Breakthrough From The Grave - Easter Sunday! Series

Video Illustration: What Easter is All About – Skit Guys!

Life can begin again is the truth shouting from the empty tomb of Jesus today. Jesus’s resurrection proves that life can begin again and that your seemingly dead or lifeless life can be brought back to life. Easter is all about Jesus ability to bring the dead back to life! The truth of Easter is there - aint no grave that can hold Jesus down and if He walked out of the grave so can we walk out of the grave!

Series: Breakthrough 2020

Sermon: Breakthrough from the Grave - Easter

Tag line: “Jesus - The Grave Robber”

Easter Song: “Ain’t No Grave!”

History of the song:

Claude Ely, a songwriter and preacher from Virginia, describes composing the song while sick with tuberculosis in 1934 when he was twelve years old. His family prayed for his health, and in response he spontaneously performed this song. Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in July 1942 (and released in 1943 as "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down") in a slower, African American gospel style and in 1946-7 by Sister Rosetta Tharpe with barrelhouse piano; the song in Ely's version was recorded in 1953 but composed in 1934 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t_No_Grave)

Words:

Aint No Grave – Bethel Music – Molly Skaggs!

Verse 1

Shame is a prison as cruel as a grave

Shame is a robber and he’s come to take my name

Love is my redeemer lifting me up from the ground

Love is the power where my freedom song is found

Chorus

There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down

There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down

When I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna rise up out of the ground

There ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down

Verse 2

Fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue

Fear is a tyrant, he’s always telling me to run

Love is resurrection and love is a trumpet sound

Love is my weapon, I’m gonna take my giants down

Verse 3

There was a battle, a war between death and life

There on a tree the Lamb of God was crucified

He went on down to hell, He took back every key

He rose up as a lion and He’s setting all the captives free

Chorus 2

There ain’t no grave could hold His body down

There ain’t no grave could hold His body down

When He heard the trumpet sound, He rose up out of the ground

There ain’t no grave could hold His body down

There ain’t no grave could hold His body down

There ain’t no grave could hold my body down

There ain’t no grave could hold my body down

Bridge

If You walked out of the grave, I’m walkin’ too!

Thesis: Jesus could have been called “The Grave Robber” because he healed people right at the point of death like the Roman soldiers servant, he did the same from a distance with the officials son, he raised from the dead the Son of the widow of Nain, He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead and then the biggest one – the most public was Lazarus resurrection 4 days after being dead. Jesus just loved to take back what the Grim Reaper wanted to take away. But all these encounters with death and Jesus power to overcome death set the tone and the anticipation of His own resurrection which we celebrate today. But today’s power or miracle is reserved for those who believe!

Key Verses for sermon:

John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus asked Martha this question right before He raises Lazarus from the dead! He is still asking that question to us today. “Do you believe this?” “Do you believe that I am the Resurrection and the life?” Do you believe I can walk out of the grave?

We have come today to celebrate Easter to shout “Christ is Risen!” and to focus on His Resurrection power and the message from it to us today.

Matthew 28:5-7: The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Introduction:

I believe that each of us this morning needs to accept the invitation of the angel. We need to come to the empty tomb and behold the Resurrection of Jesus. We need to look upon the place where He had been laid to rest. We need to see that He did not stay their instead He rose from the dead to deliver you and I from ourselves – really from our sinful ways. To deliver us from evil and give us life. Jesus defeated the grave and promised us if we believe we too can walk out of the grave!