Easter Sunday | Pr. Matthew Chang

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We hope this message will light up your day.

Chapter twenty four. Okay, Luke, Chapter twenty four, I'm gonna

do two parts. Okay. The first part, I'm going to

talk about the evidence of the tomb, get the empty tone.

And then after that, I'm gonna take you guys on

the journey, on a walk, a seven mile walk, and

I'm going to tell you how the resurrection is meant

to happen in our lives. Okay. I tell you what happened,

and i tell you what is still happening. Okay. So

let's turn to Luke chapter twenty four. If you have scriptures,

please now turn to it, and I'm gonna read here

from verse twenty four, okay, twenty four, I will read

from verse one. Okay, now it says here, look twenty

four verse one. Okay. Now, on the first day of

the week, which is Sunday, not Monday. Okay, we like

on Monday, but actually the first day of the way,

according to Jewish calendar, is Sunday. Okay. Very early in

the morning, they and certain other women with them came

to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.

So we must understand that Jesus was crucified on Friday,

and according to tradition. To tradition, they celebrate Sabbath as well,

so they had to they had to make sure that

Jesus was or died, and then he had to bring

his body down bury him before sunset. Okay, everything before sunset,

because they cannot do any work because of that. They

quickly Joseph of Arimathia, a very wealthy man, took him down.

He bought a lot of spices, herbs and all the spices,

the bombing spices to really to umbump him. Quickly put

him in the tomb and then let him there. Saturday,

they couldn't work because of Sabbath, and then Sunday was

the only time they could go before the body decomposition happens.

So the women were there very early to pay their

last respect. But it was very important because you must

understand this, It's not just any funeral. You must understand

that within the spend of twenty four hours on Friday,

everything just went Hawaii. We didn't spend twenty four hours.

Are just one week before this guy, Jesus was welcomed

to Jerusalem everybody was saying, Hosanna, hosanna, he's going to deliver.

And then just one day he was arrested, trial so

called trial, handed over to the Romans, condemned, and then

crucified within twenty four hours. I don't know by anyone

if your hemmy, if you had been arrested before or

pull over by a policemen before twenty four hours act.

It's really fast for policemen. Okay. The mext they can

do is put you twenty four hours into lockoup first, okay,

before they can do anything to you. And that's exactly

what happened to one of my family members on Friday. Okay,

they called me because they were scared of go to

a lock up. Even then they had to block him

up and only get trial on Monday. You know, Jesus

was tried on the savery same day. Okay, you can

imagine quite men. I was calling lawyers and stuff to

SCIENTI to settle some stuff. But Jesus was trial on

the same day, condemned and then a crucifat on that

same day. Okay. It's amazing, it's really really amazing. Has

unheard of and if you are a family member, a

close member. You're not just witnessing someone being arrested. To

see someone in the lock up is already quite shocking

to you. But to see someone being flogged. He's flesh

torn apart by nine tails from the back and the front,

totally unrecognizable within less than twenty four hours, are and

then crucified in the most horrible way. It's heart ranging

one at all. And you didn't even have the time

to bury him. Okay, you might have time to remember

some of you are probably I had not the nice

privilege but also also a privilege to have funerals during MC.

Your time was very difficult, okay, very difficult for the

family members as well, because of the quarantine. It was

very difficult for people to be around, you know, because

it's for the first time. We were doing it, you know, really,

we were just doing it for the first time. Nobody

knows how, you know, that one person in and out

and then you know, some I know, some family members

can't even see the the other ones passed away because

he was in a hospital. I have an uncle who was,

you know, having what they call it a really bad

going through cancer in Malaca during Cobiti, and nobody could

go in it or he was he was going cuckoo

with you know, running around thinking he was in flames

inside the hospital. Okay, it was a very very horrible time, okay,

And so everything was quick. So they woke up as

early as possible to uh, to pay their respect to

touch the body of the person who touched their lives,

you get, I mean, and that's that's the last thing

before when you're someone just happens so quick and so far,

you just want at least to be able to touch

the body because that's the last connection you ever have

with that person who touched your life. You know what

I'm saying. You want to touch that body one last time.

I know that, you know, I know that feeling you

want to touch it. And so I can imagine the

reaction of Mary and the women when they know when

they took away the body, you're taking away alive and

all what they have been so impacted their lives. It's

really really powerful. But he says there, okay, this one, okay,

but in verse two, but they found the stone rolled

away from the tomb. Then they went in and did

not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it

happened as they were greatly perplexed about this. That behold,

two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as

they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth,

they said to them, why do you seek the living

among the dead? He is not here. But it's reason.

