WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.060 And now let's continue to read in Luke 24, where we left off at verse 28, and we'll read to the end 00:00:14.060 --> 00:00:21.679 of the chapter. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:29.900 he were going further. But they urged him strongly, stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is 00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:36.879 almost over. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave 00:00:36.879 --> 00:00:43.479 thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:48.780 disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, were not our hearts burning within us while he 00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:54.659 talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us? They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. 00:00:55.219 --> 00:00:59.200 There they found the eleven and those with them assembled together and saying, it is true, 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:05.640 the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. Then the two told what happened on the way, and how 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:11.000 Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, 00:01:11.700 --> 00:01:18.100 Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, peace be with you. They were startled and frightened, 00:01:18.620 --> 00:01:23.620 thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, why are you troubled? And why do doubts rise in your minds? 00:01:23.620 --> 00:01:29.700 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones, 00:01:29.740 --> 00:01:36.680 as you see I have. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet, and while they still did not 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:42.700 believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, do you have anything here to eat? They gave him 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:48.960 a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, this is what I told 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:53.780 you, while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of 00:01:53.780 --> 00:02:00.119 Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. 00:02:00.639 --> 00:02:06.099 He told them, this is what is written. The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 00:02:06.399 --> 00:02:10.919 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:17.479 beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my father has 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:24.239 promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. When he had led 00:02:24.239 --> 00:02:30.179 them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:36.239 he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with 00:02:36.239 --> 00:02:46.799 great joy, and they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. So as we finish off the journey to 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:55.300 Easter, we come to the resurrection, and our question for today is why does the resurrection matter? 00:02:56.500 --> 00:03:07.160 But let's begin by recognizing that sometimes it's small words that are said to us that have the biggest 00:03:07.160 --> 00:03:16.020 impact on our lives and give us the greatest joy. Small, simple, you passed the exam. You got the job. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:23.520 Someone says, I love you. Someone says, I do. There are many examples of small words that change our lives, 00:03:23.620 --> 00:03:34.080 but there are none as significant as the words of the angels there in verse 6. He is not here. He is risen. 00:03:35.640 --> 00:03:42.360 Those words and the reality of those words change the world. They change eternal destinies, 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:50.360 and they can change our lives too. And that's the testimony of God's people since the very beginning. 00:03:50.980 --> 00:03:58.140 I read this week the testimony of a guy called Michael Green, who was a significant evangelist in 00:03:58.140 --> 00:04:03.180 the Church of England, died a couple of years ago, and he spoke of being in a school assembly at the 00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:10.760 age of 16 when someone came to give a talk to his high school, and it was the editor of the British 00:04:10.760 --> 00:04:16.879 Medical Journal. So a very well-respected surgeon in Bristol, editor of the BMJ, and he came and he 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:25.199 said to these high school children, Jesus is risen. He is alive. You can know him. And Michael Green, 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:29.560 who up until this point had kind of pushed Christianity to one side as not being very credible, 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:35.439 thought, well, if this significant surgeon believes it, then I'm going to research it. 00:04:35.860 --> 00:04:41.800 And as he came to research and he came to believe it was true, he gave his life to telling people the 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:48.319 good news that Jesus indeed is alive. And that's been the reality for over 2,000 years. God's people 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:57.720 have lived and died trusting in and testifying to the reality that Jesus is risen. That just as he had 00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:05.240 promised, the greatest of all miracles, the miracle of resurrection took place that first Easter Sunday, 00:05:05.980 --> 00:05:12.700 that the heart of Jesus, which had stopped there on the cross on Friday, began pumping again. 