WE THANK GOD FOR CHRISTMAS-A TIME THAT IS PRECIOUS TO US AT ALL. BUT JESUS IS NOT IN THE MANGER ANYMORE. HE HASN'T BEEN THERE FOR TWENTY-ONE CENTURIES, NOW SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. WE GIVE THANKS TO OUR LORD FOR THE EARTHLY LIFE OF JESUS. HE SHOWED US HOW TO LIVE, BUT HE NO LONGER WALKS THE HILLS OF GALILEE, AND WE DO GIVE THANKS FOR THE VERY SERIOUS COMFORTING DAY CALLED GOOD FRIDAY, BUT JESUS IS NO LONGER ON THE CROSS OR IN THE TOMB. WE GIVE PRAISE FOR EASTER. CHRIST LIVES! IN A REAL WAY IT IS EASTER ON CHRISTMAS. FOR EASTER IS NOT AN EVENT THAT PASSES, BUT CONTINUES. IT HAPPENED, AND THE EFFECT GOES ON AND ON.
IN A SENSE CHRISTMAS, IS REALLY EASTER DAY. GOOD FRIDAY IS REALLY EASTER DAY. IF EASTER IS IN YOUR HEART TODAY, FOR YOU TODAY IS EASTER DAY.
A WELL KNOWN EVANGELIST, WAS ASKED TO GO TO THE HOLY LAND. "NO," HE SAID," I DON'T WANT TO GO. "WHY?" HE WAS ASKED. HE ANSWERED, I DON'T WANT TO GO WHERE JESUS WAS; I JUST WANT TO STAY RIGHT WHERE JESUS IS!
LETS LOOK AT THE GOSPEL TEXT WE ARE USING TODAY. (MATTHEW 24: 30-44), STARTING WITH FIRST VERSE " BUT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK,
THEN THE SIGN OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN HEAVEN , THEN ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN, AND THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY, AND HE WILL SEND OUT HIS ANGELS WITH A LOUD TRUMPET CALL, AND THEY WILL GATHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS., FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER. " FROM THE FIG TREE LEARN ITS LESSON: AS SOON AS ITS BRANCH BECOMES TENDER AND PUTS FORTH ITS LEAVES, YOU KNOW SUMMER IS NEAR AT THE VERY GATES. TRUELY I TELL YOU, THIS GENERATION WILL NOT PASS AWAY UNTIL ALL THINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS WAY, BUT MY WORDS WILL NOT PASS AWAY. BUT ABOUT THE DAY OR HOUR NO ONE KNOWS, NEITHER THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN, NOR THE SON OF MAN; BUT ONLY THE FATHER. FOR AS THE DAYS OF NOAH WERE, SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. FOR AS IN THOSE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD THEY WERE EATING AND DRINKING, MARRING AND GIVENING IN IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL NOAH ENTERED THE ARK, AND THEY KNEW NOTHING UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME AND SWEPT THEM ALL AWAY, SO TOO; WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. (JESUS). THEN TWO WILL BE IN THE FIELD; ONE WILL BE TAKEN, ONE WILL BE LEFT. KEEP AWAKE THEREFORE, FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW THE TIME OR THE DAY, YOUR LORD IS COMING. THIS LANGUAGE IS DRAWN FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT; GOD'S VICTORY OVER SIN IS TO BE ESTABLISHED BY THE SON OF MAN WHOM HE SENDS (REV 8:12; ISA. 13.10). IF THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE HAD KNOWN WHAT PART OF THE NIGHT THE THIEF WAS COMING, HE WOULD HAVE STAYED AWAKE AND WOULD NOT HAVE LET HIS HOUSE BE BROKEN INTO.
REMEMBER HOW JESUS SPOKE TO YOU WHILE HE WAS IN GALILEE, SAYING HOW THE SON OF MAN MUST BE DELIVERED INTO THE HANDS OF SINFUL MEN AND BE CRUCIFIED, AND THE THIRD DAY RISE AGAIN. THEY REMEMBED HIS WORDS AS THEY RETURNED FROM THE TOMB AND REPORTED ALL THESE THINGS TO THE ELEVEN AND TO ALL THE REST THAT WAS THERE. THESE ARE JESUS WORDS WHICH HE SPOKE TO THEM WHILE HE WAS STILL WITH THEM. THAT ALL THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN ABOUT HIM IN THE LAW OF MOSES (GEN.12). AND THE PROPHETS, AND THE PSALMS THAT HAD TO BE FULFILLED. NOW WE MUST SEE THE RESURRECTION WITH NEW EYES. THE RESURRECTION IS THE CLIMAX OF JESUS EARTHLY LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS.
FIRST OF ALL, SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT IT IS EVERYTHING JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT WHILE HE WAS WITH HIS DISCIPLES, HIS TEACHINGS ALL FUNNELED INTO EASTER MORNING. THE ANGELS, OR THE MESSENGERS OF GOD, SAID THAT JESUS EARLIER WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES HAD REALLY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING.
