Introduction:  On the day that Jesus was crucified, darkness filled the sky and blotted out the sun. The Lord’s disciples had scattered and all but one had left Him to die alone. Judas hung himself. Peter lay weeping uncontrollably. Only John remained. It would have appeared to any one present that day that the darkness, the devil, and death had defeated the Son of God. But the darkest of dawns was about to break into the most glorious of daybreaks! As Psalm 30:5 tells us, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” In Luke 24 records some of the events surrounding the morning that our Lord arose from the dead. As this group of women came to the tomb of Jesus to anoint Him with spices they found that the stone had been rolled away and that the tomb was empty. They were afraid and bowed their faces toward the ground and the angel spake unto them, (vv. 5b-7). It tells in v8—“And they remembered his words.” We may wonder that these disciples, who believed Jesus to be the Son of God and the true Messiah, who had been so often told that he must die, and rise again, and then enter into his glory, who had seen him more than once raise the dead, yet should be so backward to doubt his raising himself. In the darkness of despair they had lost focus, their minds became distracted, and heart’s were discouraged. Just before this morning came…

I.          THEIR HOPES WERE DASHED (Lk. 23:46-49)

A.        They Were Focused On His Death

Their Master had been beaten, scourged, and then hung on a cross to die the most painful and hideous of deaths. After Jesus had been confirmed dead by the centurion’s spear and this reported to Pilate, two of His former secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, requested His body. These two men, along with some women would perform the gruesome task of preparing His body for burial His friends would wash His body and anoint it with oil and wrap it with a single linen cloth. A separate napkin was placed over His face. Next, they would use 75 to 100 lbs of spices to offset the smell of decay. Jesus was then laid on a stone shelf in a tomb excavated from the side of a limestone hill. All this had to be done quickly so He was in the tomb before the Sabbath. His death brought an end to their hopes. The night of His crucifixion, while their hearts were broken because of His death, their minds were fixed on the arduous task of preparing His body for burial. 

B.  They Were Focused On Their Destiny

Jesus’ followers mourned and each one very likely was wondering, what now? The One who had instructed them, inspired them, and illuminated them had been taken from them. Their world had literally fallen to pieces all around them.     

II.        THEIR HEARTS WERE DISCOURAGED (Lk. 24:1-5) 

A.        They Were Unsure

The first few hours of that Sunday morning was no doubt filled with chaos. This was a morning in which the ground shook and a brilliant light flooded the garden. An angel had come down and rolled the stone away (Read Matt. 28:2-4). When Mary Magdalene and the other women came to the tomb to complete the burial process they saw that the stone had been rolled away and they feared the Lord’s body had been stolen or moved. John 20:2 Mary said —“They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.” Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John, but the other women entered into the tomb. The angel told them that Jesus was alive (vv. 3-8). The women searched out the disciples and told them what they had seen and heard, but the disciples did not believe. Luke 24:11 tells us—“And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.”

(Illus: The two angels (appearing as “men in clothes that gleamed like lightning”) asked the women why they were looking in a tomb for someone who was alive. People often look for God among the dead. They study the Bible as a mere historical document and go to church as if going to a memorial service. But Jesus is not among the dead he lives! He reigns in the hearts of Christians, and He is the head of His church. Do you look for Jesus among the living? Do you expect him to be active in the world and in the church? Look for signs of his power—they are all around you).

(Illus: Amazingly, the disciples did not believe it—the story sounded like nonsense. Their last two days had been spent together in hiding as they tried to sort through what had happened. Peter must have told them of his denials. Judas had killed himself. Jesus had been executed. Had they been completely duped? What was going on? Then these women arrived on the scene, sounding as though they had gone over the edge—empty tomb? angels? Many skeptics have tried to write off the Resurrection as a story made up by a group of overzealous disciples. But here the opposite occurred. When told of the Resurrection, they refused to believe without concrete evidence. Even a missing body was not enough to convince them).

B.        They Were Uncertain

After receiving Mary Magdalene’s word, Peter and John ran to the tomb (note John 20:4-7). John stopped at the door and did not enter but Peter entered and saw the linen wrappings and began to study them for clues. John then entered the tomb and saw and believed. John had perceived what had happened. Jesus had passed through the grave clothes and left them undisturbed.

(Illus:  The grave clothes had been left as if Jesus had passed right through them. The headpiece was rolled up separately from the other wrappings. A grave robber couldn’t possibly have made off with Jesus’ body and left the linens as if they were still shaped around it. The neatness and order indicated that there was not a hasty removal of Jesus’ body. Rather, Jesus arose and left the wrappings lying there, empty.) How could these things be?  

III.       THEIR HINDRANCE WAS DISPELLED (Lk. 24:13-16; 45-49)

A.        Jesus Appeared

Jesus appeared to His disciples and began to instruct them about the future. 

B.        Jesus Assured

The appearance of the Lord gave the disciples great assurance and hope for the future. They no longer had dashed hopes and discouraged hearts. Friends, belief in the resurrection is essential to salvation. (Romans 10:9-10).  Consider:

·         Some Believed Immediately. They heard the news, remembered what Jesus said, and believed.

·         Some Believed With Indirect Evidence. Many at first doubted, but when they saw the evidence like the empty tomb and the way He left the grave clothes, they knew He had risen.

·         Some Believed With Direct Evidence. They would only believe that He had risen after seeing Him with their own eyes.

·         Most Believed By The Witnesses, The Word, And The Power Of The Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us in John 20:28-29—“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”  Jesus would never die again.  Demons, darkness, and death had been defeated—HE IS RISEN!

Conclusion:     The most important thing is that they believed.  Friend, the most important thing for you today is, “Have you believed?  Is He your Savior?”  Life does not stop when death comes.“Death is not a wall, but a door.” Sadly, an open door might just as well be a prison gate for the person who refused to enter in. Not everyone responded in faith to evidence of the resurrection. The devil, the darkness, and death are around for awhile longer, but the forces of evil are breathing their last gasps.  They are defeated!  DON’T WORRY, MORNING HAS BROKEN, HE IS RISEN!