He Is Not Here, He Is Risen

In one paragraph

Easter Sunday 2015 at First B centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a real historical event and the foundation of everything the church is and does. The preacher walked the congregation through the Easter story from Luke, paused over a single Greek word from John, and then pressed the question of how a risen Christ changes the way we live right now and into the future. The message opened...

Read together

1. Matthew 28:5-6 Opening verse read aloud: the angel tells the women Jesus is not here, He is risen
2. Luke 23:55-56 The women from Galilee follow to see the tomb on Friday, then rest on the Sabbath
3. Luke 24:1-4 Women go to the tomb early Sunday, find the stone rolled away and two men in dazzling robes
4. Luke 24:5-8 The two men ask why they seek the living among the dead and remind them of Jesus's words in Galilee
5. Luke 24:9-11 Women report to the eleven disciples but the story sounds like nonsense to the men
6. Luke 24:12 Peter runs to the tomb, sees the empty linen wrappings, and goes home wondering
7. Luke 24:13-16 Two followers walking to Emmaus are joined by Jesus whom God keeps them from recognizing
8. Luke 24:17-24 Cleopas recounts to the unrecognized Jesus the events of the crucifixion and the women's report
9. Luke 24:25-27 Jesus calls them foolish and takes them through Moses and the prophets explaining things concerning himself
10. Luke 24:28-32 Jesus breaks bread with them at Emmaus, their eyes are opened, he disappears, their hearts had burned
11. Luke 24:33-35 They return to Jerusalem and find the eleven saying the Lord has risen and appeared to Peter
12. Luke 24:36-43 Jesus appears among them, shows hands and feet, eats broiled fish to prove he is not a ghost
13. Luke 24:44-45 Jesus tells them the scriptures must be fulfilled and opens their minds to understand
14. John 19:28-30 Jesus says tetelestai, it is finished, bows his head and gives up his spirit
15. John 3:16 Quoted to ground the call to belief: whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life
16. 1 Corinthians 11 Paul outlines what Jesus instituted at the Lord's Supper and the words repeated at communion
17. Mark 13:5-11 Jesus answers the disciples' questions about the end times and says the good news must first be preached to all nations
18. Mark 13:10 Cited as the closing charge: the good news must first be preached to all the nations

Talk about it

1. The preacher read from Luke 24 that when the women reported the resurrection, 'the story sounded like nonsense to the men.' When have you found the claims of the gospel hard to believe, and what eventually moved you past that doubt?
2. The word tetelestai, translated 'it is finished,' was described as a statement of fact in the perfect tense, meaning something completed once that continues forever into the future. What difference does it make to you personally that salvation is fully accomplished rather than something you are still working toward?
3. The preacher said 'first, be real' and pointed out that the biggest complaint non-Christians have about Christians is hypocrisy. Where do you find it hardest to be honest about where you actually are in your faith, and what makes that difficult?
4. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said 'we had hoped' he was the Messiah, speaking in the past tense as though that hope was gone. Have you ever been in a season where your hope in Jesus felt past tense rather than present? What brought you through it, or where are you with that right now?
5. The preacher closed by saying the future of the church is telling the story, nothing more than what happened and your own story. What would it look like practically for you to tell either of those stories to someone in your life this week?