The Reality of the Resurrection — Joshua Daniel

The Disciples’ Despair and the Hope of the Resurrection

Now friends, if you will please turn with me to that portion which we read earlier in the book of Luke. You know the Lord Jesus Christ had to rebuke his disciples, very severely in fact, because he noticed that, did I say Luke 22?

No, sorry, it's 24. And the twenty-fifth verse, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? Now, you know that the disciples were cast down.

You could think of them as I thought of the disciples last night. I said how expectantly some of them, those women, were waiting for the morning, the dawning of the day, because they had only seen Jesus buried hurriedly, seeing that the Sabbath was approaching.

And so, with what expectancy and what, you know, melancholy and sorrow, they anticipated that time when they would once again try to embalm the body of Jesus. Now, as for the disciples, they were so forlorn, they had given up hope.

You know, folks, when people can't face adversity, my mother used to say, I have to supply faith. Supply faith. See, we were four children. Not that I had a great deal of faith, don't you misunderstand me.

But, my mother used to say, I have to supply faith to the children. Yes, we are so an unflappable mother. A mother who would always talk positively, never with the feeling or wringing her hands or talking about her needs or anything of the sort.

Now, the disciples, of course, were so forlorn, they began to tell the Lord Jesus, hey, are you only a stranger in Jerusalem? He seemed like a stranger. They could not imagine that Jesus was alive. Sometimes our circumstances make us almost say, hey, is God listening?

Standing Firm on the Word in Adversity

Does he hear my prayer? Is he there? You know, folks, at that time, at such times, you must stand heavily upon the Word of God. It's the Word. It's the Word. You must be full of God's Word. That's what the devil deprives you of.

No time to study God's Word. No time to meditate on God's Word. You know, the riches which God has got for us, as we ponder his Word, he reveals his truth to us. So, my friends, you know, as a cricket player, I had to be out in the game for five hours.

Mark you, just a short break for lunch, a light lunch and another break for a cup of tea or something like that. But the match goes on. And you would say, oh, spending five hours and the next day again another five hours until the play runs out?

Oh, well, we did it very energetically, with expectancy. We wanted to win the match. We didn't complain. We did get a few knocks and we were left tired and weary after the game. But that did not matter.

There was a next game to play. So, in the matter of games, we are ready to spend our strength, our best energy. But it's a game. Life is not a game. The tragedies of life are not a game. They are realities.

Death is not a game. A lost soul is not a game. You know, a Shakespearean actor was speaking to a preacher one day. And the actor said to the preacher, you make the things which are real, unreal. And we actors make the things which are unreal, real.

Isn't that a tragedy? So, so many people are to be found in their churches this morning. How many carry away with them the reality of the resurrection? All right, they enjoy the service, the music and all that.

But how many of them into their battles and adversities carry away the consciousness, my Lord is risen. Hello, friends. As I was walking through Jerusalem with my, they were all little tots, little children at that time.

And as I was walking on that dusty road, small road, I saw a little sign which said to Calvary. So I said, here we go. So I entered that alley and it led me to a porch, an entrance porch in which one or two people, the keeper and his friend or some were sitting.

And I walked into the garden and the garden tomb, just like it is described in the Bible outside the city gates. The walls of Jerusalem were barely a hundred yards away. And I could see and I knelt down where the Lord was supposed to have been crucified outside the city gates.

The Empty Tomb and the Reality of Christ’s Resurrection

What a revered moment. And then a short distance away was the garden tomb with that. Opening, I went in, we knelt down again and praised God for the open tomb, but it struck me. There's not a scripture here.

So I said, I must send a special scripture so that all the visitors and pilgrims and others who come here will be able to read it. So I ordered a special scripture text against a white background with bold black letters.

He is not here. He is risen. When I sent that to the garden tomb and the British chaplain protested, he said, Oh, some people may be offended at this scripture. I said, Huh, such a man ought not to be put in charge of the garden tomb.

However, you know how delighted I was recently when two of our brothers, a brother and sister from Ireland said to me, we took a picture underneath that scripture. He is not here. He is risen. So I was delighted and thrilled that my effort was not in vain and it was finally put up there for people to know that this is not like the tomb of Mohammed.

It's an empty tomb. The Lord is risen. So just imagine these downcast men as they walked to Emmaus and all their ponderings and all their recriminations or sorrows were being voiced aloud to Jesus. So he said, Oh, fools, what could he call them?

