Easter 2005 He is Risen!
Luke 24: 1-8

by Pastor Eldon Reich

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

The pivotal truth of the Christian faith.

The resurrection of Jesus which distinguishes and clarifies for us

1. All the other religions of the world.

2. The universal hope for all mankind

3. And our personal faith and salvation.

This is a message that we don’t want to MISS.

One day an army sergeant came into the barracks and asked

The new recruits  if any of them knew shorthand.

The new recruits thought that taking shorthand would be

easy duty so most of them raised their hands. 

The sergeant said, “Good, they’re shorthanded in the mess hall!”

Both in Hebrew and English

Resurrection defined is:  to raise from the dead or the grave;

--To bring back to life, into notice, practice or use.

        The Easter Creed was very simple for the Early Christian.

Every time I says:

CHRIST IS RISEN      you respond:

HE IS RISEN INDEED

I. WHAT IS THE RESURRECTION?

THE RESURRECTION IS

1. THE PHYSICAL RETURN OF LIFE TO JESUS

We have no doubt from the records of secular historians

that Jesus lived during this period of time

We have no doubt from the Biblical record

that Jesus was Crucified,

That Pilate decreed, the soldiers executed it,

just outside the city ofJerusalem.

We have the eyewitness account of those who were there.

The four Gospel writers record it.

The open tomb was seen,

But the tree women on Easter morning.

IT was seen John and entered by Peter

It was experience by the Roman Guards.

And on Easter morning the women came

With spices and cloths to finish the job of burial.

But they were wondering how they would get into the tomb because of the stone.

But they found the tomb open by angels who were still there

seated above the stone.

The Angels told the women that Jesus was not there

He is risen as he said:

Our Beautiful Eastern Resurrection Window depicts this scene

OF Christ resurrection.

CHRIST IS RISEN.

He is Risen INDEED

THE RESURRECTION BRINGS 

2. CHRISTIANITY INTO THE FORFRONT OF ALL RELIGIONS FOR TIME AND ETERNITY.

Jesus was the first to be brought back to life from the dead.

You say: “Well Lazarus was brought back to life.  

But his life was reinstated only to die again.

Notice Jesus said: Lazarus 44 - Come forth

Notice that Jesus did not call Lazarus down from heaven

or up from the center of the earth.

Lazarus never conquered Death.

Death conquered Lazarus, we have his dust and bones on this earth.

Just like we have the dust and bones of every other prophet

who every walked on this earth.

Buddha born inIndia in 568BC-died 488 BC,

Confucius  born inChina on June 19, 551BC-died 479 BCChina

Mohammad born inSaudi Arabia on April 22 570AD –Died 632 AD,

Jesus born inBethlehem 3BC died 33 AD Rose from the grave 33AD

CHRIST IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED

Both Enoch and Elijah were taken into heaven.

But they didn’t die or overcome death they were just raptured into heaven.

Only Christ died and was raised again.

Christ by his resurrection

Brought into notice and practice a new covenant with God.

That in Adam all die So in Christ are all made alive. I Corinthians 15:22

Once a Mohammedan taunted a Christian by saying,

“You Christians do not even have a tomb to which you can point

where Jesus lies buried. We have the tomb of Mohammed in Mecca,”

That is our holy place. The Christian replied,

“That is just the point. Your prophet is dead and buried.

OUR CHRIST IS RISEN AND IS WITH US ALWAYS.”

CHRIST IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED.

II. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE RESURRECTION?

THE RESSURECTION

1. SHOWS GOD’S GOODNESS TRIUMPHANT OVER EVIL.

A Greek author (Phlegon) wrote about the darkness

that occurred in the 4th year of the 202^nd  Olympiad (equivilant to 33 A.D.).

"There was the greatest eclipse of the sun.

It became as night in the sixth hour of the day (noon)

so that the stars even appeared in the heavens.

There was a great earthquake in Bithynia and many things were overturned in Nicaea".

The death of the son of God affected the whole world.

Because sin affected the whole world.

But there was a change that day that would never be repeated.

God overcame sin and death forever.

The angel said:

Don’t be afraid for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:6-7

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy,

and ran to tell his disciples.  28:8

These women going to the place of death.

Were now running back to life.

Why?
Because goodness had triumphed over evil.

It doesn’t’ matter in life what we face,

The message of the resurrection tells us that God makes good out of evil.

That in all things we can move from hopelessness to joy.

From doubt to faith.

From slavery of addictions to freedom in Christ.

The resurrection give us a new perspective.

Mark was only 5 feet, 8 inches tall when he left for college in the fall. He worked through the Christmas holidays and didn't return home again until the February break. When he got off the plane, His mother was stunned at how much taller he looked.

She measuring him at home, I discovered he now stood at 5 feet, 11 inches.

She said: to Mark "Couldn't you tell by your clothes that you'd grown?"

Since I've been doing my own laundry," he replied,

"I just figured everything had shrunk."

