What is Easter 3
What is Easter? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Announcements
Announcements
Grow Group! Last grow group of the season is this Monday! Girls 6 PM guys 6:30 PM!
Good Friday! It’s on Good Friday! It’s the 29th at 7 PM at our South Fork campus! This is a chance to come and worship Jesus and all that He did for us on the cross
Easter services! We have a sunrise service here at North at 6:30 AM! This is time to celebrate the fact that our Savior isn’t dead, but He rose! We also have our regular 11 AM services!
No Students on April 3rd! Instead we are going to Horizon Park to play some kickball and hangout as a student group! This is from 6 PM to 7:30 PM!
Our church is having a united serve day on April 13th! We are serving with the Winston Salem Rescue Mission! If you are interested in serving and being a part let me know and I’ll help you get signed up!
Intro
Intro
We are continuing in our series called “What is Easter?”
This is where we are looking at Jesus post-resurrection to see what He is calling His disciples (and us) to do!
So far we looked at Mary and Thomas and Peter
To Mary Jesus told her that she needs to change her perspective! that she is looking for the wrong Jesus
For Thomas Jesus reminded Him of how much He loved Him - reminding him of all that He did for Him - the sacrifice on the cross
For Peter Jesus comes to him offering a second chance - it doesn’t matter how much you’ve screwed up Jesus offers second chances
The reason we are looking at this is because the resurrection is so important when it comes to Christianity
John Stott put it this way:
Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of the resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.
John Stott
Without the resurrection - Christianity is no different than any other religion
The resurrection shows that Jesus defeated sin and death - crushing the head of Satan
Today we are going to look at Jesus speaking to two of his disciples
Body
Body
Road to Emmaus
Road to Emmaus
13 Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.14 They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them 16 (but their eyes were kept from recognizing him).17 Then he said to them, “What are these matters you are discussing so intently as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad.
Here we see two of Jesus’ disciples going to Emmaus - seven miles away from Jerusalem
They are talking about all that had just taken place, about Jesus who they had been following be beaten
How he was crucified, and how he was put into the grave
Jesus appears to them, but notice something — they didn’t recognize Him
They didn’t know it was Him, and in fact we see that He is kinda playing dumb to them
Asking what they are talking about
Obviously Jesus knows what they are talking about — it happened to Him
But He asks them what they are talking about to see if they believe and understand all that had happened
But they stood looking sad
Sad because they missed what had happened
18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 He said to them, “What things?” “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied, “a man who, with his powerful deeds and words, proved to be a prophet before God and all the people; 20 and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Furthermore, some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”
They start telling them all that had happened
About how Jesus came and did many might works
He was proven to be a prophet of God
They even told about how Jesus was killed, crucified by the chief priests
They hoped that Jesus would redeem Israel, but H e died
They did say that both some women and John and Peter went to the tomb this morning and found nothing
Yet they must not have believed that it was true that Jesus wasn’t really there
Or they must have believed that someone stole His body
Because if they truly believed that He raised from the dead they wouldn’t have been sad
Yet they are telling Jesus that they had hoped He would come and rescue them, yet He died
Think about it — they got it all right except the resurrection
They knew who Jesus was, they heard the teachings, believed He could save them, yet they missed how He would do it
But’s not like they were without excuse
They had:
Jesus’ teachings
Women confirming it
Peter and John confirming it
Jesus taught the disciples multiple times that He would die and be raised from the dead
On multiple different occurrences He made significant points to show that He was going to die and be raised from the dead
These disciples also heard from Mary Magdalene and the other women that were at the tomb
They heard about how the tomb was empty
How the linen strips were neatly folded at the bed of the tomb showing that Jesus wasn’t coming back
And if those two things weren’t enough they had the testimony of John and Peter
Probably two of the most influential disciples
Both of them confirmed the story that the women were telling, confirming what Jesus had been teaching
Yet somehow, through all of this proof, these two disciples still missed it
They missed what Jesus was going to do, they missed that Jesus was going to raise from the dead
