Come Alive This Easter

Risen

Come Alive this Easter

WELCOME

LIGHT & HUMOROUS OPENING

Lets read the scriptures together this morning. Open your Bibles to Matthew 28. Now, this is Matthew’s account of what happened just over 2,000 years ago on Easter morning. Remember, three days before this, Jesus had been crucified and buried. The people of Jerusalem watched Him die. His followers watched Him die. I can only imagine the sorrow and disillusionment and sense of emptiness they must have felt. The Bible says that after Jesus was crucified, He was buried in a rich man’s tomb, a stone was placed over the entrance and soldiers were assigned to guard the stone. Their hopes were dashed. Their futures were foggy. It seemed that all was over. Or was it?

Let’s read it together…(we need some good Hans Zimmer music for this. It gets really good in a minute.)

Matthew 28

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Has Risen

28After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdaleneand the other Marywent to look at the tomb.

2There was a violent earthquake,for an angelof the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stoneand sat on it.3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid,for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.Come and see the place where he lay.7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9Suddenly Jesus met them.“Greetings,”he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.10Then Jesus said to them,“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothersto go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Wow! Just think of that. Imagine the scene. Here, these women were preparing to go and anoint Jesus’ body with oil. They had no idea how they’d manage to even get to the body but they definitely expected to find it there, in the grave. They had no idea they were about to encounter an event that would forever change them and alter the rest of human history. Just picture this scene. Two very sad, very tired women, walking slowly to the tomb. They get there what do they see? The Bible says they got to the tomb and they saw the stone was rolled away, the guards were out cold on the ground…and there was an angel sitting on top of the stone! And then, to top it off, Jesus Himself appears to them!

Suddenly, everything changed. Despair was replaced with hope. Fear was destroyed by faith. Death was crushed by Christ’s victory.

I’ve got news everyone – that really happened. He is risen! (audience might respond with “He is risen indeed!”)

This morning, my hope for all of us is that somehow this message won’t be just another nice Easter sermon. My prayer is that the Word of God and the reality of the Resurrection affect us in a way that we leave this room somehow changed. Changed because we’ve been with Jesus. Changed because we’ve seen Him in a new way. Changed because we have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the sacrifice of the cross and the power of the resurrection.

For the next few moments, I want to explore two questions so many people are asking this Easter weekend…

What does the resurrection mean and why does it matter to me?

Today, all over the world, more than 2 billion people will celebrate Easter. And not just with painted eggs and chocolate bunnies. People will gather in grand cathedrals in Europe and in underground churches in China. Some will celebrate with the Eucharist and other will celebrate with song and dance. These followers of Jesus will recall in hundreds of different languages an Earth shattering event that happened 2,000 years ago.

An event, that by all accounts, was the more most significant in the history of the world - an event so significant that even our calendar system has been created around it. Have you ever considered that every time you write out the date on a check or letter, you’re marking the life of Jesus? AD stands for Anno Domini or “in the year of our Lord” and BC is an abbreviation for “before Christ.”

So, how is it that something that happened so long ago, is still making such a big impact today?

Reality is that it’s not just the 2 billion Christians that believe Easter has deep meaning. Did you know even 84% of the people in the US that don't go to church believe that Jesus rose from the dead? I know that seems incredible but the truth is, there’s actually plenty of evidence to back it up.

Historians and theologians tell us that there are at least 15 historical references to Jesus meeting people, touching people, and talking to people. By most accounts, over 500 people saw a living, breathing Jesus after He rose from the dead. If it had happened today, it would have been all over FaceBook and Twitter. Imagine the travelers to Emmaus. They’d probably be sending a tweet of the disappearing Jesus with a hash tag - #jesusisalive! or maybe #justhadamealwithJesus. (you can have some fun with this…)

Acts 1:3

New International Version (NIV)

3After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to themover a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

People believe a lot of different things about Jesus. Some people think he is just a figment of our imagination and that He never lived at all. Even secular historians like Josephus tell us that He certainly was a real flesh and blood person.

Most people that Jesus was a good guy, prophet or maybe even a special messenger sent by God. And at least 2 billion people believe that Jesus was the Savior to the world.

