Great Gettin’-Up Morning (Luke 24)
Big Idea: The resurrection of Jesus forms our faith's foundation, providing salvation, hope, and eternal life.
In my life, I’ve attended all kinds of funerals. I’ve been to funerals where grief filled every corner of the room. I remember one for a middle-aged mother and wife taken too soon by cancer. The church was packed, mourner after mourner filling the pews. Speaker after speaker stepped up to share heartfelt stories, and tears flowed freely. Then, as if to seal the moment, they played one of her favorite opera pieces. The soaring voices filled the sanctuary, and not a single eye remained dry.
I've also experienced joyful funerals. Yes, they exist. My grandfather passed away three years ago at the age of 87. He had the chance to say his goodbyes and finish his life well. At his funeral, my uncle shared a story from his younger days in church. The pastor had asked if anyone had something to share with the congregation. Sitting in front of my grandfather was a man known for being shy. My grandfather, ever the prankster, had brought a sharp pin to church and carefully placed it upright on the toe of his shoe. When the pastor asked the question, my grandfather gave the man a quick kick. Startled, the man jumped up and, with no choice, began to testify. That was a happy funeral.
One of the saddest deaths ever to take place was the death of Jesus. We who read the Gospels from the other side of Easter know how things ended, and we don't really grip the tragedy of his death. Imagine Mary, the mother of Jesus. Angels and wise men were present at his birth. Her firstborn son had, as a baby, suckled at her breast. As he had grown, I have no doubt that Mary's love for her son Jesus grew, and she believed that he was the promised Messiah. Imagine Mary standing at the foot of the cross, looking at her son as he is brutally tortured and killed.
Imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples. For three years, you’ve left behind family, career, and everything familiar, staking your entire life on him. You’ve believed he would save Israel, but now, as you watch him suffer a humiliating death, doubt begins to creep in. Could it be that you’ve followed a man destined only for the grave?
Now, consider Satan’s perspective. The ancient war between God and Satan seemed to have reached its climax, and it appeared that God had made a fatal misstep. With Jesus hanging lifeless on the cross, Satan could almost taste victory. “Checkmate,” he must have thought. Jesus was dead, and Satan reveled in what he believed to be his finest hour.
We often overlook the crushing finality of Jesus’ death. He died young, his mission seemingly unfinished. Like so many self-proclaimed messiahs before him, he was executed for challenging the status quo. All that remained was a lifeless body, a scattered and disillusioned group of followers, and a grieving mother. To all appearances, it was over.
A man was once confronted with a profound question: What would it mean for our world if Christ had truly risen? That year, he experienced the loss of three close friends. One, a retired man in excellent health, suddenly collapsed and died in a parking lot after dining out with his wife. Another, a forty-year-old woman, tragically perished in flames on her way to a church missions conference when a tanker truck rear-ended her car in the fog. The third, a man named Bob, lost his life while scuba diving at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The weight of these losses was crushing. Nothing could ever bring his friends back.
When he spoke at Bob's funeral, he asked this question: What would it mean for us if Bob rose again? They were sitting in a chapel, numbed by three days of sorrow, death bearing down on them like a crushing weight. How would it be to walk outside to the parking lot and there, to their utter astonishment, find Bob? Bob, with his bounding walk, his crooked grin, his clear gray eyes. It could be no one else but Bob, alive again!
You see, that's what Jesus' disciples felt on the first Easter. They had grieved for three days. On Sunday, everything changed. There was Jesus! Jesus! He's alive again! He's risen! There was a new note of hope and faith. Satan had not won after all! Mary did not have to grieve over her lost son. The disciples did not have to mourn. Jesus was and Jesus is alive!
You see, the cross was not the end of the story. For it is followed by a resurrection that signifies a new beginning. Luke 24 underlines the discovery, surprise, and wonder of the resurrection.
Listen to what the women did when they arrived at the tomb.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. (Luke 24:2-4).
Listen to what happened to Peter when he ran to the tomb.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. (Luke 24:12)
Look what happened later in Luke 24 as he appeared to the disciples.
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat? (Luke 24:36-41).
It was a time of wonder, of marveling. The words indicate being perplexed and somewhat in disbelief. What had happened to the body? After repeated appearances, the disciples became convinced that Jesus was raised.
What Easter Means
This Easter, we come to the cross with wonder. I repeat my earlier question: What does it mean for our world that Christ has risen? It means a number of things.
Never lose the wonderment of the resurrection.
We should never take it for granted, or become so accustomed to the Easter story that it loses its wonder. Every Easter, we should be amazed by the fact that Jesus Christ overcame death, and this realization should transform our lives. Jesus has risen!
Canadian author John Irving wrote a renowned novel a few years back called A Prayer for Owen Meany. In it, a character says:
I find that Holy Week is draining; no matter how many times I have lived through his crucifixion, my anxiety about his resurrection is undiminished. I am terrified that, this year, it won’t happen; that, that year it didn’t. Anyone can be sentimental about the Nativity; any fool can feel like a Christian at Christmas. But Easter is the main event; if you don’t believe in the resurrection, you’re not a believer.
I remember one Easter at this church. I don't know what happened, but this one Easter it was rainy out. Everyone looked tired. I've been to more exciting funerals than this particular Easter. But you know, there's no place for that. Easter should be the happiest morning of the year. Christ has risen! He's alive!
It's like the hymn that I hope you'll sing with me:
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how he could love me
A sinner condemned, unclean
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
How could we celebrate the Blue Jays winning the World Series, promotions, or good news with excitement, yet feel indifferent about Jesus’ resurrection? How can we not be stirred? How can we not leap out of bed on Easter morning, shouting, "Hallelujah! Christ is risen!" Here’s the thing: we must never lose our sense of wonder over the resurrection. It’s the cornerstone of our faith, the event that changes everything. Let it astonish you, year after year.
Make it your central doctrine.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central doctrine of the church. If you don't believe in the resurrection, you're not a believer. When the early disciples preached in the book of Acts, they majored on the resurrection.
This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. (Acts 2:32).
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. (Acts 4:10)
And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. (Acts 10:39-41)
And on and on.
In fact, Paul goes so far as to say:
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17-19).
The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, and it changes everything. Because he rose, we have salvation. Because he rose, we can trust that his word is true. Because he rose, we have the unshakable hope that we too will rise on that great gettin'-up morning. Do you believe it?
The Apostle's Creed summarizes the essential truths of the Christian faith:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell
The third day he rose again from the dead
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead
I believe in the Holy Ghost
I believe a holy catholic church; the communion of saints
The forgiveness of sins
The resurrection of the body
And the life everlasting. Amen.
Amen! Do you believe it? We won't talk about the evidence for the resurrection this morning, of which there is plenty. John Singleton Copley, one of the most esteemed legal minds in British history and a three-time High Chancellor of England, once wrote, "I know pretty well what evidence is, and I can tell you that the evidence for the resurrection has never been refuted."
Friends, we need to major on the resurrection. It is the central doctrine. It is one of a short list of doctrines that are absolutes in the faith. Make it your central doctrine.
Never lose the wonderment of the resurrection. Make it your central doctrine. Finally:
Look forward to your own great gettin'-up morning.
The Bible connects Jesus' resurrection with our final bodily resurrection.
And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. (1 Corinthians 6:14).
...knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. (2 Corinthians 4:14).
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Because Christ has been raised, we too will be given resurrection bodies on that great gettin'-up morning. All those who believe in Christ will be raised.
Earlier, I mentioned the idea of happy and sad funerals. For the Christian, there’s truly no such thing as a purely sad funeral. Although tragic deaths bring grief to families and friends, we can still unite with the apostle Paul in proclaiming:
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
Death has been defeated, its victory and sting are gone. We no longer have to fear it. If you truly believe this, join me in singing:
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so," it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Lord, may we never lose the wonder and awe of what happened that first Easter morning. Jesus is alive! He is risen! Let our hearts overflow with amazement, joy, and gratitude for this incredible truth. Let the resurrection be the cornerstone of our faith, the doctrine we hold most dear. Help us eagerly anticipate the day we will rise, knowing that because Jesus rose, we too will rise. Fill us with this unshakable hope and joy.
Lord, if anyone is yet to make this truth the foundation of their faith, may today be the day they believe. May they leave this place with a newfound joy and wonder, confident in the promise of resurrection and eternal life. What better time than Easter morning, the day that changed everything? Lord, make today the day. Amen.
