Sermon Central
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Top Ten Reasons Why Easter Jesus Is Better Than Christmas Jesus – Part 2
Contributed by Peter Pilt on Apr 28, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: This was a creative way we presented the Easter Story. We looked at the ways that Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus and then decorated the auditorium half as Easter and half as Christmas. It worked very well.This post is Part Two of Top Ten Reasons.
During Easter 2019, I preached a creative message on Good Friday and Easter Sunday looking at the The Top Ten Reasons why Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus.
Now I understand that Christmas and Easter Jesus are the same Jesus…but the point I am trying to make is that the world is more comfortable celebrating a baby in manger rather than a man brutally beaten, dying on a Roman cross, claiming to be the Savior of the world.
I have posted my Good Friday Notes (The first five reasons) in a separate Sermon Central Post.
So here are the next five reasons Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus.
6) Christmas Jesus only left behind an empty womb. Easter Jesus left behind an empty tomb.
And what an amazing womb it was.
What an amazing woman Mary was.
Let us ponder on some of the most important qualities of Mother Mary.
Mary was highly favored. God was with her. She was chosen to be the mother of Jesus’ humanity. This tells us that Mary was a young woman of outstanding moral and spiritual character.
Mary was submissive to God. She counted the cost. So far as she knew: she would lose Joseph; she would be a social outcast; she had no idea how she would raise the Child. Yet she said without hesitation, “May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).
Mary was a woman of faith. Part of Elizabeth’s prophetic response to Mary’s greeting was “blessed is she who has believed” (Luke 1:45).
Mary was humble. She spoke of her “humble state” (Luke 1:48). She realized that she was a girl from Nazareth with no social status.
Mary was spiritual. She was a devout worshipper. We see this in the profound and powerful words of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
Mary was thoughtful. She kept the words of the shepherds and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). Twelve years later in Jerusalem Jesus made a pointed statement about His true Father that Mary kept also in her heart (Luke 2:51).
The most appropriate role model for women. As a motherly figure, Mary exemplifies strength of godliness, strength, and maternal instinct. Mary portrays traits of holiness, piety, and humbleness. As a teacher, Mary instructs women on the importance of trust and perseverance.
One of the most valuable strengths Mary possessed was her ability to persevere.
The Angel Gabriel greeted Mary as “full of grace” or the one who enjoys “God’s favor”, which is enough to give us an idea of her magnificence! Yes, she who was to become the Mother of the divine Son, our Redeemer, chosen by God from all eternity, could only be endowed with all natural and supernatural perfection, and consequently with all the corresponding virtues.
And Christmas Jesus came through her womb
And whilst we honour Mary – her empty womb is not significant.
The Empty Tomb
20 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the [a]handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not [b]know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
What does the empty tomb give us
Frees us from our sins.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
