Our text this morning comes from the Gospel of Luke. We're beginning in verse 50, and we're actually spilling into chapter 24 which you may or may not be surprised. This is the last chapter in Luke. Many of you thought this day would never come, but we're entering into the last chapter of Luke, so that's exciting for us.
Let's pray, and then we'll read the Word of God. Let's pray Our Father. We, thank You that You have given us Your Word. We, thank You that You have given us Luke's account.
His account that he is labored over to give, with much detail, an accurate rendering of all that Christ is, what was doing, and his birth, His life, His death, His burial and His resurrection. And so Lord, as we come to your word, I pray that you will give us better understanding of it. To consider this account, to consider our hearts and to consider new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in his name, we pray, Amen, people of God, hear God's word for us this morning from the Gospel of Luke beginning in chapter three, verse 50, and I'll be reading through chapter 2412, now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decision and action. He was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid it in a tomb cut in stone where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment, but on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away with from the tomb. But when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel, and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you why he was still in Galilee, the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. And they remembered his words. And returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the 11 and to all the rest.
Now it was Mary, Magdalene and Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. But these words seem to them in idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in, he saw the linen clothes by themselves, and went home, marveling at what had happened. He who has ears, let him hear the Word of God.
Please be seated.
Jesus Christ is truly dead.
That is what has happened just before our text here, Jesus breathed his last, and he gave his spirit willingly to the Father.
You remember, the sky went dark and midday for three hours, and the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom.
And many people, even those who were shouting, crucify crucify him and participating in the crucifixion, they go away and they're mournful, they're sorrowful, they're sad.
And maybe after hearing last week's text, you left feeling that way too, or maybe even this morning, you feel sorrowful based off of circumstances in life that are already happening in the new year. It's so early in the new year, and yet you're not anticipating life going this way or that way, and the disciples are there with you. Things are not going as they intended them to go. Things are not going how they had hoped you.
They thought Jesus was great and powerful, and then he gets himself arrested, and now he's crucified and truly dead. And our text begins with Jesus is now lifeless body hanging on the cross.
And it wasn't a foregone conclusion that those who are crucified would be buried no in those times, if you were to hang on the cross and die, your shame didn't end there. It continued with you. They would often just take the bodies of these men who were shamefully put to death and just toss him in a pile of other bodies to be burned. Remember the place was called Golgotha, or Golgotha the place of the skull. They're probably just skulls of people that were just burnt up, and there's no honor there.
And if you look around in the passage of what's happening here in this that Luke's giving to us. Who's going to do anything about Jesus's body anyway? Where are Jesus's friends? They're not there. What are the women going to do? No one's going to listen to the women. Even if the women somehow got the courage to go to Pilate, he's not going to listen to them. He's there's no obvious person who's going to step forward and seek to so show some honor now to Jesus and His death, but for such a time like this, like Esther, if you remember, someone comes out of nowhere.
His name is Joseph, and he's from, we're told he's from the the Jewish town of Arimathea.
And Joseph is a reminder to us that even if the world seems barren, if the world seems that it has forgotten God, God has kept a people for Himself, even if you don't know it similar to, if you remember back in the Old Testament, Elijah felt that way.
He felt very alone, felt very isolated. And he just said, God, there's no one else.
And God said, No, I have 7000 who have not yet bowed their knee to Bell. And Joseph of Arimathea is like that. We don't hear anything else about him, and he comes from out of nowhere that God has a person for himself. And he comes here at the right moment Joseph takes the nails out of Jesus's hands and feet, and he lowers his body off the cross that just a moment ago, had life, but now has no life. And he lowers Jesus's body the ground, we're told, and gently wraps it in clean linen and takes him to be placed in a new tomb. No one had ever been laid in that tomb before, and that was uncommon most tombs, they would have multiple bodies put in but this is a brand new tomb, so no one has yet been put into it. So there's no confusion when you go into this tomb about which one is Jesus's body. It's not like this is my grandfather over here and so and so, there's one body in this tomb, and everyone knows whose body it is. It's Jesus's body, and there are witnesses. There other accounts tell us that Nicodemus, remember Nicodemus, that Nicodemus actually helps Joseph of Arimathea. The women are around here as well, we are told, and that there's many others, in fact, around too, because they are setting guards around the tomb. Our our text doesn't tell us here, but the other Gospel accounts remind us that they're just guards going to be set around here. They're going to make sure that no one's going to mess with this body.
