Luke 24:1-12
Resurrection Day
This message has been too long in coming. Because of our revival and
our holiday events, it has now been three weeks since I preached on
the death of Jesus. Jesus should not be left in the tomb for three
weeks, and I am sorry that events worked out that way.
But tonight, we consider the resurrection. There are three primary
acts of our God in the plan of redemption: the birth, the death, and
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In order for a person to be saved,
they must believe in all three.
1. We believe in a sinless, virgin birth. That is, we believe
that Jesus was born with no sin and that He was born of a
virgin. If Jesus had sin, He could not be our Savior. If
Jesus was born of man’s conception, He would have sin.
2. We believe in a the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
That is that Jesus died as our Substitute, paying the penalty
of sin for every person.
3. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Jesus
physically and literally rose in a glorified body on the
third day.
Luke gave to us a summary of some of the events that happened on that
"first day of the week." The best I can tell, Luke 24 had details of
only two days.
1. \\#1-49\\ tells some of what happened on Jesus’ resurrection
day, that first day of the week, the Sunday after Jesus’
crucifixion.
2. \\#50-54\\ take place 40 days after, on Jesus’ ascension day.
Let’s look at the Jesus’ Resurrection Day in several ways.
I. Notice Those who Doubted - First, let me say that it is not my
intention to disrespect any of these people. If someone told me
that anyone else EXCEPT Jesus had risen from the dead, I would
not believe it either! In fact, in most things, I am the
doubting Thomas and a suspicious Sally.
A. \\#1-10\\ The Weeping Woman
1. Without doubt, these ladies had strong feelings for Jesus.
a. They loved Jesus. Some—if not all—supported Jesus.
b. They followed the best they could and believed Jesus.
c. But for some reason, now they no faith.
2. Obviously—and this is the same for all of them—it was
the circumstances.
a. It is hard to discount what your eyes see, your ears
hear, and hands touch. These women had seen, heard,
and held the dead body of Jesus.
b. The senses of these people told them that Jesus was
dead and the logic of their minds told them that what
they had experienced with Jesus was over.
c. Let this be a lesson to us: Circumstances should not
shape our faith but our faith should shape our
circumstances.
B. \\#13-33\\ The Thinking Theologians
1. These men, one of whom was named Cleopas \\#18\\, were
traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a journey of about
7 1/2 miles.
2. Obviously, it was a leisurely walk for the journey could
easily be made in two to three hours, but these men met
a Stranger, got involved in a deep conversation, and were
going to camp just outside of the village for the night.
3. While traveling, these two were reasoning together; that
is, they were attempting to "figure things out."
Luke 24:15 …while they communed together and
reasoned…."
a. There is nothing wrong with a thinker or even being a
thinker about the things of God, but thinking will
only carry you so far and reason had reached its
limits concerning Jesus.
b. What these men needed at that moment was faith.
c. Faith carries you farther than reason can reach.
4. When it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, you and I
have done something that many in the Bible did not do.
a. We have accepted Jesus’ birth, live, death, and
resurrection all by faith.
b. These men did not believe until they saw. You and I
will not see until we believe.
C. \\#11-12, 33-35\\ The Doubting Disciples
1. Peter and (we believe) John were the two who ran to the
tomb in \\#11-12\\. The Bible says that Peter left the
empty tomb wondering but not believing.
2. \\#33-35\\ At the end of that day when the eleven were
together, it will take at least some of them having
seen Jesus before they will believe.
3. That is DOUBT, FAITHLESSNESS.
4. Notice that even though Peter had already seen the empty
tomb, neither he nor the other disciples even began to
believe until Jesus first appeared to Peter.
Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and
hath appeared to Simon.
II. Notice their Faults - Why didn’t they believe?
A. The Weeping Woman were looking in the Wrong Place.
1. This is the message of the angel.
Luke 24:5 …Why seek ye the living among the
dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he
spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
2. Jesus wasn’t there because Jesus was not dead!
B. The Thinking Theologians discussing the Wrong Topics.
1. They were talking current events when they should have
been discussing Scripture.
2. That is obvious for when Jesus joins them, He discusses
Scripture—from Moses all the way the way through to
Malachi.
C. The Doubting Disciples were considering the Wrong Evidence.
1. They were viewing circumstances and applying reason
instead of viewing Scripture and applying faith.
2.
D. If you are looking in the wrong places, discussing the wrong
topics, and considering the wrong evidences, you not going to
believe.
1. My conservative, Christian mind thinks this is the problem
of our modern-day world. Most of the people are being
misdirected.
2. I like to watch things that surprise me for that reason,
I like to watch magic tricks.
a. Magicians use a technique called misdirection.
b. They have you looking at one hand while they are doing
something somewhere else.
3. I believe moderates, liberals, and God doubters are all
looking in the wrong places, discussing the wrong topics,
and considering the wrong evidence.
III. Notice the Evidences - Again, I have no desire to slander these
people at all. I both envy and admire them. However, we do
need to note the evidences that were available to them.
A. \\#1-3\\ The Weeping Woman had an empty tomb and an angelic
appearance.
1. Concerning the empty tomb, that in itself was pretty
impressive, but there was more.
a. There was also the missing guards, the rolled back
stone, and the empty linen clothes.
b. \\#4\\ The angels are described as having "shining
garments."
2. All of that must have been impressive but not completely
persuasive.
a. \\#John 20:11\\ tell us that one Mary, probably Mary
Magdalene, wept outside Jesus’ tomb AFTER Peter and
John had left, still believing that someone had
stolen Jesus’ body.
b. \\#Matt 28:9-10\\ tell us that Jesus appeared to the
remainder of the women after they had left the tomb,
I believe, to get them moving along with the news of
His resurrection.
3. So empty tombs and angelic appearances alone did not seem
to convince the weeping woman.
B. The Thinking Theologians an empty tomb, testimonies of an
angelic appearance, and Biblical expose.
1. The two men on the road to Emmaus knew all of this.
a. That is what they were discussing.
b. Not only so, but one man, Cleophas \\#18\\ might have
been married to one of the Marys who had gone to the
tomb that morning.
c. John tells us the names of some that went to the
crucifixion.
John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus
his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the
wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
d. It is not a hard stretch to suppose this Mary may have
been one of the Marys who went to the tomb on
resurrection morning.
2. But they also heard a great expository sermon from the
Son of God.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the
prophets, he expounded unto them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself.
a. What a sermon that must have been!!
b. Their reaction to Jesus’ sermon was recorded.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not
our heart burn within us, while he talked with us
by the way, and while he opened to us the
scriptures?
c. But even an empty tomb, an angelic appearance, and a
expository sermon preached by Jesus Himself was not
enough to break through their wall of doubt!
C. The Doubting Disciples had three years of being with Jesus,
an empty tomb, testimonies of an angelic appearance, and
testimonies of two eye witnesses.
1. When it comes to the disciples—the Twelve—we cannot
discount the adventures they had with Jesus for 3 1/2
years.
a. They had seen the impossible done dozens, hundreds,
perhaps thousands of times on some DAYS.
b. When confronted with what they thought to be
impossible, instead of doubt, these men ought to have
had a sly confidence by now.
c. But they didn’t.
2. While none of them had seen any angels and some of them
still had not seen Jesus, some of them had and they had
the testimonies of those trusted friends and collogues.
3. And there was that empty tomb. If none of them had stolen
the body of Jesus, where was it?
4. Yet, none of those evidences moved these to believe.
IV. \\#36-45\\ Notice what it took to convince them.
A. It took Jesus.
Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself
stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you.
1. For the third time, I am not trying to be hard on these
people, but one does not have to use faith to believe
what you see by sight.
2. Once Jesus appeared, their opportunity to believe by faith
disappeared.
B. But even seeing Jesus, it took more!
1. \\#37\\ They were scared and thought they had seen a
ghost.
2. \\#39\\ So Jesus let them see and touch His wounds.
3. \\#42\\ He ate and drank with them.
4. \\#45\\ He opened their understanding so that they could
comprehend the Scriptures.
5. And He appeared to them over the next 40 days to teach and
to assure them that He was really real.
C. It did not take all of that for me. I am not trying to brag
or boast just be honest.
1. I did not verify what I was being told with the Bible.
2. I did not see the empty tomb or an angel.
3. I did not have any eye-witness testimonies.
4. What I did have was…
a. People with good hearts and good testimonies give me
the gospel simply and repeatedly.
b. Parents that did not prejudice me against God, the
Bible, or the things of God.
c. I had the Holy Spirit convict me.
d. I had some time to let the Spirit of God complete a
good work in me.
If you have had those things too, you have been blessed.
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