Resurrection Sunday 2017

Matthew 27:62 – 28:10 (Please find this place in your Bibles so we can look at the Scripture together)

This is Resurrection Sunday!!!

I LOVE Resurrection Sunday!

Actually, for true, born again followers of Jesus every Sunday is a celebration of Jesus life, death, resurrection and His soon return.

So, let’s go ahead and read Matthew 27:62 – 28:10

Face it! We have an unbelievable God and our salvation come in believing in the unbelievable God!

Can you believe?

Spoke the universe into existence – ex nihilo

The Great Flood

The Exodus – several hundred thousand to two million

Crossing the Red Sea

Manna - Water from a rock

Great deliverances from overwhelming armies by God’s hand

Through all of this there is one theme – God says, “Trust in Me, believe in Me, obey Me and I will guide and shelter and protect you.”

He proved it over and over and yet they turned their backs on Him over and over and over.

And then at the appointed time, our unbelievable God sent Jesus His One and only Son to save us from sin …

Born of a virgin

Sinless life

Heals the blind

Heals the lame

Heals the deaf

Heals the mute

Heals the lepers

Knows where the fish are under the water without a fish finder

Walks on the water

Calms a storm by speaking to it

Feeds thousands with a few loaves and fish

After all this is publicly tortured and executed

Rises from the dead???

And through all of this there is one theme … John 3:16-18

What about that resurrection?

- Jesus told the disciples repeatedly but there are different levels of belief

- If Jesus had just been beaten a little and perhaps stoned perhaps they would have been able to look forward to the

resurrection

- But Jesus’ whipping and scourging almost killed Him and then He was nailed to a cross and a spear was thrust into His side

- They thought that no one could survive that and they were right

- They thought that no one could be resurrected from such inhuman, abuse; so severe that He was almost unrecognizable

as a human being. And, they were right … that is … unless He was God.

So, who believed that Jesus would rise?

- Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus? No.

- The women who followed Joseph and Nicodemus to the tomb? No.

- The remaining disciples? No.

- John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who stayed at the cross until the very end? No.

- Why? Because it was unbelievable; it was impossible!

But then …

- He appeared to one of the Mary’s in the garden where the tomb was located.

- He appeared to ten of the disciples in a locked room and showed them the wounds in His hands and feet and side

- He appeared to Thomas

- He appeared to His brothers

- He appeared to two other disciples on the road to Emmaus

- He prepared food and ate with them

- He appeared to at least 500 of His followers

Even then, some who saw Him doubted … so, how can I believe and why do I need to believe?

The Lord God has made belief in Him essential from the beginning.

John 3:16-18 (recite and expound)

Ephesians 2:8-9 (recite and expound)

Proverbs 3:5-9 (recite and expound)

Do I have to believe this unbelievable resurrection???

Romans 10:9-10 (recite and expound)

Some things about our God are incomprehensible right now; they must be taken by faith.

And yet, there is the other side of the coin for those who have lived by faith in God for a long time and that is that life without God is incomprehensible.

Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection He ascended into heaven to be our advocate before God the Father and ten days later He sent the Holy Spirit to help and guide us.

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to reveal to us our need of a Savior and to draw us to faith in Jesus.

Is that what the Holy Spirit is doing right now in your heart?

Plan of salvation …

Every time someone places their faith and trust in Jesus there is a new creation almost a new resurrection in our spirits.

Christ Arose!