The Empty Promises of Easter
(Developed from a message originally preached by Steven Kellett)
Luke 24.1-11
March 27, 2005 Cheater, IL FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A About four years ago, I bought a bottle of a medication that promised to give me something back that I was losing. A promise that seemed just to good to be true. The bottle contained Rogain and what I was, and am, losing was my hair.
a For weeks I was spraying my head, massaging my head . . . it was a mess!
b Many of us have been taken in by empty promises
(Lose weight, build muscle mass, grow hair, performance enhancement, increased memory, more energy, appetite suppression . . . )
c These empty promises have made us leery of anything that seems just too good to be true.
B God’s Word says, "Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." Josh 21:45 (NASB)
a God has kept every promise He has ever made to His people. (ETS)
b The world gives us promises full of emptiness: God gives us emptiness full of promise. (ESS)
C I hope you’ll take God up on His promises this Easter morning. (Objective)
a Who here knows Jesus Christ? (Probing Question)
b Let’s look at two promises that emerge out of Easter’s emptiness.
I The first promise out of Easter’s emptiness is . . . AN EMPTY CROSS.
A Before Jesus’ faithful friends (Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, Joanne, Several other ladies) came to the tomb when they saw the cross in a distance.
50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. Luke 23:50-53 (NASB)
a As the sun came us, they could see the silhouette of three crosses in the distance against the glow of a pink sky. (No one touched the cross on Saturday/Sabbath)
b The one in the middle got their attention.
Sign over the cross "King of the Jews"
Blood on the cross-beam, head, side (Roman soldier thrust a spear to make sure he was dead. –HE WAS DEAD.
c The cross those women saw were empty, but it was full of God’s promises.
B The empty cross promises that you and I stand forgiven. (Jesus paid the price for our sin on that cross.)
a Sin is anything we have ever done that displeases God. (Rms 3.23 cite)
i We have all sinned. (Person beside you, in front of you, behind you)
ii Rom 6.23 "For the wages of sin is death . . ." Death=Hell
iii Before Good Friday, God could look in the book at all of our names and write GUILTY OF SIN . .GUILTY OF SIN . . GUILTY OF SIN in the accounts payable column.
b Jesus came to settle our accounts and he paid up on the Cross.
i Jesus never did sin. (Buddha, Mohammad, David, Moses, etc.)
PROOF TEXTS:
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB)
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Heb 4:15 (NASB)
ii It was on the cross that Jesus suffered, bleed, died for a sinful humankind.
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
iii When Jesus said, "It is finished" from that cross the redemptive act for humankind was in fact . . . finished.
C Can you all see what I have in my hand? A receipt. And what purpose does a receipt serve? It is the proof that the payment has been made. That’s what Jesus’ cross is. The receipt. The proof that the payment is made, that the power of sin no longer have power over us.
TS: As our ladies continue after viewing the empty cross, they continue to the tomb.
II The second promise out of Easter’s emptiness is . . . an empty tomb.
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw* the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. Luke 24:1-3, 12 (NASB)
A These ladies came expecting to see the dead body of their friend, instead they saw the empty tomb of their risen Lord. (24.6a) "He is not here, but he has risen . . ."
a Lots of religious leaders have died and their bones have all turned to dust, Jesus’ tomb was/is empty.
b All kinds of proof: Empty tomb, eyewitness of over 500 people over a 40 day period - - - Jesus is Alive!!!
B Jesus’ empty tomb is a promise to everyone of us that we too will be raised to eternal life.
a To those of us who know Jesus as Savior/Lord, death has lost its sting.
i Spiritual death vs. Physical death
ii I Cor. 15.55-57 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:55-57 (NASB)
b Jesus can give you eternal life IF you know Him!
i You may know facts about Tiger Wood, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhart Jr., George W. Bush, but do you know them?
ii You may know facts about Jesus (Bethlehem, Cross, Empty tomb), but you still may not know Him. (Jms 2.19)
iii Rev 3.20
C Resurrection Illustration
(IL) Bumble Bee Stinger & the little boy.
Conclusion:
God has kept every promise He has ever made to His people. (ETS) The world gives us promises full of emptiness: God gives us emptiness full of promise. (ESS)
A We’ve looked at two promises that emerge out of Easter’s emptiness.
a Empty Cross
b Empty Tomb
B I hope you’ll take God up on His promises this Easter morning. (Objective)
a Empty Cross: Sins Forgiven
b Empty Tomb: Eternal Life
C Who here knows Jesus Christ? (Probing Question)
I believe that it is John Maxwell who tells a story about a blazer that he bought from Nordstrom’s.
About a year and a half ago, I bought a new navy blazer at Nordstrom. It was one of those cases you may have gone through where you buy an item of clothing and the more you wear it, the more you realize you don’t like it. My blazer wasn’t the right color, and to make matters worse, it attracted lint like it was going out of style. After wearing it pretty regularly for six months or so, I stuck it in my closet and didn’t wear it for a long time.
Tucked away in the back of my mind all the while was that famous Nordstrom unconditional-return policy. I thought, I’ve had this thing for a year and a half. I’ve worn it lots of times, and there’s just no way they’re going to take it back. About two weeks ago I decided I had nothing to lose. I pulled the blazer out, threw a lot of lint on it to make it look bad, and took it down to Nordstrom’s men’s department. I walked in, and immediately I felt nervous. I felt like I was about to pull a scam of some sort, but I played it straight. I walked right up to the first salesman I saw and gave this little prepared speech. I said, "I am about to put your famous unconditional-return policy to its ultimate test. I have here a blazer. I’ve worn it lots. I’ve had it for a year and a half. I don’t like it. It’s the wrong color, and it attracts lint like it’s going out of style. But I want to return this blazer for another blazer that I like." Then I stood there.
I couldn’t believe it. This guy with a big handlebar mustache just looked at me and shook his head. He said, "For heaven’s sake, what took you so long? Let’s go find you a blazer." Ten minutes later I walked out with another blazer that was marked seventy-five dollars more than I paid for the one that I brought in. It was perfect for me. Didn’t cost me a penny.
In a small way, the Nordstrom Department Store is a lot like God. They are willing to back up their promises. (Preaching Today)
I think at Easter, more than any other time of the year, we realize that God has made all sorts of outlandish promises. So outlandish, that some of us cannot bring ourselves to believe. Or, can we?
This morning, we have heard about two promises that God has made to us; the promise of forgiven sins; the promise of eternal life; and the promise of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
My question to you this morning is this; will you take him at his word? If so, listen to this final promise – it is found in Romans 10:13 – "for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
This morning, if you have never accepted God’s promises for your life, He is waiting, probably wondering, "For heaven’s sake, what is taking you so long?"
Don’t wait another day, do it today, and know the joy of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
I trust the Lord will truly bless each on of you this Easter.
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Mike Fogerson
