Monday, August 26, 2013

Sunday´s Sermon



2013.08.25                                     He is Risen!
                          Luke 24: 1- 12
Welcome….. It´s wonderful to see you all here this morning….. As most of you know… We teach through the Bible verse by verse…. We have been walking with Jesus through the Gospel of Luke…. What a privilege….
It seems like yesterday that we read Luke 1:1 and began our walk through History as we studied the life of Jesus…… Thanks to the Word of God….. we were there when the long promised coming of the Messiah was announced…. We were there with Jesus as he stood up in the Synagogue in his home town of Nazareth to read from the Scriptures…. Luke 4: 17- 29…
Jesus read from Isaiah chapter 61…. It was prophesy about the Messiah……. A prophesy about Himself…… He said…… I am the Messiah and I have come…… This was Jesus´ announcement and the official beginning of His Ministry…….
Let´s turn to Isaiah 1…
Isaiah 61: 1-3                       NKJV   
61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61: 1-3                          Schlachter 2000
1 Der Geist des Herrn, des Herrschers, ist auf mir, weil der Herr mich gesalbt hat, den Armen frohe Botschaft zu verkünden; er hat mich gesandt, zu verbinden, die zerbrochenen Herzens sind, den Gefangenen Befreiung zu verkünden und Öffnung des Kerkers den Gebundenen,
2 um zu verkündigen das angenehme Jahr1 des Herrn und den Tag der Rache unseres Gottes, und um zu trösten alle Trauernden;
3 um den Trauernden von Zion zu verleihen, daß ihnen Kopfschmuck statt Asche gegeben werde, Freudenöl statt Trauer und Feierkleider statt eines betrübten Geistes, daß sie genannt werden »Bäume2 der Gerechtigkeit«, eine »Pflanzung des Herrn« zu seinem Ruhm.
What Good News…..  forgiveness….. deliverance from sin….. It´s in there…… look at verse 2…. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord….. and the day of vengeance of our God…. The Message of Good news is only good news for those who turn from their sin and rebellion and repent of their sins……. Those who come to Him in repentance are the only ones who find these promises fulfilled…. Verse 2…. Comfort for all who mourn…. Verse 3…. Oil of Joy for mourning…. Wonderful news….. if we repent….. we find forgiveness and comfort and joy….
As we look at the event in Luke 4….. Jesus formally announces His Ministry…. In the crowd we find many fans of Jesus there…… friends and neighbors…. Even some family…. Some realize that He is rebuking their unbelief and they become His enemies and try to Kill him for the first time…. Let´s read a little piece of the text… Luke 4: 28…
Luke 4: 28-30                            NKJV   
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Luke 4: 28-30                      Schlachter 2000
28 Da wurden alle in der Synagoge voll Zorn, als sie dies hörten.
29 Und sie standen auf und stießen ihn zur Stadt hinaus und führten ihn an den Rand des Berges, auf dem ihre Stadt gebaut war, um ihn hinabzustürzen.
30 Er aber ging mitten durch sie hindurch und zog weiter.
One minute a fan of Jesus…. And the next…… let´s kill him…. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus…..
 No matter what you think…… You cannot remain a fan of Jesus….. We either repent of our sin and pride and rebellion…. Or we turn away from the truth that we are sinners who desperately need a Savior…… When we refuse to repent…. We experience a hardening of our hearts and we suppress the truth in our own hearts and minds….. That what we learn in Romans 1….. We stand on the truth….. because we do not want God to rule our lives….
Last week we witnessed the cross….. Jesus was crucified for our sins……..
It is the cross that changes everything for us….. If we repent and believe….. Jesus paid for our sins…. For my sins……. As we saw last week…
God the Father accepted His sacrifice….. The wall of partician…. The barrier between us and a Holy God was opened again…..
God rips open the Holy of Holies because Jesus Christ has made a way for us ….. The cross is our atonement…... Our forgiveness…… The torn curtain is access to the Mercy seat…. Access to the Father…. Remember it was God´s plan all along….. God is by nature a saving God……..
By Jesus death the New Covenant is realized….. It had been in effect…. people had been saved before that…. but the official ratification and activation of that New Covenant didn’t happen until Jesus died on the cross….. and then God split the curtain and threw open the way to His presence…...
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…. Jesus opened the way to the Father once for all by his sacrifice on the cross…….. How wonderful…. God is there at the cross in judgment against sin….. but…... That’s not all…..  He also ripped the curtain(veil) into the Holy of Holies…. This is Good news…..
Let´s pick up our text where we left off last week….. This morning the Father puts His miraculous exclamation point on Jesus loving sacrifice……. The Resurrection!
He is Risen….. He is Risen indeed!
 Luke 24 verse 1….
Luke 24: 1- 12                   NKJV
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,[a] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly[b] perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying[c] by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke 24: 1- 12                       Schlachter 2000
 1 Am ersten Tag der Woche aber kamen sie am frühen Morgen zum Grab und brachten die wohlriechenden Gewürze, die sie bereitet hatten und noch etliche mit ihnen.
2 Sie fanden aber den Stein von dem Grab weggewälzt.
3 Und als sie hineingingen, fanden sie den Leib des Herrn Jesus nicht.
4 Und es geschah, als sie deswegen ganz ratlos waren, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in strahlenden Gewändern bei ihnen.
5 Da sie nun erschraken und das Angesicht zur Erde neigten, sprachen diese zu ihnen: Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?
6 Er ist nicht hier, sondern er ist auferstanden! Denkt daran, wie er zu euch redete, als er noch in Galiläa war,
7 und sagte: »Der Sohn des Menschen muß in die Hände sündiger Menschen ausgeliefert und gekreuzigt werden und am dritten Tag auferstehen«.
8 Da erinnerten sie sich an seine Worte,
9 und sie kehrten vom Grab zurück und verkündigten das alles den Elfen und allen übrigen.
10 Es waren aber Maria Magdalena und Johanna und Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, die dies den Aposteln sagten, sie und die übrigen mit ihnen.
