Luke 24:1-12 - Jesus: The Trustworthy One

Today's sermon is found in Luke 24:1-12.

Imagine with me that a parent who has always done what they've said tells their child that they will be home at 6:00 p.m. The child, who has no reason to disbelieve their parents, is waiting for them to come home. But at 6:00 p.m., as the parent walks through the door, the child is found sitting in the corner crying because they've forgotten their parent's promises and doubt their return. The parent's faithfulness was never the problem. The problem was the child's forgetfulness and lack of belief.

This week we find ourselves in the gospel of Luke in the very last chapter. Earlier in the book we have seen Jesus tell his disciples two times that he must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and then on the third day be raised from the dead. Just like he said, he has already suffered, been rejected, and been killed. Now it's the third day.

But the women have forgotten Jesus’ promise that he would rise from the dead. And so they have prepared these spices and ointments to put on his dead body which was laid in the tomb. And worse then this, the disciples, upon being told that Jesus has been raised from the dead think this is nonsense and disbelieve.

Both of these groups have forgotten what Jesus promised and even after being reminded, some still disbelieve. But this isn’t just the women’s and disciples’ problem, its ours too. We want to decide for ourselves what is true instead of trusting the Lord Jesus whose words are always true. The result is that we try to control outcomes or we panic about circumstances instead of trusting our circumstances to the Lord who has promised to care for us.

But think for a moment about what it would be like to not have to try to do everything on our own or panic when things are out of our control? This is the opportunity that we have in this passage. Because Jesus rose from the dead exactly as he promised, we can trust every promise he has made and we can actually live by his word in confidence.

And so with this in mind, let's listen go God’s word with expectation so we can live from this confidence.

Luke 24:1–12 ESV

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. While 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. Now 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.

The first thing we see in our passage today is that…

We Fail to Remember or We Disbelieve Jesus' Promises (vv. 1–4a, 11)

It would be one thing if the women or the disciples had never been told that Jesus would rise from the dead, or another thing if he hadn't predicted his entire passion—his trial, his beatings, his crucifixion, his death, and his burial. But like a child who stands crying in the corner because they don't look up to see their parent arrives at six o'clock, the women and the disciples either forgot or they disbelieved Jesus' promises.

If we look at Luke 24:1, we find something interesting. The women are going to an empty tomb. The women had forgotten what Jesus' promise was: that he would rise from the dead on the third day. In Luke 9:22 Jesus told them that he (the Son of Man) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. We see the same thing in Luke 18:31–33, where Jesus said that he would be flogged, killed, and then on the third day rise. The women interpreted his death and interpreted the tomb they were going to through their own expectations rather than through Jesus' promises. Their expectation was that Jesus would remain dead.

Like these women, we often forget God's promises and live as though they are not true. No matter how many times the word of God says that he is with us, that he will strengthen us, and that he is our rock and our fortress, we try to be our own strength, our own rock, and our own fortress.

In Luke 24:2-4, we notice how the women are perplexed by what they see. As they went to Jesus’ tomb, if they had remembered what Jesus had told them, they would not have been confused by an empty tomb. They should have expected that Jesus’ body wouldn’t be there.

Like these women, when we forget Jesus' promise, we are often confused by God's work in our lives. When we experience persecution or trials, and forget that Jesus said we are blessed if we are persecuted and should expect it as his followers, we get confused.

Then, if we look at Luke 24:10-11, we notice that the disciples actually reject the women's testimony. Verse 10 says they told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them like an idle tale—quite literally, nonsense—and they did not believe them. The women likely told them that the tomb was empty, that they saw two men or angels in splendid, glistening white clothes, and that they were reminded of what Jesus told them in Galilee: that he was going to die and rise from the dead. Unlike the women, who faithfully believed after being reminded, the disciples simply disbelieved when they were reminded.

Like the disciples, we reject what doesn't align with what we expect reality to be. We interpret reality through a lens of what we believe, but when things don't line up with our expectations, we often simply reject the things that we have been told.

This might not seem so bad until we remember that…

We Should Trust Jesus' Promises Because They Are Trustworthy (vv. 4b–7)

If a child's parents have always been faithful to their word, and whenever they say they will be home they are, there is absolutely no reason why that child shouldn't trust their parents to return on time. The same thing can be seen in our passage here. Jesus is trustworthy, and so his disciples should trust him.

In Luke 24:4-5, we notice that the women are asked a question by the angels. As the women were frightened and bowed down because they saw angels, the angels asked them a straightforward question: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Essentially the angels ask why the women would do something so silly as to look for a living man in a tomb? This is immediately followed by the statement: "He's not here, but is risen." Jesus isn’t dead!

The angels are helping the women see something by guiding them to think about why they are doing what they're doing. Why are the women interpreting this present reality based upon the assumption that Jesus is dead.

In Luke 24:6-7, we see the the angels remind the women of what Jesus said. He told them “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." The angels remind the women of Jesus’ prediction, his promise, which is according to the Scriptures—that he must be delivered over, crucified, and rise on the third day. Notice the word must. Jesus was not simply predicting the future. He was revealing God's redemptive plan. His betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection were not accidents of history but the fulfillment of what God had promised throughout the Scriptures. Everything happened just as God had promised and just as Jesus had said.

Now the women see that everything is as Jesus said, as he promised. Luke 24:8 says that they remembered his words. Everything flooded back to them, and they realized that Jesus is trustworthy and did what he said he would do. This shows us how we should trust Jesus' promises.

If we think about the Scriptures of the Old Testament, we notice that the promises Jesus made while he was alive aligned perfectly with the promises he made before he took on flesh. The promises God made to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to David, and through the prophets were all fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the eternal God who keeps his word, and every one of his words is trustworthy.

Forgetfulness and unbelief of Jesus' promises is not just forgetting good advice that makes your life better. Forgetting or disbelieving God’s promises regarding how sinners are rescued from judgment and brought into eternal life is tragic and terrifying. Why? Because without trusting in him, we will face the eternal judgment of separation with God for our rebellion and sin. You see, this is why Jesus is called our Savior and why his death and resurrection is called the Good News.

Jesus' Death and Resurrection Prove His Promises and Call for Remembrance and Belief (vv. 7–8; 9:22; 18:31–33)

Like the parent who told their child exactly when they would be home and arrived right on time, so Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. Then the Father raised him from the dead, vindicating him and marking his stamp of approval on Jesus as the righteous Lord and Savior of sinners. This calls for us to trust and believe this Good News.

When we look at Luke 24:6-7, and think back at what he told the disciples earlier in chapters 9 and 18, we should remember that he predicted his suffering, death, and resurrection. The angels reminded the women of Jesus’ clear predictions of his death and being raised from the dead. The reason for his death was because of his mission to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came and stated this right at the beginning of his ministry. He would bring good news, save, heal, and restore sight to the blind. He would redeem mankind through his own suffering, death, and resurrection.

We also see in Luke 24:6 that he was raised. He literally died and then rose on the third day. His resurrection vindicates and puts God's stamp of approval on both our redemption and the truthfulness of everything that he has ever promised. Jesus' resurrection shows us that everything God promised has been openly and publicly declared to be true. Jesus is righteous. He did nothing wrong, and he made a sacrifice for his people in order that he might rescue them. That sacrifice was accepted by God as is proved by his resurrection, and he is exalted as Lord over all.

In Luke 24:3, we see the phrase "the Lord Jesus" (Kyrios Iesous). This is the first time in Luke that those words are put right next to each other. Jesus is the exalted and risen Lord, the I AM. This statement was declaring that Jesus was soon to be seated at the Father's right hand as the Son of Man who is the supreme governor of all things. This is where he is at this very moment.

