1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 So as we come to the end of our Lenten journey, though it is the beginning of everything it 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:16,000 seems, I always find it funny that pastors, they stress over their sermon for Easter Sunday. 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:21,420 Maybe it's because statistically we see more people and for a lot of you that are here, 4 00:00:21,420 --> 00:00:24,960 maybe for the first time we are so thankful that you're here and for a lot of pastors 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:31,440 they put pressure on themselves for kind of Christmas and Easter and pastors minds don't 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,720 get in there too much because it's chaos, but it's kind of the Super Bowls of the church 7 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,560 which I think is kind of utterly ridiculous to think about it that way, but for a lot 8 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:48,320 of us these are kind of the high points of the church calendar and pastors they put this 9 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:54,920 undue stress, in my opinion, this is just me, that just read the story. The story itself 10 00:00:54,920 --> 00:01:02,840 the story of the gospel is the greatest story ever told and why pastors feel the need to 11 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:08,000 try to gift wrap that, I have absolutely no idea. Now this doesn't mean that I'm just 12 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,400 going to read the story or you're all going to go home, you don't get out that easy. Alright, 13 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,720 I do have a couple things I want to talk about because there are aspects of the story that 14 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:24,280 I think are intentional for us to dive into because for being honest we have an opportunity 15 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:31,240 to let Easter come and go just like it can every year. I say this in the season of Advent 16 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:37,920 as well that that time, that preparation before Jesus is born for a lot of us in church it 17 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:46,560 can just, excuse me, it can become just kind of ho hum, but think about that for a second, 18 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:54,600 that Christ conquering the grave can become ho hum. And maybe you're like what does ho 19 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:02,360 hum mean? Fair enough, it could just be the everyday. Friends, it's not. Like stop and 20 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:11,240 think for a second that Jesus died, he rose again to conquer death itself that you and 21 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:19,280 I and those that believe in Christ one day will be in glory forever and ever amen. That 22 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:27,080 is not everyday. That is not just another day that ends in why and why we would engage 23 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:35,280 it that way, I have no idea. And so there's so much from just this one chapter that we 24 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:43,360 can pull from in Matthew 28 that the resurrected king gives us something today and it's the 25 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:52,000 third song we sang in the opening set. It is a gift of hope. And I think hope is a profound 26 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:57,960 gift that we are given through the person of Jesus Christ because every other person, 27 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:05,520 place or thing that we can put our hope in ultimately will lead to disappointment. And 28 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:11,960 the world wants you to put hope in all sorts of things, mainly yourself. But I think what 29 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:20,080 the gospel does, what Matthew 28 shows us this morning is that hope in ourselves devoid 30 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:28,560 of Jesus is in fact no hope at all. It's actually a death sentence. And for some of us we might 31 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:34,000 not like that because we might have this thing that we struggle with called an ego, right? 32 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,520 And again I'm looking in the mirror when I say that and the Lord has given me excellent 33 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:47,400 people in my life that are very willing to pop that ego bubble the minute they see it. 34 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,040 They're basically right here, right? A lot of them are right there. But then I also have 35 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:58,920 my ten elders, my eight deacons, right? I have my staff. And if we're being honest, 36 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,920 most of the people at Munster Church have a pin ready to go to pop that if ever need 37 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:09,680 be and I appreciate that. And some of you do that with emails and it feels good. But 38 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:18,200 understand that if we put that ego to the test, that we can do it, that we know it, 39 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:25,080 we've climbed the ladder, we've done all the things, we know everything, none of that 40 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:31,080 pales in comparison to what we're celebrating today. Because no matter how good you are, 41 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,180 no matter how deep the study you've done or how successful you've been in life or business 42 00:04:36,180 --> 00:04:42,140 or financially, none of it matters in the end. The Bible makes it very clear to put 43 00:04:42,140 --> 00:04:47,680 your hope in all of that and I'll just say it, junk. That junk fades. The hope that we 44 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,760 have this morning, the hope that you will have tomorrow, the hope you're going to have 45 00:04:51,760 --> 00:05:01,960 on July 17th of 2030 is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. That is the gift of Easter, 46 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:09,240 is that hope. So we're going to start with the first seven verses of Matthew 28. Now 47 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:14,280 after the Sabbath toward the dawn of the first day, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went 48 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:19,360 to see the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended 49 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:25,040 from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning 50 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:33,560 and his clothing white as snow. For the fear of him the guards trembled and they became 51 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:39,440 like dead men. But the angel said to the woman, do not be afraid for I know that you seek 52 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:48,840 Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he has risen as he said. Come, see the place 53 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:53,560 where he lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples that he has risen from the dead 54 00:05:53,560 --> 00:06:04,720 and behold he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him. See, I have told you. 55 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:16,880 Put yourselves in the Mary's position. They were going to continue kind of a death ritual 56 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,960 and all of a sudden something drastically changes. First there was the earthquake and 57 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:30,640 there upon arrival there is an angel sitting on the stone. It has been rolled away. If 58 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:36,720 you are one of the Mary's, what are you thinking? If you are new to Munster Church, I like to 59 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:40,200 ask questions and we like to have a little bit of a dialogue and I will wait if no one 60 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:48,080 wants to answer. If you are one of the Mary's, what are you thinking? What? What did you 61 00:06:48,080 --> 00:07:03,520 do with him? Someone stole him. Sure. Confusion? Absolutely. Shock? Fear? How? Awe? Insert, 62 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,720 I am looking for a specific answer and none of you have gotten it so far. Cue the rolling 63 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:18,800 of the eyes. Reina, you got something? What would you think? You go quiet and you turn 64 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:31,720 to mom. I get it. Anyone else? What about? Sure. What about? Oh, that is what he meant. 65 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:40,080 What about? Okay. This is exactly how it was supposed to go. But you would be terrified. 66 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:53,240 That is interesting. Why? There was a lot in that sentence. Angels are intergalactic 67 00:07:53,240 --> 00:08:11,040 from the, oh interdimensional, sorry. They are energetic. Everything Nick just said. 68 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:18,100 I think that level of terror I think would be great. Not great as in, oh I am glad I 69 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:25,880 have it but great as in big. But I submit, angel aside, intergalactic from the force 70 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:34,160 or whatever, Star Wars, you were saying, what if you just had relief? This is, Jesus said 71 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:39,040 he was going to do this. Jesus said I am going to build this down, three days later I am 72 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:44,920 going to rise back up again. That the disciples knew all of this and isn't it funny the disciples 73 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:51,560 in this account aren't the ones that go see the body, cowards. What is interesting, complete 74 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:57,240 side note for biblical skeptics, one of the things I love about this in Matthew is that 75 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:03,400 this is one very clear reason why I and I know many of you, hopefully all of you, believe 76 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:08,560 the Bible to be true because anybody that was going to lie about this account, they 77 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:15,120 would never have used females in the account. Culturally that would have been a no-no and 78 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:20,140 would have been an immediate disregard to whatever you were saying. So again, just total 79 00:09:20,140 --> 00:09:26,760 side note, one of the reasons why I know the Bible is true is this account. That these 80 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:35,800 women come and they engage with an angel and they see something miraculous. The angel says 81 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,600 do not be afraid, talking about the terror that Nick was talking about, because I think 82 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:45,520 the angel knows how people engage angels. We don't, but angels would. The understanding 83 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,740 that they are terrified. So when we are terrified, when we have a kid that comes into our room 84 00:09:50,740 --> 00:09:54,440 in the middle of the night, and if I am being honest they go to carry side because they 85 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,920 are not going to get a lot of comfort from dad. The comfort is going to be go back to 86 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:03,700 bed. But when they go to mom they want to be comforted. That when we are scared we want 87 00:10:03,700 --> 00:10:08,040 to be comforted. Even when we are older and we try to think we don't get scared about 88 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,640 things anymore, one of the greatest things that my wife does in my life is when I get 89 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:19,360 all anxious and terrified about something, her presence just calms me. That we look for 90 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:26,120 calm, we look for peace in the midst of terror. And that is what the angel does. I know you 91 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:33,800 are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen. What if the angel 92 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:42,240 would have just stopped there? Okay, alright, he's not risen. Okay, I engage that. But I 93 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:54,160 think there is something so profound with those next four words. Just as he said. So 94 00:10:54,160 --> 00:11:02,000 let's put that in context to our lives. That let's go six months from now, right, I am 95 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:09,160 not going to do the math, but it will be the fall. And all of a sudden you get news that 96 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:15,440 absolutely terrifies you. Or something happens in your family or in your life or in your 97 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:24,140 job or whatever that devastates you and ultimately just brings fear into your life. The truth 98 00:11:24,140 --> 00:11:33,680 of those four words can help you in that time. Just as he said. Because one thing that we 99 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:42,520 should trust about the person of Jesus is that Jesus doesn't use words for no reason. 