Resurrection: A Theology Of Hope! Series

INTRODUCTION

• VIDEO CLIP-Amistad

• SLIDE #1

• Today we are here together to celebrate an empty tomb! We are not here to morning a death, but rather to celebrate a life!

• We are here to celebrate our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ!

• In the movie clip these slaves who were on trial did not have a lot of hope. As they turned the pages of the Bible, you could sense a ray of hope even in the midst of the peril they were facing!

• Today as we look at the resurrection of Jesus, we need to realize that the resurrection is not a fairy tale to be appreciated but rather a fact that we need to embrace!

• SLIDE #2

• 1 Corinthians 15:16–19 (ESV)16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

• Death is not something worth celebrating, death takes from us, and death can steal our joy. For those who place their hope in this life only, they will be very disappointed in the end!

• The resurrection is really a theology of hope.

• The word THEOLOGY means- “the study of religion, especially the Christian faith and God's relation to the world.”

• For many in the world, the theology of their religion is nothing more than more pain and more frustration.

• Theology in part is the study of God’s relation to the world.

• For all other religions in the world there really is NO relation to the world for their religion.

• There is no hope found in them. Think about the major and even minor religions in the world and ask yourself what the hope is? What is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you will.

• The word HOPE means- “to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely” NFL WAS NO HOPE FOR ME THAT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!

• So not only do you need to ask what the hope is you need to ask if the hope has ANY basis in reality!

• Open your Bibles to Mark 16 as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! Let’s see why we can celebrate the resurrection as a theology of hope!

• SLIDE #3

• Mark 16:1–3 (ESV) 16 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. Death brings a theology of hopelessness.

• Sometime after 6 pm on Saturday evening (this is when the Sabbath would end) Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome purchased some spices that would be used to finish embalming the body of Jesus.

• By the way in the account in the Luke 23:50-56 speaks of a different group of women who as the Sabbath was beginning they were preparing spices and apparently they did not have enough so once the Sabbath concludes the group of women in our text and in the parallel version of Matthew goes to purchase more spices.

• Now as we peak into and look at the scene as it is unfolding, these women are not full of hope.

• Death has brought them a sense of hopelessness. Death had stolen the one they loved; death seemed to have stolen their hopes and dreams.

• The women are not running to the tomb to see if it is empty, instead they go to purchase more spices to embalm the Lord, then they return home, and then the next morning they went to the tomb.

• On the way to the tomb they were discussing who would roll the very large stone away from the entrance of the tomb.

• The disciples knew He was dead also, they fled in fear!

• SLIDE #5

• Matthew 26:56 (ESV) But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

• The disciples found no hope in death. They thought all was lost with each rip of the cords with which Jesus was beaten.