Tomb Empty, Faith Full - Apr 20, 2014

To  DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request.

SERMON:

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was no accident. It was predicted in the Old Testament of the Bible, hundreds of years before it happened. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 contain detailed descriptions of the crucifixion even though Isaiah was written 700 years before the crucifixion, and Psalm 22 was written nearly 1000 years before.

Ancient though they are, these prophecies match up perfectly with what happened to Jesus: His hands and feet pierced, his silence acceptance of mockery, lots cast to divide up his remaining possessions. These ancients Scriptures even tell us that Christ was not suffering because of something he had done. He was suffering for the sins of others.

To many involved, the crucifixion was an unexpected turn of events. But not to Jesus. And not to his heavenly Father. To them, the crucifixion was the culmination of a great plan to rescue sinners from hell.

▬

You see, the God who created the universe is a good God. A God of love, righteousness, and justice. As a just God, he must punish evil. And the penalty for sinning against the Almighty, is separation from him, and all his goodness—forever. In a word, the punishment for sin, is HELL.  This is what the Son of God suffered that Friday afternoon as he hung from on the cross. And he suffered this in your place, for your sins, to save you from hell.

No, the crucifixion was not an accident. It was foretold, and carried out, so that your sins now stand forgiven in Christ.

▬

But today, our mediation does not focus on the cross. On Easter Sunday we focus on what came AFTER the cross: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD.

Like the crucifixion, the resurrection was also, not an accident.  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was foretold in the Old Testament. The resurrection was also expected by Jesus.

To many involved, the resurrection was an unexpected turn of events. But not to Jesus. And not to his heavenly Father. To them, the resurrection was a predicted, calculated event, meant to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything Jesus had said about himself was true.

▬

To help us understand how important the resurrection is, today we’re going to read from a letter written by the apostle Paul. This letter was written to Christians gathering in the ancient city of Corinth.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reveals that there were some people at Corinth who were saying that any type of resurrection from the dead was a fiction, and impossibility. But that’s not what God’s Word says. And that’s not what Paul had been teaching. May the Holy Spirit help us, through his Word, to see how very important the resurrection of Jesus truly is.

1 Corinthians 15:13-23 (NASB)

  13   But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

  14   and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

  15   Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

  16   For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

  17   and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

  18   Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

  19   If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

  20   But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

  21   For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

  22   For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

  23   But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,

▬

You remember that old Jimmy Stewart movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life?” You know, the one that used to play over, and over, every Christmas? In the movie Stewart plays “George Bailey”, a businessman with a beautiful family. George becomes depressed and begins to despair thinking that his life hasn’t mattered at all. That the world would have been a better place without him. Then an angel steps in to help George see that his life has been very important to the people around him. The angel does this by showing George what the world would have been like if he had never existed.

The apostle Paul does something similar here. The apostle Paul helps the Christians in Corinth by showing them what life would be like if Christ Jesus had never been raised from the dead.

▬

Paul says, Okay Corinthians, there are people among you teaching that resurrection from the dead isn’t possible? Don’t you realize what this would mean if it was true?

Let’s start with what this would mean for those who have gone out into the world to teach the Gospel. Do you realize what would this mean for them?

It would mean  that this message that they’ve been risking their lives to spread—is empty. That’s what that word “vain” means in the Greek. Empty. Without substance. Hollow. Nothing there.

▬

And not only would their preaching be empty, it would be a blatant lie. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then all of the apostles who said they saw him alive after he had been dead—they were liars. And all those other people who claimed to have seen him, conversed with him, to have eaten with him, hundreds of people over the span of forty days—they were all liars too. And not just liars, they were guilty of lying about God.

That’s not a good idea to lie about God. We’re all going to stand before God one day and he’s going to judge our choices according to his standards. It’s not a good idea to lie about God.

▬

Not only that. Paul says, Corinthians, do you realize what this would mean? Think about your friends. Your Christian friends who died trusting in Jesus as their Savior from sin. If Christ is not raised, then he can’t be the Savior. And so any who died trusting in him are lost forever.

▬

And think about yourselves, Corinthians. If Christ is dead and rotting, then your faith is empty. Like I said, he can’t be the Savior if he wasn’t raised from the dead. And if Jesus isn’t the Savior, you don’t have a Savior, and your sins are still on you.

If Jesus is still in the tomb, then Christianity is a truly pathetic religion. I mean, think about it. Jesus never promised to give us good health in this life. He never promised to give us millions of dollars. He never even promised to give us good times in this life. In fact, he promised the opposite to his closest disciples. Jesus told them…

“‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20 ESV).

Jesus promised his disciples persecution in this life. That’s what he promised. In another one of Paul’s letters he writes…

“¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12 ESV).

So, let me get this Christianity thing straight. There’s no promise of health, riches, or good times. And the one we trust in, depend upon, and put our hope in—is dead and rotting in a tomb somewhere? If that were the case, our faith is about the most pathetic religion in the entire world. It has NOTHING to offer.

Later in this same chapter Paul writes…

“If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32 NASB).

That would make sense. Enjoy it while you can. If there is no resurrection from the dead. No judgment to come. No afterlife.

But that’s not the case.

▬

Paul says, enough of this pretending. Enough of this “It’s a Wonderful Life” storyline. Let’s get back to the reality. Look at verse 20 again. Paul says…

“ 20   But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

  21   For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

  22   For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

  23   But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NASB).

I LOVE that first sentence there, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” There’s SO MUCH wrapped up there.

Now I know we’re not all farmers, but I think we can get the idea here. The “first fruits” are the FIRST…   …FRUITS. I mean that’s not hard to grasp! It’s the first stuff that comes out of the field. And that implies that there’s going to be…   …MORE!

Jesus wasn’t the first person in history to be raised from the dead. But he was the first one who never died again. When he was raised from the dead, the Father raised him to eternal life. His body was changed, glorified, so that he could walk around with that hole in his side that they could touch and feel, and these holes in his hands that they could see. And yet he wasn’t in pain. He only let those marks remain so he could show them it was really him. Really their Jesus, the one who had been crucified to death, but was now alive.

He was the first fruits of those who will rise, never to die again.

▬

Paul says, Death came into the world through a man—Adam. Life and resurrection come through Jesus.

Picture two big circles. An Adam circle, and a Christ circle. We’re all in the Adam circle. We’re his descendants, part of the human race. As Adam’s descendants, we’re subject to death because of the sin he brought into the world.

Now think of the Christ circle. Not everyone is in the Christ circle. Only those who trust in him. But for those in Christ, he brings life. He brings forgiveness of sins, reunification with our Creator, and one day, bodily resurrection to eternal life. 

But each in his own order: Christ first, then those who are Christ’s, when he returns. Jesus is the first harvest. When he returns, he will harvest the rest. He will make alive, and bring with him, all who are in him by faith.

And Christ invites each one of us to be in that circle. He didn’t just die for some, he died for all. And he invites each one of us to rely on him. To be in that circle.

▬

It all hinges on the resurrection. If Jesus had remained dead, and they had found him rotting in that tomb on Easter morning—then we’d know that everything Jesus claimed about himself was a lie.

But that’s not what they found. First they found and empty tomb, and then they met their risen Savior.

You know, it’s ironic. When the disciples of Jesus came to his tomb, they were all shocked and confused and full of fear because the tomb was empty! That was actually the best thing possible! If they had found the body of a dead Jesus, any faith in Jesus, would have been an empty faith.

Because his tomb was empty, our faith is full. Everything that Jesus said about himself is true:

He is the Son of God.

He died for our sins.

We stand forgiven.

The Bible can be trusted.

One day he will return, and if we have died by that time, he will raise us from the dead to eternal glory.

This is what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means.

This is what Easter means.

Because his tomb was empty, our faith is full.

Full of God’s forgiveness.

Full of peace.

Full of joy.

Full of power.

Full of solid hope for the future.

He is risen.

And thank God that he is!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and your minds, in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Brings Peace - Mar 31, 2013

To  DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request.

SERMON:

About 700 years before Jesus lived and died, the Spirit of God inspired a prophet by the name of Isaiah to write about Him. You might remember reciting Isaiah’s words as a child in one Christmas Eve service or another. The prophet wrote…

“⁶         For unto us a Child is born,

            Unto us a Son is given;

            And the government will be upon His shoulder.

            And His name will be called

            Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

            Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV).

Of these different titles for our Savior, today we seize on the last one, the “Prince of Peace”. In our meditation we’ll see how Jesus brings peace to His followers, and to the world.

A few moments ago we read a section from Luke’s Gospel. For our sermon reading we revisit that section. I’ll read it once more so that it’s fresh in our minds.

Luke 24:36-48 (NKJV)

³⁶ Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them,  “Peace to you.” ³⁷ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them,  “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. ⁴¹ But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” ⁴² So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. ⁴³ And He took it and ate in their presence.

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

⁴⁶ Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things.

▬

As the last of the disciples hastily entered the room, they quickly closed the door and locked it. Many emotions surged in the minds of those gathered in that room, but peace was not one of them. Uncertainty, doubt, and fear filled the minds of these men. And with good reason.

Just a few days previous their world had come crashing down. Their Master and Teacher had been arrested, tried, condemned, and crucified – all in the space of twenty-four hours.

When He was arrested, they had fled, fearing for their lives. And since that time their fear had only grown. If the powers that be were capable of having Jesus murdered, who could say what was in store for His disciples.

And now stranger events had added to their fear. There were reports from their own friends that the tomb of Jesus had been broken open, and that the Master’s body was missing. Some had reported seeing angels. Others that they had seen Jesus Himself, alive!

While you and I might think this should have led the disciples to joy, their minds had not yet put it all together. They were still gripped by fear. And so, as the disciples discussed the events that had been reported, they did so in hushed and tense voices. 

But then a new, and confident voice rang out in the room where they had gathered. A strangely familiar voice. It said,

“Peace to you.”

And as every head turned to look at the newcomer, their hearts raced faster, not with elation, but with ever more increasing fear.

▬

Fear is like a tumor in the human mind. One that grows at an alarming rate. When the disciples first saw Jesus, they didn’t respond with joy. Instead their fearful minds gathered in still more fearful thoughts. This must be a ghost! A disembodied spirit come to visit some terror upon them! And they shrank back from Jesus like He was a leper.

But with a calm, and slightly scolding tone, Jesus questioned them, saying,

“Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

If it had been you or me reassuring a loved one that it was us, we might have pointed to a scar, or a tattoo, to prove it. But Jesus had more recent and telling marks to show His disciples. He held up His hands, which still bore the nail holes made to secure Him to the cross. With these he motioned to His feet which bore the same.

But Jesus could see that they still held on to the ghost idea. They still thought that it too good to be true. So, Jesus asked for food and ate it in their presence. And finally, the tense hearts of the disciples relaxed.

