Week 5 - Is All of This True? 04/05/2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Resurrection Brings a Living Hope

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of a hope that is vibrant and alive. It is not a wishful thought but a confident expectation grounded in a historical event. This living hope assures believers of an inheritance that is eternal and secure, untouched by decay or loss. It transforms how one views the future, turning despair into confident anticipation. This hope is a gift of God's great mercy, made possible through Christ's victory over death. [18:14]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to embrace this living hope, and how might focusing on your eternal inheritance change your perspective on a current challenge?

Day 2: God Chooses the Unexpected as Witnesses

God’s ways often defy human expectations, as demonstrated by His choice of the first witnesses to the resurrection. In a culture that did not value their testimony, women were entrusted with the most important news in history. This reveals a God who delights in using those the world might overlook. His credibility is not dependent on human standards of power or prestige. He calls and equips the open heart, not the perfect resume. This truth invites everyone to participate in His story. [14:11]

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV)

Reflection: Where have you felt disqualified or overlooked, and how does the truth that God often chooses the unexpected encourage you to offer yourself to Him today?

Day 3: The Resurrection is a Revolution, Not Just an Event

The resurrection of Jesus was a cataclysmic event that permanently altered reality. It was the decisive defeat of death, the final payment for sin, and the beginning of a new creation. This revolution is not confined to the past but continues to produce aftershocks today. It means forgiveness is available, transformation is possible, and a fresh start is offered to all. This is the powerful, ongoing reality into which every believer is invited. [16:15]

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV)

Reflection: What evidence of this resurrection revolution—defeated death, forgiven sin, or a new creation—have you experienced most personally, and how can you live more fully in that reality?

Day 4: If the Resurrection is True, Life Has Meaning

The historical reality of the resurrection anchors human life in divine purpose. It affirms that life is not a random accident but an intentional part of a grand design. Because Jesus rose, we can know that injustice will be answered, evil will not win, and hope is a rational response to a faithful God. This truth dispels existential uncertainty and provides a foundation for confident, meaningful living. [22:43]

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14a NIV)

Reflection: How does the truth that your life is intentional and known by God challenge feelings of insignificance you may sometimes face?

Day 5: The Resurrection Demands a Personal Response

The empty tomb presents evidence that requires a verdict. It confronts every person with a choice: to lean in and investigate like Peter, or to walk away. Neutrality is not an option when faced with a risen Savior. This moment is an invitation to move beyond observation to participation, to respond to the compelling truth of Christ’s victory. It is a personal call to surrender and step into a new life. [29:07]

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ (Luke 24:6-7 NIV)

Reflection: What is holding you back from fully embracing the risen Christ, and what would it look like to take one step of faith toward Him today?

Sermon Summary

John 6:38 sets the tone: obedience to the Father’s will ushers believers into a living hope rooted in the resurrection. Luke 24 supplies the turning point — an empty tomb and stunned witnesses force a verdict. Women discover the rolled-away stone and the missing body, a detail that strengthens historic credibility because first-century culture would not have invented female witnesses. That unexpected testimony presses the question: why look for the living among the dead?

The resurrection functions not as a single past event but as an ongoing revolution. It undoes death’s finality, grounds justification, and initiates new creation. Death loses its sting; sin’s penalty meets a divine payment and the resurrection declares that the payment stands accepted. New life emerges as a present reality for anyone who experiences the born-again transformation. The resurrection reshapes ontology: life ceases to be random, meaning anchors in a Creator, injustice will face ultimate reckoning, and hope becomes rational rather than sentimental.

Evidence demands a response rather than passive admiration. The gospel accounts show disciples grappling with the facts, investigating the tomb, and wrestling with how the resurrection reframes Jesus’ identity: not merely a teacher or prophet, but Lord and Lord of history. Neutrality collapses under the weight of that claim; the resurrection forces a decision about allegiance and identity. Communion serves as both memorial and initiation — a call to examine conscience and to accept personally the body broken and blood poured out.