You know, my dear friends, when we play around and not heed the resurrection, that's the height of foolishness. Here is our only hope, the hope of the whole world. And instead of the resurrection, we make some little trifling thing, a big idol in its place or worship it or revere it or treasure it or hold fast to it and think, Oh, this is going to give me joy.

At the moment of death, your idol will not stand before you. Either the resurrected Savior will stand before you. Or, as some of these nurses report, how terribly people go through such emotions when they die without Jesus Christ.

The nurse who took care of Voltaire, that atheist who said he would destroy the Bible, she said, I will never nurse anybody through death. Again, who does not know Jesus. So terrible was the death of that famous atheist.

Cultural Atheism, Public Faith, and the Lord’s Day

So here is America tottering between atheism and the scientific community. They don't mind the tradition, I suppose. But the whole legislative, the house was called to enact that bill on the Lord's Day.

What if some of them had said, Hey, we are not coming. We are rather going to the house of worship. We didn't have men of such character. How about a tragedy? You know, if you read the life of John Adams, those, you know, second president in national crisis.

When he was traveling by horseback from New England up where he was. Down to the seat of government. It was a long journey by horseback. Suddenly, when the Lord's Day would come, he would just tether his horse and take the day of rest.

My dear friends. That this bill was enacted. On the Lord's Day. And perhaps there was one member of the house who remarked about this. There might have been a few others. However, they were quarreled, collared and quarreled.

Come on, sign the bill. My dear friends. I don't know how many of these lawmakers are worshipping the Lord this morning. But such a sea change has taken place in our day over this nation. And feverishly mosques and temples are being built.

And idols installed. Is the Lord risen? We are fools. And slow of heart. Slow of heart. Slow to sacrifice. Slow to love. Slow to protest evil. And transgression of God's word. And now, my dear friends.

The Burning Heart and the Authority of Scripture

When Jesus said, you fools. And slow of heart. To believe all that the scripture and the prophets have said. That thus it was written. Thus it behoved Christ to rise again. The third day. So, when the Lord disappeared.

What did they say to each other? 32nd verse. And they said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us? While he talked with us, by the way. You know, when the word of God ceases to burn within you.

Something has gone. Something has gone. I wonder how many gallons of gasoline some of you spent. Coming from Washington. 20, 30? Maybe 50. 50 gallons. And during these 48 hours at the retreat. Do you know?

Some of us have used. All of us have used. 4200 gallons of blood. 4200 gallons of blood. For you and me to function. Am I not grateful for that great pump? I am. That it pumps. 2100 gallons every 24 hours.

My dear friends. Now. Must not that heart of ours burn? At the word of Jesus. Did not our heart burn within us? When we heard his word. Now. You know, not only does the word of God burn within us. The word of God does much more.

Death to the Old Nature and Union with Christ

If you turn to Romans the 6th chapter. And the 6th verse. Romans chapter 6. And verse 6. Knowing this. That our old man is crucified with him. That the body of sin might be destroyed. That from henceforth we should not serve sin.

See the 5th verse is. If we be planted together in the likeness of his death. We shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. You see. Now. To what extent. To what depths. Has the resurrection taken effect in your life?

You see resurrection of course. Implies death. First you need death before you talk of the resurrection. Now. How does the cross apply to us? It brings death to the old nature. Sometimes I find that pride never seems to die.

You know our reactions. I can't take it. Kind of stuff. You see. Pride. But is there no death to that old nature. Of pride. You know actually in the. In the book of Corinthians. First Corinthians in the 15th chapter.

Again. St. Paul uses. Thou fool. 1536. That which thou sowest is not brought alive. Except it die. Of course. When you sow a seed of wheat. You don't expect to see it in its own form. All of us have learnt in the schools.

Of how. A bean seed germinates. You put a little bean seed in a jar of water. And then when it germinates. First comes the radical. Then comes the plumeal. And the bean seed disappears after a while. It's dead.

If it doesn't die. You don't have the bean creeper. So. The Bible says. Thou fool. That every seed which you sow. Don't you know that it dies. And unless it dies. You don't see the resurrection. You don't see.

The fruitful tree coming out. Now my dear friends. If some of us. Complain that there isn't enough fruit in our lives. Or no fruit in our lives. Let me tell you this. That. Death. That being crucified with Christ.

Has not taken effect in you. And that's why. You just see a manifestation of the old nature. The old things all repeated. The old resentment. The old anger. The old pride. Some people don't know they are proud.

Christ’s Humility as the Pattern for Christian Life

You know my dear friends. As I come closer. To the finish line. I say I must get more humble. That's the only way. That's the way of Jesus. You know. In the second chapter of Philippians. What do you find?

You find. That. In the seventh and eighth verses. He made himself of no reputation. Of course the revised. Version says. He emptied himself. He made himself of no reputation. How people. You know. Are so zealous for their reputation.

You know I must be accepted. I must be. Honored. I must be recognized. But. Here we see that Jesus Christ. Made himself of no reputation. This deceiver said. He would rise again on the third day. So let there be a special guard.

To seal. And to keep the grave. Lest somebody steal the body. And say he's risen. This deceiver. After you're dead. Do you like a title like that? My dear friends. Do you want your children to give you that title?

Or your neighbors? This deceiver. And that's the title that Jesus Christ was given. By the high priest. And being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself. What more? Isn't that enough? That the God of creation should be born like you and me.

Does. He humbled himself. He took the form of a slave. But still. He humbled himself. To the cross. To rejection. To being spat upon. He humbled himself. You know the trouble with. This. The human heart.

Is pride. Lucifer fell by pride. And let me tell you. If you follow that example. And fall by your pride. You have learnt nothing. Learned nothing. And I see that education. Position. Acceptance. In society.

Is only filling people. With a lot of pride. That's all it is. It is not helping them to serve. Humbly. Or to follow Jesus. No. That seeing this. I say to myself. What I need is more humility. I will be more like my master.

Let anybody tell me. Or rebuke me. When they see pride in me. I don't want to be proud. I want to be humble. What I have done for Jesus. Is nothing. And I find that the more. I humble myself. The more.

I see Jesus being glorified. My dear friends. These are the. Laws. These are the. Lessons. Which we must take. From the resurrection. There is no resurrection. Without humbling yourself. There is no resurrection.

Resurrection Life, Transformation, and Christian Fruitfulness

Without death. To the old life. No resurrection. This is no resurrection day. For those who don't say. Lord. I'm ready to die. To self. You won't see a change. You know when. The president was brought in.

With this great. Slogan change change change. They welcome the change. And I don't know if. 14 trillion. Debt. Or deficit. Is a welcome change. If it is a welcome change. Well you chose it. You. You get the government which you deserve.

Well what is the kind of change. We want. Some kind of little. Emotional. Sentimental change. Or is it a change. That comes. Like the glorified body of Jesus. How did Jesus walk to a mice. Was not one of those.

Feet nailed to the cross. And the injury. That the nails. And all the weight of the body had to be taken. By those by that wound. Those were glorified feet. You live a risen life. And that is what. We need.

We need it in our hearts. We need it in our families. And without this risen life. Excluding this risen life. The word hope. May be erased. Can be. Erased from your work. There is no. Hope. It's the risen life in Christ.

That brings us hope. That we will be a fruitful. People. And you and I. Will at the end of our lives. Be able to. Give something positive. To those around us. Let us pray. Let us tell God. Lord I bond the resin.

Prayer for Humility, Sacrifice, and the Risen Life

Risen life. But you know I hate to die. To my old fancies. My old idols. My old vanities. My old pride. I hate to die. To my pride. But I love the. Risen resurrected life. Save me Lord. I am but a fool.

Oh fools and slow of heart. To believe all that the prophets have spoken. Oh my father. Have mercy upon us. This resurrection morning. We want. The change which the resurrection produces. Not this undefined deficit making change.

Which people apparently have ushered in. We don't want a deficit in our lives. Thou does make my cup. My cup runneth over. That is you. That is the new life which you give. To your forlorn sheep. Oh my father.

Visit us. For we need this visitation. We need this. Crucifixion with Jesus. Some of our old ways are so ugly. Pride. That rises within our breasts. So ugly. We don't want it. It makes for ugly situations.

Ugly relationships. Ugly fruit. Oh we don't want it. We want the resurrection. The Christ like life. Oh teach us that path of humility. Good Lord. We have but a short life on earth. Help it to be a life.

Of love. Faith. And sacrifice. So that we may be a blessing to those around us. We ask this in Jesus holy name. Amen.