"The Message of Easter "
Matthew 28:1-10
Recently the local newspaper in Artesia, New Mexico ran this article: “Mary Bratcher accidentally ran over her son’s young pet dog, Browny. The family tearfully buried the mixed-breed dog in a field near their ranch home. The family’s young son, Toby, age 3, refused to accept that his pet was dead. Browny’s mother refused to accept it also. The mother dog, dug Browny out of the ground and the following day the family returned from a trip to discover Browny- caked with mud and dried blood -on their porch. Browny, barely breathing, was rushed to a veterinarian. Browny will recover. Browny has lost an eye, has a broken shoulder and has a new name: Lazarus.”
There is primarily “One Thing” on the minds of most people who are in Church today - and it is the miraculous Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are here not to celebrate a resuscitation as in the case of Brownie, but a Resurrection, for you see, Jesus really died before his burial.
Paul the Apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,
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…
That is what we celebrate today!
Paul said this is "of first importance" to us…and indeed it is! Is the Resurrection of Jesus really important? Is Easter Relevant? Does it have a message for today that makes any difference?
Read Matthew 28:1-10
Twice in what we just read we see the words "Do not be afraid". In verse 5 it is the Angel telling the women not to be afraid. In verse 10 Jesus tells these women the same thing: "Do not be afraid."
The message of Easter is one that says to all of us, "You no longer need to be afraid."
Though many don’t like to admit it, Fear affects all of us. According to several surveys I’ve read, most people are afraid:
1-that they might fail;
2- of people who do not like them;
3-of what people will do to us if they get angry;
4- we’re afraid of cancer, pollution, war and AIDS;
5-of death;
6-of speaking in public;
7-of water, earthquakes, tight places, flying, loud noises;
8-of being alone or rejected;
9-losing our job and income;
10-losing our health.
To a little 1st grader it might be something else…in one class the teacher was talking about President Abraham Lincoln and what a brave man he was. She said to the boys and girls:
“If you could ask President Lincoln any question, what would it be?” A little boy said, “I would ask him,
‘Mr. Lincoln, were you afraid when you started 1st grade?”’
Fear touches all of us and in different ways. Some people get ulcers. Fear causes some people to keep their finger on the trigger of a handgun while others put 911 on speed-dial.
We also must admit that fear has its place. Fear is an emotion that is designed to alert us to possible danger. Fear causes the adrenaline to increase-which at times makes us more alert and able to deal with dangerous situations.
Fear, properly dealt with can energize us. But most of the time fear paralyzes us. That’s where the resurrection of Jesus Christ comes into affect. Let’s consider some specifics about how the Resurrection of Christ can help us.
1. The resurrection means we no longer have to worry
about the future.
The greatest threat we face in life is the threat of death. The fear of death controls our life much more than we realize. This fear can dictate what we eat, what activities we engage in, where we live.
Here’s the Good News: The resurrection of Jesus takes the sting out of death. Easter shows us that there is life beyond the grave. Death is no longer a giant . . . it is a mere blip on the screen of eternity. Jesus’ return from the grave allows us to face death with a different perspective. For the person who trusts in God, death is just a transition into a new life.
Some people are not very fond of flying in airplanes. There is something about the idea of that metal cylinder hanging precariously in the air that unnerves some people a little. This fear is made worse when there’s a lot of turbulence.
There’s one guy I heard of who learned a little trick to help him deal with his fear. He asks himself when flying, "What is the worst thing that can happen?" The answer? ‘We could plunge from the sky and go crashing into the ground and be destroyed beyond recognition.’ (He always tries to be honest with myself.) And then he asks, ‘Are you prepared to die?’ And he responds, ‘Yes, I know where I am going. Death has no power over me because Jesus has overcome it.’ Then I can sit back and look strong for everyone else.”
An author by the name of Joan Chittester writes about a time some 500 years ago when a great army invaded the country and created a path of destruction wherever they went. Their greatest wrath was seemingly reserved for religious monks. The author writes, "When the invaders arrived in one of the villages... The leader of the village reported to the commander, "All the monks, hearing of your approach, fled to the mountains."
The commander smiled a broad, cold smile, for he was proud of having a reputation for being a very fearsome person. But then the leader added, "All, that is, but one."
The commander became enraged. He marched to the monastery and kicked in the gate. There in the courtyard stood the one remaining monastic. The commander charged at the figure. "Do you know who I am?" The commander demanded. "I am He who can run you through with a sword without batting an eyelash."
And the monastic fixed the commander with a serene and patient look and said, "And do you know who I am? I am one who can let you run me through with a sword without batting an eyelash." (Wisdom from the Daily, p. 184....Quoted in MacDonald THE LIFE GOD BLESSES p. 77)
The future may not be pleasant but we can deal with it properly. . . If our faith is in the One who rose from the dead. The message of Easter tells us that there is no need to be afraid of the future as long as we walk with the God of the future.
2. We no longer need to fear the past.
Does your past ever haunt you? Do you worry that people will find out what you were really like in the past? Do you fear that they will discover what you did or said years ago? Do you fear that some of your past decisions will come back to haunt you? Do you fear that some of your past deeds will disqualify you from Heaven? If so, you join a large company of people.
Again, Easter has good news for us.
When Jesus came back from the dead He proved that the sacrifice of His life was acceptable to God. His resurrection shows that the debt for sin has been paid. God’s wrath has been satisfied. We are assured that "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43) And in the book of Isaiah our Lord says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool." (1:18)
Sure, our past may embarrass us. Our past may lead people to think differently of us BUT.... ultimately, our past is dealt with and its shame eradicated if we know Christ as our Savior. The forgiveness of Jesus through His shed blood is the great Eraser of life. We are forgiven. And we know it is true because of the resurrection. What wonderful liberating news this is to every person who trusts in Christ for salvation.
3. We can face the present with new confidence.
Life can be tough. Life’s roads are often filled with detours. Life’s bridges can be knocked down by an emotional earthquake or washed out by a flood of problems. Life can be unfair. Not one of us can control the future. Some things happen that will totally reshape our life:
• In April of 1995 about 168 people lost their lives when a Government building was blown up in Oklahoma City. The lives of their families and friends have been changed forever………
• In April of 1999 two teenagers killed a dozen classmates at Columbine High School…
• Recently a young couple buried their baby boy who only lived 8 months…..
• September 11, 2001 terrorists crashed 3 planes into buildings filled with people and changed the landscape of America for ever -killing more than 3,000 people
• This week someone lost their job and income to support their family has stopped
Life can be Tough! Troubling! Sometimes Torturous!
If we take a hard look at what might be ahead of us we might be tempted to think: "I don’t know if I can handle this. I feel weak, I lack the necessary abilities and stamina, the task seems overwhelming, I don’t think I can make it."
But we must not stop there! We must go further in our thinking and deliberating: We must continue by saying, "BUT, God has promised to be with me. He has given me His Holy Spirit as a partner in life. I do not have to face the future in my own strength. My strength is weak- but His is without equal."
The Sunday night after His resurrection, Jesus went to where the disciples were. Read John 20:19-22
Earlier in this same book Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide them into truth and would give them the words to say when they would face difficult situations. What Jesus promised to the Disciples is true for us as well. The Holy Spirit will give us courage when tough times come. The Spirit of Jesus will give us strength when otherwise our knees would buckle. We do not face our present difficulties alone if we are trusting the one who has risen from the grave. The Lord promises that NOTHING will separate us from His love. He also promises that in ALL THINGS He is at work in our lives for the good. These are promises that can calm the most troubled person. When we face times filled with fear, we need to look to the Lord and realize that He has promised to give us the strength we need to get through whatever comes our way. We must learn to focus-not on our ability-but His!
There is one thing in the Bible that we are told that we should fear. We are told that we should fear the Lord. In fact we are told, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". (Pr. 1:7)
What does this mean? In the classic work Pilgrim’s Progress the fear of the Lord is described as: "the conviction of sin, which leads to repentance and saving faith, and results in a holy reverence for God." The fear of the Lord is seeing God for who He is and giving Him the proper place in our lives. You see, as long as we are looking at the Lord . . . fear fades into the background and it is replaced with Reverence for God, with Respect for Him and His Ways.
What are the Ways of the Lord?
1-Love for all mankind
2-An invitation to a personal Relationship with Him
3-Provision for Salvation-the death of Christ on the Cross
4-Power to live for Him and endure whatever we face
Easter tells us we don’t need to be afraid any longer.
The resurrection of Jesus shows us that life does not end at death. But it not only reveals that there is life beyond the grave . . . the resurrection points the way to Eternal Life.
Let me ask you several questions my friends-
• Are you willing to trust the message of the Man who rose from the dead?
• Do you recognize that Jesus is God?
• Do you see that He died willingly as a payment for your sin?
• Do you understand that there is no way that you can save yourself? Are you willing to acknowledge that you can’t be "good enough", you can’t "earn enough credit" to get a free pass into Heaven?
Do you realize that the Resurrection of Jesus proves that everything He said was true?
Now, here’s the most important question. If you believe all that, are you willing to start following Jesus Christ?
• Are you willing to stop depending on your efforts to get to Heaven and start resting in what He has done?
• Are you willing to trust Him for not only your eternal destiny but for every day guidance and strength?
If you are willing to do so, tell the Lord right now. Surrender your life to Him. Take that step of faith. And if you do, you will find that all of your fears will be eventually dealt with.
It’s at that point that all of us can live with confidence because the wisdom and strength of God begins to work in us. All because Jesus died in our place and rose again victoriously.
This is the most relevant information any of us could ever receive today. It’s the all-important “One Thing” we all need to know.
Pray
