1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,360 Turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 28. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,800 Matthew 28 is where we'll be for part of our time this morning. 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,960 It is found on page 835 if you're using one of our Bibles 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:22,920 there in front of you in an attempt to get us out by noon. 5 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,560 I cut out like a third of my sermon last night, like 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:35,160 literally cut out a third of my sermon because it was going to 7 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:38,120 be pushing 75 minutes just for my sermon. 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:48,320 So yeah, hopefully what the Lord has laid on my heart this 9 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:54,680 morning, this week, will resonate and make sense as we go 10 00:00:54,680 --> 00:01:03,160 through this this morning. the Enlightenment began in the 17th 11 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:08,400 century and it it focused on knowledge and understanding. 12 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,440 It was driven by thinkers like Voltaire, Isaac Newton, Thomas 13 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,440 Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, 14 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,360 Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. 15 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,280 The thoughts and ideas of these men contributed to an era of 16 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:30,000 revolutions the world over of course, the American Revolution, 17 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,640 the French, Spanish, German, Italian, Greek Revolutions to 18 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,080 name a few. It's generally understood that 19 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,920 the Enlightenment began in the year 1637 with the publication 20 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,400 of Rene Descartes Discourse on the Method. 21 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,640 This writing yielded 2 concepts that would significantly shape 22 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,880 the movement. First, the Latin phrase cogito 23 00:01:54,920 --> 00:02:02,040 ergo sum, I think therefore I am, and secondly, a philosophy 24 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,600 of skepticism in regards to new ideas. 25 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,759 Descartes called for systematically disbelieving 26 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,320 everything unless there was a well founded reason for 27 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:21,440 accepting that thing as truth. A prevailing quality of the 28 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,760 Enlightenment was that everything could be explained 29 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,240 through natural means. So when you take Descartes 30 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,680 critical perspective and the movement's tendency to explain 31 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:37,160 everything through rationality and reason, then it would be 32 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,720 preposterous to consider something like the resurrection 33 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:45,480 as historical fact. It goes against the laws of 34 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:51,360 nature. the Enlightenment couldn't address issues related 35 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,760 to the supernatural. This morning we'll look at our 36 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,120 passage briefly, and then we'll dive deeper into the miracle of 37 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,200 the resurrection. If you're able, would you stand 38 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:09,640 as we read from Matthew chapter 28 verses one through 10? 39 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,200 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the 40 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,800 week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 41 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,720 And behold, there was a great earthquake. 42 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,200 For an Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came 43 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,280 and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 44 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,720 His appearance was like lightning in his clothing, white 45 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,480 as snow. And for fear of him the guards 46 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,320 trembled and became like dead men. 47 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,280 But the Angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know 48 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,240 that you seek Jesus, who is crucified. 49 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:45,400 He is not here, for he has risen as he said, Come see the place 50 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,840 where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his 51 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,480 disciples that he has risen from the dead. 52 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,280 And behold, he's going before you to Galilee. 53 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,880 There you will see him. See, I have told you. 54 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,120 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great 55 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,840 joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 56 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,920 And behold, Jesus met them and said greetings, and they came up 57 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,000 and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. 58 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,520 Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid. 59 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,720 Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see 60 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,720 me. You may be seated. 61 00:04:24,910 --> 00:04:28,310 So first as we begin, let's consider this occasion. 