The Life Changer Text: Luke 24:1-12 & Selected Scriptures Easter Pastor Lyle L. Wahl March 31, 2013 Theme: Jesus Changes People Forever Through His Death And Resurrection. Introduction Easter is central and essential to the Christian faith. Gathered here we might assume that all of us have a clear understanding of what Easter is about. But le me suggest that may not be a safe assumption. It was reported recently that an elementary school scrapped plans for an academic egg hunt in the interest of religious diversity. The principal said people relate the Easter bunny to religion. So they modified the Easter egg hunt quiz to use other shapes besides eggs to put the questions in. After protests, the school district reversed the decision and allowed the hunt to go on and said schools could use the terms Easter and Christmas. 1 We know that Easter eggs and bunnies have nothing to do with the real facts and meaning of Easter. But just the words Easter eggs, Easter bunny and, certainly, Easter are often deemed unacceptable. One man asked his little granddaughter, Why do we celebrate Easter? She quickly answered, It s when Jesus was crucified. He died, and His disciples put His body in the grave. Then, on the third day, the stone rolled away (sounds good to this point, doesn t it?), and the entire town would come out by the grave. And if Jesus came out and saw his shadow, they knew there would be six more weeks of winter. 2 Yes, it may not be safe to assume that all of us have a clear understanding of what Easter is about. Easter is about Jesus Christ. Specifically, it is about His resurrection from the dead after He was crucified. John Stott wrote, Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed. 3 Because Jesus was raised from the dead the world has changed, the present and future for everyone can be changed. Our lives can be changed because Jesus Christ is The Life Changer. The central truth to keep in focus as we review some basic questions and truths about Easter this morning is that Jesus changes people forever through His death and resurrection. Why Did Christ Come? The first of three questions I want you to think about is Why did Christ come? We could explore many parts of the answer to this question, but let s consider two. First, Christ came because we were separated from God. The Bible reveals the wonderful reality that
God is love. 4 It also tells us that God is holy. For example, God told Israel, I am the LORD, your Holy One 5 And also, I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy. 6 Holiness is the sum of all of God s moral qualities. He is pure in every way. He is set apart from sin, from any hint of sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, when they sinned, they plunged themselves and their descendants into a sinful rather than holy nature and character. Because God is holy, separated from sin, our sin separates us from Him. He told us through Isaiah, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. 7 All of us are sinners by nature and choice. The apostle Paul stated it directly, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 8 He also wrote, the wages of sin is death 9 physical death when body, soul and spirit are separated, and spiritual death when we are separated from God. On our own, the Bible tells us that we are separate from Christ, 10 we are excluded from being one of God s children, 11 we are strangers and aliens to God and His blessings, 12 we have the rightful wrath of God abiding on us. 13 In this state we cannot know God and relate to Him. We cannot have the fulness or abundance of life that God created us to have and wants us to have. 14 In fact, as the apostle Peter wrote, we have a futile way of life. 15 Christ came because we were separated from God. He came to bridge that divide of separation for us. As well, Christ came because He is the only one who can save us. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot change our sinful spiritual DNA to be holy. The Bible tells us this can be done only by God s grace, not by our works, 16 that it is not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to [God s] mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. 17 Christ came as the perfect Son of God and as the perfect man. He is Immanuel God with us. 18 Only He is the perfect God-man. Only He can save us. Jesus stated that His purpose for coming into the world was to seek and to save that which was lost. 19 He is the only one who saves, and people are saved only by God s grace when they place their faith in Him. That is the gospel, the good news. The Bible tells us God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 20 That there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. 21 That Of [Christ] all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. 22 And Jesus has told us, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 23 Yes, Christ came because He is the only one who can save us. 2
