The Resurrection Series

The Resurrection

The Story – week 27

I want to start off today with some powerful words that Paul put to paper 2000 years ago NOT ONLY for a bunch of believers who were living in the city of Corinth – BUT ALSO for you and I who are sitting in this room today.

AND – let’s stand together as I read those words.

NOW – standing as we read Scripture is something that we every now and then at Maple Grove… BECAUSE – these words are NOT just random thoughts put on paper… they are the very words of God.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

QUESTION – what is ‘the’ most important thing…

THAT JESUS – lived, died and rose again

Prayer

Two thousand years ago, God the Son (the alpha and omega… the beginning and the end… the prince of peace, the everlasting Father, the Mighty God) LEFT - all the glories of heaven, put on human flesh and entered human history…

UNDERSTAND… SINCE – the dawn of creation the overriding theme of human History has been God’s passionate pursuit of a prodigal people. HAS BEEN – the story of a loving God doing whatever it takes (and I mean, absolutely whatever it takes… God so loved the world…) to bring people back to Himself.

AND LISTEN - God’s passion was unleashed in all of it’s fullness through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection… and it changed everything!

MAPLE GROVE…

On a Sunday morning 2000 years ago a couple of ladies got up early before the sun had even risen in the sky… QUESTION… what are they doing up so early? What was it that drove them from their beds before dawn, and put them on a dark up hill climb, to a tomb.

UNDERSTAND - the thing that drove them, was their love for and devotion to Jesus… YOU SEE -- someone had to prepare His body for burial and no one else had volunteered; Peter didn’t, James didn’t, neither did John -- So it was up to these 2 faithful followers, 2 women who had never left the side of Jesus, 2 woman who were with Him until the very end -- it was up to them to do it, and they did..

NOW - the task they were going to perform was a somber task, a difficult task... They would be the ones, who would wipe the blood from His brow, His legs, and from His sides, They would be the ones, to clean body of Jesus... they would be the ones, to remove the blood that had matted in his beard, They would be the last ones, to touch his face and close His eyes… OR – so they thought…

BECAUSE when they arrived to the place where Jesus was buried, they found the stone rolled away… they went inside and found the tomb empty…

WELL - almost empty because, there was a young man in a white robe sitting down.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” - Mark 16:6,7

THEY – were looking for Jesus who was crucified. Jesus who was:

• Arrested, bound

• Beaten, bruised, battered

• Mocked, insulted, punched

• beard ripped out by the handful

• whipped by a Roman scourge… full of lead and broken pieces of pottery.

They were looking for Jesus was who crucified and buried…

BUT UNDERSTAND – from the very moment the Roman soldier pounded the first nail into the flesh of God on that Friday morning… Sunday was coming. AND - on Sunday morning Jesus with GREAT POWER burst forth from grave… The tomb is empty. Jesus is Alive! The enemy has been defeated… NO - death could not hold Him down!