 Last week we talked about the riot in Ephesus where the crowd chanted against the Gospel for two straight hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!!” The crowd was rowdy. They were violent. They were angry. In fact, the situation was so dangerous that Paul’s friends wouldn’t even let him appear before the crowd in order to defend himself.
You might have expected that to end in tragedy. It didn’t. The crowd quieted. They went home. Paul was safe. But the Christians didn’t think it would be wise to keep Paul in Ephesus. So, after two years pastoring in Ephesus, Paul left. Acts 20:1 says, “He said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled throughout that area speaking many words of encouragement to the people.” It means Paul headed east. He crossed the sea and began revisiting the churches that he had started. He went back to Philippi. He went back to Thessalonica. He went back to Berea. He went back to Apollonia, Amphipolis, and Corinth. Finally, he arrived in Greece where he stayed for three months. (v.3) While there he most likely revisited Corinth. Maybe even Athens. After those three months (most likely winter months where sailing is discouraged), Paul was about to sail for Syria, but because some Jews had plotted against him, he decided to go back through Macedonia. (v.3) Whether they were plotting to throw him overboard, sink the ship, or get him really drunk on rum in order to convince him to walk the plank, Paul found out and was kept safe. Again, tragedy avoided. In fact, Paul safely returns through all those cities to Philippi and from there he crosses the sea back to the Middle East and gets to Troas. It’s not far now. It’s should be a smooth journey, right? Home is just around the corner. And it’s there that tragedy strikes. Today we’re going to learn about that tragedy that hit close to home. Then, we’ll learn how Jesus helps us through tragedy. Before we begin, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. A Tragedy The lesson starts in verse 7. It says, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” Slow down. Read that again. The disciples came together on the first day of the week. That’s a Sunday. It’s neat to note that Christians are gathering together, not on a Saturday like they did in the Old Testament, but on a Sunday. The same day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead. It’s also shortly after Passover. Just it was shortly after Passover that Jesus rose from the dead. As they gathered, they were planning to break bread. That’s a reference to a fellowship meal. A 1st century potluck. Complete with Mazza balls, lamb casserole and (if it’s anything like our potlucks) about 17 different kinds of dessert. But before they could get to the meal, Paul began preaching. Since it was the dinner hour, that the gathering probably started happening somewhere around 6pm. During that first hour, people greeted each other, the fellowship team arranged the meal, and the musicians warmed up on their instruments. That means Paul would have began his sermon about an hour later, around 7pm. Five hours later? He’s still talking. Insert joke about sermon length here. One person there that evening was a young man named Eutychus. That’s impressive. Because most young people in Troas would be focused on other things in the evening: Spending their money at local establishments. Getting home to their families. Going out to eat with a young woman so that he might one day have a family. But Eutychus was at church. In the evening. Since it was their version of Monday, he was probably tired and ready for a nap at home. But he didn’t want to miss seeing the Apostle Paul one last time before he left so… Eutychus attended the gathering. He greeted other church members. He let his elders have the seats in the front. He let the women with children have seats in the back. He stood near the back, excited to listen to what Paul had to say. And that’s what he did. For fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes. An hour. An hour fifteen minutes, an hour thirty minutes, two hours. Eutychus started fanning himself: Why is it so hot in here? Probably all those lamps. I mean…it makes it easier to see at night, but they are torches. It’s like there’s fifteen mini bonfires in this room. Eutychus made his way over to the breeze of the nearest open window. Two hours and two and a half hours. Three hours. Three hours, forty-five minutes. My legs are started to get tired. I’ve been up on them all day at work. It’ll be ok. I’ll just sit on this window ledge right here. Four hours. Four and a half hours. Five hours. Suddenly, Eutychus started to get rather sleepy. Paul’s words sounded so far away. He was sure if he had just mentioned the Gospel or the Blospel… Maybe, he’d close his eyes. Just for a second. He could still listen to his words. He could still hear his sermon. He could still… ZZZZZ. And then… THUD. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story… (v.9) And suddenly, there was a commotion. What was that? I think someone fell. From on the ground. Nope from the window. Who was it? I don’t know. I didn’t see. It’s Eutychus! That’s where he was sitting. And they rushed down the stairs. And they rushed out the building. And they rushed to his body. And they tried CPR. And they felt for a pulse. Meanwhile, Paul was up in the front of the room where he had been preaching. His heart was racing. And then he heard it: He’s dead! Eutychus is dead! Paul rushed to the door. He ran to the steps. He looked at Eutychus’ now limp body. Oh God! This is a tragedy. Oh God this is… Oh God? That’s it. Now I don’t know exactly what happened next. Did Paul speak any words? Did Paul say prayer? I don’t know exactly what Paul did next. But… We do know what Eutychus did next: Sat up. “Don’t be alarmed,” Paul said. “He’s alive! (v.10) II. Dealing with Skeptics This account is amazing! A young man falls to his death in the middle of worship. But when Paul gets down to the body without performing CPR, without a defibrillator, without hitting his chest repeatedly in desperation…Eutychus lives! It’s a miracle. Granted. You might be skeptical about this. If you tried this with a dead ant out on your driveway, it wouldn’t work. In fact, a Google search for Eutychus, will lead to some scholarly articles that propose an alternative. They write that: (1) Eutychus never died. He just got knocked out. (2) Paul simply got him out of his stupor, because someone dying and coming back to life is IMOPSSIBLE. But there are quite a few things in the text that defend against that interpretation: (1) The Number of Witnesses Back to the mapwork section. In verse 4, there’s an interesting list. It’s a list of all the different people who are now accompanying Paul on his missionary journey. This list is interesting because it’s a where’s where of places Paul has shared the Gospel: Sopater…from Berea, the place where the people studiously God’s Word. Secundus from Thessalonica, the place where persecution was quite intense. Gaius from Derbe who along with Aristarchus had been dragged through the streets of Ephesus during the riot. Timothy from Lystra who joined Paul all the way back at the beginning of the second missionary journey. Tychichus and Trophimus from the province of Asia…representing the various churches of the Galatians. That’s seven men in all who present in that upper room. Add in Eutychus for eight. Then, verse 7 says that Paul was speaking to “the people”. If it would have been just these seven guys, the writer would have said the disciples. By choosing the word “people”, the writer reflects the fact that there were more than these eight. In fact, there were so many that Eutychus had to sit on the ledge of the window. Here’s the point: Fooling the whole crowd into thinking that Eutychus had resurrected when he never really died in the first place would have been very challenging with so many present. Especially since, the crowd got there first. (2) Logistics of a Lecture Notice how our church is setup. The pastor is in the front. You all are facing me. The doors to exit the place are closest to you, the audience. I am the farthest from the common exits. It’s the same in most churches and lecture halls. Why? So, it is easy for someone to slip out without causing much of a disturbance. If a mom is quieting a child or someone needs to use the restroom, leaving from the back is so much easier than having to leave through the front and walking right by the pastor in the middle of the sermon. Can you imagine reversing it? (Leaving worship would soon be the “walk of shame.”) It would have been the same way for Paul’s speech. Even though the room may not have been any kind of lecture hall, they still would have setup the room so that Paul was farthest from the door so that the people could easily come and go if needed. Why is this important? Because Paul was not the first to get to Eutychus. The people were. He couldn’t trick them into thinking Eutychus was dead, when he really wasn’t. In fact, some get to Eutychus and pick him up “dead” in verse 9 and it isn’t until verse 10 that Paul “goes down” to see him. Paul couldn’t have tricked them. Eutychus died. And that really solidifies when you consider one more thing (3) The Presence of Dr. Luke Back to the group of missionaries with Paul. I left one out. It’s subtle, but it’s there. Verse 6 says, “We sailed…to Troas.” The “we”? That’s a reference to the man who wrote down the book of Acts. It wasn’t Paul, but a man named Luke. Luke had joined Paul’s missionary crew in Mysia. He travelled with Paul throughout missionary journey two and three. Paul even references Luke in some of the letters that he writes to the various churches. Look at what he reveals about Luke in Colossians: Our dear friend Luke, the doctor…” (v.4:14) Did you catch that? Do you see the significance? Luke knew how to look for a pulse. Luke knew how to check for breathing. Luke knew how to identify a dead person. I guarantee that Luke was one of the first people down to check on Eutychus. And he was one of the first people to say: “There’s nothing we can do. He’s dead.” “Time of death: 12:16am” In fact, when Paul had stones thrown at him Lystra on his first missionary journey, the crowd left when they saw him fall to the ground in a clump. Luke wrote that Paul was dragged out of the city and that the Jews were “supposing that he was dead” (Acts 14:19). Here’s the point: if Luke wanted to present the idea that the believers in Troas merely “supposed” that Eutychus was dead, he could have written that. But he didn’t. Because he was dead. Until he wasn’t. Because of Jesus. Stop being skeptical. The miracle was real. III. Transforming Tragedy Jesus really transformed the situation. He really transformed the tragedy. (1) Jesus Transforms Tragedy into Celebration. Look at what happens next: Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate. (v.11a) Which...praise the Lord, the potluck food is finally being eaten. At least by Paul, probably by anyone else who didn’t want to be rude and hadn’t eaten while Paul was speaking. After the tragedy of falling out a window, people aren’t sobbing and crying tears, but laughing and eating some potluck eclairs! Jesus transformed the situation so that now they’re having a dinner party. Jesus still transforms tragedy into celebration even today. Because Jesus said that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16) Just to prove his power to make that promise, Jesus brought people like Eutychus back to life. But better than that: Jesus brought himself back to life. He died on the cross. Hundreds of people watching his bloody, lifeless body taken down from the cross. No one! Not a single person stopping to say: “Wait, he’s just knocked out.” Nope. He was dead, dead. Dead, dead, dead. Dead enough to be wrapped up in clothes and placed in a grave. But… Three days later, Jesus came back to life. He breathed. He moved. He walked. Jesus has power over life and death. He provides believers with eternal life even when they die. It’s why at the last funeral that we had here at Gethsemane. And people were feeling sad. And people were thinking it was a tragedy. But then, we read the Gospel. Then, we heard about Jesus promises. Then, we remembered that our dear brother was in heaven above residing in eternal life. And suddenly, people are in the fellowship hall, talking, laughing, swapping stories and in general, celebrating! Because Jesus transformed tragedy into celebration. (2) Jesus Enables ministry to Keep Going…Even when Tragedy Strikes. Because sometimes when tragedy happens, life comes to a stand-still. Even during lesser tragedies! Like Spiderman. This past week Sony Pictures and Marvel/Disney ended their deal working together. As of right now, Spiderman cannot appear in the MCU anymore. And…tragedy. People are on social media like HOW CAN I MOVE ON!?! The same is true for bigger tragedies. People stop. They’re shocked. They need a moment to process. And to be fair, for a moment that evening in Troas, Paul stopped his sermon. The people stopped listening. Everyone needed to process. But once Jesus brought Eutychus back to life, Paul grabbed some food and continued doing ministry. He kept talking until morning. (v.10b) Then, he set off for the next stop on the missionary journey. Jesus enables ministry to keep going even during tragedy. He gives us comfort. He gives us joy. He keeps us uplifted and implores us to keep sharing the Gospel. In fact, the fact that tragedy happens doesn’t decrease the need for ministry; It increases the need for ministry. Because awful things happen in this sin filled world. Terrorism. Racial hate crimes. Hurricanes, car accidents, and horrific illness. Somewhere something horrible happens every day. That doesn’t mean we should run and hide. But we need run and tell. About the God who saw the sadness of tragedy. About the God who saw the tragedies of this world. About the God who saw the tragedies in your life. And didn’t run from it. But to it. He came into this tragic world and died on the cross. To rescue us from the tragedy of death. To transform tragedy into celebration. Through your message of the Gospel, he transforms the tragedies of others into celebration. That’s our job. That’s your job. Whether it’s your child, your spouse, your friend, your neighbor, your coworker, or your followers on social media. Because tragedy exists, God calls you to increase your ministry and share the message of Jesus. Because… (3) Jesus brings GREAT Comfort That’s the final verse of the account. It says that after Paul left, “The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.” (v.12) Because that evening, they heard about God’s grace for sinners and saw his power over death. That message of Jesus still brings great comfort even today. Even amid horrific tragedy. This past week Monday I was on social media, because sometimes as a pastor of a small medium sized church you’re in charge of social media. So, I was sitting there trying to plan (what kind of posts should we have this week) when I came across a post from a friend’s account that shocked me. It was from a former Precious Lambs’ parent. One that had been a part of our preschool family a while back. We had ministered to her. Talked with her. Shared the Gospel with her. The kid sang in worship. The parent attended, even got their phone out to record his dancing while he was singing. I enjoyed them. On Monday, I saw a Facebook post that said she had passed away. Young mom. Son of around 3rd grade. She passed away. Tragedy. But… When I looked closer at the post, I had seen that the one posting was her son. He was writing from her account. He had posted a picture of him and his mom and he had written this: “I’m sorry to say that my mom is gone. But she is in heaven now. Thank you, Jesus.” Are you kidding me? I’m tearing up as I’m reading about the tragedy. I’m tearing up as I’m thinking about the tragedy. This young man? He’s found comfort. Great comfort. Great comfort in his Savior. May Jesus be the one who gives you great comfort, too. Amen.