Remember how he spoke to you when he was in Galilee, saying,

the son of men must be delivered into the hands

of sinful men and be crucified. And the third day

rise again. And they remembered his words. Then they returned

from the tomb and told all these things to the

eleven and to all the rest. He was marry Magdalene, Joanna,

married the mother of James, and the other women with them,

who told these things to the apostles, And their words

seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not

believe them. Just to make I won't let you know

that at that time, the testimony or the testimony of

women were not held in Hierkatsla at that time, and

in their culture as well. But Peter rose, arose and

ran to the tomb, and stooping down, he saw the

linen clothes lying by themselves, and he departed, marveling to

himself at what had happened? Now, how does the world

look at the resurrection of Jesus. Let's put on the

slide here. There are many people who doubt they put

their face some of you. They say that Christianity is

for the weak minded. They need a religion because they've

got nothing in their life of substance to hold on,

to live on to. Maybe they are not successful in

their career or thing. We have come we as a

human civilization have come to an age way. We have

to move past these as well. So why are they

so easily following someone which is an empty tomb there?

Some people say that Jesus disciple probably will have stolen

his body because they believe him, and they will have

too much mistake. We have many cults and or cults

right now in this world as well. People do crazy,

crazy things. It's not too far fatual thing that the

disciples of Jesus did that. Or they came out with

a soon theory saying that Jesus didn't die. Okay, he

survived a capital punishment invented by the Romans to kill people.

He somehow survived. Okay, capital punishment, capital punishment execution a

means to kill you one to know to kill you

and to make a demonstration, to demonstrate something somehow the life,

and somehow he is able to roll the stone away

left and then stay in a very quie quiet village

and chateau in France that he lives the rest of

his life. Da Vinicote. Ye, oh many, it can make

you can come out in many things somehow in France

there there is the bloodlne of Jesus somewhere as well,

can come out. It's all cold things as well. People

will come up many many things that many things written

about it as well. So many doctors will say this,

let's look at some of the evidences we have, and

then I'm gonna this is only a brief one. So

the stone that rolled away, first of all, he weighs

about one to two tons. How many of you successfully

lifted one ton before? And some of you like you know,

you carry weights, I lift up before a few one

hundred plus you know, live people. Okay, preprop myself ready,

you know this thing is like one to two tons,

you know, and in someone's inclining or inclined with grooves,

you know. Okay, there's a reason why they put and

this is not a poor man's grave, you know, a

rich man's graver amitia is richer. You know. You see,

most of the time rich people live in big houses

one okay, even you know in their great day they

decided that let's have a big real estate like okay,

a big one. Okay. It's very heavy and most they

even if you go to Israel, they they say that

they are located. No, this is most likely the most

probably the tomb of Jesus. Okay, you will require for

to six really really strong men, really really strong man okay,

to be able to move it. And there's a reason

they want. They don't want robbery and they don't want

the stench to come out as well. Of course, grave

robbery was very prevalent at that time. Lord rich men,

they got no safety posit. They cannot put their money

into crypto or anything as well, so they're bringing with

them to the grave, so literally grave roberts. Okay. So

in the Disciples, for not only they need to be

strong enough, they need to be brave enough to move it. Okay,

not only just strong enough, they needed to be brave

enough because in member days that when Jesus was Neil

on the cross, were they nailt with him. They ran way.

They were all running away at people. They were all

running away. They even deny Jesus street time zone. You

not only need to be strong enough, you need to

be brave enough. Next one, the seal on the stone.

If you read in Matthew chapter twenty seven, okay, you

will realize that there is a seal on the stone.

There's a cord and a wax imprinted with the Roman

insignia over the stone. And why is that the case?

Because there is to indicate that this place is guarded

by the Roman and this is the territory of the government.

You cannot break it. Breaking it was punishable by death.

And we know for evidence that there is no official

record whether the Romans or the Jewish leader ever prosecuted

anyone or the disciples or trying to break the seal.

