THE DAWNING OF A NEW DAY
Easter Sunday
Matthew 28:1-10
April 11, 2004
Introduction:
A Sunday School teacher was attempting to teach her young students the true meaning of Easter. "Why do we celebrate Easter?" she asked. When the children replied ’because of the Easter bunny,’ Easter eggs, candy, spring, etc., she said, "No, those are Easter traditions and symbols, but what is the REASON why we celebrate Easter? What happened at the very first Easter?" A little girl raised her hand and said, "Easter celebrates Jesus coming out of the tomb." "Yes!" said the teacher, excited and relieved that finally the correct answer had surfaced. Encouraged, she prompted, "Jesus arose from the tomb, and what does He do for us?" The youngster replied, "He looks to see if he can see his shadow, and if He can, he goes back in for another six weeks." (Abraham Shanklin, Jr. / SermonCentral)
Right now we are all laughing at this humorous mixing of the Easter story and Ground Hog Day. However, it is truly sad how few people today understand the real meaning and importance of Easter. It is about more than Easter baskets and bunnies. It is about more than colored eggs and chocolate candies. It is a celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course we can’t celebrate a resurrection without remembering that Jesus died. And he died willingly for our sins. The Bible describes him as the Lamb of God. Have you ever wondered why? Let me share with you a story that will help to explain:
Dallas McGill writes: I have a friend who worked in a slaughter house, putting to death cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys; you name it he did it. One day there was an exceptional animal that was penned in the slaughter barn. A Lamb. "Usually," my friend voiced, "I would just slit the throat of the beast and it would fall to the ground. I’ve never killed a lamb." Sammy went on in detail. "I would usually have to chase down the animal to be killed. They were all very skiddish; probably because of the smell of death and blood. But you know, this little lamb just walked right up to me and nudged my hand with his head. I stuck to my routine and grabbed under the chin of the lamb, put the knife to his throat, and pulled hard and swift. The cut was deep, severing it’s throat, blood spraying everywhere. I let go of the animal and it staggered as if it were drunk. With it’s blood all over my hands, I dropped the knife in disbelief, as the next scene that I saw changed my life completely, as a Christian. The lamb did not fall to it’s knees whisping for breath. This little lamb staggered back to me and nudged my bloody hand for the second time with his nose and started to lick the blood from my hands! I could not believe what I was experiencing! I started to think of how Christ took his suffering and painful death for me, on Calvary. Something wet started splashing on to the ground and it was coming from my face. I was weeping. I quit that job, that day." (Dallas McGill/SermonCentral) Jesus willingly went to his death. He didn’t go out fighting or get caught while fleeing. He willing went to Calvary where our sins cost him his life’s blood.
If that were the end of the story, we wouldn’t be here this morning. But the story didn’t end with his death for the Bible teaches that three days later he rose from the dead never to die again. However, if this is true, and I believe with all of my heart that it is, then we have to ask: Why do so few people today encounter our risen Lord? The answer is quite simple and is revealed in our text for today. Few people encounter Jesus because only those who seek him will see him. You may be asking yourself: Why should I be seeking for Jesus this Easter? In answer to that question let me share with you some of the amazing benefits of seeking Jesus as some women did on the very first Easter Sunday. If you seek Jesus as they did, you will find that for you today will be The Dawning of a New Day.
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
Christ’s resurrection took place at dawn on the first day of the week. And it was more than just the first day of a new week. It was the first day of a new era. It was the Dawning of a New Day. It was on the first day of creation that God called light to shine forth out of the darkness in Genesis 1:3-5, “And God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness ... And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day.” How appropriate that on the first day of this new era God called his Son, “The true light that gives light to every man...” (John 1:9), out of the darkness. His passion had taken place after dark in the Garden of Gethsemane. During his crucifixion the sun had darkened. His burial took place at dusk. But his resurrection took place at dawn - at the rising of the Son - for a new day had dawned. Unfortunately, many people in the world today are living in the darkness of the old day. If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Savior, that is where you are living. Let me tell you more about this new day and how it can dawn for you.
The New Day Dawns With:
1. A Hope That Conquers Disbelief.
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
That these women began this day in the darkness of disbelief or the darkness of the old day we know from John 20:1 - “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb...” We see then that these women set out in the darkness which symbolizes there disbelief. We know that these women did not believe based on more than just the symbolism of darkness. We can see their disbelief in their purpose.
