Resurrection, Our Greatest Hope

This sermon was preached by Scotty L Killingsworth on Easter Sunday April 11, 2004

to the Evergreen Church.

The sermon title is - Resurrection, our greatest hope.

Biblical texts used in the sermon come from Job 14 and 19, John 5:24 – 28, Romans 10:17 and Luke 24

Scotty sings

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? Who taught the ocean you can only come this far? And who showed the moon where to hide till evening

Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Congregation sings along

Well I know my redeemer lives. I know my Redeemer lives

All of creation testifies there’s life within the Christ

I know my Redeemer lives – Yeah –

Scotty sings

The very same God that spins things in orbit

Runs to the weary the worn and the weak

And the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken

They conquer death to bring me victory

Congregation sings along

I know My Redeemer lives. I know my Redeemer lives

Let all creation testify that there’s life within the Christ

I know my Redeemer lives.

Scotty reads from John 5:24

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned;

The Congregation reads from John 5:24

He has crossed over from death to life.

Scotty reads from John 5:25

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

The Congregation reads John 5:28

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out

Scotty asks - Job 14:14

If a man dies, will he live again?

The Congregation answers from Job 19:25

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed, Yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see

Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jesus is alive. You may now celebrate!

The Congregation sings:

In that great getting-up-mornin’ fare thee well; fare thee well

In that great getting-up-mornin’ fare thee well; fare thee well

Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o’er his foes

He arose the victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with saints to reign

He arose. He arose. Hallelujah Christ arose!

Oh, victory in Jesus my Savior forever

He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood

He loved me e’re I knew Him, and all my love is due Him

He plunged me to victory beneath his cleansing blood.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future my life is worth living just because He lives.

Around the year 110 A.D. Ignatius of Antioch was condemned to die in the gladiator games. The elder Ignatius sent a message to his friends: ‘My birth pangs are at hand. Bear with me, my brothers. Do not hinder me from living; do not wish for my death . . . Allow me to receive the pure light; when I arrive there I shall be a real man’. There is no doubt that, ‘If a man dies, he will live again!’

There are times it is hard for us to understand and even believe in life after death. But the universal question rings in every heart, if this is all there is life is a cruel joke.

What does the Bible really say about resurrection?

There were three resurrections recorded in the Old Testament

*The widow’s son by Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24)

*The Shunammite’s son by Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-35).

*A man whose body had been placed in Elisha’s tomb (2 Kings 13:21).

There were many resurrections recorded in the New Testament

*Lazarus by Jesus Christ (John 11:43-44).

*Jairus’ daughter by Jesus Christ (Matthew 9:23-26).

*A number of people at the moment of the death of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:51-53)

*Eutychus raised back to life through Paul after he fell out of a third-floor window

Acts 20:9-10.

*Tabitha (Greek name Dorcas) by Peter (Acts 9:36-43)

The resurrection of Jesus

Luke 24 from the Message

At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus. They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words. They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up. But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.