When the ladies come to the tomb,
the Lord has already arisen. We're told on the first day of
the week. You remember it was on the first
day of the week that God commanded the light to shy out of darkness. Let me read that to you briefly.
In Genesis chapter 1, and the earth was without form and void,
and darkness was upon the face of the deep, And the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there
be light. And there was light. And God
saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from
the darkness. And God called the light day,
and the darkness He called night. And the evening and the morning
was the first day. On the first day of the week,
the light of the world arises and leaves the darkness of the
tomb. The angel of the Lord has rolled back the stone from the
tomb's door, as we said in the reading, not to enable Christ
to walk out. That had already taken place
and wasn't necessary. But it was to allow the ladies
and the disciples afterwards to look in. But more than that,
it tells us that the sentence has been executed. against sin,
against our sin, on our substitute. Justice has been satisfied. Therefore, on the grounds of
God's justice being satisfied, Christ walks out of the tomb.
Death has no more claims on him. The penalty has been paid. It's
been paid in full. Therefore, because Jesus paid
it all, God gives proof of his acceptance of that payment by
the resurrection of his son again from the dead. Notice verse 6,
the angel's words to the women early that morning. He is not
here concerning Christ, speaking of Christ. He is not here. He was. He was. He really did die. Father, into
thy hands. And these women were present,
perhaps heard those words. When Christ said, Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit, and he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. He who was the resurrection and
the life died. John, imagine that. Martha, whoever
believes in me shall never die. I'm the resurrection, Martha.
I'm the life. Lazarus, come forth. Not only
at that time, but on two other occasions, our Lord gave life
back to dead people. And yet he himself dies. But he's not dead now. The angels
say he is not here. Not here. Christ is omnipresent. Christ is everywhere present.
Oh, but he's not here. He's not in the tomb. Go to cemeteries. They're not far away. And on all the graves, you'll
find the date of birth and the date of death. And here lies
so-and-so. Here lies so-and-so. Because
all flesh is grass and all the glory of man, all the glory of
man, what does it amount to? It's like the flower of grass.
What's it worth? How long does it last? The grass
withereth. The sun arises in the morning.
Shines upon it in evening it's withered, and the flower, the
glory of grass, like man's glory, thereof falleth away. All flesh
is grass. But of the grave of Christ we
read, He is not here. Concerning our Redeemer it's
written, Now once in the end of the world had He appeared,
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. That was our Lord's
purpose in coming into this world. That's the reason he came. That's
why he was given the name. Joseph called his name Jesus.
Why? Why that name? Why not another?
Because that means God's salvation. That means the salvation of the
Lord. And he, that is Jesus, shall save his people from their
sins. That's why he came into this
world. to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Did he? Did he? Did he put away sin? Did he succeed
in doing what he came here to do? I mean, the Bible states
plainly just in that one verse that we quoted from Hebrews 9.
The reason for his coming into this world But the question I
ask you this morning, did he succeed? Did he accomplish his
purpose? He bore our sins, oh yes, in
his own body on the tree. But did he bear them away? Did
he bear them as far as the east is from the west, never to be
found again? Did he succeed? How do we know? How do we know? He is not here. He is risen. That's how we know. If he had not satisfied every
claim of God's holy law, if he had not brought in an everlasting
righteousness, if he did not bear the transgressions of all
of his people, bear them all away, bore the penalty, being
made sin, that they might be made the righteousness of God
in Him. If he did not do that, if he did not succeed in that,
I don't say that he made the attempt. Man, I can attempt a
lot of things, fail in most of them. No, no, not that he just
attempted something or tried something, but he actually accomplished
something. God the Father raising his son
again from the dead proves that more than anything else. The
resurrection is the foundation, the foundation of our faith.
The very proof that he did all that he came to do. Turn if you
will to Romans chapter 4. This is exactly what we read
here. This is what Paul is talking about. All those who believe
are justified just as Abraham believed and was justified in
Romans chapter 4. Verse 24, not only Abraham, but us also,
to whom it shall be imputed, that is righteousness. If we
believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered because of our offenses, because of our
offenses, that's why he was delivered. and was raised again because
of our justification. Yes, he was delivered because
of our sins and he bore our sins. He bore them away and therefore
because he did, he paid the penalty. He's raised again because of
our justification. This is the song of glory. You
know that. You know the theme of Those already
in heaven beholding the face of their Redeemer. This is the
theme of their song. Angels even join in. This is
what we read in Revelation chapter 5. Concerning the Lamb who is
in the midst of the throne, he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he
had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb. having every one of them harps
and golden vows full of odors which are the prayers of the
saints, and they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy. Who gets the glory in heaven?
