Easter

If you could please turn with me in your Bibles this Easter morning to the book of Acts and chapter 1. ******* I want to read v. 1-3 of Acts 1. It's just the first of four Scripture passages I want you to see this morning. ******* My friends, I want you to notice now, Acts 1:1--it begins by saying (this is Luke speaking and the New American Standard Version of the Bible)...

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 1:2 until the day when He (Christ) was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 1:3 To these (that is, the apostles and we could include others as well here)--To these (it says) He (Christ) also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-3).

And I want to read that last verse again--v. 3, my brothers and sisters. I want to read it again because it has everything to do with where I'm going today. I want to read v. 3 in the Amplified Bible Version this time. Follow along in your version again and listen to the Amplified translation and compare it with yours. Once again, Acts 1:3 says...

To them also [m-Jesus] showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3; Amplified Bible). *******

And now just one more translation of Acts 1 and v. 3--the Living Bible Version this time--as your indulging this Pastor as he's beginning this morning. I wanted to read this verse in three translations to start. It's important as it has everything to do with where I'm going today. Follow along one more time in your Bible. Acts chapter 1 and v. 3 says one more time--you're following in your Bible--notice--the Living Bible this time says...

During the forty days after his crucifixion [Jesus] appeared to the apostles (and we could include others) from time to time [he appeared], actually alive, and proved to them in many ways that it was really he himself they were seeing. And on these occasions [Jesus] talked to them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3; Living Bible).

There was a knock at the door and my dad opened it only to find two police officers there. And as it wasn't an uncommon thing for this type of visit to the Campagna home, it would be this time. You see, my brother--he'd be the one who'd often get in trouble in the neighborhood and the cops would often come to talk to my parents about it as certain neighbors would complain. But this time, the officers weren't coming for Tony (that's my brother's name). No. They were coming instead for another person that happened to live under the Campagna roof. They were coming instead for "yours truly"--me--Mike. You see, it seemed that someone had, on a recent night, done some "work" on a particular house in the track of houses a ways from where I lived. And the work they did included a number of things like "toilet-papering" it, spraying shaving cream on the windows and walls and cars, and then even putting peanut butter in the locks. Yeah, they did it right who did that stuff and more to that particular house. And the "they" the cops thought that did it was not my brother, Tony, this time, but me--and especially since I came to find out later that my name was signed on one of the house's walls along with a friend of mine's (and I think it was in big letters that our names were signed to boot!). *******

Now to say the least, I was stunned at what I was hearing and didn't know what to do. And that's when good ol' dad stepped in. "I can vouch for the lad," is a paraphrase of what he told the officers as I remember it. My dad went on, "He was in bed the night the incident happened." And as quickly as they'd come, the cops left. And the reason why they left was because they were offered proof of my innocence--this is the point I want to make--and it was by a reliable witness's testimony that the proof came. The reason why the officers left was because they were offered proof of my innocence and it was by a reliable witness's testimony that the proof came.

You know where I'm headed with this, I hope. I've already read it in Acts 1 and v. 3. I want to talk about proof this morning--proof of the resurrection of our Lord. The Bible says that Jesus appeared to a number of people over a period of forty days after He'd risen from the dead--we read it in three translations already this morning. And so there are many witnesses to the fact that Christ arose--many witnesses. *******

And the first thing I want to say about these many witnesses is that we can trust their stories. These witnesses of our risen Lord are reliable witnesses. What they have to say can be counted on. And let me tell you the reason why. Here's the reason: It's because it's through the Holy Spirit that these witnesses stories are recorded. Did you hear what I just said? It's because it's through the Holy Spirit that these witnesses who saw Jesus alive stories--their experiences with Him--are recorded. I said it last week. I'm going to say it again today because you need to get it down in your spirits. This book I have in my hand (the Bible!) and all that's in it--holy men of old were moved upon by the Spirit of God to write it and that's how the Bible came into being (2 Pet. 1:20-21). And it's in this Bible that we're afforded the stories of many witnesses as regards the resurrection. Their stories must therefore be considered reliable stories. How many of you know that the Spirit of the Lord can not possibly lie? Man can lie. But God can not. The Bible says, "'God is not a man, that He should lie'" (Num. 23:19a). *******

