Introduction:
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my savior!
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose!
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most provable fact in all of history! There is more evidence that Christ rose from the grave than any other fact in history. Today followers of the Islamic faith can visit the tomb of their leader Mohammed. Today followers of the Buddhist religion can go to the grave of their founder, Buddha. You can visit the graves of past presidents and historical figures, you can visit the graves of past loved ones, but you cannot visit the burial place of the greatest man that ever lived, Jesus Christ, because he rose from the dead and lives even today.
A little less than two thousand years ago today, Jesus walked into Jerusalem greeted warmly by the people of the city. They laid palm branches down as He entered the city. This is the day called the triumphal entry or what we now call Palm Sunday. Jesus was greeted like a king and then within a week of that time, he was put on trial for a crime he did not commit, taken all over the city to face trial, beaten, whipped, mocked, laughed at, nailed to a cross, hung naked and died. This is not the end of the story; there is a happy ending, after three days Christ rose from the tomb.
During this time of the year Christians all around the world turn their focus towards Jesus resurrection. We call this time; Easter. There is nothing wrong with setting time out to remember that Jesus rose from the dead, but we must remember that every Lord’s Day is Resurrection Sunday. Every time we meet together it is because Jesus rose from the dead. I think it is a shame however, that we do not focus more on this cornerstone of our faith. It is only during Easter time that we sing songs like “He Arose”, when is reality that should be the theme of our life. The resurrection is the single greatest event in history, and should be remembered more than just one time a year.
The resurrection is not some fairy tale Bible story, it is not some made up Christian belief, but it is a historical fact. The history books cannot deny the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. To non-Christians the resurrection in the most baffling and most difficult aspect of Christianity to understand, and to Christians the resurrection is the climax of the life of Jesus.
Jesus performed many wonderful miracles. Over the course of history God has done many magnificent things, but the greatest miracle in history is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and the second greatest miracle is when we arise out of the watery grave of baptism, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ. We arose to die no more.
Text: Luke 24:1-12
As we look at the scene of the resurrection we see many different people present.
I. Scoffer
At the scene of the resurrection there were many people present and many people that we can read about their reactions to the news that Jesus rose from the dead. One of the most stunning groups that we can read about is the chief priests.
Matthew 28:12-15
The chief priests that we read about are the scoffers. They laugh at the idea that Jesus may have rose from the dead. We live today in a world that scoffs at the thought that any man could raise from the dead. People constantly will try to find ways not to believe the amazing things recorded in the Bible. One of those people was Thomas Jefferson, who could not believe any of the miracles in the Bible including the resurrection. He did not believe them so he ripped out of his Bible every account with a miracle recorded. Even Paul as he was on trial when he spoke of the resurrection and was interrupted by Festus and told he was insane. Being a Christian today is not the popular thing it used to be. Being a Christian today may get you laughed at or mocked because you believe in things that may not make logical sense or fit into people’s scientific method. Over the course of my time I have heard many people mocking the idea of the resurrection. People come up with many arguments against the possibility.
a. The Disciples Stole it
Some will try to argue and say that Jesus’ disciples had to steal the body from the tomb. My question to that proposal would be… If they stole the body and knew it then why would they spend the rest of their lives dedicated to preaching Christ as risen from the dead, and eventually be killed for their faith? Would you die for something you knew was absolutely false? The disciples knew Jesus really rose from the dead, they saw Him alive again, and that is why they could preach that message with such dedication and without doubt. It does not make any sense to presume the disciples stole Jesus’ body!
b. The Soldiers Stole it
Many scholars will attempt to tell people that the soldiers that guarded the tomb must have stolen Jesus’ body. I heard a story of how a university professor told his students that Jesus didn’t really raise from the dead, but the soldiers stole the body. This view is ridiculous. In the times in which Jesus lived the soldiers’ lives were on the line with their job. If a prisoner escaped then the soldier guarding them would be punished with their life. If the body was stolen while the soldiers were guarding the tomb, the soldiers would have paid with their lives. On top of that the Romans could have quickly silenced everybody’s talk about the resurrection by displaying the body of Jesus.
c. He wasn’t really dead
Most ridiculous of all some scoffers will try to argue that Jesus never really died and that he was just in a long slumber that he awoke from. My statement to that would be this…you try being beaten 39 times with a cat of nine tails having your flesh ripped off, carrying a cross up a mountain, being nailed to that cross, and hung there for six hours, being pierced in the side, and being described as being marred beyond that of any man, being wrapped in burial clothes, and put in a cold air tight tomb and see if you can survive that and wake up and roll away a two ton stone. Jesus did die for our sins and rose again through the power of God.
I say all of this simply to show you that believing in the resurrection does not make you easily given into a belief, it does not make you gullible. The resurrection is a reasonable view to have. Surely people will mock and scoff that you believe this, but the fact that Jesus rose from the dead has never been disproven, and never will because it is a historical fact.
Perhaps someone here is a scoffer, a person who laughs at the possible thought that Jesus could have raised from the dead. If so I ask you to examine the evidence unbiased and I think you will be convinced that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead on the third day as the Bible affirms.
II. Believer
As we read in the account of the resurrection many people believed that Jesus arose from the dead.
