“Living the
Resurrection” (Luke 24:1-9)
- Easter Sunday
Service -
Remember!
One of my favorite books that I reread on a regular basis
is Pilgrim’s Progress written by John Bunyan. It is a story of one
pilgrim’s remarkable journey to the heavenly kingdom. It is very interesting
that each name in the story reflects his or her personality. The
name of the main character is “Christian.” One time Christian lost his way and was
captured by Giant Despair on his journey. And he was thrown into the dungeon of
Doubting
Castle Doubting
Castle
In today’s scripture, the women were filled with grief
and despair. They lost their loved one. They lost the purpose of life. They
lost all hope. In verse 1, they went to Jesus’ tomb with great grief. But,
what’s surprising is that in verse 9, they came back from the tomb with joy and
hope. Matthew 28:8 says, “So the women hurried away form the tomb, afraid yet
filled with joy, and ran to his disciples.” So what happened for them between
verse 1 and verse 9? We can find the answer in verse 8: “Then they remembered
Jesus’ words.” On Easter morning the women were filled with despair and
didn’t know what to do. At the very moment the angels appeared to them and
said, “Remember how Jesus told you.” And the women remembered Jesus’
words. Surprisingly, their grief and despair began to melt away. Are you
pressed on every side by troubles? Use the
key that God already gave you. You may say, “I already
tried it, but it didn’t work.” Or you may say, “I already know the word of God.
But it is no use in my case. I need something new.” But the message these women
heard today was not a new message. “The Son of Man must be delivered into the
hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again!”
They heard this message over and over since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
But, they didn’t get the meaning of it. But today, in the most difficult moment
the word of God became alive and revived their souls.
Assurance of Pardon
The women’s mourning turned into joy. The resurrection of
Jesus totally transformed their lives. How about us? Does really Jesus’
resurrection affect our lives today? Yes indeed! It affects all areas of
our lives. It affects our past, our present and our future! First of all,
Jesus’ resurrection gives us assurance of pardon of our past sins. Apostle
Paul says in Romans 4:25 , “Jesus was
handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us
right with God” (NLT). By his resurrection, God proved that Jesus is
righteous and truly the Son of God. By his resurrection, God counts those who
believe in Jesus as righteous before him. I don’t know about you, but for me
this is the greatest blessing. I am a beloved husband and father of three children.
I am also a pastor loved by you. But, if my past sins are exposed, I cannot
stand here. And I am not sure whether my wife and children would accept me as
their family. My sins are like scarlet, but by the blood of Jesus and by his
resurrection, my sins are all cleansed like snow. This morning I stand here not
as a hypocrite but as a forgiven child of God. I stand in agreement with David
wholeheartedly. In Psalm 32:1 he says, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are
forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Yes, I am blessed. You are blessed. We are
blessed in Christ. So, do not let your past have authority over you. By his
resurrection, you are a whole new person! The old life is gone, and a new life
has begun!
Hope for Tomorrow
Secondly, the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope for
tomorrow. Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we will be
also raised. This is “Resurrection faith.” The Bible says, “If there is no
resurrection, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed
been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”
(1Co 15:19 -20). There is a
myth, called “the 4-minute mile.” Since 1864, for almost a century, numerous
athletes had tried to run 1 mile in 4 minutes, but no one could make it. So,
people began to believe that it is impossible to run 1 mile in 4 minutes. But,
in 1945 one physician gave a paper that a human is able to run 1 mile in 4 minutes.
Surprisingly, in two years 127 athletes did run 1 mile in 4 minutes. Jesus
Christ conquered death and opened the door to eternal life so that we may
follow him. When we have the hope of resurrection, we can endure our troubles
today. Even death, our last enemy, becomes a gateway to heaven. Our God is the
God of the living. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob. What does it mean? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; they all died in this world,
but now they are alive with Christ. That is why our God is the God of the
living. Not only Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also we are surrounded by such
a great cloud of witnesses. All of them are alive. In this world, they lived as
aliens and strangers, but they desired a better place, “heavenly homeland.”
Some of them were tortured. Some suffered flogging, chains, and imprisonment.
Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the
sword. But, they refused to be released. Why? Because they did not put their
hope in this world but in a better life after the resurrection. The
resurrection of Jesus gives us living hope for tomorrow.
Power for Today
Jesus’ resurrection gives us not only assurance of pardon
for yesterday and hope for tomorrow but also “power” to live for today. By the
resurrection of Jesus, the greatest gift from God is given to us, that is, “the
Holy Spirit.” After Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples
and said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone” (Mark 16:15 , NLT) Then, he
gave them divine power, the power of the Spirit. He said, “When you drink
deadly poison, it will not hurt you at all” (v. 18). How can we love the
unlovable? How can we forgive those who deeply hurt us? How can we continue to
serve the unthankful? We cannot, but the Holy Spirit within us is able to do
everything. The Spirit removes poisons, whether it is verbal poison, or any
kind of poisons he can remove so that they will not harm us at all. Sometimes
we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair; struck down, but not destroyed because the Spirit of the resurrected
Jesus is with us and within us all the time. Mongooses are cat-sized small
animals. But, they are well known for their ability to fight and kill venomous
snakes, particularly cobras. How is that possible? It is possible because they
are immune to snake venom. When you get hurt by others, remember you are
immune to that poison by the resurrection power of Jesus! Invite the Holy
Spirit. Welcome him. Proclaim his power of love by faith!
Remember!
When Jesus was arrested and crucified, most of the people
left him. But, the women stayed around him. They were standing near the cross.
They followed Arimathea Joseph to see Jesus’ tomb, and they were standing
outside the tomb weeping. They were powerless. They didn’t know what to do, but
they did not leave Jesus. They remained in Jesus, and the risen Christ came and
restored them. When you are filled with despair, when you feel depressed, do
not leave Jesus. Stay close to him. Remember his word. The word of Christ
is living and active (Heb 4:12 ). The word of Christ
is perfect and revives the soul (Psalm 19:7) Jesus said, “The words I have
spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). In other
words, when we read the Bible and meditate on the word, we become filled with the
Spirit of God. When we fill our hearts with the words of Christ, we become
filled with the Life of God. So, when you are troubled in every way, stay
still and hold fast his promise. Remember his word, and he will come and
save you. Remember, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have assurance
of pardon of our past. We have hope for tomorrow. We have all the power we need
to live for today. We are more than enough in Christ. Amen.
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