What does Easter mean? Why does it matter to me?
• Millions of people celebrate Easter today, all around the world.
• How is it that something that happened more than 2000 years ago is significant today?
What does it mean?
• There are even people who never go to church and yet claimed to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
• It's an historical fact. It wasn't done in secret. The whole city of Jerusalem knew about it and eventually the whole Roman Empire.
• It was news. If the news station CNN had been there, they would have had it live.
There are at least 15 references to Jesus meeting people after His resurrection.
• One time He cooked breakfast for His disciples by the beach. One time He took a walk with another two disciples on the road to Emmaus. One time He talked to about 500 people after He had risen from the dead. A lot of people saw Him.
What does it mean? It means 3 things.
1. Jesus is who He claimed to be.
2. Jesus has the power He claimed to have
3. Jesus does what He promised to do.
1. JESUS IS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE
John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
Jesus made some outrageous claims when He was here on earth.
• He claimed to be God. He said He is perfect, that He is the only way to heaven. He tells us He is the Saviour of the world.
• A lot of people try to make Jesus a good teacher. A good teacher would never say that.
• If I go and teach people all kinds of good morals and values, you will say I am a good teacher. But if I start calling myself God, you will not think I am a good teacher any more.
• Jesus was either who He said He was or He was the biggest liar who ever lived.
John 14:6-7a “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well….”
• This is a very strong claim. He said, “I am the way.” He didn’t say, I'm one way, I'm a good way, or I'm one of the many ways.
• It cannot be "All roads get to heaven". That's like saying I can dial any phone number and get home. There's one number that will get me home.
Jesus says, “I am the truth.” That means any other way is not the truth if He's right.
• He claimed to be God. He says, "No one can get to God the Father except by me."
Even if you don't believe Jesus Christ is who He said He was, you still use Him as a reference point.
• Every time you write a cheque, every time you date a letter, every time you put down an appointment in your diary, what is the reference point?
• We put down 2010, because we are 2010 years from the year Jesus came to this earth.
• God came to earth in the form of a man so we could know who God is like. His name was Jesus Christ. He split all of history into A.D. and B.C.
• Every time you write a date, Jesus is the reference point. He said He was who He claimed to be.
2. JESUS SHOWS HE HAD THE POWER HE CLAIMED TO HAVE
The last words Jesus said to His disciples were: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt 28:18)
• In John 10:18 He says, "Nobody takes my life from me. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again."
• No force could keep Him dead. The Romans killed Him, they put Him in a tomb, they put the big stone in front of the tomb and then sealed it with the Roman seal and they posted a 24-hour guard. How could human strength stop God?
3. JESUS DOES WHAT HE PROMISES TO DO
Mark 10:33-34 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
Jesus was the only one who knew His future and talked about it.
• The cross was no surprise to Jesus. It was all part of God's plan.
• The angel said to the women at the tomb, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matt 28:5-6)
• Jesus did not predict it, He prophesied it. He knows it would happen.
When God makes a promise, you can count on it.
• Because Jesus did rise, He is who He said He was, He has the power He said He had and He kept the promises that He made.
• If Jesus died for your sin and rose again on the third day, it means 3 things to you.
1. YOUR PAST CAN BE FORGIVEN
It really doesn't matter who you were or what you had done.
• This is the good news. You can have a new life, a meaningful and purposeful one.
• Have you ever been half way through a project, and messed up, and wish you could start all over again? Like wrapping a present or painting the house?
• Many get half way through life and just wish they could start over. They’ve failed. They made many mistakes. They have done what they should not have done. They are guilty, and they live with regret.
Col 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
• God says He had nailed your sin to the cross. Jesus paid for your guilt. God wants to forgive you today.
• He says He wants to cancel every record of all debts you owe.
• How long do you remember a bill that has been paid? I don't remember it. Once it's paid, I forget it.
Once God has forgiven your sin, you can forget it. God remembers it no more.
• That's good news! You are forgiven when you put your trust in Jesus Christ today.