62 00:04:28,310 --> 00:04:34,750 It was the first day of the week, and this was Sunday that 63 00:04:34,750 --> 00:04:36,070 it was the first day of the week. 64 00:04:36,070 --> 00:04:38,440 And I know you think, well, obviously the first day of the 65 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,680 week is Sunday, right? There's been long discussion 66 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,680 about what day of the week Jesus was actually crucified on. 67 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,680 Was he really crucified on Friday as church history is 68 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,560 held, or, or was he crucified on a different day? 69 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,200 There is an argument out there that that Jesus was actually 70 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,120 crucified on Wednesday. It maintains that he entered 71 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,000 Jerusalem on Sunday, then was in the temple on Monday and 72 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,920 Tuesday, and then he was arrested and then crucified on 73 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:07,760 Wednesday. And those who hold to this 74 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,680 position do so out of a need for Jesus to have been in the tomb 75 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:17,480 for a full three days, a full 72 hours. 76 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,160 In Matthew 12 we read about one of Jesus many interactions with 77 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,160 the scribes and Pharisees. They asked for a sign and Jesus 78 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,400 scolded them looking for a sign to prove who he was. 79 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,920 He said no sign would be given to them except the sign of the 80 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,040 prophet Jonah. Then the rest of his response in 81 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:41,480 verse 40 reads for justice. Jonah was 3 days and three 82 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,160 nights in the belly of the great fish. 83 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:48,600 So will the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of 84 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,920 the earth? The argument is that in order 85 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,520 for Jesus to rise on Sunday and he must be in the grave 86 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:01,680 Wednesday evening. I would say it's very difficult 87 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:07,120 to arrive at this position because of a number of reasons, 88 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:12,360 but Scripture clearly tells us that Jesus died on the day of 89 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,840 preparation. The day of preparation is 90 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,680 Friday. Friday was a day to prepare for 91 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,840 the Sabbath. So it tells us Jesus died on the 92 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:26,400 day of preparation. Also, we need to understand 93 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,880 that, you see, the Jewish reckoning of a day didn't mean a 94 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:34,480 full 24 hours. For Jews, any part of the day 95 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:39,000 counted as a day. Thus, when Jesus said he'd be in 96 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,520 the grave for three days, being in the grave part of three days 97 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,400 was entirely plausible. Friday was the first day, 98 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,360 Saturday was the 2nd, and Sunday, of course, the third 99 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,720 day. Now that the Sabbath was over, 100 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,960 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who's probably Jesus aunt, 101 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,440 I might add, there's like by some accounts, there's something 102 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:09,560 like 4-5 or or 6 Marys in in the New Testament that you have that 103 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,200 you have to track in the Gospels. 104 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,280 Some will say 6, some will say 4 with some of those repeated. 105 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,480 So 4 to 6 Marys. Mary was obviously a very common 106 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,680 name. So Mary Magdalene and the other 107 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,640 Mary, who's probably Jesus's aunt went along with some other 108 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:32,760 women to anoint Jesus body. Now it's important that we not 109 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,760 gloss over this verse. Jesus ministry was constantly 110 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,960 subverting the societal norms and especially in relation to 111 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,040 women. He had women followers and they 112 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:52,080 like the men. Men would sit in the temple at 113 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,720 at the feet of their rabbi and listen, but Jesus, his followers 114 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,320 were able to sit at his feet. And this meant not only men but 115 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:07,800 also women, something that was not normally done in the 1st 116 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,440 century. Jewish women weren't even 117 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,760 allowed to testify in court. The historian Josephus tells us 118 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,720 that even the witness of multiple women was not 119 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:21,560 permissible in court because of the levity and boldness of their 120 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,360 sex. In the 2nd century, Kelsis, a 121 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:30,200 critic of Christianity, mocked the notion that Mary Magdalene 122 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,760 was a witness to the resurrection because he claimed 123 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:40,039 she was a hysterical female deluded by sorcery. 124 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:48,680 Jesus resurrection was first revealed to women when they 125 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:51,520 arrived at Jesus tomb. There was another earthquake. 126 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,600 There had been an earthquake on Friday when Jesus died in the in 127 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,800 the temple curtain was torn and now here was another one 128 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,320 signaling this profound moment in history. 129 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,680 An Angel arrived with the earthquake. 