The Lord Is Risen Indeed!

“And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not” (Luke 24:11)

I. Heart Aching, 13-24

II. Heart Awakening, 25-36

A. He Opened the Scriptures, 32

B. He Opened their Eyes

C. He Opened their Understanding

III. Heart Quaking, 37-48

A. He Relieves our Fears, 37-39

B. He Reinforces our Faith, 40-45

C. He Redirects our Focus, 46-48

“And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not” (Luke 24:11)

Idle because of their modern association with the Easter Bunny and other Pagan traditions.

Idle because of their unbelief.

Idle because many believe the story to be true but their faith for salvation is not in a Resurrected Christ but in ritual, religion or good works.

Three animals of the forest were arguing among themselves as to which was the most feared.

The hawk claimed that he was because of his ability to swoop down and attack his prey from the air. The lion insisted he was more feared because of his reputation for being the king of beasts. The third participant in the debate was a skunk who explained that he needed neither flight nor might to frighten off any creature.

As the trio argued the issue, along came a grizzly bear and swallowed them all

-hawk, lion, and stinker.

Now, you’re not about to swallow that story, are you? That’s good, because while a little child might, you’re smart enough to know the difference between fable and fact, aren’t you?

Lu 24:1 ¶ Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? {the living: or, him that liveth}

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

8 And they remembered his words,

9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

A. Heartache, 13-24

13 ¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

listen in:

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted (we were hoping) that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

Where do you turn when you are heart broken. Why?