Luke 24:3-7 shows us that Jesus' resurrection reveals him to be the Lord Jesus whose promises can always be trusted. Jesus as the Son of Man is the one who has received all authority and is enthroned at the Father's right hand. He lived perfectly, died for our redemption, and was raised to prove this is true. Because of what he has done and who he is, he calls us to remember his words and believe his promises. After the women are reminded of this, they begin to see the empty tomb through a new lens…the lens of Jesus' promise rather than through the lens of their own expectations.

My question for you today is this: Do you trust Jesus' promise to save us if we trust in him? If you don't, I want to challenge you to consider doing so. Jesus did promise to die and rise again, and almost every legitimate historian who has researched his death has concluded that he truly did die. And even more so, those who investigate without prejudice find that the tomb where he was laid was empty, that the disciples became witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, and the church was born and still thrives today. The most reasonable explanation for all of these facts is exactly what these women were told: He is not here, he has risen. If you don't believe me, research it for yourself. When you do, you will see that you have reason to believe him and confess him as Lord, for only God could raise Jesus from the dead. When you believe this and put your trust in him, you will be saved.

You see, through Christ's atoning death, our sins are forgiven. Through his resurrection, God has publicly vindicated Jesus, accepted his sacrifice for our sin, and declared him to be the righteous Lord who always keeps his promises. Because Christ rose exactly as he promised, we can trust every promise he has ever made.

When we are united to him by faith, we are counted righteous in Christ and we are given the Holy Spirit, and…

By the Spirit We Remember, Believe, and Tell of Jesus' Promises (vv. 8–10)

If we are prone to forget and disbelieve, we might think we should make a note for ourselves and keep reminding ourselves that this is true. But we aren't left on our own to do this. Jesus has given us his Spirit, who lives in us and cries out in us, "Abba, Father," constantly reminding us that we are children of God in Christ Jesus.

If we are like the child who begins to forget what time his or her parents will be home, or if we doubt they will come home, the Spirit draws us not only into the promises of Scripture that are all fulfilled in Christ, but reminds us of all the ways that he has been faithful to us. Because of that, we don't have to fear that everything is out of control, and we don't have to question his goodness to us. Instead, we can be reminded that we have true and legitimate confidence in all his promises to us. We can say that all the promises in Christ are yes and amen!

In Luke 24:8, we see that the women remember Jesus' words. They remembered his words and began to see that empty tomb through the lens of his promises rather than through the lens of their expectations—the expectation that if you die, it's over.

Then, in Luke 24:9-10, the women leave the tomb and go tell the disciples. Their remembrance and their belief enable them to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus and tell of how sure his promises are. The Spirit enables us to remember, to believe Chirst, and then to tell others of his promise.

But you might be asking, “what does this look like in our day-to-day lives?”

When we are facing a scary prognosis, whether it's cancer, uncertainty in our family, struggles in our church, or difficulties at work, instead of grasping for control, trying to solve every problem, or panicking because we think that the end may be near, the Spirit reminds us that Jesus never promised us an easy life. He did, however, promise that he would be with us to the end of the age.

Jesus did not promise us a life free from suffering. In fact, he walked the path of suffering himself so that we might one day enter into his eternal rest. The resurrection reminds us that his word is true. He is with us now. He will return. He will take us to paradise with him. His promises about his presence, his care, and his purposes for us can be trusted, even when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death.

And so, when uncertainty comes, we don't interpret reality merely through our circumstances or through our expectations. We interpret our circumstances through the promises of Christ, through the lens of his resurrection proving all that he says is true. Because Jesus rose exactly as he promised, we can trust all those promises. We can face difficulty and circumstances that are really hard with confidence—not because they're pleasant, not because we want them, and not because we've chosen them, but because Jesus has proved himself faithful, and Jesus will be with us.

I have found myself over the last several months really struggling with the situation with our building.