No such thing before, because you will need the weakness

of people. No such record, no such prosecution before. But

yet it was broken. Thirdly, we have the Roman gods. Okay,

Roman gods were a sign in Matthew chapter twenty seven

for the very reason because if you read Matthew chapter

twenty seven, the Jewish leaders were afraid, because they know

that Jesus taught the disciples and taught the public that

he will rise again in three days. And so they

fear that the disciples will come and steal the body,

and ask ponchous pilot to assign a group of soldiers

to watch over just for three days, no need anymore,

no need to watch over just for three days, okay,

so that they will not steal. That's why there is

a soldier. That is why there is that seal that

is there as well. But you must understand that at

that time, the Roman soldier for their regiment, right, they

have a lot of prisoners, important prisoners, okay, and they

have to watch over God, whether in jail or on

the road. What is one of the greatest temptations for

the soldiers bribery. So how do they solve bribery? How

do they solve bribery? They pay them higher, is it? Okay?

The simple cure for bribery is to make is to say,

if that prisoner dies or escapes, you die. Simple, pretty simple.

So no matter what you bribe the feather, you cannot.

There's no excuse one, no, no, there's no excuse, waner.

They don't care whana that is why you remember Paul

and Silas when they were caught and when when they

were in the jail right and their chains were loose,

they didn't lave, you know. But then the jailer saw

what happened. He attempted to kill himself because he knew

what waited for him. Do you know what I'm saying? No,

there is no escape, Wanner. People. The Romans were. They

were brutal, but they were irre effectively. They were hyper efficient,

brutal in effect everything. So that's why they invented. They

didn't invented the cross. Actually the cross was started from

the Persians, the Assyrians, all the way to the Greek

and then all the way to the Romans. Did you

know that it was so famous? It was famous because

they actually executed the mass crucifixion. During the Spartacle's rebellion,

six thousand men were crucified on the Appian Highway, the big,

the most important highway in Roman times. It's about two

hundred km. They crucified six thousand of them. So when

you walk on that, on the on the road, the

major road that leads to room, you will see them

on them and they will suffer for a week or two.

You were very brutal, very brutal, very effective. You think

a thing like bribery of soldiers is going to deter them.

They just kept it simple. You watch missing, you die, simple,

So they make sure they were guard it with your life. Okay,

and this is very well known one just it's just

to just to avoid people bribing them, very simple, straight ahead.

So if they abandoned their post, they will be executed.

If nowadays we do that to our soldiers and army,

I don't know what will happening. Is human rights violation,

you know nowadays. But they were hyper effective, brutally efficient

and effective smart Okay, not smart. I don't want to

give them to much credit. Okay. So all these evidences,

and then we also have the transform lives of the disciples. Okay,

before Jesus reappeared to them, Okay, they were afraid. Like

I said, Peter even denied Jesus three times. But it's

not just his disciples who would just transform. His enemies

would transform. Yeah, I mean his enemies were transformed. Paul

was not a disciples before then. In fact, he was

the champion of Christian prosecutors, champion. He was a protegean

like I would say, like you know, if I don't

know the superstar in in Jerusalem really a superstar like

Andy La, you know, whatever it is, you know, like

really a superstar, not that everybody celebrated him, you know, Okay.

And he plays out to be a champion. And he

was dragging Christians from houses in front of their children,

in front of their parents, you know, dragging and putting

them into prison. Some also he executed, or at least

witness to the execution as well. Okay, you cannot see.

You cannot find a greater an opponent or a champion

in Paul. But yet he himself, who was not with Jesus, transformed, transformer,

He was transformed past resurrection. And you don't believe that.

If you hold the Bible, you will see all his

writings a man transformed. You don't believe me, it's all

inside there. Okay. These are the writings of a man

still angry with Jesus, did not see Jesus. If you

see him, he is what he is from a person

who was who was in fear, because when he became blind,

he became a fearless proclaimer of Jesus. Even at the

course of his life. How do you explain him? I mean,

how do you explain him? But I'm going to tell

you that these evidences has been around for a long

long time, and I can tell you that most people,

when we tell them this, people will still not believe.

The bolls believe. Actually, I tell you it is meant

to be enough. Nobody has seen God. I have never

seen God. Have you seen God? Nobody has seen God.

God is spirit. Nobody has seen God. But yet we

somehow believe. I want to tell you that the Christian

faith is not a blind faith. It is, in fact,

the most reasonable faith you can have in this world.

Someone say that, you know, if Jesus, I will only

believe in Jesus, if Jesus appeared in front of me

right now, right now, if he is the son of God,

if he is God at all, why can't you just appear.

I can't just appear right now. I let't let you

know right now. The same so when we say that,

do you realize that you're mocking Jesus. You're mocking Jesus.

You know, why do I say that? Or possibly what

you're so harsh? You see, when Jesus was hanging on

the cross. Who was What did they say to him?

They said, what if you are the son of God,

save yourself. The Jews the crowd was saying it to him.

The Jewish leader was saying it to him. The Romans

were singing to him. And I tell you, even the

robber who was crucified with him even mocked him. If

you are the son of God, save yourself. In his suffering,

they mocked him. And in his glory they also mocked him.

And right now when we de Monday, we also mock him.

If you are the son of God, show yourself, If

you are the son of God, save yourself. Okay, in

his suffering we mocked him. In his glory we also

mocked him. We are all doing that right now, even

to this day. But I want to give you, guys,

a version of resurrection and how Jesus actually wants to

appear in our lives. In the same passage from verse

thirteen on words, we see a very fascinating story about

two disciples or two followers on the road to Imaius.

Let's read them, he says there in verse thirty, verse thirteen.

Now behole two of them were traveling that same day

to a villain called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.

And they talked about all these things which has happened?

What things all they had just explained to you, the

empty tomb, the soldiers, the seal, the missing body, they

talk about, the women who keep the testimony. Or so

they talked about jesus twenty four hour condemnation and crucifixion.

They were talking all about it as well, okay, And

they said in verse fifteen, so it was while they

were conversing and reasoning that Jesus himself drew near and

went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so they

did not know him. Now we know that they couldn't

see or identify him because their eyes were restrained. Whether

Jesus was actively restraining them covering their eyes, you know,

or Jesus just passively restrained them. Say they were already blind,

so I just didn't open their eyes. I don't know,

but we know that couldn't identify him. But why reason why? Game?

Let's read on verse seventeen. And he said to them,

what kind of conversation is this that you have with

one another as you walk? And are said? They were

said in verse eighteen, they said Then one of them,

whose name was Cleo Pass, answered and said to him,

are you the only stranger in Jerusalem? And have you

not known the things which happened there in these days?

And he said to them, what things? So they said

to him the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was

a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all

the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers

delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we were hoping. Now this part betrays them, isn't

it we were hoping. It means that they were disappointed,

isn't it? They were disappointed that it was he who

was going to redeem Israel. They were hoping that he

will be a political hero. Indeed, besides all this, today

is the third day since all these things happened. Yes,

And certain women of our company who arrived at the

tomb early astonished us when they did not find his body.

They came saying that they also had seen a vision

of angels who said he was alive. And certain of

those who were with us went to the tomb and

found it just as the women had said. But him

they did not see. Oh, they see it. I told

you today, whatever we have covered this morning, they actually

have the same thing as well. They were perplexed. Then

in verse twenty five, then Jesus said to them, and

I believe that Jesus didn't say it very loudly and harshly.

That I believe that Jesus was very patient and leving,

and he said all foolish ones and slow. Hard to

believe in all that the prophet had spoken. I don't

think Jesus was going to thorow them now because they

had to work with him for seven miles. You know, right,

hard to work with a guy who tarot you for

seven miles. What would you choose that you don't even

know the guy? Okay? And they say he in verse

twenty seven, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets,

he expounded to them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. Wow,

let me finish this. Then they drew near to the

village where they were going, and he indicated that he

would have gone further. Underlying that very important thing. He

indicated that he would have gone further. There's the most

important part. But they constrained him, saying, abide with us,

for it is towards the evening, and the day is

fast spent. And he went in to stay with them.

Now it came to pass, as he sat at the

table with them, that he took bread blessed and broke

it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were open,

and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight

Verse thirty two. And they said to one another, did

not our hearts burn within us while he talked with

us on the road, and while he opened the scriptures

to us. So they rose up that very hour and

returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who

were with them gathered together, saying, the Lord is reason

in it and has appeared to Simon. And they told

about the things that had happened on the road, and

how he was known to them in the breaking of

the bread bless the reading of God's words. Now a

lot of things happened here, Okay, I won't take too long.

First of all, we know that the start off they

couldn't recognize Jesus. Again, two of them they couldn't recognize Jesus.

Why is it well? The statements that Jesus said gave

us a clue. They were foolish and they were misguided.

I'm not saying foolish like no one, but they were

foolish because they were unable to piece together all the things.

They were not confused just with the tomb, but they

were confused. They said this, and when they testified about Jesus,

they also said about Jesus as a prophet mighty in

words and deeds. But then they also said that Jesus

also suffered. So their confusion was not just about the

missing body. Their confusion begins about who Jesus really is

because they thought that he would become the political savior

they hope for. So they didn't they really they must

understand that all within the few days everything happening, Everything

they had known about Jesus has been completely and dramatically shifted.

