Good evening.  Tonight we are going to take a look at what it was that we celebrated today.  If you have your Bibles with you, go ahead and turn with me to Matthew 28:1-10.  As we look at that passage tonight, we are going to be taking a look at the fact that Jesus lives.  Take a look at that passage with me.  Matthew 28:1-10 says, “1”

At this time, allow me to begin with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

A man was walking down a street when he noticed in a store window a beautiful painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  He stood there gazing at the picture for the longest time, and then he realized that a little boy was standing beside him.  He patted the little boy on the head and said, “Son, what does that mean?”  The little boy said, “Doncha know?  That there man is Jesus, an’ the woman that’s crying is His mother, an’ them others are Roman soldiers.  They killed Him.”  The man smiled and then started walking away.  In a few moments he heard someone running up behind him.  He turned and saw that it was the little boy from in front of the window.  He came running up to the man, out of breath, and said, “Mister, mister, I forgot to tell you that He didn’t stay dead.”

Well, today is a special day for all Christians.  It is Easter.  It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  Today we celebrate because of an empty tomb.  We celebrate because Jesus lives.  I want you to know this evening, that because that tomb was empty, because Jesus is alive, there are 4 things that you can be sure of.

Because Jesus is alive, what are some things that we can be sure of?

Well, First Off, Because Jesus Is Alive, You Can Be Sure That Dark Days Will Not Last:
What were some of the dark days that Christ faced?

Things looked pretty dark just a few days before Jesus’ resurrection.  Things looked pretty bad on Thursday evening and on into Friday.  Think about it.  Those were dark days.  Thursday and Friday, Judas took money and that long-time companion of Jesus, betrayed Him with a kiss.

On Thursday and Friday, they held a mock trial for our Savior.  Witnesses were called that lied about Him.  Imagine the darkness of that day, when the followers of Jesus heard the terrible sound of the cat-of-nine-tails, swing through the air and rip the flesh of our Savior.  Because He’s alive, we remember, dark days do not last.

Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the head of our Savior?  Remember when they placed a crown of thorns on the brow of the Creator of the universe?  Remember how the blood from those thorns mingled with His sweat and ran down His cheeks?  That was a dark day, but dark days will not last.

I would imagine that the mouths of those who spit on Jesus, would have gone dry if they had known Whom they were spitting on.  That was a dark day, but there at the empty tomb we can remember, dark days will not last.

Remember how Pilate and Herod ordered Jesus to be led here and there?  Remember how Jesus, the Creator of those people allowed Himself to be led here and there?  That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb and remember, dark days do not last.

It was a dark day, when Jesus was led down the road, carrying His cross, while the crowds yelled and cursed at Him.  It was a dark day, when they lay our Savior on the cross, and drove their wicked spikes into His hands and feet.  Remember when the 2 thieves cursed Him?  Remember when the religious leaders made fun of Him and told Jesus to take Himself off the cross, even though He was up there dying for them?  That was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, and remember, dark days do not last.

Remember when God turned His back on Jesus and for the first time in all of eternity, Jesus was cut off from fellowship with His Father?  Do you remember how Jesus cried out and asked why God had forsaken Him, and how darkness covered the earth?  That was a dark day.  Remember when Jesus told His mother goodbye?  Can anything known to man match the grief that Mary must have felt as she cried at the foot of Jesus’ cross?  Let me tell you, that was a dark day, but look there at the empty tomb, remember Jesus is alive and because Jesus is alive we know that dark days will not last.

Was there ever any darker day, than that day, when they placed Jesus in the tomb, rolled a stone in front of it, sealed it, and placed Roman soldiers there to guard it?  It seemed that all that the disciples had devoted their lives to was over.  They had left their families.

They had left their homes.  They had left their careers.  They had abandoned their possessions.  They had placed all of their hope in Jesus and now He was rolled behind a rock.  He was stuck behind a seal.  He was guarded in a tomb.

That was a dark day.  But look there at the empty tomb, remember that Jesus is alive, and because Jesus is alive we know that dark days will not last.

What are some dark days that you have faced in life or are facing right now?

