How do you answer the question to the song that we just sang? Were you there? That probably sounds like when you sing and that's just a rhetorical question that's not supposed to be answered. You're supposed to think about what it was like for those who were there. But suppose somebody did come up to you and ask you, were you there when they nailed Jesus to the tree? Were you there when He rose up from the dead? How would you answer that? Now as you think about that, I'd like you to listen to Romans 6, verses 3-7. Romans 6, verses 3-7. The Apostle Paul writes, or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him through baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died is freed from sin." Now according to that passage, Romans 6 verses 3-7, my answer to that question would have to be yes, I was there. Because when I put my faith in Jesus Christ alone to be my Lord and Savior, I was baptized by the Holy Spirit, which that word baptized means immersed or placed into. We're not talking about a water baptism here. The Holy Spirit places the believer into Jesus Christ so that his death has become my death. and His resurrection has become my resurrection. So even though it was nearly 2,000 years ago that Jesus died on that cross and then was buried in the tomb and rose again, in a sense of Romans 6-7, I was there in Christ. The death that Jesus died and the victory He won through resurrection Even 2,000 years later have major implications for all who have believed in Jesus Christ today and for all of eternity. This past Wednesday evening, we looked at those events of that week that ended with Jesus being dead and then buried in a tomb. And that's where we stopped on Wednesday evening. And we're thinking about how that must have been for Jesus' followers. When they saw Jesus or heard, they knew what had happened. That this One who they'd been following, who all of their hope was in, He's dead. The One who they had been trusting for everything, He was dead. Did anything change for them when Jesus rose from the dead? Back to this question of the song. Were the disciples there when Jesus was crucified? Now, for them, we can ask, what about just physically? Were they physically present when Jesus was crucified? We saw on Wednesday that Jesus did a lot to prepare his disciples for what was going to happen. He very specifically told them, he said, we're going to Jerusalem when we get there, I am going to be delivered over to the Gentiles. They're going to kill me. But he said, after three days, I will rise again. I mean, he told them exactly what was going to happen. Matthew 16, verse 21 is one of the places where Jesus told them exactly what was going to happen. And Jesus showed them. He raised Lazarus from the dead. He showed them through that, that he has power over death. He gave two blind men vision. Jesus showed them through His miracles that He has power, that He is in control of the things that happen on this world. He told them specifically that He was in control of everything that was happening, but they didn't get it. They did not understand. At least once, Peter even told Jesus he was wrong. He said, this will not happen to you. You're wrong, Jesus. Matthew 16, verse 22. Later on, Peter boldly proclaimed, even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away. Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And all the disciples said the same thing, too. Matthew 26, verses 33-35. But then what happened when the things that Jesus said were going to happen started to happen? They scattered. A couple of them followed at a distance. We know what Peter did, don't we? Peter did exactly what he said he would not do. He denied even knowing Jesus. So back to that question, were they there when they crucified the Lord? Well, the only one who we know of who was there when Jesus was on the cross was John. We find that in John 19, verse 26. If any of the other disciples were there, they were watching from a distance. Why was that? Because they were afraid. They were so afraid. Were they there when they laid him in the tomb? Again, the answer is no. The disciples weren't there. It was a couple who had been secret disciples who took care of the burial of Jesus's body. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, they went to Pilate and they asked for the body of Jesus so they could give him a respectable burial. It must have been pretty risky for them to associate themselves with Jesus in that way. They were willing to take that risk. There were some women who followed and saw where Jesus was laid. But the disciples? They weren't there. Why? They were afraid. They were afraid it was going to be them next. When you think about everything that Jesus had told the disciples, how specific He was, what He had shown them through His miracles, everything He said, any of those disciples could have said, look guys, This is exactly what Jesus said was going to happen. And remember, He told us last night when we had supper with Him, that He was doing this for us. That His body was going to be torn. His blood was going to be shed. He told us that this was for our sins to be forgiven. All of the suffering. He told us He's doing this for us. Just the way He said it would happen. Hey, so everybody gather around. Synchronize your sundials so we can meet up here bright and early Sunday morning. And greet Jesus when he comes out of that grave. And thank him for what he did for us. They could have said that Jesus was that specific. They could have said that. But were they there when he rose up from the dead? Again, the answer is no, they weren't there. They weren't at the tomb. Years past on Easter, a couple of times, I think we've looked at Matthew chapter 27, where it seems the only ones who are even thinking about the thinking about the idea of resurrection was the chief priests and Pharisees. They remembered that Jesus said he was going to rise again from the dead. They didn't believe it was going to happen, but they wanted to make sure that no one could make it look like it was like it happened. So they asked Pilate to set a guard at the tomb. But from everything else we know from Scripture, the disciples, it seems, were not even thinking about the possibility of a resurrection. Early on that Sunday morning, a group of women walked to the tomb with some spices for the body that they fully expected to find when they got there to that tomb. They were expecting a dead body. When they got there, they found the grave empty. They had to be reminded by an angel that Jesus said that he was going to rise from the dead. And they were told by the angels that Jesus is now alive. And then some of them saw Jesus with their own eyes, that He was alive. They went and told the disciples. You remember how the disciples first responded when they heard that Jesus was alive? We read it this morning in Luke 24, verse 11. But these words appeared to them as nonsense. And they would not believe them. After everything Jesus had said, everything that Jesus had shown them, and even hearing from some eyewitnesses that Jesus was alive, they would not believe. It sounded like nonsense to them. You know, we give Thomas a lot of grief for being a doubter. They all were. Every one of those disciples doubted that Jesus was alive. We turn to John chapter 20. We'll spend a little bit of time there in John chapter 20. starting verse 19. John chapter 20 verse 19 says, So when it was evening on that day, it gives us our time stamp there. We know where we're at. It's Sunday, the day that Jesus rose from the dead. But that happened early that Sunday morning. We're now in the evening, the first day of the week. So they had gone that whole day. Jesus was alive. But they still didn't believe it, even to this evening. And when the doors were shut, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Remember that? That's why they weren't there. For fear of the Jews. They were afraid. Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. Now, these disciples had taken measures to make sure that no one could just come and stand among them. They were in a room, doors shut and locked. They didn't want anybody getting in there. And so Jesus appearing right there among them was something that only Jesus could do. You think about Jesus rising from the dead. He passed through those grave clothes. He left that tomb while the stone was still there. A locked door is not a problem for Jesus. He just went right through and stood in their midst. In verse 20, it says, and when he had said this, he showed them both his hands and his side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And what did it take for them to get from doubting what sounded like nonsense, being afraid, to rejoicing? They had to see Jesus. Considering that they thought all hope was lost. I'm sure that they had spent the last couple of days thinking about everything that they had left to follow Jesus. What are they going to do now? Where are they going to go? They don't have anything left. This person who they cared about, they followed, trusted in, he's dead. And they were afraid they were next. And all of a sudden, Jesus appears. He's standing there in their midst and he's alive. Well, did they know it was him for sure? As doubtful as they were, they heard from eyewitnesses, but they still doubted. Did they know for sure it was Jesus? Well, they did because He showed them His hands where the nails were, His side where the spear had been stabbed in. It really was Jesus standing there. He's alive. And this changed everything. This moment changed everything for these disciples. Of course, they were rejoicing. Seeing Jesus alive changed them. In verse 21, so Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. Keep those instructions in mind. We're going to come back to that. Jesus is going to send them. But what about Thomas? Back to poor Thomas. Let's read on again in verse 24. It says, But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not there, was not with them when Jesus came. Someone has said this is why you never want to skip church. Thomas missed one Sunday. And look at what he missed. He missed seeing Jesus. Verse 25 says, So the other disciples were saying to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, unless I see in his hands the imprints of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Now, again, what did it take for all of the disciples to believe that Jesus was alive? They had to see him themselves. They had to see with their own eyes the wounds from the nails and the spear. Thomas was no different. He just wasn't there that first time Jesus appeared to them. He would believe it when he saw it with his own eyes. Thomas had had his hopes dashed just like the others did. He was not going to believe easily and risk being hurt like that again. Verse 26, after eight days. And by the way, they counted days. This is probably the next Sunday. Previous Sunday being day one by the eighth day would have been the next Sunday, next church day. His disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut and stood in their midst and said, peace be with you. They said to Thomas, reach here with your finger and see my hands and reach here your hand and put it into my side and do not be unbelieving, but believing. Now, Thomas had gone for a whole week. He had heard from multiple eyewitnesses that Jesus was alive, but Thomas hadn't seen it himself. And so he still doubted. He went that whole week, didn't believe that Jesus was alive. And now he saw him. How does Thomas respond? Verse 28. Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Now the fact that Jesus was standing there in front of him alive. After he knew, they all knew Jesus was dead. Some tried to explain away the resurrection by saying that Jesus was never really dead. That's not an option. Jesus was dead and these doubters didn't doubt that. They knew full well Jesus was dead and buried in that tomb. But now that he was alive, Thomas recognizes some things about Jesus. He recognizes about Jesus that he is someone who is above him. He recognizes about Jesus that if he can rise from the dead, this is someone that I must submit to. He is my Lord. And he recognized about Jesus, if he can rise from the dead, this is not any mere man. Just think about Thomas finally understanding that he was in the presence of God. This is my Lord and my God. And this realization that Thomas came to because of the resurrection was huge and changed everything. Now, there's so much that we find in the Gospels about the disciples that's just very honest history. that they were pretty average people. Nothing real special about them. They were common people who messed up a lot, just like we do. They sinned a lot, like we do. They had doubts about the truth. Their faith was weak often, just as ours is. They were people who we can pretty easily identify with. They were just people. But this changed everything. Jesus rising from the dead, along with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we want to discount that the coming of the Holy Spirit and the resurrection of Jesus Christ changed them. The Holy Spirit is still here today indwelling believers today, just as he did then. What about the resurrection? What we read of these same men after the resurrection. These men were not the same men. It changed them. After this realization that Jesus, their Lord and their God defeated death, everything wasn't about them anymore. You remember those conversations and arguments that they used to have about who is the greatest? Which one of them was going to have the throne next to Jesus in the kingdom? Before this, so much of their thinking was about them. And how great they were. But this changed that. They didn't argue about that anymore. Now their life was about Jesus. And now their life was about doing whatever they could do to glorify Him. It didn't matter what would cost them. They were ready to die for Him. They weren't living for themselves anymore. They were living for Christ. They were unashamed servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's risen from the dead. They had locked themselves away in a room out of fear. But after this, after seeing Jesus alive from the dead, they were ready to die for Him. There's a great example of this in Acts chapter 5, if you want to turn there. In Acts chapter 5, those disciples who had had themselves locked up in a room out of fear of the Jews, they had been out around in Jerusalem preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. They've been preaching about Jesus's death and resurrection and how people could be saved from their sins if they put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. And there were a lot of people who were believing that. And so we read this starting in verse 17 of Acts chapter 5. It says, But the high priest rose up along with all his associates, that is the sect of the Sadducees, and they were filled with jealousy. Now, do you remember what it was that got Jesus put on the cross? It was jealousy from these high priests, Pharisees, Sadducees. They were jealous. Now, that was just a couple of months before this here in Acts chapter 5. They're jealous again. Verse 18, they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison and taking them out, he said, go stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this life. Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now these are those same men, those same doubters who kept themselves locked up in a room after Jesus' death. Why? Because they were afraid. They were afraid that they were next, that they would die. Now, if we skip ahead to verse 27, we see that they've been rearrested. They're brought before the Sanhedrin. Verse 27, it says, When they brought them, they stood them before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name. And yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men. For the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging him on a cross. Let's skip ahead again to verse 40. Acts 5 verse 40. Speaking of the Sanhedrin, they took his advice And after calling the apostles in, they flogged them. This is very severe whipping that they gave them. And ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. How did they respond to this? These same men who had kept themselves locked up out of fear of the Jews, when they're being directly threatened, had just been beaten by the Jews. How did they respond to these threats? Verse 41, So they went on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. And every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. The same men who a couple of months before had themselves locked up They were afraid to go to the tomb. They were doubting that Jesus had rose from the dead. These same men were now out preaching every day that Jesus is the Christ. Now, what would make a change like that? From cowering in fear to marching right into the temple, even after the chief priests threatened them. They knew that they wanted them dead. Go right into the temple. Preaching Jesus Christ like their God owned the place. What would make that change? In their own testimony, back in verse 30, Jesus is alive from the dead. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus. That's why they weren't going to listen to them. They were going to do what Jesus said. this Sanhedrin, no matter what position they were in, no matter how much authority they thought they had, they did not have the authority to tell them to stop doing what Jesus told them to do. I remember what Jesus said back in John 20, verse 21. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. This is Jesus giving them their marching orders. Their Lord and their God said, go. He said, preach the gospel. He told them to make disciples, convince people of the truth. And no man or even an army was going to stop them from obeying those orders. Nothing short of death would stop them from obeying the orders that Jesus gave them. Because Jesus had conquered death. Jesus has all authority. Matthew chapter 28. Jesus said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. All authority. They were going to obey Jesus, not man. Jesus, rising from the dead, changed these men. What about us? We have the Holy Spirit. If you have put your trust in Jesus Christ alone, the Holy Spirit is indwelling you just as He was indwelling them. But what about us? We're here on a Sunday morning. We're here celebrating the resurrection of the same Lord and God. He's just as alive today as He was then. What difference does it make for us? If you turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians 15, we're going to look at a few different passages that give us some implications, truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What does it mean for you today? In 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1-4, it says, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel. This is the good news. This is what you need to know. The gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance the most important thing there is. Here's what I told you. would I also receive that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. What does that tell us? What difference does it make that Jesus rose from the dead? Well, the difference it makes is that there is good news. That we can be saved because Jesus died, but is now alive. Paul said that is the gospel. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that he was raised on the third day. That is the gospel. Jesus paid for your sins on that cross and he defeated death when he rose from the dead. That is the gospel by which you are saved. In verse 17, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 17, Paul says, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. I've heard others who say they tried to get around this idea of the death and resurrection by saying, well, he didn't really rise from the dead. It was the thoughts of him kept on with the apostles. If he is raised and is alive in your heart, then that's all that matters. What does Paul say about that? He says, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. If Christ has not been raised, he can't do anything for you. You are still in your sins. So what difference does it make that Jesus is alive from the dead? Believing in him, if he wasn't, would be pointless. And Paul writes through the rest of this chapter that it's because Jesus is alive that is the basis of our certain hope. The reason we know that we too will rise in Christ if we have put our faith in Him. The reason we know we have eternal life in heaven if we have put our faith in Him is because He is alive from the dead. That is the seal, the guarantee that it will happen. It's only because of the resurrection. We started out this morning in Romans chapter 6. In Romans chapter 6 it says that the difference Jesus' resurrection makes is that all who are united with Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit are freed from the bondage of sin. If you are in Christ, you have been freed from the bondage of sin, so you no longer have to sin. And we often choose to. We don't have to. We're no longer slaves of sin. We're freed from its power. We now, through the new nature given to us, the resurrected Christ, have the capacity to serve the Lord and do what's pleasing to the Lord. We couldn't do that before. It's only because of the resurrection. In Ephesians chapter 1, something I'd like you to give some thought to. If there's anything that you would meditate on from this message this morning, this is what I would encourage you to let it be. Ephesians chapter 1. In the early parts of Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is telling of the great grace that has been shown to us through Jesus Christ. There's so much grace, we can't even comprehend the blessings we have in Christ. And he goes on, starting in verse 19, to tell the Ephesian believers about how he prays for them. And after going through this list of how wonderfully they have been blessed, there's nothing more that they need. Paul's prayer for them is that they will understand what they've been given. So he's praying for them to understand the truth of what they have in Christ. He says in verse 19, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of his calling. What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints? And what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe? Oh, he's going to tell us what power that is. Here is the power that is working toward you, in you and for you who believe these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might. Of God's mighty power, how powerful is God's power? Verse 20. which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And what power is it that God is working in you, through you and for you? If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ alone, that says that there is power that is working on your behalf to work all things together for your good, to bring us to the inheritance of heaven, the life in Christ, when our life on this earth is done. It's all being done through the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, because Jesus is alive, that power is working in you and through you. And because Jesus even defeated death, the greatest enemy, when he rose from the dead, he is in a position where he is, as Paul says there in Ephesians, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named. Now, we're basically being challenged there. Name somebody who you think is powerful. Name somebody who you think has some ability to tell you you can't do what God has told you to do. Name somebody who you think can take something away from you that God has given to you. Go ahead and name somebody, anybody. God says that because Jesus rose from the dead, he is far above whoever you could name. Name any problem that you can think of, no matter how severe. Because Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus is far above that problem. He has authority over everything, authority over everyone. His plan cannot be defeated because he defeated everything that could be against him when he rose from the dead. So what difference does it make for us that Jesus is alive from the dead? From 1 Corinthians 15 we see the difference between eternal life in heaven and eternal destruction in hell. Because Jesus is alive from the dead. In Romans chapter 6, we see the difference is, because Jesus is alive from the dead, if we're raised with Him, we're freed from the power of sin. We can live for the Lord. And here in Ephesians chapter 1, the difference is, it should make the same difference in us as it did those disciples. The difference in those disciples from locking themselves in a room and being afraid to go out because the Jews are going to get us. to being those apostles who are ready to die for Christ and rejoice in the process. They're going to preach Christ no matter what. If our Lord and our God is in the position of being far above all rule and authority, all power and all dominion, we should walk around on this earth representing our God like he owns the place. Because he does. He won the victory. We have nothing to fear. As we've been going through First Thessalonians on Sunday mornings, we've been talking often about persecution of Christians because that's what they were facing. And what if it comes here? What if laws are passed telling us that we can't do or say what our Lord and our God has told us to do and say, what are we going to do? Well, we must obey God rather than man, because our Lord and our God has defeated sin, death and Satan. He is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion in every name that is named. We have to obey him. No matter what comes, no matter the cost, and we can rejoice in the process because Jesus is alive from the dead. The resurrection changes everything. If you have believed in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you. Have you responded to the resurrection? Are you living like your Lord and your God has defeated sin and death and Satan? We should because it's true. The resurrection changes everything.