Easter – “Recovering Our Hope”
Luke 24:1-12
Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thZvsej49PI&t=2778s
With all the upheaval sweeping the globe, our lives have been drastically changed, and the changes underway are probably just the beginning.
And while we will eventually return to some form of our daily routines, we’ll likely spend days and hundreds of hours trying to understand what is going on in our world today, amid all these wars, acts of terror, and the violence overtaking our cities and nation.
And that got me remembering the tragedy that struck our nation over 20 years ago, known as 9-11, where we experienced the largest loss of life on U.S. soil since the Revolutionary War in 1776 or the Civil War that ended in 1865. It was even greater than the attack on Pearl Harbor, which precipitated World War II.
And then we have the war against an enemy that we cannot see without a microscope. And I’m talking about all these virus strains that are taking people’s lives.
But today, I’d like to look at all of this through the lens of Jesus’s resurrection and see these tragedies in a new light.
Today, I want to talk about recovering our hope. This topic of hope will be presented in the second series of messages within this year’s overall series, which I’ve entitled “Unprecedented.”
The tragedy of 9-11, the war on terror, and the wars that have followed, along with the outbreak of the coronavirus, share some characteristics with those who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus. Before the tragedy struck, people thought they were invulnerable, if not invincible.
Now, I don’t want to minimize the horrible tragedies of the past, but the death of Jesus had a uniqueness to it that no other tragedy has had before or after.. You see, according to the New Testament, it wasn’t just the Roman soldiers who killed Jesus, and it wasn’t just the Jewish religious leaders who conspired to murder Jesus.
According to the Bible, human sin led to Jesus’s execution. So whenever a human being disobeys God, that is, whenever someone sins, they participate in Jesus’s execution.
Therefore, if we believe the Bible, then all of us, or for that matter, the entire human race, participated in the crucifixion of Jesus. So while 9-11 was the act of a handful of people taking the lives of thousands, and the coronavirus was exacerbated by human pride in our unfounded abilities, the death of Jesus was the act of the entire human race taking the life of one innocent man.
Now, by looking at how the resurrection helped the early Christians regain hope in the aftermath of that tragedy, we can also gain perspective on how we can recover our hope in and through the tragedies that occur in our lives. Today, in our time together, I want to look at some common responses to tragedy and how the resurrection of Jesus Christ can answer the tragedies that happen in life.
Read Luke 24:1-12
Here we find several women arriving at Jesus’s graveside early Sunday morning. They came to finish what had begun when Jesus’s body was first laid in this tomb. But because Jesus died on Passover and the Jewish Sabbath followed directly thereafter, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus couldn’t complete the burial preparation required by Jewish tradition. So these women had to wait an extra day before they could finish the task.
When the women arrived at the tomb, there would have been nothing to indicate that these women expected anything more than to finish preparing Jesus’s body. And that’s probably because the resurrection was the last thing on their minds.
And so, when they arrived at the tomb they were surprised to see that the stone covering had been rolled away. These stones were large and very heavy, and it would take several husky guys to muscle them away, yet there it was, rolled to the side.
The women tentatively ventured into the tomb, only to find it empty. While they were trying to figure out what had happened, two angels suddenly appeared. The women were so overwhelmed that they fell to the ground, faces down.
These two angels then delivered the very first Easter Sunday sermon. They began by asking the women a very puzzling question, specifically designed to make them think.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5b NKJV)
This question must’ve puzzled them, because the Romans were experts at killing people. According to historians, the Romans had crucified over 30,000 Jews by this time, and not one of them survived. So what was all this talk about the living?
The angels then gave these women the central theme of the message and, therefore, the central theme of every sermon preached thereafter.
“He (Jesus) is not here, but is risen!” (Luke 24:6a NKJV)
The Jewish people believe that a resurrection will happen at the end of the age, but no one ever thought about the possibility that someone might be raised from the grave to eternal life before then.
Now, while these women were still trying to comprehend and process this new information, the angels moved to the application part of the message.
“Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again’” (Luke 24:6b-7 NKJV)
They told the women to remember what Jesus said before He died. Even as the words left the angel’s mouth, the women’s minds began to work again, and the meaning of those words flooded their memories. They remembered how Jesus said he would be delivered over to the Gentiles, executed, and rise on the third day (Luke 18:31-34). It didn’t make sense then, but it certainly did now.
It says they returned to find the disciples, and what I see them doing is hiking up their dresses and booking it to tell the disciples the good news. At this time, the disciples were cowering behind closed doors, their bags already packed, just waiting for things to cool down so they could sneak out of the city. They’re afraid the next arrest and execution might be theirs. So they are filled with despair as they try to make sense of the tragedy of Jesus’s death.
As the women rushed in, they began talking about angels and rising from the dead, and it made no sense to the grief-numbed minds of the disciples. Luke tells us that it just seemed like a whole lot of nonsense to those who heard it (Luke 24:11).
Now, what you need to know is that in the ancient world, women were considered unreliable witnesses and couldn’t testify in court. So I think it’s quite interesting that these women were the first witnesses to the resurrection. Certainly, this is not the kind of story the early Church would invent to bolster the credibility of the resurrection. In fact, this is one of those aspects that reveal its truthfulness, because no one trying to make up a story would use witnesses that the world considers unreliable.
Even though they didn’t believe the women right away, Luke records that Peter decided to investigate. According to John’s Gospel, John went with him. So they ran to the tomb and saw for themselves that the burial cloths were still intact. As they walked away, they wondered what had happened.
This story reveals that the resurrection of Jesus was the last thing the early followers expected. Like all of us, when tragedy strikes, they were numb with grief and shock. Like all of us who struggle to understand, they were paralyzed by uncertainty and confusion. Their minds were numb, the kind of paralysis and numbness we feel when something awful happens that we’re unable to comprehend or process.
I think this story of the aftermath of Jesus’s crucifixion reveals some of the things we do in the face of tragedy. After all, these men and women are just like us, so why would their response to tragedy be any different from our own?
Let me share three insights I take from this story about how we handle tragedy.
Tragedy hits the delete button in our minds, causing us to forget what God has taught us in His word.
Jesus invested a great deal of time preparing His disciples for what lay ahead. According to John’s gospel, Jesus spent hours instructing, preparing, and warning them. However, when Jesus was arrested, tried, beaten, and crucified, the delete button in their minds was pushed. Only the angels’ prodding restarted the women’s memories, and as they stared at the empty tomb, they began to remember.
In times of tragedy, many people turn to the Bible to find help, and the help is there, and it is in the person of Jesus.
Jesus said. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me! (John 5:39 NLT)
The second thing that happens is that we become blind to God’s plan and His presence in our lives.
During times of tragedy, we become blind to what God is doing in us and around us. The first followers of Jesus simply couldn’t comprehend how God could be working in their tragedy. In much the same way, we’re blind to what God is doing during the tragedies we face.
Twenty-four hours earlier, the disciples had been enjoying a meal with Jesus. They couldn’t comprehend that he was now dead and buried. The hands that healed the sick were now pierced and lifeless; the mouth that had spoken with authority was silent; and the feet that had carried the good news were bruised and bloodied, as Jesus lay dead in the tomb.
Where was God’s plan in this? Surely God had forsaken them! Some terrible miscarriage of justice had occurred! Surely God had lost control of His creation, and now it was careening toward utter chaos!
Where was God’s plan in all of this? It is found in verse seven of our text. The angel said, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.”
The angel was quoting Jesus. The word “must” is key. It had to happen because it was part of God’s plan to forgive our sins.
Now, while it’s hard to comprehend why God has allowed many of the events that have happened, what I do know is that God has a purpose and a plan. And I know that while His ways and thoughts are far above my own, as He so patiently points out to me, as He did to the prophet Isaiah, what I do know is that in the end He will bring good even out of the worst.
