Easter 2023 (2)

Big Idea:

Jesus (because He loves us) gave everything so we could be part of His family forever.

Intro:

Good morning [Church Online. Got that UCONN shirt on because - on that first Easter - Jesus got that victory, just like the Huskies… j/k]. Happy Easter. Welcome to The River Church. I’m so thankful we get to spend today together.

On Sunday mornings, I usually try to start with a illustrative story connecting to our main point… or maybe even something funny. However, I’m going to skip that today.

For the church, Easter is the biggest day on the calendar. Yes, even more than Christmas. And hopefully you’ll see why by the time I’m finished speaking. Maybe you’re here and you’re typically not a religious person, but you came to church on Easter to honor the day. Because of that, I realize you’re not here...

For my funny stories.

To listen to our church’s worship band.

Ultimately, you’re not even here for the Easter Egg Hunt after service… otherwise you’d probably just skip this part and show up at 11am.

… my guess is you’re here because something deep within you wants to know how/if Jesus can help you. Therefore, I want to be sure to honor that. So, instead of being “cute” with a funny story, I’m just going to give you Christ and the gospel (the good news of how Jesus changed everything on Easter 2000 years ago).

I’m going to start by reading from the Book of Luke, chapter 23. At this point in the story, Jesus has been wrongly accused, convicted, beaten, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. Picking up in verse 26...

Luke 23:26 ESV

And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

Cyrene was located in North Africa. Simon was likely a Jewish man who traveled to Israel for the Passover. He had planned to arrive earlier in the week. Unfortunately, he booked with Spirit Airlines and his flight kept getting canceled. By the time he made it to Jerusalem, chaos had broken loose.

He was minding his own business when soldiers grabbed him and made him carry Jesus’s cross, who was too weak after the beatings He had already received...

Luke 23:27–31 ESV

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Couple things to notice before moving on...

There a lot of people weeping watching Jesus go to the cross. It was likely a gruesome sight. But Jesus tells them not to mourn… why? Because He wants them to understand what’s really happening. He says, “Don’t be sad for me. I’m here to save you!”

Then, He goes on to point them to the current and future brokenness in the world. It’s a brokenness that leads to being so overwhelmed that they want to give up on life.

And isn’t it interesting that 2000 years hasn’t changed the world’s brokenness. Think about our current mental health crisis… People today still cry out in despair “Fall on us.”

Yet, the Bible says...

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The same Savior of yesterday is the same Savior forever. And if you’re experiencing brokenness this Easter, you’re in the right place. Jesus still saves.

Luke 23:32–39 ESV

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Luke’s description at the cross just adds to the picture of brokenness...

Luke 23:40–45 ESV

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

This is not a normal event. Something supernatural is happening. It’s not simply an eclipse. The physical creation is doing crazy things because something spiritually crazy happened at the cross!

And so, let me pause and take a moment to speak about the cross, because maybe you don’t know what actually happened. To start, I’m going to build on a very famous Bible verse...

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Let’s break this verse down a little bit...

For God so loved the world; specifically, God loves men and women made in His image. We’re incredibly special to God.

But we have chosen to sin/rebel against God. And because God is holy, He can’t overlook sin. Holiness demands justice; otherwise, God would not be good. We get this because when we’re wrong (and because we’re made in God’s image - with His sense of justice), we demand things be made right! And the just penalty of sin is death. Therefore, sinful people must perish.

But God loves us so much that He was not content to let us die in our sin. So, He promised and planned to save us. And that plan involved giving His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice.

Jesus lived a perfect life - the life we could not live. He never sinned. And then He gave His life for us on the cross. What that means is He took the sin of the world (our sin) upon Himself. The cross was not just a physical death… in that moment He was supernaturally absorbing the wrath of God towards our sin. And that was such a crazy moment that it impacted all of creation… light faded and darkness covered the land.

But the story is not over yet… good news is coming… so let’s keep reading….

Luke 23:46–54 ESV

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.

All this happened on Friday. And Saturday - the Jewish Sabbath - was about to start.

Luke 23:55–24:1 ESV

The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

It’s now Sunday!

Luke 24:2–4 ESV

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.

These weren’t just regular guys dripped out. These were angels! Which is why verse 5 says...

Luke 24:5–7 ESV

And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

And this is when the Easter story truly becomes good news. You see… on the cross Jesus paid for our sin. And the penalty of sin is death. Jesus was sinless… completely perfect. Completely innocent. He didn’t deserve to die. But since He took our sin, He died in our place. But before Jesus gave up His Spirit, He said… “It is finished.” On Friday, Jesus declared the payment was made in full!

But on Sunday, the resurrection was proof the debt was paid. Death could not legally keep Him in the grave. And this is good news for us because, as John 3:16 says, “whoever believes (puts their faith) in Him will not perish (will not die and be separated from God because of their sin), but will have eternal life.” Just as Jesus rose from the dead unto eternal life, we who put our faith in Jesus have that hope too!

And to be clear, this is why Easter should matter to you. Easter is not just history, it’s also your story. We find our story in Luke’s Easter story…

Maybe you’re like Simon of Cyrene. You’re just passing by… have no clue what’s going on. And then, all of a sudden, you get pulled into the greatest story in history. Right now, maybe you don’t know why you’re here, sitting in a middle school, on Easter.

Maybe you’re like the weeping women. Your world is broken. Your heart is broken.

Maybe you identify with the criminals. You’ve made the wrong choices in your life. And it’s only a matter of time before justice catches up with you.

