READER’S THEATER: WORDS PAST THE
TOMB
VIDEO:
http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/jesus/i-am-with-you
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Thomas stole the body – would become unclean
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Romans stole the body – why not present him
later to prove he is not risen?
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Swoon theory – he wasn’t really dead, just
nearly dead- if the cross didn’t kill him the spear did.
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Risen from the dead like Lazarus – to die again.
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Risen from the dead – to a totally NEW kind of life.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS LITTERALLY BODILY
RAISED FROM THE DEAD? 1 Cor
15:14-16 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is
your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God,
for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did
not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not
raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
On the evening
of that first day of the week, when the disciples (minus Didymus) were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them (Rom 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) and said, "Peace be with you!" (John
14:25-27 "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach
you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.) (Peace I leave with you = The Jewish form of salutation and
benediction. May you prosper in body and soul, and enjoy every earthly and
heavenly good! Such tranquillity of soul, such uninterrupted happiness of mind,
such everlasting friendship with God as I enjoy, may you enjoy! And such
blessedness I bequeath to you: it is my last, my best, my dying legacy. Not as
the world gives - Not as the Jews, in empty wishes: not as the people of the
world, in empty compliments. Their salutations and benedictions are generally matters
of custom and polite ceremony, given without desire or design; but I mean what
I say; what I wish you, that I will give you. To his followers Jesus gives
peace, procures it, preserves it, and establishes it. He is the author, prince,
promoter, and keeper of peace. 20 After he said this, he showed them his
hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (He gave them a proof, not to create
faith, but to confirm their faith. Because Didymus was not there he missed out
and therefore his faith was not confirmed.
This is why I emphasize regular attendance and participation in worship
– you never know when Jesus is going to bestow a special blessing) 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22
And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive
the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 2:7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.) 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
24 Now Thomas
(called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when
Jesus came. 25 So the other
disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my
finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe
it." 26 A week later (Sunday – the new
sabbath) his disciples were in the house
again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus
came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
27 Then he said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out
your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." 28
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you
have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet
have believed." (Jesus had us in mind – we are blessed by not
seeing and yet believing.)
The convincing proof of Jesus resurrection is that he
showed himself to people after he died and rose again: Acts 1:3-4 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and
gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a
period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
His proof that it was
really the earthly Jesus that had been risen was for 40 days and beyond to
retain his wounds from the cross - Rev 5:6 Then
I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the
throne.
John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he
will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you
know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
First an angel announces to the women that he is
risen. Peter and John see his empty tomb
and grave clothes. Mary Magdalene first
sees him, thinking he is a gardener till he says her name. She reports to the disciples. Ten of the disciples plus others are gathered
the day his tomb went empty. Judas is not
there – who else? Doubting Didymus
(Thomas = the twin) Why is he not there?
Should he have been there? Jesus
does not want us to neglect meeting together and so Didymus is going to have
what will become a harsh encounter. He
missed the blessing of seeing the son of God resurrected. Should you be at every church event so you
don’t miss something important like that?
YES! As much as you are able. Ask Rosemary Lancaster when she returns
from her winter home. Morning, noon or night, if the church is having an event,
she wants to be with Jesus and his people.
Ask the people who checked yo name last year and attended worship at a
minimum 3 out of 4 Sundays. Ask Jesus
who weekly went to the synagogue or worship and proclamation of the word.
YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS:
Acts 1:21-22
Therefore it is necessary to
choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went
in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was
taken up from us. (THE most important aspect for a new disciple/apostle) For one of these must become a witness with
us of his resurrection."
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