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:19.700 That his organs began functioning. That his muscles and sinews activated and Jesus was no longer dead. 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:29.740 He is alive. And in that reality, he gives hope to his people of eternal life and eternal love. 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:36.839 That's what we're going to think about today. And we're going to use Luke chapter 24 to make the case 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:44.740 for the real Easter. So we're going to think about real history. And we're going to very briefly explore 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:50.199 the evidence. And again, let me direct you to our books if you want to do some more reading. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:56.639 But it's significant that everybody from the most positive Christian scholar to the most 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:04.160 negative of historians will testify along the lines of this secular historian called Theodore Momsen, 00:06:04.579 --> 00:06:12.100 that the resurrection is the best attested fact in ancient history. So we need to consider it. 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:21.879 And after that, we're going to think about real promise. To see that Jesus fulfills both his own 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:30.200 predictions and the great promises that we find in the Old Testament. And we're going to move from 00:06:30.200 --> 00:06:36.640 there to think about the real hope that we find in the reality of Easter. The life-changing significance 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:45.360 we find because Jesus is not dead. He is alive. With the goal that these seven small words of the 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:51.599 angels, he is not here, he is risen, that they would change our lives forever, lead us to worship and joy 00:06:51.599 --> 00:06:58.219 today and forever. So let's begin by thinking about the real history that we find here. 00:06:58.659 --> 00:07:02.339 A quote to help us on our way, Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar, says, 00:07:02.339 --> 00:07:09.799 the resurrection was not created by the church, not an invention. Rather, the church was created by 00:07:09.799 --> 00:07:14.699 the resurrection. And I hope we'll see that the resurrection changed hearts and lives on that 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:21.659 first Easter Sunday and still does. Luke 24 helps us to build a case for the resurrection 00:07:21.659 --> 00:07:29.359 because we find in this chapter three facts that virtually every scholar will agree on. So Christian 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:37.280 scholars, atheistic scholars, critical scholars, will all agree on three key truths. One, Jesus was 00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:45.800 crucified. And we'll see that. Two, that the tomb was empty. And we'll see that. And thirdly, that the 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:53.480 disciples claimed and believed that they saw the risen Lord Jesus. And we'll see that in our text as well. 00:07:53.480 --> 00:08:01.759 So let's begin by thinking once again about the reality that Jesus was crucified. That takes us to 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:09.840 verse one and to these women who arrive early in the morning with spices they have prepared. 00:08:10.780 --> 00:08:17.040 Why do they come to the tomb that first Easter Sunday? They are mourning and they come to anoint 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:24.220 the dead body of Jesus. So they think. They were there and they saw him die. 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.060 In verse 20. 00:08:33.060 --> 00:08:40.639 There you go. He may be back. Verse 20. We find the disciples on the road to Emmaus 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:48.019 giving us further confidence in the reality of Jesus being crucified. The chief priests and our rulers 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:53.559 handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him. 00:08:55.659 --> 00:09:03.460 So Jews and Romans conspired together and were involved in a very public execution. 00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:12.080 And if you were to go to Jewish and Roman historical sources from the period, you would find they both 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:20.940 agree Jesus really was executed. The Romans knew what they were doing. So he died. 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:30.019 And further evidence to Jesus being crucified, we find in verse 39, Jesus' own words to his troubled, 00:09:30.019 --> 00:09:36.419 doubting disciples, look at my hands and my feet. Why are they invited to look there? 