But who did Jesus say that He was?

Jesus said in John 11:25, ”I am the resurrection and the life.” He also said "I'm God," "I'm perfect," I'm the savior of the world."

So that means that He was either who He said he was or he was a liar.

Just a few days before He died, after He’d been welcomed into Jerusalem as a King, He told that money changers "I'm God." They said, "prove it." He said, "I will." Then, He told them “destroy this temple (meaning His body, but they didn’t know that), and I will rebuild it in three days.”

The money changers and Pharisees just shook their heads. You see, it was one thing for Jesus to teach the scriptures and talk about God. But it was another thing entirely for Him to claim to be God. And He was willing to put the punctuation mark on it but proving it with His resurrection. Something that, by the way, has never been done by any other religious leader in all of history.

(ILLUSTRATION IDEA: ONLY ONE RESURRECTION
All but four of the major world religions are based on mere philosophical propositions. Of the four that are based on personalities rather than philosophies, only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its founder.

• In 1900 B.C. Judaism’s Father Abraham died.
• In 483 B.C. Buddhist writings say Buddha died “with that utter passing away in which nothing whatever remains behind.”
• June 6, 632 A.D. Mohammed died. .
  In 33 A.D. Jesus died but came back to life appearing to 500 people over a period of 40 days.
  

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (I Corinthians, 15:14).

Citation: McDowell, Josh. Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Page 180. San Bernadino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1979.)

Jesus also said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can get to God the Father except through Me." You see, Jesus was really clear that He wasn’t just a way to God...He was THE way to God.

Jesus also said "All power on earth and in heaven is given to me." In John 10:18 He says, "No man takes my life from me. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again."

And so it went. The powers that be tried to hold Him down. They arrested Him, flogged Him, crucified and killed Him. Then, they sealed up the tomb and posted guards. But it didn't matter. He conquered death!

They should have known it was coming. In Mark 10:34 Jesus had told them "They will mock and flog and kill me but after three days I will come back to life." Listen, the cross was no surprise to Jesus. The grave was no surprise to Jesus. He willingly gave His life. Willingly suffered on the cross. And triumphantly rose from the dead!

So, what does that mean for you and me? I mean today, 2,000 years later, what does the death and resurrection of Jesus mean to me? The death and resurrection of Jesus means three things, at the very least.

Because what Jesus claimed was true...

1. Our PAST can be FORGIVEN

Remember the old good news/bad news jokes? (maybe tell a joke here) Well, today I’ve got some bad news and some good news. First, the bad news. The Bible tells us all of our mistakes and failures and mess-ups have earned us death.

Romans 6:23

New International Version (NIV)

23For the wages of sin is death,but the gift of God is eternal lifein[a]Christ Jesus our Lord.

You see, in God’s perfect Kingdom, no one can approach or come near to God with even a smidge of sin in their life. Guess what? That pretty much disqualifies all of us. And there’s really nothing we can do about it. That’s pretty bad news.

Now, for the good news. The good news is that God knew that we couldn’t earn our way into His presence so He sent Jesus to pay the price for all of our sin and shame. You’ve all seen pictures of Jesus hanging on a cross. Well, He did that as a way to say, “I’ll take all the mistakes of the world.” He did it in order to take all of our shame on Himself. He swapped His perfection for our imperfection. It’s what theologians call justification.

Romans 4:25

New International Version (NIV)

25He was delivered over to death for our sinsand was raised to life for our justification.

Your past can be forgiven. Think of that. Regardless of how stubborn or mistaken or sinful you’ve been, Jesus says that our past can be forgiven, wiped clean, and made right. Jesus died and rose from the dead to give you victory over your sin, your past and your failures.

We get a do-over, the ultimate mulligan. A clean slate.

If I asked how many of you in this room wish you could get a do-over on a day this week or a month this year or even a year of your life, most of us could point to the exact times we’d like to blank out. The words you wish you could take back. A night you’ve tried to block from your memory. A secret addiction that’s wrapped itself around you like a weight. Anger, betrayal, disobedience, selfishness, sin and shame.

We all have some guilt for things we’ve done or regrets for things we failed to do. And the thing is, those regrets tend to build up. And we often stuff them down and keep on going as if they don’t affect us. But somehow, month after month, year after year, those regrets are too much for us to bear and we find ourselves collapsing under the weight of all our guilt and shame.

I don’t know how you walked into this room today. Maybe you’re life has been pretty easy and pretty free from problems. But chances are, if you’re anything like most of us, things haven’t always gone your way. Maybe you’re here today and you feel disqualified, penalized, or out of options because of something that happened in your life. Maybe you feel like you can't get on with life because you're stuck in the past. I’ve got good news today. That’s why Jesus chose to die on the cross. Part of what the death and resurrection means to us is that our past can be forgiven.

Colossians 3:14 says "He has forgiven ALL of our sins and canceled every record of the debt we owed. Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross."

A few days ago was Good Friday. It was on that day, 2,000 years ago, that Jesus paid the ultimate price for each of us. I know that often we see pictures of the crucifixion that are a bit tame but I want you to know that what Jesus went through on that day was not a small thing. What He endured was absolutely excruciating and humiliating. He bore all of our junk, all of our shame and guilt and rejection. And He did it to pay the price for us. I know that some of us don’t really think we are worth a whole lot. I want you to know that Jesus thinks you are worth a lot. He thinks you are worth so much that He was willing to give His very life for you.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what Jesus did for us…

(ILLUSTRATION IDEA: VIDEO ILLUSTRATION

At this point, you can play the included video illustration that recounts what Jesus endured for us during the week of the Passion.)

You know, I think it’s good for us to take time and remember. That’s one of the reasons Jesus told us to share in the Eucharist, in Communion – to remember what He did for us. We break the bread to remember His broken body on the cross. We drink the cup to remember His precious blood shed for us. And what does that all mean for us today? It means our past can be forgiven and things can be made right and we can start over again.

I’m going to guess that maybe a few of you have some credit card debt you wish you didn’t have, or maybe a house note or a car payment. Picture that debt, that obligation. Now, imagine someone canceling all of your debts. That’s what Jesus did on the cross. By that amazing act of love, God forgives...and forgets. In fact, the Bible says that God removed our sin as far as the East is from the West. That’s an impossibility. They can never reach each other. That’s how much God loves you.

Psalm 103:12

New International Version (NIV)

12as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressionsfrom us.

The Bible also says there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

(ILLUSTRATION IDEA: UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In his new book, pastor Stephen Furtick uses the illustration of the instant replay rules in football as a metaphor for God’s forgiveness of our sins. When a play on the field is questioned, the officials send it up to the replay booth, where a final judgment is made. Often, the replay reverses the decision on the field and the official announces, “upon further review, the ruling on the field has been overturned. In the same way, when it seems we’ve failed, messed up or disobeyed God past the point of forgiveness, the finished work of Jesus on the Cross makes it so God can say to us “upon further review…”)

The power of the resurrection doesn’t just end with God’s forgiveness for our past. The power of his resurrection works right into our everyday lives. Not only can your past be forgiven, but your future can be secure. And that’s the second thing the resurrection does for us.

2. Our FUTURE can be SECURE

Everybody dies. What’s the old saying? The two things we can’t avoid are death and taxes. OK, no comments on that first one. The truth is, one day we will all die. Sometimes we don't stop to think about what's ahead because we're so busy living life now. I know that’s probably the last thing you want to think about on this Easter Sunday morning, but it’s a fact of life. Unless somehow Christ returns in the foreseeable future, we’ll all wind up on the other side of the dirt.

(ILLUSTRATION IDEA: THE ROPE

A cool possible illustration here is one that Francis Chan once used. He took a long rope and snaked it through the auditorium. At the end of the rope in his hands, he put a piece of red tape. He described eternity as the rope and this life as the red tip on the rope. A cool perspective of this life and eternity after it.)

So, it definitely begs the question – what happens after we die? Where do we end up? Great questions. Truth is you’re not the only one who’s asking these questions. Over the past year, a surprising number of books on the NYT bestseller list have been about Heaven and the life after this one. Three that stood out to me were Proof of Heaven, Heaven is for Real and I Died and Went to Heaven. My wife says that last one was actually about chocolate.