It didn’t take me long to become an out-law with my in-laws. Maryanne was the youngest of 5 kids – the one who was supposed to marry a rich man and then live right down the street form her mom and dad. The, she married me. We barely survived on a minor league salary and traveled literally from coast to coast playing baseball. I was not a popular man. Whenever we visited, I tried conversation… and no conversation. I’d cut grass; rake leaves. Nothing worked. I gave up hope of ever being “in” with my in-laws. It’s over. The relationship with them seemed dead to me.
What’s dead for you?
You’ve been praying and praying that God would fix some relationship with a friend or family member. The relationship that started out with so much promise is now confusing and hurtful. And things are getting worse. Hope is gone. And you don’t know if you really care anymore. It’s over. Dead.
For some, it’s a dream that’s dead. You were starting a business that had “can’t miss” written all over it. But somewhere along the way, the business hit a wall. Now, you’re stuck. You have no where to turn. You’re not only losing your initial seed money but all the time you invested, too. It’s over. Dead.
For some, it’s your emotions that are on life support. You thought you had turned a corner and that depression was gone. But now the depression is back and it’s bigger and “badder” than ever. Your hope for emotional victory is dead.
What’s dead in you?
Someday we’re all going to face physical death. As vibrant as we may feel today, the time may be coming when we’ll hear a physician say, “You have cancer” or “You have heart disease” or “You may only have short time to live.”
It’s when we face our own death – whether it’s emotional, relational, or physical – that’s we want to have some certainty about our hope. There’s Someone who holds out hope for you. That’s why I want to talk to you about the…
Rolling Stone
(not the band “Rolling Stones.” The Rolling Stone! The band is old. But this stone is almost 2,000 years old. And what is said to have happened behind that stone is either the greatest hoax or the greatest hope in history. Let’s learn about it in Luke 24.)
Series: Biggies – answering some of the biggest questions about God and the Bible
Next week, we’ll tackle the question, “Is the Bible really true?” Steve Piscura, a college kid from Kent State is going to join me as we try to answer that question.
Last week, a case for the Creator. Big idea? There is a Designer who wants to defeat your darkness and who has a design for your life.
This week, a case for the Savior. Big idea? There is a living Lord… who wants to defeat your deadness… and who holds out a hope for your life.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24:1-3 (ESV)
This was the Rolling Stone!
Did Jesus rise from the dead… or not? Your answer makes al the difference.
A Muslim in Africa became a Christian and some of his friends asked him why. He answered: “Well, it is like this: Suppose you were going down a road and suddenly the road forked in 2 directions, and you didn’t know which way to go. If you met 2 men at the fork – one dead and one alive – which one would you ask to show you the way?”
A lot of us here already believe in the reality of the resurrection. You might be thinking, “Rick, I already believe that Jesus rose again. Why are we talking about this?” Well, maybe you believe it, but maybe you can’t defend it. You really don’t know why you believe it. Today, we are going to dissect the data to discover the evidence for the resurrection.
Others here “kind of” believe this. But you manage to keep Jesus at arms length. “Don’t get too close, Jesus.” Why is that? In the back of your mind, you have your doubts. You won’t come out and say it, but in your hearts of hearts, you wonder, “Is this stuff real? Is He really alive?”
Others don’t buy this resurrection business all. It’s a myth. It’s make-believe. Maybe you’ve even said it outright, “I don’t buy into this stuff. Jesus was just a man who found a few fanatic followers. They made up a myth after He died. Dead men don’t come back to life. Hey, pigs don’t fly. The resurrection is scientifically impossible.”
If you’re a skeptic who’s here today, I am going to challenge you to be a thinking skeptic. Sure, a resurrection is a miracle. I’m going to ask you to consider a mediating position about the possibility of miracles. One extreme is saying that miracles happen all the time everywhere. The other extreme is saying that miracles never happen. But last week, we made a case for a Creator. And if there is a Creator, He could choose from time to time to do something miraculous in His creation.
God wants and welcomes our questions. Never in His Book, the Bible, does He tell us to stop thinking. A blind leap of faith is not what He’s looking for. Don’t check your mind at the door.
Today, we are going to ask a series of questions about what’s either the greatest hoax or the greatest hope in human history.
Even skeptical secular scholars believe that there was a man named Jesus of Nazareth – that He was a teacher, that His teachings troubled the religious leaders, that He was arrested and tried, that He was tortured, that He died and was placed in a tomb.
Then something happened in Israel after the death of Jesus almost 2000 years ago that changed history. What is the best explanation for what happened? Criticizing the resurrection is easy. Followers of Jesus can take the initiative and ask skeptics to give answers to at least three basic questions…
The vacancy question –
How do you explain the empty tomb?
People who don’t believe in the resurrection say, “I know why the tomb was vacant. The disciples ripped off the body.”
Let’s think about that. A bunch of fearful, back-water fisherman over-powered a two-ton stone sealed by Roman rulers and guarded by Romans soldiers. Then they pushed it away. They took the body and hid it. They got together and said, “Let’s make up a big one. Let’s say Jesus came back from the dead.”
