Grace And Only Grace

Pastor Curtis Mathis

Red Oak Baptist Church of Kaufman, Texas

April 9, 2023

Easter Sunday

“GRACE and only GRACE”

Scripture: Luke 23:26-43; 22:7-22

Introduction

Good morning, Church and welcome to Resurrection Sunday. And what a beautiful day our Lord has given us to celebrate Christ’s Victory over Death! Amen!!!

Before we delve into today’s Easter Message let me share with you today’s schedule, at the end of my message there will be a song of invitation, afterwards we will as Christ says in 1 Corinthians 11:25

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.

As we will partake of the Lords Supper, we observe a cloaked ordinance, and invite all that have experienced salvation to join us. This will be followed by an A Capella verse of Amazing Grace, there will then be a short intermission followed by our monthly business meeting. We will then dismiss to enjoy the remainder of this beautiful Easter day with friends and family!

Main Teaching:

For the last month of Sundays, we have been taking a long and hard look at the love demonstrated to us, by God, through his Son, Jesus as it says in John 3:17 “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”

And it was this love that served as his catalyst, a love that was humble, perfect, and courageous… and it was this indescribable courageous love and not the nails that held him to cross… even unto death. A death that was necessary to usher in the one thing that all of humanity needed…Grace.

1. The original Grace…

It has been said that there is no Resurrection Sunday without Good Friday, and it is here at the cross that we will first find that which we seek…Grace. I know you have Gods Word with you this morning so please open them to Luke 23:26-43 as we relive the “Crucifixion”.

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us! “and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

Well, I’m sure at this point your asking yourself, “Pastor where is the grace you speak of?” well bear with me as we continue to read the next set of verses,

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Ok here comes the Grace,

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Are you kidding me!

Jesus is hanging on the crucifixion tree, his very life blood dripping away and he is offering unconditional grace to this self-proclaimed “sinner” who just happens to be occupying a cross next this his! And why is this so important to us here on Resurrection Sunday??? Because this shows us without any doubt that it is GRACE and nothing but GRACE that saves US!!!

I know the Bible doesn’t go into the “HOW” this lowly sinner finds his way into paradise, but let me tell you what it does tell us!!! At around 3:00 in the afternoon on this frightful day,