And I thought I might talk about something else here before we consider some of the witnesses of the resurrection's stories. That's what we're going to be doing today in just a moment. But I want to speak about something else first. It's kind of on the subject of reliability and whether you can trust what someone says or not. It's simply amazing to me. I've even found myself doing it. We--Americans especially!--we like to think there's some kind of grand conspiracy going on behind the scenes of particular events. Whether it's the assassination of JFK (I referred to it last week) or the California energy crisis we're in right now or something else, we--in this nation--we're given to thinking, "There must be something up. It can't just be what it seems on the surface to be." Say, "Amen," if you think what I'm saying is true with some people. They move quickly to thinking, "Conspiracy!" (It happened during the O. J. trial. I mentioned that last week, also.)

And it can even be how some people think as regards our Lord's resurrection, I believe. Like somehow Peter and James and John and others--like somehow they all came together and concocted this story about Jesus rising from the dead and it's made it all the way to us today without ever being found out it was concocted--like somehow they all stuck together--all of 'em--without ever even slipping once--to propagate what would be the conspiracy of the ages if it were to be found out that this was the case. It's a stretch, my friends, and my mind simply doesn't have that much elasticity to it. How about yours?

If you could please turn with me in your Bibles to John's Gospel now and chapter 20. It's not but one page back in my Bible from Acts 1. ******* The first reliable witness whose story I want to look at as proof of the resurrection this morning is Mary Magdalene. How many of you know she was the first to the tomb on Easter Sunday? She is a prime witness since she was. ******* We're in John 20 and we're reading beginning at v. 1. My friends, notice, it says in v. 1...

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beheld two angels (v. 12) in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her (v. 13), "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." 20:14 (a key verse) When [Mary] had said this, she turned around, and beheld Jesus standing there (do you see that in your Bibles, my friends?--it's the Holy Spirit speaking and I remind you He can not possibly lie)--[Mary] turned around (v. 14 says), and beheld Jesus standing there (and the verse goes on) and did not know that it was Jesus--[Mary] did not know it was [Him] (Jn. 20:1, 11-14).

(Sidelight: It is impossible for us to know/recognize God unless He reveals Himself to us--the infinite revealed to the finite. Some of you God wants to reveal Himself to, but first you need to become more like Mary Magdalene. You need to want to have the Lord reveal Himself to you. The Bible says, "'And you will seek [God] and find [Him], when you search for [Him] with all your heart'"--Jer. 29:13. Some of you God wants to reveal Himself to, but first you need to become more like Mary Magdalene. You need to want Him to. And then--watch out!--because He will! *******)

Jesus said to her (Mary), "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." 20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). (And lastly, v. 17--it's really the verse I want to say something about--v. 17 continues) Jesus said to her (Mary), "Stop clinging to me" (do you see that there?) (Jn. 20:15-17a).

And one of the reasons why she did it, I think, is because she wasn't going to lose Him this time. She'd lost Jesus once already as death stole Him away from her at the cross. But Mary wasn't going to let that happen again. No way. Uh uh. This is the first reason why I think Mary grabbed hold of Jesus.

Can you just imagine? Jesus could have done this. He could have told Mary, "Don't touch Me." Jesus could have said that. And then He could have left like He ended up doing and Mary's encounter with the Lord just might have been thought about as her having seen a vision or having hallucinated due to grief.

I want to talk about hallucinating for a moment or maybe a better way of saying it is "seeing a mirage." We've all seen a mirage. I mean, on hot days, you're out walking or driving a car and you see that little twinkling up ahead that seems to be like water flowing across the road--have you ever had that happen to you, anybody? I'm talking about mirages or hallucinations--seeing things that you think are there when they really aren't there.

