Good News

Happy Easter! Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! The resurrection is a game-changer. More than that, it is the lens through which we are to view all of life. And I want to encourage you and my prayer has been that whatever you are going through right now, our time today can be a pivot point, an encounter with God. We all have trials and hardships to face in life. We live in a fallen world and we are affected in many ways by living in a fallen world. We have troubles in relationships. Some face trouble at work. Some face trouble with your own health. Some have trouble emotionally, and you can’t put your finger on why. We have increasing trouble in our nation as it continues to descend into madness. 

But you being here to worship our risen Lord and King and hear from his word is not insignificant, and can change everything. We are here to celebrate the good news that Christ has risen from the dead! This is the best, most joyous news in the world. That’s the point of this text. A new day had dawned on which the King of glory - the Lord Jesus Christ - got up from the grave, took off the grave clothes, and declared “death where is your victory!” The second verse to Christ the Lord Has Risen Today says:

Love’s redeeming work is done. Fought the fight the battle won. Death in vain forbids him rise. Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Mary Magdalene, this woman who was dear to the Lord was weeping for obvious reasons. She thought Christ was not only dead, but that his body had been snatched away. In her state of weeping, she is asked a question twice, once by the angels in the tomb and once by Jesus Himself, whom she thought was the gardener: “Woman, why are you weeping?” The angels and Jesus thought, “if she knew what happened here, she would not be weeping.” And indeed in a moment, Mary’s mourning was turned to dancing. Jesus told his disciples that upon his death they would “weep and lament… but your sorrow will turn into joy, and no one will take that joy from you” (John 16:20-22). The resurrection of Christ has the power today to turn your sorrow into joy, make you laugh and dance and sing! Yes, even with the difficulties you face. Moreover, the resurrection has the power to take a life of sin and selfishness and transform it into a life of love for God and neighbor. 

I read a portion of a study from 2017 which said that 25% of American Christians do not believe in the resurrection. They may think that there is some spiritual truth to get out of the story, but as far as the bodily resurrection is concerned, they don’t think it happened. Now you might be wondering, how can you be a Christian if you don’t believe the resurrection? The short answer is, you can’t! No resurrection, no Christianity, period! Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “I believe in the literal physical resurrection - I have no gospel apart from it.” 

Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 15 when he says if Christ has not been raised from the dead here is what’s at stake: our preaching is futile, our faith is in vain, we are misrepresenting God, we are still in our sins, our loved ones who have died are lost forever, and we are of all people most to be pitied. Take away the resurrection and you take away Christianity. BUT Christ has been raised from the dead and that is the most stupendous news in all the world. You may be wondering why. I want to show you four reasons from our text why - remember every word, even what seems insignificant is inspired and purposeful: 1)Scripture Fulfilled, 2)Death Defeated, 3)Christ Exalted, 4)Adoption Confirmed

First, the resurrection is good news because it fulfills scripture (v. 8-9)

Then the other disciple [John], who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Peter entered the tomb and saw the grave clothes lying there and the face cloth in another place. John went in and saw the same and he believed. Up to this time, they had been told that the scriptures needed to be fulfilled that Christ would be crucified and then rise on the third day. When John saw - the resurrection, not the crucifixion, he understood and believed. 

Notice the word must. He must rise for our salvation, that is a given. But also he must rise in order to fulfill scripture. To fulfill what God has said, which I think is more foundational and I think where the emphasis lies here. When John saw the tomb empty of the Lord, it dawned on him, “Ah, yes we were told of this. The Lord told us that he would be crucified and on the third day, he would be raised to fulfill scripture”, and he believed. Listen to John 2:19-22,

[Jesus said] "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Scripture testified to the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15 says, “Christ was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Passages like Psalm 16, which is quoted in Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost points to the resurrection. Isaiah 53 not only tells us of the Father bruising the Son, laying on him our iniquities and by his wounds we are healed, but also we are told in verse 10,

When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

You might think, why does this matter? It matters because our faith rests on whether or not God is true and his word can be trusted. God is not a Liar. God is true. Jesus is not a false prophet. Furthermore, we can trust everything God has said, without question! Prophecy is not foretelling the future and hoping it happens. When the prophets spoke of Christ - his death and resurrection, God saw to it that it would be fulfilled. And therefore, God’s prophetic word and His promises are certain, and we can take them to the bank. Jesus said, “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Christ has risen! He said he would! The prophets prophesied he would. He did. God is true, his word is truth, and can be trusted!

Second, the resurrection is good news because the empty tomb means death is defeated

The grave clothes were in the tomb, but Christ wasn’t. Now, Christ’s resurrection was not merely the resuscitation of the physical body, right? This was a one of a kind event. Jesus, during his earthly ministry raised people from the dead, most notably Lazarus. But guess what happened to Lazarus at some time in the future? He died again. His body was resuscitated, but it was not a true resurrection, which was to come later. JI Packer said the resurrection of Christ was the “creative renewing of his original body, the body that is now fully glorified and deathless.” Romans 6:9 says,

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 

This is good news for all who believe (really believe) in Christ. This past year has been a real eye opener. People fear dying and for those who are without Christ, for good reason. The bible says death is the “last enemy.” It is a real enemy, and one that will come knocking on the door of each and every person. But for those who have saving faith, living faith in Christ, listen to what Jesus says,

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. [then he asks] Do you believe this?

Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I wonder if you picked up on something in this account. Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first, right? Who did she mistake him for? The gardener. Now remember, there is nothing, even something that incidental, that is without significance. She thought he was the gardener. 

In the first garden, Adam sinned and received the death sentence, and all of us fell “in Adam”. In other words, all who have been born since Adam has inherited from Adam sin and death. But on the first day of the week, in this garden, Christ the last Adam, having been obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross, was raised in power and given the power of an indestructible life. And all who trust him, share in that life. Spiritually now and fully/bodily in the future when Christ returns and we received deathless bodies. The empty tomb demonstrates Christ’s victory over death and guarantees ours ultimate victory of death as well.

Third, the resurrection is good news because through it Christ our Lord is exalted (v. 17)

Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go tell my brothers, “I am ascending to my Father...” 

Have you ever wondered why Jesus tells Mary, “Don’t cling to me”? It might sound abrasive, but certainly Jesus was not being rough with Mary or pushing her away. No. From the meaning of the word “cling” and the reason Jesus gives, we get the sense that Jesus is saying, “Don’t divert me from my purpose.” And what is this purpose? Ascending to the Father. Taking his seat at the right hand of the God the Father. Look at verse 17 again: “Do not cling to me, [reason] for I have not yet ascended to the Father…”  Paul said that because Christ was obedient even to die on the cross, the Father has highly exalted him and given him the name “Lord”. The resurrection was the first step in this exaltation, but Jesus wasn’t raised to continue living on the earth indefinitely, but to ascend to the Father - to be glorified in the presence of the Father with the glory he had before the world existed (John 17:5). 

And from that place of exaltation at the Father’s right hand, Jesus does two things. 1) He continues his ministry to his people and 2) He reigns with universal authority. 

First, when Jesus sat down at the Father’s right hand, we are told in Acts 2 that he received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit - the Comforter and Helper he spoke of - and poured Him out upon the church. But Jesus continues to serve now… How? I think we often overlook the present ministry of Jesus now. We look to the cross at what he did for us and praise God we should! We look to and celebrate the miracle of the resurrection, and well we should. We look in hope to the second coming of Christ, and we should! But we can overlook what he does now. J.C. Ryle (describe), concerned about this, said:

We ought to remember that He not only died and went to the grave—but that He rose again, and ascended up on high, leading captivity captive. We ought to remember that He is now sitting on the right hand of God, to do a work as real, as true, as important to our souls, as the work which He did when He shed His blood. Christ lives, and is not dead. He lives as truly as any one of ourselves. Christ sees us, hears us, knows us, and is acting as a Priest in heaven on behalf of His believing people. The thought of His life ought to have as great and important a place in our souls—as the thought of His death upon the cross.

Hebrews 7:25 says, “He is able to save to the uttermost (completely, fully) those who draw near to God through him, because he always lives to make intercession for them. What is he doing now? He intercedes, he prays, he always presents the sacrifice of his death to the Father, who is pleased with it.

Very quickly, one more thing worth noting, Jesus also ascended to a throne and is King with universal authority. Some have somewhat jokingly called Psalm 110:1 God’s favorite verse because od how often it is quoted in the NT. It’s referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 which says,

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Jesus has been reigning and putting enemies under his feet for 2000 years and will continue, the last enemy to be destroyed (for his people) at his return will be death.

Fourth, the resurrection is good news because through it our adoption is confirmed (v. 17)

This resurrection account shows us that the death and resurrection of Christ proved our adoption. 

Say to my brothers, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Now, of course, Jesus called God their Father in anticipation of what he would accomplish for them. But the resurrection was the crowning proof that our debt has been paid, Christ’s sacrifice was acceptable to the Father, and our adoption was sealed. 

I love the phrase, “My Father and your Father.” Of course, God is the Father of Jesus Christ, not by adoption as he is for us - but eternally. I can’t help but think that Jesus here is thinking ahead just a matter of 50 days when he will pour out upon his disciples the Holy Spirit - who is called the “Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15) or the “Spirit of sonship” (Galatians 4:6). If you are in Christ (important qualifier), Jesus’ Father is your Father. He shares his status as son with us - his resurrection is the crowning proof. There is no greater reality in all the world than to be a beloved son or daughter of God, fully assured by the Holy Spirit. 

Well, Jesus sent Mary to announce to his disciples these things and Mary’s announcement is exactly right. It hits the nail on the head.  She said, “I have seen the Lord!” She went as a witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. She wasn’t an advocate, but a witness. An advocate brings news they have received second hand. A witness tells what he or she has seen, what they have experienced. 

Mary was a witness! In the book of Acts, Jesus said when the Holy Spirit came upon his people, they would be witnesses! They would be empowered to tell what they have seen, heard, experienced. And so, if this is (and it is), how should you live? If you can say, “I believe Jesus rose from the dead”, and you really believe because the scriptures teach it and the Holy bears witness, what should your response be?

A Life of Courageous, Faith Filled Obedience

It should free us from the idols of safety and comfort that are worshiped and adored in Western Society. Now, the right kind of safety (in Christ) and comfort (from the Comforter - Holy Spirit) is good, but faith in the resurrection of Christ frees us from the need for ever-increasing safety and comfort at all cost. A theologian named Andrew Sandlin said the following: 

When anyone walks out the door, a relative or friend cautions, “Be safe,” or “Be careful.” We never hear, “Be bold,” or “Do right.” Safety and health, not faith and obedience, are our misguided priorities.

John Piper similarly says, “Wimpy, hesitant, insecure, inactive Christians are a contradiction!” For Paul, the resurrection of Christ, and the hope of his future resurrection, emboldened him to “die every day”! And how did he live like this? Because he was confident Christ had risen from the dead and therefore God is true, death is defeated, Christ is exalted and sits at the right hand of God, and we are his brothers and sisters and God the Father is our Father. Are you convinced of this? I hope you are.

Let’s pray.