Sunday Sermon

Still Afraid Even After the Resurrection? Dave Shaner April 11, 2004

Introduction: Easter isn't about bunnies, candy and egg hunts, but about the power of God.

Text: Matthew 27:45-28:10; Mark 15:42-16:8

Matthew 27
⁴⁵ From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.  ⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."  ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  ⁴⁹ The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."  ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.  ⁵² The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  ⁵³ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" ⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.  ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  ⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.  ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,  ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.  ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.  ⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  ⁶³ "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'  ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."  ⁶⁵ "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."  ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 28
¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.  ⁵ The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."  ⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Mark 15
⁴² It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,  ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.  ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.  ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.  ⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.  ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Mark 16
¹ When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.  ² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb  ³ and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"  ⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ⁶ "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"  ⁸ Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

What emotions were taking place that day?

I. ____________________

A. Did early Christians invent the story of the resurrection?

B. They were transformed from fear to courage.

II. ____________________

A. When Jesus died, no provision for a burial had been made.

B. Some time after sunrise on Sunday morning, they set out on what had to be a gloomy task.

III. ____________________

A. They didn't go to the tomb expecting it to be wide open!

B. The word translated "alarmed" denotes astonishment, shock, fear.

C. What do you think ran through their minds at that moment?

IV. ____________________

A. Jesus was alive and appeared to his disciples again and again.

1. Jesus is who he says he is.

2. And especially for you and I, Jesus can be trusted.

B. But, we still have unsolved problems?

C. The resurrection of Jesus gives us confidence about our final outcome but does not give immediate answers to all of our problems.

Conclusion: Aren't you glad the Bible includes stories of people just like us? We don't always have it all together, but in spite of our battles, that first resurrection Sunday guarantees that the war has been won.

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