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Christ is risen. 
As followers of Jesus, we do not

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question that it happened. 
We wonder and marvel at that it 

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happened. 
We saying just in the worship 

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here a few minutes ago, Death 
has lost its grip on me. 

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Is that true? 
Has death lost its grip on us? 

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Do we live that way? 
That's a powerful statement to 

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sing. 
The story of Easter is the 

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foundation on which the whole of
Christianity rests. 

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The Apostle Paul, in one of his 
letters to the church, wrote the

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following. 
He said, if for this life only 

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we have hope, we're we are of 
all people most to be pitied. 

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We have hope beyond the grave, 
hope beyond this life. 

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Over the centuries, these truths
have been debated and argued 

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over and discussed and written 
about on both sides. 

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People trying to disprove and 
find faults with it and so on. 

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There's so much we could talk 
about. 

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But this morning's sermon is 
based on hope. 

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We have from earliest times 
read. 

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Read the story. 
And I want to just say this 

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morning, our title this morning 
is A New Hope. 

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Do we believe the story in the 
earliest times, the apostles 

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when they were on the scene, 
well, we know what happened 

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right from the get go. 
They were so afraid, so worried 

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and fearful. 
They were worried not just for 

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themselves. 
They were worried that this well

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for themselves. 
They were worried they would get

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killed like the Jewish leaders 
had killed Jesus. 

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And then the story came that he 
had rose from the dead. 

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It was a very, very upheaval 
time for them. 

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I want to put some reference on 
the board this morning. 

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You want to dig into some of 
these scripture passages as we 

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go through them. 
But I just want to back up a 

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little bit before Easter Sunday 
morning. 

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The week before was a roller 
coaster week. 

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Palm Sunday happened and things 
were at dizzying heights, the 

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expectations of the crowds and 
the disciples. 

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Then Friday, it was the depths 
of the despair, greater distance

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we cannot imagine from the 
height of expectation. 

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Anticipation. 
He's going to be king, we're 

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going to rule with him. 
The bottomless despair, It's 

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over, it's done. 
He's no longer there. 

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The jubilation, the praise, the 
emptiness, the darkness, the 

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loneliness, the pain and agony. 
Friday to Sunday morning. 

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But then Sunday came. 
Brand New Hope. 

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How did it unfold and what does 
it mean for us today? 

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In short, I want to encapsulate 
this this way. 

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The end of a hope, the reign of 
death, the birth of New Hope and

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the new message. 
Let's look at what ended on 

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Friday. 
On Friday when Jesus was 

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crucified, what had been 
anticipated on Palm Sunday ended

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with a crash on Friday. 
The jubilation, the expectation.

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Jesus going to fix everything. 
He's a saviour of the world. 

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He's going to bring back the 
long-awaited reign of King David

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of old. 
All that's going to be restored 

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again. 
No more over. 

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No more subjugation. 
Subjugation to the Romans. 

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No more slavery, no more, no 
more being oppressed. 

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The distance between those the 
Pharisees on on the Palm Sunday,

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they were not jubilant. 
They were very worried. 

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The scowls and expressions on 
their face showed that they were

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wary, not knowing exactly what 
to do. 

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And they were afraid of this 
young Jewish rabbi, Jesus of 

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Nazareth, who was he who was 
coming to town. 

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They were worried. 
Their carefully maintained 

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system of coexistence between 
the Romans, Jesus was a threat 

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to that. 
They had to do something, and 

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they did. 
And by Friday they achieved 

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their objective and in their 
mind disaster had been averted. 

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Jerusalem, as it was, was a 
powder keg that from time to 

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time exploded when something 
went off. 

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Maybe a zealot would do 
something. 

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And here was Jesus. 
He was dangerous. 

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They had to get rid of him. 
Well, little did the crowd know 

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on Palm Sunday that by Friday 
morning this humble Jewish rabbi

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would be hanging on a Roman 
cross from the very heights of 

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everything to the very lowest of
the low. 