Who is Jesus really and why is this happening? Why

is the crucifixion happening?

Mn?

You have to process this, you know. So they were confused.

They couldn't piece it together or see God's plan and

purpose in it. They couldn't see who Jesus is, and

he couldn't see what was the plan of it own.

And so instead of seeking truth or going to the scriptures.

They do what we always like to do as humans.

They try to reduce God to our reality. We like

to reduce God in our reality. We like to squeeze

God into what we understand or don't understand. We doubt,

isn't it when we hear when we talk about Easter Sunday,

we hear about the empty tomb? We say, if God

is so real, why can't you just show us if

he does? What means either he's not real or he

doesn't care. So we say in our hearts a lot

of times we reduce him. We reduce him either God

doesn't care or that doesn't exist, or we go back

to the old theories. We reduce him trying to make

trying to think that, you know, makes sense of what

we think. Actually all this means. And even the disciples

who must understand these people have been following Jesus, have

been following Jesus, they also couldn't understand. Don't say about

the world they themselves couldn't understand. Okay, they probably thought

that Jesus was a fair political hero, thinking they were

fools for following. And now they are hearing missing bodies

and deep tones and crazy women talk about seeing the

dead alive again. It's a tough pill to swallow, and

all that is why if you look at the outside world,

they might look at us and say that we are

a bunch of fools or believing in this Easter Sunday. Okay,

what did we get yourself into? Okay, But notice that Jesus,

although he rebuilt them, he was so loving and kind.

He didn't just say hey, here I am, but the

if you are here and your adopt I can tell

you that I want to let you know that it's

not my word. But Jesus himself still loves you. He

said it, and he demonstrated he still loves you. He

loves them so much that he continues to work with

them seven miles somewhat the whole day. Jesus will still

walk with you. Jesus will still listen to you your doubts,

your frustrations, your anger, and Jesus will still slowly open

the scriptures and explain to you. He will still preach

to you. He will still teach you, regardless of how

many times when you come to church, when you listen

to anyone who tried to administer to you you doubted.

God still preach to you. Even when you top them.

None do that. Okay, God still preach to you. And

he was patiently opening their hearts that if you are

willing to walk with him, if you are willing to

listen and to seek, he will walk with you. He

will teach, and he will continue to preach despite your unbelief. Nowadays,

people ask for America to have a quick belief. They

ask Jesus for answer prayers to quickly, to quickly show

up in front of their site. It's like asking Jesus performance.

Make me believe. Jesus, if he under son God, make

me believe, show up right now, heal me right now,

Give me a job, right now, give me money right now.

You want me to believe. Do this, loave, do this love.

And we don't realize we're are actually mocking Jesus. Jesus.

Even despite all this, sometimes we mumble in the house

that Jesus did not depart from them. You know, you

know when I was preaching, you know, I was preaching

in Srikambanga Good Friday about the two robbers. The story

says that Jesus was in the middle and there was

a robber on the left, and then the right. Imagine

that I'm one of the robbers, the one, the repentant robber,

and Jesus was on my left side, and then the

other robber was on the far side. It says that

they started off by reviving Jesus. Both the robbers were

reviving Jesus because they hear everything the crowd was saying

to him. They were mocking him. If you're the son

of God, save yourself, save yourself. You hear the son

of God. You must understand that the Roberts were also crucified.

You know, they went through flogging as well. You know

they are also hanging on their hands on the nail.

You all in the most excruciating pain. What is going

in your mind? Are you thinking about their pain? What

could possibly drive a man in the most painful, in

the most painful moment to think about comparing yourself? About

comparing yourself with another person? You know what I mean? Right,

It's not just the crowd now, these people, robbers are

being Christian in the most painter, still reviling Jesus. If

you are the son of God, save yourself. But something

happened as this robber looks across and probably they were

friends or brothers who were doing this. No, no, because

they were respecting that. As he looks across Jesus. Okay,

I'm not talking about brother. But he looks across and

he sees him reviling Jesus. You know what happens, You

start to change, and his statements betrayed, and his statements

reveal what he's thinking. You know, you know what did

he say? He says, do you not fear God? Do

you not fear God? You know what? I believe? What

he saw then, that man who was at this you know,

fellow prisoner who was hanging and being crussified in pain, well,

you know what he saw. He saw a man so

overcome in sin and delusion that he is willing to

look at art and comparing himself with other people rather

than looking at himself where he is right now. He

saw himself, and he did not like what he see.