11 Und ihre Worte kamen ihnen vor wie ein Märchen, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab, bückte sich und sah nur die leinenen Tücher daliegen; und er ging nach Hause, voll Staunen über das, was geschehen war.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the central truth of Christianity…. In fact, without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no Christianity…… The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is not a bad ending to the story…… It is the story… The story of redemption…. The purpose of His life…….
The church has always understood that…… In fact, the church understood it right from the day of the resurrection on…… Ever since that time……the church has chosen to meet on Sunday….. the first day of the week….. the day that Jesus rose from the dead…… Every Sunday we celebrate the most important event in human history….. Jesus´ resurrection from the dead…..  
Resurrection is the divine stamp of approval of the work that He did on the cross……. Without the resurrection, the cross means nothing…..
When God raised Jesus from the dead…. He was confirming the fact that He had indeed bore our sins in His own body on the cross…...
Jesus satisfied the justice of God with His sin bearing…... Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless……
The resurrection is everything…... He is Risen….. That´s the Good News….
The purpose of the gospel is not just that we might experience the forgiveness of sin….. The purpose of the gospel is that we having been forgiven of our sin……… could enter in to eternal life and fellowship with God forever….. in perfect holiness and perfect joy in glorified physical resurrected bodies…... Bodily   resurrection is essential to Christianity…...
Listen to the importance of the resurrection in the language of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15…. V 14….
1 Corinthians 15: 14-20                  NKJV 
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15: 14-20           Schlachter 2000
14 Wenn aber Christus nicht auferstanden ist, so ist unsere Verkündigung vergeblich, und vergeblich auch euer Glaube!
15 Wir werden aber auch als falsche Zeugen Gottes erfunden, weil wir von Gott bezeugt haben, daß er Christus auferweckt hat, während er ihn doch nicht auferweckt hat, wenn wirklich Tote nicht auferweckt werden!
16 Denn wenn Tote nicht auferweckt werden, so ist auch Christus nicht auferweckt worden.
17 Ist aber Christus nicht auferweckt worden, so ist euer Glaube nichtig, so seid ihr noch in euren Sünden;
18 dann sind auch die in Christus Entschlafenen verloren.
19 Wenn wir nur in diesem Leben auf Christus hoffen, so sind wir die elendesten unter allen Menschen!
20 Nun aber ist Christus aus den Toten auferweckt; er ist der Erstling der Entschlafenen geworden.

If Christ is not raised from the dead in bodily form, then all gospel preaching is useless….There is no Christianity without the resurrection….. None….. If Jesus is not risen from the dead….  our preaching is useless, your faith is useless…..  
But Christ has been raised, verse 20… and is the firstfruits of those who are asleep…... If Jesus isn’t raised, there is no New Testament to be believed….. There is no preaching about Christ to be believed….. Your faith is worthless….. But He has been raised from the dead….. And this is the Good News…… Because He lives….. you will also live…..
We give a lot of time to the cross and rightly we should….. Jesus died in our place…. but it is the resurrection that vindicates the cross….
All four gospels record the resurrection….. The book of Acts records the history of the preaching of the resurrection….. as the apostles and the prophets go out and proclaim the Good News… that He arose from the dead in physical form and so will everyone who put their trust in Him…. Then the epistles give us the explanation and the implications of the resurrection.... Paul and the others  show us what it means…..
How do we understand the resurrection….. and how do we apply that great reality to our lives….  This book records for us what happened…. And it shows us what we need to do about it….
Prior to the resurrection, Jesus says it’s going to happen…... Then it happens….. Then it’s preached……. Then it’s explained and applied….. and finally we see the fulfilling of everything in the book of Revelation…..
All of the Gospel accounts give us the  testimony of the women who had seen the risen Christ with their own eyes….   And they all note the unbelief of the Apostles…... The emptiness of the tomb, the testimony of the angels, the witness of the women, and the temporary unbelief of the Apostles, these are the four core evidences for a real resurrection…….
First…  the empty of the tomb…… Let’s look at our text….. Luke 24…v1…
Luke 24: 1- 3                          NKJV
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,[a] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24: 1- 3        Schlachter 2000
 1 Aber am ersten Tag der Woche sehr früh kamen sie zum Grab und trugen bei sich die wohlriechenden Öle, die sie bereitet hatten.
2 Sie fanden aber den Stein weggewälzt von dem Grab
3 und gingen hinein und fanden den Leib des Herrn Jesus nicht.
They went in….
These women are identified in verse 10…. Mary Magdalene… Joanna… Mary the mother of James…. and the other women….. Mark 16:1 names one of them Salome… probably six or more women…..   They were there at the cross, remember? Standing there watching Jesus while He was dying in silence… If you go back in to Luke chapter 23 they are also there when Jesus is buried, verse 55…...
They saw the death of Christ…. They saw Him die……   They were there when He was buried…… They were the ones who witnessed everything that happened to jesus…..
They went home  and prepared spices and came back on Sunday when the Sabbath was over….. to anoint the body of Jesus…..
It is now dawn on Sunday morning, an early dawn….. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb…..  When they entered they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus…...
Jesus did exactly what He said He would do, He would rise again on the third day…..
Now to put the story together….  it appears that Mary Magdalene and one other Mary, Mary the mother of Joseph and James and the wife of Cleopas, they start out together according to the other gospel records….. They start out together but  Mary   gets there first…..
According to John 20, she arrives while it’s still very  dark….   Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb….  she sees the stone is rolled away….. She decides that somebody has stolen the body of Jesus….. She doesn’t go in the tomb….. She doesn’t go and look for the other women…. She turns and heads back to tell the disciples…   to Peter and John, to tell them that somebody has stolen the body of Jesus…...
She had forgotten what Jesus had said about rising from the dead…… Perhaps it was her grief and sorrow…. She didn´t even think of it….. Resurrection? It was not in their mids…. They didn´t think of it as an explanation…. none of the women did, she didn’t, the apostles didn't, no one did…..