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I don't know of a story in 
history where things went to 

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such extremes, from such highs 
to such lows in such a short 

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space of time. 
I don't think we can imagine 

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this really what happened. 
We know what happened, but to 

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imagine it in its totality I 
don't think we can. 

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But let's read some passages 
this morning and see what is 

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told in scripture. 
Luke chapter 23 verse 50 to 55. 

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Now behold, there was a man 
named Joseph. 

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Now this is just shortly after 
he died, a council member, a 

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good and just man. 
He had not consented to their 

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decision. 
Indeed he was from Arimathea, 

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the city of the Jews, who 
himself was also waiting for the

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Kingdom of God. 
This man went to pilot and asked

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for the body of Jesus. 
Then he took it down, wrapped it

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in linen, laid it in a tomb that
was soon out of the rock, and 

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where no one had ever lain 
before. 

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That day was the preparation, 
and the Sabbath drew near, and 

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the women who had come from come
with him from Galilee followed 

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after, and they observed the 
tomb, how his body was laid. 

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This man who was expecting Jesus
to be ruler, he was expecting 

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Jesus to be the king who is now 
going to rule over Israel. 

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And when he died for him, the 
expectation ended as well. 

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And of course, the women who 
were there for them, the 

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expectation ended as well. 
Their hopes were dead too. 

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Then, of course, the disciples 
who had been with him the day 

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before and on Monday, Thursday 
night, their high expectations, 

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their hopes, they were dead now 
as well. 

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It was like their dreams were 
gone, like a candle blown out in

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the wind. 
What had seemed so certain, so 

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sure, so promising, so exciting.
On Friday, it was gone. 

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It was dead, it was over, it was
finished. 

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A complete and total defeat of 
hopelessness and despair when 

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reality set in. 
So these people did what good 

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people do. 
They went about laying their 

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dead friend Jesus into the tomb.
Joseph asked for permission from

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Pilate. 
He got permission. 

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He wrapped the dead body, put 
him in a tomb. 

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The women too were present, 
observed where they had laid the

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body. 
And we cannot really fathom what

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these people went through. 
They did not have the New 

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Testament. 
They did not have the story of 

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resurrection as we have it 
today. 

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For all they knew, it's over. 
It's history. 

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Jesus is not coming back for 
Jesus. 

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Jesus death was the death of 
hope for his followers. 

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How many people today live that 
way? 

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They have no hope. 
They have hung on to hope. 

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Maybe things will someday 
change. 

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Life's been hard. 
This is not getting easier and 

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there's no end insight. 
But they have no hope that they 

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have no hope that one day things
will be better. 

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Justice will be done, Justice 
will be served, things will come

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back together. 
The flame of hope grows dim and 

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it flickers and it goes out and 
it's dark. 

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But if God can raise Jesus from 
the dead, then there's no 

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problem too big for him not to 
deal with. 

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And yes, he doesn't deal with 
every problem that we hope he 

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will, or at least not from our 
perspective. 

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But that does not mean he's not 
watching. 

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He doesn't care. 
But for the disciples of Jesus, 

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the death of Jesus at that time 
was the death of hope. 

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And as I mentioned before, they 
were afraid, fearful that just 

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as Jesus had been killed, they 
too could be next. 

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From a human standpoint, death 
is a powerful thing. 

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It ends things. 
Death is when life is no more. 

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Death is that great divide which
many people are so terrified of,

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and yet some people embrace it 
with No Fear. 

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It seems to so many people, this
life is it. 

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There's nothing beyond, no hope 
beyond the grave. 

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But I want to encourage us this 
morning. 

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Death is not the end. 
When Jesus died, he died. 

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And 1st, his disciples didn't 
expect it to, didn't expect him 

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to die. 
But when he died, they didn't 

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doubt it. 
Yeah, he's dead, He's gone. 

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But if there's one thing that 
God wants us as his disciples 

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not to do is to give up hope. 
A follower of Jesus always has 

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hope. 
We must keep our hope. 

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To these women who were with 
Jesus, they were just resigned 

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to the reality. 
He's gone, he's dead. 

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No hope in their pain and grief.
They want to do what they do 

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with dead bodies, anoint them. 
And that's what they said about 

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doing. 
Let's read Luke 24 verse one and

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on. 
Now the first day of the week, 

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very early in the morning, they 
and certain other women with 

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them came to the tomb, bringing 
the spices which they had 

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prepared, but they found the 
stone rolled away from the tomb.

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Then they went in and did not 
find the body of the Lord Jesus.

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And it happened as they, as they
were greatly perplexed about 

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this, that behold, 2 men stood 
by them in shining garments. 

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Then as they were afraid and 
bowed their faces to the earth, 

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they said to them, The men say 
to the women, Why do you seek 

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the living among the dead? 
He's not here, he's risen. 

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Remember how he spoke to you? 
And he was in Galilee saying, 

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The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men and

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be crucified. 
And the third day rise again. 

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And they remembered his words. 
Then they returned from the tomb

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and told all these things to the
11 and to all the rest. 

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It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, 
the Mary, the mother of James, 

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and the other women with them 
who told these things to the 

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apostles. 
And their words seem to them 

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like idle tales, and they did 
not believe them. 

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But Peter arose and ran to the 
tomb. 

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Stooping down, he saw the linen 
cloth lying by themselves. 

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And he departed, marvelling to 
himself what had happened. 

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So from Friday evening, when 
Jesus was laid to rest, till 

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Sunday morning, the followers of
Jesus had only one thing on 

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their mind. 
He's dead. 

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No hope. 
They had expected him to be 

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king. 
Instead, he got killed. 

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Then Easter morning they did not
know that by the end of the day 

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they would have again have a 
completely opposite experience 

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from that on Friday. 
Let's just recap this a bit 

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more. 
Again, Palm Sunday expectations,

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anticipations at at extreme 
heights. 

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Thursday night, everything was 
anticipated. 

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Jesus going to rain on earth. 
We're going to have positions of

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power. 
Jesus gets arrested in the 

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garden. 
Friday morning, it goes downhill

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and by by early morning he's 
dead, he's gone. 

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He's on the on the cross. 
And by early afternoon he's 

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dead, he's gone. 
But then in chapter 24, these 

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women, they've done their job 
bringing spices to anoint the 

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dead body. 
That's what they did with dead 

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people. 
They went to the tomb. 

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To their surprise, the stone's 
no longer there. 

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The women did not know yet that 
this would happen. 

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They they remember when the 
angels reminded them, but as far

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as they could tell, death was 
the end. 

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To many people that's the case. 
Death is the last stop. 

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It's over. 
Let's continue reading. 

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In chapter 24 verse 3 to 8 it 
says then they went in and did 

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not find the body of Jesus. 
It's a recap here. 

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As they were greatly perplexed. 
2 men stood by the mid shining 

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garments and they asked them, 
why do you seek the living among

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the dead? 
I remember many years ago 

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reading a pastor sermon and his 
comments on this this passage. 

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00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,320
And he highlighted this part 
specifically when the women were

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bringing their spices to anoint 
the dead body of Jesus. 

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00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,240
And the Angel says, why do you 
seek the living among the dead? 

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That phrase has sat with me over
the years, never left. 

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And he went on to explain how 
people in that time had the 

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wrong focus. 
And he went on to ask, do we 

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have the wrong focus? 
For these women? 

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It was the end. 
You know, sometimes we see 

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something and all of a sudden we
just see it different. 

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00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,160
And from then on, we can no 
longer see it the way we once 

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saw it before. 
The story of the resurrection of

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Jesus is a bit like that. 
The women that went to the grave

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that Easter Sunday morning 
prepared to anoint the dead 

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body, that was their mission. 
Jesus is dead. 

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No hope. 
He's not coming back. 

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Never in their wildest 
imagination that ever once 

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00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:07,440
crossed their minds, he's alive.
Or what if he's alive? 

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In their mind, death reigned. 
Once you're dead, that's it. 

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What we do reveals what we 
believe. 

