SERMON SUBJECT: “IT IS TRUE! THE LORD HAS RISEN!”

SERMON TEXT: Luke 24:34

SERMON THESIS: “The resurrection of Jesus from the dead authenticated what the Scriptures had predicted.”

INTRODUCTION: “It is true! The Lord has risen...!” These are the words of Scripture, used by the two Emmaus disciples, to exclaim to the Eleven waiting in Jerusalem that Jesus was alive. On this Easter Sunday morning, how can you and I announce to the world, with full assurance, that the Lord, has indeed, risen?

First,

I. HIS RESURRECTION HAS BEEN AUTHENTICATED AS PREDICTED IN SCRIPTURE. It was the prophet Isaiah who prophesied Jesus’ resurrection...

“See, my servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13 NIV).

“Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Jesus, Himself, bore witness to the authenticity of Scripture as He walked with the two disciples on the Emmaus road. He first scolded them for their unbelief in these words...

“And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory” (Luke 24:25-26).

And then, according to Luke, “ ...beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself”(v. 27). “Concerning Himself,” this is the One about whom John wrote, when he said, “Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”(John 1:45), thus giving further authenticity to Scripture concerning the resurrected Lord.

While ministering to Martha, at the grave side of her brother Lazarus, and prior to His own death on the cross...

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies” (John 11:25).

Yes, my friends, as Jesus challenged Martha, with the question, “Do you believe this?” It is true whether they believe it or not–the Lord has risen.” The resurrection has been authenticated as predicted in Scripture.

I never shall forget that day when Carolyn and I had the privilege to stand in the garden tomb there in Jerusalem, where it is believed that Jesus was buried, and to actually see the place where he lay.

Not only is the resurrection authenticated by Scripture, we see, second...

II. HIS RESURRECTION HAS BEEN AUTHENTICATED BY HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says...

“And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:51-53).

Note the phrase, “appeared to many.” Prior to Jesus appearing to the Emmaus disciples, He appeared to Mary Magdalene...

“Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were morning and weeping. And when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it” (Mark 16:9-11).

“And after that,” Mark writes, “He appeared in a different form to two of them, while they were walking along on their way to the country”(Mark 16:12).

“And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place. And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him” (Luke 24:13-16).

Concerning the resurrection of Jesus, and His personal appearances following the resurrection, the Apostle Paul takes us to the heart of the gospel and beyond...

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to Me also” (I Cor. 15:3-8).

In his Pentecostal sermon, following the resurrection of Jesus, Peter said...

“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).

Jesus commends those of us who have not seen Him physically...

“Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into my side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”(John 20:27-29)

Upon their arrival at their little house in Emmaus, as Jesus broke bread with them, they saw and believed. The Bible says...

“And it came about that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:30-32).

What was their response? The Bibles says...

“And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon.” And they began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:33-35).

What will our response be when He appears to us through the eyes of faith?

Third,

III. HIS RESURRECTION HAS BEEN AUTHENTICATED THROUGH HIS LIVING PRESENCE. The Emmaus disciples experienced something that you and I will not experience on this side of eternity–Jesus’ physical presence. We can, however, experience His living presence through the eyes of faith. An experience, as we have seen, that is more highly commended than that of those who have actually seen Him in His physical presence is described in the words of Jesus...

“Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:29).

We do not have Jesus with us in a physical presence, but He is with us supernaturally. It was after His resurrection in the garden that Jesus said to Mary, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father . . .”(John 20:17).

Why would Jesus say this to Mary? He was in a stage of transformation from the physical Jesus to the supernatural, or omnipresent Jesus. Prior to His death burial and resurrection, Jesus had instructed His disciples with these words of hope and comfort...

“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (John 14:14-16).

 Many years before Jesus appeared on the scene, Joshua of old received this promise from God, “I will be with you, I will not fail you or forsake you”(Joshua 1:5).

This is perhaps our greatest proof of His resurrection–His living presence with us. The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Not only is His living presence with us, He lives in us. And just as God raised Him from the dead, He will likewise resurrect us. The Bible says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (I Thessalonians 4:16).

 It was His physical presence with the Emmaus disciples that they could say, “It is true! The Lord has risen!” Now as we abide with Him in His supernatural and spiritual presence should we not be able to exclaim–“IT IS TRUE! THE LORD HAS RISEN!”

CONCLUSION: If you really believe it go and do as the Emmaus disciples did–

GO AND TELL!!