He is Risen! There is Good News Beyond the Grave

He is Risen! There is Good News Beyond the Grave

Luke 24:1-9; John 20:24-31      

Illus. Life.

Intro: Where?

John 20:31, These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.

C.S. Lewis, “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.”

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Romans 4:25, He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Read: Luke 24:1-12

Mary Magdalene, a woman named Joanna, Mary the mother of James, a woman named Salome, and potentially more (Luke 24:10; Mark 16:1), were heading to the tomb of Jesus to finish the work of embalming and wrapping His body for burial. A good portion of that had been done on Friday by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, however, when Jesus was crucified on the cross, they were up against the clock. The dead were traditionally wrapped and embalmed in many layers, but because the Sabbath day was near, and it was getting late in the day, Joseph and Nicodemus were rushed in preparing Jesus’ body for the tomb.

As Jesus died, Mary and the other women stood at a distance and watched, they also followed as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus transported Jesus’ body to the tomb, which was owned by Joseph. From the book of Luke chapter 23, we understand that the women saw how the body was laid in the tomb and they then went home and prepared spices and perfumes so they would be prepared to come back and properly care for Jesus’ body (Lk. 23:55-56). They then rested on the Sabbath, and early in the morning on third day, Sunday, the first day of the week, they made their way to the tomb, Mark 16:3 tells us that while they were on the way, they wondered who could role away the stone that had been rolled in front of the tomb.

The heavy stone would not have been something they could have done on their own without help. What they realize upon their arrive to the tomb, however, is that the stone had already been rolled away.  Mary and the others see a different scene than they expected. The stone had already been rolled away by an angel of the Lord who was seated on top of the stone (Mt. 28:2). Luke 24 describes the angels at men who suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing. Also, the tomb Jesus had been placed in three days earlier, was empty.

While we know the details surrounding why they were there at the tomb from the other accounts, that they had spices prepared to finishing the work of embalming and preparing Jesus’ body for the tomb, I am struck by the way their trip to the grave is described in Matthew 28:1.

Matthew 28:1, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

Luke 24:5, … “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?”

Matthew 28:6, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.

1. Remember The Words He Said

Matthew 28:5-6, I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said…

Luke 24:5(b)-7, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words…

• Their search was for Jesus, the angels were aware of that. But the angel points them back to what Jesus had said. They were looking for Jesus, in a tomb, but Jesus was not there, He had risen, just as He said.

• So, what exactly did Jesus say?

• There are several places in Scriptures where Jesus either spoke directly of, or alluded to His death, burial and resurrection.

Matthew 16:21, From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day.

Matthew 17:23, While they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

Matthew 20:19, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on the third day He will be raised up.”

• Those three texts in Matthew are called passion predictions.

• He followed up each prediction, by saying that on the third day He would be raised to life.

• The angels in Luke 24 don’t change any information, they simply remind the one looking of what Jesus said, that He would be killed, but He would be resurrected.

• When the angels told them “He is Risen” and recited the words Jesus had given them previously.

Luke 24:8, And they remembered His words.

• And in our lives, we need to be reminded of the same. We can look back and review what Jesus revealed, so that we can know we have much to look forward to if we put our faith and trust in Him.

John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies…

John 6:47, Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life.

John 10:9-10, I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

• In reviewing what Jesus revealed, we get direction in what we are to do in order to move forward and into the life the Lord promises to those who believe.

• And that is what we do, we must review what Jesus revealed, look back on what He said, and then head in that direction.

Illus. Remember.

John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Illus. Review the story.

Illus. Arms wide open.

Luke 15:21-24, The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:31-32, And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’

Matthew 28:8-9, And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!” And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.

1. Realize It Is Not Too Late to Begin Believing

• In John chapter 20, we are given another resurrection day account. In verse 19 we see Jesus appear his disciples when they were hiding out in fear after Jesus’ death on the cross.

• The door was locked to the room they were in, but Jesus came to them, stood amongst them and greeted them with these words, “peace be to you.” And he showed them His hands and his side, and they rejoiced because He met them and they had seen Him.

John 20:24-25, But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

• As the story continues, we read that 8 days later, when Jesus’ disciples were inside a room together again with the doors shut, Jesus came and stood amongst them.

• This time, Thomas was there. Jesus greeted them again with these words, “Peace be to you,” this time however, 8 days later, Thomas was there. And Jesus said “Thomas, place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side…Do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.”

• Thomas answered Him, “my Lord and my God!”

• Many call him Thomas the doubter, but after Jesus met him, he was Thomas the believer.

• It was 8 days later. Thomas was not there in the room when others saw Jesus on the day of His resurrection. He had heard about it, but was unwilling to believe personally.

• But on that day, he believed.

John 20:29(b)-31,  … “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.

1 John 5:11-12, And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Illus. Known.

John 10:27, My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

2 Corinthians 6:2, God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Acts 4:12, There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.

Romans 10:13, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:9-10, If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (NIV)

Luke 24:1-9

1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in gleaming clothing; 5and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? 6He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.” 8And they remembered His words, 9and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.

John 20:24-31