A LOOK BACK...

He is risen! || thankful to have a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus…the implications of that truth means life…hope…forgiveness…relationship… || Where we have been over the last 11 weeks…quick overview of the Story of God || Pick up from last sunday and Friday night

1. RESURRECTION SUNDAY...

LUKE 24:1-12

"JESUS IS ALIVE" ... VS 1-6a (first day of week early in the morning)
-- WOMEN: go to tomb || (Vs10)Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women || Joanna, Mary Magdalene, Mary (Jesus mom), Mary (mother of James the lesser and Joseph), Mary (wife of Clopas, Jesus aunt/uncle), Salome (wife of Zebedee mom of James/John)
-- EMPTY TOMB: Stone is rolled away and Jesus is missing
-- ANGELS: two who appeared as men showed up and told them Jesus is alive!

ANGELS URGE “REMEMBER WHAT YOU WERE TOLD” ... VS 6b-10
-- REMEMBER: Angels reminded them to remember what they were told about the Messiah…he would be betrayed, he would be crucified, he would rise from the dead on the third day
-- THEY REMEMBERED: The women did remember his words
-- TOLD DISCIPLES NEWS: They ran back to disciples and reported what they had been told

THE DISCIPLES DON’T BELIEVE ... VS 11-12
-- DID NOT BELIEVE: None of the disciples believed the women, sounded like nonsense to them
-- PETER: Peter did run to the tomb to check it out (John records he went as well, but faster!)
-- AMAZED: He was amazed at not finding Jesus in the tomb

2. THE EMMAUS DISCIPLES...

LUKE 24:13-35

JESUS CAME NEAR WALKED WITH THEM ... VS 13-16
-- SAME DAY: Two disciples were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, 7 miles away, after Jesus died, and were discussing all that had happened
-- JESUS CAME NEAR (WALKING): Jesus showed up and started walking along side of them
-- DISGUISED: they were supernaturally blinded from recognizing who he was

DISCIPLES DON'T BELIEVE ... VS 17-24
-- JESUS INQUIRES: Jesus asked them about their discussion and the two men are amazed that he hasn’t heard anything about the event of the last couple of days
-- DISCIPLES EXPRESS DISBELIEF AND DISCOURAGEMENT: They gave the details of Jesus life and teaching, that the religious leaders arrested him and crucified him…they were hoping he really was the Messiah but their hopes had been crushed
-- CRAZY STORIES FROM THE WOMEN: They relayed the story the women told about Jesus being alive and even said some disciples checked it out and didn’t find him in the tomb

JESUS SAID “REMEMBER AND BELIEVE” ... VS 25-26
-- JESUS CHALLENGES THEIR DISBELIEF: Jesus points out that they are ‘slow to believe’ all the prophets have revealed to them
-- NECESSARY: Jesus reminds them to believe what the prophets said…that the Messiah had to suffer and die to enter his glory

JESUS TELLS THEM THE STORY OF GOD ... VS 27
What a moment. Jesus goes back and tells the whole story of God…Law of Moses, Prophets…and explained everything that concerned him in ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES || Wow. What a moment.

JESUS OPENS THEIR EYES SO THEY CAN SEE AND BELIEVE ... VS 28-35
-- DON’T LEAVE: The two disciples were obviously loving this conversation. They ‘urged’ him, which has the meaning they physically grabbed him and tugged at his clothes.
-- JESUS OPENS THEIR EYES: previously (vs 16) they were prevented from recognizing him, but supernaturally Jesus opened their eyes and they could recognize him, then Jesus disappeared!
-- BURNING HEARTS: They told each other how awesome it was when Jesus explained all of God’s Story to them
-- JOURNEY BACK TO JERUSALEM: They immediately went back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive, and Peter was confirming he saw him too

3. THE REALITY OF THE RISEN JESUS...

LUKE 24:36-49

JESUS CAME NEAR…STOOD IN THEIR MIDST ... VS 36-37
Just like in vs 13, Jesus came near to the disciples…this time ‘standing’ in their presence. There was no denying he was alive…although they were still struggling to believe their own eyes

DISCIPLES DON’T BELIEVE ... VS 38-43
-- THEY STILL DOUBTED: Jesus challenges their doubtful unbelieving hearts
-- PROOF: Jesus said “look at my hands, feet” and he even said “you got something to eat?”
-- GHOST DON'T EAT: He ate it “In Their Presence” || Can you put yourself in that place, in that room? Everyone standing around, watching Jesus eat…kind of curious, kind of excited, kind of scared

JESUS TOLD THEM TO “BELIEVE” AND TO “REMEMBER MY STORY” ... VS 44
-- REMEMBER AND BELIEVE MY STORY: He reminded them of all that he told them, all that he taught them…everything that concerned him as the Messiah
-- GOD’S STORY: The Law of Moses…The Prophets…The Psalms…it had to be fulfilled…and he was proving that it had been!

JESUS OPENED THEIR MINDS SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND HIS STORY ... VS 45
-- OPEN MINDS: Just like in vs 31, Jesus now supernaturally opens their minds so that they can understand the story of God
-- THEY UNDERSTAND: they finally are starting to put things together and believe as Jesus opens their minds to understand

JESUS PROMISES HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER US TO TELL HIS STORY ... VS 46-49
-- SUMMARY STORY: Jesus reminds them the Messiah had to SUFFER, DIE, RISE FROM THE DEAD ON 3RD DAY
-- PROCLAMATION OF REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS: since Jesus has done his work, that story will now be proclaimed to everyone! Jesus is calling us to repent so that we might be forgiven of our sins…
-- WITNESSES: these disciples are now eyewitnesses of the resurrection, the proof that Jesus accomplished his mission, and as witnesses they were now proclaimers of the good news of forgiveness through repentance and belief in Jesus as the Messiah!
-- EMPOWERED: Jesus promised he would send the Holy Spirit as was promised…and that they would not have to proclaim this message in their own power, but that the HOLY SPIRIT would empower them to do the mission he called them to accomplish!

THE TAKE AWAY...

1. JESUS IS ALIVE AND PRESENT

2. REMEMBER:
-- Challenged to REMEMBER what was taught to them about the Messiah (came to die for sin). We have been going through this story for this same reason…to remember

3. BELIEVE:
-- There was a theme of NOT BELIEVING and then BELIEVING with the disciples through this story. We need to believe too
-- Jesus asked them why they were so SLOW TO BELIEVE (vs 25 the two disciples on the road)
-- Jesus asked the eleven disciples why they HAD DOUBTS even when they were seeing him with their own eyes (vs 38) offering his own hands and feet and his hunger to prove he is alive!

4. GOD IS WORKING:
-- GOD is the one who is supernaturally at work in all of this
-- He is supernaturally OPENING EYES so that WE CAN SEE Him
-- He is supernaturally OPENING MINDS so that WE CAN UNDERSTAND all that has been taught about Jesus and the love story that God has been writing…and is still writing with everyone of our stories (part of his story now)
-- Even in this exact moment, for some of you he is working in your life, opening your eyes and helping you to see him in a way you never have, opening your minds so that you can understand his story in a way you have never been able to understand before || He is doing that right now!

5. JESUS IS THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE TOWARD US:
-- Jesus took time to OPEN THE SCRIPTURE to them (The Laws of Moses, The Prophets, The Psalms) and explained every place that talked about the Messiah and how Jesus met that description and fulfilled those prophecies perfectly. He told them the STORY OF GOD…showing them the ONGOING LOVE STORY that has been written for thousands of years…and JESUS IS THE CULMINATION OF THAT LOVE STORY… (JN 3:16)
-- Jesus fulfilled all of the MESSIANIC prophecies
-- Jesus accomplished all that needed to be accomplished for all people to be forgiven of their sin and to have our relationship with God restored (reconciled)…the great exchange (2 COR 5:21) “he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God”

6. JESUS SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWERS US AS WITNESSES:
-- Jesus promised he WOULD SEND THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT to EMPOWER us to be his WITNESSES so that the whole world could know about Jesus…
--- that he is the Messiah…
--- that he did suffer…
--- that he was crucified for everyones sins…
--- that he did rise again on the 3rd day…
--- and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed to the whole world!

7. AS BELIEVERS:
-- WE ARE FORGIVEN! … REJOICE! THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS EVER!
-- WE ARE EMPOWERED by the HOLY SPIRIT…
-- WE ARE HIS WITNESSES…proclaiming His love story to the world…to your ONE (name and face)…

8. AS SEEKERS:
-- God has empowered me by his Holy Spirit, given me this opportunity to tell you his love story…
-- He has orchestrated this exact moment, on purpose, intentionally
-- He is supernaturally opening your eyes enabling you to see him in the pages of this story…
-- He is supernaturally opening your mind so that you can understand all that he has done to forgive you of your sin…
-- YOUR RESPONSE: receive the gift that is being offered to you…(Rom 6:23)…repent (change of mind, confess your sins) and believe (put your faith in, surrender your life, he is the only hope of your soul…he is King…he is Savior)

RESPOND, REFLECT & COMMUNION

I would like to give you a chance to respond to God…

-- What did God reveal about who he is to you today in our time in God’s word?
-- What did God reveal about what he has done or is doing in our time in God’s word?
-- What did you learn about who you are as we looked at these stories today?
-- What did you learn about what you are supposed to do?

—> Let's take a minute to thank Him, respond to Him, confess our sins to Him, examine our hearts before we take communion...

—> WHAT IS JESUS SAYING TO YOU TODAY?
—> WHAT IS JESUS ASKING YOU TO DO?