Transcription
Let me wish each and every one of you a joyous and a joyful happy Easter Sunday morning. What a privilege and a pleasure it is for us to be able to gather in this way. Although all of us would want to be in church on Easter, heck, even people who don't come to church come to church on Easter.
My prayer is that you've been able to sense the intentionality of celebration that has preceded this preaching moment. That we've tried to be very diligent and decisive about creating a space where we celebrate the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ with song and dance and instrument and now even the preached word. Anytime we worship God, it is a good time to be thankful and to celebrate. But I think you'd agree with me that even more so on this Sunday morning, when we proclaim a risen Savior, that we do it with joy, that we do it with energy and passion and thanksgiving, because we serve a risen Savior.
Won't you bow with me as we seek in search for the Spirit of God to embrace and inform our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Lord, we give you thanks on this glorious Easter Sunday morning for one thing alone and above all else: Christ is risen. That's enough, oh God, for our souls to sing and our minds to be merry and our lives to be filled with joy. Christ is risen. Lord, I pray now that as we seek to search through the story of the Savior and his resurrection, that Your Spirit would speak to our hearts in the times in which we live. In the name of our resurrected, our risen, our reigning, and our returning Redeemer, Jesus the Christ, we do pray. Amen.
As you know, every gospel has an account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this Easter Sunday morning, and this pandemic, I would that you hear Matthew's version. If you journey with me to the last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, I'd like to read in your hearing, beginning in verse number one, out of the New Revised Standard Version of God's Word. Let's listen together for the Word of God in Matthew chapter 28, beginning in verse number one.
"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and they became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And suddenly Jesus met them, and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Allow me, for emphasis' sake, to read the sixth and seventh verse one more time in your hearing: "He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead."
On this Easter Sunday morning of 2021, allow me simply to put a title on this morning meditation: He is not here. He is not here. I think it's safe to say that all of Christianity hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. More than a pastor in the pulpit, and a choir in the loft above, a building with a steeple and a cross on top, and even above the Holy Word of God, all of our faith hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, if you take Paul and his word in Romans chapter 10, the very first step of becoming a Christian is to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. It is in Romans chapter 10 that Paul says to us, "For if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, then and only then are we saved."
It's not what church you go to. It's not what preacher you follow. It's not what scripture you quote. It's not what hymn you sing that makes you a Christian. What makes you a Christian is that in the depth of your heart, there's the unshakeable belief that Christ came, Christ was crucified, and early on the first day of the week, He rose from the dead. It is the proclamation of that resurrection that makes Christianity unique among all the world religions. If you think about it, just about all the world religions have some kind of ethical and moral code that sounds like the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Just about every world religion has some form of sacred writings and scriptures that they read from. Just about every world religion has some form of prayer and meditation. Just about every world religion has some doctrine and thought about the afterlife. Just about every world religion has religious leaders and prophets that people follow and listen to. But the one thing that distinguishes our faith from any other religion in the world is the belief that our Savior died and rose again from the dead. And we don't just share that blase hum; we share that with joy and vigor. Because if there's any message worthy of celebrating, if there's any message that ought to put some joy in your heart, if there's anything that ought to anchor your hope, if there's anything that ought to encourage your faith and put clapping in your hands and singing in your song, it is that Christ has risen from the dead. That message merits our soul's celebration.
The ironic thing is that although we celebrate Easter with joy and vigor and celebration and enthusiasm, the very first Easter was anything but that. Sometimes I sit and wonder what the disciples and the followers of Jesus must have felt when the sun began to dawn on that first Sunday after the crucifixion of Jesus on a Friday. Imagine, if you will, being gathered in this place, having just witnessed the tragic execution of a man you love and has sacrificed your whole life for to follow for three years. Imagine, if you will, being in Jerusalem, trying to go through the motions of Passover, but now being deathly afraid that the very same religious forces that killed your leader are now searching for you to do the same thing. Imagine, if you will, the disappointment and even the frustration of wondering, "How could it have ended like this? Was Jesus really who we thought he was and who he claimed to be? And if he were, how could his story end like this? How could the one who walked on water die on a cross? How could the one who opened blinded eyes and cast out demons and healed crippled bodies find himself dying the death of a criminal on the cross?" No, there was no joy. There was no excitement. There was no enthusiasm. As the sun began to dawn on that first day of the week, there was anger and frustration. There is disappointment and depression. And although every gospel writer begins the story of the resurrection by telling us it was dark that morning, that darkness was not simply the absence of the sun; it was the loss of hope. It was the disappointment. It was the anger. It was the frustration.
