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I know no one
wants me up here longer than necessary…least of all myself. Let’s pray and get started.
Lord, thank you for allowing us to all be here and to experience another Easter. Thank you for
allowing us to come together and celebrate your mercy and grace in saving us from sin and
death. We owe you more than we can ever pay. Please allow us to be able to discuss and gain a
better understanding and fervor born of grattitude for what Jesus did for us. Those of us who
are saved please strengthen us and make us better witnesses for you. For those of us who have
not made a commitment to you, please convict hearts and turn them towards yourself. Amen.
Today we will be talking about Jesus’ Resurrection, His Power, and what it means for us today.
These topics is very deep and broad and we can spend years on these. Instead we will attempt
to just hit the highlights and try to say something meaningful about Jesus.
Slide 2
Today, we continue a series that we began 3 weeks ago. Pastor Stewart defined and preached
on Prayer. Two weeks ago, Minister Craig defined and preached on Praise. Last week, Pastor
Stewart defined and preached on Worship. Today we attempt to discuss the Resurrection and
the Power of God. What better of example of power is there than God raising Jesus from the
Dead. Jesus was not unconscious or comatose. He was really and truly dead and three days
after his torture and death, Jesus Physically rose from the Dead! No one can top that.
Slide 3
Points to Cover Today
y Is Jesus’ resurrection is an objective, historical truth?
y Why did Jesus die for us? Why was it necessary that He was raised?
y Given the answers to the questions being considered today, what should your response
be?
Slide 4
Yes, there is evidence that Jesus’ Resurrection is an objective and historical Truth. I use the
word “objective” because I mean it’s true no matter who believes it and who doesn’t believe it.
y We can spend all day on this one, but we will do a quick summary.
y We will look at the three facts that virtually everyone who has ever studied the evidence
(inside and outside the Bible) agrees with.
y Jesus was really crucified and He really died.
y Jesus was really buried in a tomb and on Easter Sunday the tomb was empty
y People witnessed and experienced a living Jesus.
Slide 5
So how do we know that Jesus really died? We can take the the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John, and the rest of the New Testament as true historical documents. Not everyone agrees
that they are 100% true, but even liberal skeptical “scholars” agree that the Bible agrees with
extra‐biblical evidence puts Jesus on a cross while Pontius Pilate was governoring Palestine. We
know of only one case of a man who survived being crucified from the historian Josephus who
lived during the First Century AD. Modern medical forensics shows that it’s highly unlikely for a
person to survive being crucified. The Romans were really good at making sure that the victium
suffered as much as possible. Crucifixion was so horrible that they had to invent a word to
describe the horrible pain experienced: “excruciating”. We throw around the word
“excruciating” way too easily. A hang nail is not excruciating. Stubbing your toe is not
excruciating. Dying on a cross…. is excruciating. It literally means “out of the cross”. We know
that Jesus was dead because a soldier proved it when he thrusted a spear into Jesus’ side
causing blood and water to poor out. There is a thin sack of water around a human heart and
seeing blood and water streaming from a wound means that the heart was pierced.
Slide 6
I wanted to give a flavor of what Jesus’ experienced but I want to show just a taste of it. There
are a whole lot of more graphic and detailed visuals available but I didn’t want to break into
tears this early in my first sermon so we will keep this short.
Show video
Slide 7
y Jesus’ burial is as certain as anything can be 2000 yrs after the fact.
y If the Tomb was not empty than why didn’t anti‐Christians of the time just produce the
body?
y The Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection were not secret….it was all public
y Instead of producing a body, the authorities spread the lie that the disciples stole the
body.
Slide 8
y Earliest Christian records show that they believed and taught that Jesus is yet alive. Not
enough time for legend to develop.
y It could not have been a hallucination because multiple people cannot have the same
hallucination or dream at the same time!
y It could not have been wish fulfillment because Paul and James saw Jesus and they were
not believers prior to their seeing Jesus
y These people went to their deaths rather than deny that Jesus was alive. Even people
who deny that we know what happened to Peter and Paul, choosing ignore the
testimonies and traditions of the early Church, can’t deny that we know what happened
to James because both Act and Josephus say that he was martyred.