They could see that He wasn’t just a ghost. But now, what would show them that He was truly the Master whom they had loved so much? What could prove He  was Jesus, the man whom they had traveled with for years? How about something that He had told them in private? Yes. That would do. Jesus spoke once more, saying,

“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Once when they had been alone with Jesus, He had told them that He must suffer and be rejected by the chief priests, that He must be killed, but He would be raised to life again on the third day as ancient prophesy had declared (Luke 9:22). And He had repeated this same thing to the disciples a number of times. Once on the final trip to Jerusalem, again in the upper room on the night He was arrested. (Luke 9:44, 18:31-34, 22:37)

Somehow they had failed to grasp His full meaning on these occasions, but now Jesus helped them to see how His words matched perfectly with what had now taken place.

▬

Fear for their lives had robbed the disciples of their peace. Confusion over recent events had done the same. But now, the Prince of Peace had come to restore their peace by explaining it all.

Jesus’ words to those fearful disciples was like powerful medicine massaged into sore muscles. It worked from the surface inward. First He assured them that He was no ghost. Then that He was indeed their loving teacher who had known God’s plan all along. And then the medicine of Jesus’ words worked all the way to the deepest source of their anxiety – their guilt.

Unless a person has burned away their conscience completely by repeatedly embracing sin, all humans feel a level of guilt over things they have said, done, or thought. The disciples felt this guilt, just like we do. But Jesus now addressed this final antidote to peace. He said,

“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

We all harbor a sense of mortality in our hearts. We know that one day we will die. And we fear some sort of accounting for the things we’ve done. We sense that we fall short of what God expects. As the Bible clearly declares,

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV).

And,

“…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23 NKJV).

That’s why it was necessary for Christ to suffer. He suffered for our sins. To take the punishment we deserve away forever. And because Jesus successfully did this by His cross, God the Father raised Him from the dead on the third day, again, as was foretold.

▬

The Prince of Peace brought peace to those first fearful disciples by telling them their sins were now forgiven. And He brings that same peace to us today as we celebrate His resurrection.

Jesus told them that all the crazy events that had recently taken place had happened for a purpose. Now that forgiveness had been earned for sinners, the message of repentance and forgiveness must go out to the nations. Others must hear that message, believe it, and experience the peace that comes with it.

It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter if the people you’ve sinned against don’t forgive you. Because Christ died in your place, God forgives you all your sins. You have peace with your Creator, through His Son. That’s why Isaiah called Him, the “Prince of Peace”!

In the book of Romans it does indeed say,

“...the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a NKJV).

That’s eternal death, not just physical death. That’s eternal separation from God and all His goodness! But that same verse goes on to say,

“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b NKJV).

That’s the prize we find in the Easter egg of Jesus’ tomb. Free forgiveness for all our sins, and an eternal place in God’s Kingdom of grace.

▬

When Jesus appeared to those first disciples, He swept away their fear and doubt with His physical presence, and with His words which explained all those confusing events.

Just as Jesus’ resurrection brought them peace, it also brings us peace. The resurrection is the Father’s stamp of approval on all that Jesus said and did. The resurrection says, “The sacrifice was accepted. Believe the promise. Your every sin is now gone – through Christ Jesus.

▬

Before we close our meditation this Easter, let me direct your attention, once more, to the last words Jesus spoke to His followers here. He said,

            “And you are witnesses of these things.”

The work of saving sinners from Hell was all Jesus’ work. None of the disciples had a part in it. The weight of our sins fell on His back alone when He suffered for us on the cross. But the disciples were there for a reason – to see. And they were there in that locked room to do the same – to see, and hear, and touch – to become His witnesses to the world. This was their role to play. They were to testify concerning the peace that Christ gave them and how it was done. And they did. Their testimony, written down on ancient parchments and copied throughout the centuries is the reason we have gathering here today to celebrate the resurrection. We have come to trust in Christ as our Savior through their words.

And today, like them, we have become witnesses once again. We have seen and heard in our minds what the first disciples saw and heard with their eyes and ears. We are witnesses to the love and forgiveness God has extended to the world of sinners in His Son, Jesus Christ.

When you leave this room today, take that message of forgiveness with you. Hold it in your heart, and it will continue to give you peace and strength. Speak of it with your mouth, and it will become the possession of others as well.

It is a simple message: You’re a condemned sinner, but Jesus is your Savior. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be troubled. Don’t doubt. Trust in the God who keeps His promises.

And when the fear sets in, and the worries gather around you, remember those fearful disciples huddling in that locked room. Remember Jesus’ first words to them,

            “Peace to you”.

 And remember that the Prince of Peace, who once was dead – He  is Risen!

Amen.

Lost and Found - Apr 8, 2012

To DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request.

SERMON:

Many historical events have come down to us from a single source. One person who recorded what they witnessed. But the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not founded on the testimony of any one person.

Crowds of people witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and death. Some were His friends. Some His enemies. Some merely Roman soldiers doing their job.

But, while there were many witnesses of Christ's death, there were even MORE witnesses of His resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote...

" 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me" (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV).

When Paul wrote these words, you could actually go and interview these witnesses for yourself. They were still alive and could tell you what they had seen. And these witnesses WERE interviewed. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain information drawn from these witnesses.

This has led some historians to say that the death and resurrection of Jesus is the most testified to event in all of human history.
▬
For our meditation today we're going to hear from just one of the many witnesses of Christ's resurrection. One of the very first to see the risen Christ. Mary Magdalene.

