Last week in Alameda - across the bay here - three 15 year old students at Encinal High School were arrested for creating “hit lists” naming 105 students who were to be killed last Thursday.

A while back a girl - a 10th grader in Palo Alto - wrote this poem:

In emptiness.
All alone now,
Sitting in the darkness.
Where else could I be
But in emptiness?
Emptiness is nothing;
It is all its own.
There is no life in emptiness.
Where am I going?
To boredom, or to serenity?
The earth is turning,
As I am turning,
Forever in a circle
Of emptiness.

Shakespeare summed up the feeling of so many - he wrote: “Life is....a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

All this is typical of where our society is today. We live in a world in deep trouble - a society adrift - without right or wrong - empty of meaning and full of despair. Moreso - all of this is nothing compared to what often burdens our hearts.

If we take 30 A.D. as the date of the resurrection - this morning marks the 1,970th celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ - an historical fact. But, its important for us - thinking about where we live our lives - its important for us to realize that the message of the resurrection is not just to recall some historical fact - as tremendous and as amazing as that is. The importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that Jesus is alive - and in whatever situation we may be in - anytime - anywhere - He is for us and He is with us.

With this in mind - I invite you to turn with me to 2 Timothy 2:8 - to a letter written by an old man - chained in a prison - a letter written to a young man charged with pastoring an infant church in a hostile - pagan city - in a society of distorted values and confused thinking - much like our society today.

Read with me what Paul writes to Timothy. 2 Timothy 2:8: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel.”

In whatever circumstance we may find ourselves - “Remember Jesus Christ.”

First - Paul writes: Remember Jesus Christ - RISEN FROM THE DEAD

The Romans and Jews took tremendous security precautions to make sure that Jesus stayed dead and in the tomb - to protect against potential fraud and lies by the disciples of Jesus. The tomb was shut with a stone which would have taken several men considerable effort to move - an Imperial Seal was put on the grave - any tampering with this would have been easily noticed. A Roman guard - impartial to Hebrew religious politics - highly disciplined and skilled was placed to guard the tomb - if they failed at their duty they would be executed.

When Mary, John, Peter and others arrived on Sunday morning - the stone was rolled to the side - the tomb was empty. The burial clothes lay undisturbed - the body had disappeared from within them. A thief would have stolen the body - linen wrappings and all. Or, if the wrappings had been removed they would have been disturbed. Jesus left the tomb supernaturally.

Later - the women and the disciples saw - heard - ate with - and even touched Jesus. 500 brethren saw Jesus at one time. 50 days later Peter preached about Jesus’ resurrection and thousands gathered to hear Him - people who were in a position to know the facts about the resurrection. No one offered him a rebuttal. That silence is powerful. If the resurrection was a hoax - where was the out cry against the witnesses?

The silence of Jesus' enemies and the lack of historical evidence against the resurrection is almost as powerful as the evidence for the resurrection. Of all the theories offered to disprove the resurrection - all of these have been solidly discredited by one historical scholar after another. Not one shred of evidence has ever been given to support these claims - including the body of Jesus Christ.

Josephus - a Jewish historian - a man who was derfinately not a believer in Jesus Christ - writing shortly after the resurrection - Josephus writes this: “Now, there was about this time Jesus....He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold....”

The resurrection is a certainty. And that means that our belief in the Divine power and authority of Jesus Christ is not an empty faith - or wishful thinking. When we’re tempted to fear - when despair grips our hearts - when we face uncertainty and difficulty - remember that there is One who has risen from the dead - who at the time He chooses - according to His power and authority - will bring an end to the insanity and injustice of this world. And, there is no circumstance in our lives - if we will trust Him with it - there is no circumstance in our lives over which He does not have authority and the power to bring victory.

Second - Paul writes: Remember Jesus Christ - DESCENDANT OF DAVID

Next to Jesus Christ, we probably know more about Kind David than anyone else in Scripture. Many images come to mind with David - David the shepherd - David the sinner - David the unfortunate father - David the warrior - David the King. Always there’s this sense of God’s presence in the earthy humanity of David’s life.

Jesus was born a descendant of King David - born in the city of David - Bethlehem - born in the humility of a stable - born into humanity - to live - to suffer - to die - for us.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way: “Consider Him - remember Jesus - who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3) Jesus was victorious and so He makes available to us - in our humanity - His own courage and patience and victory. (John 16:33)

David Livingstone - the great 19th century explorer and missionary to Africa - said, “I go through the jungles of Africa and Jesus is by my side.”

Girolamo Savonarola, the great evangelist of 15th century Italy - tortured - excommunicated - hanged and burned for his faith - Savonarola said, “They may kill me, they may tear me in pieces, but never, never, never shall they tear from my heart the living Jesus.”

Samuel Rutherford, the great Scottish reformer of the 17th century - jailed and martyred for his faith - as he faced certain death said this, “Jesus spoke to me by His Spirit, He witnessed to my heart, that His grace should be sufficient. What peace I have this day. I shall sleep in Christ, and when I awake I shall be satisfied with His likeness.” These are men who learned to live daily remembering Jesus Christ - descendant of David.

With human counselors - we make an appointment - maybe one hour once a week - and pay to pour out our lives - hoping for some type of help. But, Isaiah writes that Jesus is the Wonderful Divine Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) - available to meet our needs - to speak to our hearts and bring us renewal - to walk with us through life. Jesus takes all of God’s divine wisdom - and applies it with affinity and understanding - to every moment and in every circumstance of our lives.

When your days are full of difficulty and struggle - remember Jesus Christ - descendant of David. Talk with Him - trust Him - with your struggles.

Then third - Paul writes: Remember Jesus Christ - ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL - according to my testimony.

Saul was the one who held the coats of those stoning Stephen - martyred for his faith. Saul - believing Christians to be heretics and blasphemers and worthy of death - Saul set out to destroy the church. He led the persecution - dragging men and women out of their homes and throwing them into prison - scattering believers from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria. But on the road to Damascus - Saul pursuing Christians - encountered the resurrected and living Jesus Christ. And Saul became Paul - the great evangelist - theologian - missionary - perhaps the one person - aside from Jesus Christ who has had the greatest impact on our faith.

Paul - who had brought to martyrdom many Christians - himself died a martyr - beheaded in Rome. Writing to Timothy - in chains in that Roman prison where he would die - Paul says, “Remember Jesus Christ” - this is my testimony - He lives!!!

The disciples had seen their Master die. Because of this - they had lost all hope. Jesus had told them He would die and be raised. In fact, it was an integral part of His claims. But, they were down-trodden, utterly disheartened, and meeting in secret - obscure - places.

But something happened. They personally met the resurrected Jesus. For the disciples - Jesus’ resurrection began a cleansing - life-changing - transforming experience. After encountering our risen Savior - the disciples were joyous - fearless - speaking out publicly - willing to endure torture and even death - 11 of them died as martyrs - and John died in exile - a prisoner of the Roman government.

Who would die for a hoax - a cruel joke - a resurrection that never happened? Their lives were transformed and they preached the Gospel of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Since the resurrection of Jesus the lives of billions of men - women - and children have been transformed forever.

I can tell you - without reservation - that I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ - not only because of the historical event - but, because He has changed my life as well. I know Jesus personally - and He is alive.

This morning an invitation has been given to us - not just to celebrate an historical event - but, an invitation to realize the power of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives. Because Jesus has risen from the dead - we know that He offers us certain victory in life - to walk with us in life - and to bring His healing and transforming power into the deepest hurts and fears we hide.

This morning - wherever you may be in life - remember Jesus Christ - risen from the dead - descendant of David - testified of by those whose life He has transformed.