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 Last we left the Apostle Paul, he was in the city of Ephesus preaching the message that Jesus is the Savior. He stayed there for two years. During that time frame, a congregation had developed in Ephesus. A decent crowd of people would gather together each week to hear Paul’s sermons, sing hymns, say prayers, and high-five each other in the fellowship hall.
But this church crowd wasn’t the only kind of crowd that developed in Ephesus. Today we’re going to learn about a crowd that developed in direct opposition to the Gospel. Our goal is get some guidance about the dangers of crowd-following in 2019 Raleigh. Before we begin, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. A Crowd Forms The lesson comes from Acts 19. It says, “There arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.” (v.23) A couple of notes: Demetrius is a Greek name. It means, “servant of Demeter.” Demeter was the Greek goddess in charge of crops. She made sure that the grains grew. She made sure the oats grew. She made sure the corn grew. She made sure that they were golden and delicious. She made sure that they were a part of a daily balanced breakfast. (Something tells me that Demeter looked something like a breakfast food character). But Demetrius wasn’t only worshipping deities around the food pyramid. He worked for the temple of Artemis. Artemis was the Greek goddess of hunting (meat). The story was that you could call on her and give gifts at her temple to increase your likelihood of bagging a quail on the morning hunt. In Ephesus was the Temple to Artemis. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple was 425 feet long by 200 feet wide. It was tall and ornate with beautiful marble columns. People came from across the ancient world in order to visit this incredible wonder. And while the tourists were visiting the temple, they could pick up a souvenir! That’s where Demetrius came into play. He was a silversmith. His job was to build replica temples and replica statues of Artemis that he would sell on the corner right outside the monument. The little silver statue would become a keepsake or a household idol that people would pray to and hold close for protection. But business had been down recently. It wasn’t related to the economy. It wasn’t related to a lack of work. It wasn’t due to the weather keeping people from going outside. It was because of Paul. Paul had been preaching against idols. Paul had been telling people that Artemis wasn’t a real god. Paul had been telling people that Jesus was the only real God. People were believing him and subsequently buying fewer idols. So…Demetrius called together a meeting of all the people involved with the temple. Silversmiths, store owners, gift shop employees, temple janitors, even Amazon Prime drivers who delivered the statues across town… Demetrius gathered together everyone involved with the trade and said: You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty. (v.25b-27) Do you see the issue? Paul is ruining Demetrius’ fine way of living. Before you know it, Demetrius might not be able to go the Angus Barn. He might not be able to afford his fancy jewelry and fine cheese. He might not be able to buy Grey Poupon at the local grocery store. Demetrius was upset because he was losing money. You can almost hear him: Sure, these people get forgiveness. They get joy. They get the promise of heaven. But I won’t be able to make my payment on the second Lexus I bought, so… Paul must be stopped! Here’s the truth: Crowds led by SINFUL HUMANS are opposed to HOLY GOD. That was Demetrius. He was a sinful human. He was leading a crowd against God’s message. But this will be true in any situation. Why? 1) Because Sin opposes God. God is good. Sin is bad. God is against sin. Sin is against God. God doesn’t say to sin: “You’re awesome.” Sin doesn’t say to God: “Let’s be best friends.” They are drastically opposed to one another. It’s like UNC and Duke. When they are playing one another in their next basketball showdown, every time one team makes a basket those points are good for one side and bad for the other. Duke can’t throw an alley-oop slam dunk and divide the points evenly among both squads. UNC can’t hit a three pointer and have it appear on the other team’s scoreboard. By the very nature of a game with opposing teams, good news for one team means bad news for the other. By the very nature of reality, when something godly happens that’s good news for God’s side and bad news for crowds led by sin. When a sinful leader is the leader of the crowd, that crowd will inevitably clash with God. 2) Because the Perspective is different. Humans live on a timeline. We are born. We grow. We live 30, 40, 50 years. Everything we do is on a timeline: I need a report in by Friday. I need to finish schooling by December. I need to make enough money for my son’s inheritance before I die. God is different. God is eternal. He is off the timeline. He is concerned with eternity. Because the temporal perspective is so different from the eternal perspective, there’s a contradiction. Case in point: God wanted people to stop worshipping idols so that they could know the Savior and have eternal life. Demetrius wanted people to stop worshipping Jesus so that he could have more money and buy himself a nice steak dinner. The perspective is different. The result? Crowds led by SINFUL HUMANS are opposed to HOLY GOD. This is still true today. In 2018 in rural Mexico, Pastor Eduardo Garcia served at local country church. One of the struggles in Mexico is drug addiction. Crystal meth has taken over in the area. It’s ruined health, finances, and family. Pastor Eduardo Garcia preached against the danger of Meth. He taught that Meth couldn’t save you; only Jesus could. He taught that Meth didn’t remove guilt; only Jesus did. He taught that Meth eventually brought death; and Jesus brought life. And a few drug addicts listened. He got them help. They got off the drugs. Great news, right? Except for the Drug Cartel. They were losing money. So… The Drug Cartel had Pastor Eduardo Garcia gunned down in the streets. Crowds led by SINFUL HUMANS are opposed to HOLY GOD. Beware. II. The Crowd Rages Back to the story. When the crowd heard Demetrius’ speech, “They were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ ”(v.28) They rushed into the city. They shouted. They screamed. They pumped their fists. They motioned for others to join them. People joined the crowd who agreed with their cause. People joined the crowd who loved Artemis. People joined the crowd who enjoyed shouting. People joined the crowd who didn’t want others to get mad at them for not joining the crowd. People joined the crowd because they didn’t want to miss out on whatever was about to happen. Regardless, the crowd grew in number. They grabbed two men – Gaius and Aristarchus – two church members that worked with Paul. They dragged them through the streets. Eventually, the streets were so narrow – and the crowd was so big – that they had to make their way to the local theater. It was the only building big enough to house the large crowd that had gathered. As they gathered and shouted, they threw a guy named Alexander to the front in order to explain this message of Jesus. But – thing was – Alexander wasn’t even a believer. He just looked like he might be. When he tried to explain that, the crowd got angrier. They didn’t want to listen. And then it started. Two hours. Two straight hours of shouting: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! She’s the greatest god of all time. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! This guy named Jesus is costing us money. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! I really, really hate the Jews. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! I just drank a bunch of booze. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! I don’t know what I’m doing. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! That plane in the sky? Is that a Boeing? Two hours of screaming. Screaming from people who don’t even know why they’re screaming in the first place. Here’s the warning: Crowd following can be a MINDLESS activity. Maybe you’ve fallen victim. Peer pressure in high school, “It’s what the cool kids are doing.” Friends egging you on at a bar, “Come on. Just say it.” Your family, “Hate those people. It’s what we do.” Comments on your social media profile, “If you don’t believe this, you are despicable.” Society, “If you want to fit in, get rid of the god stuff. That’s the way the crowd is going.” It’s so easy to follow the crowd. Even mindlessly. But MINDLESS crowd following is NEEDLESLY dangerous. Jesus is loving. Jesu is our Savior. You trust him, right? He died for you. He rose for you. He loves you. There’s no one more trustworthy than Jesus, right? Look at what your trustworthy Savior said in the Gospel for today: Do not be afraid of the one who can kill the body, but be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell. (Mark 10:28) Do you hear what Jesus is saying? Don’t fear a dislike on Facebook more than holy hellfire. Don’t fear the loss of a friend more than the loss of your God. Don’t fear society calling you a name more than your Lord calling you DAMNED. Don’t fear anything more than your God. III. The Crowd is Defeated Because no crowd can OVERPOWER God. Back to Ephesus. The shouting had been going on for a solid two hours. Finally, the city clerk, who is a high-ranking individual in Ephesians society, made his way to the front of the steps. After motioning for them to be quiet, they finally chilled. He said to them: “Calm down; don’t do anything rash.” (v.36) Guys, we need to stop. Artemis is still known around the world. We’re still rich. Tourists are still visiting. These two church members haven’t done anything illegal. The reality is that if Caesar hears about this riot – we’re the ones who did something illegal. And we’ll be the ones getting into trouble. Chill. Relax. Go home. Then, he dismissed them. And the crowd went home. Because sometimes God protects his people through people that aren’t even his people. TRUTH: No crowd can OVERPOWER God. Take one more example from Jesus. He was arrested by a crowd of angry men. They brought him to the Assembly. They shouted for hours, not ‘Great is Artemis!’, but “Crucify Him!” They dragged him through the narrow streets. They hung him on a cross…all the while jeering, mocking, and spitting. He took his last breath and it looked like the crowd had won. But… Three days later. Three days later… Jesus came back to life. And that wasn’t the only crowd against him! Because Jesus went to the cross with a crowd of your sins on his back. The sins of rebelling against his Word. The sins of bowing to peer pressure. The sins of following the crowd opposed to God. But those sins didn’t overpower Jesus. He overpowered them. Through faith in him, those sins won’t overpower you. You are forgiven. You are victorious. Christ will bring you home to heaven. Because… Christ following ALWAYS leads to ETERNAL life. No other crowd will do that. Not a crowd of your friends. Not a crowd of your coworkers. Not a crowd of social media followers. Only Jesus can. And does. Only Jesus will. IV. What Now? 1) Identify the Leader. Have you ever driven cross-country in a caravan? That’s when a bunch of cars all follow one another. If you’re going to do that, suddenly it becomes very important that you know who you’re following. Because if you don’t pay very good attention. Well… I remember one time I was following a red van. I was supposed to follow it to a place in Durham. But after it was taking awhile, I looked up at the road signs and saw that I was approaching Greenville. Turns out? I had been following a red van that wasn’t the one my friend was driving. It’s important to identify the leaders in your crowds of people. Because that will tell you where you’re going. Is the leader a sinful human? Is it a sinful human who doesn’t care about Jesus? Is it a sinful human who is led by Jesus? That’s the crowd you want. 2) Unfollow the Sinful Crowd. Unfortunately, this is a lot harder than simply going onto Facebook and hitting “UNFOLLOW.” (Although that might be part of this.) If it’s a crowd that you’ve been following for a while, you might have acquaintances, friendships, and good friends in that crowd. Those relationships, emotions, and feelings will make it hard to unfollow that crowd. But… If that crowd is leading you away from your Savior… Don’t be Demetrius. Don’t forfeit the Christ in exchange for money, for fame, for fortune, for good times, for a momentary pleasure…for stuff that doesn’t last. 3) Follow the Christ. Because Christ is not overpowered by any crowd. And if you’re following him, neither will you. Because Christ always leads to eternal life. If you’re following him, that’s where you’ll be. Check out Revelation 7. It describes a different kind of crowd. A bigger crowd. A more diverse crowd. A crowd shouting louder than that Ephesus crowd. A crowd shouting longer than that Ephesus crowd. A crowd shouting about a being greater than the Ephesus crowd was shouting about. A crowd shouting in heaven: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Friends, that’s the crowd you want to be in.  We’re continuing our sermon series about EYEWITNESS Easter accounts where we read reports from people who saw Jesus come back to life with their own eyes.
