|
|
Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 16th April 2006 - EASTER SUNDAYFROM DESPAIR TO HOPE! Pastor Linton Smith At some time you may have sat with someone who was very down – almost giving up on life, and you said, Don’t give up. You have everything to live for. In 1 Peter 1:3 we read. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Eugene Peterson paraphrases this.. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for [The Message]. That is the Easter message. Because of Jesus – His death and resurrection – we have everything to live for. Bill and Gloria Gaither found this true. In the late 1960s they were expecting their third child and went through a very difficult time. So difficult that.. the thought of bringing another child into the world was taking its toll on Gloria. She remembers sitting in their living room in agony and fear on New Year’s Eve. Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, she was filled with peace. Her panic gave way to a calm assurance.. She was assured that the future would be just fine. It was in God’s hands. She and Bill were reassured of the power of Christ’s resurrection. The result was this song. [adapted from CBN.com] God sent His Son they called Him Jesus He came to love heal and forgive He bled and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove My Savior lives And because He lives I can face tomorrow Because He lives all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living Just because He lives This morning let’s take a quick look at three people very close to the first Easter who found this true! First.. let’s take a quick look at.. MARY MAGDALENE. Mary has been a victim of bad press. Two myths about her have been circulated. The first – she was a prostitute. This is not supported by the New Testament.. and some 30 years ago the Roman Catholic Church admitted they had been wrong in labeling her a prostitute. More recently the myth has circulated that she was the wife of Jesus. The best argument against this is that the Gospels do not mention it. The gospel writers describe Joanna as the wife of Cuza.. and describe others as the mother of this one or that.. but when they describe Mary.. the describe her as Mary from Magdala. Why? Because she had no known husband and no known family. What the Gospel writers do tell us is that she had troubled by seven demons. That is all we are told.. but when we read about others who were troubled by demons we see that her life must have been a thoroughly miserable one.. and what we are also told.. is that Jesus set her free from the demons.. and from that time on.. she demonstrated a great love for Jesus. She followed Him.. along with other women.. and cared for His needs.. she was there watching when He was crucified.. she was there sitting opposite the tomb when He was buried. And Mark tells us.. Mark 16:9.. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. John describes the occasion in greater detail.. records what Jesus said to her.. and says.. John 20:18.. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. She had been heart-broken.. her life shattered.. life was not worth living.. but now all had changed.. now life had meaning.. hope.. now she had everything to live for.. and a message to share! Now let’s take a look at.. THE APOSTLE THOMAS Thomas is most often described as Thomas the doubter. True.. he doubted that Jesus had risen.. but I prefer to think of him as a man who was honest to the core.. a man who dealt with facts.. not fancies.. John writes.. John 20:24-28.. Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” This is one of the greatest confessions of faith in the New Testament.. Thomas could see Jesus was alive.. and it left him with only one conclusion.. Jesus is God. Some time before this.. Thomas had asked a question. John 14:5,6.. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Did Thomas believe Jesus when He said that? Perhaps.. but he certainly believed now! Jesus is risen. Jesus is God.. Jesus is the way.. the truth.. the life.. the only way to God the Father. That will have changed his life.. given him everything to live for.. given him a message to share. Tradition has it that he took the good news of Jesus.. crucified and risen.. to Syria and India! Next, let’s take a quick look at.. THE APOSTLE PAUL. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that Jesus had risen.. and appeared to.. Peter, the Twelve, more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, James, all the apostles, and then said.. 1 Corinthians 15:8.. Last of all he appeared to me also.. He was referring to a day well after Jesus rose.. and after He had ascended.. and excited believers were taking the message about Him everywhere.. He was an unbending Jew. A Pharisee. He was totally opposed to Jesus and this new religion. He was on his way to Damascus.. to silence more believers.. when.. as he himself tells us.. a light from heaven flashed around him.. and he heard a voice.. and discovered the voice was the voice of Jesus. Paul was blinded.. and had to be helped into Damascus.. there a follower of Jesus helped him.. he was baptized as a believer.. and straight way.. began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. His life was totally changed.. now he really had something to live for! He tells us.. 1 Corinthians 15:9,10.. I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. A man on a mission. A man with purpose. All because of Jesus. Later in 1 Corinthians 15 he considers what life would be like if Jesus had not risen.. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19.. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. And then he says.. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. What a hope! Jesus is risen.. ascended.. will come again.. and when He does.. all who belong to Him.. will be raised. How? With what sort of bodies? Paul answers questions like that later in the chapter.. read it.. find out for yourself.. About six years after this Paul’s belief was put to the test. He was in prison in Rome.. facing possible execution. Was he afraid to die? No. He uttered these famous words.. Philippians 1:21.. To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. These words spoke to me very powerfully recently. Gave me a new freedom.. boldness and hope. To live – is Christ. To die – is gain. Let God do the same for you! Because Jesus lives.. we have everything to live for. Because He lives.. we can face tomorrow. |