Seeing What You Want To See.

Seeing What You Want To See!

9:30 Easter 4/11/93 Text Matt 28:11-18 Matt. 27:57-28:11

RICK

We all have tremendous power to see what we want to see even though everyone else around else may see something differently.

We all know of someone who has fallen in love, and talk about the

person as though the he or she was more precious than silver or

gold. Yet when we meet the person face to face, "we just can’t

see what all the fuss was about." Two people can look at the

same person and one will the see the person of his or her dream,

and the other will see a good for nothing bag of headaches,

heartache and pain.

TOBY

Even when it comes to the truth of God’s word, our own stub

bornness will cause us to see only what we want to see. Out

text this morning involves a group of people who saw the truth

and power of the gospel, yet they did not see it, because they

did not want to see it. Turn to Matthew 28 verse 11. The text

is the day of the resurrection. What makes this text so powerful

is that , it’s a group that does not believe in Jesus Christ,

that testifies that Jesus had risen from the dead as our Scrip

ture reading pointed out.

RICK

Verse 11 says, "While the women were on their way, some of

the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests,

everything that had happened." Now you may recall, the chief

priests had requested that the guards be posted on at the tomb,

and that a seal be put over the tomb to make sure that the disci

ples did not come to try and steal the body of Jesus in order to

fake that Jesus had risen from the dead. The chief priest had

listened to Jesus well enough to know that Jesus had predicted,

in three days I will rise again.

TOBY

It’s ironic that God uses these same guards to come and

proclaim to the chief priest the news they did not want to hear.

There was a violent earthquake, an angel came down and threw away

that huge bolder and declared that Jesus had risen from the dead

just like he said. Not only that, Jesus is going to appear in

Galilee. Do you see the first people to proclaim the message of

the resurrection in Jerusalem itself were Roman soldiers. They

had no reason to lie about what Jesus had done.

RICK

As a matter of fact, it would have been better for them if

they had of lied. If you lost a prisoner, then you would become a

prisoner in the prisoner’s place. After all, who would believe

such a story. Now God knew if the women who Jesus first ap

peared to had told the story to the chief priest, the chief

priest would have laughed and call them silly women with misguid

ed hopes and dreams. Hoping against hope. But with these Roman

soldiers declaring that Jesus had risen from the dead, this had

to be taken much more seriously.

TOBY

Look at Matthew verse 12. " When the chief priest had met

with the elders and they devised a a plan." Now you would have

thought the leaders would have been glad to hear that God had

sent his Messiah, Savior, into the world. That now God’s people

know God’s peace. If you recalled, these leaders had

offered Jesus a deal or contract when he was on the cross. They

had said, "If you are the king of Isreal, then come down of the

cross and we will believe."

RICK

Well now they have the evidence. He’s done more than come

down of the Christ. He has risen from the dead and He is alive.

No other leader before or since Christ has said "kill me in front

of the world to see, and in three days I will come back to life."

Now that they have the proof, are these people going to keep

their promise and start to believe. We can answer that from our

own experience. How many of us have made similar contracts with

God? God if you get me through this sickness, this job, this

test, this problem , I’ll do this and that for the rest of my

life.

TOBY

The story is told of a man who was way out in the middle of

a lake and his boat began to sink. He was about a mile from

shore and the water was choppy. He prayed Lord if I make it, I’ll

be in church every Sunday and at Bible study every Wednesday.

I’ll sing in the choir like you want me to. God I need your help.