Sermon Central
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The Top Ten Reasons Why Easter Jesus Is Better Than Christmas Jesus
Contributed by Peter Pilt on Apr 19, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: This was a creative way we presented the Easter Story. We looked at the ways that Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus and then decorated the auditorium half as Easter and half as Christmas. It worked very well. This is Part 1.
This Easter at CityHOPE Church we are looking at the top ten reasons why Easter Jesus is better that Christmas Jesus.
Now I understand that Christmas and Easter Jesus are the same Jesus…but the point I am trying to make is that the world is more comfortable celebrating a baby in manger rather than a man brutally beaten, dying on a Roman cross, claiming to be the Savior of the world.
So here are the first five reasons Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus (Preached on Good Friday – with the other 5 preached on Resurrection Sunday) – These notes are my sermon outline notes.
1) Christmas Jesus received gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Easter Jesus received gifts of sin, wickedness and unrighteousness.
Christmas Jesus received good gifts of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. Easter Jesus received gifts of our sin, our wickedness and our unrighteousness. The scandal of the cross is that in a moment, Jesus becomes the worst of the worst. He took all of man’s iniquity.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
From a human perspective – Easter Jesus received better gifts as once He received these gifts, we received from Him, the gift of His righteousness
The gifts Easter Jesus received from us…..makes Easter Jesus better….as we give him our gifts….he gives us something in return…..
2) Christmas Jesus is around Caesar writing people’s names in a book: A book of earthly life.. It was book about where you came from. Easter Jesus is about writing names in the book of eternal life. Easter Jesus’ book is a book about where you are going.
Caesar’s census was about knowing where you came from.
Easter Jesus’s book was about knowing where you are going.
Big difference.
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life defined
The Book of Life, in this context, is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. It is the roll of those who are saved. This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27).
Faith in Easter Jesus ensures we are in the book.
How do we make sure our name is written there.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 10: 8-11
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
3) Easter Jesus is better than Christmas Jesus as Christmas Jesus shed drops of tears: Easter Jesus shed drops of blood.
Christmas Jesus as a baby would have cried and thus shed drops of tears. But no one got saved, changed and healed by the tears of Christmas Jesus…but what hugely different story when we look at the shed drops of blood of Easter Jesus.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Notice it doesn’t say But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners….he sent a baby.