All along Jesus had been saying that he was going to die and come back to life three days later. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Mt. 17:21) The chief priests and the Pharisees understood this teaching and so they asked Pilate for and received a Roman guard to ensure that the tomb stayed closed.
In light of this promise lets look for a moment at their purpose. Were they going to the tomb early on the morning of the third day for the purpose of witnessing the fulfillment of the promise? No! Did they go there expecting to see Jesus? No! The text says that they “went to look at the tomb.” Did they go there to witness the resurrection? No! They went there for an embalming. “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” (Mark 16:1) In spite of the clear and often repeated promise of Jesus to rise again from the dead on the third day, the women went to the tomb on the third day and actually expected to find a dead body and embalm it with spices. Clearly they set out in the darkness of disbelief.
Although they had begun in the darkness of disbelief, something was about to happen that would pierce that darkness with hope.
2There 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. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
On that day they had expected to find a closed tomb. “They were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’” (Mark 16:2-3) There is good reason for them wondering how they would get the stone out of the way for some scholars have estimated that it would have weighed 1 1/2 tons. It would have required several strong men to remove the stone. They were expecting a closed tomb and what they found was an open tomb.
The open tomb produces hope. Hope that the impossible has become possible. The sight of the open tomb had been enough for the apostle John. When the women reported to the disciples that the tomb had been opened Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. John got to the tomb first, but then he waited until Peter caught up and Peter went in first. “Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.” (John 20:8) Christ’s tomb stood open offering hope to the hopeless. The darkness had been pierced.
Do you find yourself struggling with hopelessness this morning? Has your world grown so dark that you can no longer see the light? The tomb still stands open.
Several years ago, an experiment on endurance was conducted at the University of California at Berkeley. The experiment involved placing Norwegian field rats in a tub of water, where they were forced to swim until they grew exhausted and finally drowned. During the first experiment, the researchers discovered that on the average, these rats were capable of swimming for over seven hours before drowning.
A second experiment was conducted, exactly like the first but with one exception. This time, when a rat was getting too exhausted to swim any longer, the researchers would remove the rat from the tub of water for a few seconds, then put the rat back into the water to continue swimming. These rats were able to swim for almost 20 hours before perishing.
The researchers concluded that the rats in the second group were able to swim so much longer than the first group because of one factor: they had HOPE. They had experienced a rescue---and what kept them going was the HOPE that they would be rescued again. (Edited from More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.
Copyright 1995 by Youth Specialties, Inc. - David Yarbrough/SermonCentral)
The open tomb offers you hope when there had been no hope. The hope of forgiveness for the wrong that you have done. The hope of a second chance. The hope of a new lease on life. The hope that death is not the end. The new day has dawned with a hope that conquers disbelief.
2. A Faith That Conquers Doubt.
While the sight of the open tomb had been enough for the apostle John for the women their still remained some doubt. After John had seen the empty tomb and believed, Mary Magadalene bumped into someone she thought was the gardener: “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’” (John 20:15)
Os Guiness gives a very helpful definition of doubt in his book “In Two Minds.” He says, “When you believe, you are in one mind and accept something as true. Unbelief is to be of one mind and reject that something is true. To doubt is to waver between the two, to believe and disbelieve at the same time, and so to be in ‘two minds.’” (Dan Erickson/SermonCentral) This is where the women found themselves. Hope had been awakened, but doubt remained. Disbelief was gone but belief had not yet fully come and so they found themselves wavering between hope and doubt.
5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
We see from these verses that to these women who were “looking for Jesus,” God sent an angel. The principle is this: God will send a message to those who are wavering between hope and doubt while sincerely seeking Jesus. The Greek word for angel literally means messenger. God had sent a message through his messenger to those who were truly seeking Jesus. I’m not saying that God will send you an angel. I’m not saying that He won’t either. But God will send you a message through his messenger. That messenger might be a pastor or a Bible study teacher or a friend or a family member or an author. In whatever its form, the message will be a message of hope and a message of faith - a message that Jesus is alive. For some of you here today I believe that this morning’s message is such a message. God is speaking to your heart - to the deepest needs of your life - and if you will respond in faith a new day will dawn in your life.