You know what I think? That's the same kind of darkness you feel when you've been exposed to another mass shooting, this time in Atlanta, leaving a handful dead, and the Georgia legislature, rather than enacting gun reform, moves quickly to pass voter suppression laws that look a lot like Jim Crow. Maybe that's the darkness you feel when Trump insurrectionists can hijack the Capitol in Washington D.C. and not be arrested, but a Black woman who knocks on the door of the governor's office in Georgia is quickly arrested and put in chains. Maybe that's the darkness we feel when we witness a 65-year-old Asian woman brutally beaten openly in the streets of New York by Brandon Elliott while bystanders closed the door and watched and did nothing. Maybe, beloved, that's the darkness we feel as we have to relive the murder and execution of George Floyd by a defense team that would have you believe that Floyd brought his death on himself and that Derek Chauvin is not responsible for killing that Black man right in front of our very eyes. Maybe, just maybe, that's the depression we feel when we realize that 53 years ago today, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, and look how far we have not come. Maybe it's the darkness of a pandemic that escapes vaccination by its constant mutation, taking more than half a million lives in this country alone. Maybe, just maybe, that's the darkness of not being able to have proper funerals to say goodbye. It's the darkness of not being able to be in the house of worship, even on the Lord's Day, on the Sunday of resurrection. There's a darkness that we face, and it is not the darkness of the first day of the week; it's a darkness that we deal with every day of the week.
Come back, if you will, to that first dawning in that dark day on that first Easter. And the Bible says it: in the midst of this darkness, and in the midst of this depression, in the midst of the disappointment and the frustration and the anger, God starts Easter by sending an angel to a graveyard to meet some women who are making their way there. The Easter message begins with an angel who's been sent from the Lord with a message for those who've been living in darkness. You do know that angels are only dispatched when God has something to say. And here, this angel comes from heaven with a message. The Bible tells us in Matthew that the women who are making their way there, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, that according to Matthew, they're not just going to anoint the body. No, Matthew says they're going to "see the tomb." I don't want to get too deep and complicated on Easter Sunday morning, but that verb "see" is theōraō, and it doesn't just mean to look at; it means to understand. It means to search out. It means to investigate. That these women have risen early on this Sunday morning, and they've gone to the tomb to search out, to understand, to investigate, because in their mind, "God must be doing something. God must have something to say." I know it's been dark. I know it's been rough. I know it's been hard. But we're going here because we just believe that God must have something to say in the midst of this situation. We've come to understand God. And beloved, I want to share with you early on this Easter Sunday morning that in the midst of darkness, in the midst of depression, in the midst of disappointment, in the midst of anger, in the midst of frustration, in the midst of all of that, God always has something to say. And one of the messages of Easter is that we must learn to transition from asking the question, "Why did this happen to me?" to the question, "What is God saying to me?" Don't you miss this here. It's how you mature in your walk. When you stop being held up by wondering "why" and start asking "what?" "What is God saying to me? What is the Lord revealing to me about myself? What am I learning about God and how God operates in the midst of this situation?"