Practical implications follow: live as if death is temporary, accept forgiveness as transformative, and begin a fresh story guided by divine intention. The resurrection produces aftershocks — ongoing works of restoration, healing, and changed lives — and it continues to invite honest questioning that leads toward faith. The invitation to respond remains immediate: observe faithfully if still exploring, or participate sacramentally if committed. The closing charge urges a life lived in the power of the risen Christ — hope embodied, grace enacted, and mission renewed.

Key Takeaways

1. Unexpected witnesses confirm the tomb The inclusion of women as the first reporters of the empty tomb strengthens historical credibility because the culture would not invent such witnesses. This detail functions as a criterion of embarrassment: truthful records often contain elements that undermine their own case if fabricated, and the gospel accounts preserve those raw specifics. Spiritual reflection can begin from the margins; God often reveals truth through those the world dismisses. [72:23]
2. Resurrection changes present reality The resurrection does not merely recount a past miracle; it inaugurates a living revolution that continues to alter lives now. It compels reinterpretation of suffering, transforms status before God, and signals that the world’s broken order yields to renewal. This revolution reframes everyday hope into a confident expectation grounded in a historical act with ongoing effect. [76:15]
3. Meaning, justice, and hope anchored A risen Christ anchors meaning against cosmic randomness, assures justice beyond present wrongs, and validates hope as rational trust rather than wishful thinking. If life issues from intentional creation and not accident, identity and vocation receive weight and direction. The resurrection promises that injustice will not stand and that moral wrongs will find divine accounting, enabling ethical perseverance now. [81:40]
4. Neutrality is no longer optional Evidence of the resurrection forces a verdict: passivity becomes complicity with unbelief or indifference. Investigation, honest wrestling, and personal response matter; faith arises amid questioning rather than from polished certainty alone. The practical call today divides observation from participation — examine before engaging, but do not delay the decision that shapes eternity. [87:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[66:38] - Series recap: "What if all of this?"
[69:55] - The empty tomb and witnesses
[75:44] - Resurrection as revolution (death, sin, new creation)
[87:36] - Personal decision and communion

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Luke 24:1-12 (NIV)
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Observation questions

What details in the passage describe the initial reaction of the women who discovered the empty tomb?
What specific question did the two men ask the women, and why was this question so significant in that setting?
How did the apostles respond when the women reported what they had seen and heard at the tomb?
What was different about Peter’s reaction compared to the other apostles?

Interpretation questions

The first people to discover the empty tomb were women, who were not considered credible legal witnesses in that culture. [01:12:23] Why would the gospel writers include this detail, which could potentially weaken their account, if they were trying to convince people Jesus had risen?
The question "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" [01:11:48] implies a fundamental shift in reality. What does this question reveal about the nature of Jesus after the resurrection and the new reality his followers now had to confront?
The passage says the apostles did not believe the women "because their words seemed to them like nonsense." [01:28:07] What does this tell us about the difference between encountering a spiritual truth and intellectually processing it?
Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself and was left "wondering." [01:28:28] What does his investigation, and the resulting wonder, tell us about the relationship between honest questioning and genuine faith?

Application questions

The resurrection is not just a past event but an ongoing revolution that changes how we understand death, forgiveness, and our own identity. [01:16:15] In what practical ways can you live this week as if death is truly defeated and has lost its sting?
The resurrection promises that injustice will not stand and that moral wrongs will find divine accounting, enabling ethical perseverance now. [01:24:24] When you are confronted with a situation that feels unfair or wrong, how can the certainty of God’s future justice change how you respond today?
If the resurrection is true, neutrality is not an option; the evidence demands a personal response. [01:28:52] What are the areas in your life where you have been trying to remain neutral or passive about Jesus, and what would it look like this week to lean in and investigate further, like Peter did?
The resurrection means life is not random and you are not an accident; you are part of God’s intentional plan. [01:22:43] How does knowing you were known by God before you were formed change the way you view your purpose, especially when you feel insignificant?
The resurrection offers a "fresh start," making you a new creation in Christ. [01:20:18] What old story, label, or failure from your past do you need to let go of to fully step into the new beginning Jesus offers?
Hope is not wishful thinking but is rational and grounded in the historical event of the resurrection. [01:25:00] When you face a difficult circumstance this week, how can you actively choose to ground your hope in the reality of the resurrection rather than in your feelings?
The invitation of the gospel is to respond personally to the risen Christ. [01:32:01] If you have already responded, what does it look like to live in the "aftershock" of that decision daily? If you are still exploring, what is one honest question you need to bring to God this week?

