Sermon by Donald R. Hart – Antioch Christian Church, Pittsburg, Missouri – April 8, 2007
(All quoted Scriptures are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
HE DID IT! HE ACTUALLY DID IT!
(HE AROSE)
Text: Luke 24:1-8; 45-49
INTRODUCTION
We hear the phrase “He did it!” from a couple of different scenarios. As children, if something went wrong or got broken, we would try to pass the blame onto someone else with, “he (or she) did it”. Of course, the other person was pointing their finger at us as being the culprit.
Another situation in which we might use the phrase is when we may be observing some difficult or seemingly impossible fete and the person accomplishes it. It is then with amazement that we might exclaim, “He did it! He actually did it!”
During the life of Christ there were many such moments when we could exclaim with amazement, “He did it!” There is a long list of miracles to which those standing nearby no doubt uttered those words. If you do a word study on the word “amazed” you will be amazed at how many times it is used in reference to something Jesus said or did.
We are told “the crowds were amazed at his teaching” (Matthew 7:28). Even when he was in his own hometown and although he was not readily accepted we still read these words in Matthew 13:54 – “…and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get his wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked.”
After healing the demon-possessed man who couldn’t talk we read, “The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’” (Matthew 9:33)
In Matthew 15:31 we read this:
“The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”
Mark 1:27 says this:
“The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching — and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.’”
You will remember the story of the man who was let down through the roof by his four friends. After his healing we read in Mark 2:12:
“He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’”
On several occasions we are told of his disciples being amazed. One such time was after he had stilled the storm while they were in the boat and we read in Matthew 8:27:
“The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’”
You will recall the incident during the last week in the life of Jesus when he had cursed the unfruitful fig tree and the disciple’s response when they saw its withered condition. The incident is recorded in Matthew 21:20
“When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’ they asked.”
Even the enemies of Jesus were at times amazed. On several occasions they tried to entrap Jesus and one such incident was in regard to paying taxes to Rome. Notice Matthew 22:21-22:
“Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.”
At the trial of Jesus we find that even Pilate was amazed.
“But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.”
(Mark 15:5)
Now we come to the theme of our day – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He had plainly told his disciples what was going to happen when they came to Jerusalem, but somehow they just didn’t get it. In Luke 18:31-33 we read,
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again."
After the resurrection had taken place, it was “then they remembered his words” as our text said in Luke 24:8. The message is plain and simple, “He did it! He actually did it!” And that had to be the most exciting news they would ever receive. What he had said he would do, he did!
And on this day when we celebrate his resurrection, the fact that he did it is still the most exciting news we can ever share. People of other religions can go visit the tombs of their deceased leaders; we can only point people to an empty cave.
As you are aware, recently there was an attack against the resurrection of Christ by one who claims to have found the buried bones of Jesus. Through the years there have been all kinds of attacks against the resurrection from the idea that he was not really dead to this latest one of his bones supposedly having been found. The attacks began at the very beginning by the soldiers being bribed into telling that the body was stolen.
PROPOSITION
What about the resurrection – did he really do it or is this just wishful thinking on our part? Consider some thoughts about the resurrection with me today.
I. WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH
Very seldom is the fact of the crucifixion challenged, except for the one who tried to set it aside by claiming that Jesus had only swooned, went into a stupor and the coldness of the tomb revived him.
When one reads of the events that happened up to and were a part of the crucifixion, there is no doubt as to the death of Jesus. The Romans were experts in putting people to death and it is absurd to think that they would have messed up in the case of Jesus.
Eusebius, a third century historian, described flogging this way, “The suffers veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure”
The cross itself was agonizing with its victims dying by suffocation when they can no longer pull themselves back up in order to get air. That is why they broke the legs of the two thieves who had not yet died. They had not been flogged, thus they were not in the weakened condition that Jesus was.
Suspended upon the cross with iron nails driven through the hands and feet and a Roman spear thrust through the side of Jesus by experienced executioners, precludes any idea that he only swooned. Medical doctor after medial doctor who have studied the evidence would tell you there was no way Jesus, or anyone else could have survived the crucifixion. Jesus died!
And what about the resurrection? Let the disciples be the first witnesses. Here were men who had deserted Jesus, disciples who were confused, downcast and depressed. They would be the last candidates whom you might suspect would overcome Roman soldiers, break the seal of Rome, roll the stone away and steal a body.
However, it interesting that after his appearance to them and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, they would become bold enough to die for the truth of the resurrection. Men usually do not lay down their lives for a lie, but they will when they know something is the truth. Furthermore, they consistently shared that they were witnesses of his resurrection.
I came across an interesting story about a legendary lawyer by the name of Sir Lionel Luckhoo. He was the flamboyant Guyanese barrister who died at the age of 83 and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s most successful advocate with 245 consecutive successful defenses in murder cases.
He was known as the “Perry Mason of the Caribbean”, served as a distinguished diplomat and became a justice in his country’s highest court. He was knighted twice by Queen Elizabeth.
Here is the exciting part. In his own spiritual journey, Luckhoo turned his expertise to the question of whether the resurrection of Jesus Christ fit the test of legal evidence and here is the conclusion he ultimately reached:
“I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”
Let me tell a little of the rest of the story. In his spiritual journey he was invited to a FGBMFI meeting, accepted an invitation to come to Jesus and from that day on he became an ambassador for Christ.
Let me just say this, no one came down from a Roman cross alive, including Jesus. And as Luckhoo would say, the proof of his resurrection “leaves absolutely no room for doubt”.
II. WE CAN BELIEVE
We either have to believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ or we have to throw out our faith altogether. There is no middle ground of believing only part of the story.
Jesus staked his whole reputation as to who he was upon this one miracle alone. Notice two passages in this regard:
Matthew 12:38-40:
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
John 2:18-22:
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Are you aware that the greatest condemning sin is the sin of unbelief. We are warned about it and then told that it was what prevented the Israelites from entering the promise land.
Hebrews 3:12 warns: “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”
The writer of Hebrews continues on in 3:16-19:
16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
And here is a sobering fact found in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14:
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
If there is no resurrection, then we have just wasted our entire morning and as verse 17 says: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” We are indeed in very sad shape. But I want to declare to you this is not the case – he did arise and we can serve a risen savior.
III. WE CAN HAVE HOPE
Not only are we now saved by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, but we also have the hope of eternal life in him.
1 Corinthians 15:19 says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
Our hope in Christ goes beyond this life. Two families of our congregation have been touched by death this past week. The Noble’s attended the funeral for their brother-in-law on Monday and Ruth Williams attended the funeral for her brother yesterday. The memories of both these men are special to these grieving families, but the thing that has carried them through is the hope that comes only from the fact of the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus while talking with the woman at the well said this in
John 6:38-40:
38 “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
And then when Jesus encountered Martha at the death of her brother Lazarus said this in John 11:25-26
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
CONCLUSION
That question becomes our closing question today – Do you believe this? For the person who has never taken the Savior as their own, that is the beginning place – believe on him. Then you need to surrender your life to him, confess that belief and be baptized for the remission of your sins.
In a moment we are going to sing the song “Wounded for Me” which goes through the story with “Dying for me”, “Risen for me”, “Living for me” to “Coming for me”. However, before we sing I want to play a small segment from The Best of Anthony Burger from the Homecoming Series DVD. It is one of the few times in which Anthony said a few words before he played. As you know Anthony passed away suddenly this past year, but in this segment he tells about his little boy playing the part of Jesus in the Easter pageant at church. He then proceeds to play the song, “We Shall Behold Him”.
That is our hope today – WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM!
