[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Easter Sunday morning, the 21st of April, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
On this day long ago, Christ Jesus our Lord rose up and walked from the grave! Death could not hold Him – He conquered death! Even our sins could not hold Him back – He carried them to hell and left them there.
We know all this because it is recorded for us in our Bible, but when it actually happened, everyone was astounded, even those who Jesus told what to expect. Please listen and follow along to the Apostle Luke’s description of the hours leading up to Jesus’ resurrection and the first moments after the discovery of the empty tomb. This comes from Luke’s Gospel account, chapter 23 verse 50 through chapter 24 verse 12, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…
We know all this because it is recorded for us in our Bible, but when it actually happened, everyone was astounded, even those who Jesus told what to expect. Please listen and follow along to the Apostle Luke’s description of the hours leading up to Jesus’ resurrection and the first moments after the discovery of the empty tomb. This comes from Luke’s Gospel account, chapter 23 verse 50 through chapter 24 verse 12, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…
23:50-51 There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God’s kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.
52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. 54 It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. 56 Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for His burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.
24:1 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. 2 When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, 3 they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, 4 and they did not know what to think.
Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? 6 Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while He was still in Galilee, He told you, 7 ’The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail Him to a cross. But three days later He will rise to life.’ “ 8 Then they remembered what Jesus had said.
9-10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women were the ones who had gone to the tomb. When they returned, they told the eleven apostles and the others what had happened. 11 The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe.
12 But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. Then he returned, wondering what had happened.
--Luke 23:50-24:12 (CEV)
Let us pray… Father God, the fact that You raised Your Son Jesus from the dead was just too astonishing for the people to believe, even His closest followers, until they saw the living proof before them. Thank You, Father, for giving us faith and the testimony in our Bible so that we can believe without having seen. Speak to us this morning, Father, both to our hearts and our minds, and imprint upon us the message we need to fully comprehend. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
There is a story of a Muslim in Africa who became a Christian. Some of his friends asked him, “Why have you become a Christian?”. He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road when suddenly it forked in two directions, and you didn't know which way to go. But there, at the fork in the road, were two men. One was dead and the other alive. Which one would you ask which way to go?"
In this simple statement, the new Christian acknowledged that Jesus rose from the dead and still lives even today. Pretty much everyone who ever took breath on this earth died or will die. Our Bible tells us of a few who went to heaven without dying first, but those are special exceptions.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Kings David and Solomon all died and stayed dead. But Jesus rose from the dead and stayed alive. There was no question from anyone that He was indeed dead – without life – when His body was laid in that tomb. Yet He got up, rose from that hole, walked around and talked to folks, and many people saw and heard Him. Since no one ever refuted this, we can believe it. And just like the convert in our little story, we can trust in the directions of the Man who still lives.
We all know the events by now. The Mary’s went to the tomb where they themselves had seen the body of Jesus laid late Friday. They went early Sunday morning, right at dawn, to anoint the body of their beloved Master, perhaps to pay their final respects, as we call it. But there was no body to anoint.
According to which Gospel you read, Peter and/or John also went to the grave, to see for themselves whether the women had gone a tad crazy or not. And they also found the tomb empty – no body. Over the course of the next few days, the living Jesus appeared to the women, to the disciples, and to a total of around 500 people or more.
Now this wasn’t zombie Jesus, or simply a reanimated body jerking around. This was Jesus, in the flesh, alive and whole, with the scars from His torture and execution clearly visible. His body was not in the grave, and once Jesus ascended to heaven again still in His body, His body was no longer on earth. So where is His body today?
Show of hands… How many of us have actually seen Jesus in the flesh, His physical presence – anyone? None of us have, since all this happened nearly 2000 years ago now. And while some of us may feel that old at times, we’re not old enough to have seen Jesus physically.
But that doesn’t keep us from believing, does it? We have the testimony of our Bible to go by. And we have faith, that wonderful gift from God, that allows us to believe even when we have no real proof, no physical evidence.
