The End of the Road - Resurrection - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

The Road to the Resurrection

Part Four: The End of the Road -Resurrection!

By Louie Marsh, 4-17-2022

 

Funny pics – last one “Good morning”

 

WHAT WAS BEHIND THE STONE?

 

1) A Dead BODY.

 

Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. Mark 15:44-45 (NIV)

 

“1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

 

 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–6, ESV)

 

2) A Dead RELIGION.

 

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28-29 (NIV)

 

3) A Dead way of SALVATION.

 

“16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:16–19, ESV)

 

EXCERPT FROM TALES FROM THE SCRYPT

 

Jesus was dead…John and the women slowly walked off the hill called Calvary and back to where they were staying. None of them could remember the trip. They moved like wind up toys, to stunned and shocked to really comprehend what had happened. Mary the Mother of Jesus was tended too, and John left her with the women and went in search of the other disciples so that he too could grieve.

 

Like him they were all in shock…The man they called Master was gone. The one they had followed for over three years was dead, and worse than that, had died on a cross like a common criminal. The one who they had hoped and believed to be Messiah was dead. How could they have been so wrong? They had seen the miracles and could not explain this even to themselves.

 

It was dark outside now. A new day had begun according to the traditional Jewish calendar… The horror of Jesus death was beginning to take root in their minds. But now new horrors arose. What would they do? Where would they go? And how could they stay safe?

 

Peter did not know. The big fisherman sat alone staring into the darkness. As black as the night was it did not even begin to rival the darkness of his heart. How he had loved Jesus and believed in him. Peter recalled all the miracles he had seen. He remembered the miracles he had taken part in. Even now he could feel the water beneath his feet as he walked on the Sea of Galilee. For just a moment he faintly smiled as he remembered the joy of those fleeting moments when he walked on the water just like Jesus.

 

He shook his head ruefully remembering how fear had taken the place of faith causing him to slip into the waters. And then deep gratitude as he saw himself being pulled up out of the water again by Jesus. Jesus stood on the water that day as naturally and as easily as Peter did on the beach before putting out to sea.

 

But now it was all over. The hope of Israel had been killed and it had all happened so suddenly. In a day and a half Jesus was arrested, tried, condemned, crucified and killed. Just like that the light of Peter’s life had been snuffed out. Three and a half years of traveling, teaching, learning and serving wiped out and gone as if it had never happened.

 

His mind was filled with verses from the Psalms he had learned as a child. 5  Why are you downcast, O my soul? The Sons of Korah had written, Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6  my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar. Psalm 42:5-6

 

Why, why, why? The word kept echoing in his mind and he could find no answer to it.  He also recalled the words of Jeremiah the Prophet when he wrote: 18  Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? Jeremiah 15:18

 

Bitter words indeed in Peter’s mind. Had God failed him, or was this some sort of test like the one that Job when though? Had Jesus been deceptive, saying he was God’s Son when he really wasn’t? How could this be? He spoke like no man had ever spoke, did what no man could ever do, and yet he died just like every other man who had been crucified.

 

Or could it be, Peter wondered, if his own base betrayal of his Lord was the cause of all this? Was God punishing him and others because of his lack of faith? Guilt rose up like a dark tidal wave and threatened to drown the forlorn fisherman.

 

But Peter had missed the key to all this. He had forgotten the words that Jesus had addressed to them over and over again when he said,18  "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19  and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" Matthew 20:18-19

 

THE MOVING STONE

 

1) Only GOD could have moved it!

 

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:2-3 (ESV)

 

2) Why was it moved?

 

• Not to let Christ OUT.

 

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." John 20:26 (ESV)

 

• But to let us IN!

 

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6 (ESV)

 

THREE POSSIBLE REACTIONS

 

1) UNBELIEF

 

While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' Matthew 28:11-13 (ESV)

 

2) WONDERING

 

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Luke 24:12 (NIV)

 

3) BELIEF

 

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. John 20:8 (NIV)

 

How To Establish A Spiritual B.A.S.I.S. for Living

 

B = Believe Jesus died on the Cross for me and showed He was God by coming back to life again.

(1 Cor. 15:2-4)

A = Accept Christ as Lord of My life and His free forgiveness of my sins.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--  (John 1:12)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace  (Eph. 1:7)

S = Switch to God’s Plan for my life.

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”  (Mark 1:15)

 

I = Inform others of your decision.

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Romans 10:9)

 

S = Submerge yourself in Christ.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  (Galatians 3:26-27

 

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