Resurrection SON Day !

April 4, 2010

Brothers and Sisters ; first off , my family and I want to wish you and yours a most blessed and holy Resurrection Sunday .

I'd like to begin this sermon , by telling you all what a wonderful time we had last week when we visited the Holy Land Experience in Orlando , Florida . It was truly inspirational , and one of the displays there was the tomb of Jesus . I have attached a couple photos here of the exact replica of His tomb . You can also see pictures of our entire trip at : http://www.pastormstahlschurch.com/index.php?p=1_171_VACATION-PIC-S-MARCH-2010 



(Replica of the entrance to the tomb of Jesus . Taken at the "Holy Land Experience" , Orlando , Fl )



(Replica inside the tomb where Jesus' body was laid . Taken at the "Holy Land Experience" , Orlando , Fl )

Anyway , to continue , it seems that despite the biblical and historical evidence for Jesus' resurrection , there is still a great stir over it today , and there are still only two choices - to believe that Jesus rose from the dead , or to be closed to the truth - denying it , ignoring it , or rationalizing it away .

After His resurrection , a group of women were moving quickly through the streets , looking for the disciples to tell them the amazing news that Jesus was alive . At the same time , a group of religious leaders was plotting how to cover up the resurrection .

Now , remember I just mentioned that evidence shows that Jesus actually died and arose ? My friends , this evidence demonstrates Jesus' uniqueness in history and proves that He is God's Son . No one else was able to predict his own resurrection and then accomplish it .

But let's look at the proposed explanations for the empty tomb , along with the evidence against these explanations ,as well as the Scriptural references , ok ?

Explanation for the empty tomb : Jesus was only unconscious and later revived .

Evidence against this explanation : A Roman soldier told Pilate that Jesus was dead ( Reference : Mark 15:44-45 ; "And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph." )

The Roman soldiers did not break Jesus' legs because He had already died , and one of them pierced Jesus' side with a spear . ( Reference : John 19:32-34 ; "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." ) .

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus' body and placed it in the tomb . ( Reference : John 19:38-40 ; "And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." ) .

Explanation for the empty tomb : The women made a mistake and went to the wrong tomb .

Evidence against this explanation : Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw Jesus placed in the tomb . ( References : Matthew 27:59-61 ; "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre" ,  Mark 15:47 ; "And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid" , Luke 23:55 ; "And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid." )

Explanation for the empty tomb : Unknown thieves stole Jesus' body .

Evidence against this explanation : On Sunday morning Peter and John also went to the same tomb . (Reference : John 20:3-9 ; "Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." )

Explanation for the empty tomb : The disciples stole Jesus' body .

Evidence against this explanation : The tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers . (Reference : Matthew 27:65-66 ; "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." )

The disciples were ready to die for their faith . Stealing Jesus' body would have been admitting that their faith was meaningless . (Reference : Acts 12:2 ; "And he killed James the brother of John with the sword." ) .

The tomb was guarded and sealed . (Reference : Matthew 27:66 ; "So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.")

It had also been said that the religious leaders stole Jesus' body to produce it later. But , if they had taken Jesus' body , they surely would have produced it to stop the rumors of His resurrection .

Let's look now at Mark 15:42-43 ; "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus."

You see , the Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday . Jesus died just a few hours before sundown on Friday . It was against Jewish law to do physical work or to travel on the Sabbath , but Jesus died in time for Joseph of Arimathea to remove his body , prepare it for burial , and put it in his tomb . If Jesus had died on the Sabbath when Joseph was unavailable , His body would have been taken down by the Romans . Had the Romans taken Jesus' body , no Jews could have confirmed His death , and opponents could have disputed His resurrection .

So , after Jesus died on the cross , Joseph of Arimathea asked for His body and then sealed it in a new tomb . Although an honored member of the Jewish Council , Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus . Not all the Jewish leaders hated Jesus . Joseph risked his reputation to give a proper burial to his LORD . It is frightening to risk one's reputation even for what is right . So , if your Christian witness endangers your reputation , just remember Joseph.

Now , moving on to Mark 15:44 , we're told , "And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead."

Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so quickly , so he asked an officer to verify the report . Today , in an effort to deny the resurrection , there are those who say that Jesus didn't really die . His death , however , was confirmed by the centurion , Pilate , Joseph of Arimathea , the religious leaders , and the women who witnessed His burial . Jesus suffered actual physical death on the cross .

In 15:46 we read , "And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre."

This sepulchre , or tomb , was probably a cave carved out of a hill . It was large enough to walk into . Joseph wrapped Jesus' body , placed it in the tomb , and rolled a heacy stone across the entrance . The religious leaders also watched where Jesus was buried . They stationed guards by the tomb and sealed the stone to make sure no one would steal Jesus' body and claim He has risen from the dead (Matt. 27:62-66 ) .

Verse 15:47 ; "And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. "

These women could do very little . They couldn't speak before the Sanhedrin in Jesus' defense ; they couldn't stand against the crowds ; they couldn't overpower the Roman guards . But they did what they could . They stayed at the cross when the disciples had fled ; they followed Jesus' body to its tomb , and they prepared spices for His body . Because they used the opportunities they had , they were the first to witness the resurrection . God blessed their devotion and diligence . As believers , we should take advantage of the opportunities we have and do what we CAN for Christ , instead of worrying about what we CANNOT do .

As we look ahead at Mark 16:6 , we read , "And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."

The Resurrection is vitally important for many reasons : (1) Jesus kept His promise to rise from the dead , so we can believe He will keep all His other promises . (2 ) The Resurrection ensures that the ruler of God's eternal Kingdom will be the living Christ , not just an idea , hope , or dream . (3 ) Christ's resurrection gives us the assurance that we also will be resurrected . (4) The power that brought Christ's body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead selves back to life so we can change and grow (1 Cor. 15:12-19 ) . (5 ) The resurrection provides the substance of the church's witness to the world . We do not merely tell lessons from the life of a good teacher ; we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ .

Finally , my friends , in 16:15 Jesus Himself is saying , "... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Here , Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world telling everyone that He paid the penalty for sin and that those who believe in Him can be forgiven and live eternally with God . Christians today in all parts of the world are preaching this Gospel to people who have not heard it . The driving power that carries missionaries around the world and sets Christ's church in motion is the faith that comes from the resurrection . Do you ever feel that you don't have the skill or determination to be a witness for Christ ? You must personally realize that Jesus rose from the dead and lives for you today . As you grow in your relationship with Him , He will give you both the opportunities and the inner strength to tell His message .

From my family to yours , we wish you all a most Blessed and holy Resurrection Sunday . May The LORD bless and keep you all .

Yours in Christ ;
Pastor Mike and family