Luke 24:9
The women at the tomb believed firmly without a doubt that Jesus had really risen from the dead, that is why they began to tell people about this phenomenal event. By the middle of the first century many people had come to believe in the resurrection. The question I want to ask you is are you a believer? Do you believe without a doubt the things recorded in God’s Word? God’s Word is true and reasonable.
John 20:29
People today want to see Jesus rose from the dead themselves before they can believe, but Jesus promises a blessing on those who accept that he rose with faith. Many of the things that we believe have to be taken by faith. Many of the things cannot be understood or necessarily proven, but we must have faith that God is true, because he has never been untrue.
If you were to be a person or group of people with who would you be numbered at the scene of Jesus’ resurrection? Hopefully we all are numbered among those who believe what Jesus said. We must not simply be believers in the fact that he rose from the dead, but we must also as the Hebrew writer says, believe that exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek Him. Many people today say they believe in God, but in their lifestyle they deny Him. I think that people have misunderstood what faith and belief are. If you believe something you will respond in a way to it. If you believe your house is on fire you will get out. If you believe in God then you will obey Him and live for him.
So many times I hear people speak like believing in Jesus is a ignorant or childish view to take, but I want to assure you today that Jesus is real, he did really come into this world, He did really die for your sins, He did really rise from grave, and he will really come again to reward those who believed and obeyed and to punish those who did not.
Being a believer is a completely logical and completely provable stance to take.
Are you a believer?
III. Doubter—John 20:24-29
There are many people who doubt the things that the Bible teaches. It seems like many people simply doubt for the sake of doubting. We know that at the resurrection there were many who doubted. It wasn’t that they were scoffers like some; they just doubted and needed a lot of evidence to believe.
John 20:24-29
The story of Thomas has become one of the most popular stories of the times following the resurrection. Thomas has inherited the name doubting Thomas because he did not believe until felt the holes in Jesus’ hands. I believe there are many Thomas’ in the world today, there are many people that expect things to be proven to them before they believe. There are many like Gideon, who was called by the Lord to do something great, but wanted to be sure so he demanded two signs before he could believe. There are many like the Rich Man who when he died begged for someone to raise from the dead to tell his brothers about God. People today want and expect God to appear to them before they will believe.
I have heard of people saying I will not obey the gospel unless God comes and speaks to me. People today demand signs before they will believe and it is because they doubt. People today expect every conversion to be preceded by a conversion experience.
After I became a Christian many people asked me what causes me to become a Christian, expecting that I saw the light or something like that, but they were stunned when I said I was pierced to the heart by the gospel message.
James 1:6
We have no reason to doubt God; he has proven himself over and over again to us in different ways. We simply need to let go of our doubt and believe. I think that the words of Jesus are most applicable to any doubters, “stop doubting and believe”.
Throughout our lives we may have many doubts, doubts will come and we may even question God, but the truth is we have no reason to doubt God. His Word is true, and everything in it is true. He has been proven over and over again and has never been disproven.
Perhaps there are some here who are doubting God, maybe someone here doubts even God’s existence. Let me assure you that God is knowable, and he has proven himself in so many ways. Even as Paul says in Romans the creation itself stands as proof that God exists. If you are expecting God to speak to you and tell you to follow him, if you are expecting to be struck blind by a light, or hear and angel tell you to repent then you may be waiting a long time. God does not work like that; He has spoken to us through creation, through His Word, through His son, and through His people. So again I urge you if you are a doubter to stop doubting and believe.
IV. Seeker
There were some when they heard about the resurrection of Jesus, which sought to see if it was true. Peter and John were two that did.
John 20:3-8
Those people that seek after God are people who are looking for the truth. Many people are content just where they are in life, but there are some who want to know the truth, there are some who are seekers. The question I want to ask you is are you a seeker? Are you seeking the truth? Jesus promised that those who seek will find! I think that it is true that those that seek God find Him. God will never not help someone who is truly seeking after Him.
1) Seekers Read God’s Word
Those who are truly seeking after God read His Word. His Word is available and His Word speaks to us today. Any who want to know God can know him through His word. There is no better place to go to find the Words of truth than the Bible. I know that there was a time in my life before I was a Christian; I began to seek after truth, so I began reading the Bible in hope for understanding of the void in my life. Are you seeking God? If so, how often are you reading His Word? There is no better place to seek God than through His Word. His Word is living and active and pierces the heart.
2) Seekers Seek Godly Counsel
People who are seeking God tend to try to get to know people who openly proclaim God. One story of this in the Bible is the story of Nicodemus. He came to Jesus at night and asked Him how to be born again. Nicodemus was seeking God, and seeking the truth, so he came to the godliest man he knew, Jesus. If you are seeking God, seek out some Godly advice. Go to church and hear God’s Word perhaps God has something to say to you.
3) Seekers Pray for Help
Those that are truly seeking God pray for God’s help and direction. They pray fro God to fill the void in their heart. Each person has a void in their heart that can only be filled with God. Some people try to fill it with other gods, some with money, and sex and power, but that will only be satisfied with God. Those seeking God know they need God, and feel hopeless so they pray for God to help them and to lead them. Remember that those that seek will find.
Are you a seeker today, seeking after God?