What Did Christ s Death And Resurrection Accomplish? That brings us to the second question, how does this relate to the death and resurrection of Christ? What did Christ s death and resurrection accomplish? Let s back up to Friday, from Easter morning and the empty tomb to the agony and atonement of the cross. Christ s agony began in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prayed in preparation for His arrest, desertion, beating, taking our sin on Himself, and giving up His life for us. He told His disciples, My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me. 24 Luke s gospel tells us that being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 25 We know the account. He was arrested, and all the disciples left Him and fled, leaving Him alone. 26 He was nailed to a cross, with every breath taking extraordinary effort and resulting in excruciating pain. And the worst had not yet begun. The worst, the atonement for our sins took place when God the Father placed all our sin on Him, when He made [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 27 The worst took place when Christ, bearing our sin, felt totally deserted and cried out, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? 28 The worst took place when Christ, perfect God the Son, perfect Man, became the perfect Sacrifice for our perfect salvation when He yielded up His spirit, voluntarily dying for us on that cross. 29 The apostle Peter sums up Christ s atoning work for us this way, He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 30 Now let s come back to Easter morning and the resurrection. To say that the result of the resurrection is amazing is one of the greatest understatements of all time. Christ s death paid the full penalty for our sin. The resurrection is His triumphant victory over sin and death, not just in a general sense, but personal for every believer. Jesus is the Life Changer. His resurrection changed the world, it changes people forever. I don t need to tell you that the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan two years ago was powerful. Recall the great loss of human life and suffering. The Japanese government now states that 15,881 people died and another 2,668 are still unaccounted for. 31 The Japanese government and World Bank have estimated the cost from the damage of the earthquake and tsunami could be up to $300 billion or more. 32 The great power of the earthquake is reflected by it moving parts of the landmass of Japan as much as 4 meters and moving the earth s axis of rotation by about 16 cm. The earthquake changed our world. 33 Jesus resurrection was immeasurably more powerful than that or any earthquake. It changed the spiritual world from that point forward. His resurrection changes people forever. 3
The New Testament overflows, it glows and sparkles with the amazing reality and breathtaking beauty of what the resurrection of Christ accomplishes for us. Let s start by remembering that on our own we are sinners, separated from God and facing His righteous judgment. In the final judgment those who lived and died in their sin will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. 34 The difference is Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. As the apostle Paul wrote, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 35 Moving on from here, we see the results now and forever. Christ bore our sin so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 36 Now we can think, talk and act in ways that please God. Here and now we are changed, new creatures in Christ. 37 Instead of enmity and hostility, we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 38 We can have Christ s own joy made full in us, 39 even in the tough trials and terrible times. 40 We can experience God s power in us to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. 41 We can live with confidence knowing that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God. 42 We can have hope even as we grieve the death of those we love who are in Christ because we will see them again, be reunited with them in heaven forever. 43 Yes, Jesus is The Life Changer. He changes people forever through His death and resurrection. How Can We Be Changed? The next, and final question then is, How can we be changed? We can see the answer in the example and decision of the disciples. Turn back to Luke 24 again. It is on page 858 in the pew the Bibles that are in the chair racks. The chapter opens with the three women going to the tomb to complete the preparation of Jesus body which could not be done before the Sabbath. Two angels met them beside the tomb, which now had the stone rolled away from the opening and was empty. The angels asked the women, Why do you seek the living One among the dead? (5). They reminded the women that Jesus said he would be crucified and would rise on the third day (7). Look at verse 8. And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest (8-9). How did the eleven disciples respond? The majority view is recorded in verse 11. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. The minority view, held by Peter (and also John as we read in John 20), is recorded in verse 12. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. The other gospels also record this and other incidents of these majority and minority responses. 44 The question facing the disciples was whether Jesus had been raised from the dead or not? Did they believe it or not? We can understand their dilemma. How could this be? If 4
