This Easter at CityHOPE Church we are looking at the top ten reasons why Easter Jesus is better that Christmas Jesus.
Now I understand that Christmas and Easter Jesus are the same Jesus…but the point I am trying to make is that the world is more comfortable celebrating a baby in manger rather than a man brutally beaten, dying on a Roman cross, claiming to be the Savior of the world.
So here are the first five reasons Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus (Preached on Good Friday – with the other 5 preached on Resurrection Sunday) – These notes are my sermon outline notes.
1) Christmas Jesus received gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Easter Jesus received gifts of sin, wickedness and unrighteousness.
Christmas Jesus received good gifts of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. Easter Jesus received gifts of our sin, our wickedness and our unrighteousness. The scandal of the cross is that in a moment, Jesus becomes the worst of the worst. He took all of man’s iniquity.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 4:25
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
From a human perspective – Easter Jesus received better gifts as once He received these gifts, we received from Him, the gift of His righteousness
The gifts Easter Jesus received from us…..makes Easter Jesus better….as we give him our gifts….he gives us something in return…..
2) Christmas Jesus is around Caesar writing people’s names in a book: A book of earthly life.. It was book about where you came from. Easter Jesus is about writing names in the book of eternal life. Easter Jesus’ book is a book about where you are going.
Caesar’s census was about knowing where you came from.
Easter Jesus’s book was about knowing where you are going.
Big difference.
Luke 2:1-5
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Revelation 20:15
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life defined
The Book of Life, in this context, is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. It is the roll of those who are saved. This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27).
Faith in Easter Jesus ensures we are in the book.
How do we make sure our name is written there.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 10: 8-11
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
3) Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus as Christmas Jesus shed drops of tears: Easter Jesus shed drops of blood.
Christmas Jesus as a baby would have cried and thus shed drops of tears. But no one got saved, changed and healed by the tears of Christmas Jesus…but what hugely different story when we look at the shed drops of blood of Easter Jesus.
Romans 5:7-8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Notice it doesn’t say But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners….he sent a baby.
Christmas Jesus shed some tears…..
Easter Jesus shed he his blood for us.
He died for us.
Romans 5:9
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
When we are justified: – our guilt and shame are taken away
Our innocence is restored.
The blood makes all the difference.
Acts 20:28
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood
Matt 26:28
28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Col 1:14
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin
God gives us a warning if we count to Blood of Jesus a common thing
Heb 10:29 – out of the Amplified
29How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)?
The bible talks of blood 427 times – major theme –
Quote – cut the bible anywhere and it will bleed.
Lev 17:11 Life is in the blood
Without blood there cannot be life in the physical body.
That is just as true in the Bible.
Blood flows through the Bible just as it does through our veins. The blood of Christ keeps Christianity alive.
Shed Tears don’t save you
Shed blood saves you
4) Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus because keepers of the sheep met baby Jesus …..who on the cross became the Keepers of the sheep
Christmas Jesus was visited by Shepherds.
Luke 2:8-18
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds
But Easter Jesus was our Shepherd.
John 10:7-14, 28-29
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came [a]before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Jesus our Shepherd gave His life for us
God was in the heavens, holy and unapproachable by us fallen, sinful human beings. But two thousand years ago, God became a man, the man Jesus. The Lord Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life on earth, unlike any other person. He expressed God to humanity every place He went, with every action He took, and with every word He spoke. He ministered to people, full of compassion for the lost sheep of the world.
In John 10:11, before His death on the cross, Jesus told people what He would do: “I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus the good Shepherd willingly laid down His own life for the lost sheep of humanity. He made the ultimate sacrifice and accomplished redemption for us on the cross as our substitute. Surely no other shepherd is like our Lord Jesus! How thankful we are that He laid down His life for all of us
5) Christmas Jesus was an innocent baby. Easter Jesus gave his innocence to the un-innocent.
There is nothing more innocent than a baby.
Actually there is…..Easter Jesus….but then He gave His innocence to you and I….the un-innocent.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
An intervening Love – God intervened in the wretchedness and hopelessness of the humanity condition…
Eph 2:1-10
2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
A Demonstrative love
Love that does not demonstrates is not really love. But God demonstrates His love.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
A focussed love
Love that is toward us.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1
3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, because it did not know Him
What an incredible quality of love the Father has shown us that we should be permitted to be called and counted as the children of God.” God wanted a family to love. That’s why He created human beings. He wanted a family to love. He wants you in it. The most amazing thing to me is that the creator of the entire universe would care about me and would want me in His family.
An indiscriminate love
His death and resurrection is for anyone and everyone.
Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus.