130 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,440 Or perhaps the earthquake happened because the Angel 131 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:14,760 arrived and it The Angel rolls back the stone and he he it 132 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,800 takes a seat. I imagine the appearance of this 133 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,400 Angel to be otherworldly, like you're looking at this ball of 134 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,840 light or or something like that, the type of thing that would be 135 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:35,600 so bright to outshine the sun. The tomb had been made secure 136 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:42,560 because the Pharisees wanting to make sure that that's this group 137 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:46,200 of Jesus followers didn't gain any more traction. 138 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,080 They they went to pilots and asked him to make the tomb 139 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,360 secure. So Pilate made the tomb secure 140 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:57,880 not by having a lock or or chains on it, but by putting his 141 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,200 own seal on it, something that could easily be physically 142 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:07,440 broken. But breaking his seal was 143 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:13,120 something you did not do because if you broke it, you would 144 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:19,480 probably meet your death. But the Angel, the Angel has 145 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,080 more authority than pilots. So the Angel broke the seal. 146 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:30,800 Now the guards were terrified at seeing the Angel. 147 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:33,360 These guards were terrified to seeing the Angel. 148 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:40,120 I love this scene because these guards, these aren't just the 149 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:44,400 wimpy type people just hey, don't do that. 150 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,480 No, these are the baddest, toughest men around. 151 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,600 So they're the ones who've been placed there to guard the tomb. 152 00:10:56,680 --> 00:11:02,600 But when the Angel appears, they are terrified. 153 00:11:03,680 --> 00:11:06,720 They are completely terrified. They're they're traumatized by 154 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,160 by what they saw. They trembles. 155 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,680 So then we have the proclamation of the Angel. 156 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:19,760 What is it that the Angel says? Verses 5 through 8? 157 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,200 The Angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that 158 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,640 you see Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen 159 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,400 as he said. Come, see the place where he 160 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,520 lay. Then go quickly and tell his 161 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,560 disciples that He has risen from the dead. 162 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,360 And behold, He is going before you to Galilee. 163 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,640 There you will see him. See, I have told you so they 164 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,200 departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran 165 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:48,040 to tell his disciples. The Angel had an announcement, 166 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,840 which is often what angels did. That was their role, to 167 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:57,320 primarily to make announcements. The Angel said the same thing 168 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,000 that we've heard at the beginning of the Jesus 169 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,320 narrative. The Angel says don't be afraid. 170 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,280 These were the same words that were spoken to Zechariah, to 171 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,560 Mary, to Joseph and to the shepherds when an Angel appeared 172 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,960 to them. Apparently seeing an Angel is 173 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:21,440 such an awesome as in awe and fear inducing sight that when 174 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:26,240 they reveal themselves in their natural angelic form, the 175 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:33,680 response is fear. So the Angel has an announcement 176 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:37,880 for them and he says he came to bring them good news. 177 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:42,240 He's not here. He's risen just as he said. 178 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,200 He's risen just as he said just before Jesus and the disciples 179 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,080 headed towards Jerusalem for the triumphal entry. 180 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,880 He told them point blank, he says, see, we're going up to 181 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,320 Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the 182 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,960 chief priest. He's literally telling them this 183 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,240 is what's going to happen. I, I think they were like tuning 184 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,640 him out, like they were just not hearing this is what's going to 185 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:09,080 happen. See, the Son of Man will be 186 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,920 turned over to the chief priests and scribes and they'll condemn 187 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,320 him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be 188 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,600 crucified. And he will be raised on the 189 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:24,760 third day is what Jesus said. He literally says he would be 190 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,440 crucified and raised on the third day. 191 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:31,320 Now put yourself in these women's sandals. 192 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:38,320 Date arrived hoping to be able to anoint Jesus body before it 193 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,200 got to the 4th day and it started to smell really bad. 194 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:43,960 That was that was their intent right? 