The Chapter After the Last
Jesus' resurrection gives us hope for a new life and a new beginning, and reminds us that we are not defined by our past mistakes or failures.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the profound truth that while the Gospels document the death of Jesus, they also herald the beginning of a new chapter in His story, one that continues with His resurrection. The accounts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John collectively affirm that Jesus was dead, yet they also point to the miraculous reality that He is alive, challenging believers to continue writing His story through their lives. This sermon reflects on the significance of Jesus' resurrection, which transforms the narrative from one of finality to one of eternal life and ongoing impact. Tozer invites listeners to recognize that the life of Christ does not end with death but continues to inspire and challenge humanity. The resurrection is not just an event; it is the foundation for a living faith that calls for active participation in the ongoing story of Jesus.
Text
Matthew says, "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb." Mark says, "And he [Joseph] bought fine linen, and took him [Jesus] down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock." Luke writes, "And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid." John says, ". . . There was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, . . . There laid they Jesus." They all agree: Jesus was dead.
The life about which they had been writing was gone, The biography was ended.
Then for the only time in this history of human thought, a biographer adds to his book a new section which is authentic biography and begins to write a chapter to follow the last chapter. This time the story did not end with a funeral. The Subject, whose story should have ended at death, was once again back among men to challenge new writers to try to find enough paper and enough ink to write the rest of the story of the life that can never end. Whatever is written of Him now is written of a living man. He was dead, but He is alive forevermore.
Sermon Outline
- The Death of Jesus
- Confirmed by the Gospels
- The Life was Gone
- The Biography Ended
Key Quotes
“Whatever is written of Him now is written of a living man.” — A.W. Tozer
“He was dead, but He is alive forevermore.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We can have hope for a new life and a new beginning through Jesus' resurrection.
- We are not defined by our past mistakes or failures, but by our relationship with God.
- We can live a life that is filled with purpose, hope, and joy through our relationship with God.