|
…A
quick glance at history tells us that there have been a number of dates that
stand out among all the rest.
October 12, 1492, July 4, 1776, and July 21, __1969__ are some of the
great days of history.
…Yet there is one day that stands out among all others. __April 13__,
32 AD is the greatest __day__ in human history!! This is the day
that Jesus came forth from the grave…He triumphed over death. This is
the __great__ day!!!!
…Today we live in a “Good Friday world,” with suffering, sorrows,
disappointments, fear, and death. But we, as Christians, are “Easter
People.” For we have a __living__ hope all because Jesus
conquered death.
FOUR COMMANDS GIVEN TO THE WOMEN BY THE ANGEL THAT ALSO APPLY
TO US DUE TO HIS RESURRECTION.
…These 5 or more ladies had been at the foot of the cross, and now came early
on Sunday to care for His body.
I.
We Too Are Commanded
To COME To The
__Tomb__
Of The Lord Jesus. (v.6)
…This is important because much might have hindered the women from coming.
A. The
__place__
might have hindered them. It was a graveyard, it was still dark…they
might have said, “let’s come back later when it is light.”
B. The
fear of
__Rome__
might have hindered them. The stone had been sealed, but was now broken,
and the stone was moved. Rome had been defied. They may have been
implicated in the crime.
C. Their
__sin__
might have hindered them. Something mysterious-holy had taken place
here. They might have reasoned, “This is sacred ground, we cannot go
closer.”
…None of these stopped them. The invitation to come was from
God and they
__obeyed__ His voice.
D. Through
the preaching of the Gospel the Lord
__invites__
you to come to Him. (Matthew 11:28-29)
…Have you come to Him? Have you obeyed His invitation? To be saved, you must
Come to Him.
II. We
Too Are Commanded To
__SEE__
The Place Where The Lord Lay. (v 6)
...Spurgeon told of a number of things to be seen at the Lord’s grave.
A. We
should see in Christ’s grave the condescension of Jesus. He was
not a man for whom death would be natural, for He was
__God__.
But Jesus did die, and He died for us. What an amazing love.
B. We
should see the horror of our
__sin__,
for it was our sin that put Him there. Death is the punishment for sin.
Why did He die? Isaiah 53:5 “He was pierced for our
transgressions…”
C. We
should look into the tomb and be
__reminded__
that we too will die. The tomb speaks of our mortality and
__warns__
us that there is a life beyond this life for which we must prepare.
D. Most
importantly, we see that Jesus is
__not__
in it!!! He is risen, “just as He said.”
E. We
should look into the tomb to learn that we shall also rise, as Jesus did, if
we are to meet Him. When we look at the tomb, we are
__assured__
that one day we will be with Him. (1 John 3:2)
III.
We Too Are
Commanded To
__GO__
From This Tomb Into The World. (v.7)
A. This
is a strong reminder that however tempting it may be to remain near the tomb
to learn its lessons, there is nevertheless
__work__
that remains to be done and we must get to it. (28:19-20)
B. This
is how Matthew’s Gospel ends…”Go into all the world…” This is the
__greatest__
work any
person can ever have and it is for __ALL__ Christians.
C. The
idea is, as you go about your goings, speak to others of the Lord Jesus…
IV. We
Too Are Commanded To
__TELL__
Others About Jesus’ Death And Resurrection.
A. This
is rightly last, for if we have come to the tomb, have seen that it is empty,
know that Jesus was raised and then obeyed Jesus by going into the world.
Clearly we must
__speak__
of what we know. We must say to others, “He is not here, He is risen,
just as He said.”
…This is powerful, astonishing __good__ news. Good news
must be told!
B. If
we do not tell it, our actions can only be the results of
__unbelief__ or we do
not understand what a great, powerful, and astonishing Gospel it is. (Boice)
…So you and I should __report__ the excellent news that Christ
is risen.
…Jesus’ resurrection proves that He is the Son of God and that
the Father accepted His death as a true atonement for our sins. How can we
not tell it boldly to those who are perishing apart from Christ? We must
__tell__
this Good News.
WE
MUST!!!
LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES:
1. As we look
into the tomb...we must be reminded again of the horror of our sin.
2. We are
so loved by God...that he would give His son to die for us!!!
3. Jesus' tomb
points us to our grave...Are you ready for Him? I would urge you to
repent and receive the Lord as your Savior today.
4. As you
go may this wonderful news be often on our lips to those who are perishing.
|