He Has Risen! His Alive!

ALIVE FOREVERMORE
John 20:1-18/Lk. 24:1-12
Also Matthew and Mark’s Accounts.
4-22-00
Introduction:

More than 2000 years ago, one cold but tense morning, some women got up quite early, although it was not sure whether they had the privilege of falling asleep or not, and went the place of the dead. As was the custom in their place, they were to anoint the body of a dead person with the right spices. They should have done this the day before but it was a religious holiday and no work of any kind was allowed.

So now, very early, the women were on their way, eager to perform the acts of respect and kindness expected of them as friends and followers of the person who died earlier.

When the women got to the place of the dead, they were expecting to see a group of soldiers and would have asked permission from them to open the tomb by rolling the stone which was used to blocked the entrance to the tomb.

But, they saw something unexpected. The stone was rolled away and running into the tomb, they saw that it was empty. Almost immediately, they saw a sight talked about by their elders and teachers of the law but probably seen by them for the first time: There were angels there and these beings spoke to them. It was a difficult situation to understand. This was what happened more or less on the first day of the week, in the morning when Jesus rose again from the dead. Let’s note two important things about the resurrection.

I THE PROOF OF HIS RESURRECTION
1. THE TESTIMONY OF THE STONE ROLLED AWAY FROM THE TOMB.
1.1. GUARDS WERE POSTED AT THE TOMB. Mt. 27:65-66. Note: Although the word Guard is singular, it does not refer to one person. The word platoon is singular but refers to more than one person. The word for Guard is Custudia, which refers to a precise number of soldiers. Custudia has a minimum of 4 and maximum of 16 soldiers. It was not a guard as one person but a Custudia that was posted at the tomb. AT 4, or six, or 8, or 10, or 12, or 14 or a maximum of sixteen soldiers were there to see to it that no one without authority. IN fact, the word Guard is replaced by the plural Guards in Mt. 28:4 and they were in plural because they are referred to as dead mean.

2. THE TESTIMONY OF THE ANGELS
Why do look for the living among the dead? He is risen. According to Matthew, it an angel who cam and rolled the stone away. The Custudia or the guards became so scared of them and became like dean men. The angels rebuked the women who were there first on account of their seemingly lack of faith. Why are you looking for him among the dead? He is not here but He is risen.

3. THE TESTIMONY OF THE STRIPS OF LINEN
When Peter got to the tomb, he saw strips of linen by themselves but there was no more body. According to Mark15:46, these strips of linen were used to cover the body of Jesus. They wrapped his body in linen. So, if the dead had been stolen, the linen would have been gone too! In the first place, stealing the body was not possible because of the Custudia outside. Second, the fact that the strips of linen were by themselves gives us an idea of someone rising up and taking off the linen and putting on one side and then walked out of there. This is an appropriate picture because when the angel spoke about Jesus as no longer but risen, he was saying more than just stating that Jesus is alive. The word risen means arising and in control of one’s faculties. Of course, when you are in control of your faculties and realize that your are still wrapped in linen, you wold naturally remove the linen from your body and leave it on one side.

4. THE TESTIMONY OF HIS WORDS
The angels had to simply remind the women. Don’t you remember his words? He told you that he would die and be raised on the third day. That is what happened.


II THE PRACTICAL VALUE OF HIS RESURRECTION.
In the account in John, we have a most intriguing encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala. Seeing Jesus after the resurrection, Mary had wanted to touch, naturally, one presumed to be dead and now standing in front of you, you want to touch. Then Jesus told her the mysterious words:

DO NOT HOLD TO ME, FOR I HAVE NOT YET RETURNED TO THE FATHER. GO INSTEAD OT MY BROTHERS AND TELL THEM, THAT I AM RETURNING TO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD. John 20:17.

He could not be touched because He has not yet ascended to heaven to be with the Father who is in heaven. So He disappeared for one day. He appeared again during the night when He surprised his disciples were hiding in a room where the door was locked, he materialized in the room with them.

The conclusion is that early in the morning, he went o be with the Father, presented his report and now in the evening, he was back on earth and was with his disciples again.

Why was so important for him to first report ot the Father rather than go and see his disciples who were already at that time, so fearful of the events of the last few days? Well, Jesus knew that the reason for his coming on earth was for a very precise purpose coming from a very precise order from the Father. He came because, according to him, He was sent by the Father (John 3:16).

What exactly was it that He came to do?

1. TO REPLACE ADAM’S RECORD OF DISOBEDIENCE WITH HIS OWN RECORD OF OBEDIENCE. Rom. 5:19. The disobedience of one man brought condemnation. The Obedience of one man will make many righteous. Man id under condemnation because the sin of one person has become our sin (Romans 5:12). Now that record must be replaced. Someone must represent the entire human race and obey and his record of obedience will replace the disobedience of Adam. That is what Jesus did. His cry “It is finished had nothing to do with dying. He was referring to the work of obedience as having completed. Job number one, completed.
2. TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD BY DYING ON THE CROSS.
1Pet 3:18 (NIV) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,


1Cor 15:3 (NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance }: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

3. TO RISE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD TO DEFEAT SIN AND TO OFFER JUSTIFICATION. Romans 4:25: He was delivered over to death for our transgressions but was raised back to life for our justification. That is why in Lke 24, he ordered the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins only after he died and was raised back to life.

There were three major reasons for his coming. God has a chosen people. They are also in the world. Also condemned and under the power of Satan. They must be set free. There are 3 requirements for their freedom and salvation. Their record of disobedience must be replaced by a record of obedience. Second. The penalty for their sins must be paid for. Third. The record of perfect obedience and payment for sins must be presented to the Father.

Put it another way. The life and work of Jesus has 3 distinct stages. The period of obedience- birth to the cross. The period of payment for penalty. Death from Friday to Sunday early morning. Resurrection to report to the Father . Early Sunday morning to later that afternoon.

WITHOUT THE CROSS-, the life of obedience would be incomplete for our salvation. Without obedience, Jesus would not have qualified for the cross. Without resurrection, the life of obedience and the cross would have been meaningless life and death.

When you become a Christian, this is what happens to you. God replaces your record of disobedience with a record of obedience. Then, the penalty for sin, he writes, paid for. The basis of this fact? He writes these words: According to the report submitted by and Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God.

So, on this resurrection Sunday, if you’re a Christian, rejoice and remember these three distinct blessings:

1. I have a perfect record of obedience before the father. When Satan accuses me, I will say, pinalitan na iyan ng perfect record.
2. THE PENALTY FOR MY SINS IS COMPLETELY PAID FOR BY THE DEATH OF JESUS.
3. THE PROOF OF THIS PERFECT RECORD AND OF THIS ALREADY PAID FOR PENALTY IS JESUS’ REPORT TO THE FATHER.

WHEN DO YOU BECOME ONE WITH JESUS AND HIS WORK OF OBEDIENCE AND PAYMENT OF PENALTY. Eph. 1:13.