195 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:48,520 And, and it was lost on them that Jesus would actually be 196 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,960 resurrected. He literally said he'd be raised 197 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,280 on the third day. And, and they didn't really have 198 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:56,960 a means for understanding that, though. 199 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:02,920 I mean, technically they had a category for this kind of 200 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:07,720 statement. After all, Jesus had literally 201 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:14,000 raised Lazarus back to life just six weeks earlier. 202 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:21,400 But still, Jesus followers just didn't quite get it when he told 203 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:26,120 them that on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 204 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:33,360 See, it's hard to move our minds out of the realm of the natural, 205 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:38,840 the natural world and into the realm of the supernatural. 206 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,520 Especially when the beloved leader of your movement dies, 207 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,680 it's entirely and completely natural and normal to believe 208 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,520 that the person is dead and not coming back. 209 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,560 So the Angel called these women to come see the place where 210 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,080 where Jesus was laid and and after a brief exchange with 211 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:05,440 them, gave them a command. The command was to go tell the 212 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,680 disciples and then head to Galilee. 213 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,760 Go tell the disciples and then head to Galilee. 214 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,560 Tell, tell the disciples that he's risen from the dead, and 215 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,920 then and then go to Galilee to meet him there. 216 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,880 These women. It was these women who were 217 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,640 given the task of conveying the news to the disciples. 218 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,600 God used women to bring a message of hope to the rest of 219 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,600 the disciples. And now we look at the King's 220 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:41,360 personal appearance to these women and behold, Jesus met them 221 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,560 and he said greetings, and they came up and took hold of his 222 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,080 feet and worshipped him. That Jesus said to them, do not 223 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,760 be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to 224 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,720 Galilee and there they will see me as the women. 225 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,040 They they'd left the tomb. They're on their way. 226 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,040 On their way Jesus met them. And the Greek word used here is 227 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,040 very informal. It's along the lines of hello. 228 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,560 And it was just the, an ordinary, completely ordinary 229 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,440 greeting that they would use in the marketplace and among 230 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,640 travelers on the road. There's nothing personal about 231 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,240 it. This, this was a momentous 232 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,640 occasion. And Jesus is just like, hey, 233 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:32,280 how's it going? Like he's just like, this is 234 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,680 normal for him. This, this is how he works. 235 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:42,520 This informal greeting elicits worship of the king. 236 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,200 This informal greeting elicits worship of the King. 237 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,600 The women dropped to their knees. 238 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,400 They grabbed his feet and worshipped him. 239 00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:01,680 They now had absolute certainty that he was risen. 240 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,640 They weren't just taking the angels word for it. 241 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,319 They actually saw and touched Jesus glorified body. 242 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:17,079 The only proper response at that moment was adoration and praise 243 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:21,000 of the one who had just conquered death. 244 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:29,800 They did what every single person will one day do, just in 245 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,280 that as as Austin read that passage from Philippians 2, 246 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:39,480 every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is 247 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,320 Lord. That is what these women did 248 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:48,800 upon immediately seeing him. Jesus then gave them the same 249 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,680 directive, basically, that the Angel had given them. 250 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,160 He said He reiterates the command to go. 251 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,680 He reiterated the command to go. The the Angel had had said tell 252 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,760 the disciples. The Angel specifically calls out 253 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,560 the disciples. But here Jesus slightly augments 254 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,360 the command and he says, tell my brothers to go to Galilee and 255 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:13,680 there they will see me. The women were supposed to tell 256 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,320 more than just the disciples. They were to tell a larger group 257 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,360 of brethren who were who were also followers of Jesus, just 258 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:26,560 not part of the original 12 who would now become eleven. 