Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the wealthy rancher from Montana who had so much money that he didn’t know what to do with it all.
Therefore, one day he decided to give some of it away by offering the neighborhood farmhands an opportunity to acquire some of it. To do so, he alligators shipped up from the Florida Everglades and put into his swimming pool.
Then from the Amazon he had a school of piranhas shipped up and put in the swimming pool as well.
Finally, he shipped in dangerous southern water snakes shipped in to swim around in the murky waters of his swimming pool.
As he gathered the farmhands he made his offer. He said: “Any of you that is willing to swim the length of my swimming pool from one end to the other. The one who successfully makes it, will be able to chose from three prizes I am offering.”
Prize #1- A million dollars
Prize #2- 100 Acres of my ranch
Prize #3- A date and possible marriage to my beautiful daughter
As they stood listening, suddenly there was a splash and one of the farmhands swam like lightning to the end of the pool and jumped out on the other side.
The wealthy rancher was quiet impressed so he invited the farmhand to come close and said: “Son you are quiet the man, which prize would you like to claim?”
The farmhand, still gasping for breath looked at the rancher and said: “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t want any of them. I just want to know who the guy was that shoved me into the swimming pool.”
Explanation:
This week we have celebrated Jesus. We have celebrated His final week known as “Passion week.” Friday, we celebrated His death and crucifixion. Today, we celebrate His resurrection.
As we think of what Jesus did for us, I want you to know that Jesus did all of this willingly. He did it because He desired to. He was a volunteer, not a victim.
John 10:8 says: “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down on my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Everything about Easter is about what God has done for you and me. It’s about what He did willingly because He loves you.
This morning, we celebrate the pinnacle of what God has done for us through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Transition: In the Resurrection story the spotlight falls in several directions. But today, I want us to focus for a moment of Mary Magdalen as she approaches the tomb of Jesus on that first day of the week. As the spotlight shifts on her, we see what Jesus resurrection does (not only for her) but for each of us.
Transitional Sentence: The Resurrection:
I. Gives Us Joy
One of my favorite verses in the Bible says this: “He gives us joy in the midst of sorrow.”
Cemeteries are not often seen as places of great joy. Yet, on Easter morning, God turned Jesus’s cemetery from a place of weeping into a place of rejoicing.
In this verse we find Mary at tomb of Jesus weeping. In verse 11 we read: “But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; as so, as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.”
Who is Mary? We know one main thing about her-- Jesus cast 7 demons out of her.
Mary was a woman who Jesus loved Jesus. He forgave her much. She followed Jesus. Supported Jesus. She was one of the people closest to Him when he bled and died on the cross, and was one of the last people to leave from the cross.
On Easter morning she was not last; she was first. She was the first to see the stone rolled away.
The stone was rolled away, not to let Jesus out, but in order to let Mary and the disciples look in and see what God had done in the tomb.
Yet, because she did not see the full picture, she assumed that the body of Jesus had been stolen. Yet, just the opposite had happened; the body was not there; Jesus had risen!
Therefore, she wept! She saw Him die; yet that was all she had in mind. Yet, her weeping turned to celebrating when the risen Christ said in verse 16: “Mary!”
I Corinthians 15:17-18 says: “...and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”
Without the resurrection, this would be one of the most depressing places to be this morning and this service would be one of the most useless wastes of time.
Yet, the truth of this day is: “Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed.”
The moment Mary saw Jesus as risen her emotions, thoughts, understanding, and perspective on life changed.
That grave yard went from a place of sadness to a place of hope.
I don’t know what motivated you to get up early and come here to a graveyard; but I know what motivated Jesus to get up and get out of that grave Easter morning.
He was motivated by His love for us and His desire to give us life. Jesus resurrection has been defined as “the hope of glory.”
Illustration: Karl Barth- Jesus loves me this I know
A great theologian of Europe was once asked, “What is the greatest truth that has ever gripped your heart?” Thinking back on his lifelong study of the Bible he simply answered: “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
Application:
The greatest truth of your life today is: Jesus loves you so much that He volunteered to die and victoriously rose from the dead.
In life we shed tears. Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble.” Mary had trouble. You have trouble. Jesus even had trouble. But Jesus finished that verse saying: “But take heed I have overcome the world.” He did it by overcoming the grave.
And in doing it he turned grave yards into gardens and dark nights in to mornings.
I verse that says: “Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Because Jesus rose the Bible tells us that those who trust Him go to heaven. In heaven do you know what happens there. The scripture says: “ and he will wipe away ever tear from their eyes and there will no longer be any death; there is no longer any mourning, or crying, or pain the former things have passed way.” Revelation 21: 4
The Resurrection gives us joy. Death died in the grave yard Easter morning.
Transitional Sentence: The Resurrection:
II. Gives Us Jesus
Have you ever considered, “Without the resurrection, you and I would not have Jesus living in us and in our lives?”
There are many religious figures in the world, but Jesus is different. Consider this: “Over the tomb of Buddha is the message-- occupied. Over the tomb of Confucius is the message- occupied. Over the tomb of Mohammed is the message-- occupied. Yet, over the tomb of Jesus Christ is the message: He is not here; He is risen!
Without Jesus we would be living life on our own.
Romans 12:3 says: “God has given every man a measure of faith.”
We all have a certain measure of faith. It does not take a lot of faith to believe that there is a God who designed the world. In this beautiful place we can see beautiful mountains. We can see a gorgeous sunrise. We can see birds flying. Trees blooming. Flowers sprouting.
It’s obvious that there’s a designer of all of this. He is deity. He is God. The Bible says: “The fool says in his heart there is no God.”
God gives us all a measure of faith.
But what makes all the difference in the world is what we put our faith in.
The resurrection of Jesus was God’s way of showing you who to put your faith in. We put our faith in a “living God” who loved us and laid down His life for us; only to take it up again.
Our faith is founded on the event that happened resurrection morning. The Bible says: “God raised Jesus from the dead.”
He raised Him to provide evidence and confidence who walk through life with.
As the old hymn writer said: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth a living just because He lives!”
Conclusion:
His resurrection gives us joy when Jesus is in your life; He becomes the joy of your life because He gives your something that outlasts this life; He gives us eternal life.
This reminds me of Louis Pasteur. The chemist and microbiologist who discovered the cure for rabies. During his day thousands of people died of rabies.
Yet, when the cure was in its final stages a young man named Joseph Meisner contracted rabies from a rabid dog and it was like a death sentence for him.
In response, his mother begged Pasteur to allow his son to take the injections. For 10 days he gave him the injections and saved the boy’s life.
When Pasteur died he was asked: “What do you want to be put on your epitaph? Pasteur said: Three words... Joseph Meisner lived.”
That’s what resurrection morning is all about. He lives..... and because of it....We live.
