Join us on The Flatline as we explore remarkable events following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Discover how the actions and decisions of people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea play into this divine narrative. Rick Hughes dives into the significance of the empty tomb and the first appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, drawing important spiritual lessons for listeners today.
Welcome to the Flatline with your host, Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes, you’ll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now, your host, Rick Hughes.
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Good morning and welcome to the Flatline. I’m your host, Rick Hughes, and for the next few minutes, stick around. It’s going to be 30 minutes of motivation, some inspiration, a whole lot of education, and absolutely no, none, not a one bit of manipulation. Because we don’t try to con you. We’re not seeking money. We’re not trying to sell you anything. We just want to give you some information. Information from the Word of God that will help you verify and identify God’s plan. And if you are interested… then you can orient and adjust to the plan if you want to. It’s up to you. It’s your life. You got one shot at it. So I suggest you consider these things because it’s very important. Last week on Easter Sunday, as we talked about our Lord Jesus Christ and how he underwent all these six mistrials and what all he faced before he went to the cross, it was amazing to hear the people write and respond back to me that said that they had trusted Christ, prayed with me that day to receive Christ as their Savior. If you’ve never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray this message today and the message last Sunday will convince you that he is indeed the resurrected God, the Savior of the world, the anointed Son of God. Jesus Christ is Lord. And when he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me, he meant that. So consider these things as we go through the second part of our message from Easter Sunday. And this involves what happened after the crucifixion. What really happened and what went on after they took him off that cross. Last week we took a look at the six illegal trials our Lord was subjected to the night before his crucifixion. And we saw that a devious plot was hatched by Caiaphas, the high priest, to have Christ put to death in order to get Rome off their backs due to the disturbance that was occurring across the land as Jews were responding to the message of Christ and turning their back on the organized religion of the day. John 11, 47 through 54, you can read it for yourself, John 11, 47 through 54. So we noted that even though Pilate found Jesus not guilty, not guilty, are you listening to me? He was innocent, and yet the Jewish religious leaders insisted that he be put to death, John 18, 25 through 38. We saw all of that last week. And we saw how our Lord accepted the sentence without trying to vindicate himself, without trying to free himself. We discovered that he did willingly give up his spirit and died on the cross. No one killed him. He willed himself to die. Remember what happened there on the cross as all of our sins were poured out on him. Three hours of darkness, he cried out, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachonai, which was my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In that time that the Lord was receiving our sins, The Father turned away and didn’t watch as he bore our sin on the cross. And then it was over. He said, it is finished. He used the famous words, tetelestai, it is finished. And he gave up his spirit, the Bible says. So what happened to the body of Jesus Christ? We’re going to seek to move on now in the narrative. and discover the great guarantee. I call it the great guarantee. What am I guaranteeing? I’m guaranteeing that you and I will have a resurrection body just like the Lord Jesus Christ had in his resurrection and his ascension. So let’s start with what happened to his body after he came off the cross. In John 19, 38 through 42, after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews. Now, here’s a great thing. Many years ago, I had an oriental girl in my home from Japan, and she said, Mr. Big Rick, you’ve almost convinced me to become a Christian, but I don’t think I could do that because my parents would disown me. Well, I have to tell my parents, and I thought about it, and I thought about it, and I guess I said, well, most people, when they accept Christ, tell people. This man did not tell anybody. He was a secret disciple. And I think you can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept him as your savior. And you don’t have to tell anybody you did it. If you want to do it, it’s between you and God alone. And so this was Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, the Bible goes on to say he went to Pilate. He went to Pilate and he asked, could he have the body of Jesus? And Pilate said, sure, you can have the body. The Jews, the religious leaders, didn’t want the body because of the Passover coming up. So Joseph of Arimathea came, the Bible says, and took the body of Jesus. And there came along with him another person, also a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus is famous in the Bible in John chapter three when Jesus told him, you need to be born again, Nicodemus. And Nicodemus was amazed. He said, how is that possible? How could a person be born again and go back into his mother’s womb? And our Lord said, it’s not physical, it’s spiritual. He explained to him the spiritual birth. And that’s very important for you to understand that. You may be born physically, but are you born spiritually? Because you will either be born twice or you will die twice. The first death, it’s appointed unto man once to die, and after that, the judgment. The second death, whoever’s name was