I doubt that happened. Why? After Jesus died, the disciples were hiding. They were afraid of the authorities. They didn’t want to end up on a cross like Jesus. Peter wanted to go back to fishing. Matthew wanted to hook back up with the IRS of the day. They were in fear of their lives.
Then suddenly these people became bold. They started to get tortured for preaching about Jesus. They were used as candelabras. They were fed to the lions. People won’t die for what they know is a lie.
I know followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh and Muslim extremists have died for lies. But not knowingly.
To say that the disciples stole the body, made up a religion and died while perpetuating a fantasy…? Nah!
“Well, maybe the Jewish officials or the Romans took the body.”
No way!
The enemies of Jesus wanted to stop the spread of the faith. But they never could produce His body. That would have ended this new spiritual movement over night. The site of the tomb was known. It could have been checked out. Nobody – not even the Roman authorities or Jewish leaders – ever claimed that the tomb still contained Jesus’ body.
The minute everyone started freaking out about the resurrection, all they had to do was to find the body. Put it on a cart. Parade it around Jerusalem. That would have silenced the followers of Jesus. The new religion would be over. But they didn’t and they couldn’t.
They spent a lot of cash to snuff out the movement. They tried to bribe the guards to say the disciples stole the body. There was no body to be found. The tomb was empty. Anyone could go and see it.
How do you explain the empty tomb? A miraculous resurrection is the best explanation.
So what? Maybe there is a businessman here who has lost a loyal client. You’re thinking, “How can we ever replace that business? How am I going to pay the bills? My confidence is dead.” If that’s you, you need to know…
There is a living Lord who wants to defeat your deadness.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
I Peter 1:3 (NIV)
The vacancy question is best answered by the resurrection of the Living Lord. And…
The “visible man” question –
How do you explain the eyewitness?
Jesus did not make some brief cameo appearance like George Lucas does in this latest Star wars movie. Jesus appeared to some small groups and some large groups. He appeared inside and outside. We have eyewitness testimony.
For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
II Peter 1:16 (NASB)
The first Christians had a creed that’s found in I Corinthians 15. It mentions specific people who saw Jesus alive.
Christ died for our sins… He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day… He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve… After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.
I Corinthians 15:3-6 (NLT)
You have your doubts? Talk with these eye-witnesses yourself! Determine the truth of the matter for yourself!
Only people who know their story is true ask others to check it out. Paul was saying, “I believe in the resurrection. Most of the people are still living. Go ask them!”
“Come on, man. Those 500 were already convinced. These are people who already loved Jesus and they missed Him so much that they were hallucinating.” Don’t be so quick to come to that conclusion!
I’ve heard about reports from psychiatrists who say, “For 500 people to have the same hallucination at the same time about the same thing would be a greater miracle than the resurrection!”
What if I told you that I have a new Harley? Those of you who know me would probably think, “Nah. Not Rick.” But what if brought 500 witnesses here. And one-by-one you were able to question them. If we did that to all 500 and they all said, “Yep, Rick has a Harley. You wouldn’t say, “I doubt it.” You would believe.
“All you have are stories in a book. You don’t have any hard data. You don’t have any proof that I can see or touch or feel.”
Question. Do you believe that Napoleon lived? “Yes.” Have you seen him? “No.” How do you know Napoleon lived, then? “It’s in the books!” We rely on testimony.
The eyewitness testimony about Jesus – verbal and written – makes it reasonable to believe in the resurrection.
So what? Maybe there’s a young adult here who’s seen yet another relationship go bad. That young adult is hurt deeply… again. And they are thinking, “Never again.” And that dream of marriage and kids is gone. It’s dead. If that’s you, you need to know…
There is a living Lord who wants to defeat your deadness.
Because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.
I Peter 1:21 (NLT)
The “visible man” question is best answered by the resurrection of the living Lord. And…
The 180 question –
How do you explain the changed lives?
Think about the lives that were radically transformed. Friends. Skeptics. Enemies.
His friends changed.
Jesus’ friends were terrified during the trial, the torture, and the death of Jesus. They were scared of the Romans and the Jewish religious leaders. They hid in fear. Plus, they didn’t have a hope for a resurrection. They didn’t even believe the first reports of Jesus’ appearance.
But soon after Jesus’ death, the disciples were telling everyone about Jesus, the Messiah. They turned into “Billy-Graham-on-steroid” preachers. How did that happen? They never ever backed down. Something happened back then that rocked their world. What turned these scared men into bold lions of the faith? Their own explanation was that they had seen the Lord alive. The cowards got some courage. And a miraculous resurrection is the best explanation.
Skeptics changed.
Thomas was one of the followers who didn’t buy in. He said, “I have to touch the nail-scarred hand of Jesus. Then and only then will I believe.”
One week later, Jesus appeared and locked eyes with Thomas. He said, “Touch the nail scars and my side.” Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.” And His life was changed. A miraculous resurrection is the best explanation.
