HE IS RISEN!
LUKE 28:1-7
Today as we all know is Easter. Today literally millions of people all over the world will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Celebrating that fact that some 2000 years ago, on that Sunday morning, the tomb of Christ was empty.
There was a once a man who decided to start a new religion. He came to the French diplomat Charles Maurice Talleyrand complaining that he could not make any new converts. He asked Talleyrand what do you suggest I do?
Talleyrand replied, “I should recommend that you get yourself crucified and then die, but be sure to rise again on the third day.”
We must understand that the whole of the Christian faith rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Christ did not rise from the dead we are wasting our time this morning. Not only would I say that Christianity rest on the resurrection but that it is the most important event in all of history. If you look down through time you can see how it as effected the lives of people.
This one event has certainly changed the course of history, and it continues to do so.
Just think of your own lives. I know if Christ were not risen I would not be married to Darleen right now. If I were not married to my wife I would not have had children with her. So Brooke and Andrea and Bethany would not exist if Christ were not risen. So just my life would be totally different if Christ had not risen from the dead.
So the resurrection is an important to not only myself but to the world. But why is that so? Why is the resurrection of Christ so important to me, to us? Today I want to look at some reason.
First I want to look at how it all began. Please turn with me to Luke chapter 24:1-7,
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, “saying, ’The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
There it is. The words that change history “He is not here, but is risen!” Let us take a look at why the resurrection is important to us.
First it tell us that Jesus died. It is quite obvious that if Jesus rose for the dead, then he had to have died. But why did Jesus die? Why was it necessary for the Son of God to be killed?
Some of you may have seen this weeks “U.S. News and World Report.” I found it ironic that it asked that very question, “Why Jesus was Killed.”
Now may say that you may as well save your money and not buy this magazine because the scholars that it mentions are all for the most part, a bunch of, (for want of a better word) flaming liberals. They come to the conclusion that and I quote one of these scholars, “He’s putting the kingdom of God up against Caesar, and he’s going to get squashed.” In other words Jesus was put to death for political reasons. WRONG!
What this articles ignores is first of all Jesus taught that we should be submissive to the government, not over throw them. He further stated that his kingdom was not of the this world. And lastly what these so called scholars never mentions is the fact that Pilate found Christ innocent of any crime, listen to Pilate’s words,
“Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; "no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"
This statement makes this whole article, meaningless and pointless. Jesus was not looked upon as an enemy of the Roman state, Pilate say no fault in Him what so ever.
You see what this article does, and what so many people do, it they seek to take God out of the death of Christ. That seek to strip it of any spiritual significance. And when you do that, when you take God out of the Crucifixion of Christ, you are left with a meaningless, pointless story.
So why was Jesus killed? What is sad is that at the very beginning of the article they say why Jesus did indeed die, they quote part of Romans 1:16; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
But they just quote it in passing as if to say this can not be the real reason Jesus was killed because it would involve God, and we cannot have any of that.
But that my friends is the reason that Christ died to bring us salvation. And if you look at all the facts it is the only reason that makes sense!
Christ died so that we could live. He died for us! For our sin. Listen:
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Rom. 5:6
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” I Cor. 15
Over and over again the Bible tells us why Christ died, for our sins, for our salvation. He died to pay the price for you your sin, and yours.
It is through the death of Christ that our sins our paid for.
You see we are all sinners. Everyone us here today knows that we have done things that were evil, that were wrong. We all know somewhere in our hearts that we are sinners.
And the Bible tells us that the “wages of sin is death”. Because God is Holy and perfect in order for Him to have fellowship with us the wage of sin must be paid.
So Christ paid it on our behalf. He paid the price that sins demands, which was death. That is why He was killed, it was for us.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Again Romans 5:9; “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Eph. 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
Christ was killed that we may have forgiveness, that we may have redemption, that we may have eternal life. God sent His Son to die on our behalf.
It was not the Jews who killed Christ, it was not Pilate of the Romans, it was us, it was our sin that nailed Him to the Cross. All these people were simply used of God to bring about our salvation.