And the tomb is then sealed, and now there are soldiers guarding it.
And you know, no one is prepared for Jesus's death. The women in our text clearly are not prepared. They are told, we're told that they return back to get spices and ointments to honor Jesus. You think if someone were to pass away, we might want to bring flowers, but how they want to honor Jesus in that day and age is to bring these ointments and and spices to the body.
But it's the Sabbath and their Sabbatarian, they're, they're keepers of the Sabbath. They're keeping the commandments. So they're, they're not, they're going to rest from their labors that day.
And this is the last recorded Old Testament Sabbath, actually, here in our text, before it shifts to Sunday.
But then after the Sabbath is over, they make their way to the grave. And as they're making their way to the grave, they remember the tomb sealed, and they got this heavy rock in front of it, who's going to move it for us. You know, if only there were some strong men around, maybe a.
11 of them who could help us, but the apostles aren't there.
They're afraid there's they're up in this upper room somewhere.
They're not there with the women. And so here you have these women.
They're depressed, they're exhausted, and they're mourning with no hope whatsoever.
And then it gets even worse for them. As they get there, to their surprise, the stone is already moved away.
Then they go in and they again, another surprise. Not only is the stone moved away, but Jesus's body isn't even there.
We saw him placed here. Where is he? And now the women, their grief grows greater that they're even in the distraught grows.
Where did the body go? Would someone just tell us, we just want to honor Jesus? And then there's another surprise, verse four, why they were perplexed about this. Behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel, and as they were frightened, bowed their faces to the ground.
Here we have two angels who show themselves, and they shine like lightning the empty tomb and the two angels. It doesn't bring joy to these women, it brings great fear.
And they say, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but risen.
You know, I actually just want to take a step back to the point that Jesus is dead. In other accounts, we're told that Pilate is surprised that Jesus was already dead when Joseph goes to get him, and the guards say that, you know, we we were going to break the guy's legs, but he's already dead. We ran him in with the spear, and, you know, the blood and water came out. Yeah, he was really dead and and we might be quick to do what I even just did, is to kind of quickly run through that little text with Joseph of Arimathea, and to not pause on it just a little bit more. And I just want to do that before going any further, because in those historic creeds, we confess that Jesus Christ was crucified, dead and buried, and the burial is confirming his death. It's like saying in the creeds that that Jesus was crucified dead and really dead.
And why is there so much emphasis on Jesus being completely dead, rather than as Mad Max or miracle Max, not Mad Max, Miracle max. And the princess bride says mostly dead, No, Jesus is truly dead.
Because if Jesus isn't truly dead, there's really no sacrifice for our sins. If Jesus isn't truly dead, dead, there's no atonement without the shedding of blood.
It was not enough for Jesus to be born as we just celebrated.
That doesn't bring you your salvation. Jesus being born and even in a low state and in a manger, that doesn't bring your salvation. It was not enough for him to be perfectly righteous, which he was, it was not enough for him, even just to suffer and be crucified.
He had to die.
The Lamb of God had to really and truly be sacrificed for your sin to be taken away, and so Jesus is crucified, dead and buried.
And this when Jesus that Joseph comes in and lowers him to the ground.
But sorry, I know that was out of out of order, but important note. And now let's get back to the angels. So the angels are now in front of these women, and they asked them an important question, why do you seek the living among the dead? He's not here, but has risen and again, just to emphasize, the angels show up and Jesus's body isn't there, the the stone has been rolled away, and the lady's response is not, yes, we knew it all along.
Those things combined, it brings great fear. It brings terror, if that is all we are left with.
And the angels tell them, actually, ladies, you're in the wrong place. This is the place of the dead. You.
And Jesus is living. He's not here yet. Why? Why are you here?
There's, there's a, there's a loving correction that these angels are are telling these women, you don't need to be here. This is the place of the dead. Jesus is not dead, but alive. There's no point looking around here.