He has been raised, where is He? What does this mean? Their lives would be determined by the decision they made. Is it nonsense or is it reality? Is it a tale or is it the truth? We know what happened from the gospels and the rest of the New Testament. Through Jesus appearances to them they believed. Their lives and world were never the same. Drop down to verse 45. Resurrected Jesus is meeting with the disciples. Luke records, Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. (45-49) That is what this small band of men did, empowered by the Holy Spirit. God changed them and used them to change the world. The question and decision which faced the disciples faces each of us today. Do you believe or not believe? Is it a tale or the truth? Jesus resurrection and claim is clear. God gave us the Bible so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. 45 Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 46 And so, the Apostle Paul wrote, 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; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 47 Jesus is not here physically today, but He is right here. He is saying to you what He said to Thomas, one of His disciples who struggled to believe, do not be unbelieving, but believing. 48 Thomas believed, and then responded to Jesus, My Lord and my God! 49 Jesus replied, Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. 50 He was speaking of people then and you and me now, of all who choose to place their faith in Him as Savior, Lord and God. Jesus asks the question. The answer, the decision is yours. What is it? There are only two options to believe or not to believe, that it is a tale or the truth. What is it? As we bow our heads to reflect and respond to God, if you know Christ as your Savior, thank Him again that He has risen, is alive, has changed you giving you life with Him now and forever. If you have not made that decision, make it now. Tell God you know your sin separates you from Him and that you need His forgiveness. Tell Him you believe that Jesus died and was raised from the dead for you. Ask God to forgive you of your sins and change you now and forever. Then talk to me or someone else about this decision before you leave here this morning. 5
1 David Wood. Madison School Modifies Student Easter Egg Hunt, Citing Religious Diversity Conflicts. <http://whnt.com/2013/03/19/madison-school-modifies-student-easter-egghunt-citing-religious-diversity-conflicts/>. 13 March 2013. Accessed 25 March 2013. Maxie Gardner. Madison City Superintendent Easter Events Acceptable in School System. <http://whnt.com/2013/03/28/madison-city-superintendent-easter-events-acceptable-in -school-system/>. 28 March 2013. Accessed 30 March 2013. 2 Dennis Rainey. Do Your Kids Know Why We Celebrate Easter? Familylife.com. <http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/holidays/featured/easter/do-your-kids-knowwhy-we-celebrate-easter#.uvyv41fm9s0>. Accessed 25 March 2013. 3 John Stott, cited in Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Vintage Jesus. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007, page 131. 4 1 John 4:8. 5 Leviticus 11:45. 6 Isaiah 43:15. 7 Isaiah 59:2. 8 Romans 3:23. 9 Romans 6:23. 10 Ephesians 2:12 11 Ephesians 2:12. 12 Ephesians 2:19. 13 John 3:36. 14 John 10:10. 15 1 Peter 1:18. 16 Ephesians 2:8-9. 17 Titus 3:5. 18 Matthew 1:23. 19 Luke 19:10. 20 John 3:16. 21 Acts 4:12. 22 Acts 10:43. 23 John 14:6. 6
24 Matthew 26:38. 25 Luke 22:44. 26 Matthew 26:56. 27 2 Corinthians 5:21. 28 Matthew 27:46. 29 Matthew 27:50. 30 1 Peter 2:24-25. 31 Japan marks second anniversary of tsunami <http://www.dw.de/japan-marks-second-anniversary-of-tsunami/a-16663172?maca=en-t WITTER-EN-2004-xml-mrss>. 11 March 2013. Accessed 25 March 2013 32 Takashi Nakamichi and Tatsuo Ito. Tokyo Estimates Disaster Costs of Almost $200 Billion. The Wall Street Journal Digital Network. <http://online.wsj.com/article/sb100014240527 48704050204576217852022676740.html>. 24 March 2011. Accessed 21 April 2011. Japan estimates the cost of the earthquake and tsunami could reach 300 billion USD. Merco Press. <http://en.mercopress.com/2011/03/24/japan-estimates-cost-of-the-earthquake-andtsunami-could-reach-300-billion-usd>. 24 March 2011. Accessed 21 April 2011. 33 Bethan Harris. Can an earthquake shift the Earth s axis? <http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ 23degrees/2011/03/can_an_earthquake_shift_the_ea.html>. 14 March 2011. Accessed 21 April 2011. 34 Matthew 25:46. 35 Romans 8:1. 36 1 Peter 2:24. 37 2 Corinthians 5:17. 38 Romans 5:1. 39 John 17:13. 40 cf. Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 1:8. 41 Ephesians 4:20. 42 Romans 8:38-39. 43 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 44 Matthew 28:16-17; Mark 16:11-14; John 20:3-9, 19-29. 45 John 20:31. 46 John 3:16. 47 Romans 10:9-10. 48 John 20:27. 7
49 John 20:28. 50 John 20:29. 2013 Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 8