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:44.360 Because the risen body of the Lord Jesus still bears the scars of sacrifice. 00:09:45.579 --> 00:09:48.500 Jesus really died and he died for our sin. 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:55.659 Second piece of historical evidence, the tomb really was empty. So let's go back to the women. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.199 Verse 2. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:02.920 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:09.400 It's been pointed out many times that it's significant that women are the first eyewitnesses 00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:16.400 both to the empty tomb and to the reality of the resurrection. It gives the gospel accounts 00:10:16.400 --> 00:10:23.220 the ring of truth. When we recognize that in Jewish law at the time, women were considered on the level 00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:30.139 of children so their testimony was not accepted in a court of law. Therefore, it's highly unlikely that 00:10:30.139 --> 00:10:33.920 you would invent this story and make women the first eyewitnesses. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:41.259 It's also important for us to remember that when these women come to the tomb, they're coming to a place 00:10:41.259 --> 00:10:49.839 where both Jews, Romans, disciples, they all know this is where Jesus' body was laid. Friends and enemies 00:10:49.839 --> 00:10:57.479 know public execution, public burial in the tomb of a very prominent man by the name of Joseph. So here's 00:10:57.480 --> 00:11:02.440 why that's significant. So some people tell the story, well, maybe the disciples just went to the 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:10.620 wrong tomb. They got the wrong address. Well, wouldn't that be so easy as the disciples start 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:15.019 saying Jesus is alive for the enemies of Jesus to say, well, actually they went to the wrong tomb. 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:19.000 Here's the right tomb and here's the dead body. But they can't do that because they know as well as 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:26.279 the disciples, the tomb really is empty. But what's really important for us to recognize too about the 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:32.580 empty tomb, that it by itself is not enough to make the disciples believers. And we see this in verses 11 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:38.980 and 12. Because here is the women coming back to the disciples to report what they've seen. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.740 And we're told, but they did not believe the women because their words seem to them like nonsense. 00:11:46.740 --> 00:11:53.379 Again, if you're looking for a ring of truth, are these gospels well written? Well, here's another 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:57.980 thing. There's embarrassing details all through the gospels. This isn't something that you would put 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:04.360 into a made-up story. Here are the followers of Jesus. They've heard him say many times that he would 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:12.039 rise. They hear the report of the empty tomb. They think it's nonsense. Remind us, these disciples are 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:19.219 not sort of gullible people, not naive people. Like us, they know dead people stay dead. They're not on 00:12:19.219 --> 00:12:24.379 the edge of belief, just needing a simple nudge to dive in. They're not expecting Jesus to rise, 00:12:24.459 --> 00:12:32.779 and they will not believe until they see him. You come to the two on the road to Emmaus, 00:12:32.839 --> 00:12:40.279 verse 22 to 24. What becomes clear is that the news has spread. So they're talking with Jesus. 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:44.279 Jesus appears to them, but they don't reckon. The women went, and they found the tomb empty, 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:50.199 and then Peter went, and he found the tomb empty. But what you don't find is that those disciples are 00:12:50.199 --> 00:12:57.299 full of joy and worship, because for them too, there will be no living faith without a living, 00:12:57.459 --> 00:13:04.600 risen Lord Jesus that they see for themselves. And so it's interesting that Luke records the fact of 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:10.840 the empty tomb, but it also records the very honest reactions of these first followers of Jesus. 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:20.940 They need to see him in order to worship. But to borrow from Michael Grant, who was an Edinburgh 00:13:20.940 --> 00:13:27.100 Uni history professor back in the 70s, he wrote a book having examined the Gospels, and he said, 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:34.820 the evidence is firm and plausible enough to conclude the tomb was indeed found empty. 