Matthew 28:1-8; Luke 24:13-27; John 20:19-29; 21:1-19 Introduction On Feb. 27, 1991, at the height of Desert Storm, a mother received a very sad message from the Pentagon. It stated that her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private 1st Class, had stepped on a mine in Kuwait & was dead. She later wrote, I can t begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For three days I wept. For three days I expressed anger and loss. For three days people tried to comfort me, to no avail, because the loss was too great. But three days after she received that message, the telephone rang.
2 The voice on the other end said, Mom, it s me. I m alive. She said, I couldn t believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice, and he really was alive, that message was all a mistake! She said, I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels, because my son whom I had thought was dead, was really alive. I m sure none of you can even begin to understand how I felt. Probably not, but some who walked the pages of the New Testament would have understood how she felt because they experienced the same emotions themselves. One day they watched their best friend and teacher being nailed to a cross.
3 They witnessed His pain as He cried out, I thirst! and My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? They listened as finally He bowed His head and said, It is finished! and Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46). They watched as His body was taken from the cross and buried. All their hopes and dreams were buried with Him. For three days they mourned, until finally, very early in the morning the first day of the week the scripture says, some women made their way along the path that led to His tomb, wondering who would roll away the stone for them. But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away.
4 And an angel there told them, He is not here: for He is risen, just as He said... (Matt. 28:6a) I want to set the scene for Jesus resurrection by taking you back to Lazarus resurrection. Lazarus resurrection exemplifies what the resurrection does in a person s life who lives it basing his life on faith in God. I. Difference: Hope and Despair (John 11:23-25). A. From Mary, the mother of Jesus, to John, the disciple Jesus loved, every single one of them had their hopes dashed and were in despair. 1. Just imagine what they would have thought as they remembered Jesus words in John 10:10, 10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b)
5 2. These words would have seemed empty given what had just happened! 3. What would you have thought if your brother were Lazarus. 4. He was sick & dying, and you has asked Jesus to come and heal him and he delays on purpose? 5. But that s exactly what Jesus does! 6. You would ve probably said just as they did, 37 Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying? (John 11:37, NIV) 7. When Martha hears Jesus is coming, she runs out to meet him on the road. B. Now here s the point of telling you all of this 1. Jesus is pointing to the role resurrection plays in the plan of God. The resurrection is a pivotal concept all throughout the gospels and the rest of the NT.
6 Salvation depends upon the resurrection! 2. Here Jesus tells Martha, 23 Your brother will rise again. (Luke 11:23) 3. She as much said, Yeah, right! because she has no hope. 4. She says to Jesus, 24 I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (Luke 11:24) 25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? (Luke 11:25-26, NIV) C. This is a foundational principle that the disciples witnessed that day. 1. For God it s never too late, for he even resurrects the dead! 2. This says something to us that we should accept. 3. We in the world today believe in a philosophy of life that teaches irreversible process.
7 4. That nothing can change unless a physical and natural cause comes to bear on it. 5. But simply isn t true! 6. It cannot be, because if it were, there d be no resurrection! D. My question for you today is, Do you believe this? 1. Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? 2. Do you believe, even in times of great difficulty, that no situation is hopeless? 3. That nothing is impossible with God? a. Martha and Mary saw the glory of God that day! b. Jesus walked up to the tomb and said, Lazarus, come out! (John 11:43) c. The next thing you know, Lazarus is walking out of the tomb all wrapped up with linen cloth.
8 4. With this resurrection Jesus gives us a new direction and new purpose. 5. He gives us an understanding of our real reason for living! 6. That is, to trust and have faith in God in spite of our circumstances. 7. Both Ramona and Whit have inspired me lately. a. To face such a challenge as Ramona does, she has so much hope. b. I heard of a woman in Lubbock recently who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. c. Her doctors didn t give her much of a chance. d. She was a woman of great faith. e. She called the elders and they anointed her with oil. f. The next time she was given an MRI and CT scan, there was no trace of the tumor. g. Believe me, she went from despair to hope because she knew nothing was impossible with God.
9 We re going to look at the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Thomas, known as Doubting Thomas, and Peter. In each one of their lives, I want you to see the difference 3 days make. II. Difference: Darkness and Light (Luke 24:13-27). A. The Disciples on the road to Emmaus walked in Darkness. 1. They had heard his body wasn t in the tomb, that the women said they had seen angels, who said he was alive, but were on their way to Emmaus anyway. 2. Obviously, they didn t get it. 3. All of a sudden, as they were walking along the road, Jesus appeared to them incognito. 4. He acted like he didn t know what had happened. 5. So they told him about Jesus of Nazareth, how
10 19 He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people (Luke 24:19, NIV) 6. Look what happens next. 7. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of understanding of what God had previously revealed. a. He said to them, 25 How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27, NIV) B. Jesus Showed Them the Light of the Word. 1. That long seven-mile walk must have gone by quickly. 2. Something amazing happened! 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:31-32, NIV)
11 C. The resurrected Jesus can bring Light to our darkness too. 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12, NIV) 1. That s what the resurrection offers you today! 2. The LIGHT OF LIFE! III.Difference: Faith and Doubt (John. 20:19-29). A. Thomas was a Skeptic, or at least it s been said. 1. Sometimes I think Thomas gets a bum rap. 2. After all, would we have been much different? 3. The only difference between Thomas and the disciples is that had already seen Jesus. B. What was that week like for Thomas? 1. He was just as befuddled as everyone else, if not more?
12 2. Now, all of a sudden, his friends come to him with this fantastic tale of resurrection. 3. So, he says, 25 Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it. (John 20:25, NIV) 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! 27 Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. (John 20:26-27, NIV) 4. I think that deep down Thomas wanted to believe. C. Thomas was immediately taken from doubt to belief! 1. Faith is believing without proof. 2. It is trusting in God s Word regardless of what others might think.
13 3. That s what the resurrection will do for us it will take us from doubt to belief! IV.Difference: Victory and Defeat (John 21:1-19). A. Peter had failed miserably. 1. For all his bravado and boasting, when it came time to stand for Christ 2. Peter fell flat on his face, and denied that he even knew Him. 3. We see Peter go out and weep bitterly when he realized how he had failed the Lord. 4. But the resurrection changed all of that. B. Jesus reaffirms His love for Peter, and His calling upon his life. 1. Talk about amazing grace! 2. Just a few weeks later, this man who had denied the Lord would stand up boldly on the day of Pentecost and proclaim His gospel to the world.
14 3. He would be a vital moving force in the early days of the infant church. 4. He would be used of God to write two books of the NT. C. Jesus still gives His Grace and takes us from defeat to victory! Conclusion What a difference three days make! For those who believe, even when there is no visible reason to believe, you believe anyway why? Because there is a resurrection, nothing is impossible. It is the difference between: Hope and Despair Light and Darkness Faith and Doubt Victory and Defeat
15 Jesus didn t reject them or beat them down for struggling with their faith. He came to Martha and Mary, He went to meet the guys on the road to Emmaus, He came to Thomas, He accepted Peter. He meets you today right here! Right here! Invitation