Easter Sunday: “Life after Death”

Here are the notes from yesterday’s message at New Life Community Church.  It was Easter morning and the message was “Life after Death.”  If you would like to listen to this message, you may do so by going to our website at www.newlifesite.com. God bless!

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014
 “Life after Death”
It’s Easter Morning.  We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!  Just a few notes as we begin.  To a degree this is a SYMBOLIC celebration.  We aren’t sure this is the exact anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus.  This is not like the 4th of July or Cinco de Mayo.  The exact date is not so as important as the fact of what happened:  Jesus Christ rose from the grave! 
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  I Corinthians 15:19-20 (NKJV)

Question:  Anyone here ever had your computer to crash?
Video about Computer Crash
Seems like the end of the world.
“Technology comes making promises and stays making demands.”
Disciples felt that way but worse.
Picking up the pieces.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.  46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.  Matthew 27:45-50 (ESV)
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”  Matthew 27:51-54 (ESV)
GOODNEWS

about the worst thing that could happen.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.  I Corinthians 15:1-5 (NIV)

DEATH

BURIAL

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.  John 19:38-42 (NIV)

Matthew indicates that the tomb was owned by Joseph of Arimathea.

RESURRECTION

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.  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. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.  The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he layMatthew 28:1-6 (NIV)

Problem:  differing versions of the same story.

Illustration:  car accident

Matthew has Mary Magdalene and Mary; Mark adds Salome; Luke has a woman named Joanna, John just tells it from the perspective of Mary Magdalene. 

Sequence:

EARTHQUAKE

MARY MADGELENE FREAKS OUT

ROLLED THE STONE
The angel sat on the stone.  What’s going on here?
Why did they roll the stone back?
Not so Jesus could get out, but so we could get in … to see that He is not there.

EMPTY TOMB!
But, let’s back up a little to find out about the Disciples.  Where were they?
But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  Matthew 26:56 (NKJV)
Matthew 26:56.  “Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
CONTRADICTION IN TERMS:  All the disciples – followers stopped following
1.      Forsook.  Gk. Aphiemi.  To send away, dismiss, emit, resign, depart, desert.
2.      Fled. Gk. Pheugo.  To flee, take flight, escape.
3.      Interesting sidelight:
a.       Forsook is a participle
b.      Fled is an aorist past tense indicative
c.       Could be translated “forsaking Him, they fled.”
d.      Their hearts departed and their bodies followed suit.
e.       Forsake speaks to the reason.
f.       Fled speaks to the action.
Illustration:  Movie Open Range.
Standoff between Charlie Waite and Boss Spearman vs. Denton Baxter.
One by one, Baxter’s men cut and run.  Boss Spearman shouts, “Baxter, looks like you’re losing your army.”

PRINCIPLE:  Your body follows your heart.  We freak out when we see someone DO something we call “out of character”.  The truth is they are acting out what has already happened inside them.  It can be a momentary crisis or the culmination of a lifelong battle.
Steps in Grief Management
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
First Steps to Life after Death
1.     STAYtogether.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  John 20:19 (NIV)
2.     BELIEVEagain.
When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.  Mark 16:11 (NIV)
While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”  Luke 24:41 (NASB)
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  Matthew 28:17 (NKJV)
3.     Overcome FEAR.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  John 20:19 (NIV)
4.     HEARwhat He SAYS.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  John 20:21-22 (NIV)
The best is yet to come!

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