04/05/2026
He Is Risen! Come worship with us this Easter morning at 7:00 am.o
Jesus has died and to His disciples it appears all is lost. Perhaps they should have known it was going to happen, after all, Jesus had forewarned them. It was recorded in Matthew 16.
Matthew 16:21
“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Those were words the Apostle Peter didn’t want to hear, that wasn’t plan he’d envisioned. It couldn’t happen and if he had anything to do with it, it wouldn’t happen
Matthew 16:22-23
“And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.””
Jesus knew, He’d always known He was destined to die. It had always been the plan since time immemorial. It was God’s plan, He’d been in on the planning and it was perfect, though not easy for men like Peter to understand it.
Peter may well have had the best of intentions but he was opposing God’s will and Jesus rebuked him sharply. He wasn’t expecting Jesus’s response.
“But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.””
Now, Jesus was gone!
They’d loved Him, they’d placed their hopes in Him and entrusted their futures to Him. They’d left families, businesses and jobs to follow the Master they considered the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One who was to come, the Redeemer, the Savior of mankind and now He was dead. Their sorrow was profound. But in three days, their deep sorrow would soon be turned to profound and boundless joy! Their world was about to be shaken again.
Matthew 28:1-8
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.”
The Apostles and other disciples had come together to mourn as people do at times like these. While they mourned two heartbroken women, both named Mary by the way, walked to the garden tomb where Jesus had been laid. It was early, they carried a heavy burden of spices and ointments with which to prepare Jesus’ body for eternal rest. As they walked, they wondered how they would gain access seeing a large stone had been placed at the entrance. They’d seen it rolled into place. They didn’t know how, but they knew they had to try.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
The sight of the empty tomb and the angels was overwhelming but the words they spoke were incredible. “He is not here, for He has risen” were words they could only dream of hearing.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
John 20:2
2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
They ran, the good news could not be contained. He’s Alive! He’s Alive! He is Risen! Come see the tomb is empty and the angels said to go tell the disciples “Come see,” He’s alive!
The incredible news hit the disciples like an earthquake. How can this be? No one has ever come back from the dead! What do we do? Do we doubt? Do we verify? Who’s going to go see?
John 20 3-10
3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
It can’t be? Can it? Is it true? Is Jesus alive? the disciples asked. We don’t know, we didn’t see Him but He’s not in the tomb and the only thing we found were His burial cloths.
“What now?” They asked each other, “What now?” “We go to Galilee,” it was decided, the angels told Mary to tell us that Jesus would meet us there.
True to His word, Jesus came as He promised, He always does.
John 20:19-22�19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
The doors were locked, the windows shuddered, they were hiding from the Jews and suddenly, Here’s Jesus! “Peace with you.” As if they could have peace, they were awestruck as they were when they’d seen Him walk on water in the midst of storm at sea. Not hardly. So Jesus showed them the mortal wounds He’d suffered and yet here He was! Living, breathing, talking.
Jesus breathed on them as He had at creation when He breathed life into the man He’d fashioned from the dust of the earth. That day, He breathed His Holy Spirit in them. They now had eternal live, the church, His Church, His Bride was born and He commissioned them to preach the Gospel.
Many, far too many today will not believe, they will not accept the account of Jesus life. They will not believe the witnesses.
Jesus was alive then, He is alive today. The gospel story is a true account, far too many witnesses share the same story without variation. Far too many willingly went to a martyr’s death, refusing to renounce their faith because of what they’d seen and experienced as the Apostle Paul said.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
They all saw the resurrected risen Jesus and yet this same Jesus says you and I, those who didn’t see are more blessed because not seeing we believe.
John 20:29b
“…Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The “Believing” in Jesus the bible speaks about is not simply to accept that Jesus was a real person. The biblical concept of believing is actually “trusting” in Jesus. Trusting that He is the Son of God, The Savior of the world, your personal Lord and Savior.
In coming Jesus revealed God to us, in dying He took ours sins to the grave and left them there. In rising from the grave He gave us victory over death. In ascending to heaven He went to prepare a place for His followers that where He is we may be also.
Have you trusted your soul to Jesus?
