Easter Sunday

 What a Difference a Day Makes 

Luke 24 

CBC Bishop 4/20/03

I. Introduction

A. Song

Back in the 1930's a popular song was written, called "What a Difference a Day Makes". It's been recorded by a number of popular artists and groups, even as late as 2001. The words to the first verse go like this…

What a difference a day made Twenty-four little hours Brought the sun and the flowers Where there used to be rain.

B. Poem

It's really true. One day can make all the difference in a person's life. Shortly after 9/11, someone wrote a poem that made the rounds on the Internet. Some of the words go like this…

On Monday we emailed jokes On Tuesday we did not

On Monday we thought that we were secure On Tuesday we learned better

On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes On Tuesday we relearned who our heroes are

On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived On Tuesday we gave money away to people we had never met

On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools On Tuesday there wasn't a school where someone was not praying

On Monday parents argued with their children about doing chores On Tuesday those parents couldn't get home fast enough to hug their kids

On Monday people were upset that they had to wait 6 minutes at the fast food drive thru. On Tuesday people didn't mind waiting 6 hours to give blood for the dying

On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses On Tuesday they sang 'God Bless America'

On Monday the President was going to Florida to read to children On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children

On Monday we had families On Tuesday we had orphans

On Monday people went to work as usual On Tuesday they died

It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.

That's powerful "stuff" to think about, isn't it? But it's really true…, a single day can change our lives forever.

C. Killed

Well, at this time of year, I can't help but reflect on the differences one day made in the lives of a small group of Jewish men and women-the first Easter Sunday. Jesus Christ was an historical figure of the 1st century. No one denies that. During His short life-just 33 years…and only 3 of those in the public eye-He gave hope, to His followers of a better life. He taught about finding a life filled with hope, love, joy and peace.

But Jesus' life was cut short. -Some religious leaders from Jerusalem decided that they didn't like His message of unconditional love. -They were jealous of the fact that He was drawing crowds, and they weren't. -They didn't like His personal attacks on their hypocritical lives.

So, indirectly they assassinated Him. Oh, they used the Roman government to actually do the act. But if you cut through all the junk and gibberish, the Jewish leaders were the ones who had Him killed. The charges were blasphemy (a religious offense) and treason (because they said He claimed to be king of the Jews, in a highly charged political climate).

-He was brought to trial on a Thursday night. -He was mocked, beaten, and spat upon during the trial proceedings. -By noon on Friday He had been nailed to a rough wooden cross. -And three hours later He was dead.

-His broken-hearted followers took Him down from the cross. -They wrapped His body-mummy-like-with strips of cloth, -and they laid Him in a borrowed grave. Then away they went to their individual homes with a sense of hopelessness and despair. What a difference a day had made in their lives!

The next day was the Sabbath. His followers went to the Temple or to the synagogues of the area, to pray. Their hearts were overcome with grief. Their hopes and dreams had been shattered. Some of the women of the group, went about collecting perfume to anoint the body of Jesus, once the Sabbath had ended.

The following day was Sunday. What a difference this day would make in the lives of these men and women. And what a difference this one day would make in the history of the human race!

II. Sunday-the difference-making day

I would invite you to take your Bibles (if you brought them) or use the ones in the pews, to turn to Luke, chapter 24. In this chapter we'll have described for us this one difference-making day-the first Easter Sunday. It is a fascinating story that I believe, will give all of us a great deal of hope this morning.

A. Early Dawn

The first verses of this chapter tell us that several women got up early and went to the tomb where Jesus' body had been lain, in order to finish the embalming process. Then as they got nearer to the graveyard, a thought dawned on them. Who was going to move the large stone that covered the mouth of the cave. Afterall, it probably weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 thousand pounds. How could they move it so they could get in?

But when they arrived, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away from the mouth of the cave. And the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb were gone! When they looked inside, all they saw were the grave clothes. But there was no body! Then they noticed two men dressed in bright white garments, standing near by. They were angels, and these angels said…

Luke 24:5b-7 5b "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"

In other words, "Ladies, let us jog your memories. Jesus told you He wouldn't be here! Don't you remember? He said on the third day He would rise from the dead. This is the third day! What are you doing looking for a living man in a graveyard? Jesus is alive!"

At hearing this, the women ran back to the disciples and shared the good news with them, "He is risen from the dead! He did just what He said He'd do!"

But the men-most of whom must have been from Missouri-the "Show Me" state J …decided to investigate things themselves. And sure enough, they found things just like the women had told them-an empty grave, empty grave clothes, and no body, anywhere! The sight of the empty grave so stunned the disciple named, Peter, that the Bible says…

Luke 24:12 12 …he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

In other words, he started talking to himself, muttering under his breath, and questioning what had happened.

Now the scene shifts to early afternoon…

B. Early Afternoon

Luke 24:13-18 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

Just like any follower of a person who has just been assassinated, these two men had a lot of questions. They couldn't believe all that had taken place in such a short time.

But as they were walking and talking, Jesus appears on the road with them. But they didn't recognize Him. So, this gave Jesus a chance to teach them what the Word of God had to say about the events of the past week.

Jesus broke the ice by asking, "What are you guys talking about?" The two men must have stopped dead in their tracks and looked at Jesus. "Are you from another planet? Are you the only person in the entire region who doesn't know what's been going on during the last few days?"

Luke 24:19-20 19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;

Next these disciples shared their broken dreams with Jesus…

Luke 24:21 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

They were saying, "We thought this Jesus from Nazareth was going to be the promised liberator, who would get us out from under the thumb of Rome. Just like God delivered us from Egyptian captivity, and Babylonian captivity, and captivity by the Philistines…we thought we'd get delivered from Roman captivity…by Jesus. That's why we were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" when He came riding into Jerusalem a week ago. But now He's dead."

Luke 24:22-24 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

The sad thing was, these guys had all their facts right! They just didn't have their faith right!

For three years, Jesus had told them that He came to suffer, then die, then rise from the dead, so that the sins of human beings could be taken care of in a way that satisfied a just and holy God. In fact, the very thing that these guys were walking away from-the empty tomb-was the very thing that they needed to be near.

You see, friends, without the empty tomb, the crucifixion was in vain. -It's the resurrection from the dead that validates the death of Jesus on the cross. -It's the resurrection that proves that Jesus' death was accepted by God as the price to be paid for our sins. -It's the physical resurrection from the dead, that is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it, there would be no forgiveness of sins, there would be no salvation, there would be no hope of eternal life in heaven. AND THESE DISCIPLES WERE WALKING AWAY FROM IT!

C. Late Afternoon

The time is now late afternoon of Easter Sunday. Look at what Jesus says next…

Luke 24:25-27 25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

That must have been the most incredible Bible lesson those guys ever heard! Beginning with the first books of the Bible, and going on through then entire Old Testament, Jesus started explaining the truth about what the Scriptures said… I can just hear Him:

-Do you guys remember where the book of Exodus talks about the Passover Lamb? Well, that's Jesus.

-Do you remember how the book of Leviticus talks about the Atoning Sacrifice? That's Jesus, too.

In fact… -He is the Smitten Rock in Numbers;

-He is the Prophet to Come in Deuteronomy

-He is the Sheep that is led to slaughter in Isaiah

-He is the Savior in Obadiah

-He is the Anointed One in Habakkuk

-He is the Mighty One to Save in Zephaniah

-He is the Branch of Righteousness in Jeremiah

-He is the Famous land of incredible crops in Ezekiel

-He is the Stone that smashed the idol in Daniel

-He is the Ideal Israel in Hosea

-He is the Hope of the People in Joel

-He is the Heavenly Farmer in Amos

-He is the Resurrection and the Life in Jonah

-He is the Restorer in Micah

-He is the Publisher of Peace in Nahum

-He is the Desired One of all Nations in Haggai

-He is the Headstone of the House of God in Zechariah

-He is the Son of Righteousness in Malachi!

What a lesson!!! He went on to talk about how Jesus was revealed in the Psalms, alluded to in Proverbs, talked about in Ruth, and mentioned in the Song of Solomon.

He told them that Jesus of Nazareth was there on every page of their Bible! What a difference this day was making!

D. Early Evening

Now, the scene changes to early evening…

Luke 24:28-32 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Once they got to their home town of Emmaus, Jesus acted like He would go on, but the two men begged Him to stay with them. As supper began, Jesus prayed for the meal, then broke the loaf of bread in half, and passed it to them. THEN THEY RECOGNIZED WHO HE WAS…then as quickly as He had appeared along the road, He was gone.

Their minds started to click. They thought back to their trip that afternoon…their questions, and His answers. This was incredible! It was like cataracts had been removed from the eyes of their brains. For the first time they completely understood what the Scriptures meant! They couldn't wait to go tell the rest of the disciples in Jerusalem. They had spent the entire afternoon with the Resurrected Jesus! So, since it was still early evening, they decided to go back to Jerusalem and tell the others.

E. Late Evening

Luke 24:33-36 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

I can guarantee you that they didn't walk on the way back. They ran as fast as they could! They were excited! They couldn't wait to get there.

When they arrived, all the disciples were talking about the empty tomb. And these guys couldn't hold it in…, "You'll never guess what happened to us!!!" And they shared their story. You could just feel the hope and excitement in the room climb higher and higher…THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, JESUS APPEARED AND STOOD RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM.

What a difference a day made! Twelve hours had gone by before they finally realized that their Leader… who had been killed, was now living again. He had risen from the dead! What began as the most confusing and dark day of their lives…had ended as the greatest day in human history.

III. Conclusion

What a difference that day has made in the lives of millions down through the centuries since that first Easter Sunday. Millions of people, from the first century on…including most of you in this room…, have put their faith in Jesus Christ as the forgiver of their sins and the real live leader of their lives, because of that first Easter Sunday.

And what a difference that day could make in the life of anyone who has faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for his or her eternal destiny. What a different life you would have if you simply believe that Jesus is who He said He is: God's Son and the one who took the punishment that your sins and mine deserved.

Because, folks, the Bible says that without forgiveness of our sins, we are headed for eternal death in a place called Hell.

Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death,

Illustration: It reminds me of the New York City street evangelist who was preaching on a street corner, and urging everyone to flee from the wrath of God that was coming. " I warn you," he roared, "that there will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth in Hell!"

An old woman in the crowd shouted snidely: "Hey, mister, I have no teeth! What about me?"

"Lady," the evangelist said, " teeth will be provided!"

No one can escape it. There is Hell to pay, because each and everyone of us is guilty of sin. But friends, there's hope. Because even though we are all guilty of sin, and deserving of Hell for eternity because of that sin, there is the second half to that verse on the screen…

Romans 6:23b 23b …but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Easter-resurrection Sunday-makes all the difference! On the front of your worship folders is a quote that expresses this, from one of my favorite Christian writers, Calvin Miller. He said, The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the epicenter of Christianity. During His three-year ministry, Jesus raised at least three people from the dead. But these resurrections really amounted to little more than resuscitations, because all three died at a later date. But Jesus' resurrection stands for something more…death (separation from God), which could not hold Jesus in the grave, will also not hold those who believe in Him. (Calvin Miller in The Book of Jesus. Christian Reader, Vol. 36, no. 2.)

I invite you this morning to let this day make a difference in your life. If you have never taken the steps to trust in Jesus as the forgiver of your sins and you've never made the commitment to follow Him as the leader of your life…, to do it today. What a difference this day could make for you and your eternal destiny.

You enter into this relationship by asking God for His free gift. You do that by saying something like this to Him in the quietness of the next few moments…

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness for my sins. I believe that you died and rose again... for me. I want you to be the forgiver of my sins and the new leader of my life. Thank you for loving me.

If you still have questions about what I've been talking about today, then we invite you to visit the "Tell Me More" table in the lobby. We have a book that we'd like to give to you, free of charge, that will answer many of your questions.