Matthew 28:6... Risen As He Said

Transcription

1 Resurrection Sunday service, no congregational handout {1}. Matthew 28:6... Risen As He Said A. Introduction 1. our text this Resurrection Sunday morning is from Matthew 28:6: He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said 2. We began our worship service this morning a. with an ancient greeting and response; with my saying, Christ is risen! and your saying, He is risen indeed b. Perhaps we can repeat it now (A) Christ is risen! He is risen indeed c. now this is a greeting and response that opens the worship service, not just one day of the year, but every Sunday, so far as I can tell, in the eastern churches, the Orthodox and others d. this day, Easter Sunday, is the day that we commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, although originally the name Easter was that of a non-christian festival {2}. (A) advertising and displays in stores have no doubt made you all are familiar with many of the customs that surround this day such as Easter bunnies, Easter eggs, Easter bonnets, and men and women showing off their new spring clothes in the Easter parade because these tend to be commercial and non-christian in origin, we de-emphasize them; for example, I was recently saw a book called The Un-Bunny Book which provides children s activities avoiding the customs commonly associated with Easter e. but the Lord Jesus Christ, in His ministry, used incidents in the world around Him to proclaim spiritual truth, so we can use some of these customs, to illustrate the resurrection f. Maureen has used an egg illustration with the cubbies in Awana; it s not original, perhaps you have seen one like it (A) here are six coloured plastic eggs let s open them (1) white cross the pure Lamb of God died there

2 (2) pink stone (3) purple 3 (for days) (4) blue sad face (5) green empty! (6) yellow happy face today is the day for the green egg: the tomb is empty! g. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said B. Jesus and the Grave... He is not here 1. the grave a. it was where the authorities expected Him (A) after all, they had made sure that He was dead (C) the rough, Roman soldiers had nailed Him to that terrible instrument of execution, the Roman cross at our communion service on Good Friday we finished our readings of Scripture with these words from John 19:30, He said, It is finished! and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. let us follow that story as recorded in John 19 for a few moments (D) these soldiers, well experienced with death close up, broke the legs of the others crucified with Jesus Christ, but coming to Him found Him already dead (E) one soldier, just to be sure, thrust his spear into Jesus side and blood and water flowed out, not just blood alone as from such a wound in a living being (F) Jesus of Nazareth, truly dead, was buried in a grave b. it was where the women, the disciples expected Him (A) they had seen Him upon the cross two of His disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, and the night visitor, came and took his body by permission, wrapping it in the custom of the Jews in linen cloths along with 100 pounds of aromatic spices if Jesus had not already been dead from the excruciating, suffocating agony of crucifixion, He soon would have been by the choking vapour of these spices (C) they laid him in Joseph s own tomb nearby to meet the statutes of the law this had to be done before sunset the women looked on but it was too late for them to do anything further and Joseph rolled a stone across the entrance to the tomb

3 (D) Matthew tells us that the Jewish rulers went to Pilate to seal the tomb securely and to set a guard over it (E) Jesus of Nazareth, dead, is left enclosed in the tomb c. it was where many want to leave Him today (A) from the first there have been many false explanations made to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ those first rulers bribed the soldiers to circulate a lie that the disciples stole the body away, a lie persisting ever until the time Matthew wrote his gospel but a lie soon proven false as within a few short weeks Jesus transformed went out proclaiming boldly, He is risen (C) the vain efforts to leave Jesus Christ in the tomb go on (1) He only swooned and revived in the cool tomb (2) His disciples suffered mass hallucinations (3) It was all a big lie ; and so on (4) disproved by all the medical and historical facts (5) our faith is based upon fact Peter, himself an eyewitness, declares, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables (2 Peter 1:16) (D) Yes, says the thoughtless throng, Jesus WAS a good man, a great teacher, an example but that is all 2. the grave completed Christ s atoning work, that means, the work that he did to bring us into a peace relationship with God a. the grave is our common end as mankind (A) Edward Young wrote, All men think all men mortal but themselves {3}. (1) as a group of pastors we had a farewell breakfast for Pastor Ken Smith of Oak Ridges Brethren in Christ, who will have a commemorative service on April 6 for his over 25 years of ministry there (2) so every pastor is really an interim pastor; Christ s church will continue as pastors come and go (3) I have sought to prepare you all for the past few years, that one day, due to death, disease or decay this church will need to move on to a new pastor Paul reminded Timothy of the same truth in his final letter: 6b the time of my departure has

