Pastor Curtis Mathis
Red Oak Baptist Church of Kaufman, Texas
April 9, 2023
Easter Sunday
“GRACE and only GRACE”
Scripture: Luke 23:26-43; 22:7-22
Introduction
Good morning, Church and welcome to Resurrection Sunday. And what a beautiful day our Lord has given us to celebrate Christ’s Victory over Death! Amen!!!
Before we delve into today’s Easter Message let me share with you today’s schedule, at the end of my message there will be a song of invitation, afterwards we will as Christ says in 1 Corinthians 11:25
do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.
As we will partake of the Lords Supper, we observe a cloaked ordinance, and invite all that have experienced salvation to join us. This will be followed by an A Capella verse of Amazing Grace, there will then be a short intermission followed by our monthly business meeting. We will then dismiss to enjoy the remainder of this beautiful Easter day with friends and family!
Main Teaching:
For the last month of Sundays, we have been taking a long and hard look at the love demonstrated to us, by God, through his Son, Jesus as it says in John 3:17 “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”
And it was this love that served as his catalyst, a love that was humble, perfect, and courageous… and it was this indescribable courageous love and not the nails that held him to cross… even unto death. A death that was necessary to usher in the one thing that all of humanity needed…Grace.
1. The original Grace…
It has been said that there is no Resurrection Sunday without Good Friday, and it is here at the cross that we will first find that which we seek…Grace. I know you have Gods Word with you this morning so please open them to Luke 23:26-43 as we relive the “Crucifixion”.
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us! “and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
Well, I’m sure at this point your asking yourself, “Pastor where is the grace you speak of?” well bear with me as we continue to read the next set of verses,
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Ok here comes the Grace,
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Are you kidding me!
Jesus is hanging on the crucifixion tree, his very life blood dripping away and he is offering unconditional grace to this self-proclaimed “sinner” who just happens to be occupying a cross next this his! And why is this so important to us here on Resurrection Sunday??? Because this shows us without any doubt that it is GRACE and nothing but GRACE that saves US!!!
I know the Bible doesn’t go into the “HOW” this lowly sinner finds his way into paradise, but let me tell you what it does tell us!!! At around 3:00 in the afternoon on this frightful day,
“Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)
Shortly after this the Roman Guards would have broken the legs of the two thieves hanging on the other crosses thus releasing them to death.
Now let’s look at 42 & 43 again,
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
So, imaging this, one minute this thief is hanging on a cross, slowly, and painfully suffocating, then there is this searing pain as both his knees are crushed and then it all goes black…
Then the next thing he knows he is standing, whole, healed and pardoned in paradise… and the keeper of the gate ask, “how is it you came to be here?”, the thief looks up and gives the only answer that he can… “because the man on the middle cross said I could.”
Because of GRACE and Nothing But GRACE!!!!
Ephesians 2:8-9, 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
This is without a doubt the single greatest example of this verse!
Do you realize that this man did not have the benefit of belonging to a “church”! He has never had donuts and Lattes in the Lobby, (have coffee and donuts); he didn’t attend Sunday School, or belong to a Small Group; he hadn’t read Allen Jacksons “Big Trouble Ahead”, (have a copy of book); he wasn’t on the building and grounds or hospitality committees; he has never ever sang a single verse of Amazing Grace (hymnal) or raised both hands high in the air,
tears streaming down his cheeks has he sang 10,000 Reasons; he has never jumped one single pew, (run and jump pew, but be careful and don’t break a hip); he had not the opportunity to sit in that pew (sit on pew) and open his Bible to John 15:13 and read “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”! He would never hear one of my sermons or be inspired by the on-line words of Pastor Tony Evans. (Have TE on monitor). He had never stood while the weight of the world fell upon his shoulders as he sings the song of invitation “Jesus Paid it All”, he never walked the aisle, or uttered the sinner’s prayer as he simply tried to breath, (kneel at alter), (run to baptistry) he was not given the opportunity to experience the waters of baptism, by emersion, splashing or sprinkling! (Run back to pulpit, and sit on step, I’m tired by now!) …
No he has not done one single churchy thing, so how in the name of all things Holy does this low life criminal find himself in paradise on this day???
Simple…
He had faith…42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And the Man on the middle cross said he could… 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
2. Grace for all…
And here is the greatest news of ALL… he has said that you and I can go too… 16 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.
3. Grace through His resurrection!
And it is this that we celebrate here and now on this Resurrection Sunday! Christ sacrificial death on the cross and His victory over death has assured us that Grace, though undeserved, waits for each sinner…free for the taking.
Closing:
Close from the heart, and my God bless you through His strength and power!
Song of invitation-
The Lords Supper… Luke 22:7-22
Because the man on the middle cross said I could…
Pastor Curtis