How do we know that these women now had faith? Because now they were looking for Jesus (v.5) whereas before they were going to look at the tomb (v.1). Clearly a dramatic change had taken place. Instead of looking for the corpse, they were looking for the Christ.
Gregory Dawson writes:
Doubt sees the obstacles;
Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night;
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step;
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I!”
(Donnie Martin/SermonCentral)
3. A Life That Conquers Death.
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.
Those who had sought Jesus now saw Jesus for he “met them.” Why do not more people today have genuine encounters with the risen Lord? Because only those who seek him will see him. Are you genuinely seeking Jesus this Easter morning?
When Jesus met them he spoke one word, “Greetings.” In the Greek this word literally means “rejoice” or “happiness be unto you.” Of course they should be rejoicing. He who was the dead one is now the living one. The one who had been laid in the grave had now risen from the grave. The grave that was once a tomb is now a womb giving birth to a new life that conquers death. And it is not only Christ’s new life, but, spiritually speaking, it was new life for all those who would put their faith in Him. “You were dead in your transgressions and sins ... But God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ ... and raised us up with Christ...” (Ephesians 2:1,4-6) Paul also wrote to the Romans: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4) By an act of faith we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death is a death to sin. A death to our old way of living. The resurrection is the rising to new spiritual life. A life pleasing to God. A life of true righteousness. What could be greater than the gift of new life?
It was March 18. Leanne tried not to think about the fact that Melvin would have been 39 today. The face of the man driving the van flashed in her mind. She tried not to feel the anger. Once more the scream of brakes, the crash and then the silence replayed itself in her memory. She thought of the whispers in Melvin’s ear through a maze of tubes and machines, words that she could only hope he somehow had heard. Leanne remembered having to tell her two boys about the nightmare and trying to support them in their grief as she struggled with her own.
She remembered the sound of the blades whipping through the evening sky as the helicopter carried Melvin’s organs to others whose very life depended on his final gift. Who were they? Would she ever get to see them? The recipient of Melvin’s heart had written twice in the year and a half since the transplant. Leanne had finally found the courage to answer and admit that she longed to hear that beautiful heart beat again.
There was no way she could have known that at that very moment, John Meinhardt and his wife Jan were signing release forms to reveal their identity to the donor family.
John’s head swam with memories too: he could almost feel the mix of terror and elation hearing the nurse’s casual statement that a heart had been found. He wanted to live so much, but he had struggled with guilt knowing that for him to live someone else would die. He remembered the nurse walking away and his wife Jan slipping under the covers and holding him. She had kissed his heart good bye. Together they had prayed for the doctors and their future and surrendered the outcome to God.
Later that night a small light appeared in the evening sky and soon the roar of whipping chopper blades. Jan remembered the tears watching that blue Igloo cooler being lowered from the helicopter and carried into the hospital on a dolly. She had stopped the survival flight team and dropped to her knees to kiss the cooler. She prayed with their children for the success of the surgery and for family of the donor.
And now John was signing the papers to meet that family that so many times they had wrapped in gratitude. Soon John and Leanne were choking back tears as they spoke on the phone "When can we meet?" John asked. "How about in an hour at Latina’s Pizza?" Leanne replied.
An hour later Leanne laid her head upon John’s chest and heard the heart she had loved for so long, Melvin’s heart. The heart which had given new life to John. (SOURCE: Jan Meinhardt, http://www.rjwitte.com/changeofheart/May_1999_donor.htm. - Guy Caley/SermonCentral) I ask you again what could be greater than the gift of new life? The scene I have just described he replayed over and over again in our country every year thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. But for all of our scientific advancement we can’t even begin to change the nature of a man or a woman. We can’t make an unholy heart holy. But Jesus can. He died that we might have new life so rejoice!
And this new life that he gives is not just a new quality of life here on earth it is also eternal life. One day our physical lives will end - our hearts will stop beating in spite of all the efforts of modern medicine. But when that moment comes our spiritual selves our true selves will live on with God forever. The new life that he gives never ends.
I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid. The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave without fear for there are not only tracks leading in but also tracks leading out. For the Christian there need be no fear of the grave. (Joel Pankow/SermonCentral)
Upon seeing Jesus the text tells us that the women went to him and “clasped his feet and worshipped him.” In the light of such a gift as new life that never ends what more can we do than to fall at the Savior’s feet and worship?