4 come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6b-8) (C) as did Peter in his last message to the churches: 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. (2 Peter 1:13-15) b. so Christ in the grave is Christ s ultimate sharing of the common lot of all mankind, that is, our death (A) it is an essential part of the incarnation of God s Son 5b Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) c. but Jesus body was not there we celebrate not just a resurrection of Jesus spirit, but that of His body, for C. Jesus is Risen!... for He has risen 1. risen to show that God s accepted of Jesus atoning work, that there now can be peace between God and man a. there is a fundamental truth in Scripture, most clearly said in Ezekiel 18:4, where God speaks: Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. b. and the further, but very sad truth concerning us as human beings: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23) c. so death, natural death and spiritual death, is the common lot of all mankind; EXCEPT for d. Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed of God for He has risen because He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22) e. that He has risen means that God accepted the sacrifice of the pure, sinless, Lamb of God, as

5 punishment for our sin 2. for He has risen is for our justification; what is justification? a. justification is God s solemn, judicial declaration that a man or woman, a boy or girl, can stand before Him as righteous; God s declaration as Judge and Jury, Not guilty! b. the message of the gospel is that I am identified with Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is identified with me (A) (C) so I can say, when Christ died, I died; when Christ rose again, I rose again in using baptism to illustrate this truth, Paul dwells on the spiritual reality rather than on the physical rite: 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:3-6) has our baptism been confirmed by our newness of life? by our being united with Him? can we indeed say with the apostle, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20) c. therefore, my sins became His sins He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) d. for this reason, then, we find this truth (A) He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:25) for He has risen is for our justification; that God may be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:26) so we are no longer guilty 3. for He is risen is a basic Christian truth a. that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)

6 b. it is the subject of the entire 15 th chapter of 1 Corinthians (A) and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (15:17) 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22) c. for He is risen... and so all of those who are in Christ will be raised again from the dead d. Jesus promised it; and, D. Jesus Keeps His Word... just as He said 1. just as He said some examples from Matthew s gospel alone a. From 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 be raised up on the third day. (Matthew 16:21) b. and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day. And they were deeply grieved. (Matthew 17:23) c. 18 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up. (Matthew 20:18-19) d. But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee. (Matthew 26:32) 2. He will keep His word a. there is much truth in Scripture that I cannot comprehend (A) I cannot comprehend the resurrection (1) neither the resurrection of Jesus Christ (2) nor the general resurrection from the dead that will take place when Christ returns in glory I cannot comprehend what sin is; it s far too familiar (1) too familiar for me to be shocked by it (2) sin is too close to me for me to know what an abomination sin is to a holy God (C) I cannot comprehend what it is to be a holy God (1) what it is to be totally, eternally, innately pure

7 (D) I cannot comprehend that the holy, eternal Son of God (1) took upon Himself the utter filthiness of my sin (2) and suffered and died where I should suffer and die (E) all these boggle my mind, surpass my understanding b. but, I can understand that Jesus kept His word and that He will always keep all His promises of salvation, such as: (A) All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. (John 6:37) 28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) (C) I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:9) (D) I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6b) (E) I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25b-26a) c. I can trust these promises that He made, these invitations to salvation, because Jesus said it, and Jesus kept His word... just as He said E. Conclusion 1. do you know that your are a child of God? a. the gospel is simple it is the power of God unto salvation Romans 1:16b But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12 NAS) b. about 150 years ago, Charlotte Elliott wrote these words that for years have closed every Billy Graham message: Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need in thee to find

8 Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! {4}. 2. God has plans for His children, for those who come to Him a. Jesus disclosed them to his disciples just prior to His death: 2 In My Father s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2-3 NKJV) b. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said

9 by Garth Hutchinson, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church of Aurora (Ontario): may be distributed or quoted freely, only let this be done to the glory of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Except as noted otherwise, quotations are from the New American Standard (NAS) version of the Bible, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Various other English versions of the Holy Bible may be used in this sermon. Some (for example, the AV, ASV, and NAS) seek to be strictly translations, while others (and especially PHIL) contain paraphrasing which involves a certain amount of subjective interpretation. Nevertheless, there is little material difference in meaning among these. Some prove slightly clearer on some verses than others. Looking at more that one version sometimes sheds additional light on any particular verse. Explanatory additions to the Bible text are shown in {braces}. The versions are identified as: ASV American Standard Version of 1901 AV Authorized (King James) Version ERV The Revised Version of 1885 NAS New American Standard version 1960, 1995 The Lockman Foundation NIV New International Version 1984 by the International Bible Society NKJV New King James Version 1979 Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers NLT 1996 New Living Translation 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust NRSV New Revised Standard Version 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. PHIL New Testament Translation 1972 by J. B. Phillips RSV Revised Standard Version 1946, 1952 by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. WEY The New Testament in Modern Speech 1902, 1912 R. F. Weymouth Further sermons and illustrations may be found at the web-site, Materials in this sermon from Rev. David Holwick s database are identified by Kerux followed by a sermon or illustration number. 2. See notes in Kerux illustration # Edward Young, Night Thoughts (1742-5) from Bartlett s Quotations 4. Just As I Am by Charlotte Elliott ( )