Easter Sunday See the Lord

Well, good morning, everyone.

If you were here on Friday,

I encouraged you to look to Jesus on the cross

and believe for forgiveness,

for reconciliation with God.

This morning, I invite you to not just look,

but to see the Lord for eternal life,

for meaning, for life, for hope.

So for that to happen,

we need to pray that God would help us

to see what we cannot see with our own eyes,

that he might give us eyes

so that we might see the glory of the risen Lord.

Let's pray.

Father, I pray that as we come to your word this morning,

we pray that it would come alive,

just as alive as Jesus is now and reigning.

So we need your spirit to come to help us

to see what we cannot see with human eyes,

lest we walk out of here like Thomas,

doubting, questioning, refusing to believe.

So help us in our unbelief

so that we might see the risen Lord, we pray,

for your glory.

Amen.

There are two questions for us here on Easter Sunday,

the truth question and the meaning question.

Whenever you talk about the resurrection of Jesus,

the truth question and the meaning question are intertwined.

The truth question is, did it really happen?

The meaning question is, who cares?

What's the point?

There are people who reject Christianity

because they don't think it's true.

Jesus didn't die because dead people don't die and that's that.

That's the truth question.

But there are other people who reject Christianity,

not because they are convinced it's not true,

but because they can't see why it would make any difference

in their life if it were true.

In other words, the meaning of it is insignificant

or irrelevant for what really concerns them in life.

And to answer a little bit of that,

I have written a blurb on the front of your bulletin.

I encourage you to read it at some point

about just very briefly five things

that the resurrection does for us.

Forty years ago, there was an assumption

that there are fixed laws

that make the world understandable

and scientifically manageable.

These laws, however, did not allow for the truth

of the claim that someone could rise from the dead

and live forever.

The world at that time,

with its scientific understanding of natural laws,

did not allow for resurrections,

so unbelief was often connected

to that kind of assumption,

to scientific facts.

Today, there's a different assumption behind unbelief.

Today, the assumption is

that there is a personal law inside of me,

not natural fixed laws,

but personal laws inside of me.

It's a law that says,

I don't have to adapt my life

to anything that I don't find helpful to be.

That is, truth for me is what I find acceptable

and what I find helpful for my life.

So in the end,

it doesn't matter whether Jesus rose from the dead

because whether he did or whether he didn't,

my issue is,

I don't care.

And if I don't care,

then I will just view the resurrection of Jesus

in the same way that I would view UFOs.

It may, may not exist.

Don't care.

It doesn't bother me

unless it's Independence Day

and one is right on top of me.

Some of us think that way

without even knowing that's the way we think.

We have just simply absorbed the culture in which we live.

I think both questions are important to address

at the same time.

As the world has made rapid advancement

in scientific understanding,

there has been

a chronological

snobbery

that assumes

any conclusions made in previous centuries

were just based on ignorance.

That truth is in my century

or in my era,

in my time

and those other people

were just ignorant,

gallible,

foolish people.

So the people around

when Jesus rose from the dead

were just that.

They were gullible

and ignorant

and foolish.

It's a bit odd

because when you look

at the first response

to the empty tomb,

we don't find gullibility.

Have a look at it there.

John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

It was just read out to us.

If you haven't got your Bibles open,

please open them.

I want you to see these words.

John 20 verse 1.

John 20:1

Early on the first day of the week,

while it was still dark,

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb

and saw

that the stone

had been removed

from the entrance.

So she came running

to Simon Peter

and the other disciples,

the one Jesus loved,

and said,

they have taken the Lord

out of the tomb

and we don't know

where they have put him.

The very first response

to the resurrection of Jesus

is there must be

another explanation.

Mary,

one of the disciples of Jesus,

did not believe

in the resurrection.

Her first assumption was

that the body

had been moved.

We also see

in verse 13,

she was working

on the assumption

that the Jewish leaders

had come

and taken the body

of Jesus

and disposed of it

outside of the holy city,

gotten rid of it somewhere.

Mary is slow

to believe

Jesus had been risen,

but she's not the only one.

