Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Luke 24:13-49 The Resurrection

Sunday 6th December 2020 David Williams.

So much uncertainty! Will the vaccine work? When will it be available? Will my business survive? What about those anti-vaxers? Will the government extend job keeper? When can I visit the family?

COVID has affected us in different ways. Our daughter is one of the guinea pigs for the COVID trials – she may have been given the vaccine that gives immunity, or else got the placebo that does nothing. She doesn’t know. Wouldn’t it be great to know – to know, not with 50%, or 95% but with 100% certainty, to know what the future holds.

Well today’s passage makes 3 staggering claims; claims made with 100% certainty. Luke promises that we can face the future in confidence and hope. You might be sceptical. That’s ok. Listen in. Luke claims that Jesus:

1. Is the key to understanding the scriptures.
2. Killed off death itself
3. Brings life to us through his death.

1st claim. Jesus is the key to understanding the scriptures. The scriptures here are the Old Testament. The New Testament wasn’t written until later. Jesus is saying that the scriptures are not a bunch of strange laws and stories and sacrifices, they are all about him. These 39 individual books written over many centuries, are all about him. Now you know what they call a fellow who claims some ancient text is a prediction about himself? He’s a looney! Isn’t he? But that’s exactly the claim Jesus made here: the scriptures are all about him! Jesus rebuked his fellow travellers, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures (about)… the Christ”, v25-26. Then Jesus explained “from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”, v27. Again, he said, “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled”, v44. “The law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms”, that’s another way of saying, the “Old Testament” – in them are the things “written about” Jesus that “must be fulfilled”.

This is a staggering claim, especially to Jews who know their scriptures. But when they read it again through Christian eyes, then they see Jesus there again and again. He is their Temple that he rebuilt in three days (actually, he must have been some carpenter – pity we can’t hire his services for fixing the church building!) He is their Passover lamb – the sacrifice who washes away all sin. He is their sabbath rest. Unlike Israel, God’s wayward sons and daughters, Jesus is the true Israel, God’s faithful son. He is their Messiah, King David’s son. Remarkably he is also their suffering servant. It all fits. The Old Testament is all about Jesus. That’s the first claim.

2nd claim. Jesus killed off death itself. Jesus rose from the dead. Do you believe that? If you don’t or you’re not sure – can you at least accept this, that if it is true, it has to be the most momentous event in history, without question! If Jesus rose, it beats the invention of flight, it even beats aliens, if they exist. It even beats the creation itself. There is nothing that compares with this. This new creation.

Now we’re not talking about a symbolic or mystical resurrection. No, we’re going from a 3-day dead corpse to a fully alive physical body. A touch and see and feel body. A body that ate a fish-body. Luke was in no doubt that this was no ghost. When Jesus appeared Luke wrote, “They were startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! “Why are you frightened?” Jesus asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” And he showed them his hands and his feet. Still, they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked, “Do you have anything here to eat?” … and he took and ate a fish as they watched” vv37-43. So, forget the strange theories that some bishops and theologians come up with about a symbolic resurrection. That has nothing to do with what the Bible says so clearly and bluntly.

Let’s look at faith for a minute. Christianity is not like Buddhism or Islam – it doesn’t require unquestioning belief. And faith for Christians is certainly no leap in the dark. Rather, it is based on rigorous historical evidence. There are historians and judges who have been convinced on the grounds of that evidence. So where is this evidence for the resurrection?

There are several sources, but I’ll look today at three pieces of evidence, three proofs: 1st proof: Christ’s death and resurrection were predicted in advance. The Old Testament didn’t just predict Jesus, it specifically predicts his suffering and resurrection. Jesus said, “Yes, it was written that the Christ would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day”, v46.

“The Christ would suffer”: where is this predicted? We see this especially in Isaiah 53 – the Suffering Servant, a lamb led to slaughter; pierced for our transgressions. Next, Jesus’ resurrection, where is that predicted? Peter quotes Psalm 16 and applies it to Jesus “you will not leave my soul among the dead”, Acts 2: 25-32; 13:35; Psalm 16:8-11. And the three days? Jesus compares himself to Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days (Matthew 12:40, citing Jonah 1:17. Also Hosea 6:2). So that’s the first proof of the resurrection: The Scriptures predict Christ would die and rise again.

2nd proof: Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection. Jesus knew he had come to conquer death. Again, surely this is looney stuff unless it’s true. But he accurately predicted the sort of death he would die - many times. For instance, he said of himself, “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things … He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Luke 9:21-22 (Also Luke 9:43-45; 13:33; 18:31-34).

And the 3rd proof, the eyewitnesses. Now just to be clear, we’re not talking about a resuscitation where a corpse sits up at their own funeral. There’s a story of a couple of guys out hunting. Suddenly one clutches his chest and falls to the ground. He’s not breathing, his eyes are rolled back. Panicking, his mate calls emergency. He gasps: “My mate is dead! What do I do?” The operator, in a calm soothing voice says: “Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot and the guy says, “OK, now what?”