That angel shows up in that tomb yard, in that graveyard by the tomb, and he tells the women in verse 7, "I've got a message for you. The Lord has sent me here with a message for you. In the midst of your darkness and despair and depression, God has a message." And beloved, the same way that message was what those women needed to hear on that morning, I've come today to plagiarize the message of the angel and share with you the same good news. Listen at the message of God through the angel to those who are facing darkness. The angel begins by saying, "He's not here." He's not here. He's not here. I know you're looking for Jesus, and the reason you've come here is because this is where you last saw his dead body. And you woke up this morning thinking that this morning would be like yesterday and the day before. You thought today was going to be just like yesterday, and that everything today would be what you experienced yesterday. So you've come here believing that nothing has changed. Understand this, beloved, that the women, according to the other gospels, have gone to anoint the body of Jesus. And the reason they've got to come on this Sunday is because, if you remember, when Jesus died on Friday, the sun went down, and there was not enough time for the final proper anointing of burial before the Sabbath began at sundown on Friday. Teach, Pastor Wesley, and because the sun went down on Friday, they could not do the final preparation of the body Friday night to Saturday night is Sabbath. No one is allowed to work. Sunday morning is the very first opportunity that these women have to come and anoint the body. And they are coming to anoint it as a sign that the burial is done, that the body is dead, that the funeral is over, that the life of Jesus has come to an end. They have come seeking closure and the end of the situation. They've come to lay all this Jesus stuff to rest.
Beloved, I'll suggest to you that there is a certain peace that is found in finally bringing an end to something. That there is peace found in finally giving up and letting it die. There's a peace that can be found in no longer struggling and fighting and arguing, but just taking your hands off of it and saying, "So be it." There's a peace that is found in giving up. There's a peace found in hitting "send" on the resignation letter. There's a peace found in filing the paperwork and saying, "You can have it all." There's a certain peace that can be found in just letting it die. And that's why these women have come to just say, "It's finally over." And when the angel meets them, and the very first word out of his mouth is, "He's not here," he's letting them know, "You can't put finality on this." Watch this, 'cause it ain't over yet. I know you've come ready to quit and throw in the towel and give up and walk away, but you showed up today for God to tell you something, and that is, "This ain't over yet." I don't know, I don't know, I don't know who I got to preach this to on Easter Sunday morning, but I feel in my spirit that God wants someone to know: it ain't going to end like this. This is not how it is over. This is not the final chapter. This is not the last word. This is not over yet. It's not done. It's just intermission.
I remember, I remember Condell. I took my boys to Broadway once, and we were there watching this Broadway show. It's the very first time they've been to Broadway. And in the middle of the performance, something happened that confused them. You see, in the middle of the performance, the actors went off stage. In the middle of the performance, the lights went down. In the middle of the performance, the curtain was closed. And when the lights came back up, the actors were off stage, the curtain was closed. And Cooper got up and said, "I guess it's time to go." I said, "Son, no, it's not time to go." He said, "Dad, the actors are off the stage. The light went down. The curtain has been closed. The show must be over." I said, "Son, it's not over. It's only intermission." He didn't know what intermission was. I had to break it down in five-year-old language. So that's what I said: "Intermission is when they close the curtain so they can change the scene for the grand finale." That, that's all intermission is. It's when the actors get off the stage, the lights go down, and the curtain is drawn so somebody on the other side can set the stage for the finale. Somebody this Easter Sunday morning, I just want you to know, yes, some folk have left the stage, and yes, it's getting a little bit dark, and yes, you can't see what's happening, but God is behind the scene setting the stage for the grand finale. He's not here. God is doing something. It's not over yet. The Lord is still working some things out.
They show up, and the angel says, "He's not here." But watch what else the angel tells them that I want to pass on to you: "He is risen." He is risen. Now, if you didn't even think "Amen," if you didn't even want to shout "Amen" right here, you need to check your baptisology. You need to check your Christianity. He is risen. One of the reasons I read out of the New Revised Standard Version this morning is because it's more accurate to the Greek. In the Greek, it's not the active voice, but the passive voice. Don't you get lost in that. Here's how it should really read: not "He is risen," but "He has been risen." That, that God did something in Jesus. When God resurrected Him from the dead, He didn't do it by himself. God did it for Him. Let me pause right there, because someone you say, "Man, that's your life story. That you know God has done some things for you that you never could have done for and by yourself." Is there anybody on Easter Sunday who knows God has done some things for me that I could never have done? He has been risen. That God has resurrected Christ from the dead. Death could not stop God. Here's your Easter Sunday shout: He's not here. God is still working things out. He is risen, and nothing can stop God. I know this can be too simple for a shout, but if God could defeat death, what in the world can stop God from whatever God wants to do in your life? I want you to think about that for a moment. If God could raise Jesus from the dead, what in the world could stop God from doing whatever God has planned to do in your life? I came by to declare today: we serve a God who cannot be stopped, who cannot be interfered with, who cannot be deterred. God will do whatever God wants to do.
