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WHAT A MORNING! Introduction: What a joy to consider some of the events that surrounded the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s body was buried late on Wednesday afternoon. Very early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, the women left Bethany which was about 2 miles from Jerusalem, and arrived at the tomb just after sunrise. The sun had already risen before they reached the tomb. I. WHEN THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY---V.2 says, "They found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre."
Why was the stone removed? The stone was removed so the women and the disciples could look inside and see that death could not hold Him down. By the way, He is still rolling away stones in our lives that would get in the way of us catching a proper glimpse of Him. Satan tries to bring huge stones into our lives that would keep us from gazing by faith upon the Lord Jesus, but believer, greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
II. WHEN THEY COULD NOT FIND THE BODY OF JESUS---Vs 3 "They entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."Christ came through those grave wrappings. They had not been disturbed and wrapped off as they were wrapped on. Christ simply came through those grave wrappings as though they were not around Him. That left them in a very neat state--all intact in one spot where His body had been laid.If you were to go the grave of those who began religions like Budda, Mohammed, or whoever else you may name, you will find their bodies are entombed in various locations around the world. But, not so with Jesus. We are the only faith, founded hundreds of years ago, whose leader cannot be found in a tomb.
III. WHEN THEY SAW THE ANGELS---v.4 tells us: "Two men stood by them in shining garments"
They women entered into the sepluchre, and were very perplexed. To be "perplexed" is to be baffled, perplexed, confused, befuddled, dumbfounded, or puzzled. Why were the garments of the angels shining? Why did they have a brilliance about them, that human garments do not have? They were the ministers of God with the brightness of the glory world about them. The gave a little glimpse, simply by their appearance of the glory of involved in the resurrection of Christ.
IV. WHEN THEY HEAR THE MESSAGE OF GLAD TIDINGS---Vs 6 tells us that an angel said, "Why seek he the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."
They were bringing spices they had bought the previous evening to come and anoint the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is difficult to anoint a body when it is not there. When they heard that He had arisen, though they did not expect it, what glad tidings it was to them! How wonderful it was to know that the cruel jaws of death, could not hold down the Lord Jesus Christ! V. WHEN THEY REMEMBERED HIS WORDS---v.7 "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."The Bible then tells us, after hearing what the angel said, about what Jesus said concerning His resurrection, "and they remembered his words."It is a glad morning when we remember the word of the Lord concerning the resurrection of believers. 1 Cor 15:42-44
VI. WHEN THEY WERE MOVED TO TESTIFY---verse 9 the Bible says, "They told all these things to the eleven and to the rest."
After seeing what they had seen, they could not help but to tell others about the empty tomb. We need some more "just can’t help it,"witnessing in our day and time. A witness is one that declares what he has seen or heard. The main reason there is so little witness of Christ today is that most folks have not heard anything from Him, or seen anything of Him. What a morning:
VII. WHEN PETER RAN TO THE SEPULCHRE---V.12 says, "Then arose Peter and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the line clothes laid by themselves and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass."
He was anxious to get involved in the things of Christ. If you will remember, he denied the Lord three times, just outside the Hall of Ciaphas, the high priest, just before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter was no doubt a believer and that bothered him greatly. The Spirit of God and his own conscience had convicted him of what he had done. Now he wanted to see Jesus again.
CONCLUSION: As we ready this account in Luke 24 of Christ’s resurrection it makes us think of what a morning, when the ransomed church of God’s bodies are raised from the grave, glorified and to sin no more. What a morning! What a morning! Hallelujah what a morning! |