They missed the entire purpose of Jesus coming to earth in the first place
25 So he said to them, “You foolish people—how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.
Jesus after hearing them tell all that had happened, and tell Him that they expected a King, someone who would rise to power and conquer
He looks at them and declares how foolish they were
He says how can you miss the fact that Jesus was going to be resurrected, that he was never coming to be the King, but coming to die and be the sacrifice for the people
Then He does something amazing — he shows them from the OT everything that pertains to His life
How they missed the fundamental thing about Jesus coming
Jesus came to save us
Jesus came to save us
Here’s our first takeaway:
Jesus came to save us
Jesus came to save us
This should be obvious for us, but He came to save us
Not to punish, not to destroy, not to reject, but to save us
Think about what Jesus told Nicodemus:
16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
He came to save us
He looks at these two disciples that are clearly unsure about everything that has happened and he opens up the Bible and explains to them all that is going to happen
I want to look at a couple of passages that I am sure Jesus explained to them:
Genesis 3
Genesis 3
15 And I will put hostility between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring;
her offspring will attack your head,
and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”
This is the opening of the Bible, the third chapter
And here right away we see sin enter the world
But God promises His people that there is going to be one that comes that will crush the head of the serpent
Jesus is clearly looking at the disciples on the road to Emmaus and saying “How could you not know?”
Jesus was the one
He crushed Satan’s head with the cross, but Satan bruised His heel — causing Him to die
Right here in page 2-3 of your Bible Jesus is showing them that He was promised to come into the world and save it
Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53
5 He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well;
because of his wounds we have been healed.
6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him.
7 He was treated harshly and afflicted,
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth.
8 He was led away after an unjust trial—
but who even cared?
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living;
because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.
9 They intended to bury him with criminals,
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb,
because he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
This entire passage right here very clearly shows that Jesus was coming to die
He was coming for the sins of the world
I imagine Jesus looking at these disciples and being like “how did you miss this”
The unjust trial? That happened
Rich man’s tomb? That happened
Not opening up my mouth? That happened
He had to look at them and be like, how did you miss it?
Don’t stay silent
Don’t stay silent
28 So they approached the village where they were going. He acted as though he wanted to go farther,29 but they urged him, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening and the day is almost done.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he had taken his place at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then he vanished out of their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” 33 So they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and those with them gathered together 34 and saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!”35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
This encounter ends with them urging Jesus to go come to their house and stay with them
Remember at the moment they have no idea this is Jesus, but someone who must be very wise when it comes to the Scriptures
Jesus does and ends up taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to them
When that happened they recognized Him as Jesus, and He disappeared
They then talk about how they couldn’t believe the lesson He gave them, and go and find the eleven and tell them all that happened — professing that Jesus is alive
What I love about this encounter is that they didn’t take the information and keep it secret
Think this wasn’t one of the twelve (eleven now), this was two people that simply followed Jesus’ ministry
They saw that He did mighty things and followed Him, missed who He was, left sad, met a guy that taught them how they were idiots, and then find out that was Jesus
Then upon realizing that, they go and share the news with the other disciples
Here is our final takeaway:
Don’t stay silent
You shouldn’t stay silent when it comes to Jesus and the truth about who He is
He came and offered you salvation, forgiveness, eternal life, freedom from sin
Don’t stay silent
You don’t have to be a priest or missionary to hear from Jesus and do great things for Him
These were two regular guys that heard about Jesus, followed Him, and then upon realizing who He was went and left immediately to tell people
You should not stay silent when it comes to sharing Jesus
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are doing
Don’t stay silent
I had the awesome opportunity to share Jesus with a guy a couple weeks ago
He happened to be the husband of one of Kasey’s friends
See Kasey has building a relationship with this girl for months and months
They know that I’m a pastor, that Kasey spends time every Sunday, every Wednesday, most Monday’s doing church work
They know what we are about
So when Wake had a recruitment event me and her husband were around each other for the first time which led to him asking about church and me sharing Jesus with him
That all came because Kase wasn’t silent about her faith
She wasn’t constantly throwing Jesus into every conversation making it awkward and uncomfortable — but there was never any doubt that she was a believer
That she loved Jesus and truly cared for her friend
She didn’t stay silent and because of that Jesus name was proclaimed at an unlikely event
So you might feel unqualified, like you don’t know enough
If you do — remember these disciples
They weren’t the chosen ones, they were two random followers
Yet their faith ended up being a major factor in the disciples believing in Jesus’ resurrection
They played major roles in everything hearing the Gospel
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus looked at these two men and showed them that He came to die for their sins
That they missed the point of Him coming to earth, He came to save them, not set up a government
Jesus came to save you because He loves you
So don’t waste that knowledge
You know what Jesus did — so go and share that information
You don’t have to know it all, you just can’t stay silent