The Apostle Paul, who probably suffered more than most men, knew this very well for his own life, and he said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV)
This is something Joseph from the Old Testament knew all too well, as he was tossed into a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers. Even though he was a faithful slave, he was falsely accused by his master’s wife and sent to prison. But after he had endured these tragedies, he came to realize that it was all in God’s hands and plans, and he even said so. Look at what he tells his brothers.
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)
God is giving an extra measure of grace, yet people remain blind to it. God is bringing deliverance and healing because divine healing isn’t always about being made well physically, but about being made well spiritually, becoming not what we were, but who God has designed us to be.
People have become blind to what God is doing, forgetting that our battle isn’t against flesh and blood or what we can see with our eyes, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness, which we cannot see (Ephesians 6:12).
Let’s stop being blind to what God is doing, because God is bringing about the salvation of many. It is where we can have peace with God, forgiveness of sins, and be delivered from the burden of guilt and shame.
And the last thing we see about how we respond to tragedy is that…
To the ears of Jesus’s disciples, the words of these women sounded nonsensical. It wasn’t because they were unspiritual, but because they were still numb from the tragedy.
In the face of tragedy, we often struggle with what others say about how faith in Jesus helps us through such times.
This is a common response to tragedy. How many times have I heard people talk about losing someone they loved and say that God no longer felt real to them? They prayed, but God didn’t answer. So they become distrustful when we share how faith in Jesus can help.
Our faith seems nonsensical to those who are going through such horrendous times. But faith in Jesus is the only thing that gives hope to the human soul.
Listen to the words of Lisa Beamer, the widow of Todd Beamer, who was on United Flight 93 that went down in Pennsylvania on 9-11. Todd Beamer, along with other passengers, rushed the terrorists, sacrificing their own lives to save others. Her faith in Jesus Christ and His words of hope helped her and her family through the tragedy. She said, “My family and I still wrestle with what has happened, but are comforted by the knowledge that a sovereign God is in control.”
And so, when tragedy strikes, we tend to forget the words of Jesus, struggle to see God’s plan in the midst of it, and distrust others when they tell us that faith in Jesus Christ will help and bring hope.
Conclusion
Now, if this were the end of the story, the Christian faith would have died quickly, but it isn’t. Jesus showed Himself alive to others.
The rest of Luke chapter 24 recounts Jesus Christ appearing to his followers. In fact, the New Testament reveals that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people over a period of 40 days after His resurrection. And when each of these people encountered Christ personally, all doubts were dispelled.
It’s one thing to look at the historical data and infer that the most likely explanation is that Jesus rose from the grave. But it’s quite another to see Jesus standing in front of you, inviting you to touch his hands and side and to share a meal with you.
In other words, until we personally encounter the risen Jesus, we will never be able to make sense of our tragedies.
The mission of the church is not only to tell the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for which there is ample evidence of its reality, but if that’s where we end, we’ve only taken them halfway on their journey to finding peace, truth, and joy.
The mission of the church is also to personally introduce people to the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. If Christ truly rose from the grave, He can be known today. Jesus isn’t just a subject to be studied; He is someone everyone can know personally. You see, there is a big difference between knowing that Christ rose from the grave and having a relationship with the risen Christ.
The Church did not create the resurrection of Jesus, but the resurrection of Jesus created the Church. The Bible calls the Church the body of Christ and tells us that Jesus is the head of the Church. So the Church is the place where Jesus makes Himself known and reveals His resurrection life.
This is why we are here today. We’ve come to hear a word of hope amid the tragedy facing us. We don’t merely want information about Jesus; we want to know Him!
The Christian faith is about knowing Jesus personally, and that is why we are gathered as a community of believers, also known as the church, whether here in this building, in homes, or via the Internet. If we want to encounter Christ in the midst of our tragedy, then we are right where we need to be.
Today, we need to meet with Jesus personally, and then we can turn our tragedy into triumph.
What we need to hear are the words of Jesus saying,
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26 NKJV)
And in two of the better-known passages, Jesus said …
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
And then we need to hear what the Apostle Paul says about it.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NKJV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NKJV)
And so, let’s take to heart what the angel told the women at the tomb that morning.
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!” (Luke 24:5b-6a NKJV)
