Matthew 28:1-8

1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, Prov 1:5 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge ; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov 1:7

A.Introduction The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a foundational truth of our faith. Yet at first, even Jesus’ disciples had a difficult time believing He had risen from the dead. Despite how closely they had walked with the Savior, the chosen twelve were unable to accept the Lord’s resurrection until they saw Him for themselves.

B. The realities of the resurrection 1. Jesus is alive Luke 1:35 declares, “ The angel answered, ' The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” a. As Christians, we know that Jesus rose from the dead because He was more than a prophet or good teacher--He was the Son of God

b. Because Jesus is alive, the risen Savior personally does 4 things for us: Advocates for us (1 John 2:1) Intercedes for us (Rom 8:34) Enables us to live godly lives (John 14:16) Prepares as eternal home for us (John 14:2-3) 1 st reality of the resurrection: Jesus is alive, second…

2. We are forgiven. a. Hebrews 9:22 tells us, “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” 1 John 2:2: ”He Himself is the satisfaction of God’s wrath for our sins; and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world.” b. Rev 1:17-18 that He is alive forevermore: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am The first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. The Bible says, “He Himself is the satisfaction of God’s wrath for our sins; and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 Realities of the resurrection: Jesus is alive…we are forgiven…and…

3. We are going to live forever. a.For Believers, physical death is the end of all suffering, temptation, and it is the beginning of a new existence in the presence of God. b. For the saved, death ushers us into the presence of Christ: “To be absent from he body, and to be present with the Lord” 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23 c. Eternal life, by definition, is everlasting (John 3:16). See Eph 1:13-14 Sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s children. d. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Heb 9:27 So the realities of the resurrection include: Jesus is alive…we are forgiven…we are going to live forever…

4. We will have a resurrected body. a. Luke 24:30-31 “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.” b. Our human bodies are described in 1 Corinthians 15:42–53 as perishable, dishonorable, and weak, all due to sin. Our glorified bodies will be imperishable, honorable, and powerful. Our new bodies will be no longer “natural” bodies, but “spiritual” bodies, no longer focused upon the natural senses but at one with the Holy Spirit. As imperishable bodies, they will no longer suffer from sickness and death, nor will they ever be subject to heat and cold or hunger and thirst. Our new bodies will be honorable … clothed in white garments (Rev 3:4–5, 18) forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Our glorified bodies will be empowered by the Spirit that owns us, and weakness will be no more.

Realities of the resurrection include we will have a resurrected body...we are going to live forever… Jesus is alive…

5. Heaven is our home. …sun & moon no longer needed Rev 22:5 John witnessed “glory of God” Rev 21:11 a. Apostle John privileged Rev 21:10-27

Five of the Realities of the resurrection include 4. We will have a resurrected body We are forgiven… 1. Jesus is alive… 3. We are going to live forever… 5. Heaven is our home… And finally number SIX,

6. We will see out loved ones. a. Relationships are important to God. The Father created relationships, allows earthly relationships to continue though no marriage King Saul recognized Samuel when the witch of Endor summoned Samuel from the realm of the dead (1 Samuel 28:8-17). When David’s infant son died, David declared, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). David knew he would be able to recognize his son in heaven, despite the fact that he died as a baby. In Luke 16:19-31, Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man were all recognizable after death. At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were recognizable (Matthew 17:3-4). The Bible declares that when we arrive in heaven, we will “be like him [Jesus] (1 John 3:2). If Jesus was recognizable in His glorified body, we also will be recognizable in our glorified bodies. Being able to see our loved ones is a glorious aspect of heaven.

Conclusion Aren’t you grateful that Jesus’ sacrifice and subsequent victory over death made it possible for you to live forever in the presence of almighty God?