He Is Risen! Luke 24:5, 6
INTRO.: It’s been many years since I played golf, but I remember an incident that occurred when I was playing with some other preachers. I hit a tee shot and lost track of the ball. I was pretty sure it went into the rough and went there looking for it. As I searched, another golfer yelled from the fairway, "Here it is. You’re looking in the wrong place!" I was searching in the place where my ball usually went and was surprised it went where it belonged.
When the women came to the tomb on Sunday morning, they were looking in the wrong place for Jesus. An angel asked, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"
Many today assume Jesus is among the dead. He is not just a dead hero to be honored for His sacrifice, a dead teacher to be studied, or even just a fine historical figure to be emulated. He is more than all those put together.
The resurrection proves these truths about Jesus.
I. He is really God’s son.
A. In a synagogue of Antioch, Paul cited the resurrection to proclaim Jesus’ deity. Acts 13:32, 33
1. Rom. 1:4 declares He was shown to be God’s son by the resurrection.
2. He was raised through the Spirit of Holiness.
3. He was raised with power. The same power is available to us today. Eph. 1:19, 20
B. His claims to deity are proven true.
1. He made bold claims. An example is seen in Matt. 17:22, 23
2. If He can come back to life after being killed, He can do anything. If not, we can hardly count on Him to raise us after death.
3. He said His Father had given Him the power to lay down His life and take it up again. John 10:17, 18
C. When He reminded the Pharisees of their moral responsibility to God, they asked for a sign. He spoke of His coming resurrection. Matt. 12:39, 40
1. When the Jews called His authority into question, He alluded again to His coming resurrection. John 2:19, 20
2. He rested His claims to the allegiance of men on His resurrection.
3. If He is God’s son, then He owns our lives by right of creation and redemption.
II. We don’t exactly know where Jesus was at the moment the women sought Him in the tomb, but He wasn’t there. He showed up later on the Emmaus Road. Luke 24:13ff.
A. They didn’t recognize Him for some reason.
1. He traveled with them and taught them from the Scripture.
2. They only recognized Him in the breaking of bread. Until then, their eyes were closed. V. 31
3. The story is a kind of parable of our Christian pilgrimage.
B. He is with us even though we may not always recognize His Presence.
1. The women couldn’t find Him in the tomb, but He promised to meet His disciples. Mark 16:7
2. He spent 40 days visibly with them to prove death couldn’t separate them from Him.
C. Jesus is with us and in us even today:
1. He is our life, our strength, our hope of glory.
2. He is our constant companion even though we don’t see Him with the eye.
3. He is where two or three gather in His Name. We see Him in the Lord’s Supper. We feel His Presence in times of deep distress.
III. There is a surprising omission from the Gospel records of the resurrection. It is the notion that His resurrection holds promise for others.
A. As far as we can see, this didn’t occur to the disciples that first day.
1. Maybe they were too astonished to consider the implications of events.
2. Nor do the early chapters of Acts suggest any resurrection other than Jesus’
3. Not until Acts 9:36ff do we read of the possibility of anyone else being raised.
B. Though it isn’t stated in the historical records, the apostles must have preached the concept.
1. It was one of Jesus’ most prominent promises. John 11:25, 26. His boldest claim.
2. John 3:16 promises everlasting life.
3. Maybe the Apostles were so taken with Jesus’ power in this life they failed to realize all His promises can’t be fulfilled in this life alone.
C. The Gospels and Acts are bare history. We find theology expressed in the epistles and Revelation.
1. There we find the assurance we seek. I Cor. 15:20-22
2. "By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." I Cor. 6:14
3. "he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." Rom. 8:11
CONC.: what does Easter mean? One Junior child said it means Jesus comes out of the tomb and if He sees His shadow we have six more weeks of winter. Another said it mean a week of egg salad sandwiches for lunch.
Easter means at least three things: 1. Jesus is God’s Son. 2. He is present with us today, and 3. He promises us resurrection and eternal life in His Presence.
