That statement was the truth when I said it and it is the truth now!
I vehemently want to state again, it is not one of the most important, but THE MOST IMPORTANT topic of the Bible.
As we focus in on this most important topic again today, with all the Easter traditions we have in this country it is not always easy to find the truth.
Illus: Ben Haden tells the story of a group of four-year-olds that were gathered in a Sunday school class in Chattanooga. The teacher looked at the class and asked this question: “Does anyone know what today is?”
A little four-year-old girl held up her hand and said, “Yes, today is Palm Sunday.”
The teacher exclaimed, "That's fantastic, that's wonderful. Now does anyone know what next Sunday is?"
The same little girl held up her hand and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter Sunday."
Once again the teacher said, "That's fantastic. Now, does anyone know what makes next Sunday Easter?"
The same little girl responded and said, "Yes, next Sunday is Easter because Jesus rose from the grave" and before the teacher could congratulate her, she kept on talking and said, "but if He sees His shadow -- He has to go back in for seven weeks."
We need to make sure that the teachings we embrace about the resurrection are teachings that can be found in the Holy Scriptures.
The RESURRECTION is the greatest victory that has ever occurred on this earth.
WHY DO WE SAY THAT?
Because death is the greatest enemy of mankind.
When the Lord rose from the grave, He achieved the greatest victory that has ever occurred on this earth.
Other men, even the greatest men, have died.
• Buddha
• Mohammed
• Zoroaster
• Confucius
• Caesar
• Marx
Men who made a profound impact on the world in one way or another, are all dead. But Jesus Christ is alive!
It is true, He had death in common with all men. He died and was buried, but unlike other men He resurrected His own dead body, made it immortal, and emerged from the tomb, alive forevermore!
This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be. In 1 Cor. 15:20-22, we read, “But now is Christ risen from the dead…even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
In the previous message, we looked at THE FACTS OF THE RESURRECTION.
Now let’s -
II. CONSIDER THE FRUITION OF THE RESURRECTION
That is, the resurrection of Christ not only produce things when it occurred, but it is still producing things today.
When Russia ceased to be a super power, as a nation we all felt relief.
Why? Because we considered Russia to be our greatest threat and when this super power fell, we no longer felt threatened.
Death is the greatest enemy we have. But the Lord defeated death for all of us when He was resurrected. He said these encouraging words, in John 14:19, “…because I live, ye shall live also.”
In other words, the Lord is saying to all mankind, “Your greatest enemy is death, and I have defeated death for you.”
The resurrection produced some things then that are still being produced today.
What does it produce?
A. THE RESURRECTION PRODUCES INSTANT JOY
When Christ was crucified all seemed lost.
There have been some sad days in Christianity, but none ever sadder than the day they crucified the Son of God.
• Men and women had forsaken their religions, jobs, and families to follow Him.
• They had seen Him perform great miracles everywhere He went, and they heard Him speak as no other man has ever spoken.
• They had seen Him nailed to a cross.
• They had seen the crowd mock Him as He hung on that cross.
• They had hoped, as long as their was breath in His body, that He would come down off that cross. I can see some in that crowd, almost anticipating that at any time He might do that.
Then, when He raised His head, took that one last deep breathe and said, "It is finished," they thought He meant that His enemies had won.
But these were not words of DEFEAT but words of TRIUMPH!
The people did not know that He was telling the world that He had come and fulfilled all prophecy and had paid the price for sin for every lost person so they could be saved.
We can do nothing to earn our salvation.
Jesus came, He was the sinless, sacrificial "Lamb" that John had declared to be LAMB OF GOD THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
He was telling the world that the job He had come to do was FINISHED!
• He had fulfilled every prophecy that needed to be fulfilled
• He had shed every drop of blood that needed to be shed
Death had been defeated!
Those who had loved Him and had forsaken all to follow Him did not know that was what He meant.
They were worried that they might be the next ones to be killed. Their leader was dead, so they, like scared animals, went and hid behind closed doors.
But, THREE DAYS LATER, JESUS ROSE FROM THAT GRAVE VICTORIOUS OVER DEATH!
He began to make Himself known to some individuals, some groups, and then to as many as five hundred on one occasion.
The word began to spread, and as the word spread that Christ had risen from the dead, IMMEDIATELY JOY FILLED THE HEARTS OF THE BELIEVERS.
WHAT A DAY THAT WAS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE!
Only three days before, they were the most depressed people who had ever lived, but now they were the most excited people on this earth.
Probably some ran the streets announcing, "He's alive, He's alive, He has risen from the grave!"
The resurrection produces instant joy.
A. THE RESURRECTION PRODUCES PERMANENT JOY
The joy that was brought to these disciples so long ago, continues to produce permanent joy down through the ages.
In the Old Testament, the Jewish people worshipped on Saturday. But once the Lord Jesus was resurrected in the New Testament, the church began to worship on Sunday, the first day of the week.
So each Sunday is a celebration of His resurrection.
Think about the millions and millions each Sunday that gather as we worship the Lord.
But if there was no resurrection to celebrate, there would be no need to build a building like this to worship in.
Without the resurrection, it is quite certain there would have been no Christian church.
But with their assurance that Christ was alive, they went forth everywhere proclaiming the resurrection, and multitudes became believers in their Living Lord.
• Every year, weeks before Easter arrives, churches like ours start getting music programs and activities together to celebrate Christ's resurrection.
• Every year, Christians go to stores and buy new clothes to wear, because they feel the need to wear something new to represent the new robe of righteousness that is placed on us because He died and was raised to life again. This is not an ordinary Sunday - this is a very special Sunday.
• Every year, people from churches like this will wake up early, before the sun rises, and have a "Son-rise" service to reenact what took place many years ago, when some of the Christian women went early to where Jesus had been buried and had the thrill of discovering the tomb was empty and hearing the angel say, "He is not here for he is risen!"
Conclusion:
Illus: The Good Friday service in Dampara Baptist Church, Chittagong, Bangladesh, was packed. Little children sat on the floor in the aisles and across the front of the church. Rows of people stood in the back, craning their necks to see the crucifixion scene as depicted in the "Jesus Film."
Weeping and gasps of unbelief could be heard in the shocked hush as Jesus was crucified. As the Bengalis watched, they were feeling the agony of Jesus' pain and the disappointment of the disciples.
In that emotional moment, one young boy in the crowded church suddenly cried out, "Do not be afraid. He gets up again! I saw it before."
A small boy's encouraging cry gave new hope to the viewers of the film. "He is risen!" is the cry that gives new hope to all. (William D. Barrick, Christian Reader, Vol. 35, no. 2. )
We still experience the joy and thrill of what they discovered so many years ago!
The Lord Jesus said, in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..."
Easter is a very special day of for us Christians. Someone said it this way, "Christmas is the Promise, and Easter is the Proof."
I. CONSIDER THE FACT OF THE RESURRECTION. (1-2)
II. CONSIDER THE FRUITION OF THE RESURRECTION. (2-2)
