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April 8, 2007—Easter Sunday
"Faith, Fact and the Resurrection"
Easter 2007
The Dilemma:
"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."
—1 Corinthians 15:14-15
"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead..."
—1 Corinthians 15:19-20
How do you account for the empty tomb?
- Theory #1—Jesus never really died.
- Theory #2—The disciples went to the wrong tomb.
- Theory #3—The authorities moved the body.
- Theory #4—The disciples stole the body.
Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure." So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
—Matthew 28:11-15 (NKJV)
The Truth About Jesus:
1. His identity is confirmed by the resurrection.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."
—John 11:25
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
—John 14:6
2. His power is demonstrated by the resurrection.
"No one can kill me without my consent-I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right."
—John 10:18 (TLB)
3. His message is validated by the resurrection.
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way...he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
—Mark 10:32-34
What difference does it make?
1. Jesus has the power to forgive your sin.
Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; yet now God declares us "not guilty" of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God's anger against us. He used Christ's blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath.
—Romans 3:23-25 (TLB)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
—Romans 8:1
2. Jesus has the power to conquer your problems.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
—Romans 8:28, 35-37
3. Jesus has the power to change your life.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
—1 Peter 1:3-5
Prayer: "Dear God, I believe Jesus was who He claimed to be, Your son, and that He proved it by rising from death. Jesus, thank you for dying for me on the cross. I want to get to know you personally and experience the full life you offer. I confess I am a sinner and I accept your free gift of eternal life. As much as I know how, I ask you to come into my life and be my Master and Savior. I ask this because of what Jesus did for me. Amen.
The resurrection of Jesus couldn't have been preached or believed for a single hour in Jerusalem if it weren't true. There would have been too many ways to discredit the claims or disprove the evidence. Yet, more than 3,000 people within a little over a month accepted Christ and became part of the Christian Church in Jerusalem, and the church continued to grow daily. (Read Acts, chapter 2)
God's message has always been the same:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life..."
God loves you and Jesus died for you:
John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
There is a battle taking place over your life:
John 10:10-11
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
God is bringing the world to a conclusion:
2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare... That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth...
Ask Jesus to come into your life:
Romans 10:9-11 and 13
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." - "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."