Good morning and happy Easter weekend. What an incredible Good Friday service we had together last night. The choir and the worship team, led by brother Omar (who is celebrating his birthday today), did an amazing job of leading us. That service really sets the tone for the entire weekend for me. Today, we have outreach and other activities at the church. Tomorrow, we gather at 10:15 for breakfast and then our Easter service at 11:00. We will have the privilege of baptizing two people as part of our service. This is going to be a great weekend as we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Over the last few months there has been a commercial on about a company named Jericho. The owner of the company says he chose that name because it is a story about blind faith. I remember the first time I heard that wondering how the story of the Israelites conquering Jericho could be considered blind faith. After all, they had just seen God do a miracle in their midst by allowing them to cross the Jordan River at flood stage. As a reminder of the miracle He did for their people 40 years prior at the Red Sea, the waters parted and they walked across on dry ground. Furthermore, they were following the clear commands of God. He had given instructions to Joshua as to what they were supposed to do. Sure, from a military perspective, it probably didn’t make much sense to walk around the wall of a fortified city for 7 days. But this wasn’t simply a military battle, it was a spiritual one and God was leading them to fulfill His promise of delivering to them the land of Canaan. If you think back to what the people had experienced for the prior 40 years, it is nothing short of amazing. God freed them from captivity in Egypt, demonstrating His awesome power through the series of plagues, He rescued them from the Egyptian army through the miracle at the Red Sea, He did countless miracles in their midst, He provided them with the bread from heaven to eat, water from the rock, and protection from their enemies and the wild animals. Not only that, He allowed them to see a visible reminder of His presence with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He met with Moses and gave him instructions on virtually everything. The people could literally see the glory of God. So, with that as the background leading up to the conquest of Jericho, it is hard to make the case that it was simply a group of people walking in blind faith.
The same is true for us today. As we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, there are many people that think we have blind faith. In other words, that we don’t have any evidence to back up what we say we believe. People scoff that the execution of a Jewish man on a cross some 2000 years ago could have any bearing on the course of their eternity. Many doubt that He actually was a real person, and they conjecture that the story is a religious fairy tale. Then, of course, is the whole resurrection story. Beginning on the day that it happened and continuing to this moment in history, people contend that Jesus did not come back from the dead. The Gospel tells of the lie that was formulated and spread that the disciples came and stole the body. Throughout the years, some have proposed what is called the swoon theory. They believe that Jesus had passed out and that the people just thought He was dead. Once He was laid to rest in the tomb, the cool air helped revive Him. Although, I am not sure how He wouldn’t suffocate since He had over 100 pounds of spices on Him and He was wrapped head to toe in clothe. Nevertheless, the disciples somehow came and got Him, took Him to an undisclosed location and nursed Him back to health. There are many other theories but they all simply seek to explain away what really happened. In fulfillment of Scriptures, Jesus died on the cross, He was buried, and three days later He arose from that grave, victorious over sin and death.
From Luke 24, we read the following:
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, theycame to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words. 9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. 11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.
That is where a lot of people are when it comes to the reality of the resurrection. The words seem like nonsense to them. The simply don’t want to believe it. One reason is, if it is true, then they must either accept that Jesus truly is the Son of God or willingly reject Him.
Continuing in Luke 24, we read about Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. We pick up in verse 18:
18 The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked them. So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, 23 and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slowto believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
Wouldn’t it have been great to be a part of that Bible study? Can you imagine Jesus Himself walking you through the Scriptures and teaching how it clearly portrays Him as the Messiah and the very Son of God? Well, the good news is that we have the Bible and for those that trust Christ, we have the Holy Spirit of God to guide us as we study the Word. And He will do the same thing Jesus did for those disciples, He will help us to understand how the Bible teaches about Jesus.
I conclude with this well-known passage from 1 Corinthians 15. In it, the apostle Paul writes about key elements of the gospel message – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
1Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.
Praise God that He has opened our eyes to see and believe the truth of His Word. Jesus is alive. He is risen just as He said He would. Let us continue to tell everyone that we can the Good News that they can be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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