Even Peter and John,

though somewhat puzzled

at the disturbed grave clothes

in the empty tomb,

didn't automatically jump

to the conclusion

that Jesus had been resurrected.

Verse 8,

finally,

the other disciple

who had reached

the tomb first

also went in.

He saw

and believed.

Now,

you think,

he believes

in the resurrection,

but no,

verse 9,

they still did not

understand

from scripture

that Jesus

had to rise

from the dead.

I think

John's first assumption

is

that Jesus

has gone

from the tomb

straight to heaven.

That tells me

that these disciples

were not easily

excitable

or gullible people.

They weren't

actually looking

for a resurrection.

But what they were

confronted with

on that morning

was a

bodiless tomb.

That's what

they were confronted with.

There was no body

in the tomb.

You cannot play

around

with the resurrection

of Jesus

and can see

that maybe

it was just

some sort of

spiritual resurrection.

The body

wasn't there.

And one of the

great historical

evidences

of the resurrection

is that the tomb

where he was

buried

was emptied

on the third day

and the enemies

of Jesus

could not

produce a body.

The assumption

of Mary

that the Jewish

leaders had

taken the body

of Jesus

away

was her first

assumption.

And all the

Jewish leaders

needed to do

was to kill

off Christianity

was to go

boom

there's your

dead Lord.

In fact

it's

one of the

striking things

about

the resurrection

of Jesus

is that

in the days

and the weeks

and the months

that passed

nobody

was able

to be reduced

in order to

kill off the

things that both

the Jewish

and the Roman

rulers

hated so much.

the advancement

of this

cult

called

Christianity.

Some have

tried to say

well he didn't

really die

he was revived

in the cool

of the tomb

and moved

the stone

away on his

own.

This goes

against the

horrible realities

of crucifixion

and against

the rigorous

steps that

Pilate and

the leaders

demanded

to make sure

that he was

in fact dead.

John chapter

John 19 · chapter mention

19

you can

read that.

Others have

tried to say

that the

disciples

stole the

body.

A couple

of things

about that

one.

It would

seem a bit

odd that if

they stole

the body

that they

would actually

unwrap the

grave clothes

first and

leave.

I mean who

wants to do

that?

Who wants

to unwrap

the grave

clothes and

cut away a

bloody

beaten

naked body?

No one

would do

that.

But more

significantly

if they

took the

body it

would mean

that the

disciples began

to risk

their lives

and in fact

give themselves

up to martyrdom

for the sake

of a hoax

that they knew

was false

and was

worthless.

Who dies

for a lie?

So how

else do you

account for

the dramatic

change in the

disciples as

well?

After Good

Friday if it

wasn't for

the resurrection

the fact is

that they

were utterly

dejected,

they were

terrified after

the death of

Jesus that

they too

would die.

The people

who had

killed their

boss,

their leader

were potentially

going to kill

them too.

They did not

have a hope

for resurrection,

they were ready

to go back

fishing but

were scared

of the authorities

that put their

teeth to the

death and so

they hid

themselves in

a room,

a bunch of

cowards,

hoping not to

be found,

hoping not to

be put to

death.

And then

Jesus appears

to them.

And in the

next coming

weeks these

men went

from cowards

to courageous,

bold men

willing to

die.

what had

happened to

them.

Their own

account was

they had

seen the

Lord alive.

The evidence

is there for

sure.

But doubting

the resurrection

of Jesus is

common.

Strangely enough

though, it's

the first person

to doubt the

resurrection,

the first

person who

was to

actually

specifically

doubt the

resurrection,

not just

question whether

it happened

or not have

a confused

assumption about

it, but to

say I will

not believe

it, was

in fact not

an opposer

of Jesus but

one of his

closest supporters,

Thomas.

Thomas wasn't

there when

Jesus first

appeared to

the disciples.

Have a look

at it there in

verse 24.

Now Thomas

called Didymus,

one of the

twelve, was

not with the

disciples when

Jesus came.

So the other

disciples told

him, we have

seen the

Lord.