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They prepared spices to anoint 
the dead body. 

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00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,240
We have the story of the 
resurrection. 

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00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,280
Do we have the life of the 
resurrection? 

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00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:36,920
Many people say they have 
eternal life, but then they work

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00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,520
and strive and struggle as if 
this life is all there is. 

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00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,480
And by watching them, you would 
never tell that they have 

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00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,800
eternal hope. 
And so we seek the living among 

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00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,320
the dead. 
Everything here in this world is

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00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,440
going to disappear. 
Nothing will last. 

241
00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,920
And yet we strive and work as if
it will. 

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00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,360
I'm assuming these women, when 
they came to the tomb, they had 

243
00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,200
their careful, prepared boxes of
spices. 

244
00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,520
Prepared with great care. 
It's a special event. 

245
00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,680
Anointing the dead body. 
Only there's no dead body. 

246
00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,280
And the angels tell him he's 
gone. 

247
00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,160
I wonder how they felt. 
How would you feel? 

248
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,120
Uh oh. 
What a waste. 

249
00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,400
Wrong idea, wrong understanding.
We missed it. 

250
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,440
I think if I was that, if I was 
one of them, I wouldn't know 

251
00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,320
what to do. 
I think if he would have said 

252
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,080
he's not risen, he's here, then 
the men and I would remember. 

253
00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:37,960
I would feel like I'm kind of 
foolish. 

254
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,640
Now we know God had his hand and
all this is true, but He want to

255
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:46,040
teach them a lesson. 
Those spices were not needed 

256
00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,040
anymore. 
They were now of no value for 

257
00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,480
the occasion. 
Maybe they sold them. 

258
00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:54,080
I have no idea what they did. 
They're expensive things, but 

259
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,040
they were not going to anoint 
Jesus because he wasn't there. 

260
00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,680
Let's let that sink in first for
a moment. 

261
00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:06,120
How much of what's so important 
to us, what we work so hard for,

262
00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,960
spend so much time attaining and
achieving, in and of itself is 

263
00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,800
not sin, but what good is it in 
the eternal scheme of things? 

264
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,120
So what stories do our lives 
tell? 

265
00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,680
Do our lives tell stories of 
death reigning or stories of New

266
00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,280
Hope? 
How many people do they live as 

267
00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,920
if this is all there is and when
this is gone, it's all gone? 

268
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,840
Maybe for some of us here this 
morning, maybe it's time for a 

269
00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:38,480
New Hope. 
And maybe it it could be a loved

270
00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,840
one who's gone. 
They're not coming back in this 

271
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:46,120
life, but it's not the end. 
Maybe you failed in your journey

272
00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,840
in life and you're coming to the
later years of life and you feel

273
00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,560
like you fail and you can't do 
it over. 

274
00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,320
And that's true. 
And you feel like that's the 

275
00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,040
end. 
The Bible has good news. 

276
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,760
Nothing in this life is the end 
for those who put their hope and

277
00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,200
trust in Jesus. 
Just as Jesus rose from the 

278
00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,000
dead, he brings new life to 
shine in anyone's heart that's 

279
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,640
dark with worry and fear who 
responds to Him. 

280
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,600
And yes, there's a lot of things
in this world that we have much 

281
00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,840
reason to be concerned about, 
but not to the detriment of our 

282
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,280
hope. 
Jesus rose from the dead. 

283
00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,640
And even in this life, if we 
don't do not see the fulfillment

284
00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,040
of the promises, we're promised 
that a day is coming when 

285
00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,880
everything will be made right. 
So these women, they don't get 

286
00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,520
to anoint a dead body. 
He's not dead, he's gone. 

287
00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,840
They hurry away to tell the 
disciples the good news. 

288
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:45,160
He's alive. 
Well, we must remember what 

289
00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,840
mindset those guys were in. 
They were not in any shape to 

290
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,280
listen to anything other than 
what they had seen and 

291
00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,560
experienced. 
You don't argue with experience.