Peter and John listen to her message and decide they’ve got to go and check it out….. So they head toward the tomb…... Well probably before Mary ever got to them….. the other women finally  arrived at the tomb….. and that’s where we see the story here…… The other women have arrived…...
They are a little more patient to try to discern what’s gone on here and so Luke says they entered the tomb…... They didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus…… What they did find was the grave clothes lying in perfect place…. as we learn later from  Peter and John….
They have no idea of what has happened…... Matthew tells us what has happened…… “In the dark of night,” Matthew 28:2 to 4 says…..  an angel came down from heaven simultaneous to the angel coming down there was a very severe earthquake that shook the ground….. And the soldiers saw the angels…. felt the earthquake…. saw the dazzling blazing angel roll the stone away and sit on it….. And then they fainted in a semi-coma out of sheer terror and shock…... But they remembered what they had seen up to that moment…..”
When they finally woke up…. the angel was no longer there…. But since the stone was  rolled away……. They must have looked in to check……
And immediately they headed for the Jewish leaders…… And when they got to the Jewish leaders they told them what had happened…..
We were there….. We had the place guarded…. We had it secured…. Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake….. Then down out of the sky comes a dazzling, blazing angel who pushes the stone away and sits on it…. And we checked the tomb, and there’s no body there….
The   Jewish leaders say…... You can’t tell anybody that……..  You have to lie and say the disciples stole the body…... And we’re going to pay you, here’s some money to lie….. Now why do you invent a lie? To cover up the truth….. Say his disciples stole the body…..
They knew no one could steal the body…. not with the Roman guards there….
The tomb was empty….. Impossible…..but it was empty….
And the soldiers were guarding the grave…..They knew they had a resurrection….. They knew there was no other explanation….. They knew the soldiers had checked the tomb….. Jesus   wasn’t there…...
All four gospel writers make it clear the tomb is empty…. and there is no explanation for that…. except the resurrection…... The Second line of strong evidence is the testimony from the angels, verses 4 to 7…..

Luke 24:4- 7                         NKJV
4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
Luke 24: 4- 7                Schlachter 2000
4 Und es geschah, als sie deswegen ganz ratlos waren, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in strahlenden Gewändern bei ihnen.
5 Da sie nun erschraken und das Angesicht zur Erde neigten, sprachen diese zu ihnen: Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?
6 Er ist nicht hier, sondern er ist auferstanden! Denkt daran, wie er zu euch redete, als er noch in Galiläa war,
7 und sagte: »Der Sohn des Menschen muß in die Hände sündiger Menschen ausgeliefert und gekreuzigt werden und am dritten Tag auferstehen«.
This is very important evidence….  . Two angels come from God…. and declares to them that He is risen from the dead…. He is not here……
So you have the emptiness of the tomb…. and you have the message of the angels to verify the resurrection…… You have the evidence from the facts and the evidence from supernatural divine revelation….. Now that brings us to the third and the fourth lines of evidence the New Testament writers give us….. Thirdly, the witness of the women......This is wonderful….. let´s start with verse 8……

Luke 24: 8                NKJV    Schlachter 2000
8 And they remembered His words.
8 Da erinnerten sie sich an seine Worte,
He had told them He would be delivered to sinful men, crucified, third day rise again…. Here in verse 8, they remembered His words…...
There were at least three separate occasions that Jesus said this…...   He told them that   He would be crucified and He would rise again the third day……. And now it’s beginning to make sense…... The angels bring them a revelation they can’t deny…… They’re starting to get it….. They remembered His words…..Verse 9…
Luke 24: 9- 12                        NKJV    
 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke 24: 9- 12                       Schlachter 2000
9 und sie kehrten vom Grab zurück und verkündigten das alles den Elfen und allen übrigen.
10 Es waren aber Maria Magdalena und Johanna und Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, die dies den Aposteln sagten, sie und die übrigen mit ihnen.
11 Und ihre Worte kamen ihnen vor wie ein Märchen, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab, bückte sich und sah nur die leinenen Tücher daliegen; und er ging nach Hause, voll Staunen über das, was geschehen war.

The women returned   to tell the eleven and   all the others what they had seen and heard from the Angels…….. Before they even got to the disciples…. Peter and John had already talked to Mary Magdalene….. She said that the body of Jesus had been stolen…. Mary never looked in the tomb….. She never saw the grave clothes….. She never saw the angel…..  So they ran to the tomb to see for themselves… Back to the other women….  Something more happened on the way…... Matthew gives us even more of what happened that day…. They see Jesus…
Look at Matthew 28….. v5…
Matthew 28: 5- 10             NKJV
 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. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”


Matthew 28: 5- 10             Schlachter 2000
5 Aber der Engel sprach zu den Frauen: Fürchtet euch nicht! Ich weiß, dass ihr Jesus, den Gekreuzigten, sucht.
6 Er ist nicht hier; er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat. Kommt her und seht die Stätte, wo er gelegen hat;
7 und geht eilends hin und sagt seinen Jüngern, dass er auferstanden ist von den Toten. Und siehe, er wird vor euch hingehen nach Galiläa; dort werdet ihr ihn sehen. Siehe, ich habe es euch gesagt.
8 Und sie gingen eilends weg vom Grab mit Furcht und großer Freude und liefen, um es seinen Jüngern zu verkündigen.
9 Und siehe, da begegnete ihnen Jesus und sprach: Seid gegrüßt! Und sie traten zu ihm und umfassten seine Füße und fielen vor ihm nieder.
10 Da sprach Jesus zu ihnen: Fürchtet euch nicht! Geht hin und verkündigt es meinen Brüdern, dass sie nach Galiläa gehen: Dort werden sie mich sehen.
  they went out quickly with feat and….. Great Joy…..
This is important….. These faithful women are the very first disciples to see the Risen Lord Jesus…….   
