Easter Zombies?
I know I’m weird, but what I’m going to talk to you about today, the apostles were seized and thrown in jail for! (Acts 4:3) What is this horrible dastardly message I’m about to talk to you today about that got the apostles in trouble and even thrown in jail? … [dramatic pause] … THE RESURRECTION!!!!
[dramatic music: Da Da Duuuuuhhhhh!] Eek! On Resurrection Sunday no less! I hope no one hauls me off today, but I suppose it could still happen!!!
People don’t believe in the Resurrection but they believe in Zombies?
OK, speaking of weird, there are so many TV shows and movies these days that have Zombies in them! Hollywood and Viewers alike are seriously fascinated by Zombies! So many Zombie shows! Now today I want to be clear, I’m not talking about zombies, I’m talking about the resurrection! Oddly, some people REALLY believe that Zombies could happen but then at the same time they deny that the resurrection is real! But, if you doubt the resurrection is real, I don’t want you to be sad you see. Did you catch what I did there? Sadducee? I want you to know the truth that there will be a resurrection and I want you to be a part of it!
The Living Living - Christ’s Return and the Resurrection
No, I’m not talking about the living dead, but the living living! We as Christians have a hope that tho we die, yet shall we live. Because we know Jesus as our Savior, that we will be resurrected on the last day and live to reign with Christ on the Earth for 1000 years and also live with Him in heaven. That’s not really being a zombie, but it’s coming back to life to live again. Some think that heaven is all there is, but actually, we will be right back here on Earth for a while.
Resurrection in the OT
Of course the resurrection was not a new thing, it was spoken of in the OT! There are a few verses where we see examples of the resurrection in the OT also!
Elijah resurrects the woman’s son. 1 Kings 17:17–24 (did Elijah or God resurrect the woman’s son? God did.)
Job spoke of the bodily resurrection. Job 19:25–27
Psalms speak of the resurrection. Psalm 16:8–11, Psalm 49:13–15, Psalm 71:20
Isaiah spoke of the resurrection. Isaiah 26:19–20, Isaiah 53:10–11
Ezekiel famously spoke of the dry bones coming to life! Ezekiel 37:7–10
Of course you have to sing the song!!!!
Others spoke of the resurrection. Daniel 12:2–3, Hosea 6:1–2, Jonah 1:17–2:2, 6–7, 10
NT too - Lazarus
But of course, the NT spoke of the resurrection too:
The story of Lazarus is one of the famous ones! Martha knew of the final resurrection from the OT, but Jesus showed another resurrection!
John 11:25,26
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
And of course Jesus raised Lazarus! Jesus is the resurrection and the life!
The Cross, Resurrection and many Resurrections!
Did you know that others were brought back to life when Jesus died and came back?
Matthew 27:50-53
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
On Easter Sunday, Jesus resurrected and the disciples and over 500 people saw him - not just a few! Jesus is your proof, the first fruits of the resurrection! Not only that we see Jesus resurrected others also! I’m not sure of the mechanics of that verse but somewhere either at His death or at His resurrection, many holy people who had died came to life also. Can you imagine how that must have been for the families of those who had loved ones come back? Wouldn’t you love to see your loved ones again? I know I sure would! It must have been fantastic! Wonderful, and amazing! Can you imagine the conversations going on in the city at that time? Resurrections!?!?!?! Can you believe in the resurrection now?
Resurrection Opposition
In the NT Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John and likely others actually had run-ins with people called Sadducees who believed that there was no resurrection. Why was this so controversial? Because some people just plain didn’t believe in it! (Acts 17:31,32)
Without the Resurrection, then there’s no Hope and no Salvation
Now if there is no resurrection, then we have no hope, for if there’s no resurrection then we die and that’s it! No salvation!!! No, instead, we believe that there is a resurrection that we have salvation and we will come back and that we will live for eternity with Christ! The promise of eternity is an awesome thing! If you were to die, and that’s it, then you also have no hope of salvation and heaven! And I certainly have a hope of heaven and I hope you do too!
