![[2025-w16 cover.jpeg]] # The Resurrection **A Sermon by Evan Johnson** > [!NOTE] AI Summary > The following sermon was transcribed and summarized by Otter.ai Evan Johnson led a discussion on the significance of the resurrection, emphasizing its central role in Christian faith. He referenced Luke 24:1-12, highlighting the women's discovery of an empty tomb and the angel's declaration of Jesus' resurrection. Johnson stressed the importance of recognizing the resurrection's impact, citing 1 Corinthians 15:17 and Romans 6:23. He shared personal anecdotes, including his own journey of faith and the story of a cancer survivor, to illustrate the transformative power of belief in the risen Savior. Johnson encouraged the congregation to repent, trust in Jesus, and rejoice in the resurrection, which secures eternal salvation and a transformed life. ## Outline ### Celebrating the Resurrection and Fellowship - Evan Johnson expresses gratitude for the food, fellowship, and celebration of the risen Savior. - Speaker 1 and an Unknown Speaker share their joy in gathering and fellowship. - Evan Johnson asks the congregation to reflect on significant personal accomplishments. - Evan Johnson emphasizes the greatest reason to rejoice: the resurrection of Jesus. ### Reading from Luke and the Women's Visit to the Tomb - Evan Johnson reads Luke 24:1-12, describing the women's visit to the tomb and the angel's announcement of Jesus' resurrection. - The women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, tell the apostles about the resurrection. - Peter visits the tomb, finds the linen cloths, and marvels at the event. - Evan Johnson prays for the congregation to understand the truth of the risen Savior and to repent and trust in Jesus for salvation. ### The Significance of the Resurrection - Evan Johnson explains the women's visit to the tomb, their expectation of finding Jesus dead, and the implications of the resurrection. - He references 1 Corinthians 15:17, emphasizing that without the resurrection, faith is futile and sins remain unforgiven. - Evan Johnson highlights the need for the resurrection to understand the full impact of Jesus' sacrifice. - He shares his personal journey of faith, learning to read the Bible daily and understanding the importance of God's word in his life. ### Realizing the Need for the Resurrection - Evan Johnson discusses the women's realization that something had changed at the tomb and the importance of recognizing this change. - He challenges the congregation to consider whether they live as if Christ is dead or alive. - The appearance of angels to the women helps them understand the resurrection and the fulfillment of Jesus' words. - Evan Johnson emphasizes that the resurrection is not just for the women but for all people, including the disciples and the Roman soldiers. ### The Role of Repentance and Belief - Evan Johnson explains the importance of repentance and belief in Jesus for salvation, referencing Romans 10:9. - He discusses the cultural emphasis on good behavior and the challenge of trusting in Jesus. - Evan Johnson highlights the historical evidence of Jesus' resurrection, including the eyewitness accounts of more than 500 people. - He mentions the apostles' willingness to suffer and die for their faith as evidence of their belief in the resurrection. ### Peter's Response and the Joy of the Resurrection - Evan Johnson describes Peter's response to the women's news, running to the tomb to confirm it. - He compares Peter's anticipation to the anticipation of receiving good news, such as college acceptance. - Evan Johnson shares the story of Sean, a friend battling cancer, and the joy of receiving good news about his remission. - He emphasizes the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and encourages the congregation to rejoice in the risen Savior. ### The Impact of the Resurrection on Daily Life - Evan Johnson discusses the transformation that should occur in a person's life after realizing the need for the resurrection. - He encourages the congregation to rejoice in the resurrection and its impact on their eternal salvation and transformed lives. - Evan Johnson challenges those who have not yet realized their need for the resurrection to do so and trust in Jesus for salvation. - He concludes with a prayer, thanking God for the resurrection and asking for the congregation to run to the risen Savior. # Transcript ## The Resurrection **A Sermon by Evan Johnson** ### **Opening Gratitude and Fellowship** This day, as we celebrate the risen Savior, we thank everyone who brought food, who ate food, and enjoyed the fellowship downstairs. It was a blessed time. It’s always a joyous kind of day when you get to gather together in fellowship and food — but don’t fall asleep now. I know the temptation. ### **Accomplishments and Reasons to Rejoice** Let me ask you a question this morning as we begin: when in your life have you or someone you love accomplished something of great importance? Maybe it was completing some educational milestone. This time of year, we celebrate graduations of all sorts, from high school to college. Maybe you celebrate that your grown children no longer live with you, and you know that your primary job in their life is accomplished. Possibly, you have paid off debt — whether it’s on a car or a home — and that is a big accomplishment. Well, throughout our lives, we have many accomplishments that we can rejoice in. But today, this Resurrection Sunday, we have the greatest reason to rejoice. We rejoice because of the resurrection. We rejoice because the tomb is empty. We rejoice because our Savior lives. ### **Scripture Reading – Luke 24:1–12** > But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. > 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. > And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, > “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. > Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” > And they remembered his words. > And returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. > Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. > But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. > 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. ### **Opening Prayer** Let us pray this morning. Heavenly Father, God, I come before You. I pray as we look at Your Word, Lord, that You would open our eyes and our ears and see the truth of the risen Savior. Father, I pray for everyone here today — that if they have never called on the name of the Lord, never repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus for salvation — that today would be the day of salvation for them, this glorious day that we celebrate the resurrection. Father, I pray that You would watch over our lives, that we would live upright, holy lives for You. It’s in Christ’s name, His glory, we pray. Amen. ### **Coming to the Tomb – Expecting Death** In verses 1 through 3, we see the women going to the tomb to take the spices that they had prepared. Because bodies back then were not embalmed like we do today, they would use perfumes and spices to cover the smell. These women bring spices. It also indicates something: after Jesus had been crucified and taken down from the cross, the Sabbath had begun, and they in haste buried Him. These women had come to finish the job. They came expecting to minister to Jesus, and they presumed He would be dead. This is exactly what religion in our world today looks like without resurrection. Because without the resurrection, the cross of Christ would have accomplished nothing. They came expecting something — but got something else. ### **The Necessity of Resurrection** 1 Corinthians 15:17 tells us: > “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.” If that’s true — if the resurrection didn’t take place — then Paul tells us our faith is futile. We are still in our sins. Romans 6:23 would still be true: > “For the wages of sin is death.” But praise be to God, that verse does not stop there: > “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So one of the first things we must recognize — we must realize — is that our need is to have our sins paid for, to have them washed away white as snow. And this requires that we recognize the need of the resurrection. ### **Realization Brings Transformation** All too often in our lives, we have knowledge. We have information that would be beneficial — whether a simpler way of doing something or something harmful that should no longer be in our lives. But if we fail to realize our need for that information, we remain unchanged. I remember when I first came to faith in Jesus in October 2004. I was attending a Sunday School class, a morning worship service, and a Sunday evening college Bible study. Sundays were really good — I enjoyed learning from godly men — but the rest of the week felt like a struggle. Then one day, our associate pastor came up and asked, “Hey Evan, what have you been reading in the Bible lately?” I thought, _You were the one who taught Sunday School! You know what we read._ But what he didn’t know is that I only read the Bible on Sundays. I didn’t realize you were supposed to read your Bible daily. He invited me to meet weekly at Borders for coffee and Bible study. That’s probably where I fell in love with coffee — and with Scripture. If I had taken that good information and done nothing, I would’ve failed to realize my need for God’s Word in my life. ### **The Angels’ Message – He Is Risen!** When the women arrived at the tomb, they noticed the stone was rolled away. Jesus was no longer there. They realized something had changed. Verses 4–8 describe the appearance of the angels: > “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” The angels reminded them of Jesus’ own words — that the Son of Man must be delivered, crucified, and on the third day rise. They remembered. And they responded. ### **Repentance and Belief** Romans 10:9 says: > “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Repentance is confession. Belief is trust. And trust can be difficult in our culture. We live good, generous lives — but that’s not enough. What we struggle with is trusting in Jesus. But Scripture tells us He appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection. These weren’t just random people — they were eyewitnesses, still alive at the time Paul wrote. The apostles’ willingness to suffer and die for their faith shows they sincerely believed it. As Blaise Pascal once said: > “I only believe histories whose witnesses are ready to be put to death.” ### **Living Like Christ Is Risen** If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then your life should not stay the same. Not like it was before you repented. Not like it was before you trusted in the risen Savior. ### **Peter’s Response – Hope and Joy** In verses 9–12, the women tell the apostles, but their words seemed an “idle tale.” Peter was different. He rose, ran to the tomb, stooped, and looked in. And he went home marveling. His mourning was turned into dancing. ### **A Testimony of Hope** A friend of mine named Sean, battling cancer, had scans last week. They met with the oncologist and saw the results: clear. The cancer was in remission. He said: > “This is truly a work of the Lord. Unexpected. We are overwhelmed with shock and gratitude.” He ended with Psalm 30:10–12: > “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper! > You have turned for me my mourning into dancing… O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” ### **Run to the Risen Savior** Peter ran to the tomb for hope. And many of you here today need hope. Run to the risen Savior — for He is your only hope. Philippians 4:4: > “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” ### **The Greatest Accomplishment** We often rejoice in earthly accomplishments — and we should. But the resurrection is the greatest accomplishment we could ever rejoice in — for it secures our eternal salvation, transforms our lives, and makes the rebellious into God-fearing followers. ### **Closing Appeal and Prayer** If you have never realized your need for the resurrection, never repented, and never trusted in Jesus for salvation, I encourage you — today is the day. It will be the best decision you ever make. Let us be people who **realize**, who **repent**, and who **rejoice** in the resurrection of the Savior. **Let us pray.** Heavenly Father, God, I come before You, so thankful for the resurrection and rejoicing in the salvation we find in You. Father, I pray for each and every soul here today — that You would move in a mighty way — that they would run to You, whether for the first time or the thousandth time. May we run to the risen Savior, for He is our only hope. Father, I thank You and love You. It’s in Christ’s name that we pray. Amen.