WHY SEEK YE THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?

LUKE 24:1-10

Pastor Rick Jackson

This account is just one among several that recount for us the events of that first Easter. There are so many truths taught in these 10 verses that it is hard to choose which ones to center our message on this morning but since we cannot cover them all we must do just that. Let us take our cue from the angels' question, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?"

I. WHAT ARE SOME WRONG REASONS TO SEEK JESUS?

1. TO TRY TO DESTROY HIM [Mt 2:13, Jn. 8:20-32]

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

Though the world, the flesh & the Devil would like to destoy Him they cannot. But it is still wrong to try and will bring serious judgment and wrath upon them eventually. [Ps. 2]

2. TO MERELY SATISFY OUR FLESHLY OR WORLDLY DESIRES [John 6:26-29, Mk. 3:31-35]

3. TO BESTOW A LESSER HONOR UPON HIM THAN HE DESERVES [Mk. 16:1-6, Lk. 24:5]

Though we may think these ladies had their heart in the right place we must realize they did not! The Scripture say very clearly, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

A similar instance is recorded in Luke 18:18-19 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. The man wanted to compliment Jesus by calling Him "Good Master" without acknowledging Jesus divinity. Jesus wouldn't allow it.

Jesus made sure the disciples understood this truth in Mt. 16 and wouldn't stop until Peter got the right answer.

II. WHAT ARE SOME RIGHT REASONS TO SEEK JESUS?

1. TO SEEK GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS [Mt. 6:33, Acts 15:14-19, 17:23-32, II Cor. 5:21]

2. TO HONOR HIM [Jn. 5:42-47, Rm. 2:4-10, 1:16]

3. TO PLEASE HIM [Heb. 11:6, Col. 3:1-4]

III. WHAT RESPONSE MIGHT WE EXPECT FROM GOD WHEN WE SEEK JESUS?

1. HE WILL BE FOUND [Isaiah 55:6]

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

2. HE WILL BE MERCIFUL [Isaiah 55:7]

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

3. HE WILL BE GRACIOUS [Mt. 6:33]

The ladies may have come for the wrong reason in their ignorance but God revealed the truth to them and their hungry hearts responded in faith and God responded in grace.