ALL IS OVERTURNED – THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION – EASTER SUNDAY MESSAGE
[A]. SHATTERED MINDS AND SOULS IN TURMOIL
All is overturned. Let us consider the closing hours of what is called Good Friday. Those who had been at the cross had their lives shattered. They followed Jesus throughout His ministry and had great expectations for the future. What could be better than being in ministry under the Lord of heaven and earth?
Immediately before the ascension of the Lord, the disciples wanted to know if it was at that time the Kingdom would be restored to Israel. This was a major point of interest for them, and a legitimate concern. Much had happened in the past month or so, so was it now the time for the installing of the promised Old Testament Kingdom the Jews expected to come? The fact of it happening was not in dispute. The disciples expected Jesus to have brought in the Kingdom on earth, but then he was killed, and the cross must have resulted in much uncertainty and confusion.
The disciples and the women who accompanied the group had built up a close personal relationship and friendship, and losing Jesus was like losing a close family member. Their Lord and Master had been savagely ripped from them.
The followers of the Lord left the scene at Golgotha much dismayed and alarmed and afraid. We note the expression here a bit later on – {{John 20:19 “When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when THE DOORS WERE SHUT WHERE THE DISCIPLES WERE FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS . . . . .”}}. In their reasoning they could be next to be dragged out and put to death. That is how ruthless men in Satan’s employ work. We are seeing this hateful vindictiveness more and more in socialist/Marxist/Islamic governments around the world. Study Africa right now to understand the genocide and wickedness being perpetrated against Christians. The worst of it is in Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Sudan, I think Kenya, and there are more places. These are the last days according to 2Timothy 3 and the difficult (“perilous” – AV) times have come.
Please read The Barnabas Fund and The Voice of the Martyrs publications.
Let us return to the disciples behind closed door. The Sabbath gave some respite, but would the priests and Sadducees and Rulers come looking for the disciples when the Sabbath was over, that was on the next day, which is our Sunday, the first day of the week?
When trauma strikes, there is confusion, sadness and despair. The followers of Jesus, and that included all those he healed and ministered to, and those who believed His message, they all had to look beyond the cross to a great time of uncertainty with no Lord who led them. To all intents and purposes Jesus was dead and placed in a tomb where He would remain.
Any one of us who has been through a great sudden loss knows the feelings that come from that loss and the shattering of the life. It requires a time of serious adjustment, but sadly some people are incapable of overcoming that. We must be so thankful to the Lord who provides His consolation, comfort, strength and perspective in trial and loss.
[B]. UNCERTAINTY LEADS TO DOUBT
Yes, uncertainty leads to all sorts of dismaying thoughts and doubt is strongly there among them. Early in Jesus’ ministry, He received a visit from a couple of disciples sent by John the Baptist. Here is the account – {{Matthew 11:2-3 Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples, and said to Him, “ARE YOU THE EXPECTED ONE, or shall we look for someone else?”}}
John the Baptist preached the coming Kingdom – Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and the people confessed their sins through baptism in the Jordan River. He knew he was the forerunner for Jesus, so he expected the Kingdom he preached about,/ would be set up. There is so much about the earthly Kingdom (which is the Millennium) in the Old Testament. John was in prison and had some doubts about why Jesus had not yet set that Kingdom up. He was confused.
He sent his disciples to Jesus to ask a question to relieve his anxious concerns. Was Jesus the Expected One (The KING of the Jews who would set up the Kingdom and reign from Jerusalem after He comes again to the Mount of Olives at the Second Coming)? {{Zechariah 14:9 “And THE LORD WILL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; in that day the LORD will be the only One, and His name the only one.”}}
John brooded on it in prison but it was not happening. No doubt, John the Baptist had doubts. When Jesus was crucified, did any of those who believed in Him have doubts? Doubts that He was the Messiah? Doubts that He did not have the power to save His own life? Even doubts that some of what He said may not have been true?
I think doubts are natural even though some might think doubts can conflict with faith. Possibly James the Less thought that way when he wrote – {{James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith without any doubting, FOR THE ONE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE THE SURF OF THE SEA DRIVEN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND. Let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”}}
[C]. LET US PASS TO FRIDAY NIGHT AND AFTER
Heavy hearts wended their way from Calvary with conflicting reasons torturing them, no doubt to an unsettled night. I think what would have disturbed the Lord’s followers the most was the manner of His death. Jesus was subjected to all the hatred of the criminal minds of satanic men. He was tortured in the most vile manner then subjected to the most agonising death known to the Romans. I will give one verse to cover that – {{Isaiah 52:14 “Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.”}} In the Hebrew the words mean that His face was so “disfigured/altered” that He was recognisable as a human being. Too many think of a clinical death for the Lord and don’t really enter into the depth of what those sufferings were. Jesus’ form was so contorted when He bore our sins that he was unrecognisable.
I think not one of them understood the necessity of Calvary. Just because we might in hindsight, does not mean those followers did then. There may have been one exception suggested by this incident – {{John 12:3-7 Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume, but one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot who was intending to betray Him said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. Jesus therefore said, “LET HER ALONE IN ORDER THAT SHE MAY KEEP IT FOR THE DAY OF MY BURIAL.”}}
In the minds of Jesus’ followers, Calvary should never have happened. They did not understand.
That Friday night and the Sabbath weighed heavily on the minds of the faithful band. The women prepared spices for His burial – {{Luke 23:55-56 “Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after and saw the tomb and how His body was laid, and they returned and prepared spices and perfumes and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”}}
[D]. THE NEW DAY DAWNS – ONE OF THE GREATEST IN ALL HUMAN HISTORY
{{Luke 24:1-2 “At early dawn on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb bringing the SPICES which they had prepared and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,”}}
Why did these women go to the tomb early? Was there any reason for that to happen? I can think of only two reasons –
(1). They hoped to avoid the Jewish authorities.
(2). Their unfaltering devotion was such that they left home immediately when it was permissible to do so, I think right after 6 am. They had lost the Lord but they were not going to abandon Him.
HORROR OF HORRORS! {{Luke 24:3 “but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”}} Jesus ministry had been overturned with His death, but now something just as bad has happened. Even His burial and tomb (not literally) had been overturned. Someone had come and removed Jesus; taken Him away. Who could have done that – the Romans; the rulers of the Jews, so the disciples could not have access to the body? Luke 23:4 says they were PERPLEXED. Strong’s Concordance says the word means “to have no way out, i.e. to be at a loss.”
MARY MAGDALENE! Even Mary of Magdala came to that conclusion – {{John 20:1-2 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb, and so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY THE LORD OUT OF THE TOMB AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE LAID HIM.”}}
Some find the chronology of the resurrection in the Gospels to be a little confusing but none of that today!
What we find quite surprising is the fact that the disciples did not understand these events. Mary ran from the tomb to Peter and John with the news that Jesus had disappeared. They ran to the tomb and this is said – {{John 20:9 “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead.”}}
MARY MAGDALENE AGAIN! There is one episode in the Resurrection account I really love. The truth of it burst on me around 1965 when I was studying New Testament Greek. We were all familiar with the AV translation of John 20:17, and that was what almost everyone used then – {{“Jesus saith unto her, TOUCH ME NOT; for I am not yet ascended . . .”}} I could see from the Greek that translation is wrong in that verse and I quote the NASB here –
{{John 20:11-18 Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping, and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying, and they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “STOP CLINGING TO ME, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.”}}
The absolute devotion and love of Mary Magdalene put all of us to shame. She waited at the tomb; actually came back to the tomb after meeting with Peter and John. Her tears were tears of sorrow. Jesus could never just leave her there in that state. He appeared to Mary, and sorrow changed to joy when she heard her name called, as she had heard it many times from the Saviour. He called her by name. The Shepherd calls His own sheep by name. What a wonderful Lord.
What really impressed me those many decades ago was seeing from the Greek that the proper translation is, “Stop holding on to Me; stop clinging to Me,” and it means “Do not detain Me”, but in a gentle sense, no way spoken as a reprimand. Mary was so overcome with joy she could not let the Lord go. Why are we not like that, dear listener and reader?
[E]. DULL EARS THAT CAN NOT UNDERSTAND
It is asked sometimes why the Lord did not teach His disciples about His death and resurrection to prepare them for it. Well in fact He did do that very thing. This is just one example – {{Mark 9:31-32 for He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill Him AND WHEN HE HAS BEEN KILLED, HE WILL RISE THREE DAYS LATER. THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND this statement and they were afraid to ask Him.”}}
Yes, they did not understand for they had dull ears and slow understanding. Would we have been any better? I very much doubt it! It is even worse than that, for Mark records – {{Mark 16:11-13 “and when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, THEY REFUSED TO BELIEVE IT. After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country, and they went away and reported it to the others, BUT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THEM either.”}} How thick the disciples were in rejecting Mary’s account, and in rejecting the testimony of Cleophas and his companion (wife?). What did Mary and Cleophas think of that?
The subject of this message is “ALL IS OVERTURNED”, and the whole of the emotional stress and sorrow and confusion during and after the death of the Lord was overturned in this verse – {{John 20:20 “When He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. THE DISCIPLES THEREFORE REJOICED when they saw the Lord.”}}
[F]. THE REAL IMPACT OF THE RESURRECTION
That heading needs a whole new message but we will mention a few things.
[1.] The Resurrection confirmed the ministry and death of the Lord. By being raised from the dead, the seal of approval was stamped eternally on the Lord’s work.
[2.] Paul states a truth that has motivated all Christians for 2000 years. {{1Corinthians 15:13-15 “but if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain. YOUR FAITH ALSO IS VAIN. Moreover we are even found to be FALSE WITNESSES of God because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.”}} Why do we waste our time if Christ was not raised from the dead? Also your faith would be pretend faith; you may as well believe in fairies. In fact you would be liars.
[3.] {{1Corinthians 15:17 “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins.”}} The world sometimes calls Christians “losers” and “suckers” for believing what we do, and it would be true, if there was no resurrection, BUT THERE IS, so that the real losers are those who mock Christians.
[4.]. There is one verse written that has great impact for us – {{1Corinthians 15:23 “but each in his own order: CHRIST THE FIRST FRUITS; after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,”}}. This passage is speaking of the Rapture when the Lord returns for His Church, and the only reason the dead Christians will be raised is because CHRIST IS THE FIRST FRUITS. Because He led the way in resurrection from the grave, then be assured all those dead in Christ will follow.
[5.] This is the last one we shall close with. It is such a powerful statement – {{Philippians 3:8-11 “More than that, I COUNT ALL THINGS TO BE LOSS in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and COUNT THEM BUT RUBBISH in order THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order THAT I MAY ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.”}}
There is great power in the resurrection. The word for power also means authority. In resurrection the Lord silences the demonic world. He has all authority and power. Paul knew that. Notice how this passage begins – “I count all things to be loss”. Then he continues – “and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.”
Some of us have become so materialistic that we have forgotten the power of the resurrection. Christians in Africa, the Middle East, China, India are suffering the loss of all things in persecution and death, and they count them as rubbish that Christ may occupy their whole being. That is the power and authority of the resurrection.
On this Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection, let us surrender all our being to the Lord. He is all in all. In the light of eternity all else is rubbish.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
