Easter Sunday
April 4, 1999
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Story – Part 1
It was a windy but sunny spring day in May of 1986 when the San Jose High School boys track team came to our school for a head to head track meet. Hartsburg-Emden, where I went to school, and San Jose were conference rivals. The districts neighbored each other, and both were comprised of small farming communities.
The San Jose track team wasn’t very strong, except for one certain athlete. His name was John Waller. John Waller was somewhat of a living legend at that time in Illinois boys track. He was an incredibly gifted runner who had consistently placed in the top 5-10 spots in the mile run at the state level since he was in seventh grade. And this was his senior year. John had achieved the superstar status that few high school athletes ever do. A recognizable name and a recognizable face. The kind of guy everybody at a track meet would try to talk to just so they could say they did. The kind of guy that would make girls blush doing nothing more than walking past them.
I also ran the mile, and it was my senior year. I had run against John Waller on a number of occasions, only to watch him pull away from the pack down the stretch and leave the rest of us way behind. I was a decent miler, and strongest person in that event for my school, but the fastest mile I had ever run in my life was an even 5 minutes. John Waller’s best times were nearly 30 seconds faster. When I ran against him I was just hoping I wouldn’t get lapped.
Since we ran the same event, I had struck up somewhat of a friendship with John Waller over the last 2 years. He would give me little running tips and was always very encouraging. A genuinely nice guy, but man was he fast, and on a day like this, when I was his only real competition, it always exposed just how much stronger and faster he really was.
The mile is a race consisting of four laps around the track. And it takes place near the end of a track meet, after almost all of the other events have been completed. I had waited anxiously for the moment and now the time had arrived. I took my place at the starting line as did John Waller and three or four other runners from our two schools. The starter raised his arm – “Runners, take your mark.” He raised the gun, “Get set.” BANG! The gun was fired and off we went.
But something strange was happening. I was in the lead. We rounded the first curve and I was still leading. “Where’s John Waller?” I wondered. “Did he trip? What’s going on? Did I just have too much adrenaline and start out way too fast? No, this seems like my normal pace. This is really strange.”
I led the entire first lap. And as I ran across where we had started the race I fully expected to see John Waller on the ground nursing an injury. But, nope! He was nowhere to be found. He had to still be in the race. I finished the second lap still in the lead, my split times were consistent with how I always ran – where was John Waller?
I. (THE TRAGEDY OF SIN)
A. For a time in the history of the world it may have appeared to some that death would reign.
You know, it seemed like God was on the losing end. He created life human life in the Garden of Eden, a place of perfection and harmony.
But Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and Adam joined in too. Before this, death was just a word, a concept, an experience completely unknown.
1. As a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, death became a reality for everyone.
2. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery says…“Death is the greatest of humankind’s enemies, a relentless Grim Reaper that shows no respect for age or wealth. It robs parents of a precious child, leaving them to mourn the loss for the rest of their lives. It deprives wives and children of their breadwinner and protector, leaving them vulnerable in a hostile world. It takes away an aging spouse, leaving a gray-haired senior citizen without a lifelong companion and closest friend. Sometimes it arrives suddenly and unannounced; at other times it approaches slowly, as if stalking or taunting its helpless victim. Sometimes it hauls away its victims en masse; on other occasions it targets individuals. It uses a variety of methods and weapons, but only rarely does it capture its prey without inflicting pain and terror. Power, beauty and wealth can usually overcome any obstacle, but in death they meet their match.” (p. 198)
Illus – Recently I saw a special about the lost city of Cleopatra on Discovery channel. The entire island where she built her palace is now underwater. Divers have discovered it. One of the things I learned from watching was that Cleopatra adorned herself like the Egyptian goddess Isis in human form. And then believing she was a deity she took on the persona of someone who was eternal. But in the end, as it happens to everyone, Cleopatra discovered that she was no different than anyone else. She couldn’t escape the call of death.
It’s sometimes said that…
Persons in the Victorian era had a morbid fascination with death, but never spoke of sex, while in contemporary generation is obsessed with sex, death has become the great unmentionable. (John Stott, Cross of Christ, p. 243)
That seems pretty true. Scientists, doctors, nutritionists and Bally Total Fitness clubs all make claims that they have discovered ways to help us live longer. But none of them can keep us from dying. Despite all of our modern advancements, death still seems to be in control.
Death is scary, and it’s still very much a part of our world today.
After the tragedy in the Garden of Eden, could it be that the Giver of Life was now subject to death, the enemy’s greatest weapon?
The Bible offers a glimmer of hope:
B. But God said this to the serpent: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
Story – Part 2
John Waller wasn’t about to simply disappear from a race. A little more than halfway around the track on the third lap, of this mile race I was still in the lead. But then I heard that inevitable sound…footsteps. I knew what that meant. John Waller pulled up next to me on the right side. And he said to me, “Did you hear those split times?” I thought, “You’re talking to me now? You’re supposed to be trying to beat the pants off me in this race! This is mighty weird!” He said, “We’re right on pace for a five minute mile but we’ve got to pick it up a little bit. Here, let me break the wind for you.” We were at the third curve on the track, where the wind was hitting us the hardest. So John effortlessly took the lead away from me but stayed right in front to block the wind. We finished that third lap with John still in the lead, and all of the other members of our track team, who had been watching this race with a great deal of interest seemed to be looking at me as if to say, “Well, Rogers, good effort. But we knew it was only a matter of time.” Shortly into the 4th lap John Waller had already built one of the notoriously big leads over me, and now without the pressure of setting the pace and maintaining the lead, I simply focused on trying to better my time.
