Easter - How Will You Respond? (Part 5 of 5)

…“Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,  saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”   Luke 24:5-7

Many people are still looking for Jesus among the dead.  I think of scholars who study the words of Jesus and the gospel manuscripts but do not believe in Christ’s resurrection.  I think of the archaeologists who two thousand years later are still trying to find Jesus’ body and bones in the tomb but keep coming up empty.  I think of people who finger the body of Christ on their crucifixes but do not know the reality of the living Christ.  I think of those who attend church on Christmas and Easter (C.E.O’s).  These people all have one thing in common.  They are all looking for Jesus among the dead. And if you are looking for Jesus among the dead, you will not find him. He is not there.

Frank Morison was a man who went looking for Jesus among the dead.  Morison was a British journalist who lived early in the twentieth century.  He was not a Christian. Although he admired the figure of Jesus, Morison was a skeptic at heart who felt that these stories about Jesus were nothing more than myth or legend, especially the story of the resurrection.

So, Morison had a brilliant idea.  Why not prove that the resurrection never happened? Why not use his research skills as a journalist to dig into history and prove that Jesus never rose from the dead?  He would do his research and then write a book presenting the historical facts about Christ and the events surrounding his death.  So Frank Morison went looking for Jesus among the dead.

Guess what? He never found him. What he did find is exactly what Luke said in verses 2-3: He found the stone rolled away, but he did not find the body of Jesus. Instead he found the risen Christ and put his faith in him as Lord and savior.

Frank Morison set out to write a book disproving the resurrection of Christ. Instead, he ended up writing what has become a Christian classic presenting the evidence for the resurrection of Christ  (Who Moved the Stone?).  Morison went looking for Jesus among the dead.  But he did not find him there. You will not find him there either.  If you want to find Jesus this morning, you must look among the living. And that brings us to the good news of Easter.

Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and the grave. He rose from the dead on Easter morning. He is alive and well today.  You will not find him among the dead, for he is among the living. And he offers new life to you.  The Bible tells us that those who trust in Christ will share in his resurrection.  The fear of death and judgment is taken away. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

That is the good news of Easter.  Only one question remains.  

 How will you respond?

Previous Post Easter - The Final Hours of Christ (part 4 of 5)  

Easter - The Final Hours of Christ (part 4 of 5)

You are there, you just don’t admit it.  Like the Disciples who believed that their life and hope died on the cross that dark Friday, in truth Life and Hope had just begun.

The First Good Friday

Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.   When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”  “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”  Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. (1)  By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. (2)  After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.  A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.   The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”  The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.  “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!  He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.  (3)  One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”  But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (4)  Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.  When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”  And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.  (5)

 

In the recounting of the final hours of Jesus’ life, you are there.  Look closer, Judas, Pilate, the Pharisees, the mocking crowd, the criminals, the Roman Centurion.  In them you will find yourself.  

Judas the betrayer - who forfeits his own life for his betrayal of the truth, it is not by accident that he chooses an eternity in hell, before Jesus sacrifices His own life so that those who believe may have eternal life with Him.  Are you Judas – one who chooses betrayal, perhaps of your family, your friends, your spouse, deliberately trespassing against those who love you, claiming Jesus as your savior but not your Lord?

Pilate - who though he finds no fault, still refuses to do what is right, for his own selfish ambition.  Are you Pilate, more concerned about your own self interest and desires, then doing what Jesus commands? 

The Pharisees – those who hate him and think that they are judging him, when in actuality are being judged by the one on the cross.  Are you a Pharisee, hating Him and His word?  

The Crowd – those who just a few short days ago, sang Hosanna, but now mock Him.  Many of you will find yourself here, a member of the Crowd, mocking Jesus by professing to be a Christian, while mocking him with your behavior and selfish choices. 

The Criminals - one who is part of the mocking crowd, seeking his own self interest, condemns himself to hell, or the other who in an instant of clarity repents and receives ever lasting life in paradise.  You are absolutely one of the two criminals, you are either the one who like the crowd will die a un- repentant criminal, or you are the one who realizes that you deserve death for your sins, and in an act of submission  choose repentance and ask Jesus for forgiveness, and grace.  You are one of the two and you will share one of their eternity. 

Or the Roman Centurion – a man who does not believe in our God, but when faced with the overwhelming evidence that Jesus was in fact the son of God, falls to his knees and worships God.  Perhaps you see yourself as a Roman centurion, a person who denies the existence of God, and are fearful of the relentless inescapable fear, of what if you are wrong.  A fear that in it’s self provides evidence of the truth.

How God must have hurt to watch His son suffer the most horrific form of death on the cross.  How God must hurt when we reject His sacrifice for our own desires.  How much God must love you to let His son suffer at your hands so that you could have everlasting life with Him.  Whichever one you are, forgiveness is just one choice away 

Previous Post - Easter Betrayal and a Broken Heart (Part 3 of 5) 

(1) Matthew 27:1-5

(2) Luke 23:44-45

(3) Matthew 27:35-44

(4) Luke 23:39-43

(5) Luke 23:46-48

Easter - Betrayal and a Broken Heart (part 3 of 5)

When we think of God, we usually consider that fact that He is righteous, holy, loving, and good. But here is something else to consider about God: He is the God who has suffered. We don't tend to think that a perfect Creator would experience such a human trait as human pain and suffering. After all, why would you suffer if you did not have to?

But God has suffered, and more deeply than any of us could ever imagine. In his book The Cross of Christ, John Stott said, "Our God is a suffering God." And I think he is right.

    "He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief . . . Surely He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:3-5

"A man of suffering." That was Jesus. But why did God suffer? Because He loved and loves. That means He also enters into our suffering as well.

    "Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted". Hebrews 2:17-18

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." — Luke 19:41–42

As Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city, and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing.

Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem? Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these fickle people who were crying out, "Hosanna!" would soon be shouting, "Crucify Him!" He knew that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas, would betray Him. He knew that another disciple, Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40 years, He saw the destruction that would come upon the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and his Roman legions.

Jesus also wept because His ministry was almost over. Time was short. He had healed their sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had been rejected. "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." John 1:11  And so He wept. This broke His heart, and it still does.

Unbelief and rejection breaks God's heart, because He knows the consequences. But when the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting to gain admittance. He has given us the ability to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing, He knows the repercussions that will follow—in this life and the one to come. And His heart is broken.

Which are you this Easter week?  A Judas, who has betrayed the truth, or just one of the crowd singing Hosanna, and Crucify Him?  Either way you break His heart, nevertheless He did this for you. 

Next Post - Easter The Final Hours of Christ (Part 4 of 5) 

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