00:13:36.779 --> 00:13:44.740 Now onto our last piece of historical evidence, and it's this. It's the disciples claimed and believed 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:50.820 that they saw the risen Lord Jesus. Now this isn't something that's just restricted to the Bible, 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:58.220 so we find this clearly in the Bible. But even skeptical scholars are forced to agree. So you've 00:13:58.220 --> 00:14:04.960 got people like Bart Ehrman, who'd be a very liberal, skeptical scholar. They have to agree that the 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:15.380 disciples are transformed around Easter Sunday. And so scholars say, well, something had to have happened 00:14:15.379 --> 00:14:27.139 to move these disciples from fear to faith, and from worry to worship, from them hiding away in a corner to 00:14:27.139 --> 00:14:33.820 boldly facing death, declaring Jesus is Lord, that Jesus is alive. Something happened. 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:41.919 And so everybody is thinking, well, what makes the most sense for that transformation? 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:50.899 And what we have in the Gospel is that Jesus appeared risen and alive. So again, as we think 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:57.500 about what happens to these two men, Cleopas and the other, as they've been journeying with Jesus, 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:04.919 he's been talking with them, then they reach Emmaus and they ask him to stay over and to stay for dinner. 00:15:04.919 --> 00:15:13.319 And in verse 30 to 32, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, began to give it to them. 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:18.860 And then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. So all of a sudden they realized the man they've 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:23.759 been talking to is none other than the Lord Jesus. And it's wonderful as they recognize, 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.879 here's the reason why our hearts were burning with joy. 00:15:27.899 --> 00:15:32.000 It's because we were talking with the Lord and he was telling us the whole Bible was testifying 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:40.799 to him. And then you get to verses 33 and 34. So these men in Emmaus, they then run a few miles 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:45.019 back to Jerusalem when they arrive. There's the 11 and there's other, and they're all gathered together 00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:52.919 and they too are announcing, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. So we're beginning 00:15:52.919 --> 00:16:01.000 to get eyewitness accounts of the resurrection. And then more wonderful still, as they're talking, 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:08.980 verse 36 onwards, Jesus himself appears. And again, this part of the story really has the ring of truth 00:16:08.980 --> 00:16:14.100 because you get more details that embarrass, we'd embarrass these first disciples. You wouldn't 00:16:14.100 --> 00:16:20.779 make this up as they see Jesus is peace, be with them. What happens? Verse 37, they're startled and 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:22.179 frightened. They think he's a ghost. 00:16:22.179 --> 00:16:35.419 And it takes for them looking at Jesus' hands and feet, touching him, and then watching him eat a piece 00:16:35.419 --> 00:16:46.519 of boiled fish before amazement and joy and belief and worship come. And what follows is that these 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:54.220 fearful, doubtful disciples are then called, in verse 48, to be Jesus' witnesses to the world, 00:16:54.740 --> 00:17:01.019 to tell about these events, to tell about the reality that sin can be forgiven because Jesus died and 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:07.980 rose again. And what we find in Luke's second book, the book of Acts, we find them bold and courageous, 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:13.299 ready to live and die for the Lord Jesus. And again, the question everybody needs to ask is, 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:22.619 what brings that change? What accounts for that transformation in the disciples? Or in someone 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:28.879 like the apostle Paul, who goes from being a Jesus hater wanting to destroy the church, 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:36.460 to living and dying, declaring Jesus as Lord? And the best answer is that they saw him alive. 00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:46.600 It truly is the case that the resurrection created the church. And there is history to give us 00:17:46.600 --> 00:17:54.500 confidence in what the gospels record. But we need to move beyond the real history to think about the 00:17:54.500 --> 00:18:03.700 real promise contained within the resurrection. So it is clear, as we've read Luke 24, nobody saw this 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:09.799 coming. There was lots of expectations for the Messiah, but they thought the Messiah, God's chosen king, 00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:18.120 he would come with glory. Nobody was expecting a suffering and dying Messiah. And so Luke records for us 00:18:18.120 --> 00:18:31.519 confusion and sadness and doubt and grief, which turns to joy instantly. And again, we need to ask, 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:39.099 why was that? How can they believe that this man who died on Good Friday, how can they believe he is 00:18:39.099 --> 00:18:47.559 God's chosen king and savior? And the best answer, again, is that he is risen. And we're reminded in Luke 24 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:56.519 that he is risen just as was promised. Promised by Jesus, promised by God's word. 