The Lamb. Who's the attraction of heaven? The Lamb. Who's the very heaven
of heaven? The Lamb. What's the most blessed
reward of all in heaven? That we shall see the Lamb. The Lamb in the midst of the
throne. And they sing concerning Him.
Thou art worthy. You're worthy. You succeeded. Thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof for or because you were slain.
And in being slain, This is what it accomplished. Thou has redeemed
us to God. Don't you like that? Child of
God, don't you like that? Thou has redeemed us to God.
When you entered one time into the most holy place, you obtained
eternal redemption for us. You didn't make a stab at it,
you did it. Thou has redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation
and has made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall
reign on the earth. Paul asked the question in Romans,
who is he that condemns? Who is he that condemns a believer?
It is Christ that died. Christ that died, yea, is risen
again, who even now setteth on the right hand, making intercession
for us. He is not here. Aren't those
wonderful words? What good news it must have been
to these women, because the reason they came to the tomb, not believing
they would see the living Savior, but to finish what they couldn't
do before preparing his body for burial because the Sabbath
drew on and they had to quit. So now they come back after the
Sabbath, at the end of the Sabbath, to finish that job. It's not
needed. It's not needed because he is
not here. He is risen. We don't worship
a dead Savior. You know the Catholic Church,
the Church of Rome, they always with all their other Our daughter's
images, crucifixes and statues and saints and all this stuff,
holy water and blah blah blah, but they always represent Christ
either hanging on the cross or as the babe in the manger. No,
we don't serve a dead Savior. We don't worship a dead Savior.
Christ left on the cross doesn't save anybody. Did you get that? Christ left on the cross or in
the tomb saves no one. In Luke's gospel, I think the
angel asked him, why seek ye the living among the dead? But
listen, this is what the angel tells them. Now hear this. Do
they still do that in the service, Andre? I've seen it in movies.
Now hear this. I mean, I'm not sure that's so
or not. Now hear this. Now hear this,
children of God. From the lips of our Savior,
our living Savior, John, I am the beginning and the end, the
first and the last, the Alpha and Omega. I'm the starting place
and the ending place and everything in between. Of Him and through
Him and back to Him are all things to whom be glory forever. I am He that liveth. I was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore. Christ ever liveth. That's why
he's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. In John's Gospel, chapter 10,
he said, other sheep I have which are not of this folk. Them also
I must bring. I must bring. That's what he's
doing now. That's what he's doing now. I
know these self-proclaimed prophecy experts with their figures and
their charts. A fella called me one day years
ago, wanted to enlighten me about the last days. I literally fell
asleep listening to him on the phone. I was trying to be polite
but he said this is really simple and he went on and on and on
and on. I dozed off. That's not what it's about. The
reason this world exists is because the great shepherd is still calling
out his sheep. That's the only reason. That's
the only reason. Other sheep I have which are
not of this fold, them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice. They shall follow me. Therefore, believing sinners
Sing something like this. Arise, my soul, arise. Shake off your guilty fears.
The bleeding sacrifice on our behalf appears. Before God's
throne my surety stands. My name is written on his hands. Oh, arise. Arise and shake off
your fears. Notice again verse 6, here in
Matthew 28. He is not here for he is risen. As he said, as he said. He said to the religious leaders,
destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it up again. I'm reading now from Luke's Gospel
chapter 18 verse 31. As he said, behold we go up to
Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning
the Son of Man That's what the prophets wrote about. Yeah, the
son of man. It's all about him. Shall be
accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and he shall be mocked and spitefully entreated
and spit it on. And they shall scourge him and
put him to death, but that's not the end of the story. As
he said, in the third day he shall rise again. All that was done. We read the
story about the chief priest bribing the soldiers that his
disciples came and stole his body away while they slept. But it isn't as they said, that
is the chief priest, the elders, or as the soldiers said afterwards,
or as the Jews say concerning the Savior even today. No, it's
not as they said, but as He said. It's as He said. It always is
as He says. It's always as He wills. It's
always as He's promised. Always. Always. Whatever He said. Isn't that what Mary said? At
the wedding feast? Whatever He said. Whatever He
says, do it. Whatever he says is so. It's
always according to as he says. Listen to what the psalmist wrote. Nevertheless, my loving kindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to fail. This is God speaking of his son.
