“HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!” (Outline)
April 12, 2009 -- EASTER SUNDAY
-- Luke 24:1-11
INTRO: Easter morning. An empty tomb. Fulfillment of Scripture. Every Easter every believer has complete confidence concerning Christ and their Christian faith. Today, actually every day, we celebrate and rejoice at the message of the angels: “He is not here; he has risen!” Throughout history man has tried to change this beautiful, simple soul-saving message of God’s gospel. The Roman government immediately spread the rumor that Jesus’ body had been stolen. Man’s denial does not change God’s truth.
God’s angels declared, “He is not here; he has risen!” The women told the disciples. The disciples also repeated God’s truth. "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all"(ACTS 4:33). Today we still testify to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith much grace, which is God’s divine, free grace, is upon all of us.
“HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!”
I. Come to see.
II. Live and tell.
I. COME TO SEE
A. The woman come to the tomb with a sorrowful sense of duty, verse 1. The body had to be prepared.
1. Jesus was hastily removed from the cross and placed into the tomb on Good Friday.
2. A large stone sealed the tomb. Verse 2. There is joy because they can enter the tomb.
3. The women’s joy turns to sadness, verse 3. Where is the body of Jesus? What happened?
B. Verse 4. God does not leave the women wondering. God never lets anyone wondering about truth.
1. The angels wanted these women to think, verse 5. Jesus is alive. Why look among the dead?
2. Verse 6a. Very clearly the angels announce God’s great, wonderful, and miraculous truth.
C. Verse 6b. Think of the many times Jesus reminded you of the things that were to happen.
D. The women came to the tomb to see Jesus’ body. The tomb was empty. On Easter we come to the tomb. We see that the tomb of Jesus is still empty. “He is not here; he has risen!” Seeing is believing. You, I, and Christians throughout all creation are blessed and privileged beyond all comparison to be able to see with eyes of faith. We hear with our ears of faith. We believe in our hearts of faith the message of the angels. “He is not here; he has risen!” Our faith is God’s gift of undeserved grace to each of us. Our faith is God’s gift to us through the power of his saving word. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ"(ROMANS 10:17).
E. We come and see the empty tomb. For a short time this tomb was not empty. The lifeless body of Jesus was placed into the tomb for a very short while. It was the price that God himself demanded as the payment for our sins. This is God’s amazing grace. Adam and Eve sinned and ruined God’s perfect creation. God promised them, and future generations, a Savior to pay the price for disobedience. This is God’s gracious plan of salvation. Our salvation plan might demand retribution, payment for sins, or a punishment to fit the crime. Not our loving Lord. God demanded payment for our sins from himself! "The Lord Jesus Christ…gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (GALATIANS 1:4). The empty tomb once occupied by Jesus is for all sin.
F. The empty tomb reminds us of God’s forgiveness – full and free and forever. Yet, some still try to deny the physical resurrection of Christ the Lord. Why? It may be because of forgiveness. When speak-ing of forgiveness we need to admit wrong. Today’s society never likes to hear about sin (wrongdoing). Our society avoids all acceptance of doing anything evil. Those who deny sin also deny the salvation that comes through the empty tomb of Christ Jesus, our Lord. "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst"(1 TIMOTHY 1:15). Our sins put Jesus into the tomb. One sin makes each of us the worst of sinners.
“HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!”
We come and see the tomb is empty. Our sins are forgiven.
II. LIVE AND TELL
A. Imagine if the women went to their own homes and kept quiet. Their message would seem nonsense.
1. That was not the case, verse 9. There were only eleven apostles. Judas had taken his life.
2. Verse 10. The names of the women are listed. The empty tomb is not anonymous tip.
3. These were women of standing among the believers. They were well known by the apostles.
B. Verse 11. Still their message seemed unbelievable. Who would imagine or believe the empty tomb.
C. Joyfully the women repeated the message of the angels, verse 6. “He is not here; he has risen!”
1. They repeated the angels’ message, verse 7. Christ would be crucified AND be raised again!
2. Verse 8. The women remembered. The apostles remembered. “He is not here; he has risen!”
D. “He is not here; he has risen!” The angels made sure the women knew God’s truth. The women made sure the apostles knew God’s truth. Every generation has made sure that the next generation knew God’s truth. Today we gather together still knowing, believing, and confessing God’s saving, eternal truth for us and for all mankind: “He is not here; he has risen!” Knowing this truth God has provided us with everything that we need forever. "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (PHILIPPIANS 3:8). This knowledge comes to us only by God’s grace.
E. We know that the world attacks Christianity. Today, sadly, Satan uses even some inside the church to attack Jesus’ resurrection. We hear much about the mega-churches around our country. All too often the leaders of these churches are whom the media considers spokespeople for the body of Christ. Yet, the largest evangelical church considers the cross of Christ too controversial to be seen in their worship service. Without the cross of Christ there is no payment for sins. No cross means there was no body placed into the tomb. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"(1 CORINTHIANS 15:3,4). Jesus’ body is gone. His tomb is empty. Forgiveness lives!
F. We come to see the empty tomb. We discover that our sins are forgiven. God pays the price for all of our sins through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. We cannot buy forgiveness. We cannot earn forgive-ness. We certainly do not deserve forgiveness. Because of God’s great mercy and love we are forgiven in spite of our wicked, sinful lives. We leave the empty tomb. We live to tell others of God’s great mercy.
"I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us-- yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses"(ISAIAH 63:7). Our world needs to see this message of God’s love in our lives today. Our contentment, joy, and peace in the Lord can calm the fears of those without Christ.
CONC.: Come and see the empty tomb. The message of the angels on that first Easter is still as true today as it was back then. “He is not here; he has risen!” Leave the empty tomb with the love of Jesus’ forgiveness in our hearts and lives. Tell the message of God’s love to the world that desperately needs to hear this simple life-giving message. “He is not here; he has risen!” There is no greater message. This message is the wisdom of God. This message is the power of God to all who believe. “He is not here; he has risen!” Rejoice that God in his infinite wisdom and divine grace has opened our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to believe this Easter message. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Je-sus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you"(1 PETER 1:3,4). “HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!” Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / 7:00pm @ Living Savior, Hays, KS
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
EASTER SUNDAY rdgs.:
ISAIAH. 25:6-9;
1 CORINTHIANS 15:19-26;
MARK 16:1-8;
(PSALM 96)
