“He is Risen”
Matt 27:57-28:7
03/20/02
Introduction:
Today is a wonderful day of celebration. Easter is a great time for families to get together and enjoy each other’s company. But Easter is more importantly a day of celebration. A day to celebrate life, eternal life! Nobody enjoys thinking or talking about death. I like the attitude of the last man in this following survey:
3 men were all asked, “When you are in the casket and friends and family are mourning you, what would you like to hear them say about you? The first guy says, “I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man.” The second guy says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher which made a huge difference in the children of tomorrow.” The last guy replies, “I would like to hear them say…LOOK, HE”S MOVING!”
Let’s be honest there are not too many normal people who enjoy sitting around talking about death and dying! As one preacher said, he was not afraid of death it was just the dying part that bothered him.
The reality is in our lives, that it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment! So whether we want to focus on dying or not it is a reality in our lives that we cannot avoid nor can we afford to ignore. That’s the beauty of Easter.
Even though we all one day will go into eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ has come so that He could give hope to hopeless man, to come and to take away the fear of entering eternity without assurance!
Every holiday has a special meaning. July 4th – Independence Day. Memorial Day – A special day to honor those fallen in battle for our country. Mother’s Day – Mom. Father’s Day – Dad. Christmas – The birth of Jesus.
And what about Easter, they answer lies within our text.
Mat 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
On February 27, 1991 Ruth Dillow was home in Kansas, when she received the bad news from the Pentagon that her son, Private First Class Clayton Carpenter has stepped on a land mine in the Persian Gulf War and was dead. Three days later, Ruth got another phone call, and the voice on the other end said, “Mom, I’m alive!” Ruth said at first she could not believe it was the voice of her 23-year-old son, over whom she had mourned for nearly three days. Ruth said, “I jumped up and down. I was overjoyed!!!! You just don’t know how much.
Can you imagine? I think what Ruth was feeling was a lot like what the followers of Christ must have felt. The women come to the tomb and their hearts are full of sorrow, only to find that Jesus has been raised from the dead. What an incredible time it must have been to hear for the very first time “He is alive!” It sends a soul into the realms of unexpected joy!
Easter is the celebration of Resurrection morning, it is a time to celebrate that Jesus is Alive! Without resurrection morning we have no gospel, no good news, and really no Hope! But with it, we have victory over the grave.
I. It was a time of confusion (Matt 27 57-61)
A. The promises that Jesus had made have seemed to be empty words now.
1. Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God. (Matt 27:42-43)
2. Jesus was declared to have eternal life. (John 1:29)
3. He said he was the way the truth and life. (John 14:6)
4. Jesus said He had overcome the world. (John 16:33)
B. Their Savior had seemingly failed when He was crucified.
1. All hope was lost for the disciples when Christ took His last breath.
a. They scattered and hid fearing what was to come.
b. They had invested everything in this man
2. All hope was lost for His mother as they took Him down from the cross.
a. You should have just taken up the trade of your father
3. All hope was lost for His followers when the stone was rolled over the tomb.
Matt 27:61
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
C. The Savior had died
1. This Man of great miracles has died
2. This man of great speech has died
3. This man of great wisdom has died
4. Surly if anyone was the Messiah it was Jesus, but now He is dead
Illustration: Reading a book were the hero dies
II. It was a time of concealment (Matt27:62-65)
A. The Scribes and Pharisees thought they had the victory.
1. So far everything has gone as planed:
2. The false trial before went in their favor.
Matt 26:59-60
59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
Matt 26:66
66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
3. The pressure for Pilate to crucify Christ went as planned.
4. The coercion of the crowd to release Barabbas instead of Jesus.
a. Scribes and Pharisees worked up the crowd
5. The beatings and humiliation the satisfaction they must have received when Christ was hanging on the cross knowing that there was no death crueler or more humiliating than being crucified. **
At one point early in Julius Caesar’s political career, feelings ran so high against him that he thought it best to leave Rome. He sailed for the Aegean island of Rhodes, but en route the ship was attacked by pirates and Caesar was captured. The pirates demanded a ransom of 12,000 gold pieces, and Caesar’s staff was sent away to arrange the payment. Caesar spent almost 40 days with his captors, jokingly telling the pirates on several occasions that he would someday capture and crucify them to a man. The kidnappers were greatly amused, but when the ransom was paid and Caesar was freed, the first thing he did was gather a fleet and pursue the pirates. They were captured and crucified ... to a man! Such was the Romans’ attitude toward crucifixion. It was to be reserved for the worst of criminals, a means of showing extreme contempt for the condemned. The suffering and humiliation of a Roman crucifixion were unequaled.
B. They wanted to cover their basses just in case.
1. Even though all went well in their eyes, there were those small problems that took place during the crucifixion.
a. The darkness
Matt 27:45
5 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
b. The veil being rent
Matt 27:51
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
c. The open graves
Matt 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
2. They remember what Christ taught about His resurrection how that in three days He would rise.
John 2:19
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
3. Therefor they request a watch to guard the tomb so the disciples could not deceive the people into thinking Jesus had risen.
a. The Pharisees thought without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was dead
b. Their concern was to ensure there was no tampering with the body.
4. Their plea to Pilate for a watch of soldiers was granted.
a. The tomb would be inspected
b. It would be completely closed
c. It would be sealed with the Kings signet
d. It would be guarded to the death.
III. It was a time conquest (Matt 28:1-5)
This is the greatest part of the Easter message He arose
A little boy by the name Billy visited his grandmother in California one summer and almost wore her out with his vigorous activity. She was accustomed to living a peaceful, orderly life. He was perpetual motion, into everything, and nearly turned the house upside down everyday. One night when they were both sound asleep, there was an earthquake. The grandmother was awakened by the house shaking and in her concern called out, "Billy, Billy!" Billy yelled back, "I didn’t do it, grandma!"
The time had come, Christ has risen and nothing was stopping it. Not the Pharisees, the Scribes, not even the Roman guards could contain what was to take place. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.
A. Christ resurrection fulfilled all the promises He made.
1. Christ said He had all authority (John 5:26-27)
2. Christ said He would rise again (Mark 14:58)
3. Christ would save us form our sins (Matt 1:21)
B. Christ resurrection conquered death of our sins.
1. Through Adam all our sins are counted towards our account but through Christ we are made alive
1 Cor 15:20-22
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
2. When Christ rose all death was put under subjection
Rev 1:18
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
C. Christ resurrection gives us Salvation.
1. No resurrection, no Savior, no Savior no hope.
Rom 5:9-11
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
IV. It was a time of comfort (Matt 28:7)
A. One of the greatest memories I will ever have is the way my wife and children greet me when I get home at night.
1. The angle says “go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen” the time has come and everything is all right now.
2. I don’t know were you are in your life, I don’t know the hurt you maybe going through, I don’t know problems you maybe facing but Jesus does.
a. He wants to quite the storm in your life
b. He wants you to know that he died for you
c. He wants to comfort you
d. But first of all you must accept Him as your personal Savior
3. Jesus sent to comfort His disciples and today He sends for you.
V. Conclusion
Acts 1:11
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
1. Jesus is coming again and He died that you and me may be born again,
2. Jesus said to Nicodemis you must be born again
John 3:3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Plan of Salvation
Rom 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23
3 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:13
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Lets Pray