After years of hard work, I really wanted a break. I didn't want to have to think and pray about a space, about the ramifications of it, and about all that goes into it. I just wanted to focus on discipleship and creating systems of care to care well for all of you.

And so I began to disbelieve that this was for our good. I began to think that this wasn't a good thing for us. It certainly wasn't a good thing for me, I thought.

But over time, the Spirit reminded me of a few things. He reminded me that I am being drawn into the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and this church is being drawn into the sufferings of Jesus Christ, so that we may know him, so that we may know the power of his resurrection, and that we may be filled with the fullness of God. He also reminded we that I am God’s child…loved, known, and cared for.

The Spirit of adoption in us draws us out of interpreting our circumstances through our own expectations, and he draws us into seeing that God really is in control and truly everything he does and plans for us is for our good.

Though it may not be pleasant and though it may not be what we want, he draws us into it through his own love for us as his beloved children whom he doesn’t give us rocks when we ask for bread or snakes when we ask for eggs.

Brothers and sisters, the question is not whether we will interpret reality. Oh, we will! The question is whether we will interpret it through our expectations, or through God's promises.

If you find yourself, like I do sometimes, forgetting that Jesus is trustworthy and doing good for us, or disbelieving his promises, remember that Jesus didn't just live, die, and rise again. He told us that he would do this not only while he was alive, but hundreds of years before he lived, he put this in his word.

I want to encourage you to read that word, to remember that word, and to trust Jesus. When you continue to read his promises in Scripture, and then you read the gospels and epistles, and you pray, you will find yourself with more and more confidence that not only did he do what he said, but he will always do what he said. Even through difficulty and suffering, you can be certain that he's doing what is best to make you look more like Jesus, and he will one day bring you to his home in heaven, where you will glorify the Father through the Son, by the Spirit forever.

You can remember that Jesus is trustworthy. You can believe that he has good for you, and then you can go and tell others how they can enter into this confidence—all for the glory of our triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Luke 24:1-12 - Jesus: The Trustworthy One

Rev. James Pavlic / General Adult

Jesus: The Savior of the World / Trustworthy / Luke 24:1–12

Because Jesus rose exactly as he promised, we can trust every promise he has made

 

Today's sermon is found in Luke 24:1-12.

Imagine with me that a parent who has always done what they've said tells their child that they will be home at 6:00 p.m. The child, who has no reason to disbelieve their parents, is waiting for them to come home. But at 6:00 p.m., as the parent walks through the door, the child is found sitting in the corner crying because they've forgotten their parent's promises and doubt their return. The parent's faithfulness was never the problem. The problem was the child's forgetfulness and lack of belief.

This week we find ourselves in the gospel of Luke in the very last chapter. Earlier in the book we have seen Jesus tell his disciples two times that he must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and then on the third day be raised from the dead. Just like he said, he has already suffered, been rejected, and been killed. Now it's the third day.

But the women have forgotten Jesus’ promise that he would rise from the dead. And so they have prepared these spices and ointments to put on his dead body which was laid in the tomb. And worse then this, the disciples, upon being told that Jesus has been raised from the dead think this is nonsense and disbelieve.

Both of these groups have forgotten what Jesus promised and even after being reminded, some still disbelieve. But this isn’t just the women’s and disciples’ problem, its ours too. We want to decide for ourselves what is true instead of trusting the Lord Jesus whose words are always true. The result is that we try to control outcomes or we panic about circumstances instead of trusting our circumstances to the Lord who has promised to care for us.

But think for a moment about what it would be like to not have to try to do everything on our own or panic when things are out of our control? This is the opportunity that we have in this passage. Because Jesus rose from the dead exactly as he promised, we can trust every promise he has made and we can actually live by his word in confidence.

And so with this in mind, let's listen go God’s word with expectation so we can live from this confidence.

Luke 24:1–12 ESV

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. While 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. Now 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.