So now they’ve seen the empty tomb….. They’ve heard the angelic divine revelation…… And they’ve seen the risen Christ…… Then Jesus said to them…. Go, take Word to My brethren to leave for Galilee and there they shall see Me…..   
So the women as they head back to tell the others what the Angel said…..  see the risen Lord Jesus….   
This is a loving testimony to Jesus´ love of the women…. this is the same little group of a half dozen or so that saw Jesus die…. that saw Jesus buried…. They got to see Jesus risen from the dead…..  they are the only ones who can give credible eye-witness testimony…….  We saw him die…… We saw him risen fron the dead….
They’re the eyewitnesses of everything that happened….
Mary Magdalene is also an eye witness to Jesus resurrection…. Even though she didn´t see the angels that morning……
How can she belong to the group of eyewitnesses when she didn’t go in the empty tomb and she didn’t hear the angels say anything? She left before the angels  appeared….. And she had not seen the risen Christ…. so how can she be one of the witnesses?  Turn to John 20…. this is wonderful…..
Answer: This lady went back to the tomb….. After Peter and John go into the tomb….she decides she has to go back…... So in John 20 verse 11 we find her standing outside the tomb weeping…... She’s all alone….. And so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb and she beheld two angels in white sitting there in the tomb…… Now they’re sitting on the inside…..
John 20: 11-16                     NKJV
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
John 20: 11-16                    Schlachter 2000
 11 Maria aber stand draußen vor dem Grab und weinte. Als sie nun weinte, schaute sie in das Grab
12 und sieht zwei Engel in weißen Gewändern sitzen, einen zu Häupten und den andern zu den Füßen, wo sie den Leichnam Jesu hingelegt hatten.
13 Und die sprachen zu ihr: Frau, was weinst du? Sie spricht zu ihnen: Sie haben meinen Herrn weggenommen, und ich weiß nicht, wo sie ihn hingelegt haben.
14 Und als sie das sagte, wandte sie sich um und sieht Jesus stehen und weiß nicht, dass es Jesus ist.
15 Spricht Jesus zu ihr: Frau, was weinst du? Wen suchst du? Sie meint, es sei der Gärtner, und spricht zu ihm: Herr, hast du ihn weggetragen, so sage mir, wo du ihn hingelegt hast; dann will ich ihn holen.
16 Spricht Jesus zu ihr: Maria! Da wandte sie sich um und spricht zu ihm auf Hebräisch: Rabbuni!, das heißt: Meister!
Now all these women are giving testimony to the same thing….. They have all seen Jesus on this Glorious Sunday morning…. Now we have  multiple eyewitnesses….. . And this is just the beginning….. He appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, as we’ll see…… Peter also saw Him separately… That night He appeared to the Eleven, except for Thomas….. A week later He appears to the Eleven with Thomas….. He appears to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius in Galilee…... Then He appears to 500 brethren at one time…..   Then He appears to James…. Then He appears to the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee where He gave them the Great Commission…… Then He appears in Jerusalem at the time of His ascension….. Then He appears to Saul on the Damascus Road…. appears to Paul again in the temple….. We have many, many eyewitnesses of our  risen LORD Jesus Christ…..
The unbelieving disciples…... become the most powerful evidence of the resurrection exactly because at first they didn´t believe….. It was not something that they would make up…. It was nonsense….. Back to Luke 24 in verse 11…..
Luke 24: 11,12                    NKJV     
11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
 Luke 24: 11,12                   Schlachter 2000
11 Und es erschienen ihnen diese Worte, als wär's Geschwätz, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
 12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab und bückte sich hinein und sah nur die Leinentücher und ging davon und wunderte sich über das, was geschehen war.
At first….  They thought the whole thing was absolute nonsense…… And they would not believe them…..
After Peter saw the empty tomb and the linen wrappings….He went away to his own home amazed at what had happened…..
The disciples  didn’t want to believe the testimony of the women….. And Peter and John came back and said, “Well it’s a bizarre deal….. The tomb is open and the tomb is empty and the grave clothes are lying there….. And, you know, He may be alive.” But even then….  they’re not ready to fully commit……
However, before the day is over, He appears to all of them….. He is Risen….. Indeed!
Peter 1 Peter….. Paul  Ephesians 1+2….
Communion
This morning we are going to celebrate Communion together…… In communion we are reminded of several important things….
1 Jesus shed His blood and died for our sins….. Crucifixion
2 Jesus is alive….
resurrection
3 We are members of Him and of each other….
Restored fellowship…
1 Cor 11: 23-32                   NKJV
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[e] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[f] body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
 1 Cor 11: 23-32                   Schlachter 2000
23 Denn ich habe von dem Herrn empfangen, was ich euch weitergegeben habe: Der Herr Jesus, in der Nacht, da er verraten ward, nahm er das Brot,
24 dankte und brach's und sprach:2 Das ist mein Leib, der für euch gegeben wird; das tut zu meinem Gedächtnis.
25 Desgleichen nahm er auch den Kelch nach dem Mahl und sprach: Dieser Kelch ist der neue Bund3 in meinem Blut; das tut, sooft ihr daraus trinkt, zu meinem Gedächtnis.
26 Denn so oft ihr von diesem Brot esst und aus dem Kelch trinkt, verkündigt ihr den Tod des Herrn, bis er kommt.
27 Wer nun unwürdig4 von dem Brot isst oder aus dem Kelch des Herrn trinkt, der wird schuldig sein am Leib und Blut des Herrn.
28 Der Mensch prüfe aber sich selbst, und so esse er von diesem Brot und trinke aus diesem Kelch.
29 Denn wer so isst und trinkt, dass er den Leib des Herrn nicht achtet, der isst und trinkt sich selber zum Gericht.
30 Darum sind auch viele Schwache und Kranke unter euch, und nicht wenige sind entschlafen.
31 Wenn wir uns selber richteten, so würden wir nicht gerichtet.
32 Wenn wir aber von dem Herrn gerichtet werden, so werden wir gezüchtigt, damit wir nicht samt der Welt verdammt werden.

