What is the best news you have ever heard? For me personally, it was when Joyce said “Yes!” And she married me about 10 years ago this May. For Jewish people, the following news might be the best news they had received. During World War II, Gen. George Patton’s army had just liberated Buchenwald, Germany, and they entered the concentration camp to set people there free. There they found hundreds of starving men piled in bunks from floor to ceiling. Even though they had been freed, they remained in the barracks. They suspected that new uniforms just meant new oppression and new abuse, and they would not leave the barracks. But then, Rabbi Herschel Shacter came in with the troops and spoke to them in their own language: "Shalom Aleichem, Yidden, Ihr zint frei!"—"Peace be upon you, Jews, you are free!" Hearing the news, one man got up, then a stream of men out of that one barracks, then the stream became a flood as they went from barrack to barrack, to barrack with this news: “You are free, you are free, you are free!” What is then the best news in human history? Without slightest hesitation I would say the world’s best news is this: “Christ is risen!”
George Gallop did a poll that said 84% of people who never go to church believe Jesus rose from the dead. But many people, and perhaps some of you in this room, may wonder, “It happened 2,000 years ago. Does it really matter? Is it relevant to my life?” The answer is “YES.” Let me suggest to you at least three reasons why it is so important and relevant to your lives.
Freedom from the Past
George Gallop did a poll that said 84% of people who never go to church believe Jesus rose from the dead. But many people, and perhaps some of you in this room, may wonder, “It happened 2,000 years ago. Does it really matter? Is it relevant to my life?” The answer is “YES.” Let me suggest to you at least three reasons why it is so important and relevant to your lives.
Freedom from the Past
First, the resurrection gives us freedom from the past. One pastor received this letter: "I'm 31 years old and divorced, though I fought the divorce bitterly. I feel bad. I have no hope for my future. Often I go home and cry, but there's no one holding me when I cry. Nobody cares. Nothing changes, and I continue to fail. I'm stressed out emotionally, and I feel I'm on the verge of a collapse. Something is very wrong. But I feel so hurt and embittered that I can scarcely react or relate to others anymore. I feel as if I'm going to have to sit out the rest of my life in the penalty box."[1]
In today’s passage we meet two disciples of Jesus who are heading home after a traumatic weekend. Verse 17 says, “And they stood still, looking sad.” Why were they sad? Part of the reason might be because of the loss of their loved one. But there was another more fundamental reason under the surface, that was guilt. Peter disowned Jesus three times; Mark fled naked, when the mob tried to grab him; none of the disciples were able to follow Jesus. And these two disciples were also suffering from guilt and shame. And now Jesus died. Everything seemed over. And they are deeply and sadly ashamed, saying, “I guess I’ll just have to live with this the rest of my life.” The thing is, many people live like that. I don’t know about you, but for me, I have been there. I have guilt. I have the past. If my past is shown like panorama on the screen, I’m sure that no one in this room will want me to be your pastor. I doubt my children would still call me “dad.” But the resurrection brings the good news that there is forgiveness with God. The risen Christ proclaims to us, “You are free! You are free from your guilt! You are free from your past!” The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” (2Co 5:17). That is what happens in baptism. When we go under the water, we (old self) die with the crucified Christ. When we come up out of the water, we (new self) enter into a new life with the risen Christ. That’s the first message of the resurrection of Jesus: our past can be forgiven today.
Power in the Present
Power in the Present
That’s good news. We can make a fresh start. I don’t know about you, but for me I need more than just forgiveness for the past. I need power in the present. We often hear people say, “My life is out of control… I feel powerless to break a bad habit. I feel powerless to get out of debt. I feel powerless to save a relationship, and so on.” What we need is a power greater than ourselves. So our question is, “Is God really able to change human nature?” “Is it possible for the addict to break the vicious cycle?” “Is it possible for cruel people to be made kind, and sour people to be sweetened?” The answer is, “YES, it is possible!” We see numerous evidence in the Bible. Jesus’ disciples were all timid cowards when Jesus died, but after they met the risen Christ, they became fearless martyrs.
Paul is another good example. At first, Paul hated Christians, because in his eyes what they believed, the Messiah, was nonsense. The Messiah by definition is anointed one, which means, "the chosen one, beloved one." But here is this Jesus Christ, supposed to be the Messiah, and he is dying on a cross. Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “Cursed is he who is hung on a tree.” This guy Jesus is cursed by God, abandoned by God. No wonder Paul didn’t believe this Jesus. But then, he saw Jesus raised from the dead. He says, “Wait a minute! If God did raise him from the dead and vindicate him, then when he was cursed, he must have been cursed for someone else’s sins, not his own.” God opens the eyes of his heart, and all of sudden it’s all beginning to make sense. In the same way, the two disciples in today’s scripture heard the news that Jesus had been raised from the dead. But for them these words seemed an idle tale (11). They didn’t believe, but when the risen Christ interpreted the scriptures, their hearts began to burn within them. The Scriptures became from “idle tale” to “living word of God.” And after that, they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem (33). In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul says, “How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe him, the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (TLB).” The same resurrection power is available to us today. And the same God of supernatural power, who raised Jesus from the dead, can raise us from spiritual death and make us alive. He can change us, because he changed Christ.
Hope for the Future
The resurrection gives us freedom from our past; the resurrection gives us power in the present. The third message is, the resurrection gives us true hope for the future. Bertland Russell said, “When I die, I believe that I shall rot, and that that is the end.” But the resurrection of Jesus tells us that there is life after death. Billy Graham once said, “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”
What is your source of hope? In Hebrews 11 we meet heroes of faith. They are all from different times, but all of them have one thing in common. They have the hope of resurrection. For instance, when Abraham offered Isaac, “he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead!” (19) How about Joseph? Before he died, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left (22). Some were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection (35). That’s the resurrection hope! The Bible says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… the Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1Th 4:14-17). That’s the resurrection hope: God will raise the dead, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and he will make everything new.
Still the Best New Ever
What is your source of hope? In Hebrews 11 we meet heroes of faith. They are all from different times, but all of them have one thing in common. They have the hope of resurrection. For instance, when Abraham offered Isaac, “he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead!” (19) How about Joseph? Before he died, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left (22). Some were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection (35). That’s the resurrection hope! The Bible says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… the Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we… will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1Th 4:14-17). That’s the resurrection hope: God will raise the dead, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and he will make everything new.
Still the Best New Ever
So why does the resurrection matter to you? It matters because your sin can be forgiven. It matters because your present can be transformed. It matters because your future can be secure.
On the day of Pentecost Peter preached his first sermon. Basically, he preached Jesus and the resurrection. It was the first Easter message. People responded with this question: “Brothers, what should we do?” And Peter answered, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38a MSG). That day about three thousand received his word and were baptized. After 2,000 years later today, the Easter message is still the same. “Jesus Christ is risen today.” And it’s still the best news ever. How would you respond to this good news?
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[1] Rick Warren, “What Difference Does Easter make?” (Colossians 2:13-14) http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2005/august/223.html
On the day of Pentecost Peter preached his first sermon. Basically, he preached Jesus and the resurrection. It was the first Easter message. People responded with this question: “Brothers, what should we do?” And Peter answered, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38a MSG). That day about three thousand received his word and were baptized. After 2,000 years later today, the Easter message is still the same. “Jesus Christ is risen today.” And it’s still the best news ever. How would you respond to this good news?
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[1] Rick Warren, “What Difference Does Easter make?” (Colossians 2:13-14) http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2005/august/223.html
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