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April 2, 2021 12:00 am
So imagine these two processions means they can't get around what about you have this intersection of of life and death. One procession is allowed by the angel of death, as it were. The other procession is being led by the Lord of life. Just as we watched terminal center encounter the true Savior. Now you have life and death meeting face one day Jesus and a group of his followers. They didn't just step to the side yield. The road and allow the funeral to pass. No, Jesus completely interrupted that funeral and I can tell you that it was a shock because in that encounter Jesus brought that dead corpse back to life. That's what Jesus does and that's what he offers today as we continue reflecting on the resurrection, we see that Jesus offers life to us as well. This is wisdom for the hard with Stephen Devi Stevens message today is called interrupting the dead probably enjoy the writing certified number of jury service of the Lord. Many of them faster for years. One of them by the name of Chuck Swindoll you're familiar with. He collected four years in his journal epitaphs and one occasion I wrote about it and I got a copy. He said some of them are humorous, some of them are sobering, some funny, one red beneath this silent stone is laid a noisy antiquated made him from her cradle. Talk to death. Never before was out of breath. There lies return to Clay Miss Arabella Young on 11 May began to hold her tongue. One woman tender own epitaph. I thought this is great. She said dear friends, I'm going were watching is done cooking or sewing don't mourn for me now or wait for me. Never before I go to do nothing forever. That's good, but I wanted to get married again and he's her husband's tombstone to make the announced it read, believe it sacred to the memory of my husband, John Barnes, who died January 3, 1803 is lovely young widow, age 23, has many qualifications of a good wife and yearns to be comforted has to be the forerunner of eHarmony.com one more jetted I did when he was a professional auctioneer was his was his career as an auctioneer interesting is the simple message inscribed on his tombstone. Jedediah Goodman born 1828 going going gone well I guess epitaphs and tombstones of a way of reminding us that we are all all of us are in the process of going going gone the yen for 6000 people somewhere on the planet who will die while we are in here this hour is the yen for 150,000 people who will die today 55 million will die this year's Jesus made that rather audacious incredible claim that he was the resurrection and the life even when on the save anybody believes in him even if he dies you live afterward really the claim that he will back up over and over and over again is it ever occur to you that according to eyewitness accounts.
Jesus Christ never attended, which he did not entirely disrupt he interrupted them all. Five graveyard scenes are provided for us in the New Testament in all five graveyard scenes are disrupted take you to most often overlooked and let's focus their sacred gospel by Luke and go to chapter 7. Jesus and his disciples are arriving in a small city and it is almost all entirely consumed with the death of a young man and they are all involved in the funeral procession looked over at verse 11. The text reads, and it came about.
Soon afterwards that he went to a city called name and his disciples were going along with them, accompanied by a large multitude now as he approached the gate of the city will hold a dead man was being carried out. The only son of his mother, widow and sizable crowd from the city was with her now, stop for a moment with me and let's set the scene.
If you have ever watched the news reports of a procession in the Middle East. They really haven't changed from the first century to the 21st century you'll have an idea of the wailing and the confusion and chaos in the grief was happening here is nearly this entire city is involved in this procession leading outside the gates to bury this young man. There were four things that were typical of the scene first would be the tearing of garments you've probably observed that expression in the Old Testament where they would tear it from the neck down word across their heart symbolizing that their heart was broken would be the way they would express their grief. Secondly, these processions would involve professional mourners would be their career would be a difficult career.
I would say this would be there hiring to weep and wail. They would often compose chance where they would insert the name of the deceased, and even the names of family members in this chanting obituary that would only add to the grief and sorrow in the lament professional musicians. Thirdly, would be hired most often flew players and they would play allowed rather disconcerting sounds that were intended to reflect the emotional discord and the confusion of their of their grief and forth uniquely. The funeral procession, especially Jewish funerals would be led by women, it was the Jewish tradition for centuries which taught that since women brought mankind into the world they ought to leave them out so they would be leading the procession. You can only imagine the noise and the commotion, the whale laying in the lamenting and in the despairing the crowd and we know that the widow would have been just in front of this makeshift coffin of Luke gives us the details that she had lost her husband and now she had lost her only son. Her only hope of any kind of survival in this generation. She is rather desperately alone. The coffin would've really been nothing more than planks of wood that formed an open container and the pallbearers would stop pressed by the crowd periodically to let newcomers view the body and enjoying into this this loud, deeply confusing cacophony of grief and sorrow, and Luke tells us if you can imagine this that the sweeping wailing, chaotic scene is exiting the city gates just as Jesus and his disciples, and the crowd following him arrive. So imagine these two processes meet to get around.
What about the meet at this crossroad these days. You have this intersection of of life and death. One procession is led by the angel of death, as it were. The other procession is being led by the Lord of life for fear they meet just as we watched last Lord's day terminal center encounter the true Savior. Now you have life and death, as it were meeting face-to-face in this encounter.
The next verse tells us when the Lord saw her, he focused on the widow, he felt compassion for her and said to her, do not weep.
That's a strange thing to say she's virtually destitute without a provider without something to protect her. Now widow. In these days was guaranteed poverty. The first thing Jesus does is inform this widow that she can now stop weeping. Why verse 14 as he came up and touched the coffin and the bearers the pallbearers came to a halt does not rush on here is a Jewish rabbi voluntarily defiling himself. He reaches out any touches coffin.
The law will declare that he is now ceremonially unclean. But just as we observed last Lord's day, when Jesus reached out and touched that leper when he grasped that man by the shoulder, that the Lord wasn't defiled. That leper was cleansed. So here Jesus isn't being defiled by death is a doubt, to bring life.
I imagine that this scene at this moment all the lamenting stop the flute player stop boilers as quiet.
Imagine just as shocked hush as they see Jesus touching this conflict noticing Jesus said young man I say to you, arise. But I guess it imperative that the command, get off really get in the dead man literally the corpse sat up and began to speak in fear gripped them all. I imagine it would is a corpse suddenly sitting up his coffee beginning to talk.
What he said might've been hi mom, I have no idea. No doubt some people screened others fainted. Summary others just kinda gasped in one of those partners will they do next. Text cells as Jesus gave him back to his mother was Jesus introduced himself, helped unwrap the grave clothes brought this young man back into the arms of his mother and that you have this mix of incredible confusion in surprise and joy at Christ's command. The same root word is used by the apostle Paul when he comforts the Thessalonians, giving us a glimpse into the afterlife rewrites in the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and the dead in Christ will rise same root word. Luke uses here in this text at death. Those that have already died, their spirits, having gone immediately to be with the Lord for be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord of the Linda vision of what around security with the Lord, but upon is coming with the redeemed and at his command to rise their bodies which have gone back to dust carried who knows where our Lord's command will reach into the depths of the oceans and the sea is in the caverns in the depths of the earth wherever their bodies have migrated and in a moment he will reform you will reconstitute and then resurrect them in a glorified immortal state joining with their spirit to be with the Lord forever for Thessalonians 416 to 18 and the Lord does that with a shout when I told what the shout is very reasonably because what happens after a shout. This word arrives get off.
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if that is after he dies, and Jesus here says let me prove that for you now and this young man, he commands arrives. Can you just see the flute players packing their instruments away in of the mourners and maybe a little upset.
The concert never got off the ground and probably never got the full fee funeral was interrupted by the Messiah and that man becomes a living testimony, letting go around for the rest of his life. Say you know I was dead, but now the live, what about us. We, who were dead in our sins, our trespasses have been brought to life by the power of Christ to occurred in our lives spiritually. We await the day it all happen physically. Ephesians chapter 2 verse one. What about it. We Peter Road who have been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. First Peter one first or it ought to make a difference in how we live now because of everything were saying we believe in here.
It ought to translate out there. I think that a guy was in this article from a man in our church and it told about a man is being tailgated by a pretty stressed-out woman in the light in front of an you traveling turned yellow anytime stop but only I had time to go through it when I know some of you do, but he stopped did the right thing.
The woman became infuriated. The article said she hit the roof. She laid on the horn. She screamed and she shook her fist at the man in front of her for making a miss the chance to get to the intersection why she's in mid-rant she hears a tap on her window and looks up in the face of a police officer.
The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands, he put her in the back of the police car in handcuffs took her to the station where she was fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell and after a couple of hours. The policeman came back to herself escorted her out and he was very apologetic and he said man I am so sorry I made a terrible mistake. See, I was behind you when you blow your horn when you were just ranting when you're cussing a blue streak at that that I could hear you back there and I noticed all that stuff on the back of your car. The choose life license plate holder. The what would Jesus do bumper sticker fish emblem on your trunk, so I assume that was in your car and you'd stolen it is not just thing about you know we follow Jesus in here. Let's live like it out there show you one more scene quickly. Perhaps the most overlooked demonstration of resurrection power.
Take your copy of the good news by Matthew word gospel, by the way, means good news. So here's the good news written by Matthew turned back a few pages. Chapter 27 and you'll notice this resurrection event taking place beginning with verse 50.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. Verse 52 and tombs were opened. Not every tenant some tombs were open and many bodies of the saints who'd fallen asleep as they died, their bodies were raised as a precursor of the coming resurrection. It's happening now verse 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they enter the holy city and appeared to many.
This is in a mystical, spiritual, and resurrection of ghosts that are going in the drizzle that it just blew a freak everybody out the specific questionnaires of bodies that they bodies the resurrected Jesus were pulls back the curtain what's gonna happen, and shows us a picture of it here. Who are they will use the word hacking oil, which is the word St. holy one. It's a term referring to Old Testament believers and New Testament believers.
Matthew says there tombs were opened, and then after the resurrection of Christ. They enter the city of Jerusalem. The language can be taken to mean we can't be sure which way but it could mean they came out of there tombs and then on Sunday, enter Jerusalem or there tombs were open and they were raised from the dead on Sunday. I would personally interpret this to mean that they were immediately raised from the dead and then after Jesus resurrection. On Sunday they enter Jerusalem.
So what are they doing in the meantime, what the text doesn't tell us they were all very note next door. We have a reason to understand their buried interim Middle East are spending the weekend traveling there you arrive in Jerusalem when Jesus arises from the debtor Kennedy test the fires and unity exhibits of the fact that he really is the resurrection and the life be undeniable evidence.
Evidently a select few among the deceased. Old Testament believers who were awaiting the Messiah, are given their glorified bodies reunited with her spirits and now here they come.
And it says. The Bible says they appeared to many. The same expression.
He is Jesus in his post-resurrection. He appeared to many managers apply these Old Testament saints who would have been introduced, they would have been recognize some of them make their testimonies. Maybe some of them even physically recognize some perhaps dead for centuries. Can you imagine that some perhaps dead for a few months suddenly.
Here they are Jerusalem. Imagine the sudden appearance.
Imagine the astonishment and end the confusion and the joy and wonder and and the tears who were these saints of the past, chosen by God to testify that Jesus is indeed the resurrection and life.when I told Salome imagine with you. Can you imagine if one of them was Joseph when that of been wonderful for Joseph to appear and say you know I was. I was the favorite son of my father rejected by my my brothers, but I rose to power to save my family from famine and certain death. Jesus Christ was the favorite son rejected by his brethren, but he is the only one he can save you from everlasting mean he could add quite a test. Can you imagine a man stepping in Jerusalem and announcing hey I'm Job and I just want you to know that my Redeemer lives. I know that my Redeemer lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives imagine a David showed up the beloved King singing all the songs I wrote, glad to hear you singing them but I was writing about this. Lord, who is my shepherd, and he will one day sit upon this throne in a new Jerusalem is really truly the Messiah that is be staggering.
Wouldn't it be amazing. One of the resurrected believers was John the Baptist. He been dead for just a few months. His message would have been simply I told you so you really was the Lamb of God became save us from our sin.
Take away the sin of the world.
Beloved is interesting in our day and time at some of the claims of died for 45 seconds or 45 minutes.
They can come back and then write a bestseller. I because there's something about arts and want to know about life after death.
But imagine somebody coming back to life after four months or four years or 45 years or 450 years or 4500 years. They can give eyewitness accounts.
They can describe paradise to those who will listen and talk about life. John the grave and by the way just how urgent do you think they'd be everyone who heard their testimony that they decide to follow this Messiah to be pretty passionate with. I can have a wonder God chose to serve as these Old Testament witnesses, but I would like to imagine two more.
Can you imagine the husband and wife entering Jerusalem, saying my name is Adam, this is the was because of us that sin entered the world, is because we defied the creator God and so everything the toil of work in the corruption of mankind and and and even the pain of childbirth. It started because of of us got a ton for our sin covered for us as we look forward to the one he promised us would crush the serpent had came and did just that question is not a get a live forever beyond the grave question is where we live beyond the great. We would encourage you, beloved, to live in light of the fact that we have sung the truth of our hope in Jesus Christ and those of you today don't believe that before you leave, you do join us say by faith he is risen he is risen he is risen Jesus Christ has risen Jesus is indeed the way the truth and the life. His death all those years ago was certainly not the end of his story on that very first resurrection Sunday. He conquered death and rose from the grave and here's the really good news for us by faith.
Death is not the end of our story. Either because Jesus has power over death. He can extend that power to you and not only can Jesus give you life. He offers his resurrection power to you freely, as Stephen said in today's message. Every person who has ever lived will live forever, so that's not really the question living forever is never the question. The question is where will you spend forever. I'm glad you joined us today. This is wisdom for the hearts are Bible teacher Stephen Devi has taken the message you just heard, along with part one of the series, which you heard yesterday and put it together as a booklet called resurrection power. We hope and pray that God will use this resource to encourage his people and to stir the hearts of those who've never responded to the truth of the gospel. If you'd like a copy of resurrection power, we can help get this resource into your hands. With this being Good Friday. Our office is closed today. Our staff is enjoying some extra time with family and friends. If you want to call you can leave a message and will call you back on Monday. Our number is 86 648 Bible or 866-482-4253. Another option for contacting us is to use our website. You'll find us online@wisdomonline.org you can go there anytime to learn more about our ministry access our resources. Subscribe to our email list or hear the complete archive of Stephen's preaching ministry.
You can listen to the lessons read the manuscripts or for the most recent sermons, you can watch the videos of Stephen preaching all of that is that wisdom online.org.
And of course you'll find a resource I mentioned. Resurrection power in our online store.
I'm Scott Wiley and for Steven and all of us here. Thanks for listening. We hope you have a wonderful Easter celebration and that you've experienced the resurrection power. Jesus offers please join us here again on Monday for more