|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
READ: Acts 2:24
CHALLENGE: EXPERIENCE THE SHARED HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION
Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the cornerstone of our faith. It provides hope of new life and eternal life which are so important. You are part of this day. Your faith is anchored to it and it says in the Bible that believers are resurrected with Christ and we share in the freedom from being shackled by sin and the freedom to experience a new life. Christ was freed from the grave and experienced a new life and we share in that power.
We share in Easter. I have found that not everyone shares my love of black jelly beans though. When I was a kid, I rooted through the basket for them!
Easter is shared by all. We all die and all need life. We all struggle with sin and all need freedom. This is something for ALL of us. Even if following Christ leads to being a better parent or a more caring human. It’s relevant. It will pull you out of a tomb of darkness as well.
I’d like to take you to the first sermon about the resurrection ever recorded in Acts. Peter had some remarkable things to say about it.
Acts 2:22-24 – “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Easter isn’t chocolate bunnies, baskets, jellybeans, or marshmallow chicks. Today is a celebration of Jesus coming back from the dead.
- SHARED HOPE IN DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH
V24 – But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death,
Death is not a dead end. This is Peter, a disciple of Christ, and he witnessed the crucifixion and the resurrection. Peter ran to the tomb that first Resurrection morning and he saw the empty tomb. He also saw the grave clothes and linen but the body of Christ was gone. He later saw Jesus raised, wounds and all. So, when he says that God raised him from the dead, He knows it for a fact.
- Escape from the Gloom of the Agony of Death?
How about that term, “Agony of Death! It reminds me of back in the old days where they had a show called the Wide World of Sports. “Spanning the globe, to bring you the constant variety of sports…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…
SHOW CLIP
Imagine, every Saturday we kids got to watch this terrible skiing accident. You wonder, why your parents are a little crazy sometimes? We didn’t grow up in a bubble soft world.
Jesus got freed from the agony of death and death hurts. This word agony means, “pain” as in birth pains! Interesting – there is pain in bringing life into the world and there is pain in existing in this world. Jesus died an extraordinarily agonizing death. Death and pain are connected.
For example, we’ve all lost people we loved. All of us miss family and friends and wish they were back at our side. The resurrection frees us from the agony. It hurts less when you know you’ll see them again.
In fact, it was impossible for death to keep it’s grip on Jesus. That menacing monster of death hangs on tightly. Yet, while death may not want to let go, God gives it no choice. I met my daughter, Tony, and Zeke for dinner and afterwards we are back at the vehicle and Zeke was in our car waiting for his dad and mom to get him. As they went to retrieve him from my lap, he had hold of me with both hands and just wouldn’t let go but Tony out muscled the poor, sad, little 3 year old grandson of mine. Death, in similar fashion, holds on!
Remember Houdini. He was a great escape artist. He could get out of locks and straight jackets and he was amazing. He said he’d escape death too! As great as he was, he couldn’t do that. So Jesus returning from the dead is truly stellar.
Peter brought up a fascinating Old Testament Passage from Psalm 16.
- Escape from Fear
Vv25-27 – David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope,
I love that – “my body will rest in hope”. You put someone in the ground and they’re put there in hope. You’re not staying there. He’s applying this Psalm to Jesus where his body in the tomb rested in hope. He’s coming back! That’s the hope for all in Christ.
How can you rejoice in the context of death? Because we have hope!
Hebrews 2:14-15 – Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death
Jesus shared in our humanity! People are scared of death and when you lose a loved one, it’s painful. So, God freed Jesus and that frees us from the slavery to fear! Fear doesn’t rule the day; hope does! Jesus is the resurrection and the life! We exit this planet and live.
- Escape from Hopelessness
V27 – because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.
Not abandoned in the realm of the dead. What does that mean? This comes from the word “Hades”, the place for departed souls. It’s pictured as a place where you entered through the gates and you’re not coming back. Greek Mythology even had a god called Hades and the underworld was guarded! Even the pagans believed in a place for departed souls. Jesus was not left in any realm of the dead.