Just who was this Mary? What was her relationship to Jesus? And what do we learn from her testimony? Today we find out. May the Holy Spirit bless our hearts and minds as we turn to the sure testimony of God's Word.

John 20:11-18 (NKJV)

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
▬
When a witness testifies in a court of law, the court is mainly concerned with testimony connected to the case, not with knowing that person's whole life story.

In the same way, the Bible doesn't record the whole life story of Mary Magdalene. But it does give us some information concerning her life and character.

Mary came from the city of Magdala in Galilee. She had once been possessed by seven demons. But during His ministry in Galilee, Jesus had met Mary, and had cast these demons out of her. For this, Mary was ever grateful.

She showed her thankfulness to Jesus by following along with His disciples. She, and other women whom Jesus had helped, supported Him throughout His ministry. They even followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem in the last week of His earthly life.

While Jesus' other friends abandoned Him when He was arrested, Mary and a handful of other women followed Him all the way to the cross. Mary Magdalene was there when Jesus was crucified. And after His death, she followed on, witnessing from a distance when His body was laid in the garden tomb.
▬
On that Friday afternoon when Jesus died, there wasn't much time to prepare His body for burial. At nightfall the Sabbath would begin, and working on the Sabbath was forbidden for a Jew. Mary knew the men who buried Jesus had worked quickly to finish their task before the Sabbath began. And so, she made up her mind up to go to His tomb the day after the Sabbath. She and the other women would make sure that the job had been done right. They would perform this one last act of kindness for the Teacher who had been so kind to them. For the friend they had come to love.
▬
But when Mary and the others approached the tomb early on the first Easter the morning, they found that it had already been opened, and the body of Jesus was missing.

This confused and distressed Mary. She had not expected this at all. Her preparations had been made with the assumption that she would find the Lord's body laying there, cold on the slab. But now, He was nowhere to be found.

She lingered there outside the tomb, not knowing what to do. Crying and struggling to make sense of it all. Or perhaps just struggling to stay afloat amid the flood of her emotions.

She was so distraught that when she stooped to look through the low doorway that led down into the tomb, she didn't even question the presence of two angels that sat there, looking like men dressed in white.

When they asked her why she was weeping, she didn't even bother to ask them why THEY were even there. She just numbly answered their question. Someone had taken her Lord away, and she didn't know where they had put Him.
▬
And it was then, that the risen Jesus stepped into the dark whirlwind of Mary's distress. She turned and saw Him, but didn't recognize this new visitor.

"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Jesus said.

Here I can't help but imagine John's interview with Mary as he was gathering information for His Gospel. Mary says, "And you know what? When I saw Him, I thought He was the gardener! Of all people! And I told Him that if He was the one who had taken Jesus away that He should just tell me where He had put Him and I would take Him back!"

And then the moment of recognition came. The same powerful Savior who had cast out her demons so long before spoke another powerful word to her. Her own name. "Mary!" He said. And her eyes were opened. It was HIM. It was REALLY Him!

"Teacher!", she had cried as she rushed to hug Him. She had hoped to wrap His lifeless form with burial spices. She had even contemplated hefting His body away from whatever place He had been stolen away to. But NEVER had she held out the hope that she would hug His living, breathing form again.

Moments before she had been overwhelmed with sadness and confusion. Now, she was overwhelmed with wonder and with joy.

And then He spoke again. This time His words connected the physical reality of His resurrection to the spiritual significance of it. Jesus said, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."

My Father and your Father. My God and your God.

Through His suffering and death in Mary's place, Jesus had once and for all wiped out the record of her sins. Through His sacrifice Mary Magdalene was made a daughter of the Heavenly Father. A sinner made saint through faith in God's Son.

Mary had come seeking the dead Jesus. But in the end it was the living Lord who had done the finding.
▬
And Jesus is still reenacting this scene today.

When Mary had first met Jesus she was in a hopeless condition. Possessed against her will by seven demons. But Jesus had cast out those demons with His mighty power.

Today, Jesus comes to sinners like us, through the Gospel message. And he declares us free from what we could never have escaped on our own. He declares our sins forgiven through His cross.
▬
When Mary stood outside the tomb on that first Easter Sunday, she felt confused and utterly alone. Jesus was nowhere to be found and she didn't know what to do.

Today, Jesus comes to His people in distress. When we feel weighed down by sin and guilt. When we feel confused and utterly alone. When we feel like God is nowhere to be found, then He comes to us in Word and sacrament and reminds us that He has not abandoned us. He died to save us from Hell, and He lives to guide us home to Heaven.
▬
When Mary first saw Her resurrected friend and Savior, she was overwhelmed and sought to hold onto Him. But with His words, Jesus directed her to the greater gift He had risen to give her. He wasn't just there to comfort a friend who was grieving a lost loved one. He was there to tell her that He was going to her future home. To the Father's side. Her Father by faith. To God's side. The God she trusted in, and was now connected to.
▬
There are many passages in the Bible that tell us that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world. But this little account of Mary's experience outside the empty tomb reminds us that Jesus died - for me, the individual. For you, the individual.

The message of sins forgiven through the sacrifice of God's son has brought masses of people to trust the God of the Bible. But Mary's account reminds us that God comes to each sinner personally. Because, foul sinners though we are, God somehow values us. Loves us. Wants to rescue us from our broken selves and from this broken world. HE seeks US. We stumble through life, seeking and grasping, sinning and searching. Looking for meaning and purpose, peace and happiness. Through this messy storm of our sinful lives - He comes to us. And the lost become found - in Christ Jesus.
▬
When we approach the tomb on Easter morning, we see what Mary saw. That we have been found.