We heard from a group of three women at the tomb. We heard from Mary Magdalene a bit later. We heard from 2 disciples on a road trip to Emmaus. We heard from about 20 disciples in a locked room. In total on Easter Sunday, there’s around 25 eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. In 4 different locations. At 4 different times. That’s a lot of proof. And yet…maybe you’re not convinced… Have you ever played the game of OLD MAID before? What happens is you are dealt a hand of cards. Once it’s your turn you draw cards from any other player on the table. The goal is to get pairs until you run out of cards in your hand. And you never, ever want to get the Old Maid. Which I’m not sure why anyone doesn’t want the Old Maid. Generally speaking – I’d love an Old Maid. It’d be great to have someone help around the house…but I digress. What happened when I was growing up is my dad used to take his hand. He’d spread it out in a fan. He’d take one card and put it up…enticing-like. And he’d say, “You should take this one. Trust me. It’ll be good.” And I’d believe him. And… OLD MAID. Eventually. I didn’t take that card. I was burned too many times. I was skeptical. Maybe you’ve gotten the Old Maid too many times. Maybe you’ve been burned too often. Maybe you’ve believed too many sinful people who have let you down too many times. Maybe you’re skeptical about Jesus. Today we’ll look an eyewitness account from a guy that was filled with skepticism. Our goal is to listen to how Jesus transforms his skepticism to faith – and see how we might transform ours into faith. Before we begin, a prayer: Lord, strengthen us by the truth; your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see; our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. The Eyewitness Account Thomas’ eyewitness account comes from John 20. It starts in verses 24 with a caveat, “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.“ It doesn’t say what Thomas was doing when Jesus appeared to all of the other disciples. Picture what you’d like. Maybe he was out for a walk. Maybe he was visiting a relative. I like to think he was out getting coffee. Probably a Venti black coffee. Real stiff. Real dark. And as he was sipping the coffee – because the coffee is taking his mind off the terrible events that have happened recently - he sighs. This is really awful. We spent years following that guy. And…he dies. He’s no Messiah. And we’ve got no hope. As Thomas gets close to the door of the house, he takes a deep breath. They are my friends. I should try and cheer them up. Get them ready to move on. But from within the house – Thomas doesn’t hear sadness. He doesn’t hear crying. But laughter. And…joy. Thomas has to really knock on the door to get them to hear him over their talking. Finally, the door bursts open: Alive! Thomas! He’s alive. We saw him. We saw him. We saw him. Jesus…here… resurrected. Thomas – we touched him. We put our fingers in his hands. We put our hands into his side. He’s real. It’s real. Jesus’ resurrection is real! And this goes on for a while. Excitement. Happiness. Joy. Thomas’ friends trying to share their exuberance with their friend. Until…. Quiet! Enough. Ya’ll are crazy. I don’t know happened. If you had too much to drink or you’re hallucinating. But.. I do know what didn’t happen. Jesus didn’t visit you. He isn’t alive. He’s still…dead. When will you guys get it through your thick skulls! But one of them approaches: But…Thomas. We aren’t crazy. We aren’t drunk. Look around. There’s like 20 of us in the room. 20 of your closest, most sincere, loving friends in this room. All of whom are telling you the truth – Jesus is alive! We saw it with our eyes. We touched him with our hands. We’re telling you with our words. Doesn’t that count for something? To which: 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.” (v.26) Well… One week later. Same room. Same time of day. Same disciples. Only this time… Thomas is with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” (v.26) Then, Jesus made a bee-line for Thomas. Hey friend. “Do you see me?” I’m right here. Put your finger here. That’s where the nails were. Put your hand into my side. Isn’t that what you wanted? While you’re at it. Close your eyes and listen…Can you hear my lungs breathing? Put your ear against my chest. That’s my heart. Thomas. If you won’t listen to your friends. Listen to me: Stop doubting and believe. (v.27) To which Thomas. Doubting, skeptical Thomas. Can only say: “My Lord and my God!” (v.28) In other words: I believe. II. Resurrection Truth There it is. Thomas’ eyewitness account. An account that has made Thomas forever known as Doubting Thomas. Which – not super flattering. I think, anxious Thomas, kinda-believing Thomas. or even average, everyday common Thomas would have been preferable. But Doubting Thomas it is…and that’s important. Because his skepticism leads us to three incredible resurrection truths: (1) Jesus Rose from the Dead Fourth time it’s been key truth #1. It’ll keep coming. But for real this time – because if last week’s account of 20 some odd people seeing, feeling, touching the risen Jesus … if that wasn’t enough. Then, Thomas’ account is for you. If you don’t believe this happened, Thomas’ words are for you. He says, “I get it. I was skeptical too. Some guy dying and rising for the forgiveness of sins? It sounds crazy. It doesn’t happen. But it did. I saw him with my own eyes. I touched him with my own hands. I did a thorough investigation – And it led me to this truth: Jesus is alive!” And here’s the really cool part. If Jesus is really alive. Then so is his forgiveness. Even for the doubter. Because…notice what Jesus does when he enters the room. The first thing he says is: “Peace to you.” That “you” is plural. It is all encompassing. It includes Thomas. Jesus didn’t say, “Peace be to most of you…but not you Thomas. You can sit over there and be anxious for a bit.” Nope. Jesus brought real forgiveness. Even to the doubter. Because maybe you’ve been doubting God. Maybe you doubt this resurrection. Maybe you’ve been doubting this Jesus thing. Maybe you’ve never believed before. Maybe you doubt God is with you, that God cares for you, that God loves you. Repent. And listen to Jesus’ voice: “Peace be to you.” (2) Faith is a Gift Thomas had said, “Unless I see Jesus with my own eyes and touch him with my own hands, I will not believe.” Which… Stop and listen to what just happened. Sinful, imperfect Thomas just gave Holy, Righteous God…an ultimatum. Good idea? Bad idea. God doesn’t owe Thomas anything. He’s God! And yet – God gives Thomas exactly what he asks for. He GIFTS Thomas exactly what he asked for. He gives him the opportunity to be an eyewitness. He gives Thomas faith. And in fact, go a bit farther: Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (vs. 29) People who haven’t seen Jesus. Who is Jesus talking about? You see Jesus? Dear believer, he’s talking about you. But don’t get a big head. Listen again to Jesus’ words: “Blessed.” Blessed means given a gift. And if you believe in Jesus… If you believe that some dude died 2000 years ago, came back to life, and in him you are forgiven of all your sins? That…is a gift. A miraculous gift. Don’t forget that. I was talking with a woman the other day who was pretty excited to tell me that she got saved. I said, “Oh. That sounds nice. What do you mean?” And she said, “Well…I was already living a pretty perfect life. So, I though I might as well do it and decide to bring Jesus into my life. And Pastor, you should have seen it. I really did it.” Did you catch that? I did it. I did it. I did it. I thought she said that she “got saved.” But what she meant was, “I saved myself.” Here’s the thing: Faith isn’t something you do. Faith isn’t something that you make happen. Faith isn’t something that you get down on the ground, clench really hard and will into happening. Faith is a gift of God. If the devil has made you think that it’s something you do – be careful. It’s a line of thinking that leads to two scenarios: (1) Pharisaical. AKA – Trust that I’m really awesome at believing. (2) Despair. Because I’ll never be able to bring myself to believe this. In both of those instances, faith isn’t in Jesus. Faith is in oneself. And that’s NOT saving faith. Friends, faith is a gift. Take a moment. Give thanks to God for your Savior Jesus, yes. But also gives thanks to God for your gift of faith. (3) The Gift of Faith Comes through the Gospel Because maybe you’re thinking – “God! I want this gift of faith. How are you going to send it?” Fed Ex? Amazon Prime? UPS? Maybe you can send me it via USPS? But look at what John writes right after this eyewitness account. He says this: Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his disciples – some that we didn’t even get to hear about – but these words are written – why? – that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (v.30-31) Get it? Faith is a gift that comes through God’s Word. Faith is a gift that comes through the words about Jesus. Faith is a gift that comes from hearing about your Savior. Scripture says this, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:8,9) That’s it! There’s not any fireworks. There isn’t any magic incantations. There isn’t any incredible 60 day fast that you need to do in order to cleanse your body and pray yourself into the kingdom of faith. You simply need to hear the Gospel. Because the Gospel brings the gift of faith. How does it do that? Because it’s not just some person’s words. It’s the Word of God Himself. The all-powerful, all loving, doing everything it can to reveal to you Jesus’ saving work to get you to heaven: God’s Word. That leads me to two very simple WHAT NOWs: (1) Immerse Yourself in God’s Word Because if you have doubts, if you are unsure, if you are a skeptic… The cure is not an ultimatum to God. The cure is God’s Word. His gentle, powerful, faith creating Word. I love you. I died for you. I rose for you. Believe. If you want a stronger faith – study God’s Word. In church. In a group. With others. On your own. In your family. If you think your faith will grow without God’s Word – that’s like thinking your home garden will grow without any water. It won’t happen. Some of ya’ll need to hear God’s Word on this. Immerse yourself in the only thing that gifts faith in order to grow your faith: God’s Word. (2) Share God’s Word Because you probably know someone who is a skeptic. You probably know someone who is unsure. You probably know someone who is doubting. You might even think – I don’t know what needs to be done. You know the solution. It’s God’s Word. Bring them God’s Word. Tell them about Jesus. Tell them about the Savior. Because it is through that message of God’s Word and only through that message of God’s Word that God gifts faith. Why it’s so important to share it with others. Go and tell! Amen.  We are in the middle of our Eyewitness sermon series and so far, we have heard Eyewitness reports from Mary Magdalene and from the Emmaus Disciples (Named? Cleopas and the other guy). In addition, we heard there’s a group of at least three other women (Mary the mother of James, Joanna and others—Lk. 24:10) who saw Jesus alive as well. That means by evening on Easter Sunday there are 5 people who have witnessed Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
