He Is Risen Indeed

Told her as an ancient fable about a lawyer who was successful in lowering his victims into his cave with many promises and assurances of delight and safety to be found within one intended victim refused to to enter the cave, saying, I see a lot of footprints going in but I don't see any coming out. That's pretty much the way it is with the grave incident. We see a lot of footprints going and we see very few coming out thousands and millions and billions of feet have marched into the grave, but only the smallest handful have ever come out and of those who have been resurrected. Only one was resurrected never to die again and that is Jesus Christ, son of Mary, Jesus of Nazareth, the God man who died on the cross and was buried in the tomb and then arose from the grave gloriously raised from the grave, never to die again. So the life death and resurrection of Jesus is a marvelous account to consider and as a matter of fact there is more historical evidence. I'm told for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in nearly any ancient personality more evidence for that and for the life and death of Plato or Aristotle or Julius Caesar.

Jesus Christ is a man who came to earth or came to earth to become a man that lived on the earth like you and I live upon the earth and died on the earth as all of us one day shall die. You know that the ratio between births and deaths is 100% everybody was born. Diets all of us who are here because of the miracle of the first birth will someday die and leave our bodies behind in our souls will go into eternity and we need to be considering that time, for sure, many, many attempts have been made to explain the empty tomb, but none of them has gained any particular traction, even among unbelievers, except the one account that is given to us in the Bible, namely that the tomb is amply empty because Jesus Christ arose from the grave and that and that alone explains all the evidence that we have for the empty tomb. So as we examine the account of the resurrection of Christ in Matthew chapter 28. I think you can see several things in this chapter that call our attention to themselves. First of all, in regard to the claim of the Bible that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

What what should we do and the first thing we should do is to examine that claim.

It is amazing claim it is incredible claim. It is a preposterous claim in many ways could possibly be true.

And we need to examine it and in fact we see that Christ himself invites our examination. When the ladies marry the two Mary's arrived at the tomb that early Easter morning and found the stone rolled away that defies explanation for took a large company of man, and probably some levers of machinery in order to roll that stone in front of the tomb and it would've taken something similar to roll away but they found that stone rolled away an angel sitting on it in one of the Angels say the angel said, and see, and look, and examine see for yourself. Make an examination of the tomb so that you can understand what has taken place here, and as we know they did examine and yet they still were not certain what had taken place. Mary later said to the one she thought to be the gardener.

If you have taken his body away.

Show me where you have laid it so that I can common and attend to him and honor him in his death that one.

She thought to be the gardener said Mary and suddenly she realized this is Jesus. He's not dead he's alive, but examine examine what took place. Examine the claims of what took place to see if there is reasonable validity to them here of the events that led up to that resurrection morning Christ died an agonizing death. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, one of the most agonizing death so can be known to mankind. Crucifixion upon the cross by by the design of Rome was to be a painful, painful death, and indeed it was. Upon his death.

He was quickly buried because the Sabbath day was approaching and so Joseph of Arimathea who was himself. We are told the counselor that means he was a member of the Sanhedrin of the 70 who ruled the nation of Israel.

One of the few that number who had not consented to the death of Christ. Joseph of Arimathea, along with Nicodemus remember him from John chapter 3 came to Jesus by night, a Pharisee and said we see these miracles that you do and we know that that that's not normal that nobody can do these except he has the power of God upon him. And Jesus spoke to him and said Nicodemus, except you are born-again you shall not see the kingdom of God and that encounter John chapter 3 we wonder what happened to Nicodemus, he went away. Did he believe we come to the end of the story at the death and burial of Jesus and we find out that it is Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea who buries him in Joseph's tomb in great honor and, thus, his burial took place.

The Sabbath is coming. The Jews must wait for the Sabbath to arrive.

No one but the Romans will openly violate the Sabbath by moving around and working in carrying out normal activities. On that day and so the Disciples of Christ of women who were attending his death at the cross. They all are waiting waiting waiting waiting in early, early in the morning before the break of day. They make their way to the garden to and then as the sun is just coming up across the horizon of the first rays are shining into the garden.

They make their approach to the tomb to make this astounding discovery tomb is opened, the tomb is empty. Angels are attending. The guards have all swooned there all they have all fainted dead away on the ground in Jesus Christ is not there. When you make of that. Examine come and see said the Angels examine for yourself, complete a thorough investigation as thorough as you are able to do. I have long been intrigued by a book written by a man named Frank Morrison entitled to move the stone if you look for Frank Morrison on Wikipedia.

You may not find it because that's his pen name. So you need to look for the name Albert Henry Ross and there you will find born in England in 1881, died in 1950, he was a reporter and a writer. He was a skeptic and he thought the claim of the resurrection of Jesus Christ had to be a method he really thought the myth ought to be dispelled.

