Easter 2023 Resurrection Power
Luke 24:1 The first day of the week is of course Sunday.
- The structure in the Greek suggests this was at first light, as soon as they could see.
Verse 2 The tomb would have had a large round stone that looked like a wheel or disk covering the opening.
- The stone would have been set in a groove or track carved into the stone surrounding the entrance.
- The account in Matt tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared and rolled the stone away.
- The angel must have been visible for them to report this.
Verse 3 The women enter the tomb since the door is already open.
- But find that the body of Jesus is not there.
Verse 4 Upon entering the tomb and pondering where the body had gone the women are suddenly in the presence of angels.
- The four gospels have slightly different recordings of the number of angels and their location.
- But all four gospels are clear, THE TOMB WAS EMPTY.
Verse 5 Of course, the women don’t yet understand that Jesus had risen from the dead or they wouldn’t have gone there with spices to anoint the body.
- But the angel’s response is so powerful. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
- The women have come to the tomb, a place of death to look for a dead body.
- But the angel says your focus should be on the living.
- Look for the living in the most unlikely place to find it, in a tomb.
- Rather our focus should be on that which is living, even in the unlikeliest of places.
- Look at John 10:17:
- Resurrection power starts with love. “The reason my Father loves me”
- God the Father did not put His son to death. Verse 18 confirms this.
- Jesus offered His own life as an act of love between the Father and son.
- Jesus also offered His own life as an act of love between Himself and us.
- Resurrection power then continues with authority: Jesus says, I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
- For resurrection power to exist there must be an authority that is greater than death itself.
- Death can’t overcome death
- Resurrection power is put into motion with death Jesus says, “that I lay down my life—only to take it up again”
- You can’t have a resurrection without a death.
- Resurrection power reaches fullness in us, His disciples
- Jesus shared His resurrection authority with us. (Matt 10:8; Matt 28;18-19)
- For resurrection power to exist there must be an authority that is greater than death itself.
Resurrection power in action:
- In the OT book of Ezekiel there is a great story of a valley of dry bones (EZK 37:11)
- God moves in resurrection power through the prophet.
- Isa 61 says that God will replace our ashes with beauty.
- Jesus tells a parable of seed. John 12:24 The seed must die to grow.
- Jesus tells us to die to ourselves. Luke 9:23. Take up out cross.
- Baptism, again there is a death when we go under the water. Col 2: 12
- When we come up from the water with resurrection power, changed and made new.
- When we understand the character and nature of God, that He is a god of resurrection power, then we can begin to look for resurrection is every situation in life.