One other thing we believe is that we are the body of Jesus, His physical presence left on earth to carry out His work. This is what He commanded while still with us, that we carry on for Him, making disciples, spreading the Good News of redemption and eternal life through Him, teaching others all about Him, doing the work He did.
We are the body of Jesus, or so we say. But I have to ask, does anyone see the body? Over 500 people saw the risen body of Jesus, after He had been executed and buried. How many see it today? If we are the body, do people see us? How do they see us?
What good would it have done for Jesus to be raised from the dead if no one had seen Him in the flesh after He walked out of that tomb? What good is our faith if no one sees it?
I think James, the half-brother of Jesus, quite clearly tells us how to show other people the body of Jesus. Listen to what he writes in the second chapter of his letter to the early church, verses 14 through 20 and verse 26…
Just as the physical body is dead without breath, faith is dead without good works, without action. How can we show the body is alive if it doesn’t move?
Family, it isn’t enough that we come and sit in church for a few hours on Sundays. I’m sorry, but if that’s all we do, then our faith is dead. We might as well go ahead and bury it. Some of you may be thinking, “But I work all the time” or “But I’m too frail to do anything more”. Yes, some of us work a lot, and yes, some of us cannot physically do more. But we can still spread the Gospel, the Good News, in our dealings with other people. And most of us can do a lot more.
Jesus did not sit in the synagogue waiting for the people to come see Him, He went out to them, where they were, healing them, feeding them, teaching them, comforting them. The early church didn’t just cower in their secret meeting places, they went out into the community, taking care of the needs of others, feeding them, teaching them, helping them, even while the church was under fierce persecution. If the church is the body of Jesus, it needs to get out into the fresh air more, it needs to be seen more.
And not just this church family that calls itself Pilgrim Reformed, but the entire body of Christ on earth. Of course, I’m not excusing us. We do a lot here, but we can do more. Every church family, including us, needs to get back to basics using the example that the early church set. Only then will the body of Jesus be found by those looking for it. Only when it is in action can the body of Christ be seen.
We are the body of Jesus. Let’s make sure other folks can find Him, too. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You raised Jesus from the dead by the power of Your Holy Spirit. You knew, though, that more would be needed by Your stubborn, stiff-necked people, so He walked around among them after His resurrection that they might see and believe. And then You gave us faith, that we might believe without seeing. Thank You, Father, for such wonderful gifts. Thank You for empowering Jesus to conquer death. Thank You for giving us the faith to believe. Thank You letting us share in Jesus’ victory. And thank You for letting us be His body, so that others might see Him and believe. Please forgive us when we hold back and fail to put His body into action. Forgive us when we hesitate to let others see our Lord. Please help us be strong and fearless in our service to You and to Jesus. Help us be Jesus to someone each day.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You made sure that many people saw Your nail and spear scarred body after You defeated death and walked from the grave. And then You left us to carry on Your work after You returned to heaven, still in Your body. You commanded us to be Your body, to continue doing the work You started, and to let others see You through us, through our work. Help us do as You commanded. Give us the strength and courage to make Your body visible to others, to the world. May anyone seeking Your body find it among us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
There is a story of a Muslim in Africa who became a Christian. Some of his friends asked him, “Why have you become a Christian?”. He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road when suddenly it forked in two directions, and you didn't know which way to go. But there, at the fork in the road, were two men. One was dead and the other alive. Which one would you ask which way to go?"
In this simple statement, the new Christian acknowledged that Jesus rose from the dead and still lives even today. Pretty much everyone who ever took breath on this earth died or will die. Our Bible tells us of a few who went to heaven without dying first, but those are special exceptions.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Kings David and Solomon all died and stayed dead. But Jesus rose from the dead and stayed alive. There was no question from anyone that He was indeed dead – without life – when His body was laid in that tomb. Yet He got up, rose from that hole, walked around and talked to folks, and many people saw and heard Him. Since no one ever refuted this, we can believe it. And just like the convert in our little story, we can trust in the directions of the Man who still lives.
We all know the events by now. The Mary’s went to the tomb where they themselves had seen the body of Jesus laid late Friday. They went early Sunday morning, right at dawn, to anoint the body of their beloved Master, perhaps to pay their final respects, as we call it. But there was no body to anoint.
