Scripture
Matthew 27:62-28:15 (NIV)
27:62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
---Main Idea
The resurrection changes everything, and that change demands our everything.
---Going Deeper
Questions from this weeks Sermon
- What insight, principle or observation from this week’s message did you find to be most helpful, eye opening or troubling? Please explain
- What evidence for the resurrection have you heard or can you think of?
- The entire Christian faith hangs on the resurrection. Erase the resurrection and you erase Christianity. Interact with that statement. How does that make you feel, what does it make you think about the Christian faith? What implications are there if this statement is indeed true?
- We often think that our beliefs and doubts are just tied to facts/information. Read Matthew 27:62-28:15. How does this story show it is bigger than just information or facts?
- Everyone in this story was doubters, what seems to keep the religious leaders from faith? What was different about the women?
- Read Matthew 28:9. The resurrection demands something, according to this verse what did it demand? What does it still demand today?
- The religious leaders were not willing to “accept” the resurrection and what it would demand of them (worship, surrender, everything), I don’t think we are much different today. Interact with this statement.
- If the resurrection demands our worship, surrender, our everything, what are you finding difficult right now to put under the authority of Jesus and worship him?
Summary Points
There is one thing that affects everything for everyone and that is the Resurrection
The Resurrection assumes that there are miracles. If miracles happen, or at the very least did happen, the improbability of the resurrection is not an impossibility. It could have happened. And if it did, it changes everything…
Belief and doubts rest on differences of information or facts.
All the believers, were doubters like us. Something made them believers, and although the facts were a big part of that, they were not the deciding factor, because not all the doubters became believers even though they had the same facts.
As we look at the resurrection through the eyes of doubters we see that what separates believers and doubters is our response to change, not change in general, but our response to the change.
Because when Jesus was raised from the dead it changed everything for everyone. He went from Rabbi, to Lord, from a good teacher to Divine, from miracle worker to God Himself
The only reaction when one accepts the resurrection of Jesus is submission and worship.
The outcome of the resurrection leads to one of two things; Acceptance or rejection of the facts.
The resurrection changes everything, and that change demands our everything.
When it comes to the resurrection, I think the battle is not over the facts, as much as it is over what we want the facts to be.
Because the reality is, if Jesus is alive and we accept, our lives are no longer ours.
I think this easter season we must all wrestle with, not merely what is true, but what we want to be true. Are we willing to accept, that which God has done. Receive what God has done in Jesus and receive it through the hands of faith and be made a child of God, given new, eternal life.
Jesus wants you to lay it down and worship him. He is alive, and that means He wants all of you!
Jesus is Risen! He is risen indeed!
---Call to Action
If you are not a believer yet, the wrestle for you is: will you put yourself aside and accept the person of Jesus, both as your Saviour from sin, and Lord of your life.
If you are a follower of Christ evaluate and ask yourself: What are you still holding onto? Jesus is risen, He is Lord, will you accept him as the Risen Lord and allow him full rule of your life?