The unlikely story is building credibility. DNA testing was introduced into our court system in the early 90s. Did you know that hundreds of people who were previously convicted by eyewitness reports have been found not-guilty thanks to the DNA Testing? In 70% of those cases, the reason for conviction was the eyewitness testimony of one or two people. John Wixted, a psychologist for the University of California, San Diego – wanted to see how useful eyewitness testimony was. He conducted an experiment with police that focused on 348 robberies in 2013 that involved an eyewitness and a single suspect. He showed the eyewitness a group of 5 photos in which one was the convicted robber. The eyewitnesses got the correct suspect 1/3 of the time. Not great. But…in addition to quizzing eyewitnesses on the correct suspect, he also asked them about their certainty – whether they were unsure, certain, or very certain. Of the people who were very certain? They correctly identified the suspect 75% of the time. And when there was even one other supporting eyewitness, the rate of correct identification shot up to 90%. By evening on the very first Easter, Jesus was identified as risen by at least 5 eyewitnesses. Not one. Not two. Five. And their confidence? It was through the roof! They didn’t see Jesus running away or from a distance, but up close and personal. But…they aren’t even the beginning of the eyewitness accounts. Today we’ll look an eyewitness account that probably quadruples the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. The goal? Gain your confidence that Jesus is alive. Before we begin, a prayer: Lord, strengthen us by the truth; your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see; our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. The Eyewitness Account The eyewitness account is recorded in both the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Luke. We’re going be in both, starting with John. It says, “On the evening of that first day of the week...the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders…” (Jn. 20:19) The section starts by describing a group of disciples together. The Gospel of Luke helps us better define who the group was gathered together. A few notes: It doesn’t involve Judas – he betrayed Judas and took his life because of the guilt. It doesn’t involve Thomas – take note – we’ll talk more about that next week. It does involve the Emmaus disciples – Cleopas and what’s-his-name show up to tell them all about their eyewitness experience. It involves the women – Mary Magdalene, other Mary and Joanna, the other woman – who had seen Jesus rise from the dead. And…maybe even a few others. In short, the group is somewhere around 15-20 people. That’s important. And the doors were locked. It’s almost a horror film like setting. The disciples have the doors locked, latched, barred, with a couple pieces of furniture stacked against the door – all because they are afraid of the Jewish leaders. Why? The Jewish leaders just killed Jesus. They crucified him. They acted like a mob, wrongfully arrested him, falsely accused him, illegally convicted him, and forced Pilate’s hand to have him crucified. What if the leaders did the same to them? What if they had 12 more crosses just waiting to be filled with 12 more disciples? What if any encounter with a Jewish leader would end the same way that Jesus’ encounter did…death? And so, they hid. And…all day long people had been entering the room with really weird accounts. “We went to the grave and we thought he’d be dead, but the stone was moved!” “An angel. A brilliantly bright angel. He saw us and spoke to us and said Jesus was alive.” “It’s true. We listened to Mary. We ran to look. There wasn’t a body in the tomb.” “I came back later and saw Jesus himself! I know it…because I heard his voice. A voice that healed me from demons.” “We walked on the road with him. We talked with him. Would we have come all the way back here from Emmaus – a 7-mile sprint? – if we hadn’t really seen something?” And to be fair – the reports brought excitement. They brought mystery. They brought questions. But mostly…they brought fear. Lots and lots of fear. Because this fear of the Jews – had obviously caused their friends – delusions…. …their mind was playing tricks on them! …a slow descent into madness. How long until it hit them? In the midst of the fear, confusion and hushed conversations… Another guest appeared into the room. Everyone was so distracted that they did not hear him enter. Granted --- he didn’t knock. He just appeared. While they were…talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36-37) And the disciples…have anything but peace! It’s the ghost! He’s seeking vengeance. He’s back to haunt us. Jesus lifted up his hands. The disciples braced themselves for the inevitable plasma-ball to come out and consume them. But… Instead… Jesus said this, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” (v.38) One by one…the disciples looked at each other. “Touch him? Touch the ghost?” “You do it.” “No, you do it.” “I’m not touching the ghost!” Finally, Peter pushes his brother Andrew forward. Andrew gulps. He lifts up his hand. He places it on Jesus’ hand…and… “Whoa…Guys. It’s real.” The other disciples quickly come over. They feel the bumps on his skin. They feel the hairs on his arms. They touched the holes near his hands. He has flesh and bone – just like any other living human has. Jesus asks, “Do you have anything here to eat?” (v.42) One of them hands over the fish sandwich. They pass it to Jesus. It’ll probably fall to the floor – he’s a spirit. Nope. Jesus ate it in their presence. (v.43) It went into his mouth. Chewed by his teeth. Tasted by his tongue. Into his throat Into his belly. Digestion happened. Just like it does with any living human being. Then, Jesus gave them something else. He said to them, “This is what I said would happen. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Old Testament.” (v.44) I had to die. And I had to rise. Just as it was written: “God, you will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor let your Holy One see decay.” (Psalm 16:10) “After he has suffered, the Messiah will see the light of life…” (Isaiah 53:11) “Just as Jonah was three days and night in the belly of a fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth.” (Mt. 12:40) Friends I am alive. Jesus’ words echoed… Seemingly…joyful. And the disciples came to a realization. This wasn’t a hallucination. This wasn’t a vision. This wasn’t even a ghost. Nope. This was something much worse. This was real. Jesus rose. And it couldn’t be more terrifying! Why terrifying? Because the last time most of them saw Jesus? It was in a garden, late at night, running away as he got arrested. They had abandoned him. They had denied him. They had watched…without doing anything…as he died a slow, painful death on the cross. They sinned against him… Greatly. Now he was back. Proof that He was who He said He was. Proof that He was God Almighty who controlled hurricanes, volcanoes and flash floods. Proof that He was real --- and He was back – and He was back for one reason only: Vengeance. One by one by the disciples looked towards the grounds. They winced. They knew they were sinners and they were awaiting their sin-hating God to utterly destroy them. But… He didn’t. Instead he repeated: “Peace be with you.” I am God. I am alive. I have the power of life and death. But I am not angry. (Isaiah 27:4) I am not here to get you. I am not here for revenge. I am here because we won. Because your sins are forgiven. Because we are at peace. II. Resurrection Truth There it is. The biggest, most populated eyewitness account that we’ve encountered to date. It’s filled with reasons for confidence. It’s filled with truth. What is that truth? Three things: (1) Jesus Rose from the Dead Yep. Third time that it’s come up as a truth to learn from the eyewitness account. Think about it. Jesus goes out of his way to prove that His physical, tangible body is in working order again. His digestive system works. His joints work. His skin works. He even invites the disciples – all 20-some of them – to do a full, thorough investigation. Don’t you think they did everything possible to determine if it really was real or not? Some tapped him. Someone pinched him. I gotta imagine someone might have even tried to pluck his arm hair out. And Jesus allows it! Because it’s real. And, it’s not just any old tangible working body, but his own working body. He’s had the nail marks in his hands to prove it. He’s had holes in his feet to prove it. He had a big, old slit in his side to prove it. If this was all one big ruse, then Jesus would have had to convince someone, “Hey, do you mind posing as me after I die on the cross? Really? Cool. Now…I know it sounds crazy, but would you be willing to shove nails into your hands, a stake through your feet and a spear into your side? We’re gonna need those wounds to heal up in order to convince people that it’s really me.” It didn’t happen. What did happen? Jesus really, absolutely, complete rose from the dead. And that’s important. Because that means… (2) We Have Peace It’s a phrase that Jesus repeats a few times. “Peace be with you.” “Peace be with you.” Because as hard as it might be to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, it might be harder to believe that we have peace with God. Because we have guilt. We have sinned. We have shame. Truth is – you might be believing that God is so angry with you. Because of past sins. Because of BIG past sins. Because of repeated sins. Because of unbelief. Because of not following Jesus. Because you haven’t been whom God called you to be! And so…you don’t believe. And the biggest reason you don’t believe in the resurrection is not be a lack of evidence. But your biggest reason for not believing in the resurrection is the ramifications. I am a sinner and lo, God hates me! But…if Jesus rose. Then, sin has been defeated. And…if Jesus rose, Your sin has been paid for. And…if your sin has been paid for. Completely. 100% perfectly. Then, God’s wrath has subsided. And if God’s wrath has subsided. Then, you have no reason to be afraid. Hear Jesus’ words to you: “Peace be with you.” Understand. It isn’t because your sin isn’t a big deal – it’s a huge deal. It isn’t because God doesn’t hate sin and evil – He absolutely does. It isn’t because you’ve done enough to make up for it – you can’t, and you won’t. It’s because of Jesus. Unbelievable as it is – it’s true. About as unbelievable as a resurrection – also true. The visible nature of the resurrection provides tangible proof of the invisible truth of reconciliation with God. (Romans 4:25) The resurrection is the visible proof of the invisible truth: You have peace with God. Which leads to our final truth: (3) You have been Sent To end his encounter with the disciples, Jesus says, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Do you get it? God sent Jesus to bring us back to peace with Him. And He sent risen Jesus to His disciples to confirm that peace with Him. And He is sending us to share that peace with others. He is sending YOU to share that peace with others. Because there are people out there who are far apart from God. Who are entangled in sin. Who are covered in guilt. Who are like those disciples huddled in that room afraid to face the world because they have no peace. You give them that peace. You tell them about Jesus. And there aren’t any qualifications! He doesn’t say, “If you have Seminary Certification then you have been sent.” Nope. Qualifications for sharing Jesus include: (1) Believing in Jesus. (2) Hearing his call to “Go” and “Be sent.” Which you just heard… SO…this means you! If you’ve known about Jesus since you were a child? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you’ve known about Jesus since this last Easter. Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you are a 40 plus year member of this church? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you aren’t even a member yet? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you are going home to a retirement community? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you are going home to hang out in your playroom? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you have a master’s degree? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you have a bachelor’s degree? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you have a high school degree? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you don’t have any degree? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you live near people who look and act like you? Sent. Go tell about Jesus. If you live near people who don’t look and don’t act like you? Sent. Go tell about Jesus. If you are a Republican? Sent. Go tell about Jesus. If you are a Democrat? Sent. Go tell about Jesus. If you are a political agnostic? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you live in Raleigh? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you live in Durham? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you live in Wake Forest? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. IF you live in Chapel Hill? Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you live in Cary, Zebulon, Fuquay Varina, Rolesville, Louisburg…or any other villle or burg that I’m forgetting to mention here: Sent. Go, tell about Jesus. If you are a someone or an anyone who knows about Jesus… (And friends – Jesus is talking to you) You have been sent. Go and tell about Jesus. And the Holy Spirit will be with you. Amen.  We recently got a cat.
