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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING
Three days had passed since Jesus had died on the cross. For three days his body lay in that tomb. Three days had passed and the Passover Feast was ended, the Sabbath day was gone and the morning of the first day of the week came with the rising of the sun in all its beauty. The light of that sun flooded the earth with it warmth and comfort, awakening a sleeping world into a new day. And what a day it would be!
Mankind had been trapped in a never-ending place of utter darkness. Sin, death and the powers of Hell had reigned over the earth in a death grip that no man could break. Every newborn child, brought into this world since the fall in the Garden of Eden had been born with the mark of death already upon it. The power and final payment for the sin of man was devastating and unbreakable.
For a short time of 42 months there had arisen a ray of hope in the darkness. Jesus of Nazareth had walked the earth claiming to be Messiah, the Deliverer and the very Son of God who had come down to set men free from his chains of darkness, but he was dead.
On that terrible day when Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9 AM, the hope of all who trusted in him was destroyed. The despair and dread that had been replaced by hope suddenly came upon them again.
From 9 AM until 12 Noon, Jesus had struggled with the pain of the nails in his hands and his feet as he had to lift his weight against those nails time and again to just be able to draw a breath. The religious leaders and all those who hated him passed by one by one, looked up on the cross and cursed Jesus, blasphemed against him and shouted their accusations against him as he struggled.
Then things began to happen. At high noon, when the sun was at its peak, the sky went suddenly dark. It was as though the light of sun had been snuffed out. This was to show man that without the Light, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, mankind would forever be engulfed in gross darkness as a result of his sin.
For three hours there was no sun, no moon, and no stars. It was as though all light had left the universe. The only light that could be had was that of candles, lanterns or torches but few could be seen because no one thought they would be necessary in the middle of the day. For three hours, the Father in Heaven had removed the light that he had spoken into existence and the world was cast into gross darkness. Perhaps this was to represent the three days that Jesus would lie dead in the grave, when the Light would not be upon the face of the earth.
Finally, the light came again at about the 3 PM as Jesus shouted "...My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? " That cry instantly brought forth the light once again. God had turned away as Jesus took upon him the sin of the whole world.
For 6 long hours Jesus suffered on the cross. Shortly after 3 PM he bowed his head and said, “it is finished” and allowed himself to die.
No man could kill him. Jesus had to give his life. When the full price of sacrifice for sin had been paid, he gave up the spirit within his body and allowed the flesh to die. He chose the moment of his death.
There was a tremendous earthquake. Coupled with the darkness that had just left, a great fear fell upon all of Jerusalem. Not only did the earth shake but graves were opened by its force and the bodies of many who had died in the faith were exposed. The veil in the temple that had separated man from the presence of God for so many centuries was ripped from top to bottom by the invisible hands of God. That curtain, some say was as much as 18 inches thick, was ripped like a piece of paper to signify that the power of sin that had separated man from God was eternally broken. The sin-debt was paid in full.
Then, a few hours later, Joseph was given permission to take down the body of Jesus and place it in the tomb before the night came and the Sabbath day began.
As they placed Jesus in that tomb, and rolled the sealing stone across the door, it was as though all hope was sealed away with him. Their hope of deliverance was gone. When would God send their Messiah?
Early in the morning on the first day of the week there came Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James to complete the work of embalming the body of Jesus.
Mark 16:4-6, "And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."
Can you imagine what they must have thought? Walk out to the cemetery, where you know that you have just buried a loved one only a few days before. The top of the grave is laid over and the casket is open. As you down into it, there is a stranger lying there dressed all in white, looking up and smiling at you. How many would run, especially since this was still during the early morning hours before the sun was up?
It is no surprise that they were afraid, especially when the one in grave began to talk to them. But there was a peacefulness and a calming force in his voice and so the fear began to leave as he spoke.
Then came the greatest announcement that they world will ever hear! Jesus is no longer in the grave, he is alive!
We do not serve a God who is dead. We are not like those who worship Mohammed, Buddha or some other god who is dead. We are not like those who depend upon the words of a “dead prophet” like Joseph Smith. Our prophet is Jesus Christ and our God is Jesus Christ and he is a risen Lord and he is alive forever more and because he lives, we can live also.