I, I was, uh, watching ESPN the other day, and one of the things that always comes up, Mark, now that we're in NBA season, are these frivolous debates about who the greatest basketball player of all time is. That there are a lot of different, uh, opinions on who the greatest basketball player is. Some will rightfully argue that it is Bill Russell. Bill Russell has 11 championship rings with the Boston Celtics. Clearly, he was the best. There's some that would argue, "No, it has to be Magic Johnson because of what Magic Johnson did for the league with Showtime." There are some who would argue, "No, it is the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, God rest his soul, because of his scoring ability." Some would argue that it's LeBron James. Look at how many finals he's gone to, and look at how many rings he has, and look at how dominant a player he is. And allow me to suggest to you that I understand the Bill Russell, I understand the Magic Johnson, I understand the Kobe Bryant, I understand the LeBron James. But I am from the South Side of Chicago. And allow me to declare without fear of contradiction that all those other opinions are wrong. That the only greatest of all time was not Bill Russell. It was not Kobe Bryant. It was not Magic Johnson. And it ain't LeBron James. I'm sorry, I know you can disagree, but you'll still be wrong. The only greatest player of all time is number 23, Michael Jordan.
I, I ain't talking about him off the court. I'm talking about on the court. On the court, Michael Jordan is the greatest. On the court, Michael Jordan can't be beat. How do I know Michael's greatest? Here it is. Here's why I argue Michael Jordan is the greatest: because Michael Jordan went to six NBA Finals, and he never lost one. And I suggest to you that you cannot be the greatest if you've ever lost in the championship. You cannot be the greatest if you stepped up to the greatest battle and you fell short. I'm sorry, LeBron, you've lost too many times. But if you get Michael on the court, Michael never lost in the NBA Championship. In order to be the greatest, you can never take a loss. Let me tell you about our God. Let me tell you how our God has never lost the battle, how He's never lost the case, how He even defeated death. That's why "greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." That's why "all things will work together for my good." Because what can stop God? He is not here. He's working some things out. He is risen. God cannot be stopped.
Oh, but I like the third thing the angel says. Watch it and hear the attitude. He hears the attitude of the angel. "He's not here. He's risen, as he said." Uh, uh, you should not be surprised that He's risen, because that's what He told you He was going to do. And if you took Him at His word, you would not be surprised by what you just found. Matter of fact, it is this issue of taking God at His word that we read Mark's version of the resurrection. Mark shows us that Jesus comes to the disciples, and He's disappointed in them. They don't believe He's been resurrected. And Jesus is upset. Why is He upset? Because He says, "I told you I was going to be resurrected. How can you doubt when you know what I've told you?" Beloved, here's some good news in this pandemic Easter that we celebrate: you can take God at His word. That if God promised it, God will perform it. I wish I had somebody who knows that God will do what God said He's going to do. "God is not a man or a woman that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should have to repent." That whatever God has declared, that is what it's going to be. I, I need a witness right now who knows that it did work together for your good. I need someone who knows the weeping only endured for a night. I need someone who can declare that the weapon was formed, but it did not prosper. Is there anybody who knows you can take God at His word? Ah, "He's not here. He's risen, as he said." And in every dark moment of your life, there's a voice asking you, "But what did God say?" "I know what the doctor said, but what did God say?" "I know what your mother said about you, but, but what did God say?" "I know how bad it looks, but what did God say?" "I know how much it hurts, but what did God say?" "I know it's breaking you down, but what did God say?" "He's not here. He's risen, as he said."
