Come Alive

Intro.

Today we celebrate the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. More than two thousand years ago, God’s plan of redemption changed the world forever. The power of sin and death was broken through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death was defeated, and True Life, Spirit life, God’s life triumphed on that day.

Today is the culmination of our journey together through the events of Holy Week. We started with Palm Sunday and coming alive to Jesus’s life, which was beyond human expectation. On Good Friday we remember how Christ gave up his life for us. Today, we celebrate that Jesus is Alive! And, through his death and resurrection, we come alive to His power to change our lives and transform each of us into a new creation.

TT: Jesus died and was buried.

For Jesus’ disciples, there was no getting around the fact of his death.

They all knew what happened and these women had attended Jesus on Friday.

They had seen him beaten and bloody, watched helplessly as Jesus was forced to carry his cross, and cringed as Jesus was nailed to the cross.

At the end, after Jesus gave up his last breath, they saw where Jesus was laid.

That first day, the women returned to the grave in their grief not just to see the tomb, but to better prepare Jesus’ body.

They certainly would not have expected an earthquake to roll away the entrance stone, or a bright and shining angel appearing like lightning to speak to them.

The angel’s appearance was so striking the Roman guards were paralyzed with fear.

Yet, the angel said “Do not be afraid” to the women.

The shocking news was that Jesus was not there, he had been raised from the dead.

They entered the tomb and saw where Jesus had been.

So, they could not ignore the fact of his missing body.

Naturally, they left the tomb quickly and with fear mixed with joy asking themselves if what they were told could be true. Could Jesus really be alive?!?

TW: We may think we can never change.

You may be thinking:

“I don’t know if I have the power to change.”

“I just don’t know if I have the power to change my attitude or my outlook on life.”

“I can continue on in this marriage.”

“I don’t know if I have the ability to break this addiction.”

All of us have asked ourselves some of these questions to ourselves over the years.

Wondering if we have the power to change our lives. Sometimes, we just feel defeated.

The good news is that you don’t have the power to change and transform your life.

That’s why we need a Savior! That’s the Good News of Easter!

But, that doesn’t necessarily sound like good news, does it?

GT: God brought Jesus to life again.

In the early morning of that first Easter day, Jesus returned to life, resurrected by the Father, affirming all that Christ said about himself.

Jesus returned to life not just because Jesus was divine, otherwise, he wouldn’t have truly experienced the pain of death. It would have been a charade.

The Resurrection confirms the Good that happened on Good Friday.

Jesus had completed his mission to usher in his kingdom on earth.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in the flesh to live among us, to show us how to live. He then took our sins upon Himself and died for them on a cross, defeating the power that sin and death had over us by raising from the dead three days later!

Why? Because God loved us so much, he sent his own son for us.

John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

On that morning, Christ showed himself first to the women who were among those who buried his body. They were the first ones to witness of the risen Christ, and he came with a simple greeting.

And Christ spent about the next 40 days being present with his disciples, to those who knew him well and those who failed to immediately recognize him, revealing the true power of God made most apparent by his Resurrection.

Jesus Christ is alive!

Many of you are desperate to make a change in your life.

Know this: Because He is alive, He gives you the power to change. He will give you the power to get started, and He’ll give you the power to keep going.

What Power of Resurrection?

It’s the Power to Cancel Out the Sins of Your Past, Present, and Future

This isn’t about denying it or saying it never happened. To Cancelmeans to eliminate, to remove, or to delete.

How?

Colossians 2:13-14 - 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God[a] made you[b] alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

Jesus gave everything he had, even his very own life on the cross and took our sin with him, so that we might find our lives in God.

More than that! God forgives our sins, a forgets them.

Some of you can’t let go of your past failures and mistakes. Jesus Christ offers forgiveness. He promises to cancel your sins and wipe them off your record. He offers you a chance to start over!

Romans 8:1-4 – Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who believe in Christ are no longer condemned of their sins, instead we are freed to live by his Spirit.

Resurrection Power gives us a new identity.

Some of you feel like a failure, a loser, or a has-been. Maybe your identity is wrapped up in what you have done or what has been done to you. God offers you the chance to have a new identity. He wants to bring you into His family and give you a new title—accepted, forgiven, loved child of God.

John 1:12 – To all who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Resurrection Power fills us with strength to face the challenges of each day.

Paul tells fellow believers that they and we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. And that nothing—not trouble or hardship or danger—will be able to separate you from that love of Jesus! Romans 8:32-35 & 37-39

We serve a resurrected Savior who still operates in resurrection power! And He promises to fill you with that same power to give you strength to face the challenges of each day.

GW: God brings us to life today.

Every person who has receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior now has the power of God within them, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, not only gives them the power to change their life but to live a victorious, abundant life. That’s what Easter is all about!

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and now gives Him the ability and authority to rule over the universe, is available to you and me.

The good news of Easter is that Jesus Christ not only died for your sins and offers you forgiveness today, and that same power that raised Him from the dead two thousand years ago is available to change your life right now.

The resurrection means that no situation is too hopeless! No problem is too big for Jesus! He has the power to change your life! To make you come alive.