Why We Need Jesus!

INTRODUCTION

• VIDEO

• SLIDE #1

• It was so good to be able to celebrate Resurrection Sunday together today!

• Over the past few weeks we have been looking at various questions concerning Jesus. Questions like, “Is Jesus The Son of God?,” “Is Jesus the only way to God?”, “Why did Jesus Die?,” and “Why was the tomb empty?.”

• As we gather today to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we are going to answer the question, “Why We NEED Jesus.”

• If we accept the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, we have a decision to make.

• You cannot just give lip service to the resurrected Jesus, you need to give Him your life and in return, He will bless you beyond your wildest imagination.

• Things have happened throughout history that has made Jesus an important part of our lives.

• Today we are going to look at Why we NEED Jesus!

• Let us examine the one of the reasons we NEED Jesus. Look at verses 20-21

• SLIDE #2

• 1 Corinthians 15:20-21(ESV) 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. JESUS DEFEATED DEATH! (20-21)

A. First Fruits

• In verse 20 we see that Paul tells us that Jesus has been raised from the dead. He says that Jesus is the “first fruits” of those who are asleep.

• Paul has told us that he is a witness to the fact that Jesus was raised, and that His resurrection was a physical one.

• What does Paul mean when he says that Jesus is the “first fruits” of those who are asleep?

• In the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus in chapter 23, the Israelites were told they had to dedicate the first part of the harvest to God by giving it to the priest so he could offer it up to God.

• This had to be done BEFORE they could harvest their crops. This was called the “first fruits”.

• They could not grow a special patch of crops for this the first fruits had to be taken from the field they were going to harvest from.

• In return for dedicating their “first fruits” to God, God would promise them there was more to come or a good harvest.

• When Jesus is called the “first fruits” Paul is saying that Jesus is the first of many to be resurrected. The harvest to eternal life could not happen until Jesus, “the first fruits” was offered up to God the Father.

• Jesus was raised from the dead and so will everyone else who has ever lived!

B. Death

• In verse 21 we are told that through a man came death, and by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

• There is some dispute over what kind of death is being spoken of here, physical or spiritual. At least with verse 21, the context tells us it is physical death. Adam brought physical death to the world. Genesis 3:19 confirms this.

• SLIDE #4

• Genesis 3:19(ESV) 19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

• God told Adam that if he ate the fruit from the tree, he would die. (Genesis 2:16-17) Adam was lived for 930 years and he died. (Genesis 5:5)

• Physical death entered the word because of Adam; we cause our own spiritual death by our own sin.

• Verse 21 tells us that through Jesus, there would be resurrection from the dead. The verse says that ALL will die and ALL will be raised.

• Man was created not to die, but because of the sin of Adam we all will die.

• SLIDE #5

• Romans 5:12(ESV) 12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

• The resurrection of Jesus authenticates who He is and what He preached and taught. The resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God.

• Everyone will be raised thanks to Jesus, later we will see that the resurrection will not be a good thing for some.

• Jesus defeated death and if we want to defeat death, we need Jesus also!

• Let’s turn to verses 22-24

• SLIDE #6

• 1 Corinthians 15:22-24(ESV) 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.