Tomb Empty, Faith Full - Apr 20, 2014

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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,

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

God Exceeds Our Expectations - Apr 24, 2011

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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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).

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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.

God Exceeds Our Expectations - Mar 23, 2008

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.

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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 named 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!

In Luke 24 it says,

“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 had been sent from God to 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 earthly and temporary. What we ask God to do, or expect Him to do is frequently insignificant next to what He actually does. In His great wisdom and power, 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.

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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 all to well why she had followed Jesus from place to place. He had cast out seven demons that had possessed her. Such loving concern He had. Such power.

But He had not 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 had expected a dead Jesus. But God smiled and gave them a resurrected Lord.

They had expected one last goodbye. But God smiled and showed them 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 had 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 stone that had been carved into a circle. 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 it 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 spoke 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 had turned toward the path to Jerusalem and had sat down on the stone like he was waiting for someone.

When the soldiers had recovered enough of their senses to move again, they had 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 had 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 left already.

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 nor would they merely stand and wait. 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, sort of. They wore dazzling white robes. So dazzling was their appearance 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 all 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 along with their feet.

But around a corner their feet came to a halt. And 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.

The women had then 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 had 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. Looking into the tomb he saw the grave clothes lying there. Empty. 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, John new 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 word, thought and deed with might well expect God’s judgment. But by God’s grace, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we are led to repent of these sins. And in Christ we find complete forgiveness. God greatly exceeds our expectations, and because He does we praise His holy and merciful name.

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.

“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. By faith 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.

-Pastor Caleb Schaller