In Acts 3:18 we are told; "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”
God brought about the death of Christ through those people, that we might have salvation! The death of Christ was fore ordained by God from all eternity. And He did so that you and I could have fellowship with Him. He did to demonstrate the love that He has for His children.
I pray that each one hear what realize why Christ was killed. Accept the forgiveness that is in His blood. Trust in Him as Lord and Saviour.
So the first reason as to why the resurrection is important is that it tells us Jesus died, that He died for us.
The second reason the resurrection is important is that it tells us of the power of God.
A lot of people question the reality of the resurrection of Christ. They have come up with many theories and excuses.
But what people are really questioning when the question the resurrection is the power of God. If God can create the earth, the stars, and sustain all live, why is it so hard to believe that God can rise someone from the dead.
Gen. 18:14 poses this question, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?” The answer of course is no.
All you need do is look around and you can plainly see the power of God. As Romans 1:20 tells us; “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”
Creation calls out the power of God. Some may say that it all came about through chance, all that we see evolved from some cosmic soup. I well tell you that it takes a lot more faith to believe that all we see and all we are came out of nothing. That is just spontaneously happened.
Some time in the future I hope to do a series of sermons on the foolishness of evolution, and how it simple does not add up when you look at the fact.
What does make sense when you look at the earth, the trees, the hills, the stars and so on, is that there is an intelligent force behind it all. And that force is the person of the Almighty God.
So if all this comes from God, Then God certainly has the power to resurrect Jesus.
We are reminded that the power of God is beyond our imagination, listen toe Eph. 3:20-21
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
God is able to do above what we ask and above what we can even think. So let us understand that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is but one small demonstration of the full power of God.
The third reason why the resurrection is important to us because it tells us that God was a purpose for us. It tell us that God has a purpose for us that extents beyond the grave.
To many of us live as if this were it. These cloths, cars, computers, houses, this is it. This is all there is to live, nothing more. We get our 70, 80, 90, years, maybe more, but then that is it. If this is all there is, what is the point.
God shows us through the resurrection of Christ that there is a purpose beyond all this. And that purpose is His glory. The resurrection of Christ shows us that there is more then this, that there is hope.
I want to read to you 1 Cor. 15:12-20; “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise.
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
According to this passage there will always be those who will question the resurrection. Always those who deny it. But what is the result of unbelief?
If Christ is not raised then we preach in vain. If Christ is not raised the gospel is a hoax. It is meaningless. If Christ is not raised our faith is in vain. Our faith is pointless.
If Christ is not raised then I am a liar because I stand up here week after week and proclaim it.
If Christ is not raised we are still sinner lost in sin with no hope of eternal life.
If Christ is not raised those who Christian who have already died have perished without hope.
If Christ is not raised we are to pitied by the world for have faith in such a things.
If Christ is not raised we have no hope, all is lost, all is hopeless.
But in verse 20 Paul states, But no, things are not hopeless, Because CHRIST IS RISEN!! AMEN!
This is God’s purpose for us, to have hope. Hope of eternal fellowship with Him, hope He has indeed risen Christ from the dead!
Knowing that Christ lives helps us today. We see in Christ that although he suffered while on earth, He now sits with the Father in glory.
And while are lives may be full of trouble, with suffering, with trials, we to will one day sit with Christ in glory with the Father in heaven.
This is the promise we have in Romans 8:17; “and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
God’s purpose for us it to be justified, sanctified, and glorified, and it is by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that those things are made possible.
So that is why the resurrection of Jesus is important to us. It tell us that Jesus died, that He died for our sins, it tells us of the awesome power of God, and it tell us that God has a purpose for us.
So in closing I pray that God has used this message to see the importance of Christ’s resurrection. I pray that if you do not know Christ as Lord and Saviour that God has used this to open your heart to receive Him, to place your trust in Him.
I pray you would be obedient to the call of God and give your live to Christ, believe that He died for you, not just with your head, but with your heart.
And I pray that those of you who have been born again of the Spirit of God, I pray that God has used this message to show how important the resurrection needs to be to you. How our very lives have their foundation in the risen Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us go forth from here continuing in celebration of the wonderful salvation we do have in Christ! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
