Iliff and Saltillo UM churches
Easter Sunday, April 20, 2003
“End Construction: It is Finished”
Mark 16:1-8
I Corinthians 15:1-8
INTRODUCTION: Without the resurrection, the life and death of Jesus--though noble and admirable--are nevertheless tragic events. But with the resurrection, Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power. (Romans 1:4). After the resurrection the disciples were transformed from lethargic and defeated followers into flaming witnesses in the book of Acts. The Good News is that God, by the resurrection of Jesus, defeated sin, death, and hell. This message is at the heart of Christianity. The resurrection is an integral part of the gospel that Paul preached. What does it mean to us this morning on Easter Sunday, 2003?
1. Resurrection Day: All four gospels tell the story of the resurrection with slightly different details. The crucifixion was a historical event that happened at a specific time and place, but the explanation of the resurrection is unavailable to us apart from divine revelation of the angel who said, “He has risen!” This word of divine revelation is the focal point in all four of the gospel accounts.
Very early in the morning Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. It was their custom just as we send flowers today. Their biggest worry was about how they were going to get the heavy stone rolled away. The stone would have been very difficult to remove because it was set in a sloped track and would have to be rolled back up the track or lifted out of the groove and then removed. The Matthew account tells how the stone was removed. That was no problem for God. “There was a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:2). The angel did not roll the stone away so that Jesus could get out but so that people could get in and see for themselves that He had indeed risen from the dead just as He had said He would.
If it had gotten through to them what Jesus said, they would have come to the tomb expecting him to be already risen and would have received the news with joyful assurance rather than fear and terror. Maybe they were afraid it was too good to be true. Maybe they didn’t want to be disappointed. For the most part we also have a difficult time believing. When something unusual happens in our life, we often react out of fear and terror also.
Story: Two explorers were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. "Keep calm" the first explorer whispered. "Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run." "Sure," replied his companion. "You’ve read the book, and I’ve read the book. But has the lion read the book?"Unknown
Had you been there that day, what would you have thought and felt? Would you have been afraid?
2. End Construction--It is finished: Today the title of our message is “End Construction: It is finished.” When you are driving in a heavy construction area for miles and miles, you are wanting it to end--to be able to go beyond the orange barrels and orange signs. You breathe a sigh of relief when a good highway unfolds before you.
When Jesus arose from the grave it was the end of the construction area. How do we know this? Jesus said in John 19:30, “It is finished!” He had successfully completed his mission. The tomb is past; that scene is over.
STORY: While two visitors were visiting Annapolis, they noticed several students on their hands and knees assessing the courtyard with pencils and clipboards in hand. "What are they doing?" one of them asked their tour guide.
"Each year," he replied with a grin, "The upperclassmen ask the freshmen how many bricks it took to finish paving this courtyard."
"So what’s the answer?" one of the visitors asked the tour guide when they were out of earshot of the freshmen.
The guide replied, "One."
That brings up an interesting theological question. How many sacrifices did it take to finish paying for our sins?
The Jews would have needed lots of pencils and clipboards to make the calculation. "Let’s see, let’s take all the sin offerings, all the guilt offerings, the bulls, the goats, the lambs, the turtledoves......"
So what’s the answer?
How many sacrifices did it take to finish paying for our sins?
Only one.
Jesus was trying to get his disciples to move on away from the sad circumstances of his crucifixion and to believe the powerful news of the resurrection. He WAS crucified in weakness but now He IS RISEN in power. He paid the debt. It was finished.
Rev. 1:18 says, “I am he that liveth and WAS dead.” “He is risen. He is not here.” He is risen--end construction--it is finished. Jesus was done with the tomb. He sent a message to his disciples to go to Galilee and he would meet them there. Going there opened up the gospel message to the Gentiles. “Tell them to meet me there,” he said. Christ had often told his disciples that on the third day he would rise again. They didn’t understand it.
Do we understand it? I think most of the time we don’t. Luke’s account says that Peter went away “wondering” to himself what had happened. Today people are still sitting at the tomb. Maybe that is where you find yourself. Construction has ended. It is finished. Drive on. He has provided forgiveness for your sins, He had given you peace, He has given assurance of life after death, He has given you the Holy Spirit to empower you for service.
3. What Does the Resurrection Mean to Me Personally?:
"How do you know Christ is risen?" asked a scoffer of an old Christian. "Because I spent an hour with Him this morning," quietly replied the Christian. The believer has fellowship with a living Saviour. ByWilliam Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations."
Many people say, “Oh, I don’t believe that stuff!” or “That’s just a myth.” People still try to explain it away. Some say, “Oh, his body was stolen.” Or, “he wasn’t REALLY dead.” Or others say, “Well, the women mistakenly went to the wrong tomb. That’s why they couldn’t find him.” You might say, “I’m not sure. I’ve heard it all my life. It doesn’t seem real to me.” You might say, “I’m still wondering about a lot of things. You might even honestly say, “I just can’t believe.”
When you say these things you are really saying, “I prefer to stay in the construction area. I prefer to struggle. I prefer to be weighted down with guilt of sin. I’m still at the tomb.”
“I’m, in fact, rejecting what Jesus did for me. I just can’t believe it.”
In the early church many of the Corinthian believers were being talked out of their belief in the resurrection. Some of the Corinthians flatly denied that this ever happened. They rejected it as absurd. They were staggering in their faith because of their unbelief. Paul said that if they gave up this truth that they left themselves no ground to stand on--because the doctrine of Christ’s death AND resurrection is at the foundation of Christianity. Remove this and Christianity collapses. If you deny the resurrection you have nothing for faith and hope to fasten on to. All our hopes for eternity sink and all hopes for this life as well.
STORY: Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. It seems he must have been influenced by Paul’s teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here’s what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer, Like the Cover of an old Book, Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believ’d, Appear once more In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author. Source Unknown.
Paul said, “if Christ has not been raised our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (I Corinthians 15:14). He said I want to remind you of all this once again. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, he rose from the dead.”
Now one interesting point I would like to mention is that no human eye SAW the resurrection, but angels as witnesses of God’s action reported what happened. It is interesting to note that in the transfiguration, his disciples SAW his appearance change gradually right before their eyes. (Mark 9:2,3) and in the ascension back to heaven his disciples SAW him gradually being taken up into heaven and disappear out of sight before their very eyes (Acts 1:9).
I think this was significant because we have to BELIEVE FIRST for the resurrection to mean anything to us. The content of our belief is important. It can’t be something vague.
STORY: Jonathan Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, "What do you believe?" "Well, I believe the same as the church." "And what does the church believe?" "Well, they believe the same as me." Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, "And what is it that you both believe?" "Well, I suppose the same thing." Jonathan Whitfield.
You have to believe that He is God
You have to believe that He came to save you and forgive you of all your sins
You have to accept Him as the Lord of your life
Why don’t our lives reflect this wonderful miracle we have received? Why are our lives not filled with joy so much of the time? Why does it seem that Christ’s resurrection has little to do with our daily lives?
Maybe it is because we don’t think that it is something that affects us in the here and now. Sometimes we see it as something that only applies to us after we die. Scripture shows that the resurrection affects us right now in the struggles of our daily lives. God wants to be involved in our daily lives now as well as the future. God is with us as we go through our daily activities. He can change our defeats into new beginnings. The defeated disciples found their lives transformed by the power of the living Christ. Resurrection is the beginning for all of us but the KEY is “Do we BELIEVE it?” It all begins with whether or not we believe. Belief pushes us into the new life that is ours right now giving us power for living now and the promise of life everlasting.
John said, “but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God even to them who believe on his name” (John 1:12).
Easter is not real to us until we FIRST BELIEVE. The Holy Spirit then opens our eyes and makes it real to us through the witness of the Spirit. Romans 8:16 (NLT) says, “For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children.”
You’re never going to be able to figure it all out through human understanding and reasoning. Just believe it and then your eyes will start to see Him as He really is.
"Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand." Augustine
The power of God that brought Jesus back to life is just as available to us today to bring life to our morally and spiritually dead selves.
CONCLUSION: Where is your spiritual life focused these days? Are you still at Good Friday? Is Jesus still in the tomb? Are you at Easter Sunday or somewhere in between? Today is the day to take a leap of faith--just believe. All things are possible to the person who believes first.
Let us Pray:
