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JESUS IS RISEN! HE CHANGES EVERYTHING
APRIL 9, 2023
How would you describe the events taking place in the world today?
LUKE 24:1-7
(READ THE REST OF CHAPTERS 6-8 FOR CONTEXT)
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”
Do you sometimes wonder if we live in a “permacrisis”, being in a constant state of instability and insecurity due to the series of catastrophic events we have witnessed and gone through the past 2-3 years? There’s war in Ukraine, tensions between the world’s superpowers, trouble in Israel, major earthquakes, and tornados. Perhaps more than anything else, it’s the crisis in our own lives that makes us feel like our world is falling apart. We ask, “when will these things end?”. Jesus said that in this world, we will have trouble and things will get worse as we approach the end of this age. Where then can we find real hope amidst all these? We find it in JESUS, because He is risen, it changes everything for those who believe in Him! Jesus is our living hope—it means more than wishful thinking— it is the expectation of what is sure, certain (1 Peter 1:3). Why is that? It’s because of all the highly reliable, convincing evidence of the historical event of Jesus’ resurrection that took place 2,000 years ago. Among these would be the first-hand witness account of those who saw the empty tomb—including women and the Roman guards (Luke 24:1-6, Matthew 28:2-4). It’s important to note that women in those days were not considered as reliable witnesses and if the story of the resurrection was made-up, the writers would not have used women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb. Also, the heavy stone that sealed the tomb could not have been rolled away by women! The Jewish religious authorities’ response also show that they knew that the tomb was empty (Matthew 28:11-14). Then there was the strange arrangement of the linen wrappings that Peter and John saw at the empty tomb (John 20:3-5) that was used like mummy covering of Jesus’ body. If Jesus’ body was stolen by His followers to promote a false story of a resurrection, it is quite illogical for them to unwrap His body first and arrange the several layers of linen wrappings neatly inside the tomb before carrying His body out of the tomb, past the powerful Roman guards. Let’s now look at what Jesus changed in those who first witnessed His resurrection, and how He can transform our lives in the following areas:
I. PAIN
Are you going through some pain in your life? Jesus can turn sorrow into joy, just as He did with Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-16). Perhaps you feel that God is nowhere in the picture of your pain right now. But just like Mary, Jesus knows your pain, and He knows your name. He is a personal, compassionate Savior—because He is risen, He can turn sorrow into joy. He can also turn our fear into peace! The disciples then were fearful because Jesus died, and they were afraid that His enemies will be after them. But then Jesus appears to them and offers them His peace (John 20:19-21). Fear makes us feel that our lives are falling apart, and we don’t have any idea how to put our world back together again. The peace that Jesus gives takes away our fears, even if not all our challenging circumstances. Christ turns our doubt into faith. Jesus calls us blessed when we believe that He is risen, even though we haven’t physically seen Him (John 20:24-29). Like Thomas, who finally believed, our only response to the Risen Jesus ought to be, “my Lord and my God!”.
II. PERSPECTIVE
Jesus changes our perspective from earthly to eternal. Even if some people believe that they have the tenacity and ability to overcome crises on their own, we shall be faced by the final crisis of life—will we be with the Lord for eternity, or not. Because Jesus resurrected, He is the only one who can give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:16-19, 50-55). Heaven is a real place, not imagined. God has a place with Him reserved for those of us who believe in the Risen Savior (Revelation 21:1-5). What makes heaven, heaven is the Presence of God with us, His people, face to face with Jesus. The Lord will make all things new in the new heavens and the new earth— that’s why Jesus is the real change maker!
III. PURPOSE
The apostle Paul affirmed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and testified to his own face-to-face experience with the risen Savior (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Acts 9:3-5). That encounter transformed Paul and his purpose in life, and he began to proclaim Jesus everywhere, instead of persecuting His followers like he did before (Acts 9:19-21).
There is no one beyond God’s transforming love and power today— even those who grew up atheists. This is because the resurrection was not just an event in ancient history! The resurrection is a Person —Jesus who himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies and everyone who lives and believes I me will never die…”, and He asks each of us a question today— “do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). How will you answer that question today? Jesus is risen—let that change everything in your life today. Believe in Jesus as your only Savior and Lord this Resurrection Sunday!
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your members)
1. Self-Check.
In what ways has the reality of the resurrection impacted your character — from sorrow to joy, fear to peace, doubt to faith or other ways?
2. Setting It Right.
What difference does having an eternal perspective make a difference in your everyday life?
3. Living It Out.
What would you say is your mission in life based on the truth of the resurrection? How are you fulfilling that mission? week?
PRAY CARE SHARE IN ACTION
Pray for those around you who have not yet encountered the Risen Savior and have doubts, fears and pain in their lives, seen or unseen by us.
Share about the reason for your assurance that Jesus is risen and able to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.
Share your own story of how God has transformed your pain, perspective and purpose when you trusted in Jesus, the Risen Savior.
I. Thanksgiving
- Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.
II. Country and the World
- Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.
- God’s help and comfort for the Jewish people and other nationalities who have experienced terror attacks in Israel in recent days.
- War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented; tension in East Asian and Middle East countries to stop.
III. Church
- That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.
- Elders, pastors, dleaders, and families (holy, humble, harmonious, happy, heart-working).
- Ministries and churches expansion worldwide.
IV. CCF Facilities
- Worship and Training Center
- Prayer Mountain
V. Personal Concerns
- Deeper intimate relationship with God.
- Righteous living.
- Salvation of family and friends.
1 PETER 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.