INTRODUCTION
We preach about the passion of Christ year after year. And we read the same passages year after year. Each year is expected to be unique and different. Yes, and the emphasis is usually different when a lot of time is spend in the presence of the Lord, to seek His guidance and strength in the preparation and delivery of our sermons. Paul said “when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4). The outcome of this type of preaching that depends on the Lord is in verse 5. Our aim in all our preaching should be to bring people closer to God through Jesus Christ.
In preparing your Easter sermons this time round, you may want to pay attention to a few critical things. Not all people in church clearly understand why they are there. Some do not know what following Christ is all about, and others are not aware of the key doctrines about who Jesus is. When our view about who Jesus is, is wrong, our entire live and expression becomes misplaced. These factors need to characterize our preaching and we need to be intentional about it. Easter is a time to clarify and reinforce the knowledge of Christ in the minds of the people, bringing them to a point of clear decision in following Him. Some people need to relinquish other belief systems they had held on to for years, due to a poor understanding of the One who came to represent God for us on earth.
TALK ABOUT FALSE TEACHINGS ABOUT WHO JESUS IS
Second John 7-11 is revealing and relevant to the Easter story. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, how could He have died for our sins? He came and identified with our nature, and defeated sin in the flesh. He lived as a man and yet without sin, so He might be an example for us. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” – 2 John 7. Any true believer must believe that Jesus came in the flesh. He experienced many limitations of the flesh, and was tempted in every possible way, yet He remained sinless. Yes, He was tempted in all points, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Indeed, “He condemned sin in the flesh” – Romans 8:3. His sinless life is what qualified Him to be the right payment for the sin of all mankind. We need to emphasize this fact in our Easter sermons.
This is the doctrine of the humanity of Christ, and needs to be part of what we teach at Easter. The church member today is not like that of many years ago. Today, they explore spiritual food from many different places. This we cannot control. What we must do is to let them be grounded in the right doctrines. So grounded to the point where they can notice, recognize what is false and run from it.
CAREFULLY EXPLAIN THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
While there are people who do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh, others do not believe that He is God. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the Trinity. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” – Colossians 2:9. He testified about Himself that “I and My Father are one” – John 10:30. As we are all familiar with John 1:1 that the Word was God (written with capital letter). If He was not God, He could not have walked on the sea, healed the sick, raised the dead, stilled the storm, and many other things that declared His divinity.
REVEAL WHO CHRIST IS TO THEM
Without a clear understanding of the doctrine of Incarnation, there will be a poor understanding of the cross and the power of His blood. It was not an ordinary blood. That blood was potent because He was fully God and fully Man. The blood that can atone for our sins must be the blood of a sinless Lamb. John saw Him and said “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29. One of the elders said to John as he saw that no one was worthy to take the scroll or even look at it saying “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” – Revelation 5:5. He is the “Lamb as though it had been slain” – Revelation 5:6. Peter said “you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” – 1 Peter 1:18-19. The wages of sin is death. But none of us will qualify even if we were to die for our sin, because the payment for sin has to be with a lamb without blemish. Oh, what a wonderful Saviour we have found in Jesus!
NO MORE SACRIFICES NEEDED
Self-sacrifice is not what God needs, but our hearts. There is the need for no more sacrifices after the ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Hebrews 10:12 says “but this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God”. Again, Jesus is the High Priest who “was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” – Hebrews 7:26-27. Jesus offered up Himself to God as the ULTIMATE sacrifice. This one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was enough to pay for the sins of the whole world. There is no more the need for any sacrifice – whether of humans or of animals. All animal sacrifices have ceased. Visiting a shrine that requires that you bring a fowl for some ritual is a total abomination before the Lord. Not only that, it attracts a curse, and opens you up for demonic manipulation.
Today, God calls on us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to Himself (Romans 12:1-2). He has called us out of darkness into light, and we cannot go back into darkness. One way to go back into darkness is to make any form of animal sacrifices. No more bulls and goats and sheep and fowl sacrifices. And no one needs to die for their sins. Jesus died for all and in Him we live and move and have our being (see Acts 17:28). In Jesus, we are free!
This Jesus, whose death and resurrection we celebrate at Easter, is the One who died to pay the penalty for our sins. In Him, we have forgiveness of sins (see Ephesians 1:7). His blood has made a way for us to the Father, and through Him, we have access to God. He is the perfect sacrifice for sin, after which no more and no other sacrifice is needed. The apostles constantly preached forgiveness of sins in the short sermons. The power of those sermons were tremendous.
LOOK OUT FOR THE NON-CHRISTIAN CHURCH MEMBERS
Many who will participate in Easter activities are non-Christians. Even in the case of those who are Christians, there is a large number of non-evangelicals and nominal Christians.
It is a period during which people’s hearts are open to hear the Lord. They are tender and open to an opportunity to improve their relationship with the Lord. This is what the minister needs to take advantage of and speak to their heart. In speaking to their hearts, we help them to understand who Jesus is. Worshipping who we do not know only brings people to making various mistakes in their relationship with God. When we know Jesus well, we can relate to God properly.
CONCLUSION
A clear and well thought out message at Easter can bring many souls to the Lord. Church members who are not clear about what they believe will have a turn around. This clarity will transform their lives and revitalize your ministry. Many of the deceptions today are based of incorrect doctrines about who Jesus is and some violate important attributes of God.
Being aware of the various constituencies in our churches, we can break down these principles to their level and help them cling to the Lord. This includes being intentional in meeting with all who will teach the youth and the children to discuss the lessons they will be teaching and fine-tuning it with them. Children and the less educated can all understand these principles if we take time to package it well for them. We cannot assume they will teach it if we have not discussed it. I often step into the youth meetings and children service to interact with them and connect with the teachers. Visiting them once in a while during this Easter will encourage them as they teach the doctrines about Jesus.
May the Lord bless your ministry and cause it to take on a new dimension.