II. (THE TRIUMPH OF THE CONQUEST )
A. When Christ came on the scene, we see that He had power over the enemy.
It seemed like maybe God had the upper hand after all. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations, he drove out his demons – he even had power over Satan’s greatest weapon – death.
1. First, He brought a widow’s son back to life (Luke 7:11-17)
2. Then he did the same for Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49-56)
3. And later, perhaps most dramatically, He raised Lazarus from the dead, calling him out of the tomb, grave-clotes and all! (John 11:38-44)
Yes, Jesus had power over death. Death was no match for him. People had feared for centuries that death was a stone cold grip, from which no one could escape. And Jesus very calmly asserted His authority over it. Maybe this irreversible event could finally be undone!
B. But then Jesus himself was put to death. The one who raised people to life was raised up on a cross.
And it looked like death would still reign after all. But the reason we’re here today, is because death didn’t get the final word.
C. But God raised him from the dead.
In the text we read earlier, the Apostle Paul shouts defiantly…
1. “Where, O death is your victory?”
Of course, there’s no answer so he asks again…
“Where, O death is your sting?” (Again, No reply) (1 Corinthians 15: 55)
Why is there no reply? Because God raised Jesus from the dead, proving once and for all that He is ultimately and officially in control of what’s going on with life and death.
2. Sin is the “sting” of death – it’s the main reason why death is painful and poisonous. Sin causes death and it also brings judgment. We’ve all sinned, so no wonder we fear death!
3. “Christ bore the whole of death’s sting in order that we would have to bear none of it.” (John MacArthur, Jr., 1 Corinthians)
Paul implies that death left its sting in Jesus, just like a bee leaves its stinger in its victim. A bumblebee without its stinger still looks fierce, but it can’t really do you any harm. The same is true of death – it looks fierocious, but because Jesus defeated it, death has no sting.
D. You see, God promises to raise us too when we we’ve come into a saving relationship with Jesus.
READ 15:52-54
1. “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed…” (1 Corinthians 15:52)
Because of Jesus, God’s promise for you is that you can be physically raised from the dead too.
2. This may sound too far out for some to accept, but had we not seen some of God’s other miracles we probably wouldn’t believe them either.
The skeptic might say that it’s all too supernatural and sounds too mythical. But let me ask you a question. If you never saw a birth and I tried to describe it to you, would you believe it? If I said, “Well, this tiny unseen sperm from a man is combined with this unseen little egg from a woman and they form a cell and this cell begins to multiply. Then nine months later out comes this baby with hands and feet and eyelashes and ears and starts screaming.” You’d say, “Get outta here. You’re kidding me.” But, you see this is a miracle that we see over and over again but we take it for granted because its so common. It’s no more difficult for God to raise the dead than it is for him to create life in the womb.
When Christ went to the cross it looked as though the enemy could finally claim victory. But it was a victory of a different kind. For a moment, perhaps God let the enemy step in front, but in doing so he simply showed more of his greatness.
Story – Part 3
It was now near the end of the 4th and final lap of the mile race, and I was approaching the home stretch. With only 100 yards to go John Waller had dropped back and he and I were now once again running side by side. I had never been this close to him so near the end of a race. Stride for stride. I was running as fast as I could, and he seemed to glide effortlessly.
I wanted to win, but how could I? With one final burst of power I knew he could easily pull ahead. But he didn’t. And within 20 yards of the finish line, he turned to me and said, “OK. Take it.”
“What?” I asked.
John repeated himself, “I said, take it!”
And with that he slid right behind me, I crossed the finish line in first place, with John Waller only a second behind.
He had let me win. His teammates were kicking dust. Yelling at him. His coach was furious. Our team was screaming and going crazy. Our shot-putter, Jeff Schleder, had picked me up in the air and was parading me around while people applauded. I was embarrassed. When he put me down I told our coach, Mr. McGraw, “It’s not what you think. He let me win.” He slapped me on the back and said, “Yeah, right he did. Way to go!” No one understood. Every person there thought I had just run the race of my life. The only people who knew any different were John Waller and me.
The next morning at school, over the intercom system in every classroom came the announcement. “In yesterday’s boys track meet, Matt Rogers defeated John Waller in the mile run.” Great. Now everyone knew. There’s something pretty humbling about being considered a champion when you know your competition lost on purpose.
III. (THE THANKS BE TO GOD!)
A. Jesus suffered what appeared to be a momentary defeat so that we could claim victory with Him. Pretty humbling isn’t it.
In fact, Paul says it like this
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
B. He GIVES us the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
It’s a gift. He says, “Take it!”
THESIS: We have no reason to fear death because of Christ’s victory over it.
C. How could this change our attitudes toward death?
1. Death has been defeated but not yet destroyed. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
2. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
John Stott says…
Jesus is the resurrection of believers who die and the life of believers who live. He promises not that you will just survive, but that you will be resurrected. When he says, “you will never die,” it doesn’t mean that you will escape death, but that death will prove to be a trivial episode, a transition to the fullness of life. (Stott, Cross of Christ, p. 244)
CONCLUSION
A. Easter Sunday is all about victory.
B. What will you do with the victory Christ is offering to you?
1. You could say, “No, I won’t take it. If it can be won I’ll win it without anyone’s help.”
No, I won’t take it. I’m too proud. I want to earn it myself. (Your best effort won’t do. That’s why Christ had to defeat death and give you the victory.)
2. You could take it and later and later be embarrassed that you did.
3. You could take it and say, “Thanks be to God!”
Story – Part 4
I watched John Waller get back on the bus that day, and I still don’t understand why he did it.
But I know why Christ gives me the victory. Because I’m dead without it.
I hope you don’t get in your car and drive off today without realizing what Christ has done for you.
He defeated death and he’s willing to give you the victory if you’ll take it.