Then again, maybe… as you’re listening… you’re like the thief on the cross who has a change-of-heart. You once mocked Jesus, but now you realize your mistake. And, in the secret of your heart, you’re asking, “Jesus, will you remember me? Help me!”

Maybe you’re the Roman centurion who ends up worshiping God after Jesus dies. No one expected him to do that! And no expects that of you either.

Maybe you’re Joseph of Arimathea. An all-around good person. Trying to live right, but something is still missing. So, you keep searching.

Or… maybe you’re like Peter. A disciple (follower) of Jesus. He wasn’t in our story. Why? Because he ran away in fear. Do you keep running from God?

All of these people had completely different lives, yet they shared one common NEED that first Easter. They all needed Jesus. They needed Him to save them. And so do we.

Simon thought meeting Jesus was a coincidence. But the original language indicates God planned it. God had a purpose for Simon. Because Jesus didn’t just change Simon, but also his family. Both the Book of Mark and Romans tell us this. And to apply this to us, you may not know why you’re here… but God does. It’s not a coincidence. He planned it. And He’s ready to save you and your family this Easter.

If you’ve come today with a broken heart… if you’re ready to give up… God sees it. And He’s ready to save... and give you new life!

And whether we want to admit it or not, we can all relate to the criminals. In God’s eyes, we’re all criminals. We’re all sinners.

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We’ve all rebelled against Jesus. We’ve ignored Jesus. We’ve mocked Him. We deserve the cross. But the good news is Jesus’s heart is for us, because He loves us. He looks at us and says, “Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.” That’s why He died for us.

And… like the thief… It’s time to look at Jesus and say, “I’m sorry. I’ve been wrong about You. Please save me.”

And the good news is… Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” If you will put your trust in Him, you will have eternal life.

But … let me add this question to our conversation: What exactly did Easter accomplish?

Is all of this just so we can be forgiven?

Is it just so we can live forever?

This might surprise you, but my answer is, “No.” Let me explain...

Sin is serious. God is holy. Therefore, God must judge sin. We’ve talked about this already. And that eternal judgment includes not just physical death, but spiritual death too. The Bible calls that place hell. It’s eternal separation from God. But know this:

Jesus taught that hell was not created for humans. We aren’t supposed to go there! But sin separates us from God and sends us there.

Additionally, God’s original intention was for mankind to live forever in relationship with God.

I mention these two truths because they help us see the bigger picture about Easter.

Yes, forgiveness so we don’t go to hell is a big part of Easter.

Yes, living forever is better than dying.

But Easter is also about the restoration of relationship. You see… Easter is God’s invitation back into His family. It’s a restoration of what He originally intended. Our souls were designed to be intimately and eternally connected with our Creator.

That’s one of the reason Luke highlights the veil (or the curtain) in the Jewish temple being torn when Jesus died.

God’s presence dwelled in the Jewish temple. But, because God is holy and we’re sinners, the veil kept us separated. Yet, when Jesus died and our sin was paid for, relationship was restored. The world was invited back into God’s family...

That’s why the pagan Roman centurion now worshiped God!

That’s why Joseph of Arimathea, who did everything by the book (was a “good person”) still had an empty and searching soul. What his heart longed for was a restored relationship with God, made possible only by the grace of Jesus Christ!

And maybe that’s how you connect to the Easter story. Until today, you didn’t even think about Jesus. But now, like the centurion, you need to worship Him!

Maybe you’ve been striving to be the best human you can be... and yet something is still missing! That’s because that God-shaped hole in your heart is only be filled by Jesus.

And today, what you need to hear is:

God doesn’t need you to be perfect.

He doesn’t need your good works.

You don’t need to be successful to prove your worth to Him.

He already loves you and invites you into His family.

All you need to do is receive it.

And that kind of grace hits your soul differently.

Honestly, it should hit all of our souls differently. Because we’re all ultimately searching for relationship. God designed us to want to know and be known.And that’s exactly what Jesus offers us on Easter.

Eternal life is a restoration to relationship. That’s why Jesus says...

John 17:3 ESV

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Eternal life (heaven) is a relationship with God. It’s being restored to God’s intended purpose.

Yes, Easter is about being dead because of sin, but alive because of the forgiveness of Christ.

But it’s also about being lost in relationship to God, but now being found as part of God’s family.

Easter isn’t about, “I don’t want to go to hell.” It’s about God saying, “Time to come home!”

Response:

As we close, I’m not sure what God is doing in your heart right now, but one thing I’m confident of is He’s calling you home.

Maybe someone grabbed you and made you come to church this morning. Don’t be mad. It’s part of God’s plan to invite you home.

Maybe you’ve come searching for hope in hard times. You’ve come to the right place. Jesus is still saving people from brokenness. Call out to Him!

Maybe you’ve been running from God, mocking God, or ignoring Him. Guess what… God’s heart is still for you. He wants to forgive you. He wants you in His family. Therefore, turn from your sin (repent). And put your faith in Jesus. Receive eternal life and come home.

Let’s pray...

Jesus, we need You today. We need Your salvation that was won for us that first Easter. Thank you for the cross! Additionally, thank you for the resurrection, which gives us the hope of new life and invites us home.

We have sinned against You. We don’t deserve heaven. But You love us and call us back into Your family. Today, we want to turn away from our old ways of living and begin living for You. Forgive us for our sins. Fill us with Your Spirit. Help us to follow You all the days of our lives. In Your name we pray, amen.

[Before we sing our final song, since we’ve talked a lot about eternal life (a lot about heaven) today, I have a gift for those who are interested. In the cafeteria, we have little booklets about Heaven. If you’re curious about what eternal life will be like, grab one. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised!]

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