259 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,320 Most of Jesus followers had dispersed and we're now 260 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:41,880 dejected, but nonetheless, Jesus still claimed them as his 261 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:48,920 brothers, his followers. The women went on their way with 262 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,600 great joy and having witnessed the risen Christ and now tasked 263 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:59,680 with telling others about it. However, there was hesitancy and 264 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,920 endowed at the women's words. Peter and John immediately ran 265 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,200 to the tomb to verify the accuracy of what they've been 266 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,400 told in the first cross country race in history. 267 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,120 The text tells us Peter starts out first. 268 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,200 Oh, but was he the first one to get there? 269 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:27,000 No, John outran him. Thomas refused even to believe 270 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,080 he he needed evidence that Jesus had been resurrected in John 271 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,760 2025. We read of his response. 272 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,680 Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my 273 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,680 finger into the marks of the nails, place my hand into his 274 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:50,280 side, I will never believe to call him doubting. 275 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,760 Thomas seems to be putting it mildly. 276 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,520 He needed proof that Jesus had been resurrected. 277 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,040 In our next few moments, I want to look at some of the proofs or 278 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:14,320 evidences of the resurrection first of all. 279 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:20,000 This may go without saying, but resurrection requires 280 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:25,480 crucifixion. To be resurrected he first had 281 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,720 to die. Jesus crucifixion is attested to 282 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:35,160 in numerous independent sources both from Christian and non 283 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:40,520 Christian 1st century authors. A couple of those are Josephus 284 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:46,600 and and Tacitus. They both speak to Jesus, him 285 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:51,680 being crucified, and then to the notion that that he had been 286 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:56,280 resurrected. Now, I have to say, if you 287 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:01,720 wanted to start a religious movement, you don't start with 288 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:08,800 crucifixion. Crucifixion was a stumbling 289 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,840 block to the Jews that they were absolutely repulsed by 290 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,120 crucifixion. This Roman means of torture. 291 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,040 They believe those hung on a tree were cursed by God. 292 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,880 Second, for the Gentiles, who was absolutely repulsive to 293 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,440 worship someone who died such a dishonorable death. 294 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,160 And this type of death was normally reserved for the worst 295 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:47,040 of criminals. But Jesus actually died on a 296 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,920 cross. He didn't merely seem to die or 297 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:57,600 appear to die as our Muslim friends would would tell us. 298 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:03,960 No, Jesus actually died on the cross. 299 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,960 Another proof is the disciples had eyewitness experiences. 300 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,800 The disciples had eyewitness experiences. 301 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:20,480 There are numerous independent texts attesting to the disciples 302 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:25,680 eyewitness accounts and experiences, scholar Reginald 303 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:29,560 Fuller writes. It is clear that the disciples 304 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:33,520 had real experiences characterized as appearances or 305 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,320 visions of the risen Jesus. Whether these are explained 306 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:41,880 naturally or supernaturally, this experience is a fact upon 307 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,960 which both believer and unbeliever may agree. 308 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:53,240 Some 20 years after Jesus death, Paul wrote in First Corinthians 309 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:58,320 15 verses 3 and 4. Fry delivered to you as the 310 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,680 first importance what I also received, that Christ died for 311 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,720 our sins in accordance with the scriptures. 312 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:07,080 That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in 313 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:12,440 accordance with the scriptures. Now it's widely believed that 314 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:17,440 here Paul was reciting a very early Christian creed that was 315 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,480 already in circulation within just a few years of Jesus death. 316 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,560 This creed is what was delivered to Paul that Christ died for our 317 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,760 sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, 318 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,240 that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the 319 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,760 scriptures. Paul then proceeded to say how 320 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:41,960 Jesus appeared to Peter, then he appeared to the 12500 people, 321 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:46,560 some of whom had already died, and James the apostles, and then 322 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:52,840 to Paul himself. So there were these 323 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,360 eyewitnesses, these eyewitness experiences. 