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"The
Foundation Of
Christ’s Resurrection"
(Part
1)
Message summary: The first verbal witness of the resurrection in Matthew’s Gospel is the angel who testified this simple, yet game-changing, life-changing truth, "He is not here; He is risen". And that remains the victorious testimony and foundational message of the faithful church and faithful Christian.
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"He
is not here;
He is risen,
just as He
said" (Matthew
28:6).
Yesterday
Christians
around the
world
celebrated the
resurrection
Of Jesus
Christ. We
gathered at
Calvary Church
in Lancaster
where
Brooksyne sang
in the choir
during three
morning
worship
services and I
served as a
greeter.
There's just
an extra
special joy so
many express
when coming to
church on
Resurrection
Day. The
youngest I
greeted was a
family with a
four day old
baby who was
attending his
very first
Easter
service!
Our service opened with a powerful song that incorporates elements of a song we sang on Easter beginning in our childhood and elements which were copyrighted just this year. (See below for a link to song.) The main theme of our pastor's message was a personal query: Is the truth of Christ's resurrection just familiar or is it foundational to your life?
The custom of celebrating Resurrection Day is an ancient ritual of the church. However, in the New Testament there is no specific reference to it being celebrated annually, apart from the first Resurrection Day. The early Christians continued to celebrate the Passover and would have had the additional dimension of the resurrection of Christ in mind.
The actual introduction of Easter Sunday appears to have occurred after Emperor Hadrian ruthlessly crushed the Barkokeba revolt (A.D. 132-135). However Christians, beginning on Resurrection Day itself, celebrated the resurrection each week on the Lord’s Day!
Most of you
have heard the
phrase "game
changer". This
is an idiom
that has been
in use since
the late 1980s
to early
1990s. A game
changer may be
a new person,
idea, event or
protocol that
upends the
established
order.
Something that
is a game
changer is
radical and
disruptive,
usually in a
positive way.
For example,
when Steve
Jobs first
introduced the
iPhone it was
a "game
changer".
Today, let us
consider the
ultimate game
changer. In
using this
phrase we are
not
trivializing
the
resurrection
or implying
that it's some
kind of game.
Rather, we
are
considering
the Person and
event that
upended the
established
order in the
most dramatic
way possible
and most
certainly in a
positive way
summed up in
these familiar
words which we
ended our
service with
yesterday.
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives"
The
New Testament
uniformly
teaches the
centrality of
Christ’s
resurrection.
Most are
familiar with
the accounts
of the
resurrection
found in all
four gospels.
That’s likely
the message
most preachers
spoke on
yesterday.
Each of the
four gospels
ends with an
account of the
resurrection.
Today's text
is a simple
yet profound
message: "He
is not here;
He is risen,
just as He
said".
"He is not
here" The
tomb was
empty!
"He is
risen" The
explanation on
why the tomb
was empty.
"Just as
He said"
He had
prophesied
numerous times
that this is
what would
happen.
This week we
will examine a
resurrection
truth from the
other four
major sections
of the New
Testament;
Acts, Paul’s
epistles, the
general
epistles and
Revelation.
Each affirms
the foundation
of the
resurrection
of Christ,
what Paul
calls of "first
importance"
(I Corinthians
15:3).
"First
importance
(protos) in
this context
refers to
first in
prominence,
most important
or foremost.
The truth that
follows is
among first
things. Not to
time, but to
importance."
(Precept
Austin online
commentary)
These
essential
truths of the
gospel are of
first
importance:
* Christ died
for our sins
* He was
buried
* He was
raised from
the dead
* He appeared
to many
witnesses
The first
verbal witness
of the
resurrection
in Matthew’s
Gospel is the
angel who
testified of
this simple,
yet game
changing, life
changing
truth, "He
is not here;
He is risen".
And that
remains the
victorious
testimony of
the faithful
church and
faithful
Christian.
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, the
announcement
made by the
angel at the
tomb continues
to echo
throughout the
centuries.
Just as the
women told the
disciples that
Jesus was not
in the tomb,
but He is
risen,
disciples of
Christ have
repeated the
life-changing
Good News to
all who will
hear. Though
Jesus was dead
He lives
again. Though
we were
spiritually
dead in our
trespasses and
sins we are
set free and
made alive
through the
saving blood
of Jesus
Christ. His
resurrected
power raises
us up out of
the dark tomb
of our sinful
despair, and
promises us a
home in heaven
where we will
abide with
Christ
forever, in
whose name we
pray. Amen.
Easter is
mentioned in
some versions
of the Bible
in Acts 12:4,
although most
versions use
the word
“Passover” in
this passage:
“And when he
had
apprehended
him, he put
him in prison,
and delivered
him to four
quaternions of
soldiers to
keep him;
intending
after Easter
to bring him
forth to the
people.”
(Setting:
Herod had
killed James
and, seeing
that it
pleased the
Jews, he then
arrested
Peter.)
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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