Easter Sunrise 2021
Things aren’t always what they seem
- Read Luke 23:32-24:12
About 17 years ago, when Drew was about 4 or 5, Gladys, Drew, Gladys’ brother Paul and her dad Leon and I all went to Blue Springs. We were going to go canoeing because Paul wanted to film some alligators.
Now Drew, who is normally adventurous, didn’t want to go. He was young at the time, and something about being in the water with alligators really spooked him, and he didn’t want to go. So we left him with Mr. Leon, and Gladys Paul and I canoed up the river. We cut across one of the old cuts through there that they dug a century or more ago, to harvest the cypress, on our way to the dead river. After canoeing for a while, we went back to Blue Springs.
When we got back, we noticed something strange about Mr. Leon and about Drew. Mr. Leon’s lips and teeth were yellow and orange, and he had a yellowish streak down the front of his shirt. Drew’s lips and teeth were blue, and he had a blueish streak down the front of his shirt.
It turns out that Drew had gotten into the Easter Egg Dye tablets, and thought they were candy, so he ate one and he brought one to his grandfather.
Things are not always how they appear, and that is especially true at Easter. I mean, nothing we just read is what it appears to be. Think about it.
Think about who the crowd chose.
1. The One the crowd chose
This passage tells us about a man named Barabbas. Barabbas means “son of the Father”. The Bible tells us in Matthew that Barabbas was a thief, a robber, a highway man. The word used to describe him is one which gives the idea of a thief who worked with a company of thieves. Here we are told that he was a rebel and a murderer.
So Barabbas was a murderer, a revolutionary and a highway man.
Jesus was the only begotten Son of His Father. What was He known for? He was known for healing people. He was known for feeding people. He was known for bringing the dead back to life, for making lame people walk and blind people see. He was known for teaching people to turn the other cheek and to go the extra mile.
The crowd was given a choice. Will you take the son of the father, who is a murderer and a thief, or will you take the Only Begotten Son, who has done nothing but help people?
Our survey says, “We’ll take Barabbas.” So Pilate asks, “What will I do with Jesus?” Crucify Him! Does that make any sense?
2. Think also about what the people cried.
This passage tells us that the crowd kept hollering for Jesus to be crucified. Matthew tells us hearing this that Pilate washed his hands in front of the people and told them, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”
The people cried, “His blood be on us and our children.”
Oh, the people that day thought they were bringing down a curse on themselves. Little did they know that every Christian since that time has wanted the blood of Jesus on them and their children.
The Bible tells us, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
> 1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
Instead of the blood of Jesus being a curse on us, it actually cleanses us.
Many of ya’ll know my brother-in-law, Paul, videos everything. Well, earlier this week he was playing a video of an early baptismal service here at the church. Baptized a lot of folks that day, including a number of children. One of the children I got to baptize that day was Drew. And I was crying as I did it.
And you should have seen him roll his eyes when I said, “I baptize you my brother”.
A couple of days ago my brother Dusty sent us a clip showing a Master Sargent Michael Fisher, a Marine, giving the first salute to his son who had just been made a second lieutenant. The dad’s voice was breaking up as he did so, he was so proud of his son. I showed the video to Gladys and I said, “It doesn’t get any better than that.” Gladys said, “Yes it does. You can baptize your son.”
What parent doesn’t want their child cleaned by the blood of Jesus? What grandparent doesn’t want to know that they, their children and grandchildren are all going to have a reunion in heaven one day?
His blood be on us and our children! Lord please let it be. I pray your blood will be on every person, every child, parent, grandparent, and great grandparent here today.
Things are not always what they seem, especially at Easter.
3. Think about what happened that weekend.
Oh the Devil thought he had everything going his way that weekend. He had Judas, a man who had walked with Jesus for more than 3 years, betray Him. Right after Jesus humbled Himself and washed his feet, Judas betrayed him.
The Devil sent a spirit of fear on the disciples so that they all fled when Jesus was arrested. The crowds who followed Him when He fed them on the hillside, and the crowds who only days before had cried, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”; were no where to be found.
Pilate, the one who was the ruler over Israel, the one who was charged by the Roman government to run the place, the one who had access to legions of Roman soldiers, men who had conquered most of the known world, he was cowed by a crowd of people, even after his wife warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus.
