Sermon Central
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Jesus Is Alive!
Contributed by Paul Davidson on Apr 22, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: We celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive, but why is it so important to remember and to celebrate "Resurrection Sunday"? Why is it so important that Jesus was raised from the dead?
JESUS IS ALIVE!
Jesus is Alive!!! 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says…
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
Jesus was crucified… His lifeless body was placed in a tomb… Then on the third day He came back to life again!!!
It’s an amazing thing! Our God is alive! Death could not keep Jesus in the grave!
We celebrate Easter today… We celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive!
But why is it so important that Jesus was raised from the dead? Why is it so important to remember and to celebrate “Resurrection Sunday”?
Let’s see what 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 has to say about the importance of Jesus’ resurrection…
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Look at verse 17 again… If Jesus has not been resurrected… Then our faith is useless… We are still lost… we are still dead in our sins…
If our God is still laying in a tomb dead and lifeless, then what’s the point? Why should we place our faith in Him? Why should we place our faith in a dead god that cannot hear us or see us?
But our God is NOT dead!!! Our God is ALIVE!!!
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
And because Jesus is alive, He is able to give us life…
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
Why is it so important that Jesus was raised from the dead? Why is it so important to remember and to celebrate “Resurrection Sunday”?
We are dead in our sins until we surrender our lives to Jesus…The moment we give our lives to Jesus, then He breathes new life into our dead souls…He takes what is dead and brings it to life!!!
This incredible and wonderful news is only possible because of the resurrection… Jesus is alive!!!
Because of the cross, Jesus freely gives us forgiveness for our sins… And because of His resurrection, Jesus freely gives us eternal life!
Without the resurrection… without Easter Sunday… the work of the cross is not complete. Sin brought death into the world… the cross brought forgiveness for those sins… but it took the resurrection to erase the penalty of death that we earned for our sins… and to bring us from death to life.
If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, then you are still dead in your sins. When you die, your spirit (your soul) will be punished for eternity along with Satan and all his demons.
But you can have life today! Why would you not choose life! Jesus has already paid the price for you… He has already defeated death… All you need to do is what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10…
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
What better way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, than by remembering and commemorating His death and sacrifice through the taking of communion together, and then by baptizing our brothers and sisters in Christ to signify that we join Him in His resurrection?
Jesus is telling us to remember His sacrifice… that He paid the price for our sins with His own blood… He offers us forgiveness and mercy. [SERVE COMMUNION]
Jesus is also telling us to remember that He has defeated the penalty of sin… He has defeated death and has risen from the grave and is alive today… He offers us life and hope. [PERFORM BAPTISM]