100 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:51,040 That Jesus' words have been, always will be intentional for our lives. Jesus is doing 101 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:57,960 Jesus things. And when we struggle with that, that's not because of Jesus, that is because 102 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:06,480 of us. That is because we at times don't want to take him at his word. I will be with you 103 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,440 always till the very end of the age. When you pass through the waters, I will be with 104 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,360 you. The waves will not overtake you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be 105 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:20,840 burned. The flames shall not subdue you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, 106 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:31,000 our Savior. Yet we still get gripped by fear and doubt. And so this Easter hope that I, 107 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:38,580 my hope and my prayer is we can keep going is that all of this happened just as he said. 108 00:12:38,580 --> 00:12:46,140 We saw that on Monday, Thursday. That he had set intentionally this entire thing, very 109 00:12:46,140 --> 00:12:52,360 intentional of the groom going to be with the bride, proposing, drinking that cup together 110 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:57,800 and going to prepare a place. If some of you are like, what are you talking about? Go watch 111 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:06,680 the Monday, Thursday service. That all of this was intentional. Because he's intentional 112 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:16,020 about you trusting in him as your hope. Your hope in the midst of insert whatever here 113 00:13:16,020 --> 00:13:21,240 that when life is going great, he is your hope. When life is going not great, he is 114 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:28,920 your hope because he is doing things A, we can't do and B, just as he said he would do. 115 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:35,640 And I don't know about you, but that is great. As someone who struggles with anxiety, as 116 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,740 someone who struggles with the thoughts of the mind or if you're like me, the voices 117 00:13:40,740 --> 00:13:50,440 of the mind, having that peace that Jesus is like Jim, I got you. Yet sometimes we want 118 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:58,160 that I got you to be defined our way. Because for some of us that I got you means well then 119 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,880 I'm never going to get sick. Well then I'm never going to lose a loved one or I'm never 120 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,600 going to lose a job or I'm never going to have marital issues or I'm never going to 121 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:11,160 have a job. We put this laundry list of things that go okay God if you really want to love 122 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:15,760 me the way that I actually want you to love me, it's going to be this way. That's not 123 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:20,680 what he said. So if we're going to be people of the book, then we got to go back to what 124 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:28,320 Jesus said. I am the way, the truth, the life. If he is all of that, then why not follow 125 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:36,040 the way, why not speak the truth, and why not live the life? Because there's still a 126 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:43,040 war going on inside of all of us. Because we don't get that yet. We get just enough 127 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:52,700 as Paul says, let dimly in a mirror. Because that hope takes faith. You can't have the 128 00:14:52,700 --> 00:15:00,920 hope of Christ without faith in Christ. It doesn't make any sense. So the angel says 129 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:09,080 this thing, just as he said, and we have the tomb, it's not just a simple of defeat but 130 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:17,960 a declaration of victory. It signifies the fulfillment of Jesus' promise. Again I say 131 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:23,560 it all the time. This isn't like Jesus wasn't taking a chance on this. Jesus wasn't going 132 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:30,640 the cross, rolling the dice saying, I hope I get out of the tomb on Sunday. No. He wants 133 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:38,520 you to know he loves you, he's done this for you, and what he asks, and here's the rub, 134 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:44,560 is for you to follow him. That's what he's asking all of us today. But guess what? That's 135 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:50,800 what he asks from you 17 weeks from now, or 30 years from now, or whenever it is, is that 136 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:59,600 you put your trust and hope in him. Because we have a job to do. Matthew 28, 8 through 137 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:07,320 10. So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear, right, and great joy, and ran to 138 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:14,480 tell his disciples. I'm going to stop there. Little side note. If you're a disciple right 139 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:28,880 now, how are you feeling? What? Important, embarrassed, oh those collided, lost, confused, 140 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:36,240 shamed, scared, fear but a different kind of fear, absolutely. And then these women 141 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:44,000 show up. They run and they tell his disciples, and behold Jesus meets them and says greetings. 142 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,280 And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 143 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:58,040 do not be afraid, go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me. 144 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:05,800 So not only, right, does the angel speak comfort to them, but now the angel gives them a job 145 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:12,520 to do. And you are a woman in this time that you are going to go and you're going to spread 146 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:22,600 a message. These are women that have been with him, seeing him do all of the Jesus things. 