The first thing we see in our passage today is that…

We Fail to Remember or We Disbelieve Jesus' Promises (vv. 1–4a, 11)

It would be one thing if the women or the disciples had never been told that Jesus would rise from the dead, or another thing if he hadn't predicted his entire passion—his trial, his beatings, his crucifixion, his death, and his burial. But like a child who stands crying in the corner because they don't look up to see their parent arrives at six o'clock, the women and the disciples either forgot or they disbelieved Jesus' promises.

If we look at Luke 24:1, we find something interesting. The women are going to an empty tomb. The women had forgotten what Jesus' promise was: that he would rise from the dead on the third day. In Luke 9:22 Jesus told them that he (the Son of Man) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. We see the same thing in Luke 18:31–33, where Jesus said that he would be flogged, killed, and then on the third day rise. The women interpreted his death and interpreted the tomb they were going to through their own expectations rather than through Jesus' promises. Their expectation was that Jesus would remain dead.

Like these women, we often forget God's promises and live as though they are not true. No matter how many times the word of God says that he is with us, that he will strengthen us, and that he is our rock and our fortress, we try to be our own strength, our own rock, and our own fortress.

In Luke 24:2-4, we notice how the women are perplexed by what they see. As they went to Jesus’ tomb, if they had remembered what Jesus had told them, they would not have been confused by an empty tomb. They should have expected that Jesus’ body wouldn’t be there.

Like these women, when we forget Jesus' promise, we are often confused by God's work in our lives. When we experience persecution or trials, and forget that Jesus said we are blessed if we are persecuted and should expect it as his followers, we get confused.

Then, if we look at Luke 24:10-11, we notice that the disciples actually reject the women's testimony. Verse 10 says they told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them like an idle tale—quite literally, nonsense—and they did not believe them. The women likely told them that the tomb was empty, that they saw two men or angels in splendid, glistening white clothes, and that they were reminded of what Jesus told them in Galilee: that he was going to die and rise from the dead. Unlike the women, who faithfully believed after being reminded, the disciples simply disbelieved when they were reminded.

Like the disciples, we reject what doesn't align with what we expect reality to be. We interpret reality through a lens of what we believe, but when things don't line up with our expectations, we often simply reject the things that we have been told.

This might not seem so bad until we remember that…

We Should Trust Jesus' Promises Because They Are Trustworthy (vv. 4b–7)

If a child's parents have always been faithful to their word, and whenever they say they will be home they are, there is absolutely no reason why that child shouldn't trust their parents to return on time. The same thing can be seen in our passage here. Jesus is trustworthy, and so his disciples should trust him.

In Luke 24:4-5, we notice that the women are asked a question by the angels. As the women were frightened and bowed down because they saw angels, the angels asked them a straightforward question: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Essentially the angels ask why the women would do something so silly as to look for a living man in a tomb? This is immediately followed by the statement: "He's not here, but is risen." Jesus isn’t dead!

The angels are helping the women see something by guiding them to think about why they are doing what they're doing. Why are the women interpreting this present reality based upon the assumption that Jesus is dead.

In Luke 24:6-7, we see the the angels remind the women of what Jesus said. He told them “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." The angels remind the women of Jesus’ prediction, his promise, which is according to the Scriptures—that he must be delivered over, crucified, and rise on the third day. Notice the word must. Jesus was not simply predicting the future. He was revealing God's redemptive plan. His betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection were not accidents of history but the fulfillment of what God had promised throughout the Scriptures. Everything happened just as God had promised and just as Jesus had said.

Now the women see that everything is as Jesus said, as he promised. Luke 24:8 says that they remembered his words. Everything flooded back to them, and they realized that Jesus is trustworthy and did what he said he would do. This shows us how we should trust Jesus' promises.

If we think about the Scriptures of the Old Testament, we notice that the promises Jesus made while he was alive aligned perfectly with the promises he made before he took on flesh. The promises God made to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, to David, and through the prophets were all fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the eternal God who keeps his word, and every one of his words is trustworthy.