292
00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,320
And when the women came and told
the disciples Jesus was alive, 

293
00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,800
notice their words in verse 11. 
And their words seemed to them 

294
00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:07,280
like idle tales. 
And they did not believe them. 

295
00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:09,480
Would you? 
Would I? 

296
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,520
We must open ourselves to 
believe Jesus is alive and of 

297
00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,240
course a little bit later he 
comes and meets them. 

298
00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,800
But at that point, that Sunday 
morning, there was no way anyone

299
00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,960
was going to tell them that 
Jesus was alive. 

300
00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,119
They hadn't seen experienced 
enough. 

301
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,480
Some far fetched story of an 
empty tomb was not going to 

302
00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:34,120
change them. 
We know Peter Iran looked into 

303
00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,520
the tomb and was not the woman's
testimony that convinced him he 

304
00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,760
had to see for himself. 
Today in our date over 2000 

305
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:45,480
years later, we have the record 
of what happened, but there are 

306
00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,720
still people today who doubt we 
do not have time in this, in a 

307
00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,920
Sunday morning sermon to explore
all the different viewpoints and

308
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:57,320
those kinds of things. 
What we do know is the Church of

309
00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,000
Jesus Christ formed shortly 
after Easter. 

310
00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:05,320
I want to point out this these 
disciples of Jesus, these most 

311
00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:11,200
timid, fearful, cowardly group 
of men hiding from the religious

312
00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,360
leaders in fear of their very 
lives, to all of a sudden become

313
00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:18,640
the most fearless, bold, 
courageous, rejoicing, powerful 

314
00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,920
men who stopped at nothing to 
spread the gospel. 

315
00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:26,000
Something happened. 
It wasn't idle tales and they 

316
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:32,400
never won since that time 
wavered once in the slightest at

317
00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,360
doing what they did and they 
were arrested, they were beaten,

318
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:39,240
they were persecuted. 
Peter writes and Luke writes the

319
00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,320
story of Theophilus writes the 
book of of Acts and he says, 

320
00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,480
Peter says to the authorities, 
we can't help but stop talking 

321
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,320
what we've seen and heard. 
Should we obey God, men rather 

322
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,320
than God? 
We're not going to stop. 

323
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,760
They didn't fear death. 
They knew Jesus was alive, and 

324
00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,600
they kept the unity of the 
message intact. 

325
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,520
It didn't change. 
They didn't compromise, and the 

326
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:07,400
message stayed the way it 
happened. 

327
00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:11,320
If what they said was 
fabricated, at some point the 

328
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,800
lies would have made their way 
to the surface and they would 

329
00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,920
have been exposed. 
But the religious leaders 

330
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:22,200
weren't able to put even a dent 
in this new movement against all

331
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:23,840
odds. 
First against the power of the 

332
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:28,200
Jewish leaders, this uneducated 
ragtag group of men who became 

333
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,760
this powerful group. 
Later against the whole might of

334
00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:36,880
Rome. 
This story just kept growing and

335
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,360
growing. 
And finally by 316 AD, so many 

336
00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,320
had to come to Christ in the 
Roman Empire. 

337
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,680
Constantine just said, OK, it's 
becoming the state religion now.

338
00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:48,560
And of course that's material 
for another's sermon that had a 

339
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,600
lot of things wrong with it. 
But Christianity continued and 

340
00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,720
still continues to this very 
day. 

341
00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,320
Jesus himself said to his 
disciples and the Gospels, I 

342
00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,880
will build my church, and the 
gates of hell will not prevail. 

343
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:09,320
Against it, the Church of Jesus 
will never die. 

344
00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:13,280
There can be government 
policies, there can be rules and

345
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,600
regulations, and we know 
different countries have them, 

346
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,120
even our own country. 
We're wrestling with some of 

347
00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:20,200
that. 
We have nothing to worry about. 