My covenant will I not break, neither alter the thing that
has gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David, that is Christ. His seed shall
endure forever and His throne as the sun before me. Psalm 138 verse 2, I will worship
toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness
and for thy truth because thou has magnified thy word above
all thy name. Thou has magnified thy word of
all thy name." What did he tell the troubled disciples that night
before he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane? Let not your heart
be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. If this wasn't so, if this wasn't
so, I would tell you. I will tell you and I'll come
again and receive you unto myself that where I am, what a blessed
description of heaven, it's where Christ is. It's where Christ
is. It's where we shall see him who
loved us and gave himself for us. It sounds as though to me
that we can take him at his word. If he says so, it will be so. Look, if you will, at verse 7
here in Matthew 28. Go quickly and tell his disciples
that he is risen from the dead, and behold, he goeth before you
into Galilee. There shall ye see him. In Mark's
account, he tells us as he said. These words as well. Go into
Galilee, there you shall see him as he said. Turn back if you will here in
Matthew chapter 26. He told them this before his
death. Matthew chapter 26 verse 31. Then said Jesus unto them,
all you shall be offended because of me this night. For it is written,
I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I
will go before you into Galilee. There shall ye see him as he
said. Should we not believe, should
we not expect, trust that he shall do all that he said. Look
at verse 16 here in Matthew 28. Then the eleven disciples went
away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed. They went to where he said he
would be. In verse 17, he was there. As he said. And when they saw him, they worshipped. They go to the appointed place
where he said he would be. And they were so glad they made
the trip. He was there. He was there. They saw him. Christ was there. He said, we're
two or three gathered together in my name for my honor to worship
me. There am I in the midst of them. And then, verses 18 through 20,
Christ says, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go you therefore. I don't send you on a fool's
errand. All power is given unto me. All
power goes with you. Go ye, therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world, until the days be no more. The title of my message, and
I'll be brief, Taking our text from verse 20, just these few
words. I am with you always. Our constant
companion. Our constant companion. Our constant
companion. Not your husband. Not your wife. Oh, I speak of the bridegroom. That one who has the bride, his
church, he has promised to be our constant companion in a traditional
wedding. I say traditional because like
everything else in this crazy world, that's been changed as
well. But in a traditional wedding,
the preacher asks the groom, do you take this woman that you
hold by the hand to be your lawful and wedded wife? Do you promise? Do you promise before God in
this company to cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer,
for poorer, for better, for worse? And do you promise to forsake
all others and keep you only unto her so long as you both
shall live?" Christ, our Bridegroom, did exactly that. He promised
God the Father in that everlasting covenant of grace When God the
Father gave us the Christ, that He would become responsible for
us. That He would do all that God
the Father required of Him to redeem His fallen bride. to bring
her back to glory and to present her before God the Father without
a spot or a blemish or any such thing. You remember, turn if
you will to Genesis, Genesis chapter 2. Genesis chapter 2,
when God created Eve, it's what the record is here, verse 22. And the rib which the Lord God
had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,
and she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of
man. Therefore shall a man leave his
father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they
shall be one flesh." Paul tells us just exactly what
that means. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. You know the passage. Christ, our faithful husband,
has and always will fulfill his vow to God the Father on the
behalf of his church. In Ephesians chapter 5, verse
32. After quoting the words of Adam,
verses 31 and 32, Paul tells us, this is a great mystery,
but I speak concerning Christ and his church. Verse 25 of Ephesians
5, husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church
and gave himself for it. that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present
it to himself, a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."
John said, I beheld the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. One hymn writer put it like this,
By a sovereign grace united to his son eternally, I can never
be divided. He's my constant companion. I
can never be divided from my covenant surety. God's free love
from everlasting made me one with his dear son. Blessed union,
strong, unchanging, I am with my savior one. He says, I am
with you always. Each word is precious, is it
not? This is the promise of Christ to his bride, the church. I promise
you this, he says, I, I. When first coming into this world
in Matthew's Gospel chapter 1, the angel told Joseph he shall
be called Emmanuel, which is God with us. And when leaving this world,
he is still Emmanuel, God with us. I, I, who changes not, am
with you. Mr. Spurgeon said, a changeable
God would be a terror to the righteous. They would have no
sure anchorage. And amid a changing world, how
changing it is, they would be driven to and fro in perpetual
fear of shipwrecks. Our heart leaps for joy as we
bow before one who has never broken his word or changed his
purpose. I who change not am with you. Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
today, and forever. I'm so thankful that as I grow
older and change inside and out that there is one In whose hands I am, that never
