my salvation. (amen?) He made sure to say it as “plain as day” that there is no other way to Heaven other than Him. (amen?) Then, why are we trying to earn our salvation?
I read this little poem recently that did not have an author listed:
“I cannot work my soul to save, for that my Lord hath done;
But I will work like a slave, For the love of God’s dear Son.”
(Ravenhill, “Why Revival Tarries”, p. 56)
All the choir members – all the Sunday School teachers – all the local church treasurers – all the Nursery volunteers – all the ushers – all the folks cooking and washing dishes – not one of these folks ever added to the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary. If they are thinking that – their work for God is futile. If they are overwhelmed by the HOPE and LOVE they have received by having all their sins forgiven by the Blood of the Lamb – they serve as a joyful response to have received what they never could earn and never deserved.
If you have struggled with this in the past or even right now, let me give you some assurance – YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU MORE AND YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIM LOVE YOU LESS! I keep trying to convince you - God is crazy-in-love with you! He loves you this much (arms open wide like Jesus on the cross). Here’s a prayer of surrender for you – “God, I can’t because You already did and I am as saved as I am ever going to be. Amen.” (repeat as needed)
We celebrate this morning because the cross was not the end of the story. We celebrate this morning because the empty tomb is not the end of the story. Jesus is alive and is seated at the right hand of God until He come to call us home. Until then – we can cherish Jesus’ words of hope, Jesus’ words of love and Jesus’ words of judgement. As believers – we need all those words – in our hearts and upon our lips. This is our testimony – Jesus is who He Claimed to be and the empty tomb is all the proof we need! Amen.