According to which Gospel you read, Peter and/or John also went to the grave, to see for themselves whether the women had gone a tad crazy or not. And they also found the tomb empty – no body. Over the course of the next few days, the living Jesus appeared to the women, to the disciples, and to a total of around 500 people or more.
Now this wasn’t zombie Jesus, or simply a reanimated body jerking around. This was Jesus, in the flesh, alive and whole, with the scars from His torture and execution clearly visible. His body was not in the grave, and once Jesus ascended to heaven again still in His body, His body was no longer on earth. So where is His body today?
Show of hands… How many of us have actually seen Jesus in the flesh, His physical presence – anyone? None of us have, since all this happened nearly 2000 years ago now. And while some of us may feel that old at times, we’re not old enough to have seen Jesus physically.
But that doesn’t keep us from believing, does it? We have the testimony of our Bible to go by. And we have faith, that wonderful gift from God, that allows us to believe even when we have no real proof, no physical evidence.
One other thing we believe is that we are the body of Jesus, His physical presence left on earth to carry out His work. This is what He commanded while still with us, that we carry on for Him, making disciples, spreading the Good News of redemption and eternal life through Him, teaching others all about Him, doing the work He did.
We are the body of Jesus, or so we say. But I have to ask, does anyone see the body? Over 500 people saw the risen body of Jesus, after He had been executed and buried. How many see it today? If we are the body, do people see us? How do they see us?
What good would it have done for Jesus to be raised from the dead if no one had seen Him in the flesh after He walked out of that tomb? What good is our faith if no one sees it?
I think James, the half-brother of Jesus, quite clearly tells us how to show other people the body of Jesus. Listen to what he writes in the second chapter of his letter to the early church, verses 14 through 20 and verse 26…
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
--James 2:14-20, 26 (NLT)
Family, it isn’t enough that we come and sit in church for a few hours on Sundays. I’m sorry, but if that’s all we do, then our faith is dead. We might as well go ahead and bury it. Some of you may be thinking, “But I work all the time” or “But I’m too frail to do anything more”. Yes, some of us work a lot, and yes, some of us cannot physically do more. But we can still spread the Gospel, the Good News, in our dealings with other people. And most of us can do a lot more.
Jesus did not sit in the synagogue waiting for the people to come see Him, He went out to them, where they were, healing them, feeding them, teaching them, comforting them. The early church didn’t just cower in their secret meeting places, they went out into the community, taking care of the needs of others, feeding them, teaching them, helping them, even while the church was under fierce persecution. If the church is the body of Jesus, it needs to get out into the fresh air more, it needs to be seen more.
And not just this church family that calls itself Pilgrim Reformed, but the entire body of Christ on earth. Of course, I’m not excusing us. We do a lot here, but we can do more. Every church family, including us, needs to get back to basics using the example that the early church set. Only then will the body of Jesus be found by those looking for it. Only when it is in action can the body of Christ be seen.
We are the body of Jesus. Let’s make sure other folks can find Him, too. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You raised Jesus from the dead by the power of Your Holy Spirit. You knew, though, that more would be needed by Your stubborn, stiff-necked people, so He walked around among them after His resurrection that they might see and believe. And then You gave us faith, that we might believe without seeing. Thank You, Father, for such wonderful gifts. Thank You for empowering Jesus to conquer death. Thank You for giving us the faith to believe. Thank You letting us share in Jesus’ victory. And thank You for letting us be His body, so that others might see Him and believe. Please forgive us when we hold back and fail to put His body into action. Forgive us when we hesitate to let others see our Lord. Please help us be strong and fearless in our service to You and to Jesus. Help us be Jesus to someone each day.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You made sure that many people saw Your nail and spear scarred body after You defeated death and walked from the grave. And then You left us to carry on Your work after You returned to heaven, still in Your body. You commanded us to be Your body, to continue doing the work You started, and to let others see You through us, through our work. Help us do as You commanded. Give us the strength and courage to make Your body visible to others, to the world. May anyone seeking Your body find it among us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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