Acts 10:34-43  The Hanged Man Rides Again  Easter 10:00 4/4/10

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts those from every nation who fear him and do what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. ³⁹ "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

If you look back at the old western movies and novels, you often hear of them saying things like “The Lone Ranger Rides Again” “Zorro Rides Again”; “Buffalo Bill Rides Again”; “Jesse James Rides Again”; “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again”;  I even found a dime store magazine story entitled, “The Hanged Man Rides Again.”  There was a Clint Eastwood movie modeled after that story. There were about twenty movies I found that featured “Rides Again” in its title (even a Walt Disney movie: “Herbie Rides Again”). In most of these the hero comes out of retirement to again save the day.  In many ways, that is what the resurrection is about.  The hero coming back to save the day. 
                 Jesus is the hero- the ultimate hero.  Peter gives eye-witness testimony to what he did like this: He “went around doing good and healing all freeing them from the power of the devil.”  There is no doubt that Jesus came to help people.  He did not hurt anyone.  He spoke against those who oppressed the people- those who would make it hard to find God, and those who thought they were better than others.   He ate and drank with sinners- and tried to help them up from their despair.  He stayed up late into the night healing people.  He fed people when they came to hear him and were hungry.  Yet, because he was so good- and was becoming more and more popular, he was a threat to those who clung to  power and ambition.  They persecuted him, mocked him, brought up false charges against him, and tortured him even crucifying him.  In many stories- superman has his moments when the kryptonite looks like it will get him;  batman is turned against by the police; the lone ranger is put in prison and there is no one to help him; Clint Eastwood is hanged and the bad guys ride off and leave him helpless and dead.  Jesus, the one who was not a fictional character- but a real human being who really walked on this earth- breathed our air- was hung on a cross to die.  Many stop thinking about the Jesus story here.  For unbelievers- Jesus is just another good man who died.  Their eyes refuse to see the resurrection.  Their minds remain closed to only what normally happens, and their life is left without hope, without wonder.  But the story doesn’t end with a dead hero, must less with a semi-dead hero.
                Make no mistake, Jesus was really dead.  In the Clint Eastwood movie, “Hang Em High”  Clint Eastwood was a really good man who was surrounded by evil bad guys who tried to lynch or  hang him, thought he was dead and then left.  Then this hero, Clint Eastwood,, came back as asherrif and hung all the bad guys.  There are some who say Jesus didn’t really die but just swooned.  But Jesus was killed on a cross by professional Roman executors, who made sure he was dead.  Many people died from the floggings that were given to Jesus mercilessly.  When they pierced his side water and blood flowed out- a sign of a literal broken heart which is not too uncommon with crucifixions as there is so much pressure on the lung and heart. Jesus himself gave up the ghost saying, “It is finished.”  Then his whole body was wrapped in cloth and spices with cloth over his face.  Then he was placed in a dark, cold tomb and a huge stone was rolled over the entrance.  Ten years ago archaeologists in Israel discovered a very similar first century tomb outside of Jerusalem, and we got to look at it. This was not Jesus’ tomb, but it was a typical first century tomb- it had a huge stone that would have been really hard to move by oneself over the entrance.  Matthew points out Roman guards wee there at the entrance.  It is just way too doubtful that Jesus was able to recover strong enough to hop over and move the stone.  Jesus really died.  When Jesus appeared to the disciples he didn’t say, “They thought they’d killed me but they didn’t.”  Even the Romans and Jews when they heard the rumors did not say that Jesus didn’t die.  Peter in this passage didn’t say, “They tried to hang him on a cross.”  Instead he says, “they hanged him on a cross but God raised him from the dead on the third day, and caused him to be seen.” 
                However, like the movie, “Hang Em High” Jesus- the judged and condemned becomes our judge (vs. 42).  Jesus holds us accountable for what we do and say.  Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices for sins.  He died a vicarious death- that is, he died in our place- so we would not have to die.  There were many people in that Clint Eastwood movie who saw Eastwood, an innocent man, die- but did nothing to help him- didn’t shout “No”, just went inside, or who just ignored the whole thing.  When Eastwood came back- they felt a tremendous amount of shame.  Jesus has really come back.  He has come back not just spiritually, not just in one time and place, but has come back physically- the tomb is empty.  He has come back to you and to me.  But he has also come back for you and me.  He has come back to abolish his enemies and ours- death, the devil, and sin. 
                 My daughter asked me this past week- if Jesus was God- why did he have to go back and resurrect his body- why didn’t he just go straight to heaven.  The reason why is that Jesus wants you and I to know who wins in the end.  
                He abolished death- his resurrection gives us hope beyond the grave for ourselves.  The New Testament describes his resurrection as a deposit for our own eternal life.  He is called “the firstborn from the dead” meaning that we will follow him into eternal life if we believe in Him. Paul calls death  “the last enemy” but Jesus has conquered that enemy.  He rose from the dead to assure us of that.
                James Kennedy once pointed out that for centuries in western Europe they believed that when anyone sailed far enough west on the Atlantic Ocean they would fall off the edge.  Spain even had a motto- “Ne Plus ultra” (Nothing more beyond).  But when Columbus came back and told of a land of great riches further out, Spain changed its motto to “Plus Ultra” (More beyond).  Jesus was the one who went over the edge and came back- and now we know there is more beyond.  No boundary- no evil, no sin can hold him back.
                The resurrection lets us know evil does not win.  The evil of the cross was not the last word.  Jesus rewards those who follow in God’s way- and He is able to do that because He is alive.
                He abolishes sin.  The Psalmist asked what I ask a lot- “How long, O Lord?”  How long will the wicked prosper?  How long will you allow people to mock you?  How long will child abuse continue?  How long will you allow people to ruin the lives of others by their wrong choices?  The resurrection assures us that not only does sin end in death, but righteousness is awarded for eternity.  The worst they could do to Jesus- was about the worst they could do period.  They mocked him- calling him names and making fun of his claims to be king and the son of God.  They spit on Him.  They whipped Him.  They tortured him with an agonizing death on the cross.  But sin did not win.  Evil did not win.  Death did not win.  Why did Jesus come back and by the Father’s power raise his body from the dead?  To give us hope.  Hope that death, evil, and sin cannot take away.  To give us a reason to persevere.  To give us a reason to love instead of be selfish.  To give us a reason to smile when life is hard.  They hanged him on a cross, but the hanged man rides again- and we are saved.