Our sins erased. Born into God's family. Lost, but through the crucified and then risen Christ, FOUND.

Amen.

God Exceeds Our Expectations - Apr 24, 2011

To DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request.

THE EASTER HOMILY:

This homily has been arranged on the basis of the resurrection accounts found in the following Scriptures: Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10.
▬
Grace and Peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Risen, Living and Powerful Savior, Jesus Christ.

On the first Easter Sunday, two disciples of Jesus decided to make the seven mile trip from Jerusalem to a little town called Emmaus. Along the way a stranger joined them. At first they were prevented from recognizing Him, but the Bible tells us that the stranger was actually Jesus risen from the dead.

As they walked, they talked about the terrible events that had just taken place in Jerusalem. The stranger surprised them when He asked them what they were talking about. They were astonished that this guy didn’t know what had happened. After all, it had shaken up the whole city!

Luke 24, verse 18…

“18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:18-21 NIV).

These disciples were sad because they had had such great expectations. They had seen Jesus perform miracles of healing, even raising a man named Lazarus from the dead! They had expected that soon Israel would be free from Caesar’s rule for good. They thought that Jesus would redeem the Jewish people from the rule of Rome.

But the Savior sent from God had not failed. He had come to set the people free alright, but not from the temporary rule of an earthly government. He had come to set them free from their sins, and to give the gift of eternal communion with God to all who believe.

As human beings, our attention is often drawn to the temporary. What we ask God to do, or expect Him to do is frequently insignificant next to what He actually does. God exceeds our expectations.

This is seen over and over in the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. So, lets turn our thoughts to the events that took place in the early morning on the first Easter Sunday. May the Holy Spirit help our minds to see the greatness of God’s wisdom and power as we see Him exceed the expectations of everyone.
▬
It was early in the morning. Still dark in fact. But Mary Magdalene had gotten up anyway. She and a group of women had made plans to visit the tomb of Jesus. Mary had seen Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take the Master’s body from the cross. She had followed them to the little garden that was near the hill of crucifixion. She had seen them bearing the linens and the spices that they would use to wrap His body for burial. She had watched as they exited the tomb and rolled that massive stone in place that served as the tomb’s door.

No doubt they had done as good a job as they could in the short time before Sundown and the beginning of the day of rest. But Mary and the other women would make sure that nothing had been done too hastily. They had bought burial spices and made plans. They would ensure that their beloved Master’s body was honored properly with one last act of devotion.

They had spent so much time with Jesus. They had served Him, providing for His needs in any way they could while He was doing the work of His ministry. Mary Magdalene remembered well why she had followed Jesus from place to place. She had been possessed by seven demons, and He had cast them out of her. Such loving concern He had and such great power.

But He hadn’t used that power at the end. And His end had come oh, so quickly. Betrayed. Imprisoned. Tried, condemned and crucified - all in less than twenty-four hours.

Grieving for a loved one was hard enough. It was made harder by how swiftly He had been taken from them. In a way, the women were going to the tomb for themselves. As hard as this last task might prove, it would help them to say goodbye.

They expected to find a dead Jesus. But God smiled and gave them a resurrected Lord.

They had expected one last goodbye. But God showed them that this was only the beginning.

As they approached the tomb in the early morning darkness, they had been talking quietly. But then one of the women stopped and looked startled. How could they have forgotten! The door! Who would roll away the massive stone door from the mouth of the tomb?

At the entrance to the tomb there was a channel carved in the rock. In that channel was set a large, flat, circular stone. With enough force applied, the stone would roll up the slight incline in the channel and allow entrance to the tomb. It wasn’t locked, but the door was heavy. To heavy. Perhaps one of them would have to return to Jerusalem to fetch someone who could help. Mary Magdalene could make the trip if it came to that. She seemed to have enough energy this morning. The rest could wait if necessary.

The women didn’t know that the chief Priests and the Pharisees had spoken to Pilate the previous day. They had requested that guards be posted at the tomb. They thought the disciples might come steal His body away and claim that He had risen from the dead. Pilate had given them a guard of soldiers and had commanded them to seal the tomb with his own seal, so that any who broke that seal would know they would face the wrath of Rome. If the women had known about the guard, perhaps they would not have come.

But they would not see any soldiers at the tomb that day. For earlier that morning the soldiers had been startled. Below them the ground had begun to shake. Above them the sky had lit up as an angel in brilliant white descended from the sky. The angel hadn’t spoken a word to them, but setting his feet down on the earth, he had strode up to the door of the tomb and had calmly flicked the massive stone out of the track and flat onto its side. That done, he turned toward the path leading to Jerusalem and sat down on the stone like he was waiting for someone.

When the soldiers had recovered enough of their senses to move again, they moved on out of that place! Rome didn’t pay them enough to fight with angels. And it was clear that this angel wasn’t waiting to speak with them.

The soldiers expected a rag-tag band of disciples to attempt an opening of this tomb. But God smiled, and sent a single, mighty angel to show the world that Jesus needed no disciples to open His tomb. The risen Christ had already left.