Slide 9
So what did the earliest Christians believe. How did they present the Gospel?
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does
these things will live by them.“ But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in
your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will
descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it
say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of
faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with
your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess
and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to
shame.“ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of
all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:5‐13
Slide 10
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you
received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you
hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to
James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one
abnormally born. 1 Corinthians 15:1‐8
Slide 11
y 1st Corinthians 15:3‐5 is a short memorable creed that sums up the Christian message.
y Many date this creed to just a few years after the resurrection
y Paul argues the centrality of the Resurrection to Christianity
Slide 12
Here is more from 1st Corinthians 15
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say
that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then
not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is
useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses
about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he
did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then
Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile;
you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only
for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
Slide 13
Here is the points that the New Testaments makes over and over again
y All of human history either leads up to Jesus’ life, crucifixion, and resurrection or
depends upon Jesus.
y Jesus is the foundation of Christianity. You cannot be a Christian and deny Jesus’ person
or work.
y The Resurrection is definitional for Christianity
Slide 14
Sometimes we forget that Jesus was not a band aid. It’s not like Adam sinned and God was like
“Gee, I didn’t see that coming. What ever am I going to do n…wait I got it. “ No, Jesus was plan
A
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the
Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good
man someone might possibly dare to die. Romans 5:5‐7
God never needs a plan B
Slide 15
Jesus plainly taught that He is the only way to God. IT really is Jesus or nothing. In a day like
ours, no one likes absolutes. People buy into the “many roads to God” lie thinking they are
being humble and respectful of other people’s opinions. They think that there are is such thing
as objective truth. What is good for me may not be good for you. You okay. I’m okay. This is
completely opposite to what Jesus taught.
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know
the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as
well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:5‐7
Slide 16
But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this
world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim
to be, you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:23‐24
Slide 17
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1‐3
Slide 18
“Propitiation” is not a word that we use often any more. It’s used in the King James Version and
New American Standard version. The NIV uses the term “sacrifice of atonement” instead of
“propitiation”.
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God
presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through faith in his blood. He did this to
demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed
beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as
to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22‐26
Footnotes: Romans 3:25 Or as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin
I included the footnote because it makes the meaning of “propitiation” clear.
Slide 19
Here is a video that dramatizes what the Blood of Jesus did for us!
Slide 20
Because of our sin we need Jesus. Thast is why we needed a propitiation. Would you like to be
your own propitiation? You can’t. No one but Jesus can because none of us is worthy.
y What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the
charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so
that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather,
through the law we become conscious of sin. – Romans 3:9‐20
y You are the worse Sinner that you know.
Slide 21
If you accept the gift of salvation these are the responses we should see in a Christian life.
y If you are saved:
y Pray
y Praise
y Worship
y Then you will be clothed with Power
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own
authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“
Acts 1:7‐8
Slide 22
Here are two passages that tells us how Christians should respond to Jesus’ gift to us.
y Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you
have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore
honor God with your body. – 1st Corinthians 6:19‐20
y Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1
Slide 23
If you are not saved you have to do an added step before you can do anything we just talked
about.
y If you are not saved ‐ get Saved!
y Romans 10:9,10 says
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe
and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
y for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you
did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though
they had seen what I did. Psalms 95:7‐9
Slide 24
I’m finishing up. One last exhoration from Scripture:
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.“ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor,
now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:1,2
Slide 25
In conclusion, The Resurrection is the most important event in human history. Jesus did more to
change the world than any single life ever. He laid his life down and picked it up again. He has
every right to expect our love and obedience and worship! If you have not made a personal
commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are welcomed to do so today. This may be your
last chance. Don’t miss it.
Jesus rose out of that grave with all power
Play movie
Slide 26
I’d like to play this song because it summarized a great deal of God’s redemptive plan!