I know. I know…this sounds like a confessional. But, it’s true. After 33 years of claiming that I would never own a cat, I caved, and I did. And it’s been fun. She enjoys keeping us safe from any fuzz balls and dust balls that she sees. She loves to go hunting for leaves. She even enjoys a playful, piercing bite to my front toe. But the other day, my wife told me that she had done something crazy. Julianna texted me that we needed to close the windows so that the cat couldn’t climb the screen. I said, “Yeah. How could she do that?” Julianna said, “I see holes in the screen right now.” I said, “Those are probably from bugs or some severe storm.” She said, “I’m pretty positive it’s from the cat.” I said, “Oh yeah. Prove it. How do you know?” My wife texted me a photo of the cat climbing the screen. Oh. Eyewitnesses are important. They are verbal proclaims of the visual truth. They are the difference between… Fiction and non-fiction. A fairy tale and history. A lie and truth. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be starting our sermon series called EYEWITNESS. It’s all about the eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. I think we need to do this because the resurrection of Jesus is too big a deal to rely on hearsay, to trust maybes and to listen to theories. Our goal today is to look at a real eyewitness accounts… Of real people… Who had real interactions… With the really risen Jesus… As real proof of your real salvation. Before we begin, a prayer: Lord, strengthen us by the truth; your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see; our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen. I. Mary’s Background The first eyewitness account that we are going to look at comes from a woman named Mary Magdalene. What interesting about Mary is that she doesn’t play a big part in Jesus’ three years of ministry on earth. In fact, there’s very little that is written about her except for this: Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had driven out seven demons. (Mark 16:9) It’s not even a full sentence. Just a passing adjective comment. But…one that’s pretty heavy. She had been possessed by 7 demons. Evil spirits. Fallen angels. Powerful. They had taken hold of her mind. Something that Bible theorists will suggest happens from dabbling in the demonic activity (the occult, psychics, blood sacrifices) and excessive drug use. Regardless how it happened to Mary, we know it was terrible. She had no control of her personality. She was a prisoner in her own mind. In a state of deep depression. With a helplessness that doesn’t go away. Except, it did. Mary was possessed. Jesus healed her. I don’t know exactly how, but if it is anything like Jesus’ other miracles, then it was probably as simple as Jesus lifting his hand and saying: “Be healed.” Which…Can you imagine? If you’ve ever had a counselor help you with a breakthrough. Or a pastor help you grasp God’s forgiveness. Or a fatal diagnosis that a doctor diagnosed, prescribed medicine and helped you defeat. You know the kind of deep connection that Mary had with Jesus. That’s why she had become a follower of his: She had been trapped, Jesus freed her. She had been guilty, Jesus brought her forgiveness. She had been depressed, Jesus brought her joy. She had been lonely, Jesus brought her family. She had been hopeless, Jesus made her hopeful. Until… Jesus died. He was violently, publicly, cruelly crucified on a cross. And all of her hope? Went away. All of her joy? Evaporated. All of her sanity… Started to slip away…. She could feel the devil’s grip tightening on her again. II. The Eyewitness Account That’s why she got up so early Sunday morning. You see -- Jesus had been killed Friday evening. They buried him. She would have gone to his grave to mourn, but they have this Sabbath rule where you can’t go to visit the dead on a Saturday. But Saturday was over. Like…just over. So…5am. It was still dark. It’s not like she was sleeping anyways. She threw on her sandals. Fastened on her cloak. And walked off to her friend’s house. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! “What do you want?” “It’s Sunday. We were going to go to his grave. We were going to go to Jesus’ grave so that we can honor him.” “But Mary. It’s not even light out yet. It’s still night time. It’s…just gonna take me a second while I get ready.” As they walked through the slowly evaporating darkness, it was mostly quiet. Whenever her friends tried to make small talk, Mary quieted them. “We’ve just gotta get to Jesus’ grave.” As they approached the garden, Mary worked into a sprint walk. She began opening up the bottle of perfume she had brought to pour on his grave and anoint his body. “Mary, did you think about how we were going to get into the grave? There is that giant stone that the soldiers put there to make sure that no one could get in. I saw some of those guys. They’re built like models. It took about 5 of them to move it, I don’t see how we…” She stopped talking. Off in the distance was Jesus’ grave. And… The giant stone? It was moved. Immediately, Mary burst into tears: “What did they do? What have they done? They couldn’t just leave him alone. Those jerks! Those losers! How could they do this? How could they leave us like this? Without even a chance…to heal.” She broke down. Her friends tried to console her. But Mary shrugged them off. She turned around and sprinted back towards town. She could barely see where she was going with tears clouding her vision. She made her way to where some of the twelve disciples were staying. She pounded at the door. She screamed at the door. She made a commotion till their let her in: “They took his body. They took his body. They book his body…the tomb is empty!” Two of the disciples rushed out. They sprinted to see what she was saying. And Mary tried to follow, but she grew too tired. Her legs got wobbly. She slammed her back against tree trunk. And fell to the floor. A mess. After sobbing for a good 15 minutes, She stood up. She didn’t have any tears left. She had to get to the bottom of this. She had to get back to the tomb and find some kind of a clue…a witness…a footprint that would lead her to Jesus’ body. She went back to the tomb. Her friends were gone. The disciples were gone. The stone…was still gone. This time…she took a deep breath…and approached the tomb. Inside the tomb, she found some men. Dressed in white. A gleaming, blinding white light. Radiating from their clothes. Radiating from their faces. Both sitting on the bier where Jesus’ body had been. Between them? Grave clothes. Folded ever so nicely, ever so gently, as if they were no longer necessary. “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked. “They have taken my Lord away! And I don’t know where they have put them!” Mary turned around. The men were nice. And it was strange that they were glowing, but…she didn’t have time. She needed to find his body. Outside the tomb, someone else. Hard to tell who – with the tears blurring her vision. It was probably the gardener. “Woman, why are you crying?” This is the one. He must have taken the body. He must have moved it at the requests of the Pharisees! “Tell me sir. Tell me…Please…Where did you take his body? Why did you leave the grave….empty?” “Mary!” The air was still. Mary’s breath paused for a moment. She had heard that voice before. She had heard that voice teach her about God. She had heard that voice proclaim forgiveness. She had heard that voice drive away her own demons! It was Jesus! “Teacher!” She cried as she grabbed a hold of him with a hug. As she hugged, she knew it was real! She felt his shoulders. She held him by the back. She felt the warmth of his breath. Jesus was alive. III. Resurrection Truth This is the eyewitness account of Mary. It is an eyewitness account that is recorded for us in Scripture. The guy who wrote it? John – he was one of the disciples that went running to the tomb after Mary told him it was open! And the book of John? It was written down and passed around at a time when Mary Magdalene would have still been alive. And she didn’t say “Nah, man. That’s wrong. It didn’t happen this way.” Nope. She said, “That’s the truth.” Which means. There are three really important divine truths that we need to take home with us today. (1) Jesus Rose from the Dead Granted. You might be skeptical of that truth. That’s understandable. Because most people when they are dead? They can’t do much. Their bodies just lie there and slowly decompose. And even people who are living – they haven’t figured out a way to bring people that are dead back to life either. But if this is true… When Jesus was dead, he figured out one thing that no one else could ever figure out while they were alive – conquering death itself! If you’re skeptical, Mary’s account is for you. Because think about how long it took her recognize that Jesus was alive. She saw the immovable stoned – moved and her first reaction? “They took his body.” She went into the tomb and saw two angels –glowing with divine splendor. Her reaction? “They took his body!” She went outside the tomb and saw Jesus – but was so overcome with emotion that she says to Jesus, “You must have taken his body!” Thing is. She wasn’t wrong. It isn’t until Jesus… Gently… Calmly… Calls her name… That she realizes the incredible truth right in front of her! Friends, you might be dealing with sadness. You might be dealing with difficulties in your marriage. With abandonment. With challenges at work. With a financial crisis. With a terrifying diagnosis. With guilt, shame, and sin. And sometimes that can all cover our hearts and close our eyes and make us say, “There is no HOPE in this world! This Jesus’ thing can’t be true.” But… When that happens… Hear Jesus’ voice… He’s calling to you. “I am alive.” (2) The Work of Salvation is Finished Check out verse 17: “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” The reason Jesus came to earth was to win your salvation. He came to suffer death for your sins. He came to earn your way to heaven. He came to pay for eternal life. If he’s heading up to heaven, guess what? That work is done. Granted – that can be hard to believe. It’s like Easter weekend. Maybe you are planning on having relatives to your house. Maybe you wanted to clean for your relatives -- so you make a check list: Sweep the floor, dust the counters, disinfect the countertops, clean the bathrooms, do the laundry, make the beds, clean up the toys, etc. And you go to work. And you come home and…. Your husband says, “Surprise! I did it already. It’s finished. You don’t have to clean anymore!” How do you respond? Probably…by sweeping the floor, dusting the counters, disinfecting the countertops, etc. When Jesus tells you that it is finished. It is finished. Your salvation is won. Your sins are forgiven. Eternal life is yours. Heaven is your home! “It is finished.” You don’t need to try and earn his love. You don’t need to complete your salvation. You don’t need to pay your way into heaven by working hard and becoming perfect. Nope. Jesus did it for you. Believe. And… (3) Go and Tell Because right after Mary realizes that Jesus is standing right in front of her… Having conquered sin and death… Renewing her hope again… She’s overcome with emotion. She holds onto him. She doesn’t want to ever go back to guilt and loneliness and despair. Never again! But Jesus says something interesting: “Do not hold onto me. Instead, go and tell.” (v.17) Why? Because there were others who had lost their hope. There were others who were in despair. There were others who were shacked to guilt. Mary’s eyewitness message – would change that. She would give them hope. She would give them joy. She would give them freedom. Friends, there are still people like that today. There are people who don’t know their Savior. People who don’t know the resurrection story. People who think Easter is all about sugary yellow marshmallow chicks They are overcome with guilt. They are dealing with a lack of joy. They are struggling with despair. Can you do me a favor? Listen to your Savior. Go and tell. Later today at your Easter party, turn to the people who didn’t come to worship to celebrate this message and share the story of Easter. Go and Tell. Later this evening when you are on your phones, take a note or two from this sermon and share on social media. Go and tell. Tomorrow morning as you head to work – gather around the coffee pot, talk with your coworkers about why you liked Easter and how amazing this message of the risen Savior is. Go and tell. And understand this. You won’t be just giving them a story. You won’t be just telling them a fairy tale. You’ll be giving them true hope. Absolute. Real. True. Hope. Amen.  Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Have you ever had one of those moments of sheer terror at being caught? I mean the total anxiety panic of knowing… there is no way out of this. If you know what I mean, it was probably when you were younger? Though maybe not, contrary to what we like to think of ourselves, the youth do not corner the market on stupid decisions. Whatever it was you were doing or did, I’m sure it was very attractive. The thought of all you could gain from going down that path was irresistible. It was so simple, required so little effort, and the benefits, well, they were pretty amazing. I’m guessing that the thought of being caught or the consequences never actually entered your mind. Maybe you had to think about one or two ways to smartly keep it hidden, but the fact that it was just wrong never really was part of the decision-making process. At least, until you were caught. You were… not so clever as you thought. Or you over-reached out of greed and arrogance. And if you’re remembering that moment from your life right now just like I am, you can feel the panic. Feel the fear grip your heart as you face whatever might be coming. And that might be the worst of it. You don’t know what might be coming. I suppose it depended on what it was, how old you were and the like? Maybe privileges would be taken away. Maybe it would just be the shame of letting someone else down. Maybe it would break a relationship. Maybe it would be legal action. But the fear of knowing you’d been caught and there was no getting out of it, that tightening of your heart… that’s what I’m talking about. Now why… why would I make you relive something like that this evening? It’s bad enough when those memories haunt us at quiet moments during the day or night. Why drag them up on purpose? Well because that is exactly the feeling I want you to think of when you picture what it’s like to stand before God almighty and try to justify yourself to him. To better appreciate this evening, I’d like to walk you through… well it’s a metaphor. This isn’t really how things will happen at the end, not literally. But the truth of it holds. So, imagine with me. Imagine the moment comes. Your earthly life has ended, and you are waiting to see what happens next. You’ve heard that Heaven is the place to be and Hell, well not so much. Though there is some nervous anticipation, you’re feeling – pretty good about what’s to come. You’re a good person. You were a good son or daughter, a good spouse or a good parent. You did right by the people around you. You worked your job, you went to church, you helped those in need. This should go well. And the time comes that your name is called. You are escorted from a waiting area into a courtroom. There is no jury, only the judge. And there are no witnesses, only the judge. God. One look from his piercing stare and it all comes crashing down. The intensity of that gaze opens your own eyes and you know. You know, and you remember everything he knows about you. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; The façade of goodness that you wear becomes as flimsy and fragile as tissue paper. All the selfishness that backed all those “good” deeds. All the times that the cost of doing the right thing was a little too high for you so you just walked by on the other side of the street. The secret thoughts, the greed, the lust, the selfishness, the anger, and more than any of that all the times you just thought you knew better than God. That’s the panic moment. You’re caught, there’s nowhere to go, and you are utterly guilty. You did all of it, thinking no one was looking, no one would notice, but he saw it. There’s nothing to say in your defense. Anything you could think of in your own mind falls so flat that you can’t even utter the words. Is there nothing to be done? You survey the crowd. Surely someone could speak up on your behalf and ask for leniency, mercy, or just to ask the judge to let this one go? Someone some authority or power or charisma or money could maybe do something for you… He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. A man does step forward. Not the one you were looking for. He is not wearing anything fancy. He has no regal bearing about him. You do not recognize him as anyone rich or influential. He instead looks like someone in as much need of help as you are. If you were not simply frozen by the terror of the moment you might motion for him to blend back into the crowd. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, He draws the judge’s attention. The man speaks. “I did it.” “Excuse me?” “Every charge you are about to read. That was me. I openly confess to every one of those crimes. I did it.” “You are aware of the punishment?” the judge asks. “I am. It was me.” The confession is accepted. The man is bound and led away. What could you do? It might seem dishonorable to let him go in your place, but the terror of what waits at that end is too much to face. You let him go. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; You know what it means for that man. You know what you were expecting. The terror of hell itself. That the mercy and grace of God would be completely cut off from you. Absolutely lost in the outer darkness where there is no light and no hope and nothing but terror and pain forever. Maybe you didn’t grasp it before but you do now. That’s death. To be cut off from the source of life and creation is death. It should’ve been you, but it wasn’t. What he suffers is of your making, no mistake. You earned and created the hell he is suffering now. You can’t help but stare at the door they led him through. It’s conflicting. You’re haunted by what he suffers in your place but there is still relief that it won’t be you. the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. As you muse, the judge speaks again. “The guilty party having confessed and punishment rendered, the accused is declared not guilty. With no outstanding accusations, you are free to enter the Kingdom of God.” Dumbfounded, you step forward. Heaven? You started with confidence you had no right to. It was quickly crushed and for what seems like an eternity you stood there with no hope, trying to accept the fact that you were going to die. And now so quickly that has changed to heaven? It seems so impossibly unlikely, but it’s happened. You walk to the exit of the courtroom and the entrance of the kingdom. The reward is not just a perfect kingdom, it’s a perfect you. The last remnants of evil within yourself are stripped away and now you not only live in a place that will never cause you pain – you yourself will not be the cause of your own pain anymore. This is your end. The eternal, loving, unchangeable God as your perfect king. The one who cares for you perfectly. You, made perfect, and living the life you were meant to live from the beginning. All the things from before that gripped your heart with fear are just… gone. There absolutely cannot be a better end. And this is your end. And what of that man that so boldly confessed to your crimes? The one that was led away to die in your place? Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. He lives. He is your king. He is the judge. He is your God. He died. He lives. You live. Amen.  There was something wrong with the night.
I mean, they knew that, they had been told that, but even so, even if you didn’t know – it just felt… off. Maybe it was a chill beyond the usual that settled on the desert when the sun dropped beyond the horizon. Maybe it was the way all the people in the homes around them were also rushing about to make their final preparations, to make sure nothing had been overlooked. People were just a little more frenzied than usual for the end of the day. Even if you hadn’t been paying attention, you’d notice – something was wrong. And something was wrong, after all. Death was coming that night. Not that their lives were any picnic either. Slavery in the desert was all they knew. Many of them each day were worked to death before night ever fell. But this was different. This time, there was a statement from God. This night, the oldest male of each generation, the firstborn son would be struck dead before dawn. The threat, the warning of God hung in the air like a fog that refused to move. And so the Israelites faced down this evening of death on their last night in Egypt. There is something wrong with your life. Maybe you know that already, maybe you don’t. But if you don’t, I doubt hearing that really shocks you. Even if you don’t know it as head-knowledge, you can probably feel it already, can’t you? Something about your life just feels… off. Maybe it’s just a feeling, like something just out of the corner of your eye that you just can’t see. Something ominous and looming out there in the shadows – dangerous, but it’s never there when you turn around. I don’t mean there’s something literally stalking you though, I just mean this sense that there’s something wrong, there’s some danger there just out of perception but you can never quite look at it. In fact, maybe you could see it if you tried, if you turned and looked. But the truth is you’re terrified to. After all, who knows what it might really be. No, no better to ignore it, better to stay distracted by what you’re doing than try to figure that out. Focus on what you’re doing right now, on the job, the wife, the kids, the checkbook. It’s probably just a trick of your imagination anyway, stop thinking about it and it will go away. Or at least, if you concentrate hard enough on what you’re doing, you won’t notice it anymore. But even that doesn’t quite work. Rolling up your sleeves and plunging in elbow-deep to the work in front of you, it works sometimes, but it really doesn’t. It’s still wrong. Something is still wrong! Why? All the promises made to you when you were a child never seem to come true. You work hard, you try your best, you have at least some of the things you were promised would make you complete, right? A family, a home or a few nice things… where’s the peace? Where’s the contentment? Why does it still feel wrong? Maybe you’re still missing part of the puzzle. You search for the one missing thing – each one you think, “this is it, now that I have this, I’ll be good and that feeling will go away.” A vacation, a nicer house, a new home theater, a stronger relationship, a better paying job with less stress, each time something else and this time it will work. But it never works. I told you, there is something wrong with your life. A statement from God himself hangs over your life like a fog that refuses to move. Death is coming. And not just any death. Not just the end of this life, the end of your life forever. God has programmed into you this truth; those who do evil will be punished. Evil, huh? Well then why am I nervous? I’m not evil. Aren’t you? The world around may lie to you, tell you that’s not you, but the disquiet within you says otherwise. You would never really ask those closest to you “do you think I’m evil?”, but even if you did they would say “of course not.” That doesn’t mean they’re right. But you know things they don’t know. You know there’s not a perfect record stretching back across your life. You’ve worked hard, done your best, but it’s not been perfect. There were moments when you gave in and did what you wanted and maybe the cost for you or someone you cared about was high. Maybe there didn’t seem to be any cost at all, but you could tell it wasn’t right. And now you drag the guilt of that behind you. I invite you to stop shifting your eyes away from it, to stop seeing this just out of the corner of your eye and look square at this; our God describes for us exactly what it is. It is ugly and it is scary, but we cannot deal with it if we do not know what it is. There is something wrong with your life; there is a hole running through you, a tear in your very self that we call “sin”. That doesn’t really tell us enough though. What is “sin”? Sin is what God is not. Sin is shadow and darkness when God is light. God is good, God is perfect. Sin is not. God operates on one driving principle; selfless love. God seeks the good of everyone else above his own at all times, regardless of what it costs him. Sin is the opposite; sin is to grab for yourself regardless of what it costs others. I hope you see that you do not qualify on your own for holiness. Maybe you like to think of yourself as a pretty selfless person; but have you been at all times to everyone? Don’t lie to yourself, it does no good. We are all of us, unholy. Sinful. Now understand this. Holiness and sinfulness are not just choices or lifestyles. In a sense, they are like forces of nature, light and dark, magnetic poles and gravity. Sin cannot exist in the presence of the Holy. And that is where the fear comes from. God is Holy. You are not. This life will end, and God tells us that you will either be brought in to be with him or you will be thrown out to spend eternity without him. If you are sinful, and if sin cannot exist in the presence of the holy, then which will it be for you? This is what is wrong with your life. A sentence of eternal death hangs in the air….and there is nothing you can do about it. But the Israelites in Egypt were not panicked. Frenzied, hurried, maybe even a little fearful, sure. But not panicked. God told them, warned them what was coming. But he also told them exactly what was needed to escape the death that came that night. It would take the blood of a lamb. A single ewe lamb, one year old, spotless and without defect. The lamb would die instead, the blood was to be painted on the door frames of their houses. God would see the blood shed, and spare those inside. So they did this. That night, as God promised, an angel of death passed over Egypt as by God’s decree, the firstborn son of each household was struck down in his sleep. But wherever there was the blood of the lamb, the angel stayed his hand. The angel saw the household through the blood, and they were spared. God had given the warning to all of Egypt, and he had given his directions just the same. Those who ignored the feeling that something was wrong; those who did not listen and did nothing about it – there was death in that house that night. Those who listened to God, who trusted his words of warning and deliverance were safe. And so, I am not panicked either, and neither should you. Yes, there is something wrong with our lives. We should feel the weight of how important this is. Yes, we should maybe even be a little fearful just because of the stakes involved. But truly afraid? No. God has warned us about this hole in our lives, about the holiness we are missing not to terrify us, but so that we pay attention, because of just how important this is. He shouts that this is life and death to get eyes on him. Because God tells us exactly what we need to escape the death that’s coming for us. It will take the blood of a lamb. A single ewe lamb, spotless and without defect. The lamb will die instead and his blood will cover you; and death will pass over you. As a remembrance of what he had done for them, God commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover every year. At the same time of year, at the same day, at the same hour, each household would again sacrifice a single ewe lamb, one year old, without defect or blemish, to remember how God spared them from death. Then, over a thousand years after the first Passover, on Friday of that week, the day that the lamb was killed, just before the moment when the sound would resonate from the Temple informing everyone that now was the time to sacrifice the lamb; the following happened: After this, knowing that everything had now been finished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine was sitting there. So they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished!” Then, bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. The time had come, the lamb was to be sacrificed. But not just any lamb. The real Lamb. The one who was intended all along. Everything that went before it was a show, foreshadowing. It had no real effect. Only an equal sacrifice could count for you. It had to be another person. Yet if it was just another person, what good would that do? Even if that person didn’t need saving themselves, their sacrifice would only save you. But what if God himself were both a person and God? How could you ever tip the scale of human life to outweigh that? You can’t. The one sacrifice would pay for everyone. And the Lamb did just that. You are not holy? Jesus is. You committed crimes against God? Jesus didn’t. The Lamb had no defect and no blemish. He is what you are not. He has what you lack. God was ready to pour out his justice against all the evil ever committed, all in one fell swoop. Jesus, his Son, the Lamb, stood up and took your place. He climbed on the cross and there he took everything that your sin earned. He became your sin, he became your curse. And when it was done, he uttered those words. “It is finished.” One word really, and I’d like to render it a little differently tonight if you’ll permit me. “Complete.” That is what happened on the cross right then. God’s plan to stand in your place so you would not suffer was completed – he died in your place. The foreshadowing he’d been showing the world since the first Passover meal was completed – the Lamb was sacrificed so that death would pass over you. You, missing the holiness God requires to be in his presence forever, you are completed. At that one moment, everything was made complete, everything was made the way God intended from the beginning. Look at the cross. Realize what the sacrifice there has done for you. There may have been something wrong with your life once, there may have been a hole, something missing, something terrifyingly wrong, but Jesus has filled that with his death. The blood of the lamb was shed for you and so death holds no power over you. You are complete with Jesus’ gift of himself. You are given what you once lacked. God the Father will gladly welcome you into his kingdom when this is all over. You are complete in him. Tonight, we gather in reverent awe to pay our respects for the tremendous sacrifice our Lord went through on our behalf. There is sadness, yes, because when I look at him hanging to die I know it is my fault he is there. When his lifeless body is removed and placed in the grave, it is because of me that this happened. But we are not here to leave this evening morose and depressed. We know that God did this willingly, out of love for you, individually. He knew you. He knows who you are. He could’ve spared himself that much more suffering by not including you in his sacrifice, but he didn’t. He wanted to do it. And as we close the tomb and walk away tonight we needn’t pretend we don’t know what Sunday will bring. If Sunday did not bring what it does, then tonight would be meaningless. We may leave tonight somber and reverent, but we still leave with hope and joy in our hearts. We know what this night means for us. Jesus made us complete. In him, we are what we are meant to be forever. I cannot tell you what will happen in your life in the days between now and the time you are called eternal rest in him. I can tell you that in Jesus and his sacrifice, it doesn’t matter. In him, your end is set and will not be changed. Your life is complete. In Jesus, your sins are paid for, the gift of holiness is given to you, heaven is yours. There is nothing else to chase after. There is nothing else to fear. There is nothing else wrong with your life. The Lamb has made you complete. Amen.  A Devotion Based on Luke 22:19-20 19 And Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