He saw a man that was a bit crazy, but

a man that is not ready to die. He is

not ready to die. He saw himself. There is why

am I ready to die? And he said, we justly

deserve what we got. We deserve this, you know, and

even being this deserving all this, even in being crucified.

I am still not ready to see God. He still

fear God. You know, he knows know this is, this

will pass, and there is a judgment coming. There's a

God coming. You know. You can go online if you

search some people's last words. It is very telling when

last words are ex satanist this man guy and Tom

Levy great said a very powerful witchcraft guy. His last words.

You know what he said? Something is wrong, something is wrong.

Oh no, what have I done? What have I done?

Terrifying last words? Terrifying when you're dying on the cross,

when you your mind is thinking about where are you

ready or not? And he saw that man, he said,

do you not fear God? Even your death? You fear God?

We just deserve even when we just get so we

are not ready. And if he looked across, he sees

himself and he starts to look at Jesus. This guy,

what did he do? He did? Why did? Why is

he because he claimed to be God? But more than that,

I think he looks at Jesus and he saw a

man rejected, alone, ridiculed and mocked. But yet in all

this he was a man ready to die. Have you

ever seen a man ready to die, ready to die,

not just dying, ready to die, ready to die in

despite the worst situation, ready to die. And he started

to realize that why is this happening here? Why is

he here? And why am I here? Why am I

hearing this right now? Am I? Is there possible right

now that this is it possible that this man could

be could be God himself? Or is God trying? Is

God in heaven trying to speak something to me right

now that even a man is justly being punished like me,

still have one last chance. With my hands, nail and

my feet there duly condemned, there is still a chance

for me. So I'm staring at myself and I'm staring

at Jesus as well. But what can I do? My hands,

nail and my feet's done? What can I say? What

can I offer? And what did he say that? And

he said, this is not Lord, remember me, remember me.

We know that because this is Look when he went

back to ro he myself heard this testimony on bread,

lovely Lord, remember me, when you enter into your kingdom.

He didn't he said kingdom. He said your kingdom. He

acknowledges Jesus as king. Remember me, the only thing a

sinner can bring at his last dying breaths is to

what Maybe this is not a coincidence. Maybe I am

here for a reason. Even in my even in my pain,

you're suffering someone, you are here. Even if God has

not shown up in the way you expected, in all

your pain and suffering, you are still not here by coincidence.

If you were really to ask what is happening all around?

And we looked and said, God, remember me, because I'm

not ready. I am not ready. And all I asked

when that, when that judgment hammon is going to follow me?

All I can ask as a man who is on disabled,

remember me, Lord, remember me. That's all a sinner can do.

And Jesus looked to him and said that surely, surely

I say to you today you will be with me

in paradise. Paradise, you know. I'll ask you this question.

As Jesus is hung on the cross right and all

the most painful way, what is in his mind? What

is in his mind? The people mocking him the ridicule

because that, oh, if you say you're a god, you

can't see if you save yourself, save yourself, really very mocking.

You know, if you are save yourself. It's really ridiculing,

you know. You think he's thinking about that? Or is

he thinking about the nails or the flogging that he

did on their back or now he's doing it, or

the front of shame and everything else? Is he thinking

about that? I tell you I believe what I think

he's thinking. The Bible says that for the joy that

was set before him, he endured the cross. I can

tell you right now that Jesus on the cross, even

in his suffering, is still doing miracles. He is doing

miracles with the robber, and he's seeing that seed of

faith growing and food. A man that was so helpless

and beyond salvation and Soko still have one last breath

and one confession to make everything. If he threw himself

at Jesus, remember me. And I believe Jesus in his

so smile, in his all his pain, his smile. Surely,

I say to you, you will be with me in paradise.

Even on the cross, people, Jesus is still doing miracles. Amen. Amen,

It's amazing it. Even on the course, he's still doing miriancles.

He still remembers you, you know, in your so don't

despise your suffering. But look at Jesus, you mean, always

your eyes, not look at anyone, not look at the world,

not look at the people who laugh and mock at him.

Everything look and not your past as well, look at Jesus.

Only looking at your eyes fixed on Jesus. Would you

understand that faith is necessary to take hold of him?

You go, I'm saying, no, faith is necessary. Faith is

the only thing you can do. Faith is the most

reasonable thing that you can do. Everybody. Some people say that, oh,

I only live with one hundred percent assurance, if not certainty.

