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He Is Risen

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April 9, 2023
Matthew 28:1-10
Steven Lee
Pastor for Preaching & Vision

The Resurrection of Christ

Hope

Suffering & Trials

Transcript

0:11well after Those baptism testimonies. I just feel like I should send you all home. But let me join my voice with the others that welcome you here on this Easter Sunday in celebration of no other event than the resurrection of Christ. We're glad you're here this morning. Let me encourage you to keep your Bibles open to Matthew 28 and then join me as we pray.

0:40father we have sung of the Resurrection. We have seen symbols of the resurrection. And now as we look at your word open our eyes and cause fresh wonder fresh, ah, fresh joy to rise in our hearts to see the Beauty and the Majesty of the Resurrection afresh. Do this for the exaltation of the name and for the fame of Jesus? We pray in his name. amen Do you ever have just one of those weeks? A week where the sorrow and the grief of life just feel heavier than usual. Yesterday I was at a funeral. This week I visited a man in hospice who is in his 20s? There's just something deeply unnatural about visiting someone that young who is dying before your eyes.

1:49It is one of those weeks where I heard about the sin in someone's life that just wreaks havoc. And just touches multiple families in such a way that life trajectories are changed forever. I know here even this morning for some of you this is the very first Easter you have celebrated without a dear loved one or perhaps for others of us. We know that it will be the last Easter that we will celebrate with a deer loved one. It's a week where the world has seemingly lost its Collective mind a little more each day where the violence seems to creep in a little closer and closer and just hopelessness seems to linger over our lives like the fog that will not lift.

2:40So many seem fearful of the future. I wonder if any of you can relate here this morning. And yet here we are. On Easter you guys are all dressed up and looking nice the highest of holidays for the Christian faith. Does the resurrection have anything to do with our present sorrows and our present suffering? in our present sadness let me put it this way is the resurrection just A coat of primer over the black mold that's growing up the basement walls. It just delaying the inevitable death that is surely to come. or Is the resurrection somehow different? Does it somehow transform everything in life?

3:33So that it's never the same. That's what I want to explore together this morning. The story of the Resurrection. Does it have present and future significance for us? So I want to ask two main questions what happened in the resurrection and look at that story once again, which you just heard read and then what does it mean for us? So what happened in the resurrection and then what does it mean for us? What are the implications of what happened on that night on that day 2000 years ago. So before we looked at the passage that was read for us. Let me just set the stage and the events that led up to jesus' Resurrection again A lot happened in that final week of Jesus life and I just want to guide us through that once again.

4:17So the Sunday before the crucifixion he enters Jerusalem riding in on a donkey in order to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah and the crowds are crying out hosanna in the highest and waving their palm branches and this is the triumphal entry. Jesus is going into the city. Where he will die that evening he returns to Bethany on Monday. Jesus goes back into Jerusalem. He goes into the temple where he sees the money changers and he flips over their tables. And the chief priests and the scribes are indignant. Because of all the attention that is coming to Jesus and they begin to scheme and plan for his death.

5:03Then on Tuesday Jesus goes up into the temple once again, and he has a confrontation with the chief priests and the elders and they look at him and they say who gave you the authority to do all these things because he was healing in their midst. And he doesn't tell them. The challenge has Authority meanwhile, Jesus Is Telling Parable after Parable to say you guys are missing the very Son of God who has come. The long-awaited Messiah you're missing him. I'm right here. And they miss him again and again and he denounces their hypocrisy. He leaves the temple. He goes up on the Mount of Olives with his disciples and he teaches them about the coming Kingdom.

5:46This is the last day that Jesus will teach publicly. then on Wednesday Jesus stays in Bethany. He's at the house of Simon the leper he's reclined at the table with Lazarus. Martha is helping serve the meal Mary comes over. With the resurrection of Lazarus fresh on her mind with such great love in her heart. She takes the family heirloom. alabaster jar Of ointment breaks it open pours it all over jesus' head runs down his beard down his neck. She takes her hair her glory and washes jesus' feet.

6:28It's a lavish and stunning display of worship. And Jesus says I want you to all see this don't miss this. And what does he say? Not that she just loved much. He says she's preparing me for my burial. on Thursday the disciples go off to a upper room to prepare the Passover and as they enjoy the meal Jesus does another stunning thing takes off his outer garment puts on a towel gets down on his knees like a common servant and washes their feet. Then he takes Bread and Wine and he endows it with whole new. Meaning. This is the Passover. They're observing. They should be talking about the Exodus. And what does he do and said he says the bread.

7:20It's my body broken for you the cup. It's the cup of the New Covenant. for the Forgiveness of sins and there that night they depart and they go to Gethsemane and they pray. At midnight Jesus is betrayed and then arrested under the cover of Darkness. He has tried by the chief priests and the scribes and the Pharisees and the elders the charge of blasphemy is thrown out. He's condemned to death By Sunrise Peter has already denied him three times. All of his disciples are scattered. pilot is given Jesus is given over to pilate sentenced to death and he's crucified by morning two criminals at his side all three of them suffocating to death.

8:08Jesus dies at 3 pm. His body that evening is taken down placed in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Disciple of Jesus a great stone is rolled in front of the Tomb soldiers are set on guard. The tomb is sealed on Saturday. Jesus body is in the Tomb during the Sabbath. under watch by Roman guards And now we come to Matthew 28. Now after the Sabbath toward the dawn of the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning.

8:50And his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the woman do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here for he has risen as he said come see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he is going before you to Galilee and there you will see him. See I have told you so they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great. Joy and ran to tell his disciples and behold Jesus met them and said greetings. And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

9:34Then Jesus said to them. Do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there. They will see me. So what happened in the resurrection of Jesus? First we see overwhelming grief and sadness. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary likely the mother of James went to the tomb overwhelmed with sadness. It's like if you've just lost a loved one, you know what it's like to swing by cub and grab some flowers and then to go to the cemetery in order to just be close to the tomb. Just to spend a moment there with your deceased loved one in Mark's gospel. We're told they brought spices to help preserve the body their souls are weighed down with sorrow and grief upon grief.

10:31but the angel shows up and their grief turns to shock and awe the ground begins to shake and this is not the first earthquake that they have experienced, but there was earthquake when Jesus died the curtain. Keeping the holy of holies in the temple was torn top to bottom rocks split open and now another earthquake and the woman are wondering what now? what is this mean and lo and behold the angel sits on the stone gleaming like lightning white as snow and the woman know, they're not hallucinating because the guards There were to stand guard. Are falling down like dead men notice the irony here.

11:12Those assigned to guard the dead now appear dead. And the dead are now alive. The soldiers easily could have turned anyone away who had come to steal the body, but here in this moment, they pass out they faint they're paralyzed because they have seen The glory of these angels in the first thing the angel says to the woman is do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here for he has risen as he said. And then notice what he says. Come and see the place where he lay the angel invites the woman into the tomb to see for themselves. He doesn't say just take my word for it.

11:58He says come in and see come into the tomb make sure he's not kind of hiding around the corner. Come see where he lay. Come see the linen claws that wrapped his body look around to make sure he isn't here. Here in this moment. They're not told shut off your senses and just take it by faith. But come and see and search and know without a shadow of doubt that his body is not here. What happened in the Resurrection The Resurrection? Is an invitation to all of us to come and see the glory of God. The scriptures are written this account in Matthew 28. And in all of the gospels are written in such a way that we can verify these facts come and see how God's people lived in light of the Resurrection come and see how the disciples responded to this good news come and see how this singular event changed and transformed all of human history come and see how we're still talking about still celebrating this glorious event 2000 years later come and see the hope that flows from the resurrection.

13:23Charles Colson Says this about the truthfulness of the Resurrection some of you have heard this before. He said I know that the resurrection is a fact and Watergate proved it to me how because 12 men testified that they had seen Jesus raised from the dead then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years never once denying it. Everyone was beaten and tortured and stoned and put in prison and they would not have endured that if it were not true. Watergate on the other hand embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me that 12 Apostles could keep alive for 40 years absolutely impossible.

14:14Notice that the stone is rolled away not so that Jesus could come out because Jesus could pass through walls, but this was so that the woman could go in and see the mt2 the words he is risen from the dead are this Divine passive. God the father has raised Jesus from the dead. Now did you notice the mild rebuke that the ish that the angel issued? He says he's not here for he has written as he said. He's saying don't you guys remember? Don't you guys recall all the times Jesus told you in advance that he wasn't going to be here? did you forget so quickly and we all are wondering. Well, when did Jesus tell them? Well it let me highlight three places Matthew 16 verse 21.

15:08from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised same account is recorded in Mark 8 and Luke 9 and then again, Matthew 17 one chapter later verses 22 and 23 as they were gathering in Galilee. Jesus said to them the son of man is about to be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him and he will be raised on the third day and they were greatly distress and that account is recorded in Mark 9 and Luke 9 And then again in Matthew verse chapter 20 verse 17 to 19 as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. He took the 12 disciples aside and on the way he said to them see we're going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and he will be raised on the third day.

16:12That's recorded in Mark 10 and Luke 18 three different times. Jesus tells them not in Parables not in code as plain as can be. I'm going to be crucified. I'm going to be raised on the third day and they miss it. They miss it. The disciples didn't understand. I wonder if these women as soon as the angel said as he said. Get a light bulb in their mind of oh. He did say that didn't he? He isn't going to be here. Is he? These two women are the very first eyewitnesses of the empty tomb and of the Risen Christ. And in those days in the first century. Woman could not serve as eyewitnesses in a legal setting and in all the gospel accounts women are the first to discover the empty tomb.

17:04And to encounter the Risen Christ and this is often cited to show the historical reliability of this account. And I want to explain why people think that let's see if we can see the argument goes like this if the early Christians stole the body and made up the story. They would not have made the woman the first Witnesses, they would have picked somebody else who would have been more reliable in the Greco-Roman World woman were regarded as gullible and superstitious and Luke's gospel. It says the apostles actually didn't even believe the woman as soon as they came back. It says now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other woman with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idol tale. This is Luke 24 verse 10 and 11. They thought they were just making up stuff gossiping.

17:54And they did not believe them it's later that Peter and John run to the tomb and they say I want to see for myself. So if it's hard to believe that someone can come back from the dead it would be even harder to believe the testimony of those considered unreliable. And so the very reason it lacked credibility in the first century is precisely the reason it gives credibility. To the story into this account today. The woman were the first eyewitnesses in all four of the Gospel accounts because that's exactly what happened and they didn't make it up.

18:31It's because that's what happened. Now verse 8 says they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great. Joy and ran to tell his disciples. What happened in the resurrection? Sorrow and grief are turned to fear and great. Joy, it's an interesting way to kind of capture what they were feeling in that moment fear and great. Joy this idea of maybe shock astonishment and then happiness. I was trying to figure out what other experiences give us this sense of fear and great joy, ask my small group. One guy said riding a horse. You know this big massive Beast he could Buck you off at any moment. You could get stomped on and die and yet here. You have all this power at your disposal and You know, you're writing him or bungee jumping or getting up on a really really big zipline.

19:37Or one of the gal said giving birth. It's this combination of danger. and amazement You can't stop yourself from smiling, even though there's a small chance you might die in this moment, right? This grief gives way to all and wonder and rejoicing and this points to a very simple truth about the good news of the Gospel. It fills us with all and glorious great joy. To see honors face there tears streaming down his mom and dad Overjoyed to see his brother put the towel on him. That's what the gospel. Does it transforms broken hearts. That are so weighed down by this broken world where all of it just seems to be getting worse all the time. And it says there's hope there's joy, there's transformation come and see the resurrection.

20:39For a world weighed down by sin and sorrow and suffering. the resurrection beckons us to be amazed if the woman were excited and happy and amazed at that point imagine the completely new level of joy that fills them as soon as they see Jesus in the flesh and hear. Him say Greetings. The word has a double meaning. It's both a greeting could be like hello, but it also means Rejoice be glad. This is a whole nother level of Joy. This is jump up and down squeal like a baby tears running down your face Joy. No other Joy quite like it and the woman bow down taking hold of jesus' feet and they worship.

21:34and I wonder In that moment, they smell that strong perfume. From when he was anointed. And it all comes back to them. They were anointing him for his burial. This points the very emerging reality that Jesus is the Risen Lord and he is worthy of all of our worship. and honor he is the Vindicated Lord everything. He said was true because God raised him from the dead. The woman are told do not be afraid and go and tell jesus' brothers and sisters to meet him in Galilee now think about that. Jesus on the night that he was betrayed. all of his disciples scattered they turned their back on their lord in his greatest moment. Maybe John came near maybe Peter Got Us close is the outside and then denied him.

22:35and yet Jesus didn't say tell those scumbags never to come back. That's what some of us would do. What does he say? Tell my brothers? Tell my brothers tell my brothers. I'm coming to see them. It's glorious. And there in Galilee Jesus appears to more than 500 every single one of them will go to their grave never backtracking on having seen the resurrected Christ. So what happened in the resurrection? Jesus was raised from the dead by the father. This account is true. It's verified by eyewitnesses. It's historically reliable and we know without a shadow of Doubt. Jesus is not in the grave, but he's alive and well amen.

23:23Now, what does it mean for us? What does it mean for us this morning? For believers, we know that everything in the Christian Life hinges upon the resurrection if Christ has not been raised then our faith our lives. Everything about us is in vain. And yet the opposite is true. If Christ has truly been raised from the dead we see in this roller coaster of emotions that the woman experienced that the resurrection of Jesus changes everything about our lives grief finally gives way to gladness sorrow transforms to satisfaction anguish in agony turn to astonishment morning and misery become marveling suffering and sadness turns to satisfied a Smiles of Serenity because of what Christ has done.

24:22heartache becomes happiness in the light and in the Life of Christ and you ask well, how how does that happen? How does the tangible reality of the Resurrection do that? Because I still feel sad sometimes and my life sometimes is a mess and our world is a mess. three implications of the Resurrection the first is that death is defeated. All the roads of suffering and sickness and sorrow merge onto the highway of death. All of our suffering ultimately ends up in death. All of our sorrows ultimately end up in death death is what keeps us up at night. Is what keeps life insurance salesman employed?

25:15Keeps us going to our cancer screenings and to put on our seat belts and to exercise. No one wants to die. The Bible calls death a great enemy The Last Enemy, but in this account Jesus decisively defeats death once for all and guess what Jesus is called Colossians 1:18. He's called the firstborn from the dead Revelation 1:5. Same thing first born from the dead. Which means Jesus was the very first one to overcome death decisively. You may say well, what about Lazarus Lazarus came back from the dead only to die again, he had to die twice. But Jesus is the first to overcome death decisively. To call him the firstborn. Like if you have siblings you say I'm the firstborn that means I have other siblings in the same way to call Jesus the firstborn from the dead. It means there are others who will follow after him who will likewise be born again who will never succumb to death It means that all those who are in Christ do not need to fear death.

26:24You don't need to fear old age or cancer or a sudden heart attack or undiagnosed illness instead. We live with the quiet confidence that deaths Victory and deaths sting is no more eternal everlasting life awaits. All of God's people that is the Glorious good news of the Resurrection. second thing sin is defeated. Death is defeated and then sin is defeated. The Bible tells us all have fallen short all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death. Sin, keeps us from God earns us punishment and condemnation and we have rightly earned Eternal separation from God. But jesus' death on the cross and Resurrection means that God accepted the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God.

27:27blameless spotless and God through Jesus atones for the sins of all those who are in him and if we believe in Jesus if we trust in his saving work, we will receive his forgiveness of sins and he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness that is part of the good news of the Resurrection death defeated. forever sin defeated no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus. Satan will say look at the long list of things. They have done and across the top. It will say paid for by the blood of Christ. third thing we have hope and unspeakable joy. Hope and unspeakable. Joy, I started off the sermon by outlawing by outlining how much Brokenness and despair and sadness seems to be present in our world and in so many of our lives.

28:36Some of you are experiencing that storm cloud in your soul right now. That seems to never lift. There's just this pervasive feeling of black. I feel like I got to get off social media because or stop looking at the news because every time I look at what's going on, I'm just overcome with. the world's falling apart the seams there's so much cynicism so much disappointment so much anger so much outrage. What do we do? But the resurrection gives hope Hope of a future with God and in Christ hope that God is at work in all the challenges that we Face the Apostle Peter writes in First Peter 1:4 that we are born again to a living. Hope not a static. Hope not a dead hope but to a living hope that is an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for us. It means that in Christ Jesus we have hope of the future and we have hope in our lives right now because God is at work in everything. There's nothing that happens where God looks at it and says oops didn't know that was going to happen. He's at work in all of it. And it also means that those who are in Christ life here in this world is as bad as it will ever get it only gets better from here and yet the opposite is true as well those who are without Christ this life.

30:17Is as good as it will ever get. Oh if you're not trusting in Jesus this morning, please. We beseech you we urge you. Turn to Christ and believe in him. God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the spirit. In Romans, 8:11 tells us that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same spirit that now dwells within us and gives us life. That's how we can withstand the storms and the sorrows and the suffering of this life. We have resurrection power. At work in our bodies coursing through our veins. Let me see if I can illustrate it this way I have.

31:12a couple of kids a few more than a couple maybe my youngest ones can't swim all that well yet and so if I put them in the deep end of the pool if it's six feet, it's a scary Prospect because they will sink and they will die. If I put them in the Pacific Ocean. It's a scary Prospect because they will sink and die. and yet If we do very simple thing, we just put a floatie on them, you know the kind of the new ones, you know across the front on both arms clip it into the back and we put them in the deep end of the pool what happens then they don't want to get out. They're just swimming. They're having a blast. They're floating.

31:51Why because there's an outside power that is holding them up so that they don't drown. And so it is with the spirits power at work in our life right now because of the resurrection of Jesus. We have the spirits power at work in our hearts this outside power given to us upholding us so that we don't drown under the weight of this world and it tells us remember what Christ has done. Remember God's working all things together for good for those who love him and those who are called according to his purposes. Don't forget you're his beloved child. Don't forget God has defeated sin and Satan and all of your suffering is preparing for you and eternal weight of Glory so that when you see Jesus, you will say it was all worth it. Amen.

32:47We have joy. And hope in Christ. the woman's grief and sorrow in a matter of moments when fear and great joy, and then as they beheld Jesus into even greater Heights of joy. And so do you want to be filled with joy this morning? Look no further than the resurrection of Jesus. Come and see the empty tomb come and see. The historical reliability of this count come and see Jesus. And come and receive the free gift of eternal life by surrendering to him. And as we go from here. May we have the spirits power. Coursing through our veins filling us with hope and joy. So that we can withstand all the storms of life. Let's pray.

33:47father we praise God that Christ is risen from the dead. Oh, praise God that He Is Risen indeed and so cause that truth to land on us with fresh joy and awe. So that we would be able to walk now in that new life. and as we sing fill our hearts afresh. We pray this in Jesus name. amen

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Matthew 28:1-10

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