Sunday´s Sermon



2013.08.25                                     He is Risen!
                          Luke 24: 1- 12
Welcome….. It´s wonderful to see you all here this morning….. As most of you know… We teach through the Bible verse by verse…. We have been walking with Jesus through the Gospel of Luke…. What a privilege….
It seems like yesterday that we read Luke 1:1 and began our walk through History as we studied the life of Jesus…… Thanks to the Word of God….. we were there when the long promised coming of the Messiah was announced…. We were there with Jesus as he stood up in the Synagogue in his home town of Nazareth to read from the Scriptures…. Luke 4: 17- 29…
Jesus read from Isaiah chapter 61…. It was prophesy about the Messiah……. A prophesy about Himself…… He said…… I am the Messiah and I have come…… This was Jesus´ announcement and the official beginning of His Ministry…….
Let´s turn to Isaiah 1…
Isaiah 61: 1-3                       NKJV   
61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61: 1-3                          Schlachter 2000
1 Der Geist des Herrn, des Herrschers, ist auf mir, weil der Herr mich gesalbt hat, den Armen frohe Botschaft zu verkünden; er hat mich gesandt, zu verbinden, die zerbrochenen Herzens sind, den Gefangenen Befreiung zu verkünden und Öffnung des Kerkers den Gebundenen,
2 um zu verkündigen das angenehme Jahr1 des Herrn und den Tag der Rache unseres Gottes, und um zu trösten alle Trauernden;
3 um den Trauernden von Zion zu verleihen, daß ihnen Kopfschmuck statt Asche gegeben werde, Freudenöl statt Trauer und Feierkleider statt eines betrübten Geistes, daß sie genannt werden »Bäume2 der Gerechtigkeit«, eine »Pflanzung des Herrn« zu seinem Ruhm.
What Good News…..  forgiveness….. deliverance from sin….. It´s in there…… look at verse 2…. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord….. and the day of vengeance of our God…. The Message of Good news is only good news for those who turn from their sin and rebellion and repent of their sins……. Those who come to Him in repentance are the only ones who find these promises fulfilled…. Verse 2…. Comfort for all who mourn…. Verse 3…. Oil of Joy for mourning…. Wonderful news….. if we repent….. we find forgiveness and comfort and joy….
As we look at the event in Luke 4….. Jesus formally announces His Ministry…. In the crowd we find many fans of Jesus there…… friends and neighbors…. Even some family…. Some realize that He is rebuking their unbelief and they become His enemies and try to Kill him for the first time…. Let´s read a little piece of the text… Luke 4: 28…
Luke 4: 28-30                            NKJV   
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Luke 4: 28-30                      Schlachter 2000
28 Da wurden alle in der Synagoge voll Zorn, als sie dies hörten.
29 Und sie standen auf und stießen ihn zur Stadt hinaus und führten ihn an den Rand des Berges, auf dem ihre Stadt gebaut war, um ihn hinabzustürzen.
30 Er aber ging mitten durch sie hindurch und zog weiter.
One minute a fan of Jesus…. And the next…… let´s kill him…. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus…..
 No matter what you think…… You cannot remain a fan of Jesus….. We either repent of our sin and pride and rebellion…. Or we turn away from the truth that we are sinners who desperately need a Savior…… When we refuse to repent…. We experience a hardening of our hearts and we suppress the truth in our own hearts and minds….. That what we learn in Romans 1….. We stand on the truth….. because we do not want God to rule our lives….
Last week we witnessed the cross….. Jesus was crucified for our sins……..
It is the cross that changes everything for us….. If we repent and believe….. Jesus paid for our sins…. For my sins……. As we saw last week…
God the Father accepted His sacrifice….. The wall of partician…. The barrier between us and a Holy God was opened again…..
God rips open the Holy of Holies because Jesus Christ has made a way for us ….. The cross is our atonement…... Our forgiveness…… The torn curtain is access to the Mercy seat…. Access to the Father…. Remember it was God´s plan all along….. God is by nature a saving God……..
By Jesus death the New Covenant is realized….. It had been in effect…. people had been saved before that…. but the official ratification and activation of that New Covenant didn’t happen until Jesus died on the cross….. and then God split the curtain and threw open the way to His presence…...
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…. Jesus opened the way to the Father once for all by his sacrifice on the cross…….. How wonderful…. God is there at the cross in judgment against sin….. but…... That’s not all…..  He also ripped the curtain(veil) into the Holy of Holies…. This is Good news…..
Let´s pick up our text where we left off last week….. This morning the Father puts His miraculous exclamation point on Jesus loving sacrifice……. The Resurrection!
He is Risen….. He is Risen indeed!
 Luke 24 verse 1….
Luke 24: 1- 12                   NKJV
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,[a] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly[b] perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying[c] by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke 24: 1- 12                       Schlachter 2000
 1 Am ersten Tag der Woche aber kamen sie am frühen Morgen zum Grab und brachten die wohlriechenden Gewürze, die sie bereitet hatten und noch etliche mit ihnen.
2 Sie fanden aber den Stein von dem Grab weggewälzt.
3 Und als sie hineingingen, fanden sie den Leib des Herrn Jesus nicht.
4 Und es geschah, als sie deswegen ganz ratlos waren, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in strahlenden Gewändern bei ihnen.
5 Da sie nun erschraken und das Angesicht zur Erde neigten, sprachen diese zu ihnen: Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?
6 Er ist nicht hier, sondern er ist auferstanden! Denkt daran, wie er zu euch redete, als er noch in Galiläa war,
7 und sagte: »Der Sohn des Menschen muß in die Hände sündiger Menschen ausgeliefert und gekreuzigt werden und am dritten Tag auferstehen«.
8 Da erinnerten sie sich an seine Worte,
9 und sie kehrten vom Grab zurück und verkündigten das alles den Elfen und allen übrigen.
10 Es waren aber Maria Magdalena und Johanna und Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, die dies den Aposteln sagten, sie und die übrigen mit ihnen.