324 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,560 Another proof of the resurrection is Jesus accepted 325 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:06,760 by his brothers James and Jude, who became leaders in the early 326 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:10,840 church. Jesus was accepted by his 327 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,800 brothers James and Jude, and they eventually became leaders 328 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:18,080 in the early church. Jesus family had initially been 329 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,560 quite skeptical of Jesus. They thought Jesus was crazy. 330 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:28,600 I was like, what do you do when your brother tells you that he's 331 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,880 the Messiah? Like it's hard, hard to hard to 332 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:40,000 swallow that right? But Mark 321 reads, when his 333 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,640 family heard it, they went out to seize him for they were 334 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:48,440 saying he is out of his mind. James and the rest of his family 335 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,200 were quite contrary to what Jesus was saying. 336 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,280 They didn't look. This of course didn't look good 337 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,920 for Jesus family. His family didn't like having 338 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:02,040 this guy that some people thought was crazy. 339 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:08,400 He claims to be the Messiah, but Mark records this embarrassing 340 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:13,080 fact because it was accurate because it was the truth. 341 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:18,560 Again, this isn't how you start a new movement and and gain 342 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:22,960 respect, but this was the reality of the situation. 343 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,960 After Jesus death, resurrection and personal appearances. 344 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:34,760 Though his family changed. They personally witnessed the 345 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,880 resurrected Jesus and placed their faith in him, and they 346 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:44,000 began to follow his teachings. And both James and Jude 347 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:49,000 ultimately become leaders, significant leaders in the early 348 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:54,440 church. And we have books from each of 349 00:25:54,440 --> 00:26:00,800 them in our Bible now. Next, Paul, a persecutor of the 350 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:05,040 early church, was converted when Jesus appeared to him. 351 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:09,080 Paul, who had persecuted the early church, was converted when 352 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:10,800 Jesus personally appeared to him. 353 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,880 Jesus had appeared to Paul a major persecutor of the church 354 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,840 while he was traveling on the road to Damascus. 355 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,800 He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. That that means that he kept the 356 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,160 law so perfectly and he was so zealous for the law that he 357 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,560 persecuted Christians because he felt they were perverting the 358 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,960 law and and they were teaching that Jesus was the Messiah who'd 359 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,600 been foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. 360 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:47,280 Paul's demeanor was described by Luke as breathing threats and 361 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:55,760 murder against the Christians. But that's not the end of the 362 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,920 story. Paul was transformed from 363 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:01,440 terrorizing the church to being a committed follower of Jesus 364 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:08,880 and martyr for his faith. Can you imagine having been the 365 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:17,400 first person that Paul comes to and Paul says, hey, I follow 366 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:22,240 Jesus now. No, no, no, no, no. 367 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,080 Closing that door, slamming it in his face. 368 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:37,960 But Paul had been changed so so Luke writes 3 times in the book 369 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,440 of Acts. Luke recounts Paul's conversion 370 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,640 and Paul's conversion was verified by that means. 371 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,800 Paul's conversion was verified by an early and independent 372 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:54,720 eyewitness who was also a doctor and whose word could be trusted. 373 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,040 The Paul was transformed by the power of Jesus. 374 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:05,680 Resurrection is without doubt, as he went from being a 375 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:15,120 celebrated leader among the Jewish elite to running for his 376 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:20,560 life because he was wanted dead by his former colleagues. 377 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,520 Paul had been radically transformed. 378 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,040 These facts all help us to see how much the followers of Jesus 379 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,040 changed. On Friday they were dejected and 380 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:42,920 and had lost all hope, but on Sunday everything changed. 381 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,880 It's important that when we're confronted with facts about 382 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:52,120 something that we consider the implications of those facts on 383 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,720 our life. In regards to the resurrection. 384 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,840 We ask why does this information matter? 