Forgetfulness and unbelief of Jesus' promises is not just forgetting good advice that makes your life better. Forgetting or disbelieving God’s promises regarding how sinners are rescued from judgment and brought into eternal life is tragic and terrifying. Why? Because without trusting in him, we will face the eternal judgment of separation with God for our rebellion and sin. You see, this is why Jesus is called our Savior and why his death and resurrection is called the Good News.

Jesus' Death and Resurrection Prove His Promises and Call for Remembrance and Belief (vv. 7–8; 9:22; 18:31–33)

Like the parent who told their child exactly when they would be home and arrived right on time, so Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. Then the Father raised him from the dead, vindicating him and marking his stamp of approval on Jesus as the righteous Lord and Savior of sinners. This calls for us to trust and believe this Good News.

When we look at Luke 24:6-7, and think back at what he told the disciples earlier in chapters 9 and 18, we should remember that he predicted his suffering, death, and resurrection. The angels reminded the women of Jesus’ clear predictions of his death and being raised from the dead. The reason for his death was because of his mission to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came and stated this right at the beginning of his ministry. He would bring good news, save, heal, and restore sight to the blind. He would redeem mankind through his own suffering, death, and resurrection.

We also see in Luke 24:6 that he was raised. He literally died and then rose on the third day. His resurrection vindicates and puts God's stamp of approval on both our redemption and the truthfulness of everything that he has ever promised. Jesus' resurrection shows us that everything God promised has been openly and publicly declared to be true. Jesus is righteous. He did nothing wrong, and he made a sacrifice for his people in order that he might rescue them. That sacrifice was accepted by God as is proved by his resurrection, and he is exalted as Lord over all.

In Luke 24:3, we see the phrase "the Lord Jesus" (Kyrios Iesous). This is the first time in Luke that those words are put right next to each other. Jesus is the exalted and risen Lord, the I AM. This statement was declaring that Jesus was soon to be seated at the Father's right hand as the Son of Man who is the supreme governor of all things. This is where he is at this very moment.

Luke 24:3-7 shows us that Jesus' resurrection reveals him to be the Lord Jesus whose promises can always be trusted. Jesus as the Son of Man is the one who has received all authority and is enthroned at the Father's right hand. He lived perfectly, died for our redemption, and was raised to prove this is true. Because of what he has done and who he is, he calls us to remember his words and believe his promises. After the women are reminded of this, they begin to see the empty tomb through a new lens…the lens of Jesus' promise rather than through the lens of their own expectations.

My question for you today is this: Do you trust Jesus' promise to save us if we trust in him? If you don't, I want to challenge you to consider doing so. Jesus did promise to die and rise again, and almost every legitimate historian who has researched his death has concluded that he truly did die. And even more so, those who investigate without prejudice find that the tomb where he was laid was empty, that the disciples became witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, and the church was born and still thrives today. The most reasonable explanation for all of these facts is exactly what these women were told: He is not here, he has risen. If you don't believe me, research it for yourself. When you do, you will see that you have reason to believe him and confess him as Lord, for only God could raise Jesus from the dead. When you believe this and put your trust in him, you will be saved.

You see, through Christ's atoning death, our sins are forgiven. Through his resurrection, God has publicly vindicated Jesus, accepted his sacrifice for our sin, and declared him to be the righteous Lord who always keeps his promises. Because Christ rose exactly as he promised, we can trust every promise he has ever made.

When we are united to him by faith, we are counted righteous in Christ and we are given the Holy Spirit, and…

By the Spirit We Remember, Believe, and Tell of Jesus' Promises (vv. 8–10)

If we are prone to forget and disbelieve, we might think we should make a note for ourselves and keep reminding ourselves that this is true. But we aren't left on our own to do this. Jesus has given us his Spirit, who lives in us and cries out in us, "Abba, Father," constantly reminding us that we are children of God in Christ Jesus.

