EASTER SUNDAY
Matthew 28:1-7
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
Q: What makes Christianity distinct?
“The Christian gospel is based squarely on a miracle. It was the miracle of the resurrection of Christ that started it going, and that same miracle is its central message.” — John Lennox (Oxford Professor)
“The nineteenth century is the last time when it was possible for an educated person to admit to believing in miracles like the virgin birth without embarrassment. When pressed, many educated Christians are too loyal to deny the virgin birth and the resurrection. But it embarrasses them because their rational minds know that it is absurd, so they would much rather not be asked.” — Richard Dawkins (Atheist)
1 Corinthians 15:17 — “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Q: How does the resurrection of Jesus transform our skepticism, doubts, fears, and discouragement into real HOPE?
It’s by seeing the power of the…(1. Message 2. Evidence 3. Testimony)
- Message (v. 1-4)
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 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…”
- Evidence (v. 5-7)
“…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.”
“It is an amazing thing that one of the first appearances of the risen Lord was to the disciple who had denied him…Peter had wronged Jesus and then had wept his heart out; and the one desire of this amazing Jesus was to comfort him in the pain of his disloyalty.” — William Barclay
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Mark 2:17
“No one fact in the history of mankind…is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort” than the fact that “Christ died and rose from the dead.” — Thomas Arnold
Atheist Scholar, Gerd Ludemann says, “It is historically certain that Peter and the other disciples had experiences after Jesus’ death in which Jesus appeared to them as the risen Christ.”
“Hallucinations usually recur over a relatively long period, either increasing or decreasing. But the appearances of Christ occurred frequently, over a period of forty days, and then abruptly ceased. Hallucinations, moreover, do not occur to groups and yet Paul claims 500 people saw Jesus at once.”
— John Lennox (Oxford Professor)
3. Testimony (v. 8)
“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”
TAKEAWAYS:
- Do you relate to God based on Jesus?
“Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat out denial of the gospel of grace.” — Brennan Manning
- Do you see yourself as a trophy of God’s grace?
The Gospel Prayer
In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less. Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy. As You have been to me, so I will be to others. As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.” ― JD Greear