The people should not be misled by that myth any longer and so being an investigative reporter. He gathered together all of the evidence sitting together to write the book, and when he wrote the book instead of it being a book to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It turned out to be a book that proves the resurrection of Jesus. The first chapter is entitled the book, which refused to be written.

They wanted to write one to disprove what he considered to be this false claim of Christ's resurrection, and instead, the evidence pointed to the opposite direction, and he became a believer and he wrote a book laying down the evidence which he found so clear is his evidence so so so logically, as it put together that many erroneously assumed that he was a lawyer, but he's not. He was a writer, wrote a couple of other books as well, but nevertheless, his book is profoundly impressive and very difficult to deny or to define fact that a number of prominent people who, after reading that book became believers in Jesus Christ, you can buy the book today. I looked it up on Amazon and there are a number of additions that are available, each with a different cover.

So it's been a very well circulated book down through the years and you can buy one. Even now you are interested in doing so, who moved the stone is another surprising declaration that I came across many years ago and I had tucked us away in a file and I came across it as I was rummaging through some files on the resurrection this week in separation for today.

This is an article written by George Cornell that appeared in the Burlington Times news in 1984 and I clipped it out.

April 23, 1984, though only you older folks will remember the name George Cornell that he was a religious writer for the Associated Press back in days sweating, the Associated Press had. Believe it or not religious writers.

I don't suppose they have any lows today are not aware of it though.

I may be mistaken about that.

He was well known in his day, and on this particular Easter Sunday. His column was about a book that was written by an Orthodox Jew declaring that the resurrection of Jesus Christ had to be true. Can you believe it, an Orthodox Jew who wrote a book claiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ has to be true.

Now read a portion of this article. This Jewish professor. He is a professor was at that time of a school in Germany.

His name is Pinchas Lapin day in a row without the resurrection of Jesus. After agog with other must not. There would not have been any Christianity Lapin. He writes in a book, the resurrection of Jesus, a Jewish perspective recently published by the American Lutheran Church Augsburg press of Minneapolis. Although affirming the resurrection Lapin. They contends that Jesus was not the Messiah long-awaited by Jews and rejects the Christian concept of him as the divine son of God. However, he does regard Jesus as the savior of the Gentile church, seeing it is springing from in complementing Judaism.

According to its universal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but differing in considering Jesus divine latter-day Jewish specialists in the New Testament who teaches at West Germany's God in good God gotten good in university rights. The experience of the resurrection is the foundation act of the church which has carried faith in the God of Israel into the whole Western world must belong to God's plan of salvation Lapin to see Jesus as a significant link and God's work toward redemption process is not the final Redeemer since the world remains far from redeemed, came to redeem the world but the world is not yet redeemed and so is Lapin day. He could not be the promised Messiah. Nevertheless, he contends that Jesus resurrection was real. The best proof of it. If that is probably the realistic way in which the two oldest Gospels met Mark and Matthew describe the painful death of Jesus, crying of despair on the cross, noting that the disciples were totally disappointed on the verge of desperate flight because of the very real reason of the crucifixion he adds.

It took another very real reason in order to transform them from a band of disheartened and dejected Jews into the most confident missionary society and world history goes on. Here men capable men who have examined the evidence very carefully. What did they conclude Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Jesus Christ is risen indeed Jesus Christ went bodily into the tomb and on the third day he rose bodily from the true Jesus Christ. All rows Jesus Christ is alive and even if you are an unbeliever in the Scriptures.

There is much evidence to point to that fact. Two things that I think are very difficult to refute and to explain apart from the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, number 100 Lapin. He made reference to his how do you explain the incredible change in the disciples a number two. Why didn't the enemies of Christ produce the body and dispel the myth of infected was a myth. How do you explain this incredible change in the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Clearly they were discouraged.

Clearly they were disheartened.

Clearly they were fearful. Clearly they were very weak faith nearly unbelief as it came to the prospect of Christ's resurrection, though he had told them over and over and over again that he would rise from the dead. Nevertheless, they were in order to spare when Jesus Christ died upon the cross and the passing of only a few days we find them old courageous defying the authorities defying soldiers, defying government defying the world willing to go to prison. Willing to lay down their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. How do you explain that change. If there really was no resurrection of their Savior from why didn't the enemies of Christ produce the body well because as we read in Matthew chapter 28 is some declared the disciples came and stole the body away but that takes us back to the first problem doesn't. If the disciples stole the body away than they knew he had risen and they were to have been continued to be fearful that their rooms, their hopes would be discovered and so they would remain timid and fearful and cautious in hiding, but instead they are bold and courageous and public and willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ. There is every reason to say it is impossible that the disciples stole the body so if he didn't rise from the dead and somebody also the body. The question is number one. Why, why would the enemies of Christ take the body and thus give credence to the claim that he risen from the dead and number two if they did so when the disciples were proclaiming Jesus rose from the dead. Why didn't they say oh here's the body you dummies but they didn't because they could because there was nobody no dead body because Jesus Christ arose from the grave. That's what the evidence indicates. Are you willing to examine the evidence.