Do you remember those tombs that were broken open when Jesus died? Well, now, because of the power of his resurrection, many of those saints who laid in those open tombs were suddenly resurrected with him and began to walk the streets of Jerusalem.
Perhaps there was John the Baptist who had been beheaded, now walking around with a new head. Perhaps there was Zecharias, the old priest who had told Elizabeth that John would be born to be the forerunner of Christ. Perhaps it would be Simeon, that aged saint who had seen Jesus presented before the temple at the age of twelve, who said that he could now go in peace because his eyes had beheld the Messiah. There were many who were resurrected that day, given new bodies, and yet their body was recognizable to all those who knew them. They, like Jesus, were known by their appearance after their resurrection and so shall it be for you and I. Your body will be perfect and your appearance much the same but we will all know one another just as we do now.
The news of Jesus’ resurrection spread like wildfire through all those who had followed him, but some of them would not accept the fact of his resurrection. He may have raised Lazarus and the widows son from death but how could a dead man bring his own body back to life?
Lest we think too highly of ourselves let me as you this question. Suppose someone came to you right now and said that your great-great-grandfather was risen from the dead. Would you believe it? Most of us would have to see him with our own eyes, take out the old family album and match the photos and we still wouldn’t believe it. People just don’t come back from the grave to this life. We can believe that they are in Heaven but we won’t believe they are walking around on this earth until it is proven to us. Well, that’s the same way the disciples felt as they sat down to eat together.
Mark 16:14, "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen."
As I draw to the close of this message I want us to realize that we are often in the same place as these disciples.
We know what the Word of God says about Jesus’ resurrection. We know that he has said that he was coming again. We know that he claims to be the Son of God. We have heard the preaching of his resurrection time and again, and yet, for some reason, we have not accepted that he means what he has said.
Jesus appeared to those disciple while they sat eating together and discussing whether he was really alive or not. They were living in doubt and fear and their faith in Jesus was dead. Jesus had to come back to them, tell Thomas to place his hand in the wound in his side and touch the nail prints in his hands, and then fussed at them and corrected them for having a hard heart and not accepting the truth.
I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is here right now doing the very same thing for you and I.
There are many who claim to be Christian but who doubt that Jesus is going to do what he said he would do. We live our lives as though he really isn’t coming back. We live as though we don’t really believe that he is a risen Lord and we surely don’t allow him to live in us.
Mark 16:15-20, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
Do you really believe in the Risen Lord this morning? Has Jesus come alive in your Heart? Is He your Risen Lord?
If Jesus is really alive in us then we must live as though we are alive in him. We are commanded to preach the message of our risen Lord to all who will hear. We are commanded to produce fruit and signs that indicate our faith in our Risen Lord.
What are those signs that will follow those who believe?
We will cast out devils in his name.
We will speak with new tongues, not only the language of Heaven that God gives when we receive the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, but a new language that is not like that of the world that curses God. We will Bless God and our words will bring life and blessing instead cursing.
We will take up serpents. That doesn’t mean that we become snake handlers. It means that we will cast demons out, and bind up the powers of hell, and throw the influence of Satan and his evil “serpent” spirits out of our lives.
If we drink deadly things they won’t harm us. In working for the Lord we are often forced to swallow our pride and to take in things that could destroy our souls and our bodies but God will give us victory over all of these things. This is God’s promise of deliverance in face of danger.
We will pray for the sick and God will heal them by his power.
Have these signs been in your life? If there are no signs following your life in Christ then perhaps you aren’t living with the Risen Savior inside of you.
Let us be like those disciples that Jesus had to correct that day. Let’s go forth from this house believing in the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection. Let’s go forth believing that he is alive and that he will do what he says he will do.
Jesus is alive this morning! Your God is a living God! Let us go forth and bring forth fruit for him with signs following. Allow God to confirm his life in you, working through the power of his resurrection.
If you really believe that Jesus is alive, then that’s the way we must live. So be it!
