"THE MAGNIFIENCE OF EASTER"
Notes
Transcript
What is Easter all about?
According to the internet this is what is says about “Easter” -
What do Christians think about Easter?
Easter is a very special time for Christians when they remember the last week in the life of Jesus and their most important belief—that he came alive again after his death. This brought us forgiveness with God so we could feel together with God again.
What do non Christians think Easter is about?
They also know there are plenty of nonreligious people in church on the date that technically marks Christ's resurrection. But for Americans not affiliated with a religion, Easter may be more apt to symbolize spring, hope and renewal, or just an excuse for new duds. And it calls for new rituals.
Some say that this day Easter (Resurrection Sunday) is a time to dye eggs, hide them, and send children in search of them. It’s a time to recite the myth of the Easter bunny and allude to his continuing escapades. It’s a time of giving candy, taking pictures, eating Peeps, and feasting around the family table. It’s a day to mark the start of spring and celebrate the rejuvenation of nature and the greening of the grass. Such observances of Easter, if they go no further than this, are a faint and feeble shadow of the real meaning of Easter; they are as empty as a plastic egg, as hollow as a chocolate Easter bunny.
The question before us this morning is what is the magnificence of Easter?
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15 and we will read verses 1 - 11 together -
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (NASB95)
1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Open in Prayer -
As we come to 1 Corinthians this morning it is important that we have proper understanding of the book as a whole -
First-century Corinth was the leading commercial center of southern Greece. The city was infamous for its immorality and paganism. But in spite of great obstacles, Paul was able to plant a Christian church there on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–17). Though gifted and growing, the church was plagued with problems: moral and ethical, doctrinal and practical, corporate and private. Paul writes the letter of First Corinthians to deal with some of these disorders, and to answer questions which the Christians in Corinth had raised on crucial issues. Wilkinson, B., & Boa, K. (1983). Talk thru the Bible (p. 380). T. Nelson.
Proposition - I invite you to join me on this brief journey as we are reminded about the magnificence of resurrection Sunday.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
“I delivered” - (paradidomi) - verb, aorist, active, indicative, first person, singular - finite verb - hand over; deliver; betray
Sense: to pass on (tradition) - to formally impart authoritative teaching (to an approved recipient)
think about this - Who is Paul? (look at Acts 7:58 - the stoning of Stephen and then Acts 9)
Matthew 17:22 (NASB95)
22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men;
Matthew 20:18 (NASB95)
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
Matthew 24:9 (NASB95)
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
Matthew 27:2 (NASB95)
2 and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.
Mark 9:31 (NASB95)
31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”
Mark 10:33 (NASB95)
33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
Acts 3:13 (NASB95) - Peter’s sermon
13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
Acts 12:4 (NASB95) - speaking of Peter
4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
Making this statement very personal - I am talking directly to you - Paul in essence says let me tell you about the magnificence of resurrection Sunday (that is the Gospel)
“as of first importance” - (protos) - adjective, dative, plural, neuter - substantival adjective - first
Sense: first thing - something preceding all others in time, space, or degree
Paul’s point is that this is the most important thing that anyone can ever hear about. And that is the magnificence of the gospel.
What is the first thing that you tell people? What is the first thing that you told your friends and families when you got up this morning? (was it happy Easter? was it He is Risen??) - think with me for a second Paul wrote 1 Corinthians - Turn in your Bibles to Acts 1:8 - in Acts 12 and following you have Paul being a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth
“I received” - (paralambano) - verb, aorist, active, indicative, first person, singular - finite verb - take with; take along; take
Sense: to receive (tradition) - to formally receive authoritative teaching (as from an approved source)
John 14:1–3 (NASB95)
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Galatians 1:9 (NASB95)
9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
Galatians 1:12 (NASB95)
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB95)
13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NASB95)
1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
Colossians 2:6 (NASB95)
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
CHRIST DIED - VS. 3
CHRIST DIED - VS. 3
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
“died” - apothnesko - verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular - finite verb - die; (in water) to drown
Sense: to die - to pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and function necessary to sustain life.
Romans 5:8 (NASB95)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 14:13–15 (NASB95)
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (NASB95)
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (NASB95)
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
1 Peter 3:18 (NASB95)
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
Notice how our text says that “Christ” died - the term Christ puts emphasis on His divinity (the point is that He is God) - Being God demands the fact that He (Christ Jesus) was perfect.
Burnt Offering – 1, 6:8-13
ELEMENTS – Bull, ram, male goat, male dove, or young pigeon without blemish. Always male the animal varied based on economic situation.
PURPOSE – Done voluntary it signifies payment for sin and surrender, devotion, and commitment to God.
Grain Offering (Meal or Tribute offering) – 2, 6:14-23
ELEMENTS – Flour, bread, or grain made with olive oil and salt or incense
PURPOSE – Done voluntary it signifies thanksgiving for firstfruits
Fellowship Offering (peace offering) (Includes thank, vow, and freewill offerings) – 3, 7:11-36, 22:17-30, 27
ELEMENTS – Any animal without blemish
PURPOSE – Done voluntary symbolizes fellowship with God. (thank offering thankfulness for a specific blessing, vow offering expression of a vow, and freewill offering symbolizes general thankfulness)
Sin Offering – 4:1-5, 13, 6:24-30, 12:6-8
ELEMENTS – Male or female animal without blemish
PURPOSE – Required – offered by one who had sinned unintentionally or was unclean in order to attain purification.
Guilt Offering – 5:14-6:7, 7:1-6, 14:12-18
ELEMENTS – Ram or lamb without blemish
PURPOSE – Required – Made by a person who had either deprived another of his rights or had desecrated something holy. Made by lepers for purification.
FOR THE SINS OF THE HUMAN RACE
“sin” - hamartia - noun, genitive, plural, feminine - prepositional object - sin
Sense: sin (guilt) - estrangement from god
Romans 5:12–13 (NASB95) - doctrine of inherited sin
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The consequences for our sin according to Romans 6:23 -
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES
“Scriptures” - graphe - noun, accusative, plural, feminine - prepositional object - scripture; writing
Sense: scripture - the entirety of sacred Scriptures inspired by the God of Israel (as a specific period of redemptive history)
Clearly, the OT anticipates Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate subject matter of Scripture and whose mission, message, and person provide the foundation and lens for understanding the Scriptures. Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (pp. 618–619). Zondervan.
Take your Bibles and turn with me to Isaiah 53 -
Isaiah 53:6–7 (NASB95) - this the prophecy of the suffering servant
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
CHRIST WAS BURIED - VS. 4A
CHRIST WAS BURIED - VS. 4A
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
“He was buried” - thapto - verb, aorist, passive, indicative, third person, singular - finite verb - bury
Sense: to be buried (state) - to be or become placed in a grave or tomb
Verb: θάπτω (thaptō), GK 2507 (S 2290), 11×. thaptō means simply “to bury.” In the NT, this term is used exclusively for the burial of the dead (Mt 8:21, 22; 14:12; Lk 9:59, 60; 16:22; Acts 2:29; 5:6, 9, 10). That Jesus was buried after his death became a standard part of the earliest gospel traditions handed down by the apostles: “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” (1 Cor. 15:4). See NIDNTT-A, 239.* Mounce, W. D. (2006). In Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (p. 91). Zondervan.
Matthew 8:21–22 (NASB95)
21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD - VS. 4B
CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD - VS. 4B
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
“He was raised” - egeiro - verb, perfect, passive, indicative, third person, singular - finite verb - raise up; rise; get up
Sense: to resurrect - wake up - to resurrect, conceived of as waking up and arising (out of bed)
When Paul wrote “according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3) he was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures. Much of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament pointed to the sacrifice of Christ as our substitute and Saviour. The annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16) and prophecies like Isaiah 53 would also come to mind.
But where does the Old Testament declare His resurrection on the third day? Jesus pointed to the experience of Jonah (Matt. 12:38–41). Paul also compared Christ’s resurrection to the “firstfruits,” and the firstfruits were presented to God on the day following the Sabbath after Passover (Lev. 23:9–14; 1 Cor. 15:23). Since the Sabbath must always be the seventh day, the day after Sabbath must be the first day of the week, or Sunday, the day of our Lord’s resurrection. This covers three days on the Jewish calendar. Apart from the Feast of Firstfruits, there were other prophecies of Messiah’s resurrection in the Old Testament: Psalm 16:8–11 (see Acts 2:25–28); Psalm 22:22ff (see Heb. 2:12); Isaiah 53:10–12; and Psalm 2:7 (see Acts 13:32–33). Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 617). Victor Books.
FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
2 “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
At this point, Paul’s readers would say, “Yes, we agree that Jesus was raised from the dead.” Then Paul would reply, “If you believe that, then you must believe in the resurrection of all the dead!” Christ came as a man, truly human, and experienced all that we experienced, except that He never sinned. If there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised. If He was not raised, there is no Gospel to preach. If there is no Gospel, then you have believed in vain and you are still in your sins! If there is no resurrection, then believers who have died have no hope. We shall never see them again!
The conclusion is obvious: Why be a Christian if we have only suffering in this life and no future glory to anticipate? (In 1 Cor. 15:29–34, Paul expanded this idea.) The Resurrection is not just important; it is “of first importance,” because all that we believe hinges on it. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 618). Victor Books.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that central moment in human history that serves as the foundational doctrine of Christianity. After having truly assumed human nature and submitted to an agonizing and shameful public death, the eternal Son of God was truly raised from the dead in his glorified physical body, no longer subject to decay and death. His resurrection validates his identity as the divine Son of God, demonstrates his irrevocable victory over death and the grave, and secures both the present salvation and future physical resurrection of believers. Lycans, Z. (2018). Jesus’ Resurrection. In M. Ward, J. Parks, B. Ellis, & T. Hains (Eds.), Lexham Survey of Theology. Lexham Press.
CHRIST MANIFESTED HIMSELF - VS. 5
CHRIST MANIFESTED HIMSELF - VS. 5
FOR THE VERIFICATION OF THE RESURRECTION
15:5 “Cephas” Paul usually calls him by this name in his Corinthian letters (cf. 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:50, but in Galatians he calls him both Cephas (cf. 2:9) and Peter (cf. 1:18; 2:7, 8, 11, 14). Paul never calls him Simon.
It is amazing that the first person the resurrected Christ appears to (after the women at the tomb) is the very one who had denied Him three times, the very one who preached the first sermon of the Church at Pentecost. Jesus marks him out for special emphasis in Mark 16:7, where the Apostles are told to meet Jesus in Galilee. This surely shows Christ’s love, understanding, forgiveness, and restoring powers. Much of John 21 describes Peter’s restoration to leadership. Utley, R. J. (2002). Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians: Vol. Volume 6 (p. 174). Bible Lessons International.
SO WHAT??
Believer - How is the magnificence of the Resurrection affecting your daily life?
Unbeliever - What’s keeping you from coming to Christ today?