Rejoicing in Jesus

While driving to church on Easter Sunday a few years ago, I told my children the Easter story. “This is the day we celebrate Jesus’ coming back to life,” I explained.

Right away, my son, Kevin, three, piped up from the backseat, “Will he be in church today?”

—Peggy Key, Portage, Michigan

The Cross is Empty; The Cave is Empty thus The Church should be Full

Full of What? Let’s find out.

Make your way in your physical Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew. If you are fairly new to reading the Bible, and not sure where to find it, the Bible is divided into 2 Testaments, Old and New making up 66 books. Keep flipping from the middle backwards till you find the page with big bold letters saying New Testament - Matthew should be 2-3 pages after it.

If your a tech person and like the digital Bible you kinda already know what to do, so just type in Matthew 28:1-9.

Matthew 28:1–9 NKJV

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

As most of you already know, we moved here from Illinois, Southern Illinois in particular. Much or most all of Illinois is flat land, 2nd flattest state behind Florida, but Southern Illinois is not. It has the low deltas of the Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois rivers combined with its bluffs which include many Rock formations and Caves now part of the state park system - Garden of the Gods and Cave in Rock along the Ohio area; Giant City and Pine Bluff along the Mississippi.

Along the Illinois River a little north of where we lived is a place now known as Starved Rock. Starved Rock is a place of many legends as to how it got its name, but the most prominent one comes from a Native American Legend.

In 1673, French explorers Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette passed through an area along the bank of the Illinois River about 100 miles south of Chicago. They built Fort St. Louis atop Starved Rock in the winter of 1682–83.

In the 1760s, Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe, was in Southern Illinois attending a tribal council meeting the Illinois and the Pottawatomie (Allies of the Ottwa) tribes, an Illinois-Peoria brave stabbed Chief Pontiac. Vengeance arose in Pontiac’s followers. A great battle started. The Illiniwek, or Illinois tribe, fearing death, took refuge on the 125 foot great bluff. The Ottawa and Potawatomi surrounded the bluff and held their ground until the hapless Illiniwek died of starvation, giving rise to the name Starved Rock.

Starved Rock and all such monuments and cemeteries are testimonies to the corruptive effect of sin on the world—death.

I imagine over the years the telling of this legend often brought forth much sadness and mourning - especially to those who have a personal connection.

What a contrast we see in Matthew’s account of a cliff and a cave, used as the tomb of Jesus. This account, however is not a legend. This account of an empty tomb, the telling of Jesus’s resurrection is one of 5 different Holy Spirit inspired accounts we have in writing here in the NT.

Starved Rock is a monument of suffering and death. The cross involved immense suffering and the ultimate sacrificial death of our Savior. Yet, death was not the final chapter in his life. Jesus conquered death! The empty tomb where Jesus once lay is a celebration of life!

v.9 - Amplifies that truth. Here Jesus uses the normal word of greeting for their time - but its literal meaning is “Rejoice” He tells them to be cheerful, to be calmly happy and unafraid after having receiving the news given them by the angel of the Lord. This is the only concern Matthew has in sharing this encounter with Jesus, nothing about how he looks, only what he tells them to do.

Move forward 2000+ years

The Cross is Empty, The Cave is Empty thus The Church Should be Full of:

Rejoicing in Jesus

These women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. They saw both were empty and were told to be filled with Rejoicing. The One to tell them was Jesus - “behold” - an emphatic and vivid word telling us that Jesus was right there in front of them.

Rejoice in Jesus because He is a Risen Jesus

The other week I went with Silas 7th grade field trip to Chattanooga and got to walk all over town on a ghost tour hearing stories of dead people being seen again - but only in pics and midst of smoke and light

This was no early morning Jerusalem ghost tour - Jesus dead the night before was now alive and the grabbing of the feet provides incidental confirmation of the physical reality of the Risen Jesus.

If His body were stolen, it was stolen by either friends or enemies. If by enemies, they would have produced it and silenced the disciples. If by friends, they would not have willingly given their lives for a lie, and His friends did not even believe that He would rise from the dead![1]

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 99). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Science says that if an experiment repeats itself over and over again it becomes infallible proof:

There are 9-10 Recorded post appearances in the NT:

Mary Magdalene (maybe alone then here with the other Mary)

2 disciples on road to Emmaus

Peter

To 10 and other w/o Thomas

To the disciples with Thomas

To the 7 disciples @ Sea of Galilee

To His brother James

To 500 in Galilee

Those in Jerusalem before the ascension

It is undeniable from scripture that many believed their master and Messiah was alive after being crucified and buried dead.

Easter is about the Resurrection. Rejoice in Jesus because He lives but don’t just rejoice today only.

Rejoicing in Jesus is for every Sunday. As one pastor posted on Twitter, “If I only preach about the resurrection on Easter, then I am doing it wrong.”

Look back with me at v.1 - This was dawn on Sunday morning. Some people have difficulty with the timing of Jesus prediction of being in the tomb 3 days and nights. The Jewish people during this time had a different way of describing time frames. They weren’t as literal as we want to understand what Jesus.