I WONDER HOW MANY THINGS WE LOOK AT, BUT REALLY DON'T SEE. OR HOW MUCH WE HEAR, BUT DON'T LISTEN TO. ONE DAY, I WAS SITTING ON OUR COUCH WATCHING CARTOONS WITH MY MIDDLE GRANDSON. HE WAS CHATTERING AWAY AS CHILDREN DO, ASKING ME QUESTIONS, AND I WAS MUMBLING A RESPONSE, YES, UH-HUH, YEAH... HE WAS GETTING VERY FRUSTRATED WITH ME. FINALLY HE STOPPED, TOOK MY FACE IN HIS HANDS AND SAID GRAMPY, LOOK AT ME IN THE NOSE! HE WANTED MY ATTENTION, AND HE GOT IT! ALL HEAVEN HAD BEEN LISTENING TO CHRIST, BUT THE EARTHLINGS TO WHOM HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING TO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HIM. IN FACT, JUST AFTER JESUS HAD DRIVEN THE MONEY CHANGERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE AND HAD PERFORMED HIS FIRST MIRACLE, CHANGING THE WATER INTO WINE, JOHN 2 SAYS, "WHAT RIGHT HAVE YOU TO ORDER THEM OUT.?" THE JEWISH LEADERS DEMANDED. IF YOU HAVE AUTHOTITY FROM GOD SHOW US A MIRACLE TO PROVE IT. " ALL RIGHT, JESUS REPLIED," THIS IS THE MIRACLE TO PROVE IT. DESTROY THIS SANCTUARY AND IN THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP.! 'WHAT! ' THEY EXCLAIMED. IT TOOK 46 YEARS TO BUILD THIS TEMPLE, AND YOU CAN DO IT IN THREE DAYS.' BY THIS "SANCTUARY" JESUS MEANT HIS BODY. AFTER JESUS CAME BACK TO LIFE AGAIN, THE DISCIPLES REMEMBEREDN HIS SAYING THIS AND REALIZED THAT WHAT HE HAD QUOTED WAS FROM SCRIPTURES AND IT WHY ARE YOU SEEKING THE LIVING IN A PLACE WHERE DEAD PEOPLE REALLY DID REFER TO HIM, AND ALL HAD CAME TRUE. (JOHN 2: 18:22).
THE ANGELS HEARD THIS, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD IT. SO AT THE TOMB THE ANGELS SAID, " DON'T YOU REMEMBER THIS ? THERE WAS A LITTLE 'BARB" IN THEIR WORDS, AS THE WOMEN CAME WITH THE SPICES TO ANOINT THE BODY OF JESUS? DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID? ALL HEAVEN CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD IT.
CHRIST HAD LAID OUT HIS FATHER'S PLAN, THAT HE WOULD DIE AND THAT HE WOULD RISE AGAIN. LUKE 9:22 SAYS: " THE SON OF MAN MUST SUFFER MANY THINGS, AND BE REJECTED BY THE ELDERS AND CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES AND BE KILLED, AND BE RAISED UP ON THE THIRD DAY. LATER JESUS BECAME MORE SPECIFIC: AND HE TOOK THE TWELVE ASIDE AND SAID TO THEM, ' BEHOLD WE ARE GOING UP TO JERUSALEM, AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE WRITTEN THROUGH THE PROPHETS ABOUT THE SON OF MAN WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. FOR HE WILL BE DELIVERED UP TO THE GENTILES, AND WILL BE MOCKED AND MISTREATED AND SPIT UPON AND AFTER THEY HAVE SCOURGED HIM, THEY WILL KILL HIM. AND THE THIRD DAY HE WILL RISE AGAIN, THE GOSPEL YOU SEE DOESN'T EXPLAIN EASTER.
EASTER EXPLAINS THE GOSPEL. CHRIST WAS GOD, DON'T LET CHRIST'S WORDS ABOUT DEATH AND RESURRETION ABOUT THE EASTER EVENT, BECOME GOD -TALK.
THAT YOU SIMPLY TOLERATE BECAUSE ITS RELIGIOUS., WITH YOUR TONGUE IN CHEEK A LITTLE BIT. THESE WOMEN CAME TO THE TOMB WITH SPICES, AND THEY HADN'T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA THAT JESUS WOULD RISE FROM THE DEAD. ALL THE DISCIPLES BELIEVED THE DOCTRINE ABOUT THE RESURRECTION, IN A "THEOLOGICAL" WAY. IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SAID, DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?" THEY WOULD HAVE ANSWERED, " OH SURE- WAY OFF-IN THE FUTURE SOME TIME.
THE OLD TESTAMENT PORTRAYS THE RESURRECTION IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS .WE SEE A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION IN THE WILLINGNESS OF ABRAHAM TO OFFER UP HIS " ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,' ON THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE. IN ACTUAL WORD'S, PROBABLY EVEN OLDER THAN ABRAHAM, IS THE CLEAR TEXT OF JOB: AS FOR ME, I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES, AND AT LAST HE WILL TAKE HIS STAND ON THE EARTH. THE ESSENCE OF PETER'S BLOOD-AND-THUNDER SERMON ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY PROVIDED PROOF OF JESUS RESURRECTION. GOD RAISED HIM UP AGAIN, PUTTING AN END TO THE AGONY OF DEATH, SINCE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BE HELD IN ITS POWER. IN THE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THEIR IS IN THEIR HEART OF EVERY RE-BORN CHILD OF GOD NO DOUBT' EXISTS, AND TOGETHER WITH THE BELIEVERS OF ALL AGES OUR HEART SINGS "HE LIVES!", HE LIVES! CHRIST LIVES TODAY. AMEN.
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