348
00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:26,120
The church will not die. 
When Jesus rose from the dead 

349
00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:31,000
and sent his Spirit his and 
dwelt these men, this 

350
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,880
unstoppable power, the world had
reason to be afraid of these 

351
00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,560
people. 
See, with the resurrection of 

352
00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:44,360
Jesus, death no longer reigned. 
Instead of reign of death, now a

353
00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:49,800
New Hope was born. 
In the resurrection story of 

354
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,720
Luke, there were some disciples 
who were travelling a village to

355
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:53,840
Emmas and won't read the 
passage. 

356
00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,000
And on the road, a stranger 
catches up to them and they meet

357
00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,520
him and they're so downcast at 
what happened. 

358
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:00,400
And he says, what's your 
problem? 

359
00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,160
They say, well, have you have 
you not heard? 

360
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,400
Heard what? 
You're the only one who hasn't 

361
00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,280
heard. 
Obviously Jesus of Nazareth, 

362
00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,360
mighty in Word indeed. 
And we thought he was going to 

363
00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:11,880
save Israel. 
He's got killed. 

364
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:13,880
And he's it's only three days 
now since that happened. 

365
00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,080
And he starts to explain to them
what, what the prophets wrote, 

366
00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:21,520
what was supposed to happen. 
And they come to the place where

367
00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,080
they want to stop for the night 
that's kind of late and invite 

368
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,280
him in, sits down and he blesses
the food. 

369
00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:31,760
Hey, that's Jesus. 
So let's let's continue reading 

370
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:37,200
Luke 24 verse 33 and on it says 
so they these two guys rose the 

371
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,120
very arrow returned to Jerusalem
from and found the 11 and those 

372
00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:42,720
who were with them gathered 
together saying the Lord is 

373
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,000
risen indeed and has appeared to
Simon and they told him about 

374
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,440
the things that happened on the 
road and how he was made known 

375
00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,200
known to them in the breaking of
bread. 

376
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,120
Now as they said these things, 
remember Jesus was with them. 

377
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,200
The guys that were on the Ms. 
Rd. 

378
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,800
Jesus now verse 36, Jesus 
himself stood in the midst of 

379
00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,360
them and said to them, peace to 
you. 

380
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,160
But they were terrified and 
frightened. 

381
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,880
See here it begins up to this 
point they didn't believe and he

382
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,600
said to them, why are you 
troubled? 

383
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,280
Why did doubts arise in your 
hearts? 

384
00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,200
Behold my hands and feet that it
is I myself handle me and see 

385
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,640
touch me. 
A spirit does not have flesh and

386
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,600
bones, as you see I have. 
When he had said this, He showed

387
00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,600
them his hands and his feet, but
while they were still did not 

388
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,520
believe for joy in marvel, He 
said to them, Have you any food 

389
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:25,920
here? 
So they gave him a piece of 

390
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,120
broiled fish and some honeycomb,
and he took it and ate it in 

391
00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:30,880
their presence. 
Then he said to them, These are 

392
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,960
the words which I spoke to you 
while I was still with you, that

393
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:38,760
all things must be fulfilled, 
which were written in the law of

394
00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,720
Moses and the prophets and the 
Psalms concerning me. 

395
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,960
He was back. 
Hope was alive again. 

396
00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:49,200
Again. 
Back to Thursday. 

397
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,720
The expectation, the 
anticipation. 

398
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,080
Friday, the despair, the defeat.
Sunday evening, he's back. 

399
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:57,920
Sunday morning, actually. 
But for these guys, it was more 

400
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,240
for the evening. 
Can we imagine the roller 

401
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,280
coaster of emotions and feelings
they must have gone through? 

402
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,120
We're seeing things yesterday. 
We're seeing something far 

403
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:09,040
better than just seeing things 
that we're seeing him. 

404
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:11,520
Yes. 
Why are you troubled? 

405
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,120
Why do you doubt? 
They're hard to convince. 

406
00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,000
They're joyful, but hey, is it 
real? 

407
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,680
Can we blame them? 
He asked for some food as proof.

408
00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,120
Give them a piece of broiled 
fish and some honeycomb and eats

409
00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:29,440
in their presence. 
What would Jesus tell you and me

410
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,920
this morning, today, if we could
see Him in person? 

