"From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, BUT ON THE THIRD DAY HE WOULD BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.”
Matthew 16:21
“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.”
Matthew 28:1-2
“His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.”
Matthew 28:3-4
“Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.”
Matthew 28:5
“He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, JUST AS HE SAID WOULD HAPPEN. Come, see where his body was lying.”
Matthew 28:6
Just as He said would happen. He was indeed killed…BUT ON THE THIRD DAY, HE WAS INDEED RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
I want to talk to you this Resurrection Sunday from this thought…
BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY
There was a young man in the Bible by the name of Joseph (See Genesis 37-50 for the full story). He was the son that was given birth in spite of his fathers old age. Therefore his father loved Joseph very deeply. In fact his father made him a special coat of many colors. When his brothers saw how much their father loved him, they became angry and jealous. Joseph began to dream dreams and his brothers hated him the even more.
They hated Joseph so much so that one day they stripped Joseph of his coat and threw Joseph into the pit to leave him for death to find.
All of sudden some Ishmaelites began to pass by and they thought to theirselves wouldn’t it be better to sell him into slavery and make some Bitcoins off of him instead of just letting him die in the pit. So they resurrected Joseph from the pit and sold him into slavery, only for Joseph to be turned around again and sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. One day Potiphar’s wife lied on Joseph and said that Joseph tried to sleep with her, but Joseph did no such a thing. This still landed Joseph in prison.
Time passes by and Pharaoh the ruler begins to start having some dreams that no one can interpret, except one man in the land—Joseph. So they fetch for Joseph, and resurrect him from prison into the presence of Pharaoh the ruler. Joseph interprets Pharaohs dreams and was now placed in second command over all of Egypt. The night before Joseph went to bed a prisoner, the next night he was sleeping in the palace with his room next to Pharaoh.
Just to think, all of this started in Genesis 37:18, when his brothers saw Joseph coming in the distance. As they saw Joseph coming in the distance, they plotted to kill him. They plotted to destroy him, but you know and I know that’s not how the story ended. As they saw Joseph coming in the distance, what they did not know was that JOSEPH WAS BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE!Everyone that laid a hand on Joseph had know idea that Joseph was BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE. Can I tell you something? BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU TOO ARE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE!
The reason why you’ve been facing trouble on the left side and trouble on the right, is because the enemy sees you coming in the distance! And he’s tried this pit, and he’s tried that pit. He’s tried this trap, and he’s tried that trap, but what he didn’t know was BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU’RE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE!
BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU’RE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE DAY TO DAY.
That’s why you keep resurrecting from the enemies pits. That’s why you keep resurrecting from his plots. That’s why you keep resurrecting from his traps. It’s because of the third day, you’re built to go the distance DAY TO DAY.
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Romans 8:11
That’s why you keep crawling out of the bed. That’s why you keep showing back up every single day to fight, it’s because the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead DWELLS IN YOU.
BUILT INSIDE OF YOU IS RESURRECTION POWER! That’s why you have no choice but to bounce back! That’s why you have no choice but to keep going. It’s because built inside of you is resurrection power!
Bill Gaither said it best, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”
BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU’RE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed….
II Corinthians 4:8-10
WHY??? It’s BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU’RE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCEIN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION.
“The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.”
John 19:35
“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John 20:30-31
“This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
John 21:14
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world.”
1 John 4:4
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!
Before John wrote 1 John 4:4, he wrote those other verses to try to build our faith, to try to get us to believe. He wants us to know who we have living on the inside of us and that HE IS GREATER!
It doesn’t matter what’s coming AGAINST YOU, it’s not greater than WHO’S IN YOU.
• BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY, YOU’RE BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCEETERNALLY.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11
““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”
John 14:1-2
“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will ALWAYSbe with me where I am.”
John 14:3
“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that YOU MAY KNOW you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13
“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:54
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
1 Corinthians 15:55
It’s because of the third day, that we can have a blessed assurance on that day. He did exactly what He said He would do, because He’s exactly who He said He was. We know this BECAUSE OF THE THIRD DAY.
“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, BUT ON THE THIRD DAY HE WOULD BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.”
Matthew 16:21
John said,
“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that YOU MAY KNOW you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13
HAVE YOU TAKEN THE TIME TO BELIEVE?