EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION (Mark 16:1-14) INTRODUCTION: One of my favorite Easter hymns is Christ Arose. I like the tune which starts low and builds up higher, sort of like the resurrection. You know how it starts: Low in the grave He lay then the chorus Up from the grace He arose Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o er His foes He arose a Victor from the dark domain And He lives forever with His saints to reign, He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! Christ arose a Victor. Christ s resurrection gives us the victory. Christ s triumph over sin, Satan, and death is the victory. Oh may we experience the power of Christ s resurrection today. Do you know the story of Nike tennis shoes? They are a great symbol for Easter. Why do I say this? The word 'Nike' is a Greek word meaning victory. Easter means victory. I am told that in the days before Christ that when an invading army approached a city, the men of the city would go out to face the enemy. The people in the city had no way of knowing how the battle was going except by a message carried by a runner. If there was defeat, he would tear his clothes, put on ashes and cry, "Woe, woe, defeat." People would try to run away, but rarely could. But if the city s army won, the runner would carry a palm branch in his hand and run through the town shouting, "Nike!" "Nike!" "Nike!" - - "victory!" "victory" "victory". This is the message of Easter -- VICTORY. Jesus, our Lord, has defeated the enemy and has given us victory over sin, death and hell. What a message. What a hope. THE DISCIPLES ON THAT FIRST EASTER MORNING April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 1
Now let s go back into our Scriptures for today to see how the first disciples reacted to the news that Jesus has risen from the grave on that first Easter morning. We see a very different response from them than how we respond today. We talk about victory, but they were afraid, confused, disillusioned, and were SILENT. Look at verse 8 of Mark 16: (Mark 16:8 NKJV) So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid! Does this describe your reaction to the resurrection? We like our faith personal and don t want to share it publicly with anyone! And the world likes for us to keep our faith private also! The early disciples did have a cause for being afraid and being silent. As the women went to the tomb that first Easter morning it must have been disconcerting, perhaps frightening to discover the stone already been rolled away from the tomb and the tomb empty. He was not there. What had happened? Had his final resting place been desecrated by grave robbers? Did his enemies fear and despise him so much that they had seized his broken body? The women quickly scattered to tell their families and friends of this disturbing event. Mary rushed to inform Peter and John. They hurried back to the tomb with her but they were as mystified as she. What made the difference in the disciples that changed them from gloom, silence, and defeat? What can turn our gloom into glory? What can turn our feeling of defeat into victory? What was it that really changed the disciples? NOT THE SEEING THE EMPTY TOMB First, it was not seeing the EMPTY tomb that changed their outlook. Mary Magdalene was the first to see the empty tomb. She thought that someone had stolen the body. She ran and got Peter and John. John got to the tomb first, but waited for Peter to go in first. Peter went in and saw the linen cloths and the handkerchief that had been around the head lying in a separate place. He was not changed being seeing this. John saw everything and did not believe. These disciples did not believe just because they saw the empty tomb. I understand that the most popular place to visit Israel today is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is the church that is located over the tomb of Jesus. Thousands of tourists and pilgrims go there today. April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 2
But seeing the empty tomb will not change our lives. It will not change us from sadness to joy, from fear to hope, from defeat to victory. The disciples lives did not change from defeat to victory because of they saw the empty tomb. What changed their lives? IT WAS MEETING THE RESURRECTED LORD There was one event that all of them experience which was the key to changing their lives. Each one of them met the risen Lord. They had a divine ENCOUNTER with the living Christ. It was meeting Christ as alive that changed their lives. How did they meet the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene in the garden. At first when He appeared to her she didn't recognize him. She thought that he was the gardener. But when he spoke her name, "Mary", she recognized him and fell down at him feet and worshipped Him. In the upper room that evening Jesus appeared to ten of the apostles and showed them his hands and his side and they believed and it says that they were glad. The next Sunday evening Jesus appeared again to the disciples with Thomas there and he wanted to touch Jesus hands and