385 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:05,600 How does the resurrection impact me? 386 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:14,880 Well first of all, without the resurrection, forgiveness of sin 387 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,880 would not be a reality. Without resurrection we would 388 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,720 not have forgiveness. If Jesus had died, then you 389 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:28,120 would have turned out to be just like all the other 390 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:32,720 self-proclaimed messiahs who had preceded him if he just stayed 391 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,040 in that grave. He wasn't the first to claim the 392 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:43,720 title Messiah, and he was not the last, but he was the only 393 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,760 one who got up out of that grave. 394 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:52,080 First Corinthians 15, verses 16 through 17, Paul writes if the 395 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,880 dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 396 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,760 That is, if there's no resurrection. 397 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,480 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and 398 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:06,480 you are still in your sins. Paul saying that if Jesus wasn't 399 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,920 raised from the dead, then we are still in our sin. 400 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,840 Our freedom from sin hasn't been purchased and our faith would be 401 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:18,920 worthless if Paul if Jesus wasn't raised. 402 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,200 Therefore, resurrection is the guarantee that Christ payment 403 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:28,080 for our sin was sufficient and it was accepted by the Father 404 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:35,320 and that means our faith in Christ is of infinite value. 405 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,080 Resurrection is, let me repeat that resurrection is the 406 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,840 guarantee Christ's payment for our sin was sufficient and 407 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:48,760 accepted by the Father and our faith is of infinite value. 408 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,320 The second way Jesus resurrection impacts us is that 409 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:59,240 it gives us hope. It gives us hope, but not just 410 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,520 in this life but also in the future. 411 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,480 The message of the Scripture has always been a message of 412 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:14,720 resurrection hope. Death isn't the end for those 413 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,520 who belong to God. Rather, it's a doorway that 414 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:24,880 leads to eternity with God. Going back to First Corinthians 415 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:30,840 15, Paul, perhaps a bit tongue in cheek or sarcastic maybe 416 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,880 wrote in in First Corinthians 1519. 417 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,800 Paul was never one to shy away from just speaking the truth. 418 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,520 He says if in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are 419 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:52,520 of all people most to be pitied. That is, if our faith ends at 420 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:58,080 the grave, then what's what's the point in in that? 421 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,800 What's the point in faith? Faith is valuable. 422 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,960 The point being that faith is valuable both for this life and 423 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:12,240 for the next. The faith lifts up the 424 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:15,000 downtrodden. In the midst of Job's troubles, 425 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,360 having lost all his possessions, being left with a horrible wife 426 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:24,560 and friends who just basically gas lit him, Job wrote of his 427 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:30,200 hope. Job 1925 and 26 For I know that 428 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:35,800 my Redeemer lives. This is so early on in 429 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:37,760 scripture. This is very, very early. 430 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,920 Job doesn't actually fall where it falls in our Bibles. 431 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:46,920 Job actually is like ancient, ancient falls after somewhere 432 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,400 around after a Genesis 9. So he he he has this 433 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:55,600 understanding. He says I know my Redeemer lives 434 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:01,760 and and at the last he will stand upon the earth and after 435 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:05,680 my skin has been destroyed, that is after I have died yet in my 436 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,880 flesh, I shall see God. He's saying I will be 437 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,840 resurrected after I have died. I will be resurrected and I will 438 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:17,600 see God. Job's hope in the next life 439 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:24,960 enabled him to endure this life, the horrible life that that he 440 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:34,120 had lived for a season. So what have you done with the 441 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:39,520 resurrection? Have you pinned your life on the 442 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:44,320 truth of it, or have you simply ignored the resurrection 443 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:48,640 thinking, oh, that's good for them, but I don't believe in the 444 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:53,040 resurrection or I don't. I don't need that in my life. 445 00:33:53,840 --> 00:34:00,560 You can have that. Jesus isn't like any other 446 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:06,280 person in all of history. He was there at the beginning of 447 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:10,040 creation. Indeed, He created it all The 448 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,880 sin broke into the world and humanity's relationship with God 449 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:17,679 was forever changed. But. 450 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:21,520 But God desires for our relationship with Him to be 451 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:27,719 restored back to fullness. Each of us is a Sinner, and the 452 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,600 fact we're sinners means we're deserving of eternal separation 453 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,000 from God. We violated His standards, and 454 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:41,280 try as we might, we'll never be good enough to earn our way into 455 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:48,480 His good graces. Fortunately, God provided the 456 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,280 free gift of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. 