To them even 1 hour was considered and described as day and night

Their calendar and days were different - Sunset meant the change to the next day

Jesus dies on Good/Black Friday around 3 PM, sunset around 6 PM meant it changed from Friday to Saturday (their Sabbath) but also could be described as one day and night

Saturday the Sabbath was one literal day and night

The time between Sunset Saturday evening and the Dawn of Sunday morning could be considered day and night

God sure is at work here in Pleasant Ridge. I told some pastors the other day I am blessed; whatever I have felt God wants me to put out to you in the way of ministry, missions and purpose - you guys have picked it up and ran. I really noticed that with those 3 words I felt compelled to share, which are the pillars or peaks of our purpose as a church. Rejoicing, Rooted and Reaching

Our purpose, our reason for existing begins with Rejoicing in Jesus and Rejoicing in Jesus begins with the Resurrection.

Rejoicing in Jesus is what we do during our Weekly Worship Gathering because Rejoicing in Jesus is about worship. It is worship.

v.9 - tells us - when they heard Him say “Rejoice” they came and fell at his feet, held them and worshiped him.

To take hold of the feet is at one and the same time intimate and profoundly self-subordinating - which is itself an act of worship.

This is a picture here in this verse of speechless wonder mixed with overwhelming adoration - adoration is worship.

There at His feet these women were in a great moment of faith and cheer. Rejoicing is the combination of faith and cheer (the absence of fear) - Rejoicing is worship.

Rejoicing in Jesus is not just for Sundays. Rejoicing in Jesus is for every day. If you are a Christian, then Rejoicing in Jesus should be part of your righteous DNA that he replaced for your sinful nature.

Rejoice in Jesus because He is a Redeeming Jesus

The empty tomb proves we serve a Risen Savior and the resurrection is the completion of the Redeeming work on the cross.

These events here are the reverse of the curse. These women, the gender used to introduce sin into the world that day at the beginning of time and humanity, are the first to see Jesus, the first to receive the good news/gospel that the ransom paid by the Redeemer had been accepted by Holy God the Father.

By His victory over death every person who believes is given the Hope/Assurance of Eternal life.

Following an Easter service in 2003, a woman approached a pastor and asked, “So what happened with Jesus after the resurrection?”

“Well, he ascended into heaven and he’s still alive,” the pastor said.

“I know he was resurrected, but is he really alive?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s alive.”

“Alive? Alive? Why didn’t you tell me?”

For the next two weeks, she telephoned everyone she knew and exclaimed, “Jesus is alive! Did you know he’s alive?”

—Eric Reed, Leadership Weekly (April 13, 2004)[1]

[1] Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (p. 376). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

In v.7 and 10 - We find The True Easter message: Come and See…Go and Tell

Our message is about the event we celebrate today; the Resurrection- but - it’s not the final event.

Acts 1:11 CSB

11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

We gather each Sunday and live each day as citizens of heaven, aliens in this world, just passing through. Every believer who understands this is:

Rejoicing in Jesus because He is a Returning Jesus

His ascension is promised as the mirror image of His return. Between the Resurrection and the Return we are to live in the Repetition.

After the resurrection the Risen and Redeeming Christ commissioned all His followers to proclaim the resurrection and live in expectation of the return - by doing so we continue His disciple-making, Kingdom building ministry until that time.

Our message is also about Jesus’s Resurrection and our message is about Jesus’s return.

This presents us with the truth then that every person in the world is accountable to a living Lord and one day a Coming King - either to answer to him as savior or Judge.

Conclusion: All of Matthew 28:1-10 served as proof to the 2 women, proof to the disciples, proof to believers of all ages that Jesus is alive.

The news given the women was reason stop fearing and start rejoicing - “He is not here; He is Risen.”

Belief in the resurrection is not enough. One could believe Jesus rose from the dead and still be utterly lost and w/o hope in the world. You must have a personal encounter/meeting, like the women did, with Jesus - through your inner experience where you fall at His feet, subordinate your heart to Jesus, Rejoicing and worshipping Jesus, and as Apostle Thomas later would at his encounter with Jesus - You must cry out saying, “My Lord and My God.”

Jesus the Carpenter of Galilee must be met and accepted in your heart as Jesus the Christ of Glory who gave His life over in death so in your death you might live.

Revelation 3:20 NKJV

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

There were many invited to church but only a few came. The same is true for heaven.

Next Sunday I will begin a 4 week series titled “Come to the Lord’s Table” about communion or what we call “The Lord’s Supper.” Only those who have received Jesus’ invitation of salvation can sit at the Lord’s Table in Heaven.

Are you the man Jesus is inviting but you keeps refusing to answer the door? Are you the woman who refuses to hear Jesus when He calls upon your heart?

Will you let today be the day you turn the knob on the door of your heart and let Jesus in? Yes, great - pray this simple pray - “Lord Jesus, I not only believe in you are a Risen Jesus; I believe you are my Redeeming Jesus. Lord, I repent of my sins and ask you to save me and allow me to sit at your table. By you name and your power I trust you. Amen.”

Jesus as the Rock upon which He builds His church has passed the baton on to each one who claims Him as Savior. Our message is our purpose. The gospel - this proclamation of the resurrection - is the power and the purpose of kingdom ministry.

Church, Christian - Your challenge is to imitate His character and to invite others everyday into His church by way of salvation in Him. Are you the Christian who enjoys the comfort of the church pew but refuses to take on the commission for Christ’s people. You need to focus more on Rejoicing in Jesus.

The church full of Rejoicing Disciples becomes full of Rooted Disciples; Rejoicing and Rooted leads to Reaching the world.

Related Media

Related Sermons