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:06.059 The repeated testimony of Jesus himself was that the events of Easter were planned and predicted and 00:19:06.059 --> 00:19:13.359 part of God's plan of salvation. That the events of Easter can be found in the Old Testament. 00:19:15.220 --> 00:19:20.579 So that we are to understand that the cross is not the end of the story for Jesus, rather with the 00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:30.319 resurrection. It's a new beginning for Jesus and his church. There's a pastor in Ireland called Davy 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:37.159 Ellison, and he says the first Easter was supernatural, but it shouldn't have been a surprise. 00:19:38.299 --> 00:19:44.179 Now, how do we see that in our text? How do we see it's a work of God, but it shouldn't have been a 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:52.720 surprise to the disciples? Well, look with me at verses 5 to 7 and the words of the angels to the 00:19:52.720 --> 00:20:01.840 women. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Remember how he told 00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:08.320 you while he was still with you in Galilee, the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:20.500 be crucified, and on the third day be raised again. Remember how he told you. So if you read Luke's 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:29.500 gospel, you will find at least five places where Jesus explicitly predicts his suffering, dying, and 00:20:29.500 --> 00:20:40.880 rising. Chapter 9, 13, 17, 18, 22. And notice, too, what the angels say. He must be delivered over, must be 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:48.019 crucified, must be raised again. That must speaks to us of God's plan. This is all part of God's eternal 00:20:48.019 --> 00:20:55.400 plan of salvation, being worked out in the fullness of God's timing, and that plan of salvation centers on 00:20:55.400 --> 00:21:07.380 Easter centers on a dying and rising Jesus. And Jesus knew that. Jesus always knew that. He knew his 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:18.860 identity. He called himself the Son of Man, this human divine figure who comes from God with all authority, 00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:28.399 who's given glory and given rule, ruling as king forever. Jesus knows that those words in Daniel 7 are 00:21:28.399 --> 00:21:36.099 spoken of him. But he also knows that he is the servant of the Lord, the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, 00:21:36.219 --> 00:21:44.719 the one who must suffer and die for the sins of his people. And so Jesus knew that before the crown of 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:54.759 glory, he must go to the cross and suffer and die. Jesus knew that what would look like defeat, 00:21:55.660 --> 00:22:01.039 his death on the cross, would give way to the victory of the resurrection. 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:10.539 And it's only this remarkable turnaround that has the power to transform the lives of the women in our 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:16.579 story, the disciples in our story. And it's only that turnaround that has the power to change your 00:22:16.579 --> 00:22:25.839 life and mine as well. It's not just that we hear this from the angels, we hear this from Jesus himself. 00:22:27.500 --> 00:22:35.839 Famous words Jesus uttered on the road to Emmaus to those disciples who are so downcast. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:42.119 How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. 00:22:43.379 --> 00:22:46.399 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:51.759 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:54.000 concerning himself. 00:22:56.079 --> 00:23:02.579 And then same as he appears to the disciples, verse 44 and 45, he opened their minds so they could 00:23:02.579 --> 00:23:10.000 understand the scriptures. So Jesus shows them on that first Easter Sunday in the scriptures that all of 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.859 this was planned and predicted hundreds of years before it came to pass. 00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:27.779 There's another wonderful pointer to Jesus as the divine son of God in this, that there is no other 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:34.720 figure in history who fulfills multiple detailed prophecies. 