If we are like the child who begins to forget what time his or her parents will be home, or if we doubt they will come home, the Spirit draws us not only into the promises of Scripture that are all fulfilled in Christ, but reminds us of all the ways that he has been faithful to us. Because of that, we don't have to fear that everything is out of control, and we don't have to question his goodness to us. Instead, we can be reminded that we have true and legitimate confidence in all his promises to us. We can say that all the promises in Christ are yes and amen!

In Luke 24:8, we see that the women remember Jesus' words. They remembered his words and began to see that empty tomb through the lens of his promises rather than through the lens of their expectations—the expectation that if you die, it's over.

Then, in Luke 24:9-10, the women leave the tomb and go tell the disciples. Their remembrance and their belief enable them to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus and tell of how sure his promises are. The Spirit enables us to remember, to believe Chirst, and then to tell others of his promise.

But you might be asking, “what does this look like in our day-to-day lives?”

When we are facing a scary prognosis, whether it's cancer, uncertainty in our family, struggles in our church, or difficulties at work, instead of grasping for control, trying to solve every problem, or panicking because we think that the end may be near, the Spirit reminds us that Jesus never promised us an easy life. He did, however, promise that he would be with us to the end of the age.

Jesus did not promise us a life free from suffering. In fact, he walked the path of suffering himself so that we might one day enter into his eternal rest. The resurrection reminds us that his word is true. He is with us now. He will return. He will take us to paradise with him. His promises about his presence, his care, and his purposes for us can be trusted, even when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death.

And so, when uncertainty comes, we don't interpret reality merely through our circumstances or through our expectations. We interpret our circumstances through the promises of Christ, through the lens of his resurrection proving all that he says is true. Because Jesus rose exactly as he promised, we can trust all those promises. We can face difficulty and circumstances that are really hard with confidence—not because they're pleasant, not because we want them, and not because we've chosen them, but because Jesus has proved himself faithful, and Jesus will be with us.

I have found myself over the last several months really struggling with the situation with our building.

After years of hard work, I really wanted a break. I didn't want to have to think and pray about a space, about the ramifications of it, and about all that goes into it. I just wanted to focus on discipleship and creating systems of care to care well for all of you.

And so I began to disbelieve that this was for our good. I began to think that this wasn't a good thing for us. It certainly wasn't a good thing for me, I thought.

But over time, the Spirit reminded me of a few things. He reminded me that I am being drawn into the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and this church is being drawn into the sufferings of Jesus Christ, so that we may know him, so that we may know the power of his resurrection, and that we may be filled with the fullness of God. He also reminded we that I am God’s child…loved, known, and cared for.

The Spirit of adoption in us draws us out of interpreting our circumstances through our own expectations, and he draws us into seeing that God really is in control and truly everything he does and plans for us is for our good.

Though it may not be pleasant and though it may not be what we want, he draws us into it through his own love for us as his beloved children whom he doesn’t give us rocks when we ask for bread or snakes when we ask for eggs.

Brothers and sisters, the question is not whether we will interpret reality. Oh, we will! The question is whether we will interpret it through our expectations, or through God's promises.

If you find yourself, like I do sometimes, forgetting that Jesus is trustworthy and doing good for us, or disbelieving his promises, remember that Jesus didn't just live, die, and rise again. He told us that he would do this not only while he was alive, but hundreds of years before he lived, he put this in his word.

I want to encourage you to read that word, to remember that word, and to trust Jesus. When you continue to read his promises in Scripture, and then you read the gospels and epistles, and you pray, you will find yourself with more and more confidence that not only did he do what he said, but he will always do what he said. Even through difficulty and suffering, you can be certain that he's doing what is best to make you look more like Jesus, and he will one day bring you to his home in heaven, where you will glorify the Father through the Son, by the Spirit forever.

You can remember that Jesus is trustworthy. You can believe that he has good for you, and then you can go and tell others how they can enter into this confidence—all for the glory of our triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.