Enemies changed.
Saul of Tarsus hated the Christian Way even to the point of killing to stop it. But something happened that changed him from Saul, the number-one persecutor of Christianity, to Paul, the number-one propagator of Christianity. He gave up the prestige and comforts be being a respected rabbi, and took on the life of a traveling missionary who experienced incredible hardship. Something incredible must have happened to change this man. A miraculous resurrection is the best explanation.
And you have to explain the emerging, prevailing NT church. A bunch of Jews stopped worshipping on Saturday and started worshipping on Sunday. The resurrection happened on the first day of the week.
For almost 2,000 years, people have said, “I was looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. I met Jesus Christ and now, I have a true focus.” Everyone tells the same story.
And you have to deal with what has happened here at CVCC. Think about the changed lives of the children, the students, the young adults, the older adults. People are encountering a Risen Christ. Hundreds of people here at CVCC could talk today about the personal life-changing power of the living Christ.
So what? Maybe there’s a kid here who wanted to make good grades. But he couldn’t. The focus wasn’t there for some reason. No matter how hard he tried. He’d bring that report card home and put it in front of his mom and dad. And wait for the criticism. It always came. He never got applause. Now, he’s given up. He quit. Hope is dead. If that’s you, you need to know…
There is a living Lord who holds out a hope for your life.
My prayer is… that you will understand the hope that was given to you… I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power He used when he raised Christ from death.
Ephesians 1:18-20a (CEV)
The 180 question is best answered by the resurrection of the living Lord.
I started this by talking about my in-law issues. My stock starting going up – just a little – when we started having kids. Alan was born. And I was still and outlaw. But not as much. Then Ryan. And Evan. But that was an expensive way to get in good with the in-laws. But over the years, even though things seemed hopeless, I kept holding the hand of a Resurrected Lord. And after almost 20 years, I had the privilege of leading my father in law to pray to receive Christ as his Savior. And then, and then, I was asked to be the speaker at his funeral.
See, we have a Living Lord who holds out hope for us.
On Easter Sunday, I was talking with Dale Piscura after our last service. And he said to me, I want to meet that couple up there. I asked him, “Why?” He said, “They are passionate worshippers.” So we met Patrick and Candy Connally. Shortly after I met him, he lost his job. Then, something even more tragic happened. This past week, I had a chance to talk with him. Here’s a real life example of a man who gets it – the hope that flows from the resurrection.
(Play the video clip…)
This was a sobering, yet hopeful conversation. He gets it. There is a living Lord who wants to defeat your deadness.
When we consider the lives that have been changed, we are moving from “Is it true?” to “Does it matter?” It matters to Patrick Connally.
You say, “How do I access this resurrection power? How do I get his hope? How can I know that someday the people who I care about will meet me in E 1 and 2? How can I finish well? How can I lock into a hope so my initial reaction to bad news is joy?”
Listen. In the Bible, there’s a story about how Jesus defeated death for a man named Lazarus. And even though that happened almost 2,000 years ago, since Jesus is alive today, He can defeat death in your life, too.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
Since the resurrection is real, Jesus lives...
… for me.
God’s Spirit now lives in you, and He will raise you to life… What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:11 (CEV), 31 (ESV)
... with me.
Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:20b (NIV)
... through me.
It is right for me to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. I dare not boast of anything else.
Romans 15:17-18a (NLT)
There is a living Lord who wants to defeat your deadness.
Did the resurrection of Jesus Christ happen? It’s a “Biggie.” There are incredible implications to resurrection realities. To your marriage. To your career. To your friendships. As Patrick said, the resurrection of Jesus is what makes out faith real.
A truth to take home: Jesus can defeat death for me.
A verse to remember: For my determined purpose is that I may know Him and the power out-flowing from His resurrection… (Philippians 3:10a; AMP)
A question to answer: How will I learn to access more of the life of Jesus this week?
What’s up the stones? These are living Lordship stones. Is this living One Lord of your life? You see, the resurrection is about Jesus being Lord.
To this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord.
Romans 14:9 (ESV)
Is He your Lord? You say, “I want Him to be Lord. But I forget to make Him Lord by Monday afternoon.” That’s what’s up with the stones. These are little stones to remind us of the Rolling stone. On my stone, I’ve written… Put it in your pocket if it isn’t too big. Or in a purse. Or on your desk. Put it somewhere to remind you must make Jesus Lord. And that the Living Lord wants to defeat your deadness. And holds out hope for you. And lives for you, with you, and through you.
(If you didn’t get a stone, pick one up on your way out.)
Lordship. Patrick put it well: Let God be God of the situations you are facing. Submit to Him. And be willing to trust in God’s goodness in spite of bad news.
The group the Rolling Stones have made lots of music and lots of money. But if they do not submit to the Lordship of Jesus, if they don’t believe what really happened behind that Rolling Stone, they will never know satisfaction – not in this life or in the life to come.
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Sinner’s prayer.