11 Und ihre Worte kamen ihnen vor wie ein Märchen, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab, bückte sich und sah nur die leinenen Tücher daliegen; und er ging nach Hause, voll Staunen über das, was geschehen war.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the central truth of Christianity…. In fact, without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no Christianity…… The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is not a bad ending to the story…… It is the story… The story of redemption…. The purpose of His life…….
The church has always understood that…… In fact, the church understood it right from the day of the resurrection on…… Ever since that time……the church has chosen to meet on Sunday….. the first day of the week….. the day that Jesus rose from the dead…… Every Sunday we celebrate the most important event in human history….. Jesus´ resurrection from the dead…..  
Resurrection is the divine stamp of approval of the work that He did on the cross……. Without the resurrection, the cross means nothing…..
When God raised Jesus from the dead…. He was confirming the fact that He had indeed bore our sins in His own body on the cross…...
Jesus satisfied the justice of God with His sin bearing…... Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless……
The resurrection is everything…... He is Risen….. That´s the Good News….
The purpose of the gospel is not just that we might experience the forgiveness of sin….. The purpose of the gospel is that we having been forgiven of our sin……… could enter in to eternal life and fellowship with God forever….. in perfect holiness and perfect joy in glorified physical resurrected bodies…... Bodily   resurrection is essential to Christianity…...
Listen to the importance of the resurrection in the language of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15…. V 14….
1 Corinthians 15: 14-20                  NKJV 
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15: 14-20           Schlachter 2000
14 Wenn aber Christus nicht auferstanden ist, so ist unsere Verkündigung vergeblich, und vergeblich auch euer Glaube!
15 Wir werden aber auch als falsche Zeugen Gottes erfunden, weil wir von Gott bezeugt haben, daß er Christus auferweckt hat, während er ihn doch nicht auferweckt hat, wenn wirklich Tote nicht auferweckt werden!
16 Denn wenn Tote nicht auferweckt werden, so ist auch Christus nicht auferweckt worden.
17 Ist aber Christus nicht auferweckt worden, so ist euer Glaube nichtig, so seid ihr noch in euren Sünden;
18 dann sind auch die in Christus Entschlafenen verloren.
19 Wenn wir nur in diesem Leben auf Christus hoffen, so sind wir die elendesten unter allen Menschen!
20 Nun aber ist Christus aus den Toten auferweckt; er ist der Erstling der Entschlafenen geworden.

If Christ is not raised from the dead in bodily form, then all gospel preaching is useless….There is no Christianity without the resurrection….. None….. If Jesus is not risen from the dead….  our preaching is useless, your faith is useless…..  
But Christ has been raised, verse 20… and is the firstfruits of those who are asleep…... If Jesus isn’t raised, there is no New Testament to be believed….. There is no preaching about Christ to be believed….. Your faith is worthless….. But He has been raised from the dead….. And this is the Good News…… Because He lives….. you will also live…..
We give a lot of time to the cross and rightly we should….. Jesus died in our place…. but it is the resurrection that vindicates the cross….
All four gospels record the resurrection….. The book of Acts records the history of the preaching of the resurrection….. as the apostles and the prophets go out and proclaim the Good News… that He arose from the dead in physical form and so will everyone who put their trust in Him…. Then the epistles give us the explanation and the implications of the resurrection.... Paul and the others  show us what it means…..
How do we understand the resurrection….. and how do we apply that great reality to our lives….  This book records for us what happened…. And it shows us what we need to do about it….
Prior to the resurrection, Jesus says it’s going to happen…... Then it happens….. Then it’s preached……. Then it’s explained and applied….. and finally we see the fulfilling of everything in the book of Revelation…..
All of the Gospel accounts give us the  testimony of the women who had seen the risen Christ with their own eyes….   And they all note the unbelief of the Apostles…... The emptiness of the tomb, the testimony of the angels, the witness of the women, and the temporary unbelief of the Apostles, these are the four core evidences for a real resurrection…….
First…  the empty of the tomb…… Let’s look at our text….. Luke 24…v1…
Luke 24: 1- 3                          NKJV
1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,[a] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24: 1- 3        Schlachter 2000
 1 Aber am ersten Tag der Woche sehr früh kamen sie zum Grab und trugen bei sich die wohlriechenden Öle, die sie bereitet hatten.
2 Sie fanden aber den Stein weggewälzt von dem Grab
3 und gingen hinein und fanden den Leib des Herrn Jesus nicht.
They went in….
These women are identified in verse 10…. Mary Magdalene… Joanna… Mary the mother of James…. and the other women….. Mark 16:1 names one of them Salome… probably six or more women…..   They were there at the cross, remember? Standing there watching Jesus while He was dying in silence… If you go back in to Luke chapter 23 they are also there when Jesus is buried, verse 55…...
They saw the death of Christ…. They saw Him die……   They were there when He was buried…… They were the ones who witnessed everything that happened to jesus…..
They went home  and prepared spices and came back on Sunday when the Sabbath was over….. to anoint the body of Jesus…..
It is now dawn on Sunday morning, an early dawn….. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb…..  When they entered they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus…...
Jesus did exactly what He said He would do, He would rise again on the third day…..
Now to put the story together….  it appears that Mary Magdalene and one other Mary, Mary the mother of Joseph and James and the wife of Cleopas, they start out together according to the other gospel records….. They start out together but  Mary   gets there first…..
According to John 20, she arrives while it’s still very  dark….   Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb….  she sees the stone is rolled away….. She decides that somebody has stolen the body of Jesus….. She doesn’t go in the tomb….. She doesn’t go and look for the other women…. She turns and heads back to tell the disciples…   to Peter and John, to tell them that somebody has stolen the body of Jesus…...
She had forgotten what Jesus had said about rising from the dead…… Perhaps it was her grief and sorrow…. She didn´t even think of it….. Resurrection? It was not in their mids…. They didn´t think of it as an explanation…. none of the women did, she didn’t, the apostles didn't, no one did…..
Peter and John listen to her message and decide they’ve got to go and check it out….. So they head toward the tomb…... Well probably before Mary ever got to them….. the other women finally  arrived at the tomb….. and that’s where we see the story here…… The other women have arrived…...
They are a little more patient to try to discern what’s gone on here and so Luke says they entered the tomb…... They didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus…… What they did find was the grave clothes lying in perfect place…. as we learn later from  Peter and John….
They have no idea of what has happened…... Matthew tells us what has happened…… “In the dark of night,” Matthew 28:2 to 4 says…..  an angel came down from heaven simultaneous to the angel coming down there was a very severe earthquake that shook the ground….. And the soldiers saw the angels…. felt the earthquake…. saw the dazzling blazing angel roll the stone away and sit on it….. And then they fainted in a semi-coma out of sheer terror and shock…... But they remembered what they had seen up to that moment…..”
When they finally woke up…. the angel was no longer there…. But since the stone was  rolled away……. They must have looked in to check……
And immediately they headed for the Jewish leaders…… And when they got to the Jewish leaders they told them what had happened…..
We were there….. We had the place guarded…. We had it secured…. Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake….. Then down out of the sky comes a dazzling, blazing angel who pushes the stone away and sits on it…. And we checked the tomb, and there’s no body there….
The   Jewish leaders say…... You can’t tell anybody that……..  You have to lie and say the disciples stole the body…... And we’re going to pay you, here’s some money to lie….. Now why do you invent a lie? To cover up the truth….. Say his disciples stole the body…..
They knew no one could steal the body…. not with the Roman guards there….
The tomb was empty….. Impossible…..but it was empty….
And the soldiers were guarding the grave…..They knew they had a resurrection….. They knew there was no other explanation….. They knew the soldiers had checked the tomb….. Jesus   wasn’t there…...
All four gospel writers make it clear the tomb is empty…. and there is no explanation for that…. except the resurrection…... The Second line of strong evidence is the testimony from the angels, verses 4 to 7…..

Luke 24:4- 7                         NKJV
4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
Luke 24: 4- 7                Schlachter 2000
4 Und es geschah, als sie deswegen ganz ratlos waren, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in strahlenden Gewändern bei ihnen.
5 Da sie nun erschraken und das Angesicht zur Erde neigten, sprachen diese zu ihnen: Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?
6 Er ist nicht hier, sondern er ist auferstanden! Denkt daran, wie er zu euch redete, als er noch in Galiläa war,
7 und sagte: »Der Sohn des Menschen muß in die Hände sündiger Menschen ausgeliefert und gekreuzigt werden und am dritten Tag auferstehen«.
This is very important evidence….  . Two angels come from God…. and declares to them that He is risen from the dead…. He is not here……
So you have the emptiness of the tomb…. and you have the message of the angels to verify the resurrection…… You have the evidence from the facts and the evidence from supernatural divine revelation….. Now that brings us to the third and the fourth lines of evidence the New Testament writers give us….. Thirdly, the witness of the women......This is wonderful….. let´s start with verse 8……

Luke 24: 8                NKJV    Schlachter 2000
8 And they remembered His words.
8 Da erinnerten sie sich an seine Worte,
He had told them He would be delivered to sinful men, crucified, third day rise again…. Here in verse 8, they remembered His words…...
There were at least three separate occasions that Jesus said this…...   He told them that   He would be crucified and He would rise again the third day……. And now it’s beginning to make sense…... The angels bring them a revelation they can’t deny…… They’re starting to get it….. They remembered His words…..Verse 9…
Luke 24: 9- 12                        NKJV    
 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
Luke 24: 9- 12                       Schlachter 2000
9 und sie kehrten vom Grab zurück und verkündigten das alles den Elfen und allen übrigen.
10 Es waren aber Maria Magdalena und Johanna und Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, die dies den Aposteln sagten, sie und die übrigen mit ihnen.
11 Und ihre Worte kamen ihnen vor wie ein Märchen, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab, bückte sich und sah nur die leinenen Tücher daliegen; und er ging nach Hause, voll Staunen über das, was geschehen war.

The women returned   to tell the eleven and   all the others what they had seen and heard from the Angels…….. Before they even got to the disciples…. Peter and John had already talked to Mary Magdalene….. She said that the body of Jesus had been stolen…. Mary never looked in the tomb….. She never saw the grave clothes….. She never saw the angel…..  So they ran to the tomb to see for themselves… Back to the other women….  Something more happened on the way…... Matthew gives us even more of what happened that day…. They see Jesus…
Look at Matthew 28….. v5…
Matthew 28: 5- 10             NKJV
 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. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”


Matthew 28: 5- 10             Schlachter 2000
5 Aber der Engel sprach zu den Frauen: Fürchtet euch nicht! Ich weiß, dass ihr Jesus, den Gekreuzigten, sucht.
6 Er ist nicht hier; er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat. Kommt her und seht die Stätte, wo er gelegen hat;
7 und geht eilends hin und sagt seinen Jüngern, dass er auferstanden ist von den Toten. Und siehe, er wird vor euch hingehen nach Galiläa; dort werdet ihr ihn sehen. Siehe, ich habe es euch gesagt.
8 Und sie gingen eilends weg vom Grab mit Furcht und großer Freude und liefen, um es seinen Jüngern zu verkündigen.
9 Und siehe, da begegnete ihnen Jesus und sprach: Seid gegrüßt! Und sie traten zu ihm und umfassten seine Füße und fielen vor ihm nieder.
10 Da sprach Jesus zu ihnen: Fürchtet euch nicht! Geht hin und verkündigt es meinen Brüdern, dass sie nach Galiläa gehen: Dort werden sie mich sehen.
  they went out quickly with feat and….. Great Joy…..
This is important….. These faithful women are the very first disciples to see the Risen Lord Jesus…….   
So now they’ve seen the empty tomb….. They’ve heard the angelic divine revelation…… And they’ve seen the risen Christ…… Then Jesus said to them…. Go, take Word to My brethren to leave for Galilee and there they shall see Me…..   
So the women as they head back to tell the others what the Angel said…..  see the risen Lord Jesus….   
This is a loving testimony to Jesus´ love of the women…. this is the same little group of a half dozen or so that saw Jesus die…. that saw Jesus buried…. They got to see Jesus risen from the dead…..  they are the only ones who can give credible eye-witness testimony…….  We saw him die…… We saw him risen fron the dead….
They’re the eyewitnesses of everything that happened….
Mary Magdalene is also an eye witness to Jesus resurrection…. Even though she didn´t see the angels that morning……
How can she belong to the group of eyewitnesses when she didn’t go in the empty tomb and she didn’t hear the angels say anything? She left before the angels  appeared….. And she had not seen the risen Christ…. so how can she be one of the witnesses?  Turn to John 20…. this is wonderful…..
Answer: This lady went back to the tomb….. After Peter and John go into the tomb….she decides she has to go back…... So in John 20 verse 11 we find her standing outside the tomb weeping…... She’s all alone….. And so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb and she beheld two angels in white sitting there in the tomb…… Now they’re sitting on the inside…..
John 20: 11-16                     NKJV
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
John 20: 11-16                    Schlachter 2000
 11 Maria aber stand draußen vor dem Grab und weinte. Als sie nun weinte, schaute sie in das Grab
12 und sieht zwei Engel in weißen Gewändern sitzen, einen zu Häupten und den andern zu den Füßen, wo sie den Leichnam Jesu hingelegt hatten.
13 Und die sprachen zu ihr: Frau, was weinst du? Sie spricht zu ihnen: Sie haben meinen Herrn weggenommen, und ich weiß nicht, wo sie ihn hingelegt haben.
14 Und als sie das sagte, wandte sie sich um und sieht Jesus stehen und weiß nicht, dass es Jesus ist.
15 Spricht Jesus zu ihr: Frau, was weinst du? Wen suchst du? Sie meint, es sei der Gärtner, und spricht zu ihm: Herr, hast du ihn weggetragen, so sage mir, wo du ihn hingelegt hast; dann will ich ihn holen.
16 Spricht Jesus zu ihr: Maria! Da wandte sie sich um und spricht zu ihm auf Hebräisch: Rabbuni!, das heißt: Meister!
Now all these women are giving testimony to the same thing….. They have all seen Jesus on this Glorious Sunday morning…. Now we have  multiple eyewitnesses….. . And this is just the beginning….. He appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, as we’ll see…… Peter also saw Him separately… That night He appeared to the Eleven, except for Thomas….. A week later He appears to the Eleven with Thomas….. He appears to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius in Galilee…... Then He appears to 500 brethren at one time…..   Then He appears to James…. Then He appears to the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee where He gave them the Great Commission…… Then He appears in Jerusalem at the time of His ascension….. Then He appears to Saul on the Damascus Road…. appears to Paul again in the temple….. We have many, many eyewitnesses of our  risen LORD Jesus Christ…..
The unbelieving disciples…... become the most powerful evidence of the resurrection exactly because at first they didn´t believe….. It was not something that they would make up…. It was nonsense….. Back to Luke 24 in verse 11…..
Luke 24: 11,12                    NKJV     
11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
 Luke 24: 11,12                   Schlachter 2000
11 Und es erschienen ihnen diese Worte, als wär's Geschwätz, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
 12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab und bückte sich hinein und sah nur die Leinentücher und ging davon und wunderte sich über das, was geschehen war.
At first….  They thought the whole thing was absolute nonsense…… And they would not believe them…..
After Peter saw the empty tomb and the linen wrappings….He went away to his own home amazed at what had happened…..
The disciples  didn’t want to believe the testimony of the women….. And Peter and John came back and said, “Well it’s a bizarre deal….. The tomb is open and the tomb is empty and the grave clothes are lying there….. And, you know, He may be alive.” But even then….  they’re not ready to fully commit……
However, before the day is over, He appears to all of them….. He is Risen….. Indeed!
Peter 1 Peter….. Paul  Ephesians 1+2….
Communion
This morning we are going to celebrate Communion together…… In communion we are reminded of several important things….
1 Jesus shed His blood and died for our sins….. Crucifixion
2 Jesus is alive….
resurrection
3 We are members of Him and of each other….
Restored fellowship…
1 Cor 11: 23-32                   NKJV
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[d] of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[e] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[f] body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
 1 Cor 11: 23-32                   Schlachter 2000
23 Denn ich habe von dem Herrn empfangen, was ich euch weitergegeben habe: Der Herr Jesus, in der Nacht, da er verraten ward, nahm er das Brot,
24 dankte und brach's und sprach:2 Das ist mein Leib, der für euch gegeben wird; das tut zu meinem Gedächtnis.
25 Desgleichen nahm er auch den Kelch nach dem Mahl und sprach: Dieser Kelch ist der neue Bund3 in meinem Blut; das tut, sooft ihr daraus trinkt, zu meinem Gedächtnis.
26 Denn so oft ihr von diesem Brot esst und aus dem Kelch trinkt, verkündigt ihr den Tod des Herrn, bis er kommt.
27 Wer nun unwürdig4 von dem Brot isst oder aus dem Kelch des Herrn trinkt, der wird schuldig sein am Leib und Blut des Herrn.
28 Der Mensch prüfe aber sich selbst, und so esse er von diesem Brot und trinke aus diesem Kelch.
29 Denn wer so isst und trinkt, dass er den Leib des Herrn nicht achtet, der isst und trinkt sich selber zum Gericht.
30 Darum sind auch viele Schwache und Kranke unter euch, und nicht wenige sind entschlafen.
31 Wenn wir uns selber richteten, so würden wir nicht gerichtet.
32 Wenn wir aber von dem Herrn gerichtet werden, so werden wir gezüchtigt, damit wir nicht samt der Welt verdammt werden.