When you came into this room, did you check all

the chairs before you sit down? Did you? No? You

believe past us even and this hotel would have done

their courtesy to make sure that you check the chair

and you sit down. When a child gets born, did

they need to understand why and how family happens? What's

the responsibilities of mom? And then that when they open

their mouths that there is a spoon withoo put in

your mouth? They didn't I need to know? Why? Isn't

it so sometimes you don't need to. Actually, the world

moves with reasonable faith, always has been. We have never

been with one hundred percent because it's not possible. The world,

your world, mid world will have to stop. But the

world continues to move on with reasonable faith. You see

what I'm saying, Let's move on here. So Jesus talks

to them, opens a scripture and he says that there's

the walk. Their hearts were burning. So what happens? Their doubt,

your confusion, their despair begins to change into hope. Suddenly

they realize, oh, now did you mention it? Now that

you are trying to make sense of what has happened

in the past so many two forty eight hours, God

is actually real. God is in control. But maybe God

is in control, maybe it's not a coincidence. They start

to believe, you know, in despite sometimes you in your

in your own pain and you're suffering yourself. You're like, oh,

God doesn't care. And then you sat down and you

realize that as I read the scriptures, I cannot deny

the fact that God is still good to me, that

he kept me here for still, for a future, hope

and a reason that I need to begin to walk

past to walk in this life, not looking and trusting

just what I see, but based on who God is

and what he has done in my life by faith,

by faith, and as they do, then their hearts begin

to change, to begin we feel with hope. But yet

I tell you there are people who walk with Jesus,

who listen to him, taught him and preach to them,

but yet still don't know him. Even after all these

they couldn't identify him. Yet, No, still don't identify You know,

there are people who come to church hear me preach,

hear pastor Stephen preache. You watch all the youtubes. You

probably know the scripture a thousand times better as well.

You just know about God, but you don't know God.

You cannot see him in your life. I'm saying you know,

you can walk seven miles, twenty miles, one hundred miles,

but you still cannot recognize him. So scary it's true

or not, It's still stuck, you know. But then what

is the turning point? In verse let me see and

in verse twenty, then they drew near to the village

that hemayge where they were going, and he indicated that

he were gone further. This is the most important verse here.

You know why after all these things are Jesus never

forced himself, you know, receive me, you know. He told

them here we are where you were walking in your life,

what you wanted, what to do. We're always planning. We

plan or don't plan. We're walking on Jesus walks with

us here. This is your stop for today, for this

sas in your life. So actually, okay, I'm actually gonna

go ahead say bye to you. They never pressure Jesus

a gentleman. You will never push Sure, You'll never push

you a You will never say please, I'm going to

appear in front of your life right now. Believe me,

please believe me, Please make my religion relevant again in

this world. You will never do that. He will never

do that. He's a gentleman and all. He will never

do that. He will to violate you. You will respect and

honor your your free will and choice, no matter what

you do, even if you are hitting it. He hurts

like he will still honor. But he tells you I'm

gonna head forwards. And they make the most important choice.

Instead of just hearing and hearts burning, they say, stay

with us. Ing I'm saying, you know, stay with us,

And that's an act of faith, you know, because you

don't know who he is. Heer you know even despite

all the evidences, there is you know, tomb, you know everything,

your scripture being opened, and there have one thing that

still have to do. One thing. He realized that that

is not the tomb. It's not the stone that is

covering Juice's tomb. That is the problem. Now that stone

has been rolled away. The problem of the stone is

the stone in your heart. That's the stone that's not

being rolled away. You can hear all you want, but

unless Jesus calls you and you walked up by faith,

you cannot see him. You are start inside that you're dead.

You know I'm saying you still need faith. That's just

try Jesus. He's not gonna entertain the world by just

appearing anyway, to entertain a world without faith. He's not

a performer, you know, Hey, come and see me. Don't

believe no, Oh, make no mistake. God has endured every

mocking before. He has not deterred, he has not swayed

away from his perpersonal He's never known. And so they

invited him. My question is are you going to invite Jesus.

It's not You're here to not to Eastern, not to Hey,

great message, you can walk unchange our people you can

be like unchanged. But yet when they invited him, he

says that when they're sat down at that table, he

took bread, lest it and he broke it. And then

in that very instance they knew him. They knew him,

and he vanishes. Well, they know him. So let me

tell you what I feel actually happened when they invited

him in. It became personally in their life. It's not

just a stranger. What he became someone in their life.