Well, I don’t know what you are going through right now.  I don’t know what pain you are enduring.  I don’t know what bills you have stacking up.  I don’t know what friends have hurt you, what family has abandoned you, what illness has struck you, or what people have neglected you.  I don’t know what setback has frightened you, but I do know this: Jesus is alive, and because Jesus lives I know that dark days will not last.

Because Jesus lives, I know that dark days will not last.  Because Jesus lives, I know nothing is beyond God’s power.

Secondly, Because Jesus Is Alive, You Can Be Sure That Nothing Is Beyond God’s Power:

On that Friday, the Romans did everything they knew to do to make sure Jesus was dead.  They beat Him.  They crucified Him.  They drove a spear into His side.  They put Him in a tomb, and rolled a huge rock in front of the tomb.  They put a seal on the rock, and then placed guards on the tomb to make sure nobody messed with Him.

I assure you, the Pharisees and the religious leaders were looking over the soldiers’ shoulders to make sure they didn’t miss a thing.  And looking over all of their shoulders, the Devil was at work.  He sent a spirit of fear against the disciples, to make sure they abandoned Jesus.  He strengthened the hand that held the whip and guided the hand that drove the spear.

The Romans, the religious leaders, and the Devil did everything they knew to do to make sure that Jesus was dead and to make sure that He would stay that way.  But in verse 6 of our text this evening, it says, “He is not here, He has risen, just as He said.  Come and see the place where He lay.”  You see, the tomb was, and still is empty.  There is nothing there now but an empty tomb, because Jesus is alive!

Let me tell, because Jesus lives I know that nothing is beyond God’s power.  Nothing is beyond God’s power.  You can look there at the empty tomb of Jesus, remember our resurrected Savior and remember that nothing is beyond God’s power.  It may seem right now that everything and everyone is against you.

It may seem like you are in an impossible situation.  It may seem that nothing can fix your problem.  You may feel that no one can help you now.

In Isaiah 54:17 it says, “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court.  This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their righteousness is from Me,” declares the Lord.”

And then in John 16:33 it says, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace.  You will have suffering in this world.  Be courageous!  I have conquered the world.”

Jesus is living, and because Jesus lives I know that dark days will not last.  And because Jesus lives I know that nothing is beyond God’s power.  There is another thing that I know.

Thirdly, Because Jesus Lives, I Can Be Sure That Hard Times Are Never Wasted:

What are some lessons that you have learned through the hard times in your life?

On the night Jesus was tortured and crucified, it didn’t make much sense.  The followers who witnessed it, didn’t understand.  If Jesus really was the Messiah, and He was, what in the world could be accomplished by His suffering and dying?  Jesus is alive and we know that hard times are never wasted.

The Bible says in Isaiah 53:5-6, “2”

Jesus went through all of that for us.  His hard times were not wasted and if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your hard times are not wasted either.  In Romans 8:28 it says that, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”

There is a condition to benefiting from hard times.  Did you hear it?  Look there, “…of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”  If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have never made Him the Boss of your life, then the hard times you go through are not guaranteed to do you any good.  That’s just part of living in a fallen world.  But, if you are a follower of Christ, if you have asked Him to forgive you of your sins and have invited Him to come into your heart to be the Boss in your life, then the pain you have come your way, comes with a promise.  It will be used for your good.

So, because Jesus lives, we know that if you are a believer your hard times are never wasted.  Because Jesus lives, we know that dark days do not last.  Because Jesus lives we know nothing is beyond God’s power.  Because Jesus lives we know that hard times are never wasted, and because Jesus lives, there is one last thing that we know.

Finally, Because Jesus Lives, We Can Be Sure That Better Days Are Coming:

What promises do we have if we will just endure and wait this life out in a steadfast way?

When you get past the grief, when you get past the pain, when you get past the hard times, we know that better days are coming.  It seemed like hard times were here to stay, but look there at the empty tomb.  Remember that Jesus lives, and because Jesus lives we know that better days are coming.  In John 14:1-3 Jesus says, “3”

It’s just like the song Because He Lives says:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know … He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

Now, before we close this evening, does anyone have anything that they would like to add?

Well, if there is nothing else, just remember that because He lives, we are sure that: dark days will not last, that nothing is beyond God’s power, that hard times are never wasted, and that better days are coming.

May we focus on these truths ever day of our lives, and not just on Easter.      Let’s Pray!