Resurrection Sunday – 2011
April 24, 2011
John 20:1-18
I woke up this week thinking about Easter and what it all meant. Easter marks the end of Lent, which is a forty-day period of fasting and prayer for a lot of people. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains Palm Sunday and Good Friday, which helps us remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday. This year Pentecost Sunday is June 12th. Ascension Sunday is June 2nd.
Resurrection Sunday is so huge – what could I say that hasn’t been said before? Then I felt the Holy Spirit say - “Don’t even try. Just remind them again of what Easter means.” So, I want to remind you of some important things concerning the Easter season. The bible says,
“Keep reminding God’s people of these things... Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:14-15
So that’s what I want to do today. I want to ‘correctly hand the Word’ and I want to remind you of some important things. Things that are important to God. He knew how easily we forget, so He was always having the Children of Israel piling up monument stones or putting up markers to remind them of significant things He said or did. He created many holidays and celebrations and commanded His people to celebrate regularly and remember.
So today – let’s remember what this celebration is all about. Sometimes we get distracted by all the hoopla. The colored eggs, the sugar candy, the spring colors, Easter and the Easter bunny – those things are fun and a part of our celebration – but let’s not forget the 1. Load of Sin, 2. Life everlasting, and 3. Love of the Father. First of all,
1. The Load of Sin. Our Sin caused it all. When Eve willingly rebelled against God – sin came into the world and mankind was forever warped and twisted with a bent toward sin. We are born into the world selfish, self-centered, and desiring and demanding our own way. Jesus died to save us from that sin – because the result of sin is death. The consequence of that load of sin is separation from God and His goodness. The Bible says,
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things.” Isaiah 59:2-3
The result of sin is death. The result of sin is separation from God. Sin makes God hide his face from us. Sin makes our prayers ineffective. He won’t hear our prayers when we are willingly in rebellion with Him. Sin caused physical death to come into the world; sin causes alienation form God and His blessings - right now. Ultimately it will cause the ‘second death’ or second separation from God – which we know as hell. Sin, which is willful rebellion against God, is a terrible thing. Paul says,
“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord...” Romans 7:24-25 LB
The answer is in Jesus. Part of the celebration of Easter is the victory Jesus brought us over sin. Jesus conquered sin through his death on the cross and has freed us from the enslaving power of sin.
Paul says, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace...”
Romans 6: 12-14
Once, that would have been impossible. It would have been foolish to say to someone “Do not let sin control the way you live.” We were so firmly in sins grip that we could not help it. We were slaves to sin. But because of Jesus’ death on the cross – He not only paid the penalty for our sin – but He also broke the power of sin’s hold on us. Don’t believe that one who says that we HAVE to sin everyday in word thought and deed. They either have not experienced the freeing power of grace or they do not have a right understanding of sin. Some equate imperfection with sin. Some think a deviation from God’s perfect will is sin. It is not. To say so says that Jesus sinned – and He did not. Jesus provided the enabling power to break sins hold on us so the Scripture can says,
“Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22
“Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin...”
Romans 6:15-17
Thank God we can be free from sin. I love the visual picture in Pilgrims Progress of when “Little Pilgrim” is forgiven. The load of sin on his back is freed and rolls away. When we ask forgiveness – all our sin rolls away.
I wish I could tell you that you can be free from temptation and trials – but I can’t. In this life we will have them. Our spirits will struggle with the flesh. We have to wait for heaven for complete deliverance – but we can be free of known and willful rebellion right now. God’s grace is sufficient. God’s power is more than adequate. Part of the celebration of Easter is the celebration of the freedom we now have in Christ. Part of the celebration is for Jesus, not only providing forgiveness for sins – but also providing deliverance from the bondage of sin. You have the power to break every addiction. You have the power to overcome every destructive habit. You have the power to break sins grip on you - Alcohol, drugs, pornography, gossip, over eating, cursing, - you name your addiction and I can tell you that IN Christ – you have the power to overcome it. That’s worth celebrating!
Secondly, we celebrate Life! We celebrate NEW life! We celebrate ETERNAL life! If Jesus would have just paid the penalty for our sins – we would be pretty sad. Paul said,
“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead...”
1 Corinthians 15:13-20
Jesus is INDEED been raised from the dead. And because HE lives – we, too, may live! We celebrate new life in Christ. And how does that new life come? New life comes when we receive Christ as our Savior. The Bible says,
“...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3
We must be born again. We must experience new life – not physically – but spiritually. We do that by confessing our sins and inviting Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. And when we do that – we have passed over from death to life. We have passed from spiritual death to spiritual and eternal life. Jesus said,
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.” John 5:24-25
Isn’t that worth celebrating? We have new life! The little bunny rabbits and little yellow chicks and the colored eggs are not just celebrating springtime. They are celebrating new life – eternal life!
Jesus was asked a couple of times what someone had to do to inherit eternal life. To the expert in the law, as recorded in Luke 10, he responded by telling the expert to love his neighbor. He told the story of the Good Samaritan. To the rich young ruler, recorded in Luke 18, He responded by telling him to get rid of the thing he loved most (riches) and follow Him. What must YOU do to inherit eternal life? Believe – and receive. Acts 2:21 says, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Call on Jesus. Trust in Him. Believe in Him – and you will be saved from a life of sin and you will step across the threshold of eternity. That’s worth celebrating.
Another thing worth celebrating is the 3. Love that made it all possible. The most favorite Scripture of all time is,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
Do you realize how much God loves and cherishes you? No – none of us can fully comprehend the full extent of God’s love. But think about that moment you felt most loved. Maybe it was when you were married. Maybe it was when your baby looked up into your face with recognition and love. Maybe it was when your mom or sweetheart or kid or grandkid came flying into your arms. The very best moments of love in our live comes so far short of how much God loves us. David had a little more of an idea than most. He said,
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11
“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.” Psalm 32:10
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:8-10
“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.” Psalm 36:7-8
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
Psalm 84:11
I could go on and on. God loves you so much. Jesus said,
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13
Shortly after He said that, Jesus laid down His life for us. Jesus loves you so much – He gave His life for you on the cross. Jesus loves you so much that He wants to spend eternity with you. He made that possible by conquering death.
Isn’t that worth celebrating about? Let’s feast! Let’s celebrate! Let’s rejoice. He took the load of sin off our backs. He provided eternal life for us. He loves us. AND He is risen!
CELEBRATE JESUS!