not found written in the Lamb’s book of life was cast into the lake of fire, Revelation 20. This is the second death. The first birth, you’re born physically. The second birth, you’re born spiritually. You’re born again. So Nicodemus is the one that had to answer that question, and apparently he did believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So not only did Joseph of Arimathea come, but Nicodemus as well, and they came to Jesus by night. And they brought a mixture of myrrh and alloy and about 100 pounds weight forth of this. They were going to dress up the body so it wouldn’t deteriorate and stink. They took the body of Jesus, verse 40, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden. And in that garden, a new sepulcher. You may want to know what a sepulcher is. It’s just simply a small room cut in rock in which a dead person is buried. So there was a sepulcher wherein there had never been anybody laid in it yet. And they, that’s Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, laid Jesus in that sepulcher because it was the Jewish day of preparation. That’s the day before the seventh, well before sunset. because that sepulcher was convenient, it was near at hand. The development during the great period of serious threat to the integrity and existence of the Jewish way of life had led those Sadducees and those Pharisees to impose strict conditions about the Sabbath observance. According to Josephus, the people began to make preparations for the seventh well before sunset, with which the observation actually began, and they suspended normal business and social activity and prepared all food in advance. So this is the night before the seventh, and they’re getting the Lord Jesus Christ into the sepulcher in preparation for the seventh. Now for the big surprise. In John 20, verse one and two, early on the first day of the week, this is after the seventh, the seventh being Saturday, Sunday being the first day of the week. While it was, by the way, some people say, well, why do we worship on Sunday if it’s the first day of the week? Because we worship about concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not worshiping on the seventh. We’re worshiping on the first day of the week. Early on the first day of the week, the day he resurrected, While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and she saw the stone had been removed from the entrance that had been placed there to keep anybody from messing around with it. And she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciples, the one Jesus loved, that’s John, and said, here, listen to the panic in her voice. They took the body of our Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they put him. Oh, Lord. now the amazing discovery john chapter 20 verse 3-9 peter and the other disciple john left immediately for the tomb they ran neck and neck the other disciple got to the tomb first that’s john out running peter stooping to look in he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there but he would not go in then simon peter arrived after him and went into the tomb and observed the linen cloth lying there and the kerchief used to cover his head, not lying with a linen cloth, but lying separately, neatly folded by itself. And then the other disciple, John, the one who hadn’t gotten there first, went in as well, and took one look at the evidence, and he believed, and he believed. What did he believe? He believed that Jesus walked out of that tomb alive. No one yet knew from the scriptures that he had risen from the dead. disciples then went back home the bible says according now no one yet knew from the scriptures that he had risen from the dead the disciples then went back home scratching their head you know the lord jesus christ had told him this was going to happen it shouldn’t have gotten him by surprise in matthew 16 21-22 jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem to submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, to be killed, and then on the third day to be raised up alive. And Peter took him by the hand, protested, and said, Master, that can never happen. That can never happen, Master. No, no, that cannot happen to you. Well, that’s when the Lord Jesus Christ told them. This is going to happen. Now, we had a problem. There’s a missing body. Of course, how do you handle the missing body? Here’s the answer to what the Jews did. While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priest everything that had happened. This is out of Matthew 28. And the chief priests gathered with the leaders and agreed on a plan. They gave the soldiers a large amount of money and told them to say that Jesus’ disciples had come at night and stole the body while they were sleeping. And they added, if the governor hears about it, we’ll take care of it and you’ll have nothing to worry about. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. and their story has been spread among the jewish people to this day that the disciples stole the body nobody stole the body the lord jesus christ walked out of that tomb that sepulcher alive so what happened the first appearance of jesus in resurrection form watch this john 20 verse 11 through 18 mary stood outside the tomb weeping as she wept and remember the other disciples had gone back home as she wept she dealt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there dressed in white one at the head the other at the foot of where Jesus’s body had been laid and they said to her lady woman why are you weeping I mean this is a celebration why why are you crying here’s what she said they took my master she said I don’t know where they put him And after she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. That must have been quite a shock. But she didn’t recognize him. She saw him standing there, but she didn’t recognize him. And Jesus spoke to her, woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for? And she, thinking that he was the gardener, said, sir, if you took the body of Jesus, tell me where you put it so I can go care for him. And then Jesus said, Mary. Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, Rabboni, Rabboni, meaning teacher. And Jesus said, don’t cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father. Go to my brothers and tell them I ascend to my father and your father, my God and your God. And Mary Magdalene went away telling the news to the disciples. I saw the master. I saw the master. She told them everything he said to her. And then later that evening, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples after the resurrection. In John 20, verse 19, when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, Sunday, the doors were shut where the disciples were gathered due to the fear of the Jews. They were looking for him. And Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. And when he said this, he showed them both his hands and his side. And the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, Peace be to you. And just as the Father has sent me, I’m going to send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven by them. And if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. Now you may ask that question, what did he mean by saying this, that Jesus is the only one who forgives sin? Not the disciples. This simply means that anyone who believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has his sins forgiven. But anyone who does not believe will be condemned to die in his sin. Does the Bible say that? Yes, John 8, 24. I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sin, for except you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sin. Eight days later, our Lord appeared again. In John 20, verse 26, eight days later, his disciples were inside again. And Thomas was with them, and Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, Peace be to you. And then he said to Thomas, place your finger here and see my hands and take your hand and put it in my side and do not continue to disbelieve, but be a believer. Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord, by God. And Jesus said, because you’ve seen me, now you believe. Blessed are they who did not see me and yet they believe. You and I have not seen the Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection form. We will see him, but not yet. Do you believe? Do you believe that he’s the anointed son of God that he paid for your sin on the cross? It’s the greatest thing in the world to accept him as your savior, simply praying a prayer. Father, I believe Christ died for me. I want to accept him as my savior now. That’s the single most significant prayer you’ll ever pray. So Peter and the disciples, after this appearance, I guess they got a little frustrated and they decided to go back to fishing, go back to making a living. That’s what they did. They were gill netters. In John 21, 1 through 14, they hadn’t figured this out yet. After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And he revealed himself in this way. Simon, Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel of Cana, Galilee, and the sons of Thunder, James and John, were all fishing. Peter said to them, I’m gonna go fishing. And they said, well, we’re gonna come with you. And they got in the boat and they caught fish all night long and caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach and the disciple did not know it was him. So Jesus hollered to them, children, do you have any fish to eat? They said, no. And he said, well, then throw your net on the right-hand side of the boat and you’ll find the fish. And so they cast it and they were not able to haul it in because they were a great quality of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, that’s John, said to Peter, it’s the Lord. And when Peter heard that, he put on his outer garments for he was stripped for the work and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, about 200 cubits away, dragging the net full of fish. And when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already made and fish placed on it and bread. And Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish which you caught. Peter went up and hauled the net to land full of large fish, 153 of them. Although there were so many, the net did not tear. And Jesus provides for them. Jesus said, come, have breakfast. None of the disciples ventured to inquire exactly anything about who are you, knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and the fish likewise. And this was the third time that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead. Now he challenges Peter. In John 21, when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said, Peter, we need to have a little talk. Simon, son of John, do you love me, the Greek word agapao, more than these? And he said, yes, Lord, you know I love you, but he didn’t use agapao, he used phileo, for brotherly love. And he said to them, to him, well then tend to my lambs. But he said it a second time, Simon, son of John, do you agapao me? And he said, well, yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you. He wasn’t using the word akapao. And the Lord said to him, feed my sheep. And he said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Phileo, he used the word phileo this time. And Peter was hurt because he said to him a third time, do you phileo me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything. And you know I love you. and jesus said then tend to my sheep this challenge dealt with motivation personal love for god is our highest virtue first john 5 3 if you love me you will obey me and my mandates are not hard first john 5 3. peter the denier peter the impetuous person who claimed he would die for him peter the one that deserted him is now challenged to use virtue love to fulfill the task that would be in front of him. Our Lord even predicted how Peter would die. In John 21, 18, truly, truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to put on your own clothes and walk wherever you wanted to go. But when you grow old, you’ll stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you and bring you where you don’t want to go. Now he said this indicating what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he said this, he said to him, follow me. John testified to the many deeds of Jesus. Here’s what John wrote. Here’s what he said. There are so many other things in John 21, 25. So many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suspect that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Our Lord Jesus even appeared to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, 13. On the road to Emmaus, Luke 24, 13. Interesting what happened there. They didn’t know who he was either. And then he appeared to the apostles. and over 500 more in 1 Corinthians 15, 6. Quote, after that he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have passed away. Here’s his final words before he ascended to be with his father. In Luke 24, 44 through 53, he said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you. that all the things that were written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. And then, by means of a miracle, he opened their minds to understand the scripture. And he said to them, so it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance for forgiveness of sin would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things And behold, I’m sending you the promise of my father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you’re clothed with power from on high. And then he led them out as far as Bethany. He lifted up his hands and he blessed them. And while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising God. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared after the ascension a few times. He appeared to Stephen in Acts 7.55 when he was being killed, when he was being stoned to death by the religious crowd. Acts 7.55, but he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked instantly into heaven and saw the glory of God and saw Jesus standing, standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. He appeared to Paul at Paul’s conversion in Acts 9, 3 through 8. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Remember, Saul said, Who art thou, Lord? And Saul immediately was blinded. He appeared to Paul in the temple in Acts 22, 17. Here it is, listen. It happened when I returned to Jerusalem, was praying in a temple that I fell into a trance. And I saw him saying to me, hurry, get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me. And I said, Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another, I used to imprison and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of your witnesses, Stephen, was being shed, I was there standing nearby watching. And he said to me, go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles. Our Lord Jesus Christ also appeared to John on the island of Patmos. In Revelation 1, 17, when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he placed his right hand on me and he said, don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last and the living one. And if I was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. And I have the keys to death and of hell. Therefore, write the things which you’ve seen and the things which are and the things which will take place after this. Did our Lord Jesus say he would return? Absolutely. John 14, 3, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I’m coming again and I will take you to myself so that where I am, you may be also. When will he return? In 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 17, the apostle Paul wrote us and filled us in. And this is what he said. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep. So you will not grieve as the rest of mankind do who have no hope. For if we believe, there it is, if we believe, believe what? That Jesus died and rose from the dead. So also God will bring with him those who’ve fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain into the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, those that remain, we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. That’s called the rapture of the church. That could happen today. There’s nothing left in prophecy left. It could happen today. It could happen tomorrow. Have you made the decision to believe in Christ? Have you made the decision to receive him as your personal savior? If not, you will be left behind. You will not take place in that resurrection. You will take place in the second death, and that’s cast into the lake of fire. If you think your good works will save you, you’re wrong, because the Bible says, for by grace are you saved through faith. It’s only a gift of God, not of works, unless anyone should brag about it. I beg you, receive Christ as your Savior today. Bow your head and pray. And ask God to save you. Simply say, Father, I believe Jesus Christ is your anointed son. I want to receive him as my savior. Thank you, God, for saving me. That’s a simple prayer. But the Bible says, whosoever should call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You do that today. That’s the first day of the rest of your life. That is the day you are born again. And that is the day you begin your journey to follow Jesus Christ. I’m so proud of you for listening. Thank you for being a part of my radio show. Thank you for your prayers and your support and your encouragement. If you have a question, don’t hesitate to contact us, rick at rickhughesministries.org or 800-831-0718. Until next week, this is Rick saying thank you for listening to The Flatline.
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Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you’d like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.