Sermon Clips

The resurrection is just not something to admire and it's not something that we just celebrate on resurrection Sunday. It is something that we must respond to. If Jesus rose from the dead, then he is not just a good teacher. He's not just a prophet but he is lord and savior. He is god. And you don't have to have all the answers today, but you do have to make a decision on the facts that have been presented. [01:29:37] (37 seconds) #RespondToResurrection

So, the big question then is what changes if the resurrection is real? What really changes? Because here's our guiding thought. If the resurrection is true, it is not just information to consider, it is reality to respond to. So, I'm gonna use one of my terms or phrases that I like to use. Buckle up, buttercup. I'm gonna bring you to a place of decision today because the evidence will demand a verdict. [01:10:15] (34 seconds) #DecideOnTheEvidence

The resurrection is not symbolic. Imma say that again. The resurrection is not symbolic. It's not an event that happened in history that no longer has repercussions. That's what aftershock is all about. You've seen the earthquake. You felt the earthquake. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the earth trembled and it shook and day became night. But I've got news for you. After every earthquake, there's always aftershocks. [01:20:46] (29 seconds) #ResurrectionAftershocks

here's what I want you to grasp from that. The the resurrection declares three world changing realities. Number one, we sing about it. We declared it from the microphone earlier. Death is defeated. Somebody ought to shout amen right there. Death has been defeated. Death is humanity's greatest enemy. Every generation, every person, we all face it and many fear it. But the resurrection claims that death is not the end. Hallelujah. [01:17:30] (35 seconds) #DeathIsDefeated

Here's what I want you to grab from this. If the resurrection is true, neutrality is not an option. Remaining neutral is no longer an option for anyone in the house or anyone watching online today. You can't walk away from the service today without drawing a conclusion. Here's what I wanna lay out for you. The disciples had to come to a decision. Peter had to decide. The evidence confronted them, and it demanded a response. Peter runs to the tomb. He investigates. He wrestles through what he's seeing, but he does not ignore it. [01:28:40] (56 seconds) #NoNeutralityRespondNow

The resurrection is not just about one man coming back to life. It is the beginning of a new reality. Say this with me. Fresh start. Fresh start. Come on. Look at your neighbor and say fresh start. Fresh Come start. On. Look at the one on the other side and say fresh start. The resurrection is a brand new beginning for every individual who experiences the born again experience through Jesus Christ. [01:19:46] (27 seconds) #FreshStartInChrist

Now I want you to buckle in right here for just a moment because I'm talking about your individual life right here. Life is not random anymore. And I've got news for you. You didn't come from a big boom that happened millions and millions of years ago. You came from a divine creator. He is very clear. I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. You are a plan of god. You are not, oh, I wanna help somebody today. You are not insignificant in this world. You are part of god's plan. Hallelujah. Amen. [01:22:34] (38 seconds) #YouAreGodsDesign

The question for us at this moment is, will you lean in or will you walk away? Today is not about an emotional experience. It's not even about whether you feel something. It's about the question. Will you respond to what is historically or spiritually compelling? Pastor Rhonda, if you'll come for just a moment. So what if? Say that with me. What if? What if? Look at your neighbor and say, what if? What if all of this is true? [01:30:13] (40 seconds) #WillYouLeanIn

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Why were women first witnesses to the tomb?

How does the resurrection redefine meaning and justice?

Why is neutrality not an option regarding resurrection?

Week 5 - Is All of This True? 04/05/2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Resurrection Brings a Living Hope

Day 2: God Chooses the Unexpected as Witnesses

Day 3: The Resurrection is a Revolution, Not Just an Event

Day 4: If the Resurrection is True, Life Has Meaning

Day 5: The Resurrection Demands a Personal Response

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Week 5 - Is All of This True? 04/05/2026

Share