411
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,080
Is, O Lord, we believe. 
Really. 

412
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:43,960
What's the evidence? 
I remember hearing a speaker 

413
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,640
quite some time ago who 
mentioned that someone had asked

414
00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,440
some people who did not believe 
in God or the resurrection. 

415
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,360
The argument said, well, they 
said, well, there's no proof. 

416
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,680
You know, scientifically, you 
can't prove it, why should I 

417
00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,920
believe? 
And the speaker said, if there 

418
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:06,720
was scientific proof beyond the 
shadow of a doubt, as you claim,

419
00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,880
if that was there would make a 
difference, would you become a 

420
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,600
follower? 
And he, the man honest and said,

421
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,040
no, I would not. 
And he said, so it is not a 

422
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,840
science question, is it? 
It's a faith issue. 

423
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,960
It's a worship question. 
You see, Friends, that's the 

424
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:30,160
struggle for so many. 
Of course, we can't prove that 

425
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,120
dead person rises. 
We weren't there. 

426
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,400
We have the story and we believe
it. 

427
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,560
This is the struggle. 
There's so many things that we 

428
00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,920
just don't have. 
Oh, I saw it happen. 

429
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:48,280
No, just like I can't quantify 
emotions, I can't quantify 

430
00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,640
consciousness. 
We don't understand a lot of 

431
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,120
things. 
I don't understand gravity. 

432
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,400
We know it works. 
We know it's there. 

433
00:24:54,480 --> 00:25:00,960
It's the reality. 
And sometimes, well, if God is 

434
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:02,680
real, then why am I struggling 
like this? 

435
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,920
I believe it's the other way 
around, because God is real. 

436
00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:13,240
That's why the struggle exists 
for the disciples that night 

437
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:19,800
death no longer reigned. 
A New Hope was born and it would

438
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,800
grow until Pentecost. 
And the Spirit wouldn't dwell, 

439
00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,000
each one of them. 
They'd go out and spread the 

440
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,360
gospel in all directions. 
Let's continue on reading in 

441
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:31,480
verse 45, 24 verse 45. 
And he opened their 

442
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,240
understanding, that they might 
comprehend the Scriptures, and 

443
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:35,560
said to them, Thus it is 
written. 

444
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,400
Thus it was necessary for the 
Christ to suffer and to rise 

445
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,320
from the dead the third day, and
that repentance and remission of

446
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,640
sins would be preached in His 
name to all nations, beginning 

447
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,680
at Jerusalem. 
And you're witnesses of these 

448
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,200
things. 
Behold, I send the promise of my

449
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,680
Father upon you, but tearing the
city of Jerusalem until you are 

450
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,520
endued with power from on high. 
And he led them out as far as 

451
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,160
Bethany, and he lifted up his 
hands and blessed them. 

452
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:01,840
Now it came to pass, while he 
blessed them, he was parted from

453
00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,680
them and carried up into heaven.
And they worshipped him and 

454
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,480
returned to Jerusalem with great
joy, and were continually in the

455
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,480
temple praising and blessing 
God. 

456
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,080
Amen. 
Not only was Jesus back, now he 

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00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,320
had a mission. 
The mission of Jesus was back on

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00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,720
track and would soon become a 
movement that would change the 

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00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,840
world. 
He had come to earth as a man, 

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00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,320
served humanity as God's Son, 
suffered the frailties of human 

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00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,880
existence and suffered 
persecution and torture, had 

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00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,440
been crucified, killed and died,
and was buried on Sunday. 

463
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:35,840
He rose and then returned to the
Father. 

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00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:42,400
It would be a message that would
be carried across deserts and 

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00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,600
oceans into foreign lands. 
It would be a message that would

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00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,600
cross racial divides and bring 
together all classes of people 

467
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,400
across all language and cultural
barriers and time. 

468
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,000
It would be a message that would
envelope the then known world of

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00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,480
its time. 
The message of Jesus would 

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00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,680
change the hearts of countless 
thousands. 

