Easter/Resurrection
Its not what you call it but how you celebrate it
Pastor Tim Dilena:
Shared a story of a church the Church of the Holy Cross where 2 times thieves broke in and stole from the church.
The first time they stole a money box by a altar with candles, and while this is not the first time we have heard of such a thing.
But the 2nd time they broke in they stole something else of greater value.
The thieves managed to break and the thieves unbolted a 4’ 200-pound statue of Jesus from the cross.
They left the cross on the wall and walked away with Jesus.
The caretaker made a statement that they just decided to leave the cross and take Jesus.
Oswald Chambers made a statement:
That all of Heaven is interested in the cross. And all Hell is terribly afraid of it. And men on earth are the only beings who more or less ignore it.
Without the cross we would not be celebrating the resurrection this morning.
Scars
John 20:27 NIV
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas was a disciple of Jesus yet he could not believe that Jesus was alive and well.
Because of this one event Thomas is remembered as doubting Thomas
You see one event one thing can begin to define how you are remembered.
You could do a million things right but one thing wrong and remembered for the one thing wrong.
We often times tend to focus on the negative and forget the positive.
In this scripture Jesus tell Thomas put your finger here, see my hands, put it into my side.
Another words touch my scars.
I am sure that Jesus could have also said look:
Look at my back.
When I was beaten, beaten for you and the rest of the world.
The beating would consist of a whip not just any whip.
But would have 3 cords with pieces of metal, bone, and a hook at the end
So that with each strike massive amounts of skin were removed often down to the bone or muscle tissue.
Isaiah 53:5-6
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." –
The beating would continue just to the point before death so the person could make it to the cross to be crucified so all could see.
One the cross in order to breathe a person would have to pull up with their hands, push up with their feet and their back would rub across the wood often with splinters in the wood, in order to breath.
It was early on a Sunday morning that a woman named Mary Magdalene who had been possessed by 7 demons delivered and set free by Jesus went to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away.
She ran to Simon Peter and John to tell them and when they arrived at the tomb looked in and saw the tomb empty and the linen cloth folded.
It was this same Mary that was the first to see Jesus.
John 20:17
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Jesus was moving Mary from a Physical relationship to a Spiritual relationship.
A relationship by faith
A relationship of Trust
Jesus reassured her that I am going to my Father AND your Father, My God and your God.
Connecting the relationship
Why did Thomas Doubt?
John 20:19-20, 24-25
Thomas missed the first Sunday Service.
When Jesus showed up and Jesus said Peace be with you and showed the hands and side.
Shows the importance of regular attendance to church to be with brothers and sisters in the Lord.
People will often criticize why if put such importance on church attendance.
But not only have I seen what can happen to a believer I have experienced what can happen.
Thomas had only heard about what took place He hadn’t experienced what took place.
You can hear about it but you must experience it.
Why did Jesus show the disciples the scars and tell Thomas put your finger here Touch my Scars?
The disciples were just like you and me
They had their own scars.
Emotional Scars
Mental Scars
Physical scars
Scars from their past
Problem is scars can go very deep
Like an onion with many layers build up over time
Scar upon scar
Left undealt with begin to harden a heart.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
It took scars to heal scars
It took the scars of Jesus to heal the scars of Thomas, Mary, the disciples and so many more.
It didn’t Matter that Thomas went to Mary, to Saint Peter, Paul or any other of the saints It was when He came to Jesus that he was healed.
It took the scars of the Cross of Jesus to bring our healing.
One thing is for certain in life we all have scars.
We can receive scars, we can give scars
but the answer is in how do you deal with it.
Some turn to alcohol, drugs, relationships, education, careers.
But it is not until we come to the cross of Jesus that we can be truly healed.
Altar Call
Lost
Backslidden
Saved