147 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:30,400 And now the angel says go and tell the disciples what you have seen. How do you think that 148 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:36,320 conversation is going to go? I have a feeling there are going to be some disciples that 149 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:43,880 are going to go, woman please, I have no, how? Like I guarantee you there would have 150 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:49,640 been some, and we know Thomas probably would, would have doubted what they said. Like no, 151 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:56,280 you went to the wrong tomb. Or no, that wasn't an angel. We know, Peter probably would have 152 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,880 put his foot in his mouth, he was good at that. That those understand, but these women 153 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:10,320 had a job to do. These women were the first ever missionaries of the gospel. Whoa, hang 154 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:17,760 on. Where is that theology in our CRC polity? Oh, it's there. Because the gospel is what? 155 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:25,160 What is the gospel? Jesse, what's the gospel? Huh? Word of the Lord is, right, but the gospel 156 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:31,560 is, just say Easter. Easter, right. It's today, right? That he conquers death and then we're 157 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:38,200 supposed to do something with it. That sharing the evangelism is going and telling the story 158 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:48,440 of Easter. The women were supposed to go to the disciples who were in hiding and say, 159 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:54,360 he's not here. He has risen just as he said. But then I love, and this is, if you've ever 160 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:58,040 had a moment in your life where you just feel like the Lord has just given you that little 161 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:03,800 extra of, that little extra love. There's a great book called When the Lord Winks. There 162 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:09,000 are times in my life I just feel and go, Jim, just remember, I got you. That's what I see 163 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:16,200 here when Jesus meets them. I've always wondered why. On the list of like four million questions 164 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,560 that I have for Jesus when I get up there, this is in there. I don't know where it is 165 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:28,760 ranked, but the angel told them, why did you need to meet with them first? And I think 166 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:36,000 it was to encourage them in the way. The angel tells them, and Jesus pretty much says the 167 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:44,520 exact same thing. I wonder why. And we don't necessarily have answers to it. I'm sure there 168 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:49,320 are theologians that have dug deep into all of those things, but Jesus then says to them 169 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:57,160 again, do not be afraid. Why in the world for lunch and a conversation with Pastor Jim, 170 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:02,040 yes, even some of you that we'll see again at Christmas, you can still call it in. Why 171 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:10,040 do you think he says do not be afraid? Why does he double down on what the angel says? 172 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:16,920 Because what? His appearance is different. Okay, you don't get lunch for that, but that's 173 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:30,560 a good answer. To hang on, hang on, the reassure person. To reassure them what? Of what? No, 174 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:38,360 you don't get it just like Nikki. These are good answers. Don't get me wrong, good answers. 175 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:46,680 To reassure that he arose. Okay, we're in the parking lot, but you're paying. What's 176 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:58,400 going to happen from now on? What? To reassure them when they tell about Jesus, you're right, 177 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:05,040 the waitress has come. We're about to order. Okay, then you're good. Then there's water 178 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:17,600 for you. Thank you. Thank you, Colin. I think it's to reassure them the next road is going 179 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:24,200 to be really hard. That you are going to be put to death for the story you are about to 180 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:29,300 tell. I think it makes perfect sense why they go and tell the disciples, and then as we 181 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:38,840 see in the coming of Pentecost and the church, I think Jesus doubles down on our fear because 182 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:45,320 of what this is going to do. He's conquered sin and death. Heaven is now, there's been 183 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:50,680 an atonement made, our relationship with God is now restored, but the message has to get 184 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:58,800 out. Jesus has already said, I need to go back to the Father, so the Spirit comes, and 185 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:08,520 the Spirit comes to reassure us to go and share the gospel. Do not fear because hell 186 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:15,480 on earth is going to come your way. Though Satan loses in the end, because of today, 187 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:20,960 he's going to try extra hard in your life, in the life of the church, in the life of 188 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:26,160 the believer. He doesn't have to try very hard to a non-believer, but he has to because 189 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:34,320 of Easter, he has to try hard. The good news of Christ's victory in the world at times 190 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:41,880 terrifies us because it means we have a job to do, because we have a story to tell. We 191 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:48,640 have to give testimony to the risen Savior, and the world is going to do nothing with 192 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:54,620 it. The world is going to say, prove it. The world is going to say, how can that ever happen? 193 00:22:54,620 --> 00:23:02,920 Because at the end of the day, Jesus did something nobody else has ever done, could ever do. 194 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:11,920 He rose from the dead. So these women get comforted by Jesus himself. Now there was 195 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:17,520 also a part of me that, and this is more the cynic in me, that if I was one of the Marys, 196 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:21,780 and the angel tells me to go do something, I'm not used to that. That's not the method 197 00:23:21,780 --> 00:23:25,440 of teaching that you've gotten over the last three and a half years, and so I may choose 198 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:32,360 to just not do it. Again, that's just a part of me, but then Jesus comes to engage them, 199 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:43,340 to remind them, I got you. I love you. We're doing this together. But we see another kind 200 00:23:43,340 --> 00:23:48,680 of response, and Matthew gives us this starting with verse 11, and I think this is all, to 201 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,880 me this is that curveball. While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into 202 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:59,360 the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled 203 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:04,900 with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 204 00:24:04,900 --> 00:24:14,600 and said, tell people his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were sleeping. 