Are you willing to let the facts inform you concerning this momentous claim. Are you willing to follow where the facts will lead you there are some who looked at the facts and said no even even the Pinchas Lapin day as amazing as he is willing to to take the facts that he cannot deny, and to declare the conclusion that is only the only possible correct conclusion nevertheless is not willing to go the next step to and follow where those facts lead to namely that Jesus is the Christ. He has the Messiah is the son of God that his resurrection from the dead proves these things but you seek for him to believe that for him to claim that is going to destroy his whole life he is whole his whole religion, his livelihood, his community's relationship to his community. It's a high price to pay and he evidently is not willing to pay it. How much are you willing to resist the evidence and to suffer the consequences of doing so is it worth your eternal soul to refuse to deal with the facts. The point so strongly and so clearly to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. Yes, in the face of Christ claim to resurrection from the dead. What should we do, we should number one. Examine the evidence. Number two, we should worship him. That's what the women did when they came face-to-face with these claims, and as they want to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, rejoice, so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him, and later in the chapter we read of the disciples gathered together in Galilee, a Christ appointment and what did they do, they worshiped him, and in John's Gospel.

We read about Thomas, who was absent from the first gathering of the disciples on that resurrection evening Jesus Christ appeared to them in the upper room 10 of them present Judas gone.

Thomas gone and Jesus appeared to them and they eagerly and excitedly said Thomas we have seen the Lord is risen from the data. Thomas said I decide can see the nail prints in his hands.

Unless I can can examine the space spirit spirit printed inside.

He demanded examination.

He demanded evidence and then exactly 7 days later on the following Sunday evening when he was present with them gathered together, Jesus Christ appeared once again to Thomas feel my hands feel the feel the nail prints in my hands. Thomas examined my scar examined my body for the evidence of crucifixion and recognize that I am the very same one he was crucified was now standing alive before you. Thomas didn't even feel his hands or his side. He just fell on his face and said what my Lord and my God he worshiped because this claim resurrection tells us who he is. He is the son of God. It's interesting is that of all the people who came out of the grave and there are handful recorded in Scripture. There couple in the Old Testament and relation to the prophets, particularly Elijah and Elisha who were raised from the dead. There are a couple of the New Testament, the son of the widow of Naaman. Jesus raised from the dead and Lazarus. The well-known one that he raised from the dead, though, as I say, those raised those rose again from the dead, they were restored to life but not to eternal life.

They died again. They are very unusual ones whose footsteps walked into the grave came out and walking again and did not come out until Christ returns to raise his children from the dead, but all the people who were raised from the dead.

There's only one who predicted his own resurrection and that's Jesus. He said he was going to rise from the dead. Lazarus didn't say that he didn't expect that the son of the widow of name didn't say that he didn't expect that.

Nor did anybody else.

None of the others who were restored to physical life. For an extended time upon the earth predicted that that was going to happen.

They didn't know it wasn't it was going to happen. I didn't expect that to happen. They certainly didn't cause it to happen, but there's one Jesus of Nazareth, who said I will die and I will rise as has been told us in the Old Testament Scriptures and predicting his own resurrection. He accomplished his own resurrection because he had the power to do so and that certifies that he is who he claims to be. And if he is who he claims to be the eternal son of God who became man and died and rose again. Then he ought to be worship let us like these women cling to him in worship. He is Lord he is Lord he is risen from the dad, and he is Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, what should we do number one we should examine what should we do number two, we should worship what should we do number three we should overcome is a very and create intriguing account that only Matthew gives us about the guards coming into the city and talking to the people who had to sign them their responsibility to guard the tomb and explain to them why the term is that that's pretty hard to explain what they were supposed to guard it then explained what happened to the chief priests and the elders and they got together, they consulted they didn't deny the guards told them they didn't disbelieve it, they fully believed that, but this was a real problem for them and for their desire to be rid of this one that they had crucified upon across and now he has risen from the dead, what shall we do, and so big money and live in big influence, big money order to give you lots of money if you will simply say that his disciples stole his body while you slept, wait a minute.