• You don’t have to carrying a load of guilt around. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1)
2. MY PRESENT PROBLEMS CAN BE MANAGED
Maturity is when you realize that you can't manage all that life is going to send you. But God can. And that's good news.
• I can't control everything in my life, but God can. So I want to lean on Him, trust Him and ask Him for help.
• If the Lord is living today and has in His hands all authority and power, then why are we not seeking Him?
We often hear people say they are struggling. They face problems and feel powerless to change anything. They feel sad, weak and helpless. What they need is a power greater than them.
• You were never meant to live this life just on your own power. God wants to have a relationship with you.
• In Eph 1:18-21 Paul prays that we will understand this.
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power FOR US who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, 20which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
• Wow, that’s a lot of power. This same power will help you rise above your problems.
• The same power that God used at resurrection time 2000 years ago is the same power we can experience in your life right now.
You don't know what the future holds. I don't either. I don't know what's going to happen next year, next month, or next week. But it doesn't matter.
• Because even though it's out of your control, it's not out of God's. He will give you the power to face it.
• That is, if you really trust Him. Paul says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13). Can we say that today?
God says, “I want to help out.” No matter how hopeless your situation is, don’t give up.
• No problem is too big for God. He has already solved man’s greatest problem – sin.
• So no situation in your life is hopeless if you will turn it over to Him.
Why does the resurrection matter? Because my past can be forgiven, my present can be managed, and...
3. MY FUTURE CAN BE SECURE
Everybody has a longing to know, “What's going to happen after I die?” Jesus showed us.
• It's obvious we're going to spend more time on that side of eternity than on this side. Here we only spend 80, maybe 90 years. This is just like the first 80-90secs into 100 yrs.
• We can cross over death and be with Jesus, and spend eternity with God in heaven.
There are two ways you can cross over – (1) live a perfect and sinless life, just like Jesus.
• If you have never sin, never done anything wrong, always perfect and righteous in all your ways and thoughts, for your entire lifetime, you qualify to cross over.
• But no one ever pass this test. Since none of us qualify under option (1), we need to take option (2).
• We need to put our trust in Christ and ask Him to save us. For He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
• He was the only perfect person who ever lived because He was God. And He paid the price to buy our way back to heaven.
The Christian is not somebody who accepts a religion. A Christian is somebody who has a relationship with God. It’s not about a religion, but a relationship with God.
• Listen to what Apostle Peter, one of the disciples closest to Christ, says in 1 Pet 1:3-5: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you…”
• Only God can provide that hope. You have nothing to fear, not even death. Heaven is where we belong, but you need to put your trust in Christ.
Let me close by asking you these 3 questions?
(1) Would you like to have every sin, everything you've ever done wrong completely forgiven? Would like to have a clear conscience?
(2) Would you like to find a new strength and power that would help you manage the problems you are facing today?
(3) Would you like to have your future secured? Do you really want to be sure of where you would be going after death?
That's the difference that Easter can make. But knowing it is one thing. You need to do something about it.
• You need to take the step of faith and say to God, “Lord, I want to trust you. I believe Jesus died for my sin on the cross. And He rose again to give me a new hope and eternal life in heaven.”
• If you know that you can never ear your way to Heaven, if you know that you can never be good enough, then make that prayer today. That is how Easter makes a difference in your life.
All of us came tonight for many different reasons. But you are not here by accident.
• God wants you to know Him. Jesus Christ wants you to know that He died for your sin and rose again.
• Would you accept Christ as your Saviour today, and invite Him into your life?
• That's what Easter is all about.
Prayer:
Some of you here may not be sure that you would go to heaven; you can pray this prayer with me: “Dear God, I want to come back to you now. I know I’m a sinner. Nothing I do can make me deserving of heaven. I know Jesus Christ died for me. He took my place and punishment, and rose again. Right now I place my trust in Christ alone to save me. You are my Saviour and Lord. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.”
Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for your great love for us. Help us fall in love with you again. Let us lean on You always and fin the power to live right and live well, to the glory of Your Name. Let our lives be living testimonies of Your grace and love. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.