00:23:36.339 --> 00:23:43.059 Jesus did. You can read the Old Testament and find scores of detailed prophecies fulfilled by Jesus 00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:50.940 in his life, death, and resurrection. And so Jesus comes to these doubting disciples and he invites them 00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:56.440 to consider scripture, to realize that yes, this is a supernatural event, but if they'd even read the Old 00:23:56.440 --> 00:24:02.080 Testament, they would have seen it coming. It's interesting that the very first skeptics that 00:24:02.080 --> 00:24:10.180 Jesus faced were his very own followers. And how does he respond? He responds with a course on how to 00:24:10.180 --> 00:24:18.519 read their Bibles. He wants to show to them and to help us to see that the risen Lord Jesus is the 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:26.320 great unifying theme of the Bible. That the Bible tells the great story of God's redemption and central to 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:34.399 that. The hero figure right at the heart of that story is Jesus himself, the God-man who died on the 00:24:34.399 --> 00:24:42.960 cross for our sin and rose again for our salvation. So that the whole Bible becomes the revelation of God 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:51.839 in Christ Jesus. The resurrection should change how he reads our Bibles. And Jesus wanted those first 00:24:51.839 --> 00:25:00.199 disciples to understand that. Often people say, it'd be wonderful if we'd have been there that first 00:25:00.199 --> 00:25:05.059 Easter Sunday as Jesus opened the Word of God and showed how it all pointed to him. And it would be 00:25:05.059 --> 00:25:11.220 wonderful, wouldn't it? But we're invited to read the Old Testament and see how it points forward to Jesus. 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:20.039 Jesus is the true Adam, the true Son of God. He is the Son of God who always obeyed, 00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:28.240 who always lived for the glory of God his Father. He is the true Moses, the true and greater prophet who 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:36.359 speaks with the authority of God the Father as God the Son. Jesus is the true priest. He is the mediator. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:42.740 He is the middleman between God and man because he is both fully God and fully man. He comes as the 00:25:42.740 --> 00:25:50.940 sacrifice who atones for sin, who makes peace between us and God. He is the true and better David, the true 00:25:50.940 --> 00:26:00.960 king we are looking for, God's chosen king, whoever rules for the glory of God. Jesus is the redeemer 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:11.900 that Job in the Old Testament was hoping for. Because Jesus lives, Job will see God face to face. 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:20.720 Jesus is the focus of Isaiah's prophecy in chapters 25 to 27. Because of Jesus' resurrection, death has 00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:28.700 lost its sting. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Tears are wiped away. Eternal life belongs to the 00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:35.180 people of God because Jesus is alive. And all of this told in the Old Testament. 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:45.680 And that's significant for us. For these first disciples, it was very much the case that seeing 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:57.000 was believing. The empty tomb wasn't enough. They needed to see the risen Lord Jesus. For us, reading 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:08.720 is believing. And that's okay. You know, when we think about our business dealings or legal dealings, 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:13.420 official documents, we often find ourselves asking, can I have that in black and white? 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:21.200 We want that confidence that the terms will be kept. Well, here is God's promise in black and white. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:29.200 He is not here. He is risen. God's plan of salvation has been accomplished through Jesus the Son. And we 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:36.360 can trust the eyewitnesses. And we can trust all those Old Testament prophecies. And we can trust 00:27:36.360 --> 00:27:47.059 the words of Jesus himself. That we're invited to follow the evidence, to listen to those promises, 00:27:47.059 --> 00:27:50.960 so that we would trust in the risen Lord Jesus. 00:27:54.200 --> 00:28:02.379 Let's move finally to real hope that we find this first Easter Sunday. So this is the last leg of our 00:28:02.379 --> 00:28:08.500 journey to Easter series. And what we've seen, so in Luke chapter 9, verse 51, we hear that Jesus 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:15.279 resolutely, determinedly set his face towards Jerusalem. So Jesus has been walking deliberately towards 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:20.619 his death on the cross. And on that journey for the last few weeks, what have we seen? We've seen 00:28:20.619 --> 00:28:26.879 different responses. We've seen some have faith, while others have unbelief. And we find some mock 00:28:26.879 --> 00:28:35.940 Jesus, but others worship Jesus. Well, now on this first Easter Sunday morning, we're seeing 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:47.500 Jesus' journey. And the power of God, his heart beats again. And he walks out of the tomb, and he appears to 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:58.299 his followers, and lives are changed. And the question for you and me today is, what difference does the 00:28:58.299 --> 00:29:05.059 resurrection make? Not then, but now, to my life today, and to my life in the future? 