During Easter 2019, I preached a creative message on Good Friday and Easter Sunday looking at the The Top Ten Reasons why Easter Jesus is better than 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.
I have posted my Good Friday Notes (The first five reasons) in a separate Sermon Central Post.
So here are the next five reasons Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus.
6) Christmas Jesus only left behind an empty womb. Easter Jesus left behind an empty tomb.
And what an amazing womb it was.
What an amazing woman Mary was.
Let us ponder on some of the most important qualities of Mother Mary.
Mary was highly favored. God was with her. She was chosen to be the mother of Jesus’ humanity. This tells us that Mary was a young woman of outstanding moral and spiritual character.
Mary was submissive to God. She counted the cost. So far as she knew: she would lose Joseph; she would be a social outcast; she had no idea how she would raise the Child. Yet she said without hesitation, “May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).
Mary was a woman of faith. Part of Elizabeth’s prophetic response to Mary’s greeting was “blessed is she who has believed” (Luke 1:45).
Mary was humble. She spoke of her “humble state” (Luke 1:48). She realized that she was a girl from Nazareth with no social status.
Mary was spiritual. She was a devout worshipper. We see this in the profound and powerful words of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
Mary was thoughtful. She kept the words of the shepherds and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). Twelve years later in Jerusalem Jesus made a pointed statement about His true Father that Mary kept also in her heart (Luke 2:51).
The most appropriate role model for women. As a motherly figure, Mary exemplifies strength of godliness, strength, and maternal instinct. Mary portrays traits of holiness, piety, and humbleness. As a teacher, Mary instructs women on the importance of trust and perseverance.
One of the most valuable strengths Mary possessed was her ability to persevere.
The Angel Gabriel greeted Mary as “full of grace” or the one who enjoys “God’s favor”, which is enough to give us an idea of her magnificence! Yes, she who was to become the Mother of the divine Son, our Redeemer, chosen by God from all eternity, could only be endowed with all natural and supernatural perfection, and consequently with all the corresponding virtues.
And Christmas Jesus came through her womb
And whilst we honour Mary – her empty womb is not significant.
John 15:1-9
The Empty Tomb
20 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the [a]handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not [b]know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
1 Corinthians 15:14
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
What does the empty tomb give us
Frees us from our sins.
Romans 6:5-7
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
We died with Christ
We were raised with Christ
Sin has no power over a dead person
And now we walk in free from sin
Manifests the justice of God.
Hebrews 9:11-14
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,[a] with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
He took our punishment which the justice of God demanded
Demonstrates the uniqueness of Christianity.
All other religious founders are dead.
We serve as living Saviour. The Resurrection sets our faith apart.
Sustains our hope.
Because Jesus rose, we are established in the certain hope that we too shall rise again. Peter writes, “By God’s great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
I Pet 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
7) Christmas Jesus didn’t inspire any major doctrinal points or revelation. Easter Jesus brings us every revelation of the new creation of the new testament.
In all the New Testament no major doctrinal point is ever built upon the the virgin birth of Christ. Not one. It’s true. It happened. But it’s never discussed or mentioned. In fact, two gospels don’t even say anything about it.
The very first sermon preached in the New Testament Church – Peter on the day of Pentecost
Acts 2:22-25
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you [f]have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having [g]loosed the [h]pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:
New Creation realities.
Romans 6
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been [b]freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Cor 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [d]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
8) Christmas Jesus as all about receiving…..Gold etc….But Easter Jesus is all about giving.
Access to the Father
Heb 10:19
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness[f] to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Precious Holy Spirit
John 14:15
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
Eternal Life
John 14:1
14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many [a]mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Spiritual Authority
Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
Forgiveness
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Power
Eph 1:19-21
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
9) When Christmas Jesus was born he was taken to the temple and dedicated as the presence of God was there…..With Easter Jesus, the veil was torn in two and the presence of God left the temple and now dwells amongst us.
Christmas Jesus
Luke 2:22-24
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Easter Jesus
Matt 27:
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
10) Christmas Jesus is all about three wise men (apparently)….but Easter Jesus is about wise men who follow Him. Way more than three.
Christmas Jesus is known for His three wise men.
But Easter Jesus is known for the wise man on the cross…..
He was the first of many wise men
And Easter Jesus is inviting you, if you haven’t already to come and visit him today and be a wise man or a wise woman.
Hope that has been helpful.