But then, watch this. This gets deep. And the angel says, "Now, come see where Jesus used to lay. Come look at what used to be, but ain't no more. Come look at what has been changed." Let me pause right here. Pull over, but I'm gonna keep the engine running. And I'll suggest to you that somebody's life is like that tomb, because your life bears witness to what used to be. So somebody, you ought to invite some folk into your life on Easter and tell them, "Let me show you what used to be. Let me show you what used to be broken. Let me show you what used to be lost. Let me show you what used to be sick. Let me show you what used to be addicted. Let me show you what used to be broken. Let me show you what used to be, and see what is right now."
This angel invites them to come see. And this gets a little deep, but y'all, the angel has come to move the stone. The stone is moved, and Jesus is already gone. The stone was not moved to let Jesus out. The stone was moved so the women could see in. Don't you miss this: the stone was not moved to let Jesus out. The stone was moved because whenever God goes to work, there must be a witness. So the angel invites these two women to be witnesses of the empty tomb. Now, I don't want to get too deep on Easter Sunday, but know this: then Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience, is intentional about naming two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, supposedly the sister of Lazarus. Those two Marys have shown up. Matthew is intentional about two. The reason is, according to Deuteronomy chapter 19, it takes two witnesses to verify the accuracy and truth of a detail. Don't miss this: Deuteronomy 19 and 15. It takes two witnesses to verify the accuracy and truth of any detail in Jewish court. Someone could not be convicted unless there were two witnesses. Pop quiz: How many witnesses does it take to verify truth in Jewish court? Two. Two women have shown up. Here's the problem: Deuteronomy 19 says two witnesses, but the Talmud, T-A-L-M-U-D, which is commentary written by Pharisees on the law, says that women could not be witnesses. Don't miss us. The Talmud, which is what the Pharisees wrote after the law to give commentary on the law, the Pharisees said that women could not be witnesses. As a matter of fact, in the third chapter of Sanhedrin in the Talmud, it distinctly says, "A witness cannot be a woman." Sanhedrin, the same council that convicted Jesus, that same group said women could not be witnesses. And yet, the resurrection is witnessed by two women. God puts the witness of the resurrection into women, even though Pharisee law said women cannot be witnesses. Okay, okay, you might be a little slow. I'm gonna help wake you up. Uh, God put the witness of the resurrection into women, even though men said women can't be witnesses. Can't say. Third time's the charm. God breaks human law to do and fulfill His will and say that, "I don't care what men have said. I'm going to show you something." I came by to declare that we serve a God who breaks human law. We serve a God who violates proper protocol. We serve a God who does not follow standard operating procedure. We serve a God who does not care about stereotypes and statistics. That our God will break human law to fulfill His will. There's somebody watching this Easter Sunday morning, you ought to be raising your hand, because if anybody is a living witness that God will break protocol, it ought to be you. You know protocol says nobody from your background should be living like you do. Protocol says no one with your broken family should be married until happily ever after. Protocol says you didn't have the degree, but you get the job anyway. Is there anybody here who knows God breaks protocol?
He's, he's not here. He's working behind the scenes. He's risen. Nothing can stop our God. As he said, "Take God at His word. Come see the place where the Lord lay." And watch God break protocol. And here is the final message of the angel: "Now, go and tell the disciples what you saw." Watch what the angel says. Listen, listen. I, I've shown you something, and there are some other people who need to know what you've seen. Uh, Peter is hiding, and he needs to know Christ has risen. James and John are afraid, and they need to know that Christ is risen. Mary, you've got what Peter needs. You've got the testimony that James needs. You've seen what John needs to know. Beloved, I can't tell you, we have what the world needs. We know what the world needs to know. We've seen what the world needs to see: that our Savior is risen. And maybe, just maybe, the challenge, the assignment for believers today is to leave this Easter the same way the women left the tomb: with joy and fear, to go and tell the world that Christ has risen from the dead. That's your assignment. That's your responsibility. That's your homework: to tell the world about a risen Savior. I got to go. Happy Easter to you.