Oh, the Devil was there alright. He was there when the people were bringing charges against Jesus, but couldn’t even get their stories straight. The Bible says the Devil has been a liar from the beginning and is the father of lies. Well, there was an awful lot of lying going on there, and the Devil was in the midst of it.
Oh, he was there when Roman soldiers taunted, beat and spit on our Savior though He had done nothing wrong. He was there strengthening the arm of the soldier as he swung the cat of nine tails.
He was there when they made our Savior carry his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, until, weakened by a loss of blood, he stumbled and fell.
He was there as they drove the nails through His hands and His feet. He was there when our Savior cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
He was there when our Savior cried out, “It is finished”and gave up.
The Devil was there when the Roman soldier drove a spear into His side and blood and water flowed. He strengthened the hand that held the whip and he guided the hand that drove the spear.
Don’t you think he rejoiced when the earth was covered with darkness at the breaking of our heavenly father’s heart? I imagine he danced a jig.
Let me tell you, the Devil was there when they placed Jesus in the tomb. He wanted to make sure Jesus stayed there, so he had a stone rolled in front of the tomb to lock Him in. He had a seal placed on the stone so no one could move it, and he had a squad of Roman soldiers guard the tomb so no one could steal His body.
The disciples were scared and hiding in an upper room. It sure seemed like God’s greatest defeat ever. But, things are not always what they seem, especially on Easter.
Those soldiers who so brazenly and cruelly beat and crucified our Savior. In Matthew 27 we read,
> Matthew 27:50-54 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Those soldiers so brave when they out number and beat a man who is tied, trembled. And the soldiers who guarded the tomb, they ran when an angel showed up and rolled the stone a way.
The tomb the Devil did everything he knew to do to secure? It was empty. Jesus got up and walked away and the tomb was empty.
Low in the grave He lay. Jesus my savior. Waiting the coming day. Jesus my Lord. Vainly they watch His bed - Jesus my Savior. Vainly they seal the dead. - Jesus My Lord. Death cannot keep his prey - Jesus my Savior. He tore the bars away - Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave He arose. With a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose a Victor fro the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose. He arose. Hallelujah! Christ arose.
In Isaiah 53 we read,
> Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.…
What seemed a great defeat, was actually a great working by God, and through it you and I can be saved.
Things are not always what they seem, especially at Easter.
Two more items I’d like you to notice.
4. The religious folks
- Read Luke 23:13-18
Who was it leading the attacks against Jesus? It was the chief priests. It was the leaders. It was the religious folks.
My friend, just because you are “religious”, just because you attend church and carry a Bible doesn’t mean you are a Christian and it doesn’t mean you are saved. The religious leaders here are the ones who wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
Billy Graham once estimated that 90% of the the people in our churches today are not Christians. 90% Think about it. What did Jesus say?
> John 3:3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
> Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
Let me ask you, “Do you know, that you know, that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if you were to die today that you’d go to heaven?” On what do you base that belief? Do your actions demonstrate that kind of love for Jesus?
John says in 1 John 5:13
> 1 John 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
You can know. You don’t have to hope. You don’t have to guess. You can know.
Those who thought they were religious were the ones who were lost. Things are not always what they seem, especially at Easter.
5. The thieves
One other things I’d like you to notice before we go. Look at the thieves.
Matthew tells us that the 2 thieves He was crucified between cursed Him. If there were ever people who deserved to die, it was these 2. They were thieves. They were the scum of the earth and they were both cursing Jesus. But then somewhere along the way, one of the thieves came to his senses, just hours before he died.
- Read Luke 23:40-43
Just hours before he died, one of the thieves came to his sense and asked Jesus to remember him. And Jesus told him, “This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
One of the people all of the folks gathered that day knew deserved death, was saved!
Things are not always what they seem, especially at Easter.
And let me tell you, some of you this morning think you have done too much in your past to be saved. You think you have run too long. You have waited too long. You have done too much bad. To you Jesus says, “Come unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”
It is not too late. Right now. This morning would you make Jesus your Lord and Savior?
* Share plan of salvation.