Easter give us a new perspective forever.

That Good has conquered evil.

Life has conquered DEATH.

God is doing a new thing in our midst.

HE IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED.

THE RESURRECTION IS

2. A CALL TO A NEW BEGINNING.

There is a cartoon of two Roman soldiers standing by the empty tomb?

The stone was rolled away & one soldier was looking very worried because they had failed in their responsibility. But the other one shrugged & said,

"Don’t worry about it. A hundred years from now, no one will remember."

Matthew 28:7 The angel said: Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has rise from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you.

This is a new beginning for all mankind.

The Disciples did as the angel had commanded.

And even today we know all about the empty tomb and the resurrection.

The lesson for us today is that

What God did in Christ Physically

He does in us today Spiritually.

That soul that is dead in its sin and trespass

When touched by the Holy Spirit of the Living God.

IT come to life.

Resurrected from the dead.

We are new creations.

Our lives our changed

And our work begins.

We are to be as the women who first heard.

To be ambassadors.

To go and tell the world that Jesus is alive.

That is our tasks.

Bethany Traphagen came to my office told me when she came 10 years ago

That the Darkness of depression and sin had her enveloped in a canopy of

Great darkness.  In her despair she cried out to Jesus and when He came into her life a light shone in the darkness, and she said it was as though she was brought back to life again. Peace of God that passes all understanding filled her life and soul..

CHRIST IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED

   That is :

III. HOW THE RESURRECTION APPLY TO OUR LIVES.

1. IT IS THE SAVING POWER OF OUR FAITH.

You can confess a lot of things today about the bible and the Christian faith,

But If you don’t confess:  That God raised him from the dead – you won’t be saved

Romans says: 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

You can confess of  Jesus Christ as your Lord,

Must also be a confession that God raised him from the dead.

That is why Jesus took so much time with the disciples

To make sure they got it.

Thomas doubted the disciples,

Thomas doubted the women’s story.

He said:

"Except I shall 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 20:25);

But seven days later Thomas experienced Jesus rebuke and

He made his profession of faith.

Put your finger here; see my hands.

Reach out your hand and put it into my side.

Stop doubting and believe.  John 20: 27

Thomas said: My Lord and my God.”

The resurrection is not the end for Thomas, but a new beginning.

Doubting Thomas was changed to never doubt again.

Jesus said:

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

Doubting Thomas became Determined Thomas and

His missionary journeys took him to India and Asia,

And his life ended when four soldiers pierced him with spears.

Christ is above all human persons.

He is above all princes, popes, potentates, bishops, superintendents, preachers, teachers, editors, and elders. He is above all persons.

I can put Him above prophets, priests, kings, governments, wealth, the church,

BUT CAN I PUT HIM ABOVE ME?”

Surrender your doubts,

Confess your sins,

Let the resurrection of Christ change you forever.

THE RESURRECTION

Last 2.  CLARIFIES OUR PURPOSE AND BRINGS

UNITY TO THE CHRUCH.

Easter Sunday unites the whole world of Christendom.

Into one family of Christ.

When you gather as a family

At a family reunion.

What is it that brings you together.

It is your common past.

You past history

Your family of origin.

Your place of birth

Your childhood experiences.

Your shared home and traditions.

IT IS YOUR PAST THAT UNITS YOU AS A FAMIY.

KEEP YOU TOGETHR.

I was at a ladies bible study this week, and they asked me a question:

How does a non Christian family deal with the dead of a loved one?

They deal with it by talking about the past.

About how good old Uncle George was.

How hardworking or how bad old uncle George was.

But for the Christian it is the future

That brings us together.

To the new body in Christ

To the new hope of Eternal life.

To the coming of Gods’ kingdom.

To the New Jerusalem.

To the place where there is no more death, or crying or sorrow or tears anymore.

No gossip or criticism,

No temptation to distract

No sin to defeat.

No addiction to enslave

Because we are children of the resurrection.

we will all someday be resurrected.

To join that heavenly kingdom.

In New York, firefighter Hank Molle discovered in 911 when he looked at his friend’s charred, motionless body and was sure that he was dead.

THEN SUDDENLY CHRISTOPHER SIEDENBURG STARTED TALKING! 

He asked Molle to deliver a message to his family.

He said, “If I don’t make it, tell my parents I’ll see them in heaven.”
Christopher died from his burns.

But Molle delivered that message

And Molle said: It was amazing to see that family.

They cried, I cried.

But they rejoiced knowing that they would see him again.

Tell my Parents I’ll see them in heaven.

Do you this morning have that faith in Christ,

And that hope in the resurrection

That you can say with Confidence.

I’ll see you in heaven!

Oh Today on this Easter Sunday,

If you have never believed that Jesus from the dead

If your have never professed Christ as your savior.

Make that profession today before its too late.

Open your heart and

Discover a living Christ

The Hope of eternity

HE IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED