| Introduction The four gospels record several accounts of people witnessing the fact that Jesus Christ, who had been crucified and died on Friday, had come back to life on Sunday. There are so many resurrection appearances on that first day and in the weeks to follow that it is difficult to harmonize them all. I have chosen this passage for us to consider today as much for what it says as for what it doesn't say. When we read it together did you notice who was conspicuously absent from it? Jesus (and Luke) could have easily dispelled any doubts by just showing up. Yet, he doesn't and instead sends two messengers to remind the women of his word. The message of the two men (angels) are the focal point of the passage (vv. 6-7). Jesus is looking for faith in the hearts of his people. We have the same powerful word today. It tells us that Christ is risen. Do you believe it? 1 Cor. 15:14 – And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. I. On the First Day of the Week, 1. A. What we now call Sunday. B. In the original language, "the first of the sabbaths." 1. This is language is used elsewhere to refer to the different days of the week. 2. However, it is noteworthy that Matthew, Mark, and Luke use this unusual expression here. a. That was the first sabbath of the Christian era. b. It is because of the resurrection that we meet on the first day of the week to worship our Savior. WSC 59 – Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. II. Very Early in the Morning, 1. A. Jesus was crucified around 9:00 a.m. on Friday and died around 3:00 p.m. of that same day. B. In the Jewish reckoning of time, just died close to the end of the day (technically the day started at twilight, which would be around 6:00 p.m.). 1. By the time they took Jesus's body down from the cross, the end of the day would be very close and the Sabbath would be about to start. 2. So his followers did some quick preparations for burial with the ideal in mind that they would return once the Sabbath was over to finish preparing Jesus's body for burial. C. After sundown on Saturday, they prepared their supplies, 23:56. D. At dawn on Sunday they came to the tomb. III. Who Are They? 1 A. "They" = "the women who had come with Him from Galilee" in v. 55. 1. A few of them are listed by name in v. 10 (Mark adds Salome by name). 2. But there were others who have done unnamed. B. Luke goes out of his way to show that Gospel of Jesus Christ elevates the place of women in society; they find a rightfully noble place in Luke's account. 1. It is the women who go to the tomb early in the morning, as misguided as that effort may have been. 2. It is the women who remember and believe the word of the Lord before the apostles do, 8, 11. 3. It is the women who proclaim the resurrection to the apostles. 4. It is to a woman who Jesus first shows himself after the resurrection (Mary Magdalene). IV. What Did They Find? 2-3 A. An empty tomb! 1. Jesus had already come to life when the stone was rolled away (it was not so that he could get out). 2. The historical moment of the resurrection is not recorded in the Bible. B. It seems that they were not aware that the tomb had been sealed and guards were posted at the door because Mark 16:3 tells us that they were discussing how they were going to roll the massive stone that closed the tomb. C. To their surprise and astonishment, the stone had been moved and the tomb was empty. D. Even at this point, they are still in disbelief concerning the resurrection (v. 4 – greatly perplexed). E. Yet, the empty tomb is the strongest factual proof of the resurrection. 1. No serious scholar, believing or unbelieving, doubts that Luke is a first century account. 2. His friends did take it. a. For another 40 days they are trembling in the upper room to the Spirit descends upon them. b. Then, immediately there is a change and they start preaching the resurrection with power. c. They gave their lives with joy to the doctrine of the resurrection, which is not something you do for a lie. d. There was no advantage for his friends to remove the body. 3. His enemies didn't take it. a. Had his enemies taken the body, they could have produced the body to disprove the claims of the disciples. b. At the very least they could point to a grave. c. That has never happened. F. The truth of the resurrection is this: Friday night his dead body was placed in the tomb; Sunday morning was not there anymore and nobody removed it. "Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign." "It is not so certain that Julius Caesar once lived, as it is that Christ rose again." J.C. Ryle G. So this is a fact that we all have to contend with: Christ is alive. What are you doing with this fact? Rev. 1:8 – "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." V. Why Did They Come to the Tomb? 1 (spices for burial) A. I am sure that the desire to prepare Jesus's body properly for burial was based on their love for him. B. But it was also based on unbelief. 1. Jesus had told them he was going to rise from the dead, 7. Lk. 18:31-33 – Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." 2. Why should they look for him among the dead when he is the Lord of the Living? 5-6. Lk. 20:34-38 – Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him." VI. What Changed Them? A. The exhortation to remember the words of Christ, 6-7. B. It was remembering (believing) the words of Christ concerning the resurrection that brought them hope, 8-9. C. In this sense, these women are nobler than the apostles who didn't believe in the word of Christ even after the women brought it to them, 11-12. VII. Why Do the Word of the Lord concerning the Resurrection Bring Hope and Joy to Those Who Believe? A. Because the resurrection was the final declaration that Jesus is the Son of God (not till now Jesus is called Lord in the gospel of Luke) Rom. 1:1-4 – Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. B. Because Satan was defeated in the resurrection. Col. 2:13-15 – And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. C. Because death was destroyed by the resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:55-57 – "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. "It is finished, He has done it, Life conquer death, Jesus Christ, has won it! Just look, the gates of hell, they're falling, Crumbling from the inside out, He's bursting through the walls with laughter, Listen to the Angels shout! It is finished, He has done it, Life conquer death, Jesus Christ, has won it!" Keith Green in The Victor Song D. Because the resurrection was the final piece in accomplishing our salvation. Acts 2:23-24, 32-33, 36 – Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it…. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear…. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Rom. 4:24-25 – It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. 1. Paul says that if Christ did not rise from the dead, we should be pitied by those who don't believe he did. 1 Cor. 15:17-19 – And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 2. Faith in the historical, literal resurrection of Christ is a fundamental and essential part of Christianity. E. Because Christ's resurrection guarantees our own resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:20-23 – But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. F. So, we see that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is at the root of our hope. 1 Pt. 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… VIII. What Impact Should the Resurrection Have in Our Lives? A. It tells us that the Father accepted the sacrifice of the Son on our behalf. 1. The resurrection is the very ground of your assurance of forgiveness of sins. 2. He is saying to everyone who believes on him as he is offered in the Gospel, "Your sins have been forgiven by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, in the tomb, and in the resurrection." B. It gives us hope that we too will be resurrected. 1. Our eternal life is in the flesh. 2. We will forever be able to fellowship with God in our bodies. a. You know the Christian hope is not that we will go off in the spirit world to some fairy land. b. It's that one day our bodies will be raised out of the tomb and glorified and perfected and united with our souls and we will live with God forever. C. The resurrection reminds us that we love and serve and worship a living Savior. 1. The messengers asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" 2. That means you can talk to him. 3. It means that he is interceding for you. 4. It means that he comforts you and that he comes and dwells in the midst of his people whenever two or three are gathered in his name. 5. It means that he is a Good Shepherd who walks with you in the valley of the shadow of death. D. The resurrection must result in gospel obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Conclusion So the Word says that Christ is risen. The tomb is empty. Life conquered death. "The strife is o'er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia! The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia! The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head!" Do you believe this? That is difference between life and death.  from The Bible Presbyterian Church of Olympia http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/ | |||
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
He Is Not Here ((tag: Easter, Luke, Resurrection))
