April 17, 2022
Morning Service

As we have walked through the last few days with Jesus it has been very difficult.  The agony He experienced in the Garden led to a whirlwind of events a betrayal, arrest, trials, conviction, and scourging were all amplified by those who mocked Him all along the way.  Last week as Matthew writes, “they crucified Him,” tells only the fact but shares none of the gruesome details.  Those of us who watched “The Passion of Christ” Friday night certainly experienced those unwritten details.  Upon the cross, Jesus stayed on task saving the repentant thief, giving His mother into John’s care, asking for forgiveness for those who crucified and mocked Him, and finally giving up His spirit as He cried “It is finished;” He paid it all!  He was brought down from the cross and buried in a borrowed tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The ladies watched where they had laid Him and planned to return this morning with burial spices for the body of their Lord.  The disciples were in a fog of confusion.  It was difficult to comprehend all that had just happened.  In a very short time their world had been turned upside down and each of them were living with their guilt of what they felt they should have done.  It had been a very long Sabbath Day watching in fear for soldiers to come after them and wondering what happens next.  What happens next changes the world forever!

  Mat 28:1-6 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  (2)  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  (3)  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  (4)  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.  (5)  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  (6)  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

            In Luke He records the conversation as being “Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here He is risen.  Remember how He told you of His crucifixion and that on the third day He would rise again!”  And they remembered His words!   A glimmer of hope was restored to these who had watched firsthand the gruesome death of the One they were following.  Now an angel tells them that He arose from that grave just as He had told them He would do.  He gives them further instructions now.

 

Mat 28:7-8 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."  (8)  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

            Can you imagine the ladies in this moment?  A fearful doubt still lingered because they had watched Him suffer, die, and be buried.  But also a great joy began to blossom as the hope of seeing Him again revived their troubled souls.  I wonder if what happens next was planned all along or was it just that Jesus couldn’t wait any longer to end their sorrow?

 

Mat 28:9-10 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  (10)  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

            Their hope quickly became sight as Jesus stood before them.  Imagine the ladies in this moment!  After all they had seen and experienced over the last few days, Jesus stood before them alive and well!  At His sighting they were in the moment, rejoicing that He was alive standing right before them.  What we are privileged to know is that the moment was much bigger than it appeared.  All the pain, humiliation, and ultimately His death upon the cross is the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation written and orchestrated by Jesus Himself. The greatest love story of all time.  His resurrection proves that He has conquered sin and death forever!  Think about that, He first said it and then He did it, proving once and for all that He indeed is the “Christ the Son of the Living God!”  What does that mean to me?  Two things, first in this lifetime, our broken relationship with God has been restored through Jesus paying the price for our sins in full!

 

2Co 5:17-21Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  (18)  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.  (21)  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

            Through His DBR (that we have lived out over the last week), Jesus reconciled us to God by the sacrifice of Himself upon the cross for our sins.  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  That act and our acceptance of it changes everything, old things have passed away and all things have become new!  We are restored in God’s eyes to be forgiven and able to again have fellowship with our Creator.  We get to start over with God without the baggage of our sins to separate us from Him. For those we baptized this morning, God looks at them afresh now as they are His children; loved and accepted-a new creation-born again!  Not on the outside, but on the inside through the receiving of the Holy Spirit into their life.  If that was not enough, God now gives us an even greater gift; a hope for the future.  He conquered sin restoring our relationship, but He also conquered death once and for all rising from the grave.  Why do you seek the living, among the dead? He is not here but is risen!  Paul describes this victory over death very well in his first letter to the Corinthians.

 

1Co 15:51-58 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."  (55)  "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?"  (56)  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  (57)  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (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.

            Victory over death has been secured through our Lord Jesus Christ.  It assures us that this life is not the end.  A funeral is not “good-bye, but only see you later.”  We have been given a “Living Hope” that the best of our life is yet to come.  It grants us a perspective to hold tightly to the future even when this life is difficult to bear.  Just as Jesus endured the pain of the cross looking to today’s resurrection, we too can endure the pain of this life knowing something better is coming.  He asks us to follow Him by “presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to which is our act of worship.”  That not only changes our lives now, but it gives us a purpose to live for and a confidence that no matter what life throws at us, in the end WE WIN!  That changes everything!  No longer do we live in fear of dying, but we are free to truly live the life we were created to live; one in fellowship with our Lord and Savior.  He makes this offer of salvation to “whosoever will” believe.

            That is what is so awesome about how things worked out here today.  Each one of the ones we have baptized this morning has a story that led them to this moment of commitment to follow Jesus.  All things have been made new for them, and they been empowered with the “Resurrection Power” which gives them the victory over sin and death through Jesus!  They have become part of God’s family and Jesus will forever hold them in His hand safely.  Caleb is going to play a video now and if God has spoken to your heart the altar is open here this morning, come and join us in our journey of following Jesus.  He stands with open arms this morning waiting for you. 

 

Heavenly Father, thank You that today we celebrate victory over sin and death through the empty tomb.  Thank You for calling us to you and thank You for loving us!