INTRODUCTION:
Happy Easter to you! We are so glad you came to worship with us today.
Please turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
As we read about the disciples and what they expected on that first Easter morning, we should ask ourselves, “What are our Easter expectations?”
Text: Luke 24:1-12
(1) Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. (2) And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
(3) And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
(4) And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: (5) And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
(6) He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet 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) And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
(10) It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. (11) And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
(12) Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Illustration: Easter Candy Bruise: My brother-in-law Moe and sister Barbara came over yesterday to wait for and to welcome his sister Rita, along with Kathy’s sister Tammy and a good friend Irene. They came down from Rhode Island to visit and to share the good news that Moe’s sister Rita, a week ago received Christ as Savior. (Applause)
Anyway, I noticed a large bruise on Moe’s lip. I asked him, "Where did you get that big bruise?"
He said, “From eating some Easter candy.”
I said, “Come on Moe, you can’t get a bruise from eating candy!”
Moe replied, “Yes you can if it’s my wife’s candy!”
EASTER SUNDAY is a time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is the heart of the Gospel, which speaks of how Christ died for the sin of the world, was buried, and then on the third day He arose!
Title: EASTER EXPECTATIONS
WORD MEANING: Expectation
The word EXPECT, points to something about to happen, a hopeful, looking forward to… one held in dependence by his belief or hope of receiving some good.
The word “EXPECTATION,” means the act of expecting or looking forward to a future event with at least some reason to believe the event will happen.
Expectation differs from hope. Hope originates in desire and may exist with little or no ground of belief that the desired event will arrive. The expectation is founded on some reasons which render the event probable. Hope is directed to some good; expectation is directed to good or evil.
Talk about how young and old look forward to this event.
Humor: Shortly after a Saturday Easter Egg hunt, mom decided to go out and work in the garden. She noticed her 5-year-old son putting his collected eggs one by one on the ground. She asked, “What are you doing?”
He replied, “I’m planting chickens.”
What are your EASTER Expectations this morning?
Have you come expecting to receive a Word from God?
Have you come expecting to be entertained?
Have you come expecting to be changed in some way by the person who stepped through the door?
Here’s a little poem I wrote for this day… Easter, Easter
Is Easter just a holiday,
with dyed eggs and yummy candy?
Is it a time when children play
and all dress so fine and dandy?
Is Easter when adults find
some much-needed relaxation?
Is it a break from their work
to enjoy a short vacation?
Or does Easter remind us
how Christ died our debt to pay?
And does Easter remind us
of how Christ rose on the third day?
Easter, Easter!
What a beautiful occasion!
Easter, Easter!
What a glorious celebration!
Easter, Easter!
Christ’s resurrection is in view!
Easter, Easter!
He arose for me and you!
Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10
© Loyd C Taylor, Sr., - April 2019Easter, Easter
Phillip Brooks shares his thoughts in the poem…
Christ will rise on Easter Day
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and Hope triumphant say,
Christ will rise on Easter Day.
Phillips Brooks
NOTICE our Text: Luke 24:1-12
(1) Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
The First Day of the Week: It has been asked often, “Why do we worship on Sunday and not Saturday?” Herein lies the main reason, it was on Sunday, the first day of the week that Christ rose from the dead! Afterwards, when we find the early Christians meeting, they met on Sunday and not Saturday, unless that is if they met with Jewish congregations.
Who were the people who came that morning?
Notice verse 10, there you will see a group of women who had come to the tomb to prepare the body of Jesus for burial ritual.
Then, in verse 12, we see the mention of Peter.
Now, in John’s Gospel we read a more detailed description of what had happened, what was found and who found it. John 20:1-6
(1) The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. (2) Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. (3) Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. (4) So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. (5) And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. (6) Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
WORD MEANING: The Sepulcher: A grave, a tomb, a crypt, a vault. A small room carved out of rock or built with stones. It is a place where dead people are laid or buried.
Notice the Scene before us… The women who came were not Expectant of the Resurrection but were expecting a dead body!
There was perplexity and Confusion! (Luk_24:1-12)
The women who had lingered at the cross and seen the burial were the first at the tomb when the Sabbath was ended (Luk_23:55-56).
They were worried about how to open the tomb (Mar_16:1-3), only to discover that the tomb was not only open but empty! The body of Jesus was not there! An angel had come and rolled the stone away (Mat_28:2).
On entering the tomb, they saw two angels (Mark mentions only one — see Mar_16:5) who told them that Jesus was alive and had risen from the dead. Had they remembered His words, they would have saved themselves a great deal of sorrow (Luk_9:22; Mat_17:9, Mat_17:22-23; Mat_20:17-19; Joh_2:19-22). Warren Wiersbe
Quotation: Alexander MacLaren says this, “Sorrow and love are light sleepers, and early dawn found the brave women on their way. Nicodemus had bound spices in with the body, and these women’s love gift was as ‘useless’ and as fragrant as Mary’s box of ointment. Whatever love offers, love welcomes, though Judas may ask ‘To what purpose is this waste?’ Angel hands had rolled away the stone, not to allow of Jesus’ exit, for He had risen while it was in its place, but to permit the entrance of the ‘witnesses of the Resurrection.’ So little did these women dream of such a thing that the empty tomb brought no flash of joy, but only perplexity to their wistful gaze. ‘What does it mean?’ was their thought. They and all the disciples expected nothing less than they did a Resurrection, therefore their testimony to it is the more reliable.”
What are some Easter Expectations for Today?
The Christians or Believing world: Church sermons, cantatas, programs. A Holy Day
The Secular world: Easter Egg hunts, the egg roll at the White House. A holiday
What expectations were there on the first Easter Sunday?
From Christ’s enemies:
Pilate washed his hands.
Satan celebrated his seeming victory over God’s Son.
The religious crowd was glad to silence him.
From Christ’s followers:
They were defeated and in fear were hiding.
They expected to find a dead body.
Sadly, they did not believe he was alive
What we Expect Makes a Difference
What would have happened back then; how different would things have been, had the disciples come to the tomb with a different expectation? Instead of expecting a dead body, a living resurrected Savior!
What expectations did you have this morning?
When you start your day with defeated, or negative thinking, it will have negative ramifications on everything else you do. You could miss something great!
When you start the day, expecting good and great things from a Good and Great God, you also can expect remarkable and amazing things to happen.
Christ had preached and promised that he would arise, they should have been expecting it!
What are you expecting this hour, this day, or from now on?
What Easter Means to Me
Easter morning, God be praised, Alleluia!
Jesus Christ from death was raised. Alleluia.
On Good Friday, Jesus died; Alleluia!
All for us, He was crucified. Alleluia.
Jesus bore the pain for me, Alleluia!
From my sin, to set me free. Alleluia.
Death could not confine our Lord, Alleluia!
And to life He was restored. Alleluia.
Easter morn we consecrate, Alleluia!
His resurrection to celebrate. Alleluia.
Jesus’ love means when we die, Alleluia!
We’ll live in heaven with Him on high. Alleluia.
Our Savior loves us awesomely; Alleluia!
That’s what Easter means to me. Alleluia.
By Joanna Fuchs
Disclaimer: This sermon is a collection of several sources and I claim no originality to all, only as I have tried to tailor it to develop the sermon. I have sought to acknowledge credit to whom credit is due. I hope it will bless you.