If we say that's happened while we slept were in trouble and if this comes to the ear of the governor. We will secure you don't need to worry about that. We've got more big money for this big money came from. We can take care of it. So go out and tell this story tell this lie which is a reminder that when it comes to the truth of God's word is always going to be opposition always. But occasionally, always, always opposition. Here's opposition to the account of Christ's resurrection from the grave. The official report is the disciples stole the body that we've already dealt with by that is impossible to support but nevertheless that's the report that went forth.

You can't always believe the official pronouncements of government.

Can you now that was the official report went forth, supported by those who had influence supported by those who had money, but it was in opposition to the truth. The fact is that whatever the Bible claims is going to be denied and opposed and undermined and mocked by some precisely because if for them to accept it as troop lays claims upon them that they do not want to accept if these things are true then Jesus Christ is Lord he is God. Jesus Christ is God and I must surrender to him and follow him and obey him as my Lord and Master on a ghost.

If if the Bible is true then God in fact did create the universe and he is judge and I'm going to stand before him in accountability someday and so all of these truths are denied and mocked. It is going to take courage for anyone to stand up to them to overcome them first in our own minds, our own inclination to timidity and to wanting to go with the flow and not make things difficult for ourselves but you see on the one hand, you've got your refutable claims to truth that you have become convinced have to be so they they have to be true and on the other hand, you've got so much opposition from friends and neighbors and loved ones in community and supervisors that worked on and on and on it goes, who are opposed to what know in your heart to be true. No, are you going to be willing to claim this truth in the face of this opposition are you going to be willing and able to overcome it or are you going to sell the truth cheaply for the ease of getting along in this world. Christ rose from the dead half that's a scientific impossibility will of course it is the creation of the universe out of nothing as a scientific impossibility, but it's true. And there really is no good explanation for that except the explanation of the Bible gives us science cannot explain how this universe. He came here out of nothing really, really out of nothing that your claim Mr. scientist you know better than that Christ rose from the dead, that seems to be impossible. And by the way, say the critics. How about all the conflicting stories when you when you read the four gospel accounts you find different details and every one of them about the resurrection of Christ does not disprove the Bible. Let me ask you a question. If you happened upon a group of fourth graders who are coming from a birthday party and you asked him some questions and Michael something like this. Say the first one. What did you eat at the party and she says ice cream you say to the second 11 treated the parties as hot dogs and you ask 1/3 one when the party and she says cake and it was delicious and you ask forth when he says, potato chips and Coca-Cola. Now do you assume that somebody's lying, common sense overrides most of the so-called conflicts in criticism.

The people Lodge against the Bible.

That's no conflict that's just for different people that are telling the particular detail that they noticed it was important to them. You got exactly the same thing the various accounts that's no that's no disc that's no disproof of the Bible, but you will always find some reason some justification, some rationale that will sound reasonable to one who strongly desires not to believe it to be to indicate to them to prove to them that it must not be believed. But the truth of the matter is that this is truth. This is fact and you must overcome your resistance to it or you are going to lose your never dying soul.

You must be honest with the facts. You must be willing to be identified with the truth. And if you do the real it will the risen Savior will exonerate and reward you someday. Yes, we should examine we should worship and we should overcome and we should proclaim.

That's the end of the chapter. Jesus gather together his disciples in Galilee on the mountain and said going to all the world and preach the gospel to all nation.

Those who become disciples baptize them in the name of the father, the son of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded. If Jesus rose from the dead as he claims, and of Jesus rose from the dead is all the evidence supports and of Jesus rose from the dead as all opposition cannot find reasonable justification to deny this is a message worthy of our proclamation, don't you agree this is a message of urgent requirement for Christ commanded that we proclaim it to the ends of the earth. This is a message that is needed by every person and therefore we need to tell it is far and wide as we can.

This is a message that has changed our lives and this is a message that we can help to proclaim each one taking his part, each one using his gift, each one fitting into the work of worldwide evangelism in the ways that he is able.

This truth of the resurrection from Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ from the dead is worthy of our proclamation is worthy of our service is worthy of our lifelong commitment to spreading it to the ends of the world. First, we must believe that we can't be effective in spreading it.

If we believe and why would we want to but having come to believe it, then we must proclaim it, and we must join others in the proclamation. Yes, he is risen is risen indeed.

Therefore, what therefore if up until now you have been an unbeliever, dear friend dear friend dear friend and pleading with you vile bile knee of your heart. Acknowledge that your resistance has more to do with your love of sin and self that it does with dealing with the truth of the reality of Christ's resurrection.

Believe it timid believer become bold because of it. Why should we hold back of whom should we be afraid and all believers become active in spreading it. Jesus Christ is risen.

Yes, he is risen indeed, shall we pray father seal this truth to every heart by the work of your Holy Spirit, open the reality of this truth to hearts that until now have been steeled against it. Father make all of us bold and courageous in the face of it.

We ask in Jesus name, amen