457 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,280 There are three simple keys to receiving God's grace. 458 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:03,080 It's as simple as ABCA is for admits. 459 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,840 Admit that you are a Sinner and that you fall short of God's 460 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,640 standard. That is each and every one of 461 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:12,880 us. We are not perfect. 462 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:17,840 We can't completely live up to God's standards. 463 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:23,000 B is for believe. Place your faith in Jesus 464 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,520 Christ. Believe that He is God's Son, 465 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,280 that he died for your sins, and that God raised him from the 466 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,400 dead. Now it's important to say that 467 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,720 this isn't simply intellectual belief. 468 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,200 It's not just information to put away in in our minds, but this 469 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,880 belief is something that comes from our hearts. 470 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:54,640 It's an expression of sincerity and trust in who Jesus is and C 471 00:35:54,680 --> 00:36:00,000 So A is admit, B is believe and C is confessed, confessed Jesus 472 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:06,160 as your Lord and Savior. That means that he has the 473 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:10,280 authority over your life and and that everything you do is 474 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:16,520 submitted to him as Savior. He's the only one who who can 475 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,000 rescue you from an eternity separated from God. 476 00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:27,200 Romans 10/13 tells us everyone who calls on the name of the 477 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:34,520 Lord will be saved. If you call out to him, He'll 478 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:39,320 hear you and restore your relationship with him. 479 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,960 Descartes called for systematically disbelieving 480 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,800 everything unless there was a well founded reason for 481 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:56,800 accepting that thing as truth. This morning we've looked at a 482 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:01,280 number of reasons for accepting the resurrection as truth. 483 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,720 Jesus interrupted the natural processes of this world with his 484 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:11,200 miraculous resurrection, working outside of natural law and 485 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:16,600 understanding the light. the Enlightenment couldn't explain 486 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,680 how Jesus rose again back to life, never to die again. 487 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:29,040 But that's how our God works in miraculous, supernatural ways. 488 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,720 The resurrection is the central event of God's redemptive 489 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,520 history. It's the cornerstone of our 490 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,200 faith. And everything we are and have 491 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:45,360 and ever hope to be is predicated on the miraculous 492 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,720 reality of Christ's resurrection. 493 00:37:50,520 --> 00:38:00,270 Let's bow our heads and close our eyes and the quietness of 494 00:38:00,270 --> 00:38:02,750 this moment as we prepare to close. 495 00:38:06,750 --> 00:38:15,350 If there is anyone in this place who is not yet placed your faith 496 00:38:15,350 --> 00:38:19,150 in Jesus Christ, you've not yet stepped over that line of faith 497 00:38:21,230 --> 00:38:25,510 and said and admitted that you are a Sinner, believed that 498 00:38:25,510 --> 00:38:30,960 Jesus came into this world and died for us, then was 499 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:36,560 resurrected and ascended. You haven't yet confessed Him as 500 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:44,880 Lord and Savior. If you haven't yet done that, I 501 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:49,440 would love to talk with you. Set up an appointment to talk 502 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:51,640 about that to answer your questions. 503 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:57,320 See what it is that might be holding you back from stepping 504 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:06,880 over that line and saying, yes, Jesus is my Savior and I submit 505 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:15,440 everything I am to him. So if that's you this morning, 506 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,800 I'd love to talk with you after the service. 507 00:39:23,220 --> 00:39:26,980 God, we thank you for the resurrection. 508 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:34,960 This this undeniable reality that Jesus came into this world, 509 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:39,840 He lived a perfect life, went to the cross to pay the penalty for 510 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:48,880 our sins, was resurrected and ascended, conquering death and 511 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:54,240 purchasing our freedom from sin. Thank you so much. 512 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:06,440 May we always walk in the reality of the truth that Jesus 513 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:12,880 was resurrected, that we now have fullness in you. 514 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,160 Thank you. It's in Jesus name we pray, 515 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:19,640 Amen.