00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:17.659 In this book here, Lee Strobel asks that same question to Gary Habermas, probably still the 00:29:17.659 --> 00:29:23.819 leading expert on the evidence for the resurrection. He asked him, why is the resurrection important? 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:31.059 And while we maybe would expect a theological or academic answer, what Habermas does is he reflects 00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:37.799 on losing his wife to cancer. And he said in that interview, if resurrection could get me through 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:47.500 that, it can get me through anything. If there's a resurrection, there's a heaven. If Jesus was raised, 00:29:47.500 --> 00:29:53.960 my wife will be raised, my wife will be raised, and I will be someday too. Then I'll see them both. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:04.019 And in that answer, he's revealing to us the power, the unique power of Christian hope. 00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:11.380 Because we have a stronger than death Savior, we have a hope that death cannot destroy. 00:30:11.380 --> 00:30:24.420 Let me go to just two verses in our text to see real hope. First, the hope for a real rescue. 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:33.360 And this is in verse 21. This is words of Cleopas and his friend. It says, 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:45.179 we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. They saw him die, and when they saw him die, 00:30:45.939 --> 00:30:55.419 for them hope died. I think it's true to say that many people today feel that hope is in short supply. 00:30:55.420 --> 00:31:04.039 Many people today in our world are living trapped, trapped in their circumstances, trapped in their past, 00:31:04.860 --> 00:31:11.340 trapped in political situations that are outside of their control. Hope is important, but hope seems 00:31:11.340 --> 00:31:18.100 in short supply. And that was true of that first Easter Sunday. Before they recognized Jesus, we had hoped 00:31:18.099 --> 00:31:28.779 he was going to redeem Israel. But remember how their hearts burned with joy when Jesus was revealed to 00:31:28.779 --> 00:31:37.339 them, when they realized Jesus was not dead, but he was alive. Then they understood he really is God's 00:31:37.339 --> 00:31:46.379 redeemer. And we are invited to see that the way Jesus saves and rescues and redeems is by sacrifice, 00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:54.880 by dying on the cross for our sin. And the resurrection shows us that sin and guilt has been paid for 00:31:54.880 --> 00:32:04.360 and removed, that the resurrection stands as mission complete, so that by trusting in Jesus there is for 00:32:04.360 --> 00:32:15.360 us lasting hope. Perhaps we feel trapped by our past that accuses us. Guilt and shame. 00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:24.680 Well, there is hope beyond that in the resurrection. There is lasting hope as our guilt is cancelled 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:34.100 and as sin is forgiven. Because the risen Lord Jesus shows that the sacrifice that he made for our sin 00:32:34.100 --> 00:32:42.700 has been accepted. And there is hope too in this, that when we are united to Jesus by faith, 00:32:42.700 --> 00:32:52.299 just as he passed through death to eternal life, so too will we. We just finished that Hope Explored 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:59.860 course in our church and the presenter of that course used the image of a tapestry. So if you imagine 00:32:59.860 --> 00:33:07.799 a rich tapestry and then a thick needle and thread that you use to weave a tapestry, we said just as 00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:14.680 the needle bursts through the needle bursts through the tapestry, bringing the thread behind with it. 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:22.200 So as Jesus bursts through death to eternal life, so if we are united and we too pass from death 00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:28.460 to life, that his story becomes our story. And there is hope for us in that. 00:33:28.460 --> 00:33:41.960 There is hope for a real rescue. But there is also hope for a real peace. Here is verse 36 again. 00:33:41.960 --> 00:33:51.480 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them. The real, alive, physically 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:58.240 resurrected Lord Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. 00:33:59.840 --> 00:34:07.100 Peace is another one of those great longings, isn't it? It's a great longing for our world as we see 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:14.299 week after week the horror of what's happening in the Ukraine. Peace is the great longing in our hearts 00:34:14.299 --> 00:34:21.759 as we live with fear and uncertainty and sadness. And again, many of us can testify that while we long 00:34:21.759 --> 00:34:29.420 for peace, it's so hard to find. But it's what makes the promise of the risen Lord Jesus so wonderful. 