Remember The Promise by Phil Kinney
“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee...” (Luke 24:6)
The old adage states, “Oh how quickly we forget.”
I was relieved to find out that I’m not the only one who forgets things. Everyone does at one time or another, according to Karen Bolla, A Johns Hopkins researcher. These are the things people most often forget:
7. Whether or not you’ve just done something. 38%
6. Faces. 42%
5. What was said. 49%
4. A Word. 53%
3. Telephone numbers. 57%
2. Where something is. 60%
1. People’s names. 83%
The Forgetful Old Couple:
Here’s a familiar story... though if you’ve heard it before chances are you’ve forgotten it already....
An older couple had trouble remembering common, day-to-day things. They both decided that they would write down requests the other had, and so try to avoid forgetting. One evening the wife asked if the husband would like anything. He replied, “Yes. I’d like a large ice-cream sundae with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top.” The wife started off for the kitchen and the husband shouted after her, “Aren’t you going to write it down?” “Don’t be silly,” she hollered back, “I’m going to fix it right now. I won’t forget.”
She was gone for quite some time. When she finally returned, she set down a large plate in front of him with hash browns, eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. He took a look and said “I knew you should have written it down! You forgot the toast!”
Memory problems are nothing new... read the text: Luke 24:1-12.
Today we will learn about the importance of remembering what is really important.
I’d like to focus our attention on verses 5-8.
5b"Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ " 8 Then they remembered his words. (NIV)
The angel’s message to the women teaches us several important lessons about Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead...
1. That the disciples were not expecting Him to be raised from the dead. (5b)
The disciples were greatly depressed about the crucifixion and had lost all hope...
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?
2. The women, none of the men, came to the tomb to “embalm” Him so they expected to find His body/corpse there.
This also significant in reference to the theory that the disciples came and stole the body of Jesus from the tomb... they were in hiding afraid to go out into public.
Significantly they had to be reminded of this vital truth.
All three of the Synoptic Gospels highlight the fact that He was no longer there, but that He had been raised from the dead.
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. (Matthew 28:6)
Although He had told them repeatedly of His passion and resurrection they had forgotten all about it by this time: See Luke 9:22, 43-45; 18:31-34.
If those vital promises proved to be true then His yet-to-be-fulfilled promises will also be fulfilled and we’d better respond accordingly to them!
This promise is the foundation of NT Christianity if it is not true everything we believe is worthless...
“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:24)
We too need to remember the promises of God to our lives today!
What can be said about God's promises to us?
1. He has promised to supply every need we have. The Bible says: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". That's Phillipians 4:19. Now notice, God has obligated Himself only to the extent of our needs. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. (II Corinthians 12:9). In fact, He has made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is through an obedient faith that we have access into the grace of God according to Romans 5:2.
3. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. Instead, He assures us that a way of escape will be provided. This promise is recorded in I Corinthians 10:13. Jude wrote: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present your faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" (Daniel 6:16). He did deliver Daniel from the den of lions.
4. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus by way of assuring our resurrection. Peter said: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Later on he adds: "but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57).
5. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it, and He will deliver.
6. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved. (Read Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38).
7. God has promised His people eternal life (John 10:27,28).
8. God has promised to pour out His Spirit upon us, so that we may prophesy, and be empowered to heal the sick, raise the dead, do miracles
"‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy." Acts 2:17-18
"And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”" Mark 16:15-18
Discussion Questions