Well, in Jesus case, there was no doubt he was dead. One thing about the Romans – they really knew how to kill people. Jesus was whipped, bashed, hung on a cross for hours, and speared in the side just to make sure. You could forget about defibrillators after being crucified by Romans. His corpse spent three days in a tomb. Jesus was good and properly dead. His friends knew that – they had seen him dying, and dead. They saw him alive again.

Now we’re not dealing with rosy-eyed mystics – these men were fishermen, canny businessmen. Luke was a doctor and a historian. He carefully questioned many eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4). And there were many eyewitnesses. Paul mentions over 500 (1 Cor. 15:6). There were sceptics like doubting Thomas – “I won’t believe until I put my finger into his nail holes” (John 20:25). Initially they were incredulous – they didn’t believe it. They had seen him die; they had handled his corpse.

But in a flash the disciples changed – from terror and doubt to conviction and joy. They had been terror stricken, huddling in a locked room. The memories of that brutal crucifixion were still raw. As his followers, they hardly wanted to go down that road. Yet go down that same road they did, again and again. Some to crucifixion themselves. With joy they proclaimed the good news. They were arrested and told to shut up for singing in prisons. They had radically changed. They knew with certainty that Jesus had beaten death.

So yes, there is good solid evidence for the death and resurrection. It was predicted centuries before; Jesus himself predicted it and we have rock solid testimony from many eyewitnesses.

So, Jesus killed off death itself – that’s the second claim.

3rd claim. Jesus brings life to us through his death. How’s that? Jesus will rescue Israel, v21. Israel had rebelled against their creator and the penalty for that was death. Jesus paid that penalty in full. Jesus was the sacrificial Passover lamb. And not just Israel. This rescue or forgiveness includes all of us – all nations, v47. For we are all rebels against our creator. And we all need the forgiveness that came at the cost of his blood.

Can you see how Jesus is unique? His death and resurrection are unrepeatable. He was called the One who would redeem Israel, v21. We obtain forgiveness. How? In his name, v47.

No way can any other religious figure even come close to Jesus. He is unique.

So, Luke claims that Jesus is the key to understanding the scriptures; he killed off death itself and he brings life to us through his death. Three staggering claims – but claims that we can have 100% certainty about. We can face the future in confidence and hope.

What are to make of this? Jesus expected – no - he actually demanded a response. He rebuked the travellers: “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures” v25. So, if you have faith, then hear and respond!

Jesus last words to his disciples, and to the church, were both a command and a promise: “that this message would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, … ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent’”, v47. So, the church’s job, our job, is to proclaim forgiveness to all, even to all nations. And to assist, we have the promised Spirit, the Spirit of power, to help us, v49.

Jesus said to his disciples, “You are witnesses of these things”, v48. But this carries on today: If you are a Christian, you are a witness. You have met Jesus. You have witnessed the power of his resurrection, the power of a forgiven life, the power of his spirit alive in you. So being a witness is not optional. You cannot but be involved in God’s mission. Are you?

Brothers and sisters, can we rest. Can we rest while one person in our community has not heard the good news of Jesus and his resurrection? Indeed, can we rest while one nation, one culture exists anywhere that has not yet heard? And we know that one in three people in our world has never even heard the name Jesus. We cannot all go, we cannot all preach, but we can all work together for this good news. We can pray, we can give, we can serve, and some of us can go.

So, if you have faith, hear and respond! But if you don’t have faith, then hear and respond! Perhaps you are starting to believe. If you’ve never done it, won’t you put your trust in Jesus today. You don’t know what tomorrow may bring. We’re only ever a heartbeat from eternity. Today, won’t you put your trust in him.

But you may be like some of the disciples. You hear this, but you can’t believe it. If you can’t believe, you at least owe it to yourself to look seriously at the evidence before you dismiss it. I would love to sit down and read through one of the eyewitness accounts of Jesus life with you. I’m sure most of the good folk here would be delighted to do so also.

Yes, COVID brings stress, anxiety and uncertainty. But it pales into insignificance when we look at death itself. Here we have a 100% cure – not to a disease so we can then catch the next one – but a cure to death itself. The cure is Jesus Christ, son of God, the man who died for you and me – the man who killed death.

Please join me in talking to Jesus, to the risen Jesus:

Lord Jesus, thank you that you suffered and died for us, that you rose again beating death forever. Thankyou that you’ve given us the task of sharing this incredible news with our neighbours, indeed with the nations. Help us to be faithful in this task, this day, this coming week. Give us opportunities to share our faith, give us the words to speak by your Spirit’s power.

For any who do not know Jesus, or who struggle with doubts, will you please join me in this prayer:

Lord Jesus, A man once cried out to you: “I believe, help my unbelief!” As you opened the eyes of your unbelieving followers, open my eyes too. Help me to know, beyond any doubt, that you lived, died and rose again, and you did it for me, so that I could be set free and forgiven – free from all my failings, from my past. Help me to lead a new life from this day trusting in you, my Lord and my God.

Amen.

Series: Luke

Topics: #Luke