Doubting Thomas - hard to believe in the Resurrection
Even so-called doubting Thomas had a bit of trouble with the resurrection believe it or not!
John 20:24-29 (Doubting Thomas)
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 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.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
You want to believe in the Resurrection but you need proof?
So then… You skeptical people want proof of the resurrection?! You say, “Show me some proof that we will be resurrected!” Ah, there’s the rub. Your whole life, you’ve never seen someone resurrected, much less a zombie. Yes, this is where my message is going. Now, as far as I know, I do not have the power to bring anyone back to life. If anyone does think they have that power, then “put up or shut up”! We will take you on a trip to the morgue and you can show us your glorious ability! No takers? I didn’t think so. Absurd, right? But wait, how can we claim that the resurrection is real and at the same time say resurrecting is absurd? Because it’s Jesus that is the Resurrection. God has that power, I do not. The Bible gives us the proof we need to put our faith in Jesus that the resurrection is true, and there is true hope for your faith that you can have real hope knowing that your saving faith will be realized in Jesus’ resurrection of your soul. Be sure to put your faith in Jesus not in lying men who claim to have that power and yet do not.
1 Cor 15:12-22 (Doubt or Firstfruits)
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Resurrected to a corrupt body or sinless glorified body?
So, what about Lazarus and the others who were resurrected, why didn’t they remain living until this day? Because they were resurrected at that time but they were not yet resurrected to a glorified body which will happen at the last day.
1 Cor 15:35-44 (resurrected to a glorified body, not a corruptible one)
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Cor 15:50-58 (Raised to Glorified bodies)
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
It’s exciting to know that our resurrection will be to a glorified, sinless, immortal body!!!
Both good and bad will be resurrected!
I want you to know (Be it known) that there is a resurrection for EVERYONE! However, some to eternal life - the land of the living - but others to eternal death - nothing but yucky zombies down there. You don’t want to be in that group! They will be very sad you see. Trust in Jesus before it’s too late, and reserve that resurrection spot! Jesus is your proof, the Bible shows us other resurrections as proof that it’s not only possible but real and true. Snap out of it, don’t be a Zombie, make your decision to follow Jesus today and put your faith in Him knowing that His resurrection is real. He is the resurrection and the life! He has the good life, the abundant life! The devil has the bad life and that life can hardly be called life, burning for eternity, that’s why it’s called the second death.
1 Thes 4:13-18 (Jesus will come again and will bring those who fell asleep)
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Rev 20:5a (the group appointed to the second death)
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)
What does Easter mean for you?... Getting chocolate bunnies and hunting for eggs? Mmmm Chocolate!!! That’s what it means to some stores that try to leave out the truth of Resurrection Sunday. But what does Easter mean to you? Do you believe in the resurrection or are you sad you see? The resurrection is real! Jesus is your proof! Many holy people resurrected in the Bible is also your proof! Jesus has the resurrection power! He’s coming again, and will bring those who have already fallen asleep! Are you ready? Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you died that you will be resurrected again to life? If not, and death is all there is, shouldn’t you be very careful not to die? We all are appointed to die and face the judgment! Death and taxes! (btw, have you done your taxes?)
John 14:6 (Jesus is the way!)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
OK, yeah, I know I’m weird, but it’s even “more-weirder” (more weird-er-er?) to me that people can so easily believe in weird things like Zombies but not the resurrection!!! Today we are celebrating Resurrection Sunday because we DO believe in the resurrection and it is all about the resurrection of Jesus and what that means for you. Resurrection is real! Do you believe it? If you don’t believe there IS a resurrection, then what would salvation mean? Trust in Jesus today! Or are you sad you see? Imagine seeing your loved ones come back to life again! Really, really to life again, not a zombie! Imagine yourself being resurrected in a new glorified body! The future looks so bright and I want you to join me in this glorious vision of the future! I don’t want to see anyone headed to the land of the second death! We are headed for the land of the living! Come and join us!
Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone!!!