But he said

to them, unless

I see the

nail marks in

his hands and

put my finger

where the nails

were and put

my hand in

his side, I

will not

believe.

Unless I

see it for

myself, I

will not

believe it.

I will

believe if

Jesus comes

and shows

himself to

me.

The odd

thing is

that for

Thomas, like

the other

disciples, the

resurrection was

not a new

idea.

As an

Orthodox Jew, he

would have

believed in

everyone being

resurrected to

face judgment

when God

calls the

end of the

world to

be.

But he

doubts the

resurrection of

Jesus here.

His

response to

the news is

absolute.

He makes

his demands

in absolute

terms.

Unless I

see and

place my

hands, I

will not

believe.

He demands

tangible

proof.

He rejects

the witness of

ten or more

of his

closest mates.

He dictates

absolute terms to

God about

believing, which

reveal a lack of

wisdom and

humility.

What he has

not yet

grappled with

is that

seeing does

not equal

believing.

You see, many

people saw the

miracles of

Jesus and

yet they

didn't believe.

They in fact

plotted to kill

him when they

saw Jesus

command Lazarus

to walk out of

the tomb.

Dead man walking.

They saw it

happen and

instead of

going, my

goodness, who

is this man?

They went, right,

it's time to

kill this guy.

Seeing doesn't

equal belief.

And it's a

mistake that's so

easy to make.

The assumption

that if God

would appear to

me or directly

intervene in

certain aspects of

my life for my

good as I

determine it, then

I would believe.

In other words,

if God would

appear to me on

my terms, then

I would believe

he is God.

Of course, the

irony of that is

that a God who

submits to my

terms isn't so

much of a fancy

God after all.

I remember

going through

US customs.

Here's another

one of those

US customs

stories.

Going from

Canada into

the US,

walking up to

the counter,

handing over my

passport, and the

custom guy takes a

look at it, big

long pause, and

he says here,

you're a

clergyman.

Yes, yes I

am.

Right, I've got a

question for you,

and it was like,

is this like one of

those test things?

You know, I'm saying

I'm here on business,

I've got something to

declare, is he trying

to check me out,

what's the deal here?

And he said, what

would you say to a

person who says to

you, show me God and

I'll believe in him?

And so I'm thinking,

oh, in that moment

God help me, you

know, I might be

stuck in Canada, I

mean, please help me

in this moment.

And I said to him,

Jesus said, you see

me and you see the

Father.

So God actually has

revealed himself, he

has come into this

world and revealed

himself.

And he's done sort of

things, not just makes

claims that he's God,

but he did things to

prove he was God, he

raised people from the

dead, he healed the

sick, he calmed the

waters, and I said

historical facts that

prove that he was who

he said he was.

But let me say that

plenty of people saw

Jesus and they saw the

miracles he did and yet

they still plotted to

kill him.

I said, I would say to

that person, don't make

this mistake of thinking

that seeing equals

believing.

And I said, the reality

is I could be God right

here, right in front of

you now and prove it to

you, but if your heart

is one where you were

determined to will to

not to believe, you

won't.

I said, that's basically

what I would say to

that person.

I said, there is plenty

of evidence.

I said, I would

encourage that person to

go and read the

evidence in the

Gospels and ask for

eyes to see.

He gave me my passport

and he slid it across

and said, okay, you

pass.

So what happens with

Thomas?

Reading on in verse

26.

A week later, his

disciples were in the

house again and Thomas

was with them.

Although the doors were

locked, Jesus came and

stood among them and

said, peace be with you.

And he said to Thomas,

over here, put your

hand, put your finger

here and see my hands

and reach out your

hand and put it into

my side.

Stop doubting and

believe.

When Jesus did finally

appear to Thomas, he

says, just stop doubting

and believe.

So the call from Jesus

to Thomas was to stop

his disbelief.

And Jesus in that

moment was incredibly

merciful to him and

came to him in

demonstration of his

resurrection and Thomas

believed.

The interesting thing

is though, that when

you go through the

gospels, the latter

part of the gospels,

and you move even

into the early parts

of Acts, Jesus'

intention was not for

everyone to see in the

same way.