My God doesn’t abandon me. My dad and mom passed away but they’re not abandoned by God. In fact, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Their bodies rest in hope awaiting the resurrection but they are not there.
You’re not abandoned or left behind or forgotten. In fact, at no point in life are you abandoned by God. There may be sometimes my grandson doesn’t see me, but I’d never abandon him. He accused me of leaving him one time. I told him I was leaving the barn and I did. He replies, “You left me there”! I didn’t! Thus God wasn’t leaving Jesus in Hades and he’s not leaving believers there either.
And if he’s not abandoning us there, he’s certainly not abandoning us, discarding us, or forgetting about us here either. And let’s remember that nothing separates us from the love of God.
This holy one would not see decay. Why? He came back from the dead! All the things we fear, we’re free of it. Without Christ, we’re all stuck in a spiritual grave. In the dark. No spiritual spark. Lights are out. Christ brings life.
Ephesians 2:4-6 – But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
We were dead in transgressions. In the grip of sin. Through the gates and unable to get out. But God loves us and mercifully, made us alive! Resurrected! We go from death to life. So even darkness that tries to hang onto you cannot. The power of Christ raises you from the grave and all sin that binds us.
(trans.) Again, the hope for a new life
B. SHARED HOPE FOR A RE-NEWED LIFE
V28 – You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Instead of death, what did Jesus have?
- Paths of Life
There’s a reason for paths – it makes it easier to walk. I remember being in the Sequoia National Park in California and doing an 8 mile hike through those massive trees. It was SO impressive. Some of the paths were ribbons through ferns and vegetation but it was a discernable trail and phenomenally beautiful.
The path of following Christ is a beautiful path as well and we all get to see amazing things. People’s lives changing. Direction. Blessing. Chances to serve. Strength. Love. What a life!
As a person whose been a Christian for many years, do I think it’s always easy? Not always, but’s it’s a joyful path. It’s fulfilling. It’s like hiking Old Rag in Virginia. It’s 4 miles up hill with the last 1.5 miles being like an obstacle course including scrambles and pulling yourself over rocks. It has some challenges but the views are gorgeous and I’d be happy to do it again!
- Joy in God’s Presence
“Joy in your presence”.
When we come to God, we have the joy in His presence. This is something that God produces in our lives. I’ll take joy any day of the week and if happiness is part of the deal, I’m in. When are you happiest? When with my family. Seeing success in areas makes me happy. The Browns winning makes me happy. Super glad all my eggs aren’t in that basket. But we know the feeling of joy. God brings extra doses of it even in harsh circumstances. We are told to count it all joy when we fall into various trials.
In this time of Spring, we see new life returning. In the Lakeview cemetery in Cleveland there is a place called Daffodil Hill and it’s a yearly reminder of new life. We hold to that possibility.
We are all dead to sin but alive to God. We can walk straight out of the grave through Christ and experience newness. Life and joy are two great things to celebrate! We all share it.
C. SHARED HOPE FOR STRONG FAITH
Acts 2:29-33 – “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
I love how he puts it in verse 36 too – “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
We want you to be assured that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah. He said that he knew David died and we know where he is buried. They could find the body and prove that he never came back from the dead. If Jesus had not risen from the dead or if this were a hoax, it would have been plenty easy to prove back in the day. Find the body.
God raised him and we are all witnesses. Either they saw the resurrection or they are liars. But here is a question, would you die for a lie? You might say that the Islamic suicide bombers who blow themselves up for their chance at dozens of virgins in paradise die for a lie. True, but they don’t know that.
The disciples were there and they saw. They touched the wounds. They talked to him and ate with him. They were convinced and that’s why they were willing to die for the world’s greatest truth.
We are certainly witnesses of the new life. Of answers to prayer. May our life be a witness to others.
Hope – to be free of spiritual death / to have a new life / to have certainty in faith which is like spiritual 4 wheel drive. This is the anchor of hope.
Two options today – believe. Or don’t believe.