Big Idea

When Jesus said “it is finished”, as He hung on the cross, He gave up His spirit and He died. To many, this may have seemed like a defeat. The Evil One thought he had finished Jesus. The Roman soldiers thought they had finished Jesus. The religious elite thought that they had finished Jesus. However, this is not what Jesus meant. He knew that He had fulfilled the scriptures and had been faithful to the end. What was truly finished was the power of sin and death. Jesus’ death and resurrection declared victory for all who trust in Him.

When Jesus said “it is finished”, as He hung on the cross, He gave up His spirit and He died.

Introduction

He is risen! (He is risen indeed!) We have gathered together this Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All around the world, Christians will come together to remember the fact that the tomb was empty then and is still empty today.

It is good on this Easter Sunday to be reminded, however, that what we now consider to be the victorious defeat of death was, at the time, considered the humiliating loss of a Messiah. In the eyes of many, Easter was almost the holiday that wasn’t because it nearly ended in disaster and defeat.

Main Teaching

After three years of earthly ministry, Jesus was arrested for his claims of being the Son of God. He had preached the good news of the Kingdom of God and performed countless miracles on his way to the cross of Calvary. The Pharisees wanted to see Jesus extinguished because of the threat he brought to their control. The Roman government wanted him dead because of the following he had gained that they saw as a threat to their power. Finally, Satan wanted to kill Jesus because it would ensure his own unthreatened rule on the earth. The crucifixion was the confluence of all three powers into one place.

Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross and lifted up between two thieves, one on his right and one on his left ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium