WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.260 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most 00:00:09.260 --> 00:00:13.940 recent sermons and more. Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library 00:00:13.940 --> 00:00:16.880 if you'd like to automatically receive new episodes each week. 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:32.100 Good morning and happy Easter. Thank you. If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, 00:00:32.160 --> 00:00:37.720 I want to invite you to join us in Luke chapter 24. As you turn there, we're excited. We want to 00:00:37.720 --> 00:00:42.280 welcome each and every one of you for being here and for worshiping with us this morning. Hope you 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:46.920 got here early enough and enjoyed the breakfast. I'm so appreciative of the team of men that got 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:52.900 here early to prepare that for us, and so gentlemen, thank you so much for that. A couple of things 00:00:52.900 --> 00:00:57.080 before we get started. After the message, we're going to have a time of response, and then we'll 00:00:57.080 --> 00:01:01.840 take the Lord's Supper together. Hopefully, you're able to get your elements as you came in. If you 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:06.640 didn't have time or you didn't see those to grab those, that's okay. At any point in time, right 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:10.640 now, it'll be a perfect time. You can make your way to the back. We have some there. You can grab 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:15.860 those. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, we want to invite you to partake in the Lord's Supper 00:01:15.860 --> 00:01:21.280 together with us, whether you're a church member here or not. And so we just want to thank you all 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:26.560 for being here. And I want to say this, whether Willow Ridge is your home every single week, whether 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:32.360 this is your first time at Willow Ridge, or whether this is your first time in a long time at Willow Ridge, 00:01:32.600 --> 00:01:38.640 we count it a blessing and an honor that each and every one of you are here to be with us to worship 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:44.360 today. There's a lot of things you could have chosen to do this morning, but you chose to be here, 00:01:44.360 --> 00:01:54.520 to be with us as we celebrate Jesus Christ. And for believers, today really is the ultimate day of 00:01:54.520 --> 00:02:01.740 celebration. Over the last several weeks, we've been looking at, we started in Luke chapter 22, 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:14.340 and looking at the arrest, the trial, the crucifixion of Jesus. And as we look at 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:28.880 those events, the landscape of history would begin to show defeat. Defeat for Christ. Defeat for the 00:02:28.880 --> 00:02:38.600 followers of Christ. But we see something different today. For you and I, followers of Jesus Christ, 00:02:38.600 --> 00:02:46.900 Jesus Christ, today is a day not where we look at how we've been defeated, but today is the day where we 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:54.740 understand our victory. That the crucifixion of Christ, that the story doesn't end there. All was not 00:02:54.740 --> 00:03:06.940 lost. But today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive, that the tomb is empty. And today we'll look in 00:03:06.940 --> 00:03:15.360 in Luke 24 of the events that surrounded that first Easter morning and the events that happened after 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:22.300 that. But before we get there, I want to read this verse that I think sets in our hearts and in our minds 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:29.100 the perspective of the power of the cross for those of us who are found in Christ, who have put our faith 00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:34.020 in hope and hope and trust in Him. The Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 6-4. He says, 00:03:35.380 --> 00:03:44.640 We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from 00:03:44.640 --> 00:03:53.540 the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. So today is a day that we 00:03:53.540 --> 00:04:02.300 celebrate the truth that we have life eternal, but that we also have life abundantly. Would you join 00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:10.700 me in prayer? God, today we come to you and thank you, Lord, for this day. That this day is the reminder 00:04:10.700 --> 00:04:17.560 of the newness in Christ. This day is reminder of hope in Christ. And so, God, as we study your Word, 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:25.340 Lord, I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in this place. God, I pray that in 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:30.960 your power, your Word will be proclaimed and taught and preached. That, God, in the power of the Holy 00:04:30.960 --> 00:04:37.400 Spirit, Lord, will receive the truth of your Word. God, that in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will sing 00:04:37.400 --> 00:04:45.500 in praise for who you are. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord, lives will be saved, lives will be 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:53.640 transformed. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, God, we will walk and leave this place in the newness 00:04:53.640 --> 00:05:01.040 of life with a story to share of your faithfulness of who you are. So, God, we thank you for who you are. 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:09.060 We thank you for what you've done. We celebrate you today. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. 00:05:10.140 --> 00:05:17.360 When we think about the narrative of Christianity, if the resurrection does not exist, Christianity is 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:25.300 destroyed. We have no hope. We have no peace. We have no Savior. We have no God. But because the 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:31.720 resurrection is true, there's so many truths that spring forth from this that begin to affirm the 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:36.720 theology and the doctrine of the Bible, the hope that we have in Christ and Christ alone, because the 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:42.080 resurrection is true, because Christ is alive, because the tomb is empty, we understand that Jesus 00:05:42.080 --> 00:05:48.820 Christ truly is the Son of God. We understand the price that He paid for the sacrifice of sin has been 00:05:48.820 --> 00:05:56.720 accepted. We understand that the work of salvation is possible for us and is complete in Christ and Christ 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:05.860 alone. We understand that those who trust Him do have life eternal and life abundantly, and that He is, 00:06:05.900 --> 00:06:14.060 as He is the one who ascended, that He is the righteous judge who will one day return. It's amazing that 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:20.180 in the movement of Christianity, of what would happen and take place, we begin to understand. So Dr. Luke 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:25.060 writes in Luke, and then he writes in Acts, and he records in Acts chapter 1, that when the disciples 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:30.980 went out to spread the truth of Christianity, to step into the brokenness and the lostness and the 00:06:30.980 --> 00:06:37.040 sinfulness of the world, that the message that they carried was not a message about church unity, was not a 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:43.480 message of church growth, was not a message of family dynamics, or any other issue that we want to talk 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:49.060 about and know about and we can draw truth from from God's Word. They simply went out and spoke about 00:06:49.060 --> 00:06:56.220 the testimony of Christ and the fact that the resurrection had happened. It was so essential that 00:06:56.220 --> 00:07:03.860 this is the message that the disciples came and carried into the streets. And this point is essential 00:07:03.860 --> 00:07:10.720 to our faith, that when you and I come to believe not just that Jesus died, but that three days later, 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:19.140 he rose again. It's the very foundation of our faith. And the fact that the tomb is empty doesn't just impact 00:07:19.140 --> 00:07:27.880 you in the moment, but it impacts us every single day. When we left off last week in Luke, 00:07:29.140 --> 00:07:36.800 we see at the end of Luke 23, Jesus has been nailed and crucified and died on the cross. 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:44.100 He had been buried. And the Bible tells us that there were women who were followers of Jesus 00:07:44.100 --> 00:07:52.560 and that they had prepared spices and ointments to care for Jesus's dead body. 00:07:53.560 --> 00:08:03.140 But Saturday came. And Saturday was the Sabbath. And they weren't to work or to do this on the 00:08:03.140 --> 00:08:06.140 Sabbath, so they waited until Sunday. 00:08:09.140 --> 00:08:15.780 And they began their journey to the tomb that first Easter morning. 00:08:16.740 --> 00:08:20.840 And this is where we pick up in Luke 24, if you join me in verse 1. 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:22.700 It says, 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:47.200 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:53.100 why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he told you 00:08:53.100 --> 00:08:57.820 while he was still in Galilee, the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:04.520 crucified on the third day rise? And they remembered his words. And returning from the tomb, 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:11.420 they told all these things to the 11 and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and 00:09:11.420 --> 00:09:17.100 Mary, the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. But 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:26.240 these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:34.580 tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves, and he went home, marveled at 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:41.540 what happened. So we see on this very first Easter morning, the truth where everything is going to flow 00:09:41.540 --> 00:09:48.540 from for us is the truth that God in his sovereignty, God in his power, and the miracle that he would 00:09:48.540 --> 00:09:58.100 perform is that he opened the tomb. And in opening the tomb, Jesus left. That morning, a group of women 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:08.680 devoted to Jesus come to do a horrifically sad labor of devotion and love for Christ. Can you imagine the 00:10:08.680 --> 00:10:17.640 burden that they would have carried as they journey in their final act of love, in their mind, in their 00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:27.560 final act of devotion, in their mind, to care for their Jesus that they loved? 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:40.400 They were, I would imagine that this walk to the tomb would have been a silent, somber moment 00:10:40.400 --> 00:10:51.120 as they prepared themselves emotionally for what they would see and for what they would have experienced 00:10:51.120 --> 00:11:03.860 in the tomb as they prepared to find themselves a dead, broken, mutilated body. But instead, they find the 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:13.420 tomb empty and are told, hey, remember, Jesus is alive. I love this conversation of what we see that Luke 00:11:13.420 --> 00:11:20.340 records in this because the open and empty tomb reminds us of the gracious work of Jesus Christ. 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:27.800 The angels tell the women what Jesus had already told them. Jesus had been sharing, look, the Son of 00:11:27.800 --> 00:11:33.920 Man must, must, this must happen. This must take place. He must die, but he will rise again. In fact, three 00:11:33.920 --> 00:11:39.280 days later, this is what will take place. Jesus didn't just say this once. Jesus said this numerous times 00:11:39.280 --> 00:11:45.060 times that would happen over and over again. But the angels, when they show up, they didn't, they didn't judge 00:11:45.060 --> 00:11:52.400 them. They didn't rebuke them. They reminded them. Do you remember the truth of who Jesus is? And do you 00:11:52.400 --> 00:12:01.340 remember what he told you? Whatever brought you here today, whatever journey you've come on, the fact 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:07.940 that the tomb is empty is the gracious reminder from Christ to you that he is alive, and it's a message of hope 00:12:07.940 --> 00:12:14.880 for you. I don't care how good you and I think our spiritual scorecards are with the things that 00:12:14.880 --> 00:12:21.780 we've done. The game changer for all of humanity and the grace and the work of Jesus Christ is that 00:12:21.780 --> 00:12:30.680 the tomb is empty, and that impacts all of humanity. It's the gracious work of God, the power of Christ. 00:12:31.420 --> 00:12:41.060 The open and empty tomb also reminds us of the telling work that Jesus calls us to. It's very, 00:12:41.160 --> 00:12:53.280 very important here. This first group of ladies that find the tomb empty and the message they go and tell. 00:12:54.380 --> 00:13:05.560 I don't know about you, but in my world, death has been a final event, right? And to think someone is, 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:10.940 or to know someone is dead sets a finality to it. 00:13:13.640 --> 00:13:18.840 And so to find out that the person that you know died, you saw what happened, 00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:27.220 the testimony all around would have rang true. Jesus is not taken off the cross in a coma. He's not 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:36.660 taken off of the cross unconscious. He's taken off the cross dead. But he's alive. Did they fully 00:13:36.660 --> 00:13:44.660 understand what they were saying? No. The Bible tells us that they were questioned by those who had heard 00:13:44.660 --> 00:13:53.580 and those who had known as well, the 11 and the others. I can imagine that they were even mocked and 00:13:53.580 --> 00:14:02.460 ridiculed. But here's the beauty of these ladies. They went and told anyways. Didn't understand. They 00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:10.900 didn't comprehend. They faced question after question of doubt. But yet they went. And for us, 00:14:10.900 --> 00:14:19.440 it reminds us the power of the story that we know. Do we understand it all? No. Are we going to be 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:29.080 questioned? Absolutely. But we see the power of the story that God calls us to share. We see the 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:35.140 open and empty tomb is not just about the gracious work, about the telling work that Jesus calls us to, 00:14:35.140 --> 00:14:43.060 but it reminds us that our message, no matter how it lands, matters. See, they went back 00:14:43.060 --> 00:14:51.420 and they shared. These ladies share with a group of know-it-all men. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:06.300 And these men didn't believe. But their message matters. Because you see, when we do gospel work 00:15:06.300 --> 00:15:15.560 and we share about the message of the cross, and God takes men and women like these ladies here and 00:15:15.560 --> 00:15:22.880 say, go, go and share no matter how stubborn and hard-headed and ignorant and wanting to deny the 00:15:22.880 --> 00:15:30.960 audience that you're going to be sharing this to. Go and share. And I love verse 12. Look back at that 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:42.880 with me. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in. And he saw the linen cloths by 00:15:42.880 --> 00:15:52.800 themselves. And he went home marveling at what had happened. I think so many times we share 00:15:52.800 --> 00:16:00.800 in what the response that we think. We share in what the reaction that we gave. And these ladies went 00:16:00.800 --> 00:16:12.140 and their message is mocked. It's question. But there's that one guy. And Peter's like, I gotta check this out for myself. 00:16:12.880 --> 00:16:18.320 You see, because the tomb is empty, our lives can be full with the gracious work of God. Because he got 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:25.600 it right, we didn't have to. Because the tomb is empty, we have a message to go and to share. And 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:32.960 because the tomb is empty, lives are changed. This is what we begin to see another step in the story of 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:37.360 what God's laying out before us, before we begin to see in the book of Acts, the spread of Christianity 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:44.720 that the world has never seen at this point. Because of the power of the resurrection, the tomb is empty. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:52.080 So it continues on though. Look at me in verse 13. There's gonna be some other interactions that day and 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:58.720 the days after that Luke talks about. And here's another one. It's verse 13. That very day, two of them were 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:04.720 going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. So this is two other disciples of 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:09.600 Jesus. Verse 14. And they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:15.440 And while they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 00:17:16.320 --> 00:17:23.600 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you're 00:17:23.600 --> 00:17:30.480 holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them named Cleopas 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:36.400 answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:44.880 these days?" So let's pause here. There's a thick sarcasm here. How have you missed this? 00:17:46.800 --> 00:17:52.640 And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:58.560 a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests 00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:06.080 and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was 00:18:06.080 --> 00:18:12.000 the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:18.480 happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:25.440 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:33.680 that he was alive. And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:44.000 "But they did not see him. And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:51.520 the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into 00:18:51.520 --> 00:18:58.720 his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted them in all the scriptures, 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:06.000 the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:12.160 He acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly saying, 'Stay with us, 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:20.720 for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.' So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:27.840 with them, he took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they 00:19:27.840 --> 00:19:38.400 recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. And they said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:45.120 while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?' And they rose that same hour 00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:51.600 and returned to Jerusalem. And they have found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together 00:19:51.600 --> 00:19:59.600 saying, 'The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.' Then they told what had happened on the road 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:07.920 and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread." So because the tomb is empty, we see another 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:16.400 work that Jesus does here. He opened their eyes. We find two men on a journey, on a defeated journey, 00:20:17.360 --> 00:20:25.360 walking seven miles is what the Bible tells us from Jerusalem to Emmaus. These two men, these disciples, 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:33.840 are very discouraged. They know of the death of Jesus. They've heard reports of the empty tomb. They 00:20:33.840 --> 00:20:42.560 had heard the testimony that Jesus was alive. But they didn't believe. They didn't believe. 00:20:44.320 --> 00:20:49.920 They knew what happened. They testify to Jesus that they don't recognize. Have you not heard what's 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:57.360 happened? Have you not heard what has taken place? But yet they're still disheartened. Why? Their eyes have 00:20:57.360 --> 00:21:05.360 not been opened to Jesus. You see, in the years leading up to this, in the moments leading up to this, 00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:10.960 they shared their hearts here. They shared their view. They shared their perspective of Jesus. What they 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:18.320 wanted was not who Jesus was. What they wanted Jesus to do is not what Jesus came to do. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:27.360 They wanted a political redeemer, setting Israel free from Rome. And their discouragement had come 00:21:27.360 --> 00:21:31.280 because, in essence, God had not done what they wanted him to do. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:44.160 And so, in their mind, Jesus had failed. Jesus was broken. And in their mind, there was no hope. 00:21:45.600 --> 00:21:53.040 So, they had this interaction with Jesus. A man whom they followed but could not see. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:22:02.640 There's some power to that. That I think sometimes that you and I, we partake in religious activity. We 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:09.840 participate in religious services. And we're doing so not out of hope that we will begin to see and be 00:22:09.840 --> 00:22:14.960 in relationship with the God of the Bible. But we do so in hopes that we'll engage with the God of our 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:22.400 our own expectations. And that's what we find with these two men. And if that's where you find yourself 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:28.400 today, I hope that you meet the Jesus that they met. As he's patiently correcting them. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:35.440 The Bible says that Jesus started back with Moses, so at the very beginning, and began to walk through 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:44.320 Scripture with them, showing that the Savior would come to save men and women and children from 00:22:44.320 --> 00:22:46.240 their sins to be their 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:51.120 to be their Messiah, to be their Savior, that he would pay the price on the cross, and that he would 00:22:51.120 --> 00:22:58.560 resurrect again. He started at the beginning. And he opened their eyes for them to see themselves and 00:22:58.560 --> 00:23:05.760 what they needed. Sinners who need to be saved. Whatever agenda that you want to come to Jesus with, 00:23:05.760 --> 00:23:10.080 may that agenda begin with, may that agenda begin with the fact that you are a sinner who could not save 00:23:10.080 --> 00:23:17.520 yourself. But Jesus did the work on the cross that you and I could not do. That he not only took on the 00:23:17.520 --> 00:23:22.160 punishment for you and me, but he took on the punishment for the whole world. And that the end for 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:27.120 us does not end in the punishment, just as the end for him did not end in the punishment, but the promise 00:23:27.120 --> 00:23:34.240 of life and life everlasting. And he did so after showing them their need and opened their eyes to see 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:48.160 him for who he truly is. So how do you see Jesus? Who is Jesus to you? Is he the Son of God? The sacrificial 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:54.640 Messiah, the risen Savior. It continues on in verse 36. 00:23:57.040 --> 00:24:02.640 It says, "As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:07.760 'Peace to you.' But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:14.400 And he said to them, 'Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your heart? See my hands and my feet, 00:24:15.760 --> 00:24:23.760 that it is I myself touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:27.360 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet, 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:35.040 while they were still still disbelieved for joy and were marveling. And he said to them, 'Have you anything 00:24:35.040 --> 00:24:43.120 here to eat?' And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before him. Then he said to 00:24:43.120 --> 00:24:49.600 them, 'These are my words that I spoke to you while I'm still with you, and everything written about me in 00:24:49.600 --> 00:24:56.560 the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to 00:24:56.560 --> 00:25:04.800 understand the scriptures and said to them, 'Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the 00:25:04.800 --> 00:25:11.680 third day rise from the dead.' Not only is the tomb empty, not only are our eyes opened, but he opened 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:18.560 their minds. John chapter 20 tells us that this encounter happens and the doors are shut, the doors 00:25:18.560 --> 00:25:24.160 are locked, and Jesus comes in and he appears to the disciples who were startled and afraid about what 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:34.000 was happening to take place. But Jesus, in order to share with them, he calms the room. His very presence 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:41.280 is going to calm the anxiety of what they're facing. And he says and does some powerful things 00:25:42.080 --> 00:25:49.680 that don't just resonate in that room for the day, but resonate when Jesus steps into your world and 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:56.320 to my world. He looks at them and the first thing he says is, 'Peace be with you.' You see this phrase, 00:25:56.320 --> 00:26:01.440 'Peace be with you,' was a greeting that came with a blessing. It was something that you would say in 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:07.040 response to this, and so he steps in to the stress of their life, and what he does is he reminds them 00:26:07.760 --> 00:26:11.120 of the peace that is possible through the blessing that comes from God. 00:26:12.080 --> 00:26:17.440 'Peace be with you,' not in the peace that you're going to pursue and find of this world, but that in 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:23.120 Christ, the peace that he promises is the peace that comes from God. You see, the chaos and the 00:26:23.120 --> 00:26:29.200 dysfunction and the sinfulness that we live at in this world would not be the one that produces peace. 00:26:30.080 --> 00:26:37.520 There's conflict, there's torment, there's chaos, there's brokenness all around. And for followers of 00:26:37.520 --> 00:26:44.160 Jesus, we're not removed from that reality that surrounds us, but we're filled with the peace of God 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:51.360 that comes from Christ and Christ alone. 'Peace be with you.' Then what he does is he shows them his hands 00:26:51.360 --> 00:26:57.040 and his feet to remind them, those that didn't believe, those that were doubting, those that were 00:26:57.040 --> 00:27:13.200 that were questioning, 'I did this for you.' Not in anger, but in love. And he looks at them and he says, 'Touch, touch.' 00:27:15.120 --> 00:27:26.320 No more intimate of an act than to be out and to reach out and feel. Because he's not a spirit. This 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:32.240 isn't a mindset. This is the person of God standing before them. 00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:40.320 We're not talking about a guru. We're not talking about a prophet. We're not talking simply about a 00:27:40.320 --> 00:27:48.720 teacher. But the resurrection of Christ, the man we're called to follow is God. And then I love this. 00:27:49.600 --> 00:27:55.040 And in a little bit of the spirit that we had this morning, right? He eats with them. He eats with them. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:05.440 He fellowships. You see, the intimacy of the relationship with Jesus is, 'Come to me.' 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:17.520 Come to Christ. And then he teaches them. And the scripture says that he opens their mind to understand. 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:30.240 That the pursuit of Jesus is not simply an intellectual assignment, but he opens their mind to understand 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:36.960 that the pursuit of Jesus is found in a relational engagement with him. 00:28:38.320 --> 00:28:40.960 That he came and that he died. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:50.480 Lastly, in this chapter, verse 47, it says, 'And that repentance for the 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:57.680 givenness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.' 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:04.640 Verse 48 says, 'For you are witnesses of these things, and behold, I'm sending the promise of my 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:12.960 Father upon you. But stay until the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.' And he led them 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:20.560 out as far as Bethany. And lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And while he blessed them, he parted 00:29:20.560 --> 00:29:28.480 from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 00:29:29.760 --> 00:29:33.840 and were continually in the temple blessing God. 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:46.000 Because the tomb is empty, eyes are opened, hearts are opened, minds are opened, but he also, he opened their 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:55.680 lips. He opened their lips. And so I think the hard part for so many of us is Jesus isn't simply 00:29:57.120 --> 00:30:01.200 secret to keep, but Jesus is a message to tell. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:06.160 From every single instance in this encounter. 00:30:07.280 --> 00:30:08.000 Hey ladies, 00:30:09.040 --> 00:30:10.080 go back and share. 00:30:11.600 --> 00:30:12.720 Hey, let me teach you 00:30:13.760 --> 00:30:17.040 about what the scripture says concerning Christ. 00:30:18.320 --> 00:30:19.920 Hey, when you go from here, 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:22.240 go and proclaim. 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:24.800 Go be my witnesses. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:27.360 And bless God as you go. 00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:34.240 You see, the relationship sometimes for us, we begin to think that I'm in a relationship with God, 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.200 so I'm good. 00:30:36.800 --> 00:30:38.640 And let me, let me clarify. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:40.880 That's a half-truth. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:45.760 When you're in a relationship with God, you are good. 00:30:46.800 --> 00:30:48.880 Your eternity has been set. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:55.600 The life that he has for you is there, but I am good and I am commissioned. 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:58.560 I am commissioned to go. 00:30:59.280 --> 00:31:01.040 I am commissioned to share. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:03.200 I am commissioned to proclaim. 