Inside your house anymore. Sometimes big, small, poor everything he comes,

he start to do the daily thing, and you say, God,

I don't know who you are. I don't know where

you're from, but in this moment, I'm gonna take a

chance to invite you into my life. I asked that

you will open yourself to me and help me to

see who you really are. That's how you approach God.

Now I decided to see you. I don't know how,

and I don't know how. I don't know whether you will,

but I hope that you'll be willing I invite you.

I opened my harmor myself. My house is not that big,

my life is not that great. Come and he broke

that bread, and in the breaking of the break the

simple things and Theda. They saw, they just see Jesus

face that they change. You know, I think that I

believe that they saw they realized that Jesus has always

been there in their life. It's just I realized that

all the footsteps that carried them was his and not theirs.

One moment in your life, You've been so clear. God,

you have always been with me. And now I see

you were with me when I was young me and

when I was in kindergarten, when I first had a

relationship break up, when I first my first job. You

were always there when I adopted, when I messed up,

even in the scene when I ate every single thing,

everything clear, pop, I realized you were everywhere. I was like, oh,

I knew you right now in the simple things. You know,

we realize God was there. He has always been there.

You know. When I was in my conversion story happened

in Sys fifteen, I went to church. I went to

church for a girl and the message was pretty good,

emotional river thing. You know, Oh, I feel good. I

don't mind associating with such a powerful message like okay,

but I knew about God. I didn't know God. And

then one day, as I went through a few stages

you know about of depression and resting in my life,

I asked, who are you? God? Is what about other religions?

I'm actually thinking of pursuing other religions, which one is true?

And I realized that it came down to one thing,

that I have to open up my heart and to

call out to him. And I was in my room alone,

I was in any hall, any someone. I was just

in my room there and I got my knees and

I was just so fed up, so confused, and I asked, God,

if you are real, please review your self to me,

reveal yourself to me. In my life, I humble myself

and invite you and in my and that very moment,

I begin to see an image of my father and

I started to realize that God is my father. He

loves me. But there was still one stumbling brock, why

do you love me? And God said this, I love

you not because you are smarter, you're better, you're holier, nothing.

I love you because you belong to me, nothing else.

You belong to me. When you have a child, did

your child feel like perform, qualify for anything? Did you

know how they even will look whether they will graduate

from school. They promised nothing. You know. Would you trade

your child for another child in the hospital. No, you

will insist on that child. You don't care because that

child belongs to you. You are his and his alone.

Nothing else you do, anything else you do and you

did could ever earn his love. He loves you because

we are his sheep, of his sheep. Full understand, this

is what is why he said. We are the ship

of his pasture. We belong to him. That's all He is.

Love you, I'm saying, I'm saying. And then when I

understood that every hue, any trace of pure human love

only came from one being, and that is God, who

created us even when we didn't ask to be created,

who loved us when we never asked to be loved.

He was a God who loved me. And by faith,

I said, Lord, I believe, and I received your undeserving love.

And that verry moment, at my knees, I opened my eyes.

I realized, and even in mind culture, that God has

always been around me. He surrounds me, he floods me.

I cannot escape from him. Oh, this is everywhere, even

in my darkest and deepest thoughts of sin and nature

and last and pride. He was there for me. It

is real, and I realized that I am that person

who God has rolled the stone away and have finally emerged,

and I see him everywhere. That is why the Easter

Sunday is not about evidences. It's actually God knocking at

our door asking can he No, God is knocking there,

What do you want from him? Do you want him

to stay? Or do you want him to pass you by?

You come saying you know how long will it take

for you? Do you want to walk another seven mile,

another twenty mile, another fifty mile. Jesus is here and

is everywhere for us to open our eyes to see

that He has always been there. That is why, when

you're now closest with this last verse day Thomas adopted.

But when he saw Jesus he believed. And in John twenty,

verse twenty, Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have

seen me, you have believed. But blessed are those who

have not seen and yet have believed. It is faith

that you need to see Jesus. The greatest evidence of

Jesus's resurrection is not just a tomb. The greatest evidence

of resurrection is God moving in your life. You go,

I'm saying, you know the tomb Son didn't convert the Disciposa,

didn't they all? It is Jesus moving in your life.

Your life is the testimony of God's resurrection. Easter is

about you transforming being You being transformed by God and

to live for him and by you, the world will

know that He lives. Amen, Amen or not. Amazing God.

God is amazing, isn't it. It's a It's amazing so near,

but we make him so far away.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit axchurch do org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God, bless