changes. His love never changes. Go tell my brethren. First time
he used that word. Go tell my brethren. Go tell
them. Lord, do you mean those that
left you in the garden alone when the mob came? Go tell them. Do you mean Peter? Mark puts
special emphasis on Peter. Go tell my brethren and Peter
that I go before them into Galilee just like I told them. There
shall they see me. They're my brethren. Nothing's
changed. Nothing's changed. I've loved
them everlastingly and His power hasn't changed. His word hasn't
changed. and his precious effectual sacrifice,
his all-redeeming blood hasn't changed. Just as fresh, just
as effectual, pleading the salvation of his people before the throne
of God. When we arise from our bed each morning to start a new
day, Not knowing what a day may bring forth. I like Pat's post
on her Facebook page. Someone let me see it. And about
what happened to Terry. He fell and this and this and
it could have been this, but it wasn't. You probably read
it. And after each one it could have
been this, but it wasn't, but it wasn't, but it wasn't. Because
our ever faithful God is promised, I am with you always. He changes
not. I am. Am. Remember when God revealed himself
to Moses at the burning bush? This is the name by which he
declared himself. I am, Moses. I am. What's that mean? He declares
himself to be the eternal, everlasting, having no beginning, no starting
place. Think about that. Think about
that. No starting place to everlasting
God. From everlasting to everlasting,
Moses, I am God. When Christ applied those words
to himself, he was saying the very same thing. I am. I am the way, the truth, the
life. I am the door. I am the good
shepherd of the sheep. I am the bread of life. I am
the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the
life. I am the true vine. And all that, all that He is,
all that He is, He says, I am with you. All that I am is with
you. am, not was or will be, but always,
present tense, wherever we are. His promise is, I am with you. With you is the next word. With. Never against you. Never against
you. With you. For you. With you to defend you and to
keep you. I'm with you to lead you and
to guide you through every step of every day. I'm with you in
sorrow and in joy. I'm with you in sickness and
health. I'm with you in life and in death. Our husband, our
faithful husband, promised God that he would be. Our glorious
bridegroom says to his bride, I'm with you. I'll be with you
in life, in death. I'll be with you in time and
in eternity. And then he says, I'm with you. I'm with you. I don't derive a whole lot of
comfort. I do for you. But I don't feel
any comfort in myself personally until I realize he speaks these
words especially to me, Andre. If I'm a believer. He says, I'm
with you, Larry Criss. I am personally with you. Some of us may go back to an
empty house. But Christ says, you're not alone.
I'm with you. Some of us have, we all have,
I'm sure, have walked away from graves of loved ones, family
members, a father, a mother, a companion, a husband or wife.
Oh, but hear the words of your gracious Redeemer. I'm with you. I'm with you. David said, when
father and mother forsake me, the Lord shall take me up. Go tell my brethren, my brethren,
flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones, tell them I'm with
them. Nothing can alter this. You'll
always be my brethren. We read that he's not ashamed
to call us brethren. Imagine that I'm with you. One
more word here. He says, always. Always. Literally, when he says always,
even until the end of the world, all the days, all the days, all
the days of your life, all the days of this world, and when
time shall be no more, oh, especially then, I'll be with you. His love is stronger than death. I like the quote of Matthew Henry
who was in the bulletin five or six weeks ago. He whose head
is in heaven need not fear to put his feet into the grave.
What can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus? Peter, I'm sorry, Paul asked
in Romans 8. Persecution, affliction, trial,
on and on and on. Paul seems to think of everything
he can. and then looks out and says,
anything that may be invented. Death. Shall death? No. Nothing. Not even my own sin. Not even
my own unbelief. Not even my wonderings. He said,
you're still my brethren. Nothing shall separate me from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. I agree with my pastor
Don. who told his family doctor concerning death, Doc, I'm not
afraid of death. It's the process that I'm not
looking forward to going through. The process. And I agree. Oh,
but that process of death is the means by which I'll be brought
into Christ's presence. That's the door, death. That's
the door that shall open that I shall go through and be in
the presence of Christ. It'll be worth the trip. It'll be worth the trip when
I see Him. Amen. Amen. That means for certain. for sure. It also means so be
it. Let it be. So be it. I will be with you always even
until the end of the world. Let me read just a couple of
verses concerning that promise of our great God and Savior and
I'll be done. Isaiah chapter 43. Listen to
these words. from the lips of our constant
companion. But now, thus saith the Lord
that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, fear not. I've redeemed you. I've called
you by a name. You're mine. You're mine. When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
you won't be burned. Neither shall the fire kindle
upon you. Another passage from Isaiah,
chapter 46, verse 3. Hearken unto me. These are the
words of our faithful bridegroom, our husband, our redeemer. O
house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which
are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb,
From the womb to the tomb, I'm with you. And even to your old
age, I am he. And to whore hairs will I carry
you, I have made, and I will bear. Even I will carry and will
deliver you. He'll hold. I wish I could sing. I've proved that I can't. That's
why I quote these hymns. He'll hold to my hand. as over
this river I go and safe I will be in beautiful heaven I know. Amen. So be it. God bless you.