Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim
Focus on the Risen Lord
Luke24:1-10, 36-40, 44-46
Introduction
One could go to the burial sights of the gods
of this world and read an epitaph "here such and such a god." On the door
of the garden tomb Jesus used it is written, "He is not here; he has risen,"
We correctly say Christianity is not a religion as much as it is a relationship.
Healthy relationships must be with the living, and the Christian life focuses
on our living Lord.
1. Focus from the . . Tomb of the Risen Lord. v 1-8
A. Focusing
on the . . Surprise at the Tomb. v 1-3
1 Now on the first day of the week,
very early in the morning,
they, and certain other women with
them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But
they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and
did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
The ladies prepared spices as a kind of embalming or anointing for the Lord's body. They found the stone moved away, and the tomb empty. Jesus arose, and an angel moved the stone not for the Lord to get out but so people could see the empty tomb. Wonderment griped the ladies. When my wife and I visited Israel we stood inside the garden tomb and wondered how these ladies and the disciples felt. Many different thoughts crossed their minds.
B. Focus
on the . . Speech at the Tomb. v 4-7
4 And it happened,
as they were greatly perplexed about this,
that behold, two men stood by them
in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces
to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the
dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when
He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into
the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'
"
C. Focus on
the . . Service from the Tomb. v 8-10
8 And they remembered
His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things
to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary
the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things
to the apostles. NKJV
Inside the tomb an angel startled, comforted, and then, instructed them. The angel gave instruction from the words of Jesus. Sometimes all of us need to be reminded of what Jesus said while in the midst of our spiritual experience. We may learn our best lessons in those situations. I think these ladies remembered this lesson the rest of their lives.
I like the question "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?" Occasionally that question needs to be asked about some church activities. The empty tomb represents a great truth but we are to move out of the tomb. These ladies did not stay in the tomb, but went forth to tell others.
Illustration In
Storytelling: Imagination and Faith, William J. Bausch shares:
"In the Greek Orthodox tradition,
the day after Easter was devoted to telling jokes. . . .They felt they
were imitating the cosmic joke that God pulled on Satan in the Resurrection.
Satan thought he had won, and was smug in his victory, smiling to himself,
having the last word. So he thought. Then God raised Jesus from the dead,
and life and salvation became the last words." William
J. Bausch, Storytelling: Imagination-Faith.
Illustration
Little Philip, born with Down's
syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old
boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept
Philip with his differences, according to an article in Leadership magazine.
But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and
accept him as part of the group, though not fully. The Sunday after Easter
the teacher brought Leggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like
large eggs. Each receiving one, the children were told to go outside on
that lovely spring day, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the
egg-like container. Back in the classroom, they would share their new-life
symbols, opening the containers one by one in surprise fashion. After running
about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the
classroom and placed the containers on the table.
Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. After each one, whether flower, butterfly, or leaf, the class would ooh and ahh. Then one was opened, revealing nothing inside. The children exclaimed, "That's stupid. That's not fair. Somebody didn't do their assignment." Philip spoke up, "That's mine." "Philip, you don't ever do things right!" the student retorted. "There's nothing there!" I did so do it," Philip insisted. "I did do it. It's empty. the tomb was empty!" Silence followed. From then on Philip became a full member of the class.
He died not long afterward from an
infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral
this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar not with flowers,
but with their Sunday school teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose
egg. Leadership.
2. Focus from the . .Testimony of the Risen Lord. v 36-40
A. The . . Instructions
of the Testimony. 36-38
36 Now as they
said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the
midst of them, and said to them,
"Peace to you." 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed
they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
B. The . . Invitation
of the Testimony. v 39-40
39 Behold My hands and My feet,
that it is I Myself. Handle Me
and see, for a spirit does not have
flesh and bones as you see I have." 40 When He had said this, He showed
them His hands and His feet.
What a joy to share a testimony about Jesus and see Him appear. Jesus said "peace be unto you," but the disciples experienced immediate fear. Then Jesus showed them His hands and feet. Do you realize Christianity represents a come and see kind of faith? Christ does not hide but displays the truth about Himself. We must openly share what we know about Jesus. In the joy of the tomb we receive a message to share.
Illustration
"I am a nobody telling everybody
about Somebody who will save anybody who will call on Him." Reggie
Jackson, quoted by Dr. Adrian Rogers
Illustration
An old man, ragged and intoxicated,
came into our Temperance rooms. God saved him. Two years afterward I knelt
beside another man, ragged and intemperate, and told him of God's love.
With a look of despair, he said, "You don't know anything about it, Madam.
God can't save me." I called the dear, aged, redeemed brother. He knelt
beside the sorrowful sinner, and told him how two years before he had come
into that room without money, friends or hope, and how God saved him, sent
him employment, restored him to his wife, and gave him great joy in leading
souls to Himself. Eagerly the man listened. At last he said, "God did it
for you, He can do it for me." He believed, and went away rejoicing.
Application
We have a resurrected Lord and we
can bear testimony to that fact.
3. Focus from the . . Teaching of the Risen Lord. v 44-49
A. Teaching
through . . Repetition. v 44
44 Then
He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in
the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
B. Teaching
through . . Recognition. v 45-46
45 And He opened
their understanding, that they might
comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then
He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the
Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
Repetition helps one learn. Jesus repeated the lessons He gave earlier. He based His teaching on the scriptures. He said: Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms spoke of Him. Some liberal theologians have problems with that verse, but Jesus proclaimed it. Not only did Jesus proclaim the scriptures, but he opened their minds to what the scriptures taught. What a blessing to receive enlightened teaching. Jesus told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit clothed them with power. We know today this remains possible for all believers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In our busy life we need to tarry for the leading and empowering of the Spirit. The Lord told these disciples to go and tell. The same command applies to us. The focus of the risen Lord causes us to desire to be witnesses of these things.
Illustration
Dr. Seamands tells of a Muslim who
became a Christian in Africa. "Some of his friends asked him, 'Why have
you become a Christian?' He answered, 'Well, its like this. Suppose you
were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions,
and you didn't know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road
were two men, one dead and one alive--which one would you ask which way
to go?'" Warren Webster, April, 1980, HIS, p. 13.
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and Hope triumphant say,
Christ will rise on Easter Day.
Phillips Brooks.