00:31:03.600 --> 00:31:10.560 And so the relationship vertically that I have with my heavenly father, the relationship that I have with my 00:31:10.560 --> 00:31:14.960 savior is one that is shared over and over and over again. 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:20.720 So I proclaim the blessing and bless him for who he is and talk about how great he is and how 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:26.480 wonderful he is and how praiseworthy he is and he alone. 00:31:28.320 --> 00:31:32.480 But it's a message that also affects the horizontal relationships of this world. 00:31:33.360 --> 00:31:41.600 That you and I go out into this world with the peace of Jesus Christ with a purpose and a point to go and to share. 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:50.400 The tomb is open. 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:54.320 The tomb is empty. 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:03.680 Have your eyes been opened to see Jesus for who he is concerning God's word? 00:32:05.360 --> 00:32:09.200 Is he something that you're trying to make him to be something that he isn't? 00:32:10.800 --> 00:32:18.000 Have your, has your mind been opened to understand the life that he's called you to? 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:20.240 To the purpose that he's given you? 00:32:20.800 --> 00:32:22.640 To the hope that has been promised to you? 00:32:23.760 --> 00:32:27.920 And has your mouth been opened to proclaim the goodness of God? 00:32:29.120 --> 00:32:29.920 Would you pray with me? 00:32:33.520 --> 00:32:35.280 God, we thank you for the truth of your word. 00:32:36.800 --> 00:32:44.480 God, we thank you that on that day, God, the tomb was not found full, but the tomb was found empty. 00:32:46.080 --> 00:32:49.760 And because of that, there's life, there's hope, there's purpose, there's meaning. 00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:54.160 That your word has been and always is true. 00:32:56.080 --> 00:33:04.720 And so, God, I pray that our eyes will be opened to see Jesus for who he really is. 00:33:06.800 --> 00:33:17.360 We'll see him as the resurrected son of God, who paid the price that we deserve, but who death in the grave could not hold down. 00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:31.180 We thank you that through the work of the cross, he took the punishment that we deserve, that he bore the burden on his body that we deserved. 00:33:32.560 --> 00:33:40.460 We thank you that through the spilling of his blood, a horrific, dirty, filthy event. 00:33:41.460 --> 00:33:44.880 But that the blood of Christ washes us. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:47.060 It makes us clean. 00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:50.880 And that we will see Jesus for who he is. 00:33:52.160 --> 00:34:02.580 I pray that our minds will be opened to receive him, to receive the peace that he offers, the relationship that he invites us to. 00:34:06.180 --> 00:34:07.720 As God became man, 00:34:10.080 --> 00:34:12.020 invites us into a relationship with him. 00:34:14.200 --> 00:34:17.000 And God, I pray that our mouths will be opened. 00:34:18.460 --> 00:34:23.420 Mouths to sing and proclaim about your goodness and who you are. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:30.260 Mouths to tell of your glory and your majesty. 00:34:32.560 --> 00:34:38.000 Mouths to say, this is what Jesus has done in my life. 00:34:39.040 --> 00:34:40.740 For me and to me. 00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:44.420 And I am forever grateful. 00:34:46.740 --> 00:34:48.780 God, as we respond in worship. 00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:52.160 As we prepare our hearts 00:34:52.160 --> 00:34:54.700 to take the Lord's Supper together. 00:34:56.740 --> 00:34:58.600 God, I pray that we'll do so 00:34:58.600 --> 00:35:02.900 out of the reverence for the work of what you've done 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:05.360 and out of lives that have been transformed. 00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:09.580 God, man, under the leading and drawing of your Holy Spirit, 00:35:09.580 --> 00:35:12.480 may we take the inventory that you've called us to. 00:35:13.660 --> 00:35:18.660 May we repent of any sin that is in our life 00:35:18.660 --> 00:35:22.620 as we come to your throne of grace. 00:35:23.680 --> 00:35:27.960 May we forgive others as you have forgiven us. 00:35:29.980 --> 00:35:31.500 God, may we seek forgiveness 00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:34.640 amongst brothers and sisters in Christ 00:35:34.640 --> 00:35:38.600 so that we live unified as your bride 00:35:38.600 --> 00:35:43.000 where we celebrate you. 00:35:44.200 --> 00:35:45.480 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:46.580 Amen. 00:35:46.580 --> 00:35:50.740 That's it for this week's message. 00:35:51.240 --> 00:35:53.540 Be sure to check back next week for a new episode. 00:35:54.120 --> 00:35:54.880 And in the meantime, 00:35:55.120 --> 00:35:58.320 you can visit us online at willowridgechurch.org 00:35:58.320 --> 00:36:00.440 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church 00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:02.740 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 00:36:03.180 --> 00:36:04.140 Thanks again for listening. 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:16.400 Thank you.