I'm glad that Mary grabbed hold of Jesus. Because, you see, a mirage or a hallucina-tion--it can't be grabbed hold of. It may be able to talk (or you think it's talking), but it can't be handled. Something that's not there can not be held on to. Mary was able to hold on to Jesus to the point that He would say, "Stop clinging to Me." She was able to do it because Jesus was really there. He who was dead was now alive again. *******

Did you ever wonder why our Lord didn't appear mostly to those who didn't know Him that well? Did you ever wonder about that? Among other things, it's because they wouldn't have been the best of witnesses to prove it was really Him. People could have said, "But how do you know it was Jesus and not an imposter since you weren't close to Him?" Are you following me on this logic, my brothers and sisters? I hope it sounds logical.

And so Jesus didn't appear mostly to those who didn't know Him that well because they wouldn't have been the best of witnesses to prove it was really Him. On the other hand, those who knew Christ prior to His death, it would be hard to pass off an imposter on Mary, as we've just read her story, and others of them since they'd be close to impossible to trick.

And let me just take a moment, as you're finding your place, to give you some background to what we're going to be reading. Some of you know the story of Christ walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Christ appeared to the two men not too long after He'd risen from the dead. And like Mary Magdalene, they didn't know it was Him for a time as they had a conversation and then asked Jesus to stay for dinner. In the dinner, Jesus would go on to break bread and it was at that point that the two disciples recognized who He was. And then Jesus disappeared. Verse thirty-one of Luke 24 says--you can look at it if you want--it says, "[Christ] vanished from their sight" (Lk. 24:31). Poof!

And while they were telling these things, He (Jesus) Himself stood in their midst (and so it's Jesus, the two who'd seen Him on the road and at dinner, and the eleven disciples--these are the reliable witnesses of Christ's particular appearance here)--And while they were telling these things, He [Jesus] Himself stood in their midst (v. 36--and v. 37 goes on--notice--v. 37) But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He (Jesus) said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 24:40 (The story continues) [(Many mss. do not contain this verse) And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.] And while they still could not believe it for joy (v. 41) and were marveling, He (Jesus) said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 24:42 (These next two verses are really the verses I want you to see--v. 42 says) And they gave Him (Jesus) a piece of a broiled fish; 24:43 and He took it and ate it before them--and He took it and ate it before them (Lk. 24:36-43).

Right now, I need a volunteer. It's gotta be somebody I know. Paul, come on up here. (Bring a muffin from the refreshment table and have Paul eat it as a visual of what took place in the passage. Play with it!) The bottom line point is that we all saw Paul eat and alot of us have seen Paul eat before, whether it's at a potluck or barbecue. And so it's real, solid proof that it is Paul that has been eating before us here this morning. We all could take the witness stand later this week if need be and testify that he did so. "How dare you, Paul, eat in church and that before the end of the service and in front of everybody, no less. Where are your manners?"

Which brings us now to one final reliable witness whose story affords us proof of the resurrection--and as you're turning to the book of Acts again and chapter 9--we were in Luke and then John and after John, Acts--let me just comment. There are at least twelve incidents recorded in Scripture as regards Christ's post-resurrection appearances (though "scholars differ in regard to the exact number and order [of them]"--TC #4308i). And as you've noticed I have them listed on the sermon insert. Obviously, we don't have time to consider them all. But let me just give you the rest of the fill-ins so you have all twelve of them. If you have some time later, you might want to look at these...

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way (Christianity), both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 9:3 And it came about that as he (Saul) journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter the city (v. 6), and it shall be told you what you must do" (Acts 9:1-6).

This "must do" of Saul whose name would be changed later to Paul, as history reports--this man who encountered Jesus Christ alive after He was dead, how many of you know, Saul/Paul--he'd go on to become the greatest apostle of all--who'd write most of the New Testament--who'd advance the church like no one has done since--this same man who once tried to destroy the church who encountered Jesus Christ alive after He was dead.

My friends, it's nothing short of proof of the resurrection--that Saul would have his life so drastically changed--180 degrees he turned around. A person simply doesn't change like that if all he's seen is a ghost. Are you hearing me this morning, somebody? *******

In as much as I've tried to offer you proof that Christ is alive today, how many of you understand that only the Holy Spirit can convince a person that He is? And I want to pray as regards that now--that you'd be convinced if it happens that you're a skeptic--that the Spirit of the Lord would awaken hearts to Christ that they might not miss out on heaven because they refused God's salvation.