Easter Morning Bible Study

April 4, 2010

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision

There used to be a day when you checked out at the grocery store when the courtesy clerk would ask you, “Paper or plastic?” (I don’t think they ask you this anymore).

In my experience, there are three kinds of “Jesuses” out there – paper, plastic … and personal (or “Real”).

Paper Jesus

Or perhaps, “Cardboard”

People like to say that they have good reasons for not believing in Jesus.

And then they begin to paint a picture of Jesus or of Christianity that is easily knocked over as being untrue. (like my little picture here)

The problem is that their reasons themselves are often not true.

And sometimes I don’t blame people for having the wrong ideas about Jesus. I think some of us in the church give them lots of wrong ideas (show picture of “church ladies”).

They did this back in Jesus’ day.

We saw this in John 7. Jesus was teaching in the temple, some people began to believe that Jesus was the Savior.

But others said that Jesus couldn’t be the Savior.

They said that the Savior had to come from Bethlehem, not Galilee.

(Jn 7:41–42 NKJV) Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”

They said that none of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him.

(Jn 7:48 NKJV) —48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?

They said that no prophet ever came from Galilee.

(Jn 7:52 NKJV) —52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

But in reality, these were just handy cardboard cutouts that look easy to knock over, when in reality, none of those statements were true.

Even though Jesus grew up in Galilee, He was born in Bethlehem

There WERE rulers and Pharisees who believed in Jesus – Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

There WERE prophets that came from Galilee – Elijah, Jonah, and Nahum were just some of them.

People like to put up paper or “cardboard” ideas of Jesus and then knock them over to make you think that Christianity is for idiots.

This week there’s an article in Newsweek magazine called “Far From Heaven”. The author, Lisa Miller, admits she is a “literal-minded skeptic”. She gently tries to make a case about how irrational the idea of heaven is and writes …

“Some people imagine heaven as the place where their most material yearnings are fulfilled. The evangelist Billy Graham once spoke of driving a yellow Cadillac in heaven; the heroine of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones eats peppermint ice cream; suicide bombers in the Middle East fantasize about the sexual ministrations of 72 dark-eyed virgins.”

I don’t know what the context was of Billy Graham’s statement about the yellow Cadillac, but this gal sure made it all sound pretty silly.

The problem is that she’s built a “paper” Jesus, a cardboard cutout of heaven that’s easy to knock over.

Plastic Jesus

For some people, their Jesus is not made out of paper, but plastic.

They say they believe in Jesus. Some may even say they follow Jesus.

But their Jesus isn’t real.

He is a “religion” just like all the other religions of the world.

(show pictures of Islam, Buddism, Hinduism, etc.)

He is something you carry around to make yourself feel better. Maybe even put Him on the dashboard of your car.

Video: Plastic Jesus (read the words in the video carefully!)

Does this describe you? Do you talk about Jesus one way but in your life you find things are not the way they are supposed to be?

May I suggest that if Jesus “isn’t working” for you, that perhaps you’ve got a “plastic Jesus”?

Real Jesus

I want to challenge you today to not follow the paper version, or the plastic version, but the personal Jesus, the Real Jesus.

Not a Jesus who promises to take away all your problems, and then doesn’t deliver. That’s the “plastic” Jesus.

The Real Jesus helps you get through your problems, who takes you “through the valley of the shadow of death”.

It isn’t always easy to follow the Real Jesus.

We like to read about the apostles and the miracles they did (like Peter healing a lame man). We wish we had that kind of power in our lives. But don’t forget that they were also arrested, beaten, and run out of town.

Sometimes it’s easier to put a plastic Jesus on your dashboard and then complain about how He doesn’t work for you.

But there is a real Jesus. And He wants you to follow Him.

On that first Resurrection morning, it was the REAL JESUS that showed up, not the plastic one.

John 20:11-18 - Jesus and Mary

Instead of reading the next few verses, we’ll watch them instead… (Play “Gospel of John” clip)

:11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

:13 Then they said to her, “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.”

:14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

In the text, it seems that Mary didn’t recognize Jesus until He called her by name.

The real Jesus knows you by name.

The Real Jesus knows all about you.  It’s personal.

He wants you to learn to recognize His voice.

20:19–23 Jesus and the disciples

Luke tells us how the disciples first responded when they heard that Jesus had risen and appeared to Mary:

(Lk 24:11 NET) But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them.

Some people think that these uninformed, unintelligent people, living in an age full of superstition would believe anything.

The fact is the disciples needed some convincing.

:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, 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 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

The fellows were meeting behind locked doors, and Jesus shows up. How did He get passed the locked door?

Then He showed them His hands and His side.

Apparently the disciples needed some convincing that this was all real.

The Real Jesus

Brings peace.

He has things for us to do – He “sends” us.

Fills us with the Holy Spirit.

Teaches us to forgive.

20:24-29 Jesus and Thomas

:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

:25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Thomas is what we might call a “skeptic”. The definition of “skeptic” is:

A person who questions the validity or authenticity of something purporting to be factual.

2. A person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, plans, statements, or the character of others.

3. A person who doubts the truth of a religion, esp. Christianity, or of important elements of it.

I don’t think that God is particularly upset with skeptics, as long as they are honest about their doubts.

God isn’t afraid of your doubts.

He is not like Tinkerbell, who will die if enough of you don’t “truly believe”…

God has plenty of answers to your questions.

But at some point you need to honestly look at the answers and move from “doubting” to “believing”.

:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”

:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

:27 Reach your finger here

Jesus came to Thomas.  He dealt with Thomas’ doubts and questions.  He challenged Thomas to check out the truth.

Some people would like to trick us into believing something that’s not true.

Illustration

A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all,” the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. “Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom.” He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, “Actually, I made up the previous statement. But, you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put to you that you have a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty.” The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty. “But how?” inquired the lawyer. “You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door.” The jury foreman replied, “Oh, we looked, but your client didn’t.”

There may be people who will try and trick you into believing that Jesus is not real, but the truth is, there are some very good, solid, intelligent reasons to believe in Jesus.

I’m going to just go over a few of the facts to whet your appetite. If you want to go more in depth, look up my notes online for last year’s Easter Sunrise Service, or for my Easter Morning 2003 notes. If you want to go further, buy yourself a copy of “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell’s, or “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel.

One man who was highly skilled at dealing with evidence was Dr. Simon Greenleaf, a Harvard Law Professor.  Dr. Greenleaf examined the value of the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and recorded his findings in his book, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice.

Greenleaf came to the conclusion that, “there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history”.

The Evidence Shows

Jesus died

It was a public death.

Jesus stood before Pilate and the religious leaders along with the crowd demanded His death.

Jesus was publicly scourged, whipped, and sentenced to a public execution.

The record states that His death was witnessed by brokenhearted friends and mocking enemies.

It was verified

The Romans soldiers assigned to the crucifixion were professionals. They verified His death by thrusting a spear into his side. When John (John 19:34) recorded that blood and water came out of the spear wound, it was medical proof that Jesus had already died

Dr. Truman Davis records “…We, therefore, have a rather conclusive post-mortem. Evidence that Christ died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.” (Josh McDowell, “A Ready Defense”).

Jesus was buried.

The Witnesses

Joseph of Arimathea, the two Marys, and Nicodemus all knew where Jesus was buried. (Mat. 27:60), having put Jesus in his own unused tomb.

The two Marys had followed Joseph to the tomb (Mat. 27:61). On the next day, they were the same two gals who went to the tomb on Sunday (Mat. 28:1).

John tells us that Nicodemus also was present at the burial (John 19:39).

The Tomb

Matthew says that Jesus was buried in a tomb carved out of solid rock (Mat. 27:60). There wasn’t a back door or escape hatch.

The Stone

Large stones kept wild animals from getting into tombs. Both Matthew and Mark record that it was a “large” stone that covered the tomb (Mat. 27:60; Mark 16:1-4).

The Seal & Guard

Matthew records that a Roman guard unit was sent to make sure that nobody took the body (Mat. 27:66).

Matthew also records that the tomb was “sealed” (Mat. 27:66). A cord across the stone with wax sealing clay on the ends meant that the authority of Rome would punish anyone who broke the seal.

Jesus rose from the dead

The Seal & Guard

Somebody was going to be in trouble with the Roman government. The seal was broken and the guards had fled.

The Stone was moved.

The original Greek text indicates that the stone was literally picked up and moved away from the tomb, up a hill (Mat. 27:60; 28:2; Mark 16:3; Luke 24:2; John 20:1).

The Tomb was empty

When the disciples went to the tomb, the body of Jesus wasn’t there. All that was left was empty linen wrappings.

The Witnesses

He appeared many times to His disciples over a period of forty days.

Paul tells us that as many as 500 people saw the risen Lord

These witnesses of the resurrection all died for their faith, all died claiming that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.

It has been said,

While many will die for what they believe to be the truth, few if any will die for what they know to be a lie.

All the disciples except for John died horrible martyrs’ deaths claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead.

:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

:28 Lord – kurios – he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master

Thomas may have been a skeptic, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.

What do you do with someone who claims to be God, then dies and rises from the dead?

You make Him YOUR Lord. You acknowledge Him as YOUR God.

:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

:29 who have not seen

This is where we come in.

We are among those who “have not seen”.

We may have much evidence, but we have not seen.

Will you make Jesus more than just a “plastic Jesus” in your life?

Will you make Him your Lord? Play Drew Brees TestimonyInterview – His testimony, trusting the real Jesus

Will you believe?