The gospel of God is inherently linked to three events. Listen for them in 1 Corinthians 15, three and four. Paul said, for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received. Number one, that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. And two, that he was buried. and that thirdly, he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. There is no gospel apart from Christ, true humanity. Christ dying on a cross, Christ crucified, body placed in the tomb, Christ gloriously raised from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15 goes on to say that without a bodily resurrection, there is no good news message. For if there's no salvation from sin and judgment, there's no future hope. And if there's no heavenly hope, then there's no ultimate meaning to life. And if there's no ultimate purpose, let us eat, drink, and binge watch Netflix like everyone else, for tomorrow we die. Everything stands or falls on an actual, historical, bodily resurrection. For if Christ has not been raised bodily," 1 Corinthians 15, 17, then our faith, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. If Christ has not been raised bodily, then our faith is worthless, for we are still in our sins. It all hinges upon and comes back to Christ. to these events recorded in the Gospel of John. So the question that we need to ask this evening in answer is, how certain can we be that Jesus Christ actually, truly rose from the dead? Three days after his physical body was placed in a rich man's tomb. How certain can we be that this happened? If you're going to pin your entire life and your eternal destiny on the person and work of Jesus Christ, you better be fully convinced that the resurrection truly happened. That you need to know and believe beyond a shadow of doubt that up from the grave he arose, exactly as the prophets predicted and exactly as the apostles recounted in the scriptures. God wants to stress how central the resurrection is to everything we hold dear. He also strives to convince us, to show us, and to demonstrate, to prove that this happened. And one of the ways he does so is by including Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20 in the Holy Scriptures. Four Gospels, all four, pausing and giving careful, close attention to the historical resurrection of Jesus. One word from God, clear and powerful, should be enough for us to know something, but He has given us four accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. This is how much we can be assured that this happened. The Holy Spirit also gives to us an entire chapter of New Testament Scripture, 1 Corinthians 15. And the resurrection, of course, is also included in Old Testament passages and prophecies, such as Isaiah 53. Over and over and over again, the Bible announces and declares what God has done in and through His Son, Jesus. This evening as we consider our sermon text, John chapter 20 verses 1 through 10, we will encounter a series of witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Again, there are multiple accounts of the same event with various details given, but tonight we want to look at the gospel that we have been studying and we want to consider a series of witnesses, proofs, evidence that God gives to us of His glorious message, the gospel of Jesus. God's Spirit wants us to know that this is exactly what happened 2,000 years ago. Let's begin then with witness number one. How can you be so certain and so assured that you would give up this world and place your hope in Christ alone? that when somebody dies in the Lord, that you can have blessed assurance and complete confidence that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, all because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our faith is founded upon the Word of God, and the Word of God includes many witnesses, many facts. Let's look at the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Number one, John gives us the first witness which is the rolled away stone. He shows us and wants us to see and know that the Spirit would allow us to come to the tomb of Christ this evening as if it were the very first time. We saw last Sunday where they placed him and how it went down. Notice, first of all, the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus is the rolled-away stone. John 20, verses 1 through 2. Here's how it happened. Now, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. This was a big deal. This was most unexpected. And you see that in her response, verse two. So she ran. She ran. She didn't walk. She didn't skip. She ran. And she ran. to two of the leading disciples, closest followers of our Lord. She came, verse 2, to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, that is John, and said to them, they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. A series of witnesses to attest to the reality of Jesus' bodily resurrection. Number one, we see a rolled away stone. All four Gospels begin their accounts with this fact, that the glorious resurrection of Jesus took place on a Sunday. Look at verse one. It tells us where it happened, how it happened, when it happened. And it happened according to God's perfect plan on the first day of the week. Perhaps this is John's way of saying it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, and all is well. All is well. One may have gathered from all the events that had transpired in that awful dark day on Friday, that nothing was as it should have been, and the very worst evil ever committed in the history of man, a history that is full of unthinkable sins, but the very worst sin committed on that day, against the innocent one. But it's a new day. Everything changes because of what took place on Sunday. And as a related footnote to this fact given to us in the opening verse of the 20th chapter of John's Gospel, I want to remind you, friends, that there is a very good reason why we have chosen to worship on Sunday. We probably could have found any church in our area that would have been willing for us to meet on Saturday. We could have met even in the morning, which would be our preference. But there is something special, there is something sacred, there is something traditional, there is something important about the Lord's Day. The church for 2,000 years changed the day of its worship from the Sabbath Saturday to the Lord's Day, which is the day that remembers what took place that Sunday 2,000 years ago. Acts 20, verse 7 talks about the early believers gathering on Sunday. 1 Corinthians 16, 2 tells us the same. There are historical, traditional, and theological reasons why God's people have responded to God's welcome to come into His presence and corporately bear witness of this gospel and to praise His name on Sunday. This event changed everything, the course of history in our very lives. Notice then verse 1. It's Sunday, the first day of the week. And the first one back to the tomb, post-Jewish Sabbath, was a loyal disciple named Mary Magdalene. The other gospels say that other ladies also showed up. there at the place where Jesus' body had been placed. John wants us to know just how early it was. Notice he says, at least when Mary set off to go to the tomb, that it was still dark outside. That's early. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which also give various details about the same event, say that Mary and these female disciples, they go because they want to anoint Jesus' body. They want to pay their respects to Him. And so, at the very crack of dawn on that Sunday, while it was still dark out, they gathered at the tomb where Jesus' body had been laid, John 19.42. There may have been other reasons why they went to the Lord's tomb at this hour. When going through seasons of sorrow and pain, it is not uncommon for one to awake before the sun rises. When you're going through trials, especially this, which would have been the the greatest heartbreak that they had gone through in their entire lives, notwithstanding all the other heartbreaks and disappointments that they had experienced, real people just like us, you know you have a hard time sleeping. And what's even worse when you don't get a good night's sleep is when you wake up and you're really down and discouraged and depressed, when you wake up and you try to fall back asleep, you can't, so you typically get up even when it's still dark outside. I suppose this is what's going on here. Sadness, shock, love, and devotion beckon the ladies back down to a man's family tomb. They go to the place where Christ was, He who they loved more than life. Mary went, I don't know that they even fully had thought through what they were going to do and why they were going to do what they wanted to do in their heart. But one thing's for certain, that when they got up that early morning to go, Mary had no idea what she would encounter. She was in for a massive surprise when she discovered that the stone was rolled away. It was the first day of the week, look at the text, a certain Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark. And really the most important part of verse 1 is what's said at the end of this verse. When she came, she saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. How can it be? This is not at all what she expected to find. And I fear because we are so familiar with this account that it might be difficult for us to step back and to try and put ourselves into Mary's sandals and to try to think about what it would have been like to have been there in that moment. And you say, well, what was the very first thing going through Mary's mind when she saw the stone was already rolled away? Was Mary, upon seeing what she wasn't expecting, was her conclusion to what had happened, it's a miracle! He rose! He arose, hallelujah, Christ arose. No, no, that's not what Mary thought. That's not what Mary initially concluded. She thought the worst had happened. She didn't think it could get any worse than what had happened on Friday. But now it seems like how low can sinful people go? She believes that somebody has taken the body of her Lord. And verse 11 affirms this interpretation. She fears that there were grave robbers who had taken Jesus' body. And that is not a completely foolish deduction for this female disciple to make because Jesus was not placed in just anyone's tomb as we saw last Sunday, the fact that he was actually placed in a tomb was remarkable, only a work of God. According to the promise of the prophets that he would even be placed, though he was treated like a criminal, he was, according to the glorious plan of God, placed in a rich man's tomb. Grave robbers wouldn't have just robbed any grave, they would have looked for, just the same way when people are scoping out homes, they typically like to go to the homes where they think that they would have the greatest takeaway. Jesus was placed, providentially, according to God's plan, in a rich man's tomb, and so she fears that someone has done the unthinkable, not even realizing who they were robbing. Some of you may be saying, I'm skeptical of the assurance that you have that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that He is the King of the Jews, the Savior of the world, that He is, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah, that He is coming again and will establish that forever kingdom. And you say you have such confidence and certainty of those realities because of Jesus' bodily resurrection. You conclude, because the tomb was empty, that that means that Jesus must have rose again. And some may say, no, there are other explanations that could have explained this unfortunate event, what appears to be an unfortunate tragedy. Perhaps somebody did steal Jesus' body, either his disciples to fake a resurrection or robbers, as this Mary Magdalene believes. Now, according to Matthew 27, 62 to 66, three major obstacles stand in the way of this being a body burglary. The Holy Spirit knows the doubts that people will have before they doubt. He answers the objections of the skeptics and the unbelievers. Three major obstacles stand in the way of this being a body burglary. The first witness is, the stone was rolled away. She concludes it's a body burglary. Matthew says, no, three objections, all starting with the letter S. There is a stone, there was a seal, and there were soldiers. There was a large stone, there was a seal placed on that stone, and there were soldiers that were posted. And this wasn't just a pebble or a rock, this was a massive stone so that nobody could enter into that tomb. That massive stone blocked the tomb entrance. And the Romans, in order to have an extra measure of security, some people that are really paranoid, you see the movies, they have a deadbolt and then the lock and then another lock and another lock. And so, in order to really make sure that nothing could happen and nothing could be said or conjectured about this Jesus, they put a seal around the stone. And then, just to be extra cautious and certain armed soldiers were dispatched to guard Jesus' tomb. No robber would have been able to overcome those obstacles. But in all fairness, initially, the female disciples, that's not a terrible conclusion, humanly speaking, since they are completely unaware of what had taken place in those early hours. Mary Magdalene was not aware of the supernatural events that happened, the presence of an angel, an earthquake, and the resurrection. So, the first witness To Jesus' historical bodily resurrection is number one, the stone was rolled away, and as soon as Mary sees that, she draws conclusions and she runs to talk to Jesus' closest disciples. She races to alert them, to tell them of what has happened, and to seek their assistance and help. So, verse two, look at the text, she ran. She ran and she came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she said to them, they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. It's only been three days, but Jesus' male disciples are still reeling. They don't know what to do next. It all happened so suddenly. Peter and John, the most theologically astute of the disciples, are struggling. Struggling to make sense of it all. When's the last time in your life something like this, some dramatic, unexpected, painful, just came over you like a giant wave, far larger than the previous ones, caught you by surprise, took you out, where you were left there asking, what just happened? It appears that none of Jesus' disciples have resurrection on the radar. That only further proves the credibility of the testimony of eyewitnesses to a resurrected Jesus, if in fact Jesus did rise from the dead. So there they are, at least two of the disciples in this home. She knew where to find them. Their mind was racing whether they were still in bed. The count doesn't tell them, but they were interrupted with a frantic knock on the door. It wasn't the Romans, it wasn't the sinister Sanhedrin. It was Mary, a familiar face. But you could tell, no doubt, by the expression on her face that something has happened. And she says to them, verse 2, we don't know where they have taken his body. The stone has been rolled away. to which the disciples say, what do you mean? What are you talking about, lady? You can't be serious. I mean, how much sleep did you get last night, sister? This doesn't make sense. And so instinctively, verse 3, Peter and John race to investigate. That's what men do best, or so we think. We solve riddles and problems. And so Peter and John, verse 3, race to investigate this strange report that the stone has been rolled away. And by the way, this is a pilot episode of the reality show, The Great Race. And it took place on this day in Jerusalem around 30 AD. It is a great race back to the tomb where Jesus' body had been laid. What happens next? Let's follow the drama and watch it unfold. Trying to act as it were of us, allow it to break over us as if it were happening, or as if we were hearing about it as if it were happening. in real time. So Peter and the other disciple went forth. They didn't stay, they didn't wait, they didn't deliberate, they went forth. And they were going to the tomb, of course. And the two were running together. And the other disciple ran ahead faster. He was faster than Peter. He no doubt would have been the church pick-a-ball champion, had there been pick-a-ball invented back then. This was the more athletic, younger likely John. The great race to the tomb we go, for the stone we've been told has been rolled away, and we don't know where they placed his body, the body of Jesus. And he ran ahead faster, and Peter came to the tomb first, and stooping and looking, he saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. And so eventually, Simon Peter runs, and he comes and follows, and of course, Peter, he entered the tomb, and he too saw And he saw the linen wrappings there and the face cloth which had been on his head not lying with the linen wrappings. So we have a series of witnesses. How confident are you? Not simply that Jesus died on a cross. Nobody denies that. Or that he was buried. Only a fool would deny that. But the vast majority of people don't truly believe, or they say, I'm not sure whether or not actually Jesus rose again bodily on the third day. Series of witnesses, number one, the stone was rolled away. Let's look at scene two, witness two. We have here the cadaverless grave clothes. The cadaverless grave clothes. John personally witnesses this. He not only saw that what Mary said was so, the stone was rolled away. But there's the clothes, wrapped neatly, but no Jesus. How bizarre. This doesn't look at all like a grave robbery. You don't take away a crucified corpse. That's just gross and foolish. I mean, what is going on? I mean, remember the disciples had experienced Things that have no human explanation. They had observed many times with their own eyes the supernatural. When God's Son, or the one who claimed to be the Son of God, was on the earth performing miracles, signs, wonders. They were there when brother Lazarus was raised from the dead and when he came out of the tomb, he was all mummied up. Grave clothes and all. Something strange has happened here. Upon discovering a cadaverless grave close, a sweaty palm fisherman decides against going in further. The first one there was the fastest, but he wasn't the most fearless. So he steps back and tries to take it in. At this point, the older, slower, and more impetuous disciples arrive. Detective Inspector Peter. And he immediately rushes in to examine the potential crime scene. Now, his heart would already be racing before even stepping into the tomb. Verse 6, so Peter also came following John, entered the tomb, saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but folded up in a place by itself. Witness 1. I believe and have no doubts that Christ died for the sins of His own and that He was buried, and equally and in some ways most important of all, He was raised on the third day, exactly as the scriptures predicted and declared. How can you be so confident? Well, because the stone was rolled away and because of the cadaverless grave clothes. And of course, there's now a third witness we see here. The empty tomb. The empty tomb. Peter, once inside, gazes intently at the cadaverless grave clothes, and he entered deeper into the tomb, he notices the rolled up face cloth, but Jesus' body, I see what he had been wrapped with, and where he had been, where's Jesus? His body is nowhere to be found. This is inconceivable, mind boggling. Astonishing, or is it? Or is it? Should they have been so shocked and surprised to see what they saw, to witness what they witnessed? What are you getting at? Verse 8, so the other disciple who had first come to the tomb, also entered, and what's his response to the empty tomb, the cadaverless grave clothes, and the stone that was somehow, someway rolled away? He saw and what? And what? Verse 8, look at your text. He saw and believed. This is the gospel of believing written to believers and to those who don't believe, imploring the unbeliever to put off their unbelief and to place their faith into Christ and Christ alone, and to those who already believe to never stop believing so that you might enjoy the gift of eternal life. Notice here what John is saying. For John, the author and the eyewitness of not just a crucifixion and not just the burial, but the empty tomb. For John, listen to me now, seeing is believing. Seeing is believing. For John, he saw, verse eight, and he believed. What circumstantial evidence does John see with his own eyes? They say, listen, we who wrote the New Testament, moved by the Holy Spirit to write the very word of God, what we saw, what we heard, what we handled with our own hands, evidence that demands a faith verdict, I believe, you believe, some of you don't believe, we all should believe. Well, I can't believe. I don't believe in that supernatural mumbo-jumbo. Follow the evidence, it's overwhelming. First, he saw the massive gravestone, which was in fact rolled away. Second, he saw the cadaverless grave clothes that were lying exactly as Nick and Joe had left them. And finally, he saw with understanding, he saw with understanding, the Greek word arao, he saw and he understood why the empty tomb was empty. Do you understand? Do you believe? Based on the evidence, John now believes, he already believed in Jesus, but now he believes, having seen what he has seen, that Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, had risen from the dead. The miracle of all miracles. The granddaddy of them all. The most important sign of all signs that Jesus performed in the presence of his disciples, John 20 verse 30, he had risen from the dead. He saw and he believed. Now, I've already hinted at the fact that in hindsight, hindsight, hindsight, they should have figured it out. They shouldn't have been so shocked by the report that Mary Magdalene had been. They shouldn't have been moping around, crying and trying to make sense of it all and figuring out what they were going to do next. No, the disciples should have been totally prepared for this. For three and a half years, they saw and they heard Jesus perform miracles. They heard every word Jesus preached, the very word of God. They heard Jesus claim to be the light of the world and then saw Him prove that by giving sight to a blind man. They heard Jesus declare that He, like God the Father, is the resurrection and the life, and then they saw Him command Lazarus to come forth, and Lazarus came forth. They should have been prepared for this resurrection. They also had the Old Testament Scriptures that maybe in a more veiled sense, but in a sense nonetheless, declared not only that Messiah would die, shockingly, but necessarily so, but He would rise from the dead. God has the power to do anything. That's what it means to be God. They had seen and believed other miracles, but this was one that was just too far, too much for them. For John, seeing was believing. Before moving on to verse 9, what did fearless Simon Peter make of this series of progressive witnesses? The 24th chapter of Luke verses 10 through 12 highlights Peter's initial response. The text tells us, John saw and believed, Peter went away marveling, marveling at what had happened. The stone was rolled away. How'd that happen? Cadaverless grave clothes, neatly folded, placed like this. How'd that happen? An empty tomb? He's not quite yet sure what to make. To which verse 9, look at the text, adds this, for as yet they did not understand the Scripture. They didn't understand the Bible. Not this point. Not this promise, not this prophecy, that He must rise again from the dead. He must. If He didn't, He's not who He claimed to be. If He didn't, God's not God. Because He said this is what would happen. Contrary to what many think today, Scriptural ignorance and doctrinal misunderstandings are not things to yawn about. Oh, you know, as long as you love, that's all that matters. Bible, Bible, doctrine, theology. Deeds, not creeds. Orthopraxy, not orthodoxy. Nonsense. Both are essential. They didn't understand the Scriptures and it was a problem. It was a barrier to them worshiping and to Peter fully believing the fullness of the glory of God revealed in his son, Jesus. Scriptural ignorance and doctrinal misunderstandings according to the Bible are not things to yawn about. The confused believer in John 20 have two significant theological misunderstandings. Doctrine and theology matter. And some truths matter more than others, but they all matter. This one, of course, really matters. So they're struggling to make sense of it all. Peter went away marveling. He didn't understand the scriptures yet. He did not yet. So two significant theological misunderstandings. The first error is what I'm calling a Messiah without a cross paradigm. They wanted the kingdom and the glory, but not the suffering and the humiliation. In order to experience the other, there had to be suffering and humiliation. They didn't understand They rightly deduce finally that Jesus was who he claimed to be the long way to Messiah, but they didn't really always come to terms and grips with that if Jesus actually is the Messiah, he would have to be crucified and killed. The second theological misunderstanding was, that's the first thing. Remember, Peter told Jesus, you know, you're not gonna die on the cross. I'm gonna, over my dead body, And Jesus says what? Get behind me, Satan. You don't have any idea what you're saying and the implications of what you're saying. Theological misunderstanding. Serious problem. Second, is a victorious Savior without a bodily resurrection. They haven't resolved the fact of how could Jesus be great and glorious and good, worth leaving everything and following, telling everyone about. He can't be Savior victorious, exalted, glorious, without a resurrection. At this point, he doesn't understand what he should understand from the scriptures. Had the disciples been better students of Scripture, they would have understood that all of this was necessary, all of it, not some of it, all of it was necessary and part of God's promised plan. What are you talking about? I'm talking about a perfect life, I'm talking about an atoning substitutionary sacrifice, and a triumphant resurrection, not some, all. These are the three events that make up the gospel. There is no good news message apart from a perfect life, a substitutionary sacrifice, and a triumphant bodily resurrection, do you understand? Psalm 16.10, Isaiah 53.10-12 predicted victory, anticipates resurrection. Suffice it to say, listen carefully to me, this is why we do what we do and why we don't mess around, monkeying around, when at church, unless we're having fun, fellowshipping, Why we spend so much time studying the Word of God, memorizing the Word of God, singing the Word of God? Because of this, a theologically misinformed Christian is often a very confused disciple. The Bible is a light and a lamp. And you have to not only know what the words say, but you need to understand what the words mean. And that's one of the reasons why God gives to the church pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4, 11 to 16, so that you won't be childlike, tossed here and there by every wave of trickery, but that you would grow up and mature and be strong in the faith based on clear understanding of the word of God, doctrine, theology, and having deep convictions built upon those beliefs. Despite, unlike Peter, John, John still had some theological misunderstandings. He includes himself in that statement, which is sort of an indictment in verse nine, but despite those scriptural misunderstandings, John still believes what he sees. He can't deny it. There is a mountain of gospel evidence that demands nothing less than a saving faith verdict. If you follow the evidence to where it leads, you will believe. And if you don't, it just shows how much you love your sin and how hard your heart is, John 3. The empty tomb evidence demands a resurrection faith verdict, which is why we declare not just on Easter, He is risen, church. He is risen indeed. Believing John and bewildered Peter return home. as eyewitnesses of the empty tomb, verse 10. And what did they do? And what did they say? They went away again. To where they were staying. We gotta tell the other guys about this. This is crazy. One, I'm not sure. The other one, like, this is amazing. Lord willing, we'll pick up the action two weeks from today. A series of witnesses undergirding our conviction that Jesus died and was buried and rose again. Why do you believe what you believe? It matters. Well, because of what the scriptures clearly declare. But I want us to try and maximize the long-term impact of this message. So in order to do that, I want to encourage you to write down a few things. And more importantly than writing them down is applying these things that I'm going to suggest to you for maximum long-term impact. It's on page two of your notes. And unless you have a photographic memory, and don't forget things, you might want to jot these down. How to have maximum impact in life. Why is this passage in the Bible? How can it have a positive impact on our life long after we've forgotten the specific words in the outline that was given here? In order to help, number one, spend some time basking in the light of resurrection glory. We think often about and sing all the time about the cross of Jesus, as we should. We could have communion every Sunday. We certainly should declare that victory. We should declare that sacrifice every service and we do. But I fear that we have relegated the resurrection to something less than what it is. And that's one of the reasons why sometimes our life, when we go through those trials and difficulties and when Satan tries to cause us to doubt and question the goodness of God and the integrity of the Christian faith. One of the things that could help is if you would spend time more often basking in the light of resurrection glory. Meditate on John 20 and 1 Corinthians 15. We should celebrate the resurrection far more than once a year. I would encourage you, how can I do that? There are, there are not as many, but there are a lot of high, doctrinally sound, joyful, vibrant, resurrection-themed songs. Put resurrection-themed songs on your playlist. I gave you like 15 in your notes. My suggestions, I'm sure you have 10 more of your own. Listen to resurrection-themed praise songs and sing along, basking in the light of resurrection glory. Secondly, I want maximum impact, longer rather than shorter, how to do that. Secondly, allow resurrection hope to literally fill your life with joy and purpose. Why are you here and what's the most important things for you to be involved in in the time that you have remaining? To God calls you home or to Christ returns. The resurrection helps us to have the priorities that we should have and it helps us to have joy, unspeakable joy, joy that the world doesn't have. that the world desires, because it's rooted in Christ specifically, it's grounded in the resurrection. Allow resurrection hope to literally fill your life with joy and purpose. What happened to that guy? Number three, for those of you who are grieving the loss of a Christian loved one, I'm not just a preacher, I'm first and foremost a pastor, and so I can look at some of you not too long now, lest we get emotional. Sunday is the best day of the week. It's the day when Christ rose from the dead. But for some of you, it's also simultaneously one of the hardest days of the week, because it was the day when you had that loved one, you went to church together, the unity, the intimacy, the fellowship, that you shared in Christ. For those of you who are grieving the loss of a Christian loved one, take heart. Take heart. The one who believes in the resurrected Christ, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. And he who believes will live even if he or she dies. And so Jesus died according to the scriptures for our sins and he was buried and he rose again. He overcame the grave. Take heart, grieve with hope. One sweet day there will be a heavenly family reunion. For some the holidays are the greatest of times because family, loving family gathered together making new memories. For some, it's the hardest of times, and the sweetest of times, thinking of the memories, but missing those who are no longer there. But this is just a little while, and there is forever. It will be a reunion unlike any reunion. And we have that hope because Jesus rose again. And the Bible says, oh, on that day, What a day of rejoicing it will be. And when we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the jubilee. Fourthly, anyone here physically sick, struggling? Anybody who's really sick, fearing the end may be near? In view of the empty tomb, Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Because Jesus conquered sin, Satan, and death, I thought about maybe this is what we should put outside the walls of our new sanctuary. Fear has no place here. And if we're going to say that, fear has no place here. It needs to be an image of the empty tomb. That is the reason why fear has no place here in this church, because Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures, and he was buried, and he rose again. Fear has no place here. This is why Paul, at the end of the resurrection chapter of scripture, he boasts in the Lord, and he says he's dancing on the tombstone. He's dancing on the tombstone. Oh, death, where is your victory? Oh, death, where is your sting? Christ has overcome. He has overcome. And we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Do you believe? You don't have to be afraid. You know where you're going. You know who has made the way. You know the resurrection body that you'll receive because Jesus loved you. and suffered in your place because Jesus loved you and was raised again. Finally, and fifthly, maximum long-term impact. Don't be afraid if you're sick, if you fear the end. Take heart, those of you who are grieving. Allow resurrection hope to fill your life with joy and purpose. Bask in the light of resurrection glory so that our tongue will be full of praise and gratitude and thankfulness, even if the church building's taking a lot longer than any of us wanted. Finally, in view of the empty tomb, fifthly, He's not there. He's risen. He's alive. The Bible says, fifthly, may each one of us wait eagerly. He came, He went, but He's coming again. There can only be an again if there's a resurrection. You feeling me? May we wait, wait, not passively, not indifferently, may we wait eagerly. That's biblical eschatology at its core. May we wait eagerly for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and living Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. What the Lord wants us to have is not only simple faith in Christ, but to have deep and abiding and growing blessed assurance. And so he gives us passages of scripture like this to strengthen and fortify our faith. Let's pray. Lord, what can we say? What should we do? Lord, today you have allowed us to encounter, as if it were the first time with these female and male disciples, the shock and awe and wonder and glory of the empty tomb. Lord, thank you for the comfort that this provides. Thank you for the hope that this provides. Thank you for the joy that this supplies. Thank you for the fear that this drives out. Thank you for the glory that is seen in Christ here, now humiliated, but now raised, and at the right hand of the Father, his proper place. We long to be with him, but may we go and tell others what we have seen and what we believe, that they may believe that they too might have this peace, hope, and joy. All in your Son, in whose glorious name we pray, and all God's people said,