The Importance Of Easter

A. 1 Corinthians 15:17 "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins."

B. Christ’s resurrection validates and puts God’s seal of approval on everything Jesus did when on the Cross. Christ’s Resurrection means that God the Father accepted His Son’s vicarious sacrifice for our sin.

C. Romans 4:23-5:2 “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

D. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on account of our justification. It proved that Christ was a worthy sacrifice to secure our salvation.

E. Jesus Christ is RISEN. HE LIVES! Because He lives, I am forgiven. He is the spotless Lamb of God who conquered sin and death. His blood has covered my sin and I am justified.

F. Some of us stay at the cross, some of us wait at the tomb,

Quickened and raised with Christ yet lingering still in the gloom.

Some of us 'bide at the Passover feast with Pentecost all unknown,

The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place

that our Lord has made His own

If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross,

His work had been incomplete.

If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb,

He had only known defeat,

But the way of the cross never stops at the cross

and the way of the tomb leads on

To victorious grace in the heavenly place

where the risen Lord has gone – Annie Johnson Flint

G. The resurrection is God’s "Amen!" to Christ’s statement, "It is finished." Jesus died and rose again!! He beat death. He is the Savior of all who place their faith and trust in Him.

IV. The resurrection of Christ validates our future resurrection.

A. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

B. Job asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?

C. There are those who say, “Life after death is a myth, he claimed, and no one goes to heaven or hell after death; that there is no life beyond the grave.” For those who have no hope beyond this life, death has to be a grueling terrifying, experience. Yet, the resurrection of Jesus is proof positive life exists beyond the grave.

D. John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

E. The following Illustration comes from the Kansas City Star.Com

• DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: How can we know if there is life after death? I’d like to think there is but I don’t see any scientific reason to believe in it. Once a person is dead, that’s the end of everything, in my view. Or am I overlooking something? — H.J.J.