Do You Know Him?
Matthew 28:1-6
Regardless of your belief concerning Jesus Christ, without question He is the most famous individual to ever walk the face of the earth. But for those who truly know Him, we know He is much more than that. If you ask someone "who is Jesus?" you may get many different answers. Some would say "He was a good man." other would proclaim that "He was a great teacher." many would say that "He was a prophet."
But what did Jesus say about Himself? He said…"If you have seen me you have seen the Father." (John 14:9). He also said "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) . He said "Before Abraham existed I am." (John 8:53). Speaking to His disciples He said "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
In Matthew 16 Jesus had a conversation with His disciples. He asked the question "Who do men say that I am?" Notice their reply in - Matthew 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. - Simon Peter got it right! Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
"Who is Jesus to you?" Is He someone you learned about as a child? Is He someone that you admire and look up to? Is He someone that you plan to surrender to at some point in the future? Is He a crutch for your addiction? Is He simply a solution for your current problem? Is He someone that you call on only when you have hit rock bottom? Or is He your Lord and Savior?
Do you truly know Jesus? The reality is that there are many people who know about Jesus, yet they do not possess a genuine relationship with Him. In fact, Jesus says that in eternity there will be many who professed that they knew Him, but He will profess that He never knew them!
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
It is imperative that you know Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Apostle Paul said in - 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. It is important for each of us to examine own lives and as Peter said "make our calling and election sure".
- I would like to look at the events surrounding the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ and ask the simple but important question "Do You Know Jesus?" If you do, then your life has been changed, your priorities have been rearranged and your future has been prearranged. We will examine certain people who encountered Jesus' after His resurrection and see that these throe facts were true in their lives.
Before we get into the details of the Resurrection, I would like to consider:
i. THE SIGNIFIGANCE OF THE RESURRECTION
The resurrection is the foundation of Christianity. Without the resurrection, the miracles, the ministry, and the sacrifice of Jesus would have all been in vain. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14 "if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."
The resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God The resurrection gives us assurance that our sins can be forgiven. Again Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17 "If Christ hath not been raised, our faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins”. We should praise God for the fact that Christ is indeed risen and our sins are forgiven!
The resurrection proves to the world that God's Kingdom is ruled by a living Sovereign King! Buddha died and he is still dead. Muhammad died and he is still dead. Joseph Smith died and he is still dead, but Jesus died and 3 days later rose from the grave in victory. Not only did He come out of the grave, He remained on the earth for 40 days. He appeared to His disciples, He was seen by 500 witnesses at one time, He ascended with a promise of a return. Some time later He appeared to Saul on Damascus Road . Then 60 years after His death He appeared to John on Patmos and said "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." - Revelation 1:17-18
Over twenty years ago He came to me and called my name, many of you can testify that the same has happened in your life. Furthermore, He is still alive some 2000 years after His resurrection and He is still making His presence known in the hearts and lives of people all over the world!
Another benefit of the resurrection is that it proves that death is not the end! (1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.) The resurrection is not some myth, it is the heart of Christianity! Without it, we would be without hope. But we can have hope, because Jesus is indeed alive.
- Let's take some time and examine some of the amazing details of this glorious event called the Resurrection.
Jesus had faced the horrific agony of the Cross. He had been falsely tried, convicted and condemned to die. He was beaten, mocked, stripped, spat upon and scourged. He was then nailed to a cross and crucified. For six hours he faced excruciating pain And there on that cross He died for you and me. Just before He drew His last breath He cried, "It is finished" . When this occurred there was a great earthquake. Immediately following this earthquake "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." - Matthew 27:51-53
There was a centurion that witnessed these events and he proclaimed "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54-56). Crucified bodies were not permitted to remain on the cross on the Sabbath. A soldier came and found that Jesus had died. To ensure that He was dead the soldier pierced His side with a spear. (John 19:34). Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and begged him for the body of Jesus. (Matthew 27:57) Joseph and Nicodemus placed Jesus body in the tomb. (John 19:39)
While this was taking place, the women who were faithful followers and had remained at the cross were looking on. The religious leaders went to Pilate and asked him to set guards at the tomb. At daybreak on Sunday morning Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome went to the tomb with spices to anoint the body of Jesus. Before they arrived something amazing happened
Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
As the women reach the tomb they find the stone rolled away - Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
The Angel also commanded them to inform the disciples (especially Peter) that Jesus is risen! (Mark 16:5-8) - They tell the Disciples and then Mary Magdalene, Peter and John return to the empty tomb. John and Peter then leave and Mary is alone weeping in the Garden. (John 20:3-10) Mary again looks into the tomb and sees two Angels sitting where Jesus had lain. They asked her why she was weeping She said she was weeping because they had taken away the body of her Lord.
John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
The Risen Savior had a tremendous impact on each person He visited on the day of His resurrection. And if you have met this Risen Savior, then He has made a tremendous impact on you as well. Maybe you haven't met Him, if that is the case, I would like to introduce you to Him today. Maybe you think that you know Jesus but you just aren't sure, I would like to help you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you do before your leave this place today. If you do know Him, there will be evidence in your life.
- Let's begin with the fact that:
I. IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED
On the day of the resurrection a woman named "Mary Magdalene" went to the tomb very early in the morning. She went there with spices to anoint Jesus. This was a part of the burial ritual. Mary was not expecting to encounter a living Savior, she was looking for a corpse. When she arrived at the tomb the stone was rolled away. Inside the tomb was an Angel with a message for her.
Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
The message of the resurrection changed Mary's life. However, her life had already been changed some time earlier. Mark 16:9 says that "when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." Mary of Magdela had been possessed with 7 demons. Somewhere along the way she encountered Jesus. Jesus had compassion on her an worked a miracle in her life. It is apparent by her love, devotion and service to Jesus that she was ever grateful for her deliverance. Those who truly know Jesus, have been changed the same way Mary was.
A. WE ARE CHANGED BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY
When Jesus encountered this demon possessed woman, He found someone who could not help herself. Mary was a sinner and did not deserve mercy. Mary was like each and every person who has ever lived, she deserved punishment, wrath and condemnation. There was nothing good in her, but the Savior extended compassion and mercy to her.
If you do not belong to Jesus, you need to understand that there is nothing good in you. There is nothing you can do to change the fact that you deserve death and Hell. But there is a risen Savior who has compassion and mercy on lost sinners and He has made a way of escape for you. Your only hope of salvation is to be changed by the mercy of God!
- Not only are we changed by this great mercy.:
B. WE ARE CHANGED BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE
Because of mercy we do not receive the punishment and condemnation that we deserve. Because of His grace we receive many things that we could never deserve. Grace is defined as God's unmerited favor. Simply put, Grace is the amazing benefits that come to those who are "in Christ" .You see, Jesus didn't just deliver Mary from the demons. On top of the deliverance Jesus gave her Peace, Joy, Hope, Fulfillment and Purpose. To sum it up, Jesus gave Mary a new life.
When you encounter the Risen Savior, He will do much more than just deliver you from your sins and rescue you from Hell. Like Mary, He will give you a new life. For those who know Him, we must never forget that we are changed because of His mercy and His grace. Moreover, His mercy and grace are bi-products of His love.
C. WE ARE CHANGED BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE
Why would Jesus take time for a woman who was possessed by demons? What was the motive for His actions? His motive was love! He delivered her because He loved her! Why would he save a wretch like me? Because He loved me. The Bible tells us that is the reason that He came in the first place.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You have an opportunity to experience this great love, mercy and grace that I speak of. Jesus can save a woman possessed with demons, if He can save a hypocrite like I was, if He can save the thief on the cross next to Him, if He can save the chief of sinners, He can save you!
No matter where you have been or what you have done, your sin is not to great that the blood Jesus cannot wash it away. You are not to lost to be saved. You are not too far gone. if you will surrender to Him you can be saved eternally. If you will repent and believe in Him, you can experience the same sort of changed life that we see in Mary Magdalene.
- As we move farther we also see that:
II. IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOUR PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN RE-ARRANGED
Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
We don't know much about Mary's life before Christ. But I can tell you what she did, she did whatever the demons told her to do. However, after she met Jesus her priorities were rearranged. From the moment of her salvation she followed Jesus. All who are born again are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When you follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, there will be some changes in your priorities. The things that once mattered most to you may no longer be important. On the other hand, there will be some things that you never did before that will quickly become a priority in your life.
Mary was the last one at the cross and the first one at the tomb. She had a desire before the sun had even come up to be with her dead Savior. Today we can be in the presence of a living Savior. Unfortunately many people who claim to know Jesus seem to have little desire to be in His presence. We have the opportunity to talk to Him daily, likewise we have the opportunity to hear from Him daily. We have been given gifts, talents and abilities to serve Him. Furthermore, we have a minimum of 3 opportunities a week to come in this assembly and worship Him.
Do you take advantage of these opportunities?
Do you pray?
Do you study?
Do you serve?
Do you witness?
Do you praise?
Do you worship?
If you truly know the Lord Jesus you will do all of these things and more. Why? Because if you know Him, your priorities have been rearranged. The Holy Spirit will point you towards what is right And the Holy Spirit will prevent you from doing what is wrong.
Take a long hard look at your life, is Jesus the number 1 priority? Or would you have to admit that He is often placed behind other things on that list of priorities? Is there ample evidence in daily life that you truly know the Savior? If you know Him, your life has been changed. As a result, your priorities have been rearranged, and finally we will see that:
III. IF YOU KNOW HIM, YOUR FUTURE HAS BEEN PREARRANGED
Mark 16:6 And he (the Angel) saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.....9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Mary went to the tomb expecting a corpse. When she arrived she found that Jesus was gone. The Angel spoke a message of hope, but Mary did not truly comprehend just exactly what had happened. When Jesus first appeared to her she didn't recognize Him. She thought He was the gardener. But Jesus called her name and when He said "Mary", she knew she was beholding the risen Savior. The message that he Angel had for Mary is a message that is still true today. He is no longer in the grave, He is risen! And because of His victory over death, you can have the promise of a resurrection as well.
You can go down to the Funeral Home and "prearrange" your own funeral. You can choose your casket, your vault and even pick the spot where you will be buried. You can decide what songs you want sung and who will officiate. You can make all the plans necessary for when you draw your last breath.
But if you know Jesus, your future has been prearranged. Better yet your eternity has been prearranged. Jesus has made all the plans and preparations. In fact He went to the Cross and paid your debt in full! The scriptures tell us that Jesus has arranged a place for you. There is a new body that is waiting. There is a new city for you to reside in. And in that Holy City there will be no more death, sorrow, pain crying or sin! It is a place of peace, joy and rest! Your saved loved ones are there. The saints of old are there. And most importantly your Lord and Savior is there. All who truly know Jesus can rest in the promise that Jesus made in John 14. There, He said He was going away, but He also left with a promise to return.
Do you know Him? If so then you have ample reason to rejoice. If you do not know Him, I would like to introduce you to Him today.
Do You Know Jesus?
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