Events of Super Significance

1. Read: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).

2. About the Text:

1) On September 11th, 2001, a group of Islamic men funded by an organization called Al Qaeda hijacked and used commercial airliners as guided missiles to attack and destroy New York’s iconic twin towers.

2) An event of super significance is something that happens in the world that is so shocking and attention grabbing as to burn itself into your memory forever.

3) It is those events that, when they happen, you remember where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing.

4) They are things like 9/11/2001, Challenger Shuttle Disaster, Death of Elvis, Assassination of JFK.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. John 20:30-31

1) Water to Wine (John 2:1-11).

2) Healing of the Nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-54)

3) Healing of the Man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15)

4) Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-14).

5) Walking on Water (John 6:16-21).

6) Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41).

7) Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44).

2. Each one of these was an event of super significance in and of themselves.

3. “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (1 Peter 1:16-18).

1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record the events surrounding Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.

1) Two, maybe three of them were eyewitnesses, Matthew and John.

2) Two of them knew the eyewitnesses firsthand, Mark (Peter) and Luke (Paul).

2. “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuad-ed that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

3. “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

4. “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe” (John 19:35).

5. “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).

1. Jesus was on the earth for 40 days after his resurrection.

2. “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:1-3).

3. He continued to interact with the apostles and others during that time.

4. Paul said above 500 saw him at one time (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

5. “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:9-11).

1. The angel in Acts 1 announced that Jesus would return.

2. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

3. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).

4. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31).

5. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

1. Events of super significance etch themselves on our memories forever.

1) The miracles of Jesus

2) The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

3) The ascension of Jesus

4) The Second Coming of Christ

2. Invitation