Up the path the women had come in the hazy morning darkness. The sun was warming the horizon, but in the leafy garden it was still dim. But even in the early morning gloom the women noticed that something was not right up ahead. Where the tomb should have stood all white and solid, there loomed the dark, black hole of a doorway. And the stone was not neatly rolled up the channel and locked in place with a wedge – No! That massive stone was cast haphazardly on the ground in front of the tomb! Had Jesus’ enemies come here to desecrate His grave? Hadn’t His murder been enough?!

Running footsteps startled the women, and they turned to see Mary Magdalene striding back down the trail toward Jerusalem. Going for help no doubt. But the other women did not follow her. But they could not merely stand and wait either. Even fear of what they might find could not keep them back from the door of the tomb. It beckoned to them. Their love for the Master pushed them forward. They must see what had been done.

But what they found inside the tomb did not horrify them, it puzzled them! The grave clothes were here, but Jesus’ body was gone. And as they stood there wondering what had happened, two men appeared in the tomb. Or at least they looked like men. They wore dazzling white robes. Their appearance was so dazzling that the women were filled with fear! They melted to the ground in front of these two visitors, and as they did the visitors spoke:

“…Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5 NIV).

“…Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:5-6 NIV).

“6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (Luke 24:6-7 NIV)

“7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’” (Mark 16:7 NIV).

When angels give you a message to deliver, you move quickly. And the women did. Exiting the crowded tomb, they hurried toward Jerusalem with both fear and great joy. Jesus was alive. Raised from the dead. The message had come from angels. The tomb was open and empty. And the angels had said that they would see Jesus in Galilee like He had told them before! Oh, what else had He said that they had forgotten so quickly? The minds of the women raced with their feet.

But around a corner they came to a halt. No doubt every mouth opened in awe and every set of eyes widened, and their lips all curled into huge smiles. There in their path stood Jesus Himself. He greeted them as they fell at His feet in worship.

The women had expected the worst when they approached the broken open tomb. But God smiled and sent them two gentle angels to explain the mystery before them.

And then the women had expected to see Jesus in Galilee, some 75 miles to the north. But Jesus smiled and met them before they even reached Jerusalem.

By this time, Mary Magdalene had reached Peter and John and told them what she had seen. The tomb was broken into, and no doubt some enemy had stolen Jesus’ body away. Winded and in fright she said,

“…They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” (John 20:2 NIV).

Peter and John wasted no time. Leaving Mary to catch her breath, they left together, bound for the garden tomb. As they ran John’s stride outdistanced Peter’s putting John at the door to the tomb first. But stepping up to the shadowy door, John stopped. He saw the grave clothes lying there. Empty. And even though Jesus had told them of His coming death AND His resurrection to follow, John stood puzzled at door of the tomb. Perhaps Jesus’ words were finally coming back to Him,

“…We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33On the third day he will rise again” (Luke 18:31-33 NIV).

As Peter reached the entrance to the tomb he barged right past John. And there apart from the grave clothes Peter found the cloth that had been used to wrap Jesus’ head. But it was not cast aside in haste. It had been neatly folded like a person might fold a hand towel. It had been set aside like something that had served its short lived purpose and was now of little use.

Finally John entered the tomb and stood there with Peter.

No grave desecrators would have left things like this. They either would have fled with everything, or they would have left a mess. They certainly wouldn’t have folded the head cloth into a neat little square! Why they blew the door away and then carefully folded this little cloth was beyond explanation. Unless…

And there standing in the tomb, perhaps John finally realized that it was true. The Master had risen, just as He had said He would.

Whatever John had expected to find, it was not this. A tomb was not the usual place to find life. Not the usual place to find a beginning. But God smiled when His Son finished suffering the punishment for the sins of the world. In the empty tomb of our Risen Savior, we find that God greatly exceeds our expectations.

For our daily sins of thought, word, and deed with might well expect God’s judgment. But by God’s grace, and the work of the Holy Spirit we are led to repent of these sins. And in Christ we find complete forgiveness.

United to Christ Jesus through the powerful waters of baptism, and held together to Christ by faith, we are not only guaranteed newness of life after our earthly death, we are also given newness of life now. Romans 6, verse 4…

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:4-7 NIV).

By Christ’s suffering and death your sins have been atoned for. Through faith in Jesus you are raised from spiritual death, to life. Expect that God will raise you on the Last Day, and will place your gently by His side. But also expect that even in this, God will exceed your every expectation.

In Christ Jesus our Risen Savior, AMEN.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Concerning Christ, All Things Must be Fulfilled - Apr 4, 2010

Luke 24:44-47 (NIV)

44Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
▬
Sometimes it’s hard to get through to someone.

“Yes, the world is ROUND, not flat.” It took quite a while before that one was generally accepted.

“The SUN is the center of the solar system, not the earth.” That one took some time to get through also.

“If you put it on “Facebook”, other people ARE going to see it.” Some people are just beginning to grasp this.

Sometimes it’s hard to get through to someone. Some of the people who there when Jesus came back from the dead had a hard time accepting it.
▬
The Bible says that the Roman soldiers who were assigned to guard Jesus’ tomb actually saw the angel who descended from heaven to roll the stone away. It scared the heck out of them! Matthew’s Gospel tells us that they laid there in a state of shock, like dead men. But later on, they accepted money to spread a lie about Jesus’ disciples stealing His body away. Seeing an angel didn’t get through to them. (Matthew 28:11-15)

Or how about the disciples of Jesus. When their friends came running back from the tomb saying that Jesus had risen from the dead and that they had actually SEEN Him, they didn’t believe it. Luke’s Gospel tells us they thought the women’s story sounded like “nonsense”. (Luke 24:11)

When Jesus Himself appeared to the apostles in that closed, upper room, their first thought was, “It’s a ghost!” (Luke 24:37)

Even after showing them the wounds He still had from being crucified to death, the Bible says they STILL didn’t believe it. (Luke 24:41)
▬
I have this problem with my youngest daughter sometimes. She’s two, and really into puzzles. I’ve seen her do her Diego puzzle about fifteen times in one mad puzzling session. She gets it done and it’s “Yay, I did it!” And plop, it’s time to do it all over.

Diego she can handle all herself. But one harder puzzles, sometimes she needs a little direction. “Look Carmen, here’s Dora’s hand. It goes on her arm right. Where’s her arm? No, not on her head, on her arm. No, no. You’ve got it upside down turn it around. There you go!”

All the pieces are right there. Sometimes she’s even got the two pieces that go together, but still needs a little more help.

That’s what it must of felt like for Jesus. Guys, here I am. Here’s the wounds. Here, I’ll eat something to prove I’m not a phantom. Okay. Do you get it?

But they didn’t get it. Because they didn’t understand what the Old Testament Scriptures meant. Or didn’t believe it. So Jesus takes them back to the Word of God and showed them from the prophets that it HAD to happen this way.

Romans 10, verse 17 says,

“…So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV).

That’s where Jesus had to take them. That’s the only place faith can start.
▬
Now, we’re not actually told where Jesus took them in the Old Testament. And there’s plenty of prophesy concerning the Messiah. Some have counted around 300 prophecies concerning the Messiah, 29 of them being fulfilled in the final 24 hours of His life.

Obviously we can’t look all these up right now. But the risen Jesus told His disciples, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise form the dead on the third day” (Luke 24:46). So, let’s look at one of the prophesies concerning the Messiah’s death.

If you’ve got your Bible, turn to Psalm 22. This Psalm was written by King David in about 1,000 B.C. Many Jews considered it to be a Psalm about the Messiah. Verse one says,

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1 NIV).

Those are the same words Jesus said on the cross. And that’s not where the similarity ends. Verses 6-8 read...

“6But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8“He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him” (Psalm 22:6-8).

While Jesus was on the cross, He was mocked by the people who looked on from below. The religious leaders, who hated Jesus, even mocked Him with THESE SAME WORDS.

Let’s look at three more verses. Verses 16-18 say…

“16Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:16-18 NIV).

Obviously, Jesus hands and feet were pierced when He was crucified. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that the soldiers who were in charge of Jesus’ cross sorted his remaining possessions and “rolled the dice” to see who got what (Matthew 27:35).

Turn to Isaiah 53, verse 3. The prophet Isaiah was also led by God to predict the suffering of the Messiah.

“3He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:3-6 NIV).

Isaiah also speaks of the Messiah’s death, and His resurrection. Listen to verses 9-11.

“9He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the LORD’S will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:9-11 NIV).

▬
When Jesus walked alongside those disciples going to Emmaus, He rebuked them. He said,

“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26 NIV).

These things had to happen because God said they would. And God keeps His word. His Servant had to suffer, die and rise again.

But there is another reason why these things had to happen. These events happened to fulfill prophesy, but more importantly because this is what had to happen if God was going to save sinners from hell.

Someone had to pay the price for sin. If we had to pay the price for sin, we’d never get out of debt. We’d have to spend eternity away from God. So God’s Son did it for us. That’s what Jesus did, and that’s the message Jesus gave the apostles to preach.

Sometimes it’s hard to get through to someone. Some times it takes an act of God. In fact, every one of us would turn away from Christ if it weren’t for the God’s Holy Spirit getting through to us with the Word.

The world is round.

The sun is the center of our solar system.

And your sins have been paid for.

God promised, and God’s Son paid. And then God raised His Son from the dead to get our attention. To say to us – it’s done. You are forgiven. That’s what the resurrection means.

Amen.

I Wasn't There: Doubting Thomas - Apr 12, 2009

INTRODUCTION:

Leading up to Easter we’ve been holding special worship services. These services have focused on all that Jesus suffered so that sinners like you and me might be made acceptable in God’s sight.

Today we celebrate what God did so that we’d know without a doubt that Jesus’ sacrifice in our place was accepted. Today we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from death to life.

He is risen!

To help us imagine the events of Jesus’ suffering and death, our Wednesday night sermon meditations were written from the perspective of the people who were there.

Assisted by the facts recorded for us in the Bible, we’ve heard from Judas the betrayer, Caiaphas the High Priest, Simon Peter, Pontius Pilate, Simon of Cyrene and the Thief on the Cross. These men could actually say, “I was there.”

Today, on the birthday of the New Testament Church, we imagine what the first Easter was like through the eyes of a man who WASN’T there. Today we meditate on the resurrection of God’s Son, through the eyes the apostle named Thomas.
▬
SERMON:

The part of God’s message that we meditate on today comes from…

John 20:26-31 (NIV)

26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
▬
Dear fellow sinners made saints, through faith in Jesus Christ: grace, peace and Easter joy be to you.

Let’s pretend. Let’s imagine that the apostle Thomas was actually here today as our guest speaker. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with thoughtful contemplation, and joy over Christ Jesus our living Savior.

THOMAS:

Hello. My name is Thomas. And I have to tell you right away, that I wasn’t there.

I wasn’t there with the women who went out to the tomb early on Easter morning.