205 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:21,720 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. 206 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:27,880 So they took the money and did as they were directed, and this story has been spread among 207 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:38,300 Jews to this day. Maybe it's because I'm getting into the show suits and I want to be a lawyer. 208 00:24:38,300 --> 00:24:47,420 If I'm being honest, I want to be Harvey Specter, but I won't be and that's okay. But the greatest 209 00:24:47,420 --> 00:24:56,400 story of love ever written is being told to these women to go all the while Satan is trying 210 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:04,660 to craft a cover-up. That though there is life and truth and Jesus did the Jesus thing, 211 00:25:04,660 --> 00:25:12,200 Satan's already day one, minute one, is going, ooh, no, no, no, no. We need to get the world 212 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:19,720 into chaos because the best way to start doubt is causing chaos. How do I know? Go watch 213 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:26,760 the Dark Knight Rises. Heath Ledger's character as Joker, an unbelievable picture of how Satan 214 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:34,760 uses chaos in the world. Because the minute chaos continues, and this is a slam on all 215 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:41,960 of us, the minute the chaos continues, doubt sets in. Well, life's just not going my way, 216 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:46,880 right? I lost the job, I'm not getting another one, I've apologized to my wife but she's 217 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:51,560 still mad, my relationship with my kid is toast even though I've said sorry for the 218 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:59,360 things I've done or insert whatever anguish or chaos you have and it doesn't end. We all 219 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:12,800 do it. Well, maybe Jesus isn't who he said he was. Yet we all know he is. And so what 220 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:19,480 does Satan use to try to cover up this story? He uses money, he uses authority, he uses 221 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:25,720 power, and he uses lies. Friends, you want to know how Satan's going to come into your 222 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:34,920 life and try to get you to doubt? Authority, money, power, and lies. I think I just described 223 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:43,480 the world, right? Tell me I'm wrong. I think that's exactly how Satan is going to try to 224 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:52,600 conquer what Jesus did, what Jesus has done, and what Jesus is continuing to do in my life 225 00:26:52,600 --> 00:27:03,560 and in your life. And here's where I'm going to land the plane. Even in the face of overwhelming 226 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:12,760 evidence, the angel showed him evidence. The angel said, come look, Jesus, hey, I'm here, 227 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:18,080 I got you, don't be afraid. We're going to go tell the story. Jesus doesn't go up right 228 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:25,120 then and there, right? He appears to his disciples. We do the whole very awkward kind of interaction 229 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:30,160 between Jesus and Thomas where he says, hey, touch the holes in my hands and the hole in 230 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:35,600 my side, all of those things. But again, all of that was to reassure the disciples that, 231 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:42,800 hey, this happened. Jesus is like, believe me, I was there, it happened. To reassure 232 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:54,800 us that when the chaos of life comes, not if, but when, remember me. Remember I am here, 233 00:27:54,800 --> 00:28:03,240 I am with you always. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, some chose to reject 234 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:12,320 the truth. Just for a second, what would it look like if the temple believed that day? 235 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,320 What if the chief priests and the Sadducees, right, and the Pharisees said, oh, this was 236 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:25,520 the guy. How different would the world be shaped? That's a whole other sermon series 237 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:31,760 I'm probably never going to get to because it's conjecture. But understand that there 238 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:42,160 was evidence of life and people rejected it to continue on in death. So what does that 239 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:47,320 mean for us today? What does that mean for the next however many days, months, years 240 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:54,320 we have on this earth? I think Jesus is reminding us to be vigilant against the temptation to 241 00:28:54,320 --> 00:29:04,120 deny the reality of Christ's resurrection as something we should be embracing as the 242 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:11,680 cornerstone of our faith. That if this is the cornerstone of our faith, then we have 243 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:18,440 hope every day. We have hope and hope to the fullest. That no matter what you're going 244 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:23,720 through, no matter what you've done, you have been forgiven or you seek forgiveness and 245 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:34,480 you're given the hope that whatever it is does not define you, but Jesus does. So as 246 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:42,480 we reflect on this resurrection story today, let us be filled with hope and renewed purpose 247 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:50,760 in that hope. The empty tomb stands as a testament to the power of God to overcome even the darkest 248 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:57,800 of our circumstances. So may we go forth from this place with confidence that our Savior 249 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:24,800 lives and may we boldly proclaim his victory to a world in need of his redeeming love.