Untitled (Acts 13)

              Untitled Sermon
Script: Acts 13:26-33
Intro: This is Easter Sunday morning. Sunrise services have been held by some churches. Everyone is dressed in the splendor of spring. Bright splashes of yellow, green, red and blue move on two legs making their way to and from church.
The music of the day is written in majors. The chords are strong, full, positive, sure. “Up from the grave he arose….” No hesitation or second thought. Congregations never sing better than on Easter. The six weeks of Lent have passed. We have come over the hard realism of life. The Suffering One, whose face here the rejection of the world, the crucified one whose enemies made sure his life was ended, He is Risen! But what does it mean for us to say He is Risen?
I. It is something we have heard over again. What is so important about this day?
A. Is it because we see in his life such purity, such goodness that it is at the very least an inspiring thought to think he might have been raised from the dead?
1. His example made such an impact, his goodness to the people he met so impressive, his innocence and purity so magnificent that we cannot help but feel God did the right thing.
2. Like any of his close friends who knew him could not bear the thought of his death because of what he had meant to them – maybe they began to see him in what they called appearances.
3. In any case he had made an imprint.
B. One might ask why this good man and the persistent memory of him.
1. There must have been thousands of good men in recorded history who gave of themselves. Every age has its martyrs. It is questionable why we should gather over a man 2,000 years ago, because some friends with whom we sympathize believe him to be risen.
2. Marcus Aurelius, Mahatma Ghandi, the Buddha, yet none of their followers speak of them as Peter or Paul does Jesus.
3. Memory of a wonderful man is not enough. Memory has a half-life to it.
C. One might further ask what appears a sacrilege. So a man was raised from the dead, even a nice man, so what? For what purpose? For our million expressway that will now open Boston.
1. In our technological society resurrection remains outstanding but makes no great impact upon mind or senses. From a sensory standpoint we have heard so much that it is astounding. Our senses have been numbed.
2. Regardless the astounding question to which resurrection is related is this: Is the person worthyful? The Bible keeps us sane. It knows there is nothing permanent.
II. The resurrection is not an affirmation that the man Jesus whose life is vindicated by Good because that life was good.