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00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,640
You see friends, the message is 
alive. 

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00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:11,600
The message is of a new Kingdom.
The new Kingdom is here. 

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00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,960
It is in the lives of everyone 
who takes up their cross and 

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00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,800
follows Jesus. 
The message is simple. 

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00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,920
It's just one message. 
Repentance, remissance of sins 

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00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,680
needs to be preached to all 
nations. 

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00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,160
He says. 
You're my witnesses. 

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00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,880
So if our sins are forgiven, 
then we're free from the reign 

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00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,360
of death, free from the guilt of
sin, free to embrace and enjoy 

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00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,720
life, live out Our Calling. 
There's no no condemnation. 

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00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:39,960
Those were in Christ. 
We're God's children. 

482
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,760
The message has not changed in 
over 2000 years. 

483
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,240
God's Kingdom is here today in 
this world, in my heart and in 

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00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:52,720
yours, and Jesus is now 
expecting you and I to go and do

485
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,920
what He did, not to die for the 
sins of others. 

486
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,840
That's not what he's expecting, 
but to live out this message. 

487
00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:02,040
He wants us to live out his 
Kingdom teachings that he left 

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00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,840
to us. 
And as we do that, people take 

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00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,840
notice and they're convicted of 
their sins and they're drawn by 

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00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,560
God's Spirit to embrace and make
the gospel their own as well. 

491
00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,840
The message of the gospel is not
very welcome in many places. 

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00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:19,040
We know to preach repentance is 
to imply something needs to be 

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00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:23,000
repented of, namely sin. 
Not very welcome in some places.

494
00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,880
To preach forgiveness means that
there's something to be given 

495
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:29,400
for. 
It's also not very welcome 

496
00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,200
sometimes, and that's OK. 
There are no perfect people. 

497
00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:33,840
We all need to repent 
continually. 

498
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:35,560
We all need to confess 
continually. 

499
00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,200
All of us need grace at all 
times. 

500
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:44,640
In summary, it's the end of the 
hope, the reign of death, the 

501
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,000
birth of New Hope, and the new 
message. 

502
00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,200
And these disciples went through
horrific experiences in doing 

503
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:55,440
what he taught them. 
And by rising from the dead, 

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00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,240
Jesus not only conquered death, 
he brought new life. 

505
00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:00,760
And so, in spite of all that 
happened to them, they stayed 

506
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,880
faithful to the message. 
And so can we today as well. 

507
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:06,440
We've all heard this story many 
times. 

508
00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,320
So what difference does it make 
from year to year? 

509
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:10,840
What difference does it make 
today? 

510
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,720
We do not want to be those who 
only see life from the 

511
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,800
perspective of seeking the 
living among the dead. 

512
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,720
We don't want to be those who 
are busy preparing spices for 

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00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,800
the dead when God has something 
far better for us. 

514
00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:25,680
Because the Easter story is 
true. 

515
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,360
We have hope for eternity here 
and now and past the grave. 

516
00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,240
For those who receive the 
message and internalize it and 

517
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,040
put their faith in Jesus, it 
gives them hope, entrance into a

518
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:42,800
new Kingdom, a purpose here and 
now and into eternity beyond. 

519
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,760
They're the lives of countless 
Saints or testimonies to this 

520
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,800
reality may be true in US today.
Let's pray. 

521
00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:54,600
Lord, we're grateful for the 
Easter story. 

522
00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:59,280
It's more than a story. 
It's an event, an ongoing event,

523
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,520
and the power of that event 
lives on today and into 

524
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,120
eternity. 
Lord help us to never lose sight

525
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,560
of this glorious reality that 
you rose from the dead and all 

526
00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,560
who put their trust and hope, 
and you will one day spend 

527
00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,600
eternity with you. 
I ask you Lord, as we go from 

528
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,560
here today and our hearts would 
be united together as own body. 

529
00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,560
Lord, our world needs this truth
to be lived out in your people, 

530
00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:24,760
may it be in us. 
Thank you, Lord.