SonRise Service 2023

Holiday = Holy Day

John 20:1–10 ESV

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

A Holiday, a word that comes from the phrase Holy Day, a day set aside, set apart form other days to commemorate an event in history. It’s set apart from other days to remember a special day. Today is the day that we set aside every year to specifically and especially celebrate, commemorate and make holy because thus far, it is the holiest of days.

Today I would make the case, and I assume you’d all agree that the setting apart the day to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead would make this the holiest of holy days. The only thing that will top this will be the day that he returns for his bride the church in all his glory! What a day that will be! The day that He will receive fully His inheritance and we will fully realize our inheritance as heirs in Christ!

Christ is set apart from all other would be gods, prophets, or great thinkers because he conquered death itself. His bones no longer lie in the grave like all others. