A New Testimony

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0:00Today we are resuming our sermon series in the book of Luke for the last time. So this is our last stretch in Luke. We've been in and out of Luke since the church launched. We haven't been in Luke every single Sunday, but it's been our main sermon series. So this is the home stretch. Before Advent, we did a seven-week series on the passion of Christ as he was going from the Last Supper to the cross. Seven weeks that we looked at the work that he was doing, the Savior that he is.

0:31Now we return to Luke to finish the story. The last chapter and a third of Luke is about one thing, really. It's about the resurrection of Jesus. And how the resurrection of Jesus changes everything for us. We are going to cover this in four weeks. And it's called a little mini-series I'm calling Alive with Him. So we're going to start today with the account of the resurrection itself. Now, theologian Daryl Bach said this, Without a resurrected Jesus, Christianity has nothing special to offer the world.

1:18For a dead Savior is no Savior at all. That's a fact. You can take that one to the bank. The resurrection of Jesus is not a metaphor. It is a historical fact. The truthfulness of the gospel, the substance, the cohesiveness, the strength of the Christian worldview, it stands or it falls on the resurrection of Christ. That is a historical event that has spiritual significance for our lives. Luke knows this. Way back, if you remember way back at the beginning of Luke, when we started the sermon series, you heard that he wrote this.

2:10He said, It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you. Luke did not set out to write a book of bedtime stories. He did not set out to write a bunch of fables that taught moral lessons. He did not try to write a mythology that just inspired us. Okay? He set out to record history. Real history. Factual and accurate history. History that has a spiritual meaning, but history nonetheless.

2:53That is important to remember today as we read the history of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus, our Savior. If these historical facts are true, it changes everything. If they aren't, why are you even here?

3:16These events are crucial for each one of us and for the entire world. So let's turn to Luke 23 and read what happened. From the historian himself, who followed all things closely and wrote this to give us an orderly account. This is God's word. It came to us through Luke, but Luke was inspired by the Holy One, by God himself. So we can trust this. We can receive this as God himself speaking to us without error, infallibly, to guide us in our lives.

3:56Starting in verse 44. It was now about the sixth hour and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour when the sun's light failed and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent. And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

4:40And all his acquaintances and the woman who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decision and action, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone where no one had ever yet been laid.

5:17It was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. 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.

5:54While 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.

6:31Now 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. Pray with me.

7:07Lord we praise you that we have these words. That we have the account of what happened. And we have the assurance from you of what these things mean. Lord by the power of your risen Son working in us by your Spirit would you bring about new life as we attend closely to your word as we seek you as we listen. Lord help us to pay attention closely to these things to remember the truthfulness of what you have promised and what you have done. And Lord change us and make us send us off as the people that you intend us to be changed by your word united to your Son by faith.

7:57We pray this Jesus in your name. Alive with Him gives us a new testimony. If you've witnessed the redeeming work of Jesus then testify. If you've witnessed the redeeming work of Jesus then testify. This is a big section of Luke. I was a little tempted to break this up into more sermons. But we're going for it. And here's why. There is a single thread weaving its way through this whole account. The testimony of witnesses. That's the thread. To write this orderly account Luke has consulted these witnesses and in effect he's calling them forward to testify to us.

8:48He's not giving us a lot of commentary here. He is giving us their account their story of what they saw. The people who were there. He tells us what happened from the people that were involved. Now when you hear a testimony of somebody who saw something dramatic it's pretty compelling right? you listen closely to what they have to say but even more compelling is when you can tell that someone has been changed by what they've witnessed. That it's not just some thing that they saw but you can tell that they're different.

9:28And that's what we see here in this text. These people have been changed by what they've seen. Here's the first witness that Luke calls the centurion.

9:43We pick up the story with Jesus on the cross and strange things are happening. It's the sixth hour which is noon by our language. It should be the brightest point of the whole day. But instead this eerie supernatural darkness has covered the land.

10:06Matthew tells us from his account that an earthquake occurred at this time. It's as if creation itself is shuddering and hiding its face from what is happening right now.

10:22Many Old Testament passages use darkness as a metaphor. A metaphor for judgment. A metaphor for God's judgment. Listen to Amos 5.20 It says this Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light and gloom with no brightness in it? That's exactly what's happening. A portion of the day of the Lord God's judgment has come and broken in at this moment in time at this location and on this person on Jesus of Nazareth.

11:06I remember when I was a kid I would visit my grandparents in Oklahoma. It's very very flat in Oklahoma. You can see for miles. I remember being out on road trips with them. sometimes I would look ahead and you could see a really heavy storm in the distance and as you got a little closer sometimes you could actually see the line between sunshine and storm. You could actually You can't see that around here. It's too hilly too many trees but there you can you can see a line sometimes.

11:42Where I stand it's perfectly fine but right over there right over there a huge storm is raining down. Likewise there right there on the cross a storm of judgment is raining down on Jesus. We know this beyond any doubt because of what he says during this moment on the cross. Matthew and Mark tell us this. He cried out my God my God why have you forsaken me?