4. A Purpose That Conquers Despair.
In late fall of 1777, Gen. George Washington and has rag tag army of militiamen suffered 2 defeats at the hands of the British at Brandywine and Germantown. He and his 11,000 men retreated to Valley Forge, PA to establish winter headquarters. It was a dark time for the revolution. Many died of starvation or cold, never more than h of the force was in any shape to battle at one time. Many deserted the cause, because the stress and suffering was too great.
But thousands hung on. They stayed in there, despite frozen bodies, starvation, sickness and bone-biting cold, because they had a goal, a purpose for being there---that was more important to them than personal comfort or even safety.
In February they began a regrouping that prepared them for pursuing the British all the way across New Jersey in June of 1778.
Contrast that with Viet Nam. Never in the history of the American Armed forces has there been so much suicide, drug abuse, fighting amongst our own troops and total lack of moral. Never in our history has there been a conflict from which our troops came back so troubled and broken.
"We didn’t do that in WWII," the old timers say, "what’s wrong with this spoiled, wimpy generation of soldiers?"
And America is just beginning to catch on to the difference!
We knew why we were at Valley Forge! We knew why we hit the beaches at Normandy and struggled the raise the flag at Iwo Jima. But there was simply no clear understanding of our purpose in Viet Nam. We weren’t there to win. We were there to get shot at. And that is the understanding of many, many, who were there. The pressure was too much under those circumstances. (Gary Sheely/SermonCentral)
Do you have a sense of significance in your life? Do you understand what life is all about? Do you have a sense of a God-ordained purpose and plan for your life? Without it you will fall into despair like the troops in Viet Nam. But with a sense of purpose you can overcome the greatest of obstacles because you are on a mission just like Washington’s troops at Valley Forge.
Where do we come up with such a mission? How do we figure it out? Do we just pick one or do we make it up? No! Jesus has given us a mission. It is the same mission that he gave to the women that morning.
10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Jesus sent the women on a mission. There mission was to find the disciples and tell them about Jesus’ resurrection and tell them how and where to find Jesus. This is essentially the same mission that Jesus gave to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...” (Mt. 28:18-19) Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is the mission of all believers. That mission is to take the Good News about Jesus into all the world telling people how they can find Jesus. While the mission is universal your specific role in that universal mission will be unique. Some are called to be missionaries. Some are called to be pastors. Some are called to be Sunday School teachers. But most are called to serve as laymen using their gifts and talents in the real world to minister to real people with real needs. Anytime you use any gift or talent or opportunity that you have to serve other people in the name of Jesus you are fulfilling your mission in life.
When you understand and accept and work to fulfill your purpose in life you will never be in despair. You will gain an incredible sense of significance as you serve God by serving others. You will understand that you are useful to God. You will come to the amazing realization that you are of incredible worth in the sight of God. You won’t have time to despair over your personal problems because your focus will be shifting from yourself to God and others.
Conclusion:
When a new day dawns it does so gradually. At first you begin to notice just the slightest lightening of the darkness and then gradually it gets lighter and lighter until at last the sun slips out from behind the horizon and begins to shine brightly on a new day. It is the same way with the dawning of a new spiritual day. First their is just the slightest glimmering of hope on the horizon. And that hope grows and grows until it produces faith. And that faith in turn results in a new and eternal life. And as we grow in that new life we come to understand that along with that new life comes a new mission and purpose. When hope has become faith and faith has produced life and purpose the new day has dawned and disbelief, doubt, death, and despair have departed with the darkness. Among the people from Eastern Europe, the Easter basket had nothing to do with candy and rabbits. Baskets were filled with symbolic things and taken to church to be blessed. There was bread in the basket to recall how Israel relied on God in the wilderness and to symbolize life. Horseradish was there to suggest the bitterness of Egyptian bondage and the bitterness of Jesus death. Salt was there as a symbol of our common humanity. Ham was there as a reminder that we are not under the old law, which forbade so much, but under the new. Eggs were in the basket, too. They stood for hope and resurrection and life! Whatever our customs, whatever our symbols, Easter always stands for new life, for resurrection, for hope! (Mark Hensley/SermonCentral) For the dawning of a new day!
If you use this message or a revision of it please email me.
steveamanda8297@hotmail.com