I wasn’t there when Peter and John ran to verify that Jesus’ body really was gone.

I wasn’t there when Jesus quietly joined the two disciples travelling on the road to Emmaus.

I wasn’t even there when He appeared to the rest of the apostles gathered in that upstairs room on the first Easter evening.

I’m sorry, but I can’t really give you a first hand account of those events, because I just wasn’t there.
▬
We had all parted ways in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested. We had abandoned Him in his darkest hour. When I learned that He had been crucified, I just didn’t see the wisdom of us all gathering together again. I mean, really, the Jews who had orchestrated the Master’s death might now be out for our blood. Was it such a great idea for everyone to gather in one place?

Besides, Jesus was the pin that held us together. With Him dead and in the grave, I just didn’t see the point.
▬
Throughout my life people considered me a pessimist, but I preferred to think of myself as a realist. We can all have our hopes and dreams, but we all have to function in reality don’t we? Yes we do. And reality doesn’t always match up with our dreamy expectations.

We apostles thought that Jesus was sent from God to restore the nation of Israel. To get us out from under the thumb of Rome and back to ruling our own glorious country. But on that Thursday night when Jesus was arrested, and on that Friday when He was killed, that dream came crashing down. And we all had to deal with the reality, that Jesus wasn’t the going to shake Rome out of our land. Not now, not ever.
▬
You might wonder why Jesus selected a man like me to be one of His inner circle. Maybe I once thought Jesus chose me because of my special talents and abilities. Now I know that it was purely out of His gracious love that He chose me.

We apostles certainly weren’t chosen because of our humility, I can tell you that. We frequently argued about who was the greatest among us.

We weren’t chosen because of our talent for grasping spiritual truths either. Jesus repeatedly had to explain His teachings to us after the crowds had gone home.

Regardless of what we might have thought back then, Jesus chose us to be His apostles because we were sinners, just like everyone else. Sinners He had come to redeem from sin and hell. Sinners who could talk with other sinners on common ground.

That would be our job eventually. The risen Jesus would send us out to let people know that He had suffered and died for their sins too. We would announce to the world that because He suffered, their sins were forgiven in the eyes of the eternal God.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.
▬
As I said, I wasn’t there on the first Easter Sunday. I wasn’t there when the rest of the disciples met together and shared another meal in the upstairs room.

And so, when they came to me, and told me that Jesus was alive, and had materialized before their very eyes in that locked upper room, I did not believe it.

You know me as “doubting Thomas”, but really, I was unbelieving Thomas. I didn’t believe that He was alive. I refused to trust the testimony of the men and women that I had spent most of my time with for the last three years.

I harshly told them,

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (John 20:25b NIV).
▬
But as persistent as my unbelief was, Jesus was more persistent. As strong as my pessimism was, Jesus’ love was stronger.
▬
The Scribes and Pharisees once demanded that Jesus do a miracle in front of them to prove that He was the Christ. He responded by saying:

“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39b-40 NIV).

I was asking for a sign too. What a faithless thing to do. But, as wicked as I was, Jesus was more gracious. I got my sign.

It happened like this.

A week after the first Easter Sunday, the disciples gathered in the upper room again. But this time, I was there.

And before long, so was Jesus. When the doors were locked, He hadn’t been there. But all the sudden, He was. Beyond a doubt, it was Him. Jesus, in the flesh.

To all of us He said,

“Peace be with you!”

Then to me He said,

“Put your finger here”

And He held out His hands to me. They were beyond beautiful, somehow even the holes in them were beautiful. And He said,

“see my hands.”

Pulling back the side of His garment, He showed me the wound that I knew would be there. The deep, straight place where a spear had been driven into His already dead body. Proof to those dreadfully thorough Roman soldiers that this one was dead.

When I met His gaze, He said,

“Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

And I did. I didn’t doubt anymore. I believed.
▬
You know, you and I have some things in common. I wasn’t there on the first Easter Sunday, and neither were you.

I’m a sinner, and so are you.

Maybe we have some other things in common too.

Maybe you also have doubts sometimes.

Maybe you consider yourself a realist, or even a pessimist.

Maybe you have trouble grasping spiritual truths, just like me.

But you know what else we have in common?

Jesus. He suffered for my sins, and for yours too.

He’s opened the gates of heaven to me, and to you also.

His persistent love for both of us brought Him all the way to the cross. To hell and back again. And now He has appeared to both of us.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking, “That was a long time ago. I certainly wasn’t there. I wasn’t there to see Jesus in the flesh.” And I know that you weren’t physically there. But through the Bible you’ve seen everything that I saw.

You’ve seen His hands.

You’ve seen His side.

You’ve seen that He lives.

And just like me, the Holy Spirit has convinced you that He is your Lord, and your God.

That’s what I told Jesus that Sunday night. When I saw that it was really Him, I exclaimed, “My Lord and My God!”

And you know what He said to me? He said,

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29 NIV).

He was talking about you.

And you ARE blessed BY GOD. For He has brought you, a sinner, to trust in His Son. God has given you the gift of faith in Jesus. By that faith, complete forgiveness and the hope of eternal life has become your possession.
▬
I wasn’t there, to see the Tomb on Easter morning. And you weren’t there either. And neither was Jesus, not when they came looking for Him anyway, for He has risen. And because He has, so will you. Though you will die, all who die in Christ will rise again to join all the saints in heaven.

And no doubt, dear Christians, I’ll see you then.

Have a very happy Easter, in Christ.

Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.