John pulled his tunic over his nose. It was a bit chilly outside the city. No walls to cover the wind and no trees to block its bitterness. Well…not any living trees. Before John stood a tree that had been transformed into a torture device. It was an instrument of execution. A terrifying spectacle that no one in the ancient Roman world wanted anything to do with. A cross. On that cross hung someone very dear to John. Someone John looked up to. Someone John learned from. It was his mentor, his teacher, his friend. It was Jesus. John stood there in agony. With Jesus’ own mother, Mary clinging to his side. How awful it must be for her! His Lord was Mary’s Son. The One that she had brought into the world was leaving the world before her very eyes. And in a cruel way! His body was broken. His skull had been broken open by the thorn. His hands were broken by a nail. His feet were broken by another nail. His lungs were breaking as his strength withered. Soon his heart would break and all that would be left was a broken, defeated, body. And his Blood was poured out. It was pouring out of those holes in his head, pouring out of the holes in his right hand, pouring out of the hole in his left hand, pouring down the back of the cross from the wounds covering the back of Jesus…pouring from his feet and pouring from his mouth as his body began to shut down. His poor friend. Jesus was broken. Jesus was poured out. Wait…John had heard that somewhere before. The night before John had joined the other disciples and Jesus for a traditional Passover meal. They had traditional bitter herbs to remember the bitter herbs of slavery in Egypt that their ancestors endured. They ate traditional unleavened bread as their ancestors had so they were ready to leave Egypt at a moment’s notice. They served traditional lamb as a reminder of the blood of a lamb that caused the angel of death to Passover those Israelites houses that night in Egypt. It was a traditional meal, until Jesus did something untraditional. Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Lk. 22:19) Strange. That wasn’t a normal part of the meal. That wasn’t a part of any Passover memory. Then, Jesus took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Lk. 22:20) Stranger. This definitely wasn’t a part of the meal. Sure, they drank some traditional wine. Sure, the wine had some meaning, but that meaning reached back thousands of years to the Old Testament. The Passover was a remembrance of what happened in the past...not a glimpse ahead into the future? And how could it be his body? His body was handing him the bread, not in the bread. And how could it be his blood? Unless he had a blister from the rubbing of his sandals, there wasn’t a drop of blood on him. This didn’t make any sense. At least not then. But now…now as John stared at Jesus’ broken body and his dripping blood – the truth could not escape him. Jesus was right. His body was broken. His blood was shed. Jesus was the embodiment of that meal. Which meant that they had been wrong about the Passover meal for thousands of years. It wasn’t just a link to the past, but for thousands of years it had been a predictor of the future. John the Baptist was right – Jesus was truly True Lamb of God. Jesus was right, he had truly given up his body. He had truly shed his blood. But if Jesus was right about that, maybe he was right about something else he said last night. “This is my body…given for you. This is my blood….poured out for you.” For you. For you. John found it hard to believe; yet he was convinced that he needed it. John’s life had been filled with pride. He had even had the audacity to ask for a position at Jesus’ right hand. And he had been known to be argumentative, a Son of Thunder, selfishly attacking his fellow disciples. And last night? Last night he had let Jesus get arrested. He had abandoned him. Sure, he had been at the trial. Sure he was there at the cross, but he was also doing nothing of consequence to stop what was happening to his friend. He had sinned. He knew what the Old Testament sacrifices had taught. Sin deserved death. There was no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. That truth did not escape him, he deserved sin’s consequence. He deserved to have his body broken. He deserved to have his blood shed. He deserved to die! But Jesus…Jesus had said…Given for you. Poured out for you. He had been right about it’s happening. Could he be right about it’s effect? ********************************************************************************************************** Friends, we’ve got the benefit of seeing what happens after his body is broken and laid to rest. We get the benefit of seeing what happens after all his blood is shed. Jesus returns to life. It is nothing less than proof that what Jesus said on the first Maundy Thursday was indefinitely, completely, and absolutely true. Do you have sin just like John? Maybe you’ve got sin that burdens your conscience. Perhaps you’ve got guilt that bothers you to the core. Maybe you’ve got the unshakeable feeling that you can’t be forgiven. Listen to Jesus’ words: My body broken for you. My blood shed for you. Those words were recorded. Those words contain eternal truth. Those words don’t just talk about John. They talk about you. It means you have sin. You deserve death. You need a Savior. It means Jesus took your sins. It means Jesus died. It means Jesus is your Savior. In a moment, we will receive the Lord’s Supper. When you receive that Lord’s Supper, you will be receiving his body which was broken on the cross for you. You will be receiving his blood which was shed on the cross for you. You will be receiving true and complete forgiveness. See Jesus. Trust Jesus. Believe Jesus. Amen.  This Sermon is based on Matthew 26:15-18, 20-22
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus[b] Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him! ******************************************************************************************************** Pilate slipped into the tub & let the bubbles cover his body until they tickled his nose. This was so much better. Earlier that day he had averted disaster. An angry mob had been awaiting him at dawn. They had demanded the blood of this guy named Jesus. Pilate had interviewed him and, found him to be a bit crazy, but unworthy of the death sentence these Jewish people wanted to inflict upon him. Pilate had tried to release him, but the people would have none of it. They wanted blood and they weren’t leaving until they got it. So…Pilate shirked his responsibility. He sent Jesus to his friend Herod. Herod was the one who was supposed to be in charge of the Jews anyways. Plus – Pilate didn’t like him that much. It made him smile to think of Herod dealing with all those awful people while he was letting the warmth of the tub soothe his muscles. “Enter.” He told one of his servants as he lifted a glass of wine to his lips. Umm…sir. They’re back. The Jews. With Jesus. The wine came flying out of his mouth. Him? Again? I. The People’s Choice After Pilate had re-robed, he made his way out toward the angry crowd. 15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. Similar to the Presidential pardoning of turkey, only instead of a turkey, each year the governor would pardon a criminal. He wouldn’t choose just any criminal. He wouldn’t choose one that was advantageous to him. He would let the people decide. It was a show of goodwill. A way to endear him to his people. A way to settle down the crowds. So…The people chose the man to release, but he would choose the options. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So… Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas or Jesus…the Messiah?” A little bit about Jesus Barabbas. John 18:40 calls him an “insurrectionist.” That means he had revolted against the government. He had caused civil unrest. He hated the current politics. And Mark 15:11 says he had “Committed murder.” That’s probably the actual charge that had gotten him thrown into prison. Murder. Probably during the insurrection. Murder done in the name of politics. Kinda sounds like a terrorist, huh? In essence, this is the choice before the people. Do you want me to release Jesus the Terrorist OR Jesus the Savior of the world? Granted, Pilate didn’t view Jesus as the Savior. He viewed it more like Jesus the Terrorist versus Jesus the mild mannered, slightly off his rock, theologian. Still…the choice was obvious wasn’t it? For a moment, Pilate stood with his arms crossed. For a moment, he smiled a smug smile. For a moment, he outsmarted those pesky Jews. For a moment, he had saved an innocent man. For a moment, he had hopes of a relaxing luncheon. For a moment… …then the crowd made their choice. 21b “Give us Barabbas!” Pilate was in shock. “Are you serious? You want the terrorist? You want the murderer? You don’t mind that your families won’t be safe and the marketplace might be filled with discord. You don’t have a problem with another possible attack in the future? You’d rather get rid of this Jesus guy simply because you don’t want to have to deal with your sins?" 22 What do you want me to do with Jesus? The answer was simple…and disgusting, “Crucify Him!” II. Your Choice Sometimes they make bad choices on the Oscars. Do you agree? I remember a few years ago trying to watch every Oscar nominated film. Films that were described as “artsy;” "compelling” and “thought provoking.” After I had seen them, if anyone had asked me for a description of the film I would have used the adjectives: “boring, actionless & mind-numbing.” Of course -- you’re talking to a guy who still doesn’t understand why Minions didn’t even get nominated, but…Do you get my point? As bad a choice as they sometimes make in the Oscars, how much worse of a choice did that crowd make outside Pilate's palace! Instead of someone who gives life, they chose someone who ended it. Instead of someone who promotes peace, they chose someone who disrupted it. Instead of someone who provides a heavenly kingdom, they chose someone who broke down earthly kingdoms. But enough about them. What about you? Who did you choose? Pastor, what are you talking about? I’m not 2,000 years old. I wasn’t there at the palace...I haven’t even been to Israel. I’ve never seen the Roman palace. True. Your choice was probably not presented by a first century Roman governor. Maybe it was presented by a friend… …by an internet link. ...by a guy you met at the bar. …by the group that likes to complain after church. Who did you choose? Jesus? Not always. Barabbas? No. Perhaps someone else. Someone with… A name like PORN. A name like GREED. A name like RACISM. A name like RAGE. Names like ADDICTION, SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE, HOMOSEXUALITY, COMPLAINING, PRIDE, LUST, VITRIOL, DOUBT and SELFISHNESS. Here’s the deal. We know how bad these things are. We know that PORN ruins families. We know that GREED ruins marriages. We know that COMPLAINING destroys the work of the church. We know that ADDICTIONS destroy the body. We know that IMMORALITY ruins our self worth. We know that PRIDE is intolerable to God. And we know that Jesus is the Savior. He brings forgiveness. He brings eternal life. He brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Yet we still find ourselves struggling to choose Him!?! Hebrews 6:4-6 says this, “Those who fall…are crucifying the Son of God all over again!” You are driving a nail into his hands. You are swinging the hammer with all their might. You are joining your voice with the crowd. You are NOT choosing Jesus. III. God’s Choice I’ll tell you what: My arms are tired. I’ve been swinging the hammer so often lately. I’ve been choosing my sins over Jesus. I’ve done wrong. I…I…I am Barabbas. I deserve punishment. I deserve death. I deserve the cross. But…God won’t bring it. God provided a substitute. Do you remember our Old Testament lesson? It was that section that talked about animal sacrifices. For those who are living in downtown Raleigh and are convinced that meat comes from a plastic wrapper at a local McDonalds – this sounds a bit disturbing. If you have ever lived on a farm, then you might understand the sacrifice that animals need to make for you to feed your belly and live. But here’s where this section is still strange. The goat in the section we were talking about – was not to be eaten. It wasn’t being turned into a burger. It wouldn’t become a delicious slice of goat jerky. It would be killed. It’s blood collected and it was sprinkled…on the altar, on the ground, and on the people. Disturbing? It should be! Because that’s how disturbing our sinful choices are to God! Remember: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) But look at why the animal was killed: "Sacrifice the Goat for a sin offering.” In other words – it would die in the place of the people. It would die for the people’s sins. UNDERSTAND THIS: These animals didn’t actually take away the sins of the people; they were simply an illustration of one who would die and would take away the sins of the people. Another substitute. An eternal one. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin…” That’s Jesus! He lived a perfect life. He chose God every chance he could. He never chose wrong. He never chose sin. Then, God chose to sacrifice Him. Wait, what? As bad as it might be picture an innocent animal dying, how much greater when the one dying is God’s eternal, perfect, Son? But look at why it happened: God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us! Jesus was our substitute. God chose him to suffer. He chose you to live. It wasn’t just Barabbas who got to live because Jesus died. It’s you. Grasp that. It’s kind of like having the choice to get a new 2016 Lexus with chrome plating, auto driving capabilities, bluetooth hook up and even a mini bar in the back seat...AND a 1987 Chevy Lumina minivan – with exhaust problems, a missing tire, and a busted radio. God chose the broken down minivan! He chose you. Because He chose Jesus, because Jesus died for you, because Jesus rose again three days later conquering sin and death, God chooses to say to you, “You are forgiven. Believe me. Be saved.” IV. What Now? 1. Relish God’s Choice. Today is selection Sunday. Basketball teams across the nation will be waiting to see if they make the big 64 team tournament. Some are locks. Some are pretty sure and some are on the bubble. For those on the bubble, when they find out that they are in, they’ll celebrate! They’ll take a moment and take it all in – to enjoy the confetti, try on tournament shirts and ball caps, and tweet to all their friends how excited they are. Then, business. You. Take the day. Take today. Take today and relish this: God chose you! Because there are plenty of times that we aren’t chosen. Someone else is chosen for the job. Someone else is chosen for the date. Someone else is chosen for the promotion. Someone else is chosen for the part in the school play. Someone else is chosen first for the kickball team at recess…in fact, everyone else might be chosen first. But today we are reminded that God chose you. He chose you over his Son. He gave up his perfect Son Jesus for you. I need you to write that down. “God chose me.” Write it down and place it somewhere you will read it. Hang it on your fridge. Place it on the dash in your car. Label an alarm on your phone to come up and remind you of that truth everyday! This will give you strength to follow our section action point… 2) Choose Jesus. As soon as the worship songs stop, as soon as I shake your hands and wish you a good week, as soon as you get out those doors, the devil will strike. “Choose complaining -- that person is cutting you off in the parking lot!” “Choose bitterness – those kids are running in the hallway.” "Choose gossip – Because it looks like that one lady has information about that other lady.” Be ready for it. Be ready and choose something different. Choose Jesus. Choosing Jesus is choosing to love. It’s choosing to honor your wife. It’s choosing to love your kids. It’s choosing to obey your parents. It’s choosing to do what it is Jesus did, when he chose us and gave his life up for us! Choose Jesus and… 3) Avoid the Voter’s Booth Mentality You aren’t supposed to talk politics with each other. As North Carolina has its primaries, you might be nervous to tell others who you voted for. You may just simply say “mm hmm," to whoever they ask if you vote for. It’d be a great way to avoid confrontation. If you want to do that with politics, fine. I will. But when it comes to Jesus, don’t hide it. Don’t keep your choice to yourself. Make it obvious. Make it loud. Tell your coworkers your plans to worship Jesus this Easter. Tell your friends what an awesome message from God you heard today. Pass it on via Facebook. Pass it on via Twitter. Take an Easter invite – don’t throw it away – and (gasp) INVITE SOMEONE! Let the fact that God chose you empower your choosing of him. To the Lord be glory forever and ever! Amen.  I. The Betrayal
Judas nervously chewed his lip. As he waited in the candlelit hallway, a chill slipped down his spine. “Was he doing the right thing?” For so long, he had thought Jesus to be his leader. He was kind. He was convincing. He had claimed to be the Messiah. He had promised to start a new kingdom. He had promised the treasures of God himself! To Judas, that was appealing. He knew he would look great in an expensive, purple robe. He loved the idea of showing off his fine collection of art to the merchants of the area as they sat down listening to his hired harpists and sampled the finest wines from the outskirts of the Middle East. He longed for the moment that he would have more wealth on his fingers than his entire neighborhood had in their local bank. But the wealth never came. Judas kicked at the dirt. The wealth never came. To be fair -- It could have! Oh how it could have! People loved Jesus. They were excited about Jesus. They respected Jesus. After he had fed thousands of them with another one of his unexplainable miracles, the people were ready to make him king and they wouldn’t have been that hard to ask them to finance his political campaign. But Jesus wasn’t interested in money. He was interested in “spiritual wealth.” He talked about giving to the poor and taking care of widows. He went from place to place – not knowing where he would sleep each night. Oh how he hated that feeling. As the group treasurer, he knew all too well that they didn’t have a lot. In fact, if Judas had not taken advantage of his position and snuck a coin here and a coin there, for his own pension…all of that time, years of his life, would have been a total waste! Judas clenched his fist. That would have been ok. Except. Except…Jesus had contradicted himself. When a woman spent thousands of dollars to take a bottle of vintage, top shelf perfume as a gift to Jesus – a gift which she promptly wasted by pouring out onto his feet, Jesus – defended her! There she was dumping liquid gold – Judas’ ticket to easy street – on to the floor where it seeped into the dust and slowly evaporated into nothing. And Jesus didn’t scold here. He didn’t tell her to give to the poor. He scolded Judas! “APPROACH!” One of the guards motioned with his scabbard. “The chief priests will see you now.” Judas nodded. Nodded as if the speed of his neck’s movements would increase the likelihood that he was in the right. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. Wow. It’s crazy isn’t it? Gathered together as Christians one thing we can agree on is Jesus was awesome. He was a nice guy. He did miraculous things. Can you imagine one of his own disciples throwing his relationship away for a couple months’ wages? I can. See the story of Judas isn’t not about how crazy it is that Judas would betray his Savior. But how crazy, easy it is, for us to do the same.
Here’s the truth. If you look for fulfillment in things other than Jesus, you will inevitably betray him. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Your sinful heart will become too much and you will turn your back on your Savior. Just like Judas. He found fulfillment in money, and wealth and the idea that the Messiah would bring him money and wealth. When it became clear that Jesus wouldn’t do that, Judas threw him away... II. The Warning It was as Judas was pondering that very thing when suddenly a gruff voice caused him to jerk in his seat. "Do you want to get him?” A few drops of sweat formed beneath Judas’ beard. “I said, “Do you want a biscuit?” Judas nodded vigorously in order to hide his nervousness from Bartholomew. “Sure.” But that kind of thing had been happening all night. Did they know? Did they know it was him? Did they know he was planning on betraying Jesus? Batholomew handed him a piece of warm flatbread. “Here you go.” He smiled and patted Judas on the back. They didn’t know. He had been so secret about it. They didn’t know and they wouldn’t find out. He was safe. He was in the clear. He could remain a part of these close friends and still get his reward for betraying Jesus. No one would ever know! Then – Jesus caught his attention. Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you going to betray me.” Judas gulped. How did Jesus know? Did he send spies? He couldn’t possible have done so? He had been so careful. He had been covering his tracks. This secret was his secret and his alone. Jesus didn’t know. “Breath deeply. I’m in the clear.” Thankfully – his demeanor fit in with the mood of the room. The other disciples were nervous too. “Lord, who is it?” “It isn’t I, Lord.” “ I would never Lord.” “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” As the thick gravy seeped into the pores of the bread, It gave Judas a chance to think. Was this really the right thing? He could still stop it. Was betraying his friend and colleague really the right thing to do? He still had time to stop it. He still had time to tell the Pharisees no. He still had time to throw the silver back into their faces. He still had time to ask for forgiveness. He still had time to seek God’s mercy. Then, Jesus gave the bread to Judas. Back in college – I took Hebrew. Hebrew is not an easy subject. Because of that, I think to properly learn Hebrew you need a hard-nosed Hebrew Professor. One who requires hard work and demands that you pay attention. Professor Nass was definitely that. He assigned pages of memorization. It took hours to prepare for his class. AND...he had the OVERHEAD. Do ya’ll remember overheads? You could put up pictures and outlines and word problems. Overheads were supposed to be used to guide learning They were the old school versions of Powerpoint. My Professor used it for public shaming. He would turn on the overhead and slowly write down the number of A+’s, the number of A’s, the number of B’s, and so on and so forth. I’ll never forget the time that my 70% was the only 70% in class. UGH. I felt like a fool. When Jesus gives the bread to Judas, his goal is not Judas’ public humiliation. He isn’t getting some kind of joy in pointing out Judas’ heart. This is Jesus is calling out to Judas. It is Jesus panged that He is losing one of his own. It is Jesus pleading with Judas to stop before it’s too late. To be saved from this sinful, path he was on! If you’ve been betraying Jesus, understand this – God has been reaching out to you too! How? A commandment that you suddenly remember. A Bible passage that scrolls across your screen on Twitter. A friend who mentions that they are concerned for you. That nervousness you get when talking to a pastor – “I hope he doesn’t mention. Please don’t mention it. Please let me get away with it.” This sermon. Right now. That’s God. He’s calling on you to do what’s right. He’s calling on you to repent. Listen to Him! Stop betraying your Savior. Instead…betray your sinful heart. Betray your sinful desires. Betray the things that lead to death and hold onto your Savior who leads to life. The Apostle Paul wrote this, “I strike blows to my body and make it my slave so that…I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Meaning he didn’t let his sexual urges control him. He didn’t let his greed control him. He didn’t let his laziness or anger or jealousy or need to be liked control him. He betrayed those desires in order to follow Jesus. That’s what Paul did. That’s what God wants you to do. But that’s not what Judas did. III. The Betrayal With a small army behind him, Judas and his mob marched through the garden. This time there was no nervousness. They were armed with clubs, torches, and small swords. There would be no fight. They converged on Jesus’ favorite quiet place. They overtook Jesus and his small group. They surrounded the disciples. Tension built. Judas approached out of the crowd – with façade of arrogance masking the fear in his heart. “Greetings Rabbi!” he said. He looked right into the eyes of Jesus. He smirked. Then, he kissed him – emphatically on the cheek. But as wild-eyed with surprise the other disciples were, Jesus was at ease. He had been expecting them. “Friend, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” Then, seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Here’s the part that’s most incredible. After the interaction with Judas and the mob is surrounding him, Jesus asks them who they came for. When they say his name – Jesus simply says, “I am he.” He doesn’t run. He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t fight. In fact, as He says that some kind of divine, supernatural force that knocks all of the soldiers to the ground. It’s a glimpse into the power and the strength that he could unleash at any time. But Jesus didn’t unleash it. Instead? Instead he extended his arms, let the chains fasten around them, and he let them lead him away. Isn’t it amazing? In spite the betrayal he endured from Judas and from you and from me, Jesus would not betray his mission. Jesus would not betray us. Jesus would not betray you. Scripture says, “When we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” That means If you have betrayed Jesus’, bow your head in shame, sure. But please lift it once more to see Jesus’ love. Watch as he holds out his hands. Listen as he quietly says, “Go ahead. Arrest me.” Cringe as he endures insults. Follow as he walks step after step after step through that dark night – knowing full well that a cross awaited him. Rest assured. Rest assured knowing that Jesus went through this, because he knew that on the other side of this suffering was you. A perfect existence with you. A peaceful, perfect existence for you by faith in him. In Him. IN HIM. Brothers and sisters, by faith in Jesus, your betrayals have been forgiven. You are at peace with God. Don’t betray that truth. Trust in it. Trust in Jesus. Judas didn’t do that. Instead, Judas had a terrible ending. His guilt was so great that he figured Jesus could never forgive him. He ran back to the Pharisees and threw his silver on the ground. Then, he threw his life away as he hung from a tree. Don’t you do the same. It isn’t too late. Not for you. Not matter what you’ve done. It isn’t too late because Jesus did not betray you. Repent. Turn from sin. Turn to your Savior. He will never betray you. Amen. |
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January 2020
Pastor Phil Kiecker
and his wife, Julianna love serving the community of North Raleigh.
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