Easter Sunday:
Responding to the Resurrection
Various Passages
Tim Strickland
April 16, 2017
Introduction: Responding to the Resurrection
• Today we will look at the first responses to the resurrection
• Ask Yourself: How do I see myself in these responses?
1. The Chief Priests: Let’s spread some Fake News! (Matthew 28:11-15)
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told
the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with
the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the
soldiers 13 and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him
away while we were asleep.' 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will
satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So they took the money and did as
they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
a. The Chief Priests paid off the guards to spread a lie
• The Chief Priests were both political and religious leaders
b. Today there are many unproven, speculative theories about Jesus,
that are presented as representing good scholarship
• Many people assume these theories have merit without
investigating for themselves
2. Thomas: From Doubt & Skepticism to Belief (John 20:24-29)
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus
came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to
them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into
the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." 26
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
"Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see
my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but
believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him,
"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed."
a. Thomas was a skeptic who had to see Jesus alive for himself
• There are many skeptics in our world today
• Thomas believed when Jesus showed him the evidence
• If you are skeptic, have you ever examined the evidence?
▪ Check out Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Christ
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Easter Sunday:
Responding to the Resurrection
Various Passages
b. There are many reasons to believe in the resurrection
1. There are Multiple, independent, eyewitnesses – the
apostles saw Jesus alive and recorded what they saw
2. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire based
on the Apostles’ testimony of the Resurrection
3. The tomb was empty – no one disputed this fact
4. Alternate explanations fail to explain the Resurrection:
• Legendary development - Too early for legend to creep
in - 1 Cor. 15:3-8 creed dated to 5 years of the crucifixion
• Mass Hallucination – This would require a miracle
• The disciples stole the body - And willingly lied about it
for all their lives, leading to their deaths? Not likely.
• Jesus didn’t really die - Romans knew how to crucify
• Mix-up, they went to the wrong tomb – Jesus’ enemies
would have quickly pointed out the right tomb
• Miracles are impossible – This is a faith statement
Summary: It takes more faith to believe the alternate
explanations, than to believe the resurrection happened
3. Jesus’ Followers: From Confusion, Fear and Unbelief to Joy and Awe
(Luke 24:1-12, 13-35, 36-43)
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking
the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the
tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in
dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the
ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in
Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men
and be crucified and on the third day rise." 8 And they remembered his words, 9
and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all
the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of
James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11
but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
12
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen
cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
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April 16, 2017
Easter Sunday:
Responding to the Resurrection
Various Passages
a. The Women at the Tomb – Mary M., Joanna, and others
• “perplexed,” “frightened”
• “they remembered his words”
b. Jesus had predicted his death and resurrection on many occasions:
And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be
accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked
and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill
him, and on the third day he will rise." 34 But they understood none of these
things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was
said.
Luke 18:31-34
c. The Disciples did not believe when they heard the women’s report
•“seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them”
d. Peter ran to check out their story
• “Peter rose and ran to the tomb…he went home marveling”
e. The disciples struggled to believe in their “joy” and “marveling”
Q: Why did they experience confusion, fear, unbelief, joy and awe?
• They were human (like us!), and God was rocking their world
4. Mary Magdalene: From Lost Hope to Personal Faith (John 20:11-16)
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look
into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of
Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her,
"Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my
Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Having said this, she
turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him
away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said
to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which
means Teacher).
a. Mary wept as Jesus was not only dead but his body was missing
• Her world was falling apart at the loss of Jesus
b. Mary believed in Jesus when He spoke her name
• Is Jesus calling your name today?
Conclusion: How will you respond to the Resurrection of Jesus today?
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Easter Sunday:
Responding to the Resurrection
Various Passages
Your Response
1. Will you respond to the Resurrection by believing in Jesus?
To become a Follower of Jesus, Pray and tell Him the following:
• I believe in You Jesus, and your death and resurrection
• I repent of my sin and place my trust in You, Jesus, to save me
• I commit to You, Jesus, as Lord of my life
Acts 3:18-21 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his
Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. [19] Repent therefore, and turn again,
that your sins may be blotted out, [20] that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for
you, Jesus, [21] whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the
things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Believe in Jesus today as we celebrate Easter together!
Questions for Reflection
1. Will you believe the fake news reports that says the resurrection didn’t
happen, so you don’t have to deal with it?
2. Will you be open to examining the evidence for the resurrection, considering
the possibility of moving from doubt to belief?
3. Will you move from confusion, fear and unbelief to joy and awe?
4. Will you move from lost hope to faith, as Jesus calls your name?
• because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.
Romans 10:9
5. Pray for spiritual renewal in your life as you focus on the central event of the
Bible: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord for new
strength to serve Him in your life. Ask forgiveness from sin and trust in His
faithful promise to forgive. Pray for others you know in our church too.
Other sermons and notes are available for free download at www.waverleyroadbaptist.ca
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. To learn more about the ESV, please visit www.esv.org
Message and Notes are copyright © 2017 by Tim Strickland.