What Difference Does The Resurrection Make?

What Difference Does the Resurrection Make?

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

April 20, 2014

Easter Morning Service

On Friday

On Friday, The disciples were running, Peter was denying and Judas was betraying.

On Friday, Jesus heard the crowds that cried Hosanna scream crucify, crucify.

On Friday, Pilate crumbles to will of sinful people, Jesus suffers a mockery of a trial and is sentenced to death

On Friday, the disciples are questioning, Mary is crying and the scribes are scheming

On Friday, the Romans beat Jesus until He is no longer recognizable, He is robed in scarlet and crowned with thorns

On Friday, a cross is dropped on Jesus’ back, He is forced to Golgotha, crowds scoff and spit on him

On Friday, the romans nail Jesus’ feet to the cross, the romans nail Jesus hands to the cross

On Friday, the priests were insulting, the Pharisees were celebrating and Hell was dancing

On Friday, Jesus cries out about being forsaken, He cares for His mother and speaks of His thirst

On Friday, the sky grows dark, the earth shakes and quakes

On Friday, evil is smiling, death is winning and Satan is laughing

On Friday, Jesus says It is Finished and gives up His spirit

On Friday, soldier pierce his side – Blood and water flows – Jesus is dead

On Friday, Joseph of Arimethea claims His body, Nicodemus prepares the spices and oils and Jesus is buried in a borrowed tomb

On Friday, a stone is placed in front of the tomb, the Romans add their seal and guards watch over the dead

On Friday, the grave has won, hope is lost and sin is overcoming

The good news is today isn’t Friday

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Three things we need to understand about Easter

1. Jesus died for our sins

The whole reason that Jesus died on the cross was because of sin. Jesus was perfect and without sin. Every person no matter how good they are cannot be good in the eyes of God. God’s standard is perfection and not one of us is perfect. The truth is that no one can ever live up to God’s standard for living. No one can match the standard that God has and therefore, no one is good.

Every one of us has fallen short of God’s standard at some point in our lives. We have all sinned at some point or another in our lives. The reality is that sin is common to all of us because we have all made a mistake or missed the mark that God set out for us. We all have gotten off target in our lives and have not done as God would have desired.

The result of sin is always the same, it ends in bloodshed. In the Old Testament, something had to die to cover the penalty of sin. Animals were sacrificed day after day in the temple for the covering of sin. When Jesus goes to the cross, it is to pay the price for sin. Jesus went to the cross for all of those times that we lost our way. Jesus went to the cross for all of those times we did what we knew was wrong. Jesus paid the price for our sin.

Many say that the Romans killed Jesus because they crucified Him. Others say that the Jews killed Jesus because they tried Him. The reality is that Jesus died because of you and me. Jesus was put on the cross because our sins demanded a payment. Who really killed Jesus? We did, our sins did and our need did. We are responsible for the death of Jesus.

If we are honest, this is really bad news or at least it seems like it. We are the ones who put Jesus on the cross. The Jews may have gotten Him tried and the Romans drove the nails but you and I killed Jesus. We have to accept responsibility.

Jesus took on the punishment we deserved by dying on the cross. He gave His life so we could live. He shed His blood to save our lives. The cross was not an accident or some afterthought. The cross was the plan all along.

2. Jesus was buried

There is no mistake and there is no doubt that Jesus died on Friday. There is no greater proof that Jesus was dead than His burial. When Jesus was pierced in the side, blood and water flowed. This means that the chest cavity was penetrated and the heart was punctured. The Romans released Jesus for burial which means they were sure that He was dead.