But let me tell you how it plays out. These women are running from the tomb to go tell the disciples that Christ has risen. And the Bible says that on their way, Jesus showed up. While they're being obedient, Jesus shows up. They only see Christ because they've chosen to be obedient. That when you commit yourself to obeying the commandment of God, Christ will show up in your life. And watch what happens. Jesus shows up, and He says to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell the disciples I've risen." Hold on, hold up. The angel told the women, "Do not be afraid. Christ is risen. Go tell the disciples." They go to fulfill it, and on their way, Jesus shows up and says, "Do not be afraid. I've risen. Go tell the disciples." Okay, you missed some, child. One time, uh, the angel tells women, "Do not be afraid. Christ is risen. Go tell the disciples." The women say, "Cool, we bout it." They go to tell the disciples, and on their way, Jesus shows up and says, "Do not be afraid. I have risen. Go tell the disciples." You, you still look slow. The angel tells women, "Do not be afraid. Christ is risen. Go tell the disciples." The women say, "Cool, we bout it." They're on their way, and Jesus shows up and tells them the exact same thing. Rick, I had to wonder why does the G, why does Jesus show up and tell them the same thing, even though they had already received it from the angel and were on their way to fulfill it? They hadn't paused. They hadn't doubted it. They hadn't questioned it. They were only... Why does Jesus show up and tell them the same thing? I finally figured it out in my mind. Jesus shows up and tells them the same thing because it's not about the assignment; it's about the encounter. They had seen the empty tomb, but the empty tomb is not witness of the resurrection; it's a sign of it. And so Christ encounters them, so that when they get to the disciples, they don't just say, "We have saw an empty tomb." No, now they can say, "We've seen Jesus for ourselves." Because the true witness of believers is not just about signs; it's about the encounter with Christ who met us on the road, who spoke to our lives, who touched us, and we know He's alive. That these Marys can declare, "We know He lives because we've seen Him. We've touched Him." That, that's what that hymn writer wrote when he put pen to paper and began to write the words: "I serve a risen Savior; He's in the world today. I know that He is living, no matter what others say. I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer. And just the time I need Him, He's always near. He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. How do I know He lives? Because He lives in me."
Let me close by reminding you of my freshman year in college. My freshman year in college, I had a roommate named Mike. And next door to us was a brother on a tennis scholarship named Trevor. Trevor was a funny dude. Trevor, half Arabian, half Italian, just a funny dude, funny dude. I loved Trevor. He was a great guy. And I remember one day having a conversation with Trevor. I decided I wanted to try to minister about Jesus to him. I began telling Trevor about Jesus and about the love of God. Trevor was an atheist. And he asked me some questions that I could not answer. He said, "How would I hear all of that? But this is what I want to know: Can I see God?" And I thought about it for a moment. I said, "No, you can't really see God." He said, "Can I touch Jesus?" I said, "No, I, I guess you can't really touch Jesus." And that's what he said: "If I can't see it and I can't touch it, then it must not be real." That thing messed me up. That messed me up. I had gone to Sunday school. I graduated from Sunday school, and I didn't know how to answer that question: "If you can't see it and can't touch it, it must not be real." I was messed up by that thing. And then the Lord had a breakthrough one day. Trevor came knocking on the door. I was one of the only freshmen to have a car. I told y'all, my dad bought me a car. Took my car to college. Trevor came knocking on the door. He said, "Howard, I need you to take me to the emergency room." I said, "Trevor, what's wrong?" He says, "I got a toothache, and my gum is swollen, and it hurts really bad. I got a toothache, and I need you to take me to the emergency room. Howard, please take me." Because of my toothache, and the Holy Ghost showed up. Yes, she did. Let me tell you what the Holy Ghost said. Uh, Trevor, before I take you, I got a question. Uh, can I see your toothache? George said, "No, no, I guess you can't see it." I said, "Can I touch your toothache?" He said, "No, no, I guess you can't touch it." So, Trevor, if I can't see the toothache and I can't touch the toothache, how do I know you really have a toothache? He says, "You gotta take my word, 'cause I feel it." And I said, "That's how I know my Jesus lives. That's how I know my God is real. I don't see God, and I can't touch Christ, but I feel Him, and I know He's real."
He's risen. He's not here. He's risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And now, let us go tell the rest of the world that our Savior lives.