00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:36.960 Peace be with you was wonderful news for these anxious, fearful, doubtful, sad, 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:43.519 disciples. And it's the same message of peace and hope for us today. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:54.559 That we can have peace when we're trusting in Jesus because the risen Lord Jesus reconciles us to God, 00:34:55.340 --> 00:35:03.000 makes peace by his blood shed on the cross. We can have peace because we know the risen Lord Jesus 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:11.420 is always with his people, just as he promised his disciples. We can have peace regardless of 00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:18.500 circumstance, knowing that the risen Lord Jesus will never let his people go. He promised that he will 00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:25.739 never lose any of those he came to save. There are times when we might be lonely, desperately lonely, 00:35:25.739 --> 00:35:37.899 but we will never be alone. And there is peace because the risen Lord Jesus has gone ahead to secure 00:35:37.899 --> 00:35:48.039 our paradise, our eternal place of peace. And for us to know this peace, all we need to do 00:35:48.039 --> 00:36:02.000 is turn from sin and come to him. So that announcement of the angels, he is not here, he is risen, 00:36:03.279 --> 00:36:13.000 is good news of great joy for all people. And as we've seen from Luke 24, our Christian faith, 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:19.840 what is it based on? It's based on historical facts. Those facts that connect with God's past 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:26.719 promises and Jesus' own words. And those facts change our present and give hope for our future. 00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:35.900 The center of our faith is the risen Lord Jesus. He is alive and you and I, we can know him today. 00:36:35.900 --> 00:36:44.119 And so as we consider the wonderful reality of Easter, it's a call to trust him. And it's a call 00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:53.639 to worship him. And it's a call to true joy this Easter Sunday. So let's pray about that briefly together. 00:36:53.639 --> 00:37:07.639 Lord, our God, as we have considered the reality of the resurrection and the transforming power 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:16.319 of meeting the risen Lord Jesus, as we have seen that in him there is forgiveness of sin, 00:37:17.139 --> 00:37:22.759 there is the hope of eternal life, there is the promise of true and lasting peace. 00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:31.820 Lord, we recognize this is a message that our world so badly needs. Lord, we continue to pray 00:37:31.820 --> 00:37:41.520 for Ukraine. We pray for a true and lasting peace to break out. And we pray for your mercy. 00:37:42.480 --> 00:37:49.040 And we think of the many innocent people caught up in the conflict. And we think of the millions who 00:37:49.039 --> 00:37:58.840 have had to flee. Lord, have mercy. Lord, we pray that you would intervene, that you would stop the hands 00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:11.340 of wicked men who are doing so much damage. Lord, we also recognize the huge challenge in our own nation 00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:20.640 for the many who wake up today and each day cold and hungry because of fuel poverty and food poverty 00:38:20.640 --> 00:38:30.400 and rising prices. Our Lord, so many hopeless, anxious, fearful people. Lord, we pray that the good news 00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:34.160 of peace that's found in the risen Lord Jesus would come to them. 00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:42.980 Lord, we recognize it's not just a message for other people. It's also a message that we need to hear. 00:38:44.579 --> 00:38:54.440 That there is forgiveness from our sin and our guilt. That there is hope beyond our fear and our present 00:38:54.440 --> 00:39:02.940 circumstances. That there is peace that can be found in Jesus through the burdens that we bear. 00:39:02.940 --> 00:39:12.179 And so we pray for ourselves and our nation and for our world that this Easter Sunday would be a time of 00:39:12.179 --> 00:39:21.559 many hearts and lives turning to see and to acknowledge the wonderful news that Jesus is not here. 00:39:22.240 --> 00:39:26.639 He is risen just as he told us. Amen. 00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:39.079 Now we will close our time together singing the hymn that reminds us of the rule of Christ, 00:39:39.199 --> 00:39:47.420 the good news that's found in the Lamb who is on the throne. The hymn, Is He Worthy? And we'll stand and we will sing. 00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:47.480 Amen. 00:39:47.480 --> 00:39:47.519 Amen. 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:47.559 Amen. 00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:47.599 Amen. 00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:47.639 Amen. 00:39:47.639 --> 00:39:47.679 Amen. 00:39:47.679 --> 00:39:49.599 Amen. 00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:51.599 Amen. 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:51.639 Amen. 00:39:51.639 --> 00:39:51.679 Amen. 00:39:51.679 --> 00:39:53.679 Amen. 00:39:53.679 --> 00:39:53.719 Amen. 00:39:53.719 --> 00:39:53.759 Amen.