12:23Now there are some who deny that Jesus' death was an atonement for sin. They say no God isn't angry about sin at all. That's all nonsense. God is a loving God. There is no wrath in him. There is no anger in him. There is no judgment in him. They say that Jesus died to show us devotion to demonstrate to us what personal sacrifice looks like. To teach us about piety and holiness but to them I say then why did the Father the one who always loved the Son from eternity why did he turn away?

13:14Why did he do it? What else could explain what Jesus experienced on the cross? My God why have you forsaken me? There is no other explanation than this. Jesus Jesus was really taking the place of sinners. That is the only explanation for what happened to Jesus on the cross.

13:38God's judgment was located on him. Bystanders saw it the way that I saw the storms as a kid in Oklahoma right there on that man. God's judgment is coming down just like the prophet Isaiah predicted he bore the sin of many.

14:03intercession for the transgressors. The experience of the people who saw the cross as it was happening proved Isaiah to be correct. And that's why at this moment something happens in the temple. There was a room there called the Holy of Holies the most holy place. There were sacred objects in this room but nothing more sacred than God himself. For this was the place he had chosen over all other places on earth for his presence to dwell in a special way.

14:41This was where the high priest would come in once a year on the day of atonement and offer the sacrifice for the people's sin. So holy was this room that the curtain separating from the rest of the temple was four inches thick. I've never seen a four inch thick curtain before I don't know about you. Four inches thick but now at Jesus death it's torn in two from top to bottom and it's torn not by accident not by sword but by God himself God tears that curtain down because Jesus had opened the way a new and living way into the presence of God that's what Hebrews tells us by his own blood he sacrifice and the great high priest now standing near the cross witnessing all of this was a Roman centurion he was charged with overseeing these executions making sure that they went according to plan that nobody interfered he didn't see the curtain being torn in two he would have been too far away but he saw everything else enduring mockery pain suffering he saw him asking God to forgive his executioners he heard him speaking kindly to the criminals beside him he saw the darkness cover the land he felt the earth shaking under his feet he heard Jesus cries of alienation and he watched him give up his life and submit meekly to death entrusting himself to his father the entire time he is a witness to all of this and the response of this pagan Gentile centurion is to praise God he there is a God and he deserves my worship that has become crystal clear in his mind at this moment he says certainly

17:26this man was innocent Jesus didn't deserve this punishment this death he says this man was blameless now this is a bold statement for a innocent man what if other people hear this what if his centurion buddies standing nearby were like what they tell their boss and they tell his boss and his boss maybe the centurion is going to be the next one in line you're saying we got this wrong you're saying that we were at fault and yet he still testifies certainly this man was innocent now people of God let's be prepared to testify like this centurion to say Jesus has proven that he is who he said he was in two other accounts the centurion says surely he was the son of God we need to be ready to say this to ourselves and to say it to each other and to say it to the world despite the repercussions now listen few about that but what about the claim Jesus is right what about that claim is there ever a time when people around you tell you that his way or his words are not right no no he didn't get that one right what about your own heart what about your own mind does it ever he done is right all that he has said is right all that he asks of us is right all of it we can't pick and choose we can't say he was innocent he didn't deserve that but no I won't listen to him when he tells me to do this and that to testify with a centurion is to say when there is a conflict between how I want to true and what Jesus says is true I'm going to trust him I'm going to go his way he is God's son and I'm going

20:22to take my stand on his righteousness not my own now the next witness that Luke calls is this he Joseph was a Jewish man of high character of noble birth he was wealthy he was a member of the council he had powerful friends he occupied an influential position in society he was part of the group of Jewish elders and rulers that had conspired against Jesus except Joseph was a dissenter he was a conscientious objector he did not consent to their decision to their action he stood his ground Luke tells us that he was looking for the kingdom of God he was a seeker but he was a secret seeker he hid it John tells us that he kept it hidden for fear of his fellow Jews but the events of Jesus death have changed his mind changed something about him now he goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Joseph took courage to ask for Jesus body and indeed courage is what it requires because asking for the body of Jesus means he is no longer hiding he is outing himself he is making his devotion to Jesus known he is going to go from a secret disciple to a public one this was certainly going to cost him he will be kicked out of the council he will be labeled a traitor he is going to lose a lot of business contacts a lot of associations maybe all of his friends now the only people who may associate with him will be the other disciples of Jesus you know the ones the motley crew of tax collectors prostitutes insurrectionists fishermen has beens and never weres those are his new group of people because he

22:57has come out and he said I want his body I'm devoted to him and he isn't alone in John's account we learn that Nicodemus does this with Joseph you may remember Nicodemus he was a Pharisee he met with Jesus in John 3 Jesus was the one who told him you must be born again for God so loved the world that he gave his only son it was those great truths that Nicodemus heard that night but he remained a secret disciple until now he joins up with Joseph he takes Jesus his body and he anoints it and he wraps it now in doing this they fulfill maybe without knowing it Isaiah 53 9 they made his grave with the wicked and a rich man and his death Joseph was a witness and what he did is a kind of testimony it's not a this is what I saw testimony but this is who I am testimony and that's a testimony too this is who I am Joseph is saying I'm not living in fear of man anymore I'm not hiding my faith anymore young people are you listening I am not hiding my faith anymore I'm not living in fear of Jesus is Lord and he is my Lord he's my Lord no matter what happens I'm saying that today I'm standing on him I am aligning myself with him I'm with him come what may that's Joseph's testimony I remember back in high school I was a part of fellowship of Christian athletes even though I wasn't an athlete I don't know how that happened but we didn't have young life so I just joined FCA there was an annual event called see you at the pole it started just a few years earlier than that some of you may remember

25:17this it you would meet once a year before school and circle around the flagpole right there at the entrance to the school and you pray that's all you do you just circle up and pray I remember the first time I came and I did that it was before school started I remember my head bowed and closing my eyes but I could hear students walking by coming in all of my classmates walking by just how awkward that felt here I am I'm praying at a flagpole outside school no hiding it now that was not the first time I felt a little awkward a little uncomfortable about publicly identifying with Jesus it was not the first time last time young people old people people of all ages are you ready to embrace that uncomfortableness to align yourself with Jesus can you testify like Joseph he is my Lord even if it costs you relationships even if people think that you're weird or backwards or worse they think you're bigoted regressive like Joseph you won't know what happens next when your faith but stand firm on your allegiance to Jesus it's the right place to stand God will be with you a group of women watching witnessing they were at his cross at his death they followed Joseph and Nicodemus observed the burial ritual watched as his body was laid watched as the tomb was closed and they went home to prepare spices and they were the first to go back the first to go back on Sunday morning Luke has consistently told us how Jesus gave attention to the people that were on the margins of society this has been

28:01one of his themes and this includes the women of this place in time who were indeed on the margins of society Jesus saw them he drew them in and they were consistently among his it's no surprise that here they are playing a key role in a crucial part of the story which is not to say that they came expecting resurrection no they came with spices in hand to anoint his body but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus they're perplexed what does this mean we saw him laid right here he was wrapped in these linen cloths where has his body gone what have they done with our Lord they witnessed the empty tomb but they don't know why and then suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling apparel these these women assume what the other gospel accounts tell us these are angels angels speaking to them these angels have a message of a gentle rebuke I imagine that the angels had a meek tone of voice and a smile on their face when they asked why do you seek the living among the dead these women were models of devotion but not even they expected this they came mourning death not seeking life they came in grief not in hope but listen church following christ is not a funeral procession it's not a funeral procession it is a joyful victory march that's what it means to follow jesus even amidst suffering why how is that possible because of what the angels say he is not here he's not in a grave he's risen he's alive come to him people of god expecting life not death come to him expecting

30:20life that's what he is here to give the angels remind them remember how he told you remember he said that he must be delivered he must be killed he must then be raised remember remember remember this was not how they expected God's kingdom to come but Jesus was never in doubt if his resurrection would happen when his resurrection would happen and how it would happen he was certain so listen whatever you're going through your own preconceived notions see it through the words of God remember what he told you remember the words of God don't ever underestimate how important that is the word of God it provides the solid ground stand on when surprising and difficult and tragic things happen in your life see those things through the words of God remember remember what he said and that's what happens for them they remember they remember his words and now it's their turn to testify returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest they had the full account they said we saw him die we saw him wrapped up and anointed and put into a tomb dead and the tomb sealed we saw the empty tomb and we heard the angels confirm what really happened they see all of this through Jesus words and they testify he's alive he is risen now unfortunately just like today sometimes their testimony was not believed was it the apostles dismissed their account to them it's an idle tale that is a Greek word it's a medical word that is the word to describe the ravings of someone who

32:49is really really sick so in other words these men said to these women you're just being hysterical and they don't listen they too struggle to believe that life was going to come from this whole event they too came expecting death not resurrection life just like the women had been there resigned to it except for Peter there's something about what they say that leads Peter to get up and run and John tells us that he ran with them actually he outran Peter he goes and he checks it out he's got to find out for himself he he gets to the tomb he finds the linen cloth but nobody nobody and he wonders could it be true could it really have happened now next week we're going to hear from Jesus himself isn't it clever and interesting how Luke tells us this whole thing but we all of the changes that are coming because he is resurrected because he's risen he's about to change some paradigms turn some worlds of disciples upside down it's wonderful this last chapter of Luke the new life of the resurrection of Jesus has just begun but these witnesses they have already been changed if you have encountered Jesus my friends if you have witnessed his work if you have been changed by him then you are called to testify to say he is righteous he is my Lord and he is alive