In fact, Jesus did not

appear to everyone

after his resurrection.

He could have just

wandered up to Pilate

one day and said,

wrong.

But his intention was

not to reveal himself

to everyone.

Yes, he did appear to

well over 500 people at

different times.

Enough saw him alive.

But his intention was

not for everyone to

believe him in that

way.

John, who wrote this

biography, was one of the

eyewitnesses.

And this is what he says

about how we come to see

and believe.

Verse 30, Jesus did

many other miraculous

signs in the presence

of his disciples, which

are not recorded in this

book.

But these are written

that you may believe

that Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of God,

and that by believing

you may have life in

his name.

What he is saying is

that what is written in

this biography of

Jesus' life, his

ministry, his death,

his resurrection, is

everything that you need

to believe.

In fact, he says,

Jesus did plenty of

other stuff, but I

haven't written them

down because you don't

need to know about it.

We have everything that

we need to believe right

in front of us.

So can I encourage you

this Easter to read

one of the biographies of

Jesus, Matthew, Mark,

Luke, John.

Just read one of those

biographies and ask for

eyes to see the risen

Lord.

Of course, there are

also those who refuse

to accept the evidence

of Jesus' resurrection

or even look into it

because it's not a matter

of historical facts.

It's not a matter of

historical evidence.

It's a matter of the

claims that Jesus made.

And this is the unbelief

of the will.

That is, if Jesus rose

from the dead, then he

is who he says he is

and he is king and he

is Lord.

He is God and he

commands our allegiance.

And so the rejection

of the resurrection then

is a rejection of the

will.

It's not about the

intellect.

It's about the heart.

It's about the will.

Look at what Thomas

says when he realized

that Jesus had come

back to life.

Verse 28 reveals the

consequences of the

resurrection of Jesus.

The meaning of it.

Thomas said to him,

my Lord and my God.

His first questions

were not, how are you

walking around with a

hole in your side?

The first thing that

impacted him was the

meaning of the

resurrection.

My Lord and my God,

it's true.

Everything you said

about yourself is true.

He is God.

He is the king of the

universe.

He is my Lord.

He is my king.

He is my boss.

He is my ruler.

He is my God.

Belief in the

resurrection of Jesus

for Thomas and for

many of us may just

simply be in the end of

the matter, a matter of

the will.

It is about who's in

charge of my life.

It's about who's in

charge of my world.

God.

And we don't have

Thomas' direct evidence.

We are more like Peter

and John in the tomb.

There is evidence and

either we see through it

or we don't.

And the issue for us here

this morning is do you

see?

This is what I mean.

Your doorbell rings this

afternoon and one of your

friends asked to come in

and have a chat with you.

He comes and says, I have

some really bad news.

Your brother has just

died.

And you say, shaking your

head, no, I don't believe

it.

I saw him this morning and

he was fine.

I don't believe it.

It can't be true.

And your friend says, well,

we went off to the Easter

show together and as we

were leaving, this car went

out of control, jumped the

curve and hit him.

And I knelt over him and I

waited for the ambulance and I

saw it and he died in my arms

and he is gone.

And you say, oh, I see.

What do you mean?

Oh, I see.

What you mean in that

moment is the witness of your

friend has become a window

and the reality of the window

has become plain.

You were not there.

You did not see the

accident.

But still you say, and

it is right to say with all

your heart, I see.

I now understand.

And God has brought you here

this morning, my friends, for

this message and for this

Bible passage and for this

story of the resurrection of

Jesus so that you might go,

oh, I see.

Through the witness of John,

John says, I see.

I understand.

I see.

I understand.

And that in seeing you might

believe in Jesus and have life

in his name.

John says, but these things are

written that you might believe

that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God, and that by

believing you may have life in

his name.

And so my prayer for you this

morning is that you will now,

before this service is over,

or very soon, by God's grace,

say, oh, I see.

And in seeing the resurrected

Jesus, we'll live like he lives

forever.

Amen.