And these women, like many people today, and I think the temptation for many of us in these texts is just to think poor Jesus. Remember, we have an obligation to just go to the grave to honor Jesus. So we have an obligation to go to church to honor Jesus's memories and the good things that he taught. You know, we have an obligation, you know, to have some sorrow for what happened on the cross, and we want to promote. You know how Jesus was such a good friend and taught people to love, and he was such a good example, good friend and teacher.
But that's a difference between moralism and true Christian faith, because Jesus is no longer dead, he is risen and reigning.
If Jesus was still dead, what difference would that make to you in your life? I mean, everyone agrees that Jesus died and was buried in a tomb. His body was gone. But the question is, did he really rise from the dead, as we read in our text?
Well, how can we believe this?
How do you know that Jesus rose from the dead? Well, you know, it's not enough that the tomb is empty.
It's not enough that the stone has been rolled away. And it's interesting here, the the angels actually don't try to explain to the women to refute different explanations and alternatives to make to make the women understand. Like, you know, the disciples didn't come and steal Jesus's body away. And the Romans or the Jewish people, they didn't do anything to the body. And you know you're definitely in the right tomb.
You somehow didn't mistake it as a different tomb. And they don't lay out all these different examples of to prove to these women of how they know Jesus is risen from the dead. What do the angels give us? They give us the one sure thing, how we know Jesus is risen from the dead, and how you this morning, can know that Jesus is alive and risen and reigning.
How do you know Jesus said it and that's enough.
That's enough His Word, and that's what the the angels tell them. He says, Remember?
Remember how he told you, he said he would do it, and he does it. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise, you can look, look at that in Luke nine and Luke 18, Jesus has said this, and all of Jesus's words come true, crucified, dead, buried and risen. Remember Jesus's words. Remember Jesus's words. Remember Jesus's words.
This is the lesson for us this day, to remember what Jesus has said, that there's nothing that Jesus says that doesn't happen, that doesn't that doesn't occur.
He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.
Their worries, though, have choked out the words of Jesus and their life, causing them to forget, causing them not to remember.
But the JC Ryle, he says, we don't readily forget the things we love the most. You know it's hard to forget your children's names. It happens, but it's difficult or beloved's face, because we love them.
And the more our affection grows towards Jesus and our love for Him grows, the more that we will remember Jesus, you know, even as we come to the Lord's table, this little table, you know, has those words graved on it? Do this in remembrance of Me, because that's what Jesus said.
Because this is our problem. We forget. We forget. We forget. We allow the circumstances of life, the challenges and the difficulties, to help the help make us forget and to be afraid and to choke out the things that Jesus has said that he's risen and reigning and ruling. And what can man do to you?
Let us not forget Jesus's words, because as soon as they remember as the word is preached to them by these angels, as Jesus has preached to.
To then they're no longer perplexed. You see that, as it says, as they remembered, they come to understand that Jesus is not among the dead, but he's among the living.
They remember that he is the Son of God. They remember that he is truly satisfied God's God's justice against their sin.
They remember that they will see Jesus again.
They remember that his death would bring them life.
And this news is so good that they can't keep it to themselves, so they immediately go to the disciples, and they testify what they have seen and heard, proclaiming to their brothers the resurrection. He's alive, just as he said, the angels helped us remember that.
And the apostles were told in the text. They were expecting it. They were just waiting. Wow, man, they were they were ready, of course. No, look what it says. These words seem to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. The disciples don't believe at first, it sounded like nonsense to them. These women are a little more emotional than they ought to be. That's probably what they're thinking. They're tired. Just take a nap.
Get, you know, get get some more sleep. I know the lots happen.
We're all sad, we're all morning, but this is nonsense.
You know, we're, we're men, we're we're we're more rational, we're we're smarter than these emotional women, right? It's just an idle tale. That's exactly what's happening here in this text, again, though not only the disciples, but this is actually how most people think of the resurrection.
It's a fairy tale.
It's an idol tale. We don't believe it. I mean, if it helps you find whatever, but it's not really real, right? And that's exactly how the disciples are responding. Disciples are just like that. And I think that's encouraging for us, because there are so often times in our lives, too, where we doubt the words of God. We'd actually don't believe them. We might not say we don't believe them, but functionally in how we live our lives and how we're thinking, we're saying, I don't actually believe that God is ruling all things well and for His glory and for my good.
