Sermon Central
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Easter Son-Rise Series
Contributed by William Akehurst on Apr 7, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: EASTER SON-RISE A message for Easter. The hope we have in the resurrection, in Christ. This Easter Sunday is the first day of the rest of your life. Jesus wants it to be the first day of the rest of your ETERNAL life.
EASTER SON-RISE
A message for Easter. The hope we have in the resurrection, in Christ.
This Easter Sunday is the first day of the rest of your life.
Jesus wants it to be the first day of the rest of your eternal life.
Scriptures Referenced
Dramatic Reading: Matthew 27:50-51, 54-66
Rev 1:17b-18
1 Peter 1:3-5, 7-8
Begin with DRAMATIC reading…
Matthew 27:50-51, 54
50 Then Jesus shouted out again “It is Finished”, dismissed his spirit, and died.
51 And Look! The curtain secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple was split apart from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and rocks broke.
54 The soldiers at the crucifixion and their sergeant were terribly frightened by the earthquake and all that happened. They exclaimed, ‘Surely this was GOD’S SON.’
57 When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, one of Jesus’ followers,
58 Went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
And placed it in his own new rock-hewn tomb, and rolled a great stone across the entrance as he left.
62 Then, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate,
63 And said to him ‘Sir, that liar, they were referring to Jesus, said ‘After three days I will come back to life again.’
64 So we request an order from you sealing the tomb until the third day, to prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body, and then telling everyone he came back to life!
65 “Use your own guards” Pilate told them.
66 So they sealed the stone and posted guards to protect it from intruders.
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to the tomb.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning and his clothing was a brilliant white. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be frightened!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified, but he isn’t here! For he has come back to life again, just as he said he would. Come in and see where his body was lying…
And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he was risen from the dead…
MESSAGE...
Easter Son Rise!
He is Risen…He is Risen, Indeed!
This is truly a special day.
This morning we woke in the dark.
Yet we could here a few birds were singing.
As we drove to Beachmont for the 6:30am sunrise service, the light of the sun was beginning to light up our drive.
Once we arrived, we made our way down to the pond area. A light fog was floating just inches over the water.
Then as the sun began to rise, it was as if the whole earth was waking this blessed morning. Even with the night, and its darkness, there is Joy that comes in the morning. The new day has awakened. All of nature comes to life! As the Sun rose in the sky, we realize that each day, and Today is a New Beginning!
But this day has even more significance then the morning rising of the sun.
Last Sunday we saw Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the city. This week and on Thursday, we saw Jesus betrayed, arrested, denied, falsely accused, beaten, and put on the cross to be crucified.
IF we Jump Back to the Cross…
When the women and the disciples left the cross, they were saddened, and had probably lost hope. Their Savior, their King, died! They did not understand because they only knew what they were experiencing.
And oh if they only new what was coming…
When they started for the tomb, they were still in darkness, still with the knowledge that their savior died.
The angel of the Lord came upon the rock and moved it off the tomb. His face shined as Lightning and his clothes were a brilliant white. The guards experienced it and trembled and fell faint as dead men. They knew that it was real. They had to be bribed to not say a word.
Then when the women and disciples arrived at the tomb! What they saw both frightened, and amazed them, and then there was Joy!
They were both afraid and joyful, when they heard that Jesus was no longer in the grave. That Meant That He is Risen! That meant that JESUS WAS REAL!
Jesus during his life here on earth, showed and explained himself as God, but people didn’t understand that he WAS God