side. When Jesus spoke to him, he fell down and exclaimed, My Lord and my God. I Corinthians 15:5-8 it gives us the run down about others whom Jesus appeared to. (1 Cor 15:5-8 NKJV) and He was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. {6} After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. {7} After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. {8} Then last of all He was seen by me [Paul] also, as by one born out of due time. In each of these situations the key was that they met the resurrected Christ and it changed their lives. They had a divine encounter. You can have a divine encounter today. Not that Christ will appear to you as He did the disciples, but as He comes to you in your heart when you look to Him and open your heart to Him. This is the key for Easter making a difference in us today -- meeting Jesus Christ. When people meet Jesus He changes their lives. April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 3
Just look at the apostle Paul. Jesus changed his life from a selfrighteous Pharisee to new person in Christ, who gave his life preaching the Gospel of God s Grace. Just look at Augustine, who was following a false cult and who was addicted to sex. He met Jesus and his life was changed to one of the greatest leaders of the Christian church. John Wesley, thought he was a Christian and even became a missionary to the American Indians. Then he met Jesus by reading a commentary by Martin Luther. Jesus changed his life and used him in a mighty way. I could go on and on but the truth is that when a person meets the living Christ, his life is changed. Has your life changed since you met Jesus? If you think about, your life probably has been changed or you probably would not come out on a Easter Sunday morning to worship the living Lord. The ultimate proof of the resurrection is its power to change lives.. Martin Luther said one time, We do not believe in the resurrection because of the empty tomb, but because of the Christ-filled world. TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART TO THE LIVING CHRIST To experience the power of the resurrection STARTS by opening the door of your heart to the living Christ. The living Christ is seeking to meet you. He gives you the invitation in Revelation 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. We open the door of our hearts to Christ by believing His invitation from Him to come to Him. Faith in Christ is the key. When Jesus appeared to Thomas he gave special promise to those who would believe without demanding to see Him in the flesh first. Thomas had demanded to touch the nail pierced hands and side before he would believe. But Jesus said, April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 4
Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) Place your trust in him, not in yourself, not in empirical proof, but only in the word of the Savior. With Jesus in your life, you will experience the power of the resurrection. Not only are we to open our hearts to Jesus we are to grow in our total DEVOTION to Him. We are to grow in our knowledge of Christ and the more we know (or experience of Him) the more we will experience the power of His resurrection. We learn this from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8-10 Philippians 3:8-10 NKJV (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, If you feel down this morning, look to the living Christ and He will lift you up. If you feel lonely this morning, walk with the living Christ, and He will walk with you. If you are struggling with failure and defeat this morning, look to the living Christ and His will give you the VICTORY! Jesus wants YOU to experience the power of His resurrection today! CONCLUSION The message of Easter is, "He's alive!" The message of Easter is, "Victory!" Christ is alive. He wants to make a difference in your life. Will you entrust your life into his hands and let Him come into your life and not only come into your life but be the center of your life? He will change your life for the better. He will change everything about your life for the better. Let me close with a poem written by Pat Hall, wife of a Cumberland Presbyterian pastor in West Tennessee a few years back. April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 5
It s Resurrection Day and Christ has risen, I praise His name, for my sins are forgiven; May we lift our voices to heaven above, And shout his name to the Heavenly dove. Hallelujah, Christ has risen, Hallelujah, my sins are forgiven; May we lift our praise to our father above, As we give him thanks for Calvary s love. Come and join in praise, as we sing along, For he died for you and your praise belongs; May you lift your voice to heaven today, And shout his name as you go your way; Hallelujah, Christ has risen, Hallelujah, our sins are forgiven; May we lift our praise to our father above, As we give him thanks for Calvary s love. Hallelujah, Christ has risen, Hallelujah, my sins are forgiven; Hallelujah, for the cross, Hallelujah, we are no longer lost. Amen? Amen! April 1, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 6