And think how many times they had heard Jesus. Think about many times they had heard Jesus preach, and his words don't come to mind they had forgotten. And think how many sermons you have heard about the birth and the death and the resurrection of Jesus, Christ. But how often we forget? How many of us actually remember the sermon, even from last week? I have a hard time doing that, and I preach it. We forget things so quickly. We forget Christ so quickly. We hear many things, but we don't store them up in our hearts. We don't meditate on them, and we forget them as fast as we've heard them. But sometimes affliction helps us recall these things, and it's also encouraging, I think, because when the Lord changes these men's heart, the apostles, they they're radically changed. They go from great sorrow and mourning and remembering, and they're bold. You'll we'll see as we look to Acts not in the too distant future, and they're preaching boldly about Christ and risen and reigning. And you know how most people will respond, that's an idle tale. We don't believe it, and the same is true today. That's the response to the Gospel. And maybe even you're here this morning, and you know you're here because you're here with family, or again, you feel some kind of moral obligation to show some sympathy towards Jesus and the cause of Christ. But no, Jesus is risen and reigning. He is the Lord and Savior.
And often we have no patience as a church for those who do not believe in the resurrection. But here it's a reminder we need patience, because even the disciples, too are doubting what Jesus said, they have unbelief, and they are forgetful, but God transforms their hearts and they believe. And we even see Peter. He, he rises up and he, he runs to the tomb, and he stoops in and he looks, and he sees the linen calls by them.
Selves, and he went home marveling at what he had said.
And of course, Peter goes and checks it out. And he goes and checks it out because it's his only hope that Jesus is alive.
But the question I want to ask to you, in a similar way, is, Have you truly investigated the cause of Christianity? Have you investigated the resurrection. Is Christ really living and reigning or not?
You know, again, we're in the last chapter of Luke. But you remember how Luke begins? What's the whole what's Luke's purpose is to give you an accurate account. This is an investigative report that we have here in the scriptures.
He's writing to give you a reliable account of everything that was happened. How did those disciples recover so quickly from their despair? Why did Christians start worshiping on Sunday rather than Saturday? You know? Why would witnesses even confess that they didn't believe it? At first, my encouragement for us is as a church is to lovingly hear the correction and the encouragement from the disciples, to remember Jesus, to remember his words, to let us remember him, not in a mere Memorial sense, but by faith. Receive Jesus's words, all of them as true as yes and amen. Remember what he has said. Everything he has said comes to pass, crucified, dead, buried and now risen and reigning. You know what's next, and the Apostles Creed, a Nicene Creed. There's something yet to come. Remember what's going to happen after he's risen and reigning, he's coming again to judge the living and the dead. And I say that to you as a reminder, there is one more thing that is yet to occur that Jesus has clearly said that's going to happen. And just as clearly as he said that he would die, be crucified, be buried and rise, and it so happened, he has said he is coming again to judge the living and the dead. And are you ready?
Have you prepared your heart?
Have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, because that is your only hope. He will come again with glory, with judgment.
For all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can know that your sins are pardoned, that the Lamb of God was sacrificed on your behalf.
But if this is but an idle tale, if you're here just to appease a family member or that people might think better of you, beware and be warned.
He comes with judgment.
Today is the day of salvation.
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and put your faith in Him. He is risen, and he is risen. Indeed, let's pray, Father, we thank you for your words, and Lord we confess to you. We often, not only forget, we do forget, but we often just do not believe, even when the word is proclaimed to us, we often doubt you.
And Lord, I pray just like the disciples that you would forgive us and cleanse us and strengthen us, that we would be able to go boldly from this place as they would go boldly from that upper room proclaiming the life and the resurrection of Christ, Lord, I pray for our church and for all of us here as we enter the new year, that you will help us to not have a slothful forgetfulness, but to remember our Lord, Jesus Christ, to have such an affection and love for him, that how could we forget?
How could we forget what he has said that you will give us great comfort in that, knowing that he is seated on his throne, that he will never be removed, and maybe even this coming year, he will return to judge the living and the dead and to bring us home, Lord, we thank You for Your word and that we can trust and it's in Jesus's name we pray. Amen.