“HE IS NOT HERE – HE IS RISEN

HE IS NOT HERE – HE IS RISEN!

Luke 24:1-12

April 8, 2007 Pastor Jack Harpold

Good Friday was a dark and dreary day but now Sunday has come! Tony Campolo Related the story of a black preacher preaching a Good Friday message. As he related the dark story of the Crucifixion he kept punctuating his message with the statement, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!” Even on that dark Friday he was preparing for the glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Lord is triumphant over death and He has gained the victory. However, the first Easter morning did not seem like a great triumph, rather more like a great injustice - the body of Jesus was gone - the tomb was empty. Let’s take a few moments to examine the story of that first Easter morning.

The tomb was closed: The great stone was rolled into place and became nearly impossible to remove. The stone was then sealed by either clay or wax to further seal the entrance and make it air tight. The tomb of Jesus was also given the seal of the emperor and made it a capital crime to open the tomb. The tomb was guarded: Pilate placed a large number of Roman soldiers to guard the tomb.

The women came to the tomb early in the morning of the first day of the week. What a shock this must have been to see that the tomb was open. In fact, Mary was quite distraught. When Mary sees that the body of Jesus is gone her first instinct is to run to tell Peter what had happened. Was Mary going to share the good news? NO! Mary believed the body of Jesus had been stolen: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!" It didn’t occur to her that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Mary was focused on the tragedy of the situation. First, Jesus was dead. This was a severe blow to the disciples because they never understood the fact that Jesus was going to die. So, when Jesus was crucified they could not deal with the situation.

Second, Jesus’ body was missing and presumed stolen. The body of Jesus was gone from the tomb and the only logical explanation was that the body was stolen.

Third, no one knew where the body was located and what had been done to the body. This was a great crisis for Mary.

When Peter hears the news he runs to investigate. John arrived first and looks in the tomb entrance but does not enter. Peter arrives and immediately enters the tomb. He wastes no time trying to get to the bottom of the problem. There was no body – Jesus was gone. The linens were still there and in order and it could easily be seen that the body was not stolen. The burial cloth was folded upon itself. This is literally impossible unless there was a miraculous removal of the body. This is one of the most striking evidences for the resurrection

Peter saw the facts. The evidence was indeed conclusive. Jesus had been raised from the dead. Peter did not process the information. Peter was a lot like Joe Friday from Dragnet – “Just the facts.” It could be said that he was looking at just the facts. Peter saw that the body of Jesus was gone. Peter did not understand what had happened and he was focused on merely answering the question “what happened here?” Peter did not apply his faith to the facts and was unable to come to a conclusion. Peter’s response was to go home clueless.

John also investigates the tomb. John sees the exact same things that Peter saw that day. John did not miss anything that Peter saw in the tomb and Peter saw all that John saw. However, there was a great difference in their personal reaction. John saw the linens, the burial cloth and the empty tomb.

John’s response? He saw the facts and applied his faith. There is a vast difference between knowing and believing. John applied the facts to his faith. John moved from head knowledge to heart knowledge. John saw the triumph of the empty tomb. The body of Jesus was gone and gone in a miraculous way. John believed Jesus did exactly what he said he would do to defeat death. John saw and believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Some say the resurrection did not happen. They deny the resurrection of Jesus. Even some in the church… even some who stand in the pulpit. Suppose it were true? Paul gives a response in 1 Corinthians 15, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Why would you be here today if Jesus is still in a tomb somewhere? It would be a total waste of time. But if the resurrection of Jesus is true, what are you going to do with this risen Christ?

Where are you looking for Jesus? We look in all kinds of places in the world. But we fail to look in the right places.

On one occasion Michelangelo turned to his fellow artists and said with frustration in his voice, "Why do you keep filling gallery after gallery with endless pictures on the one theme of Christ in weakness, Christ on the cross, and most of all, Christ hanging dead?" he asked. "Why do you concentrate on the passing episode as if it were the last work, as if the curtain dropped down there on disaster and defeat? That dreadful scene lasted only a few hours. But to the unending eternity Christ is alive; Christ rules and reigns and triumphs!"

A man was going down a street when in a store window he saw a very beautiful picture of the crucifixion. As he gazed spellbound at the vividly pictured story, he suddenly became conscious that at his side stood a young boy. The boy, too, was gazing at the picture, and his tense expression made the man know that "The Crucifixion" had really gripped the eager little soul. Touching the boy on the shoulder, the man said, "Sonny, what does it mean?" "Doncha know?" he answered, his face full of the marvel of the man’s ignorance. "That there man is Jesus, an’ them others is Roman soldiers, an’ the woman what’s cryin’ is His mother, an’" he added, "they killed ’im!"

The man did not want to move from in front of that impressive piece of artwork but he had other things he had to do, so he turned and walked away. In a few moments he heard footsteps on the street behind him, and there came rushing up the boy. "Say, mister," he exclaimed breathlessly, "I forgot to tell you, but He rose again!"

Maybe you are like Mary and you have placed your focus in life on the tragedies that have burdened your life. Perhaps there are some of you who are like Peter and you know the facts of the resurrection but never applied that knowledge to your heart. As we have examined things this morning and taken a fresh look at the old, old story; you have been examining your own heart. Don’t you want to be like John on that first Easter morning? Isn’t it time, to move from the facts to find faith? Today is a great day to cheat death and enter into the triumph of the resurrection.

Jesus is calling to you today an invitation to believe the unbelievable, receive the inconceivable and defeat, not just cheat the power of death.

Three Questions:

Does what I have been saying make sense to you?

Is there any reason why you would not be willing to receive Christ as your savior?

Are you willing to turn from your sins and place your faith in Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross for me and you were raised to life again on that first Easter morning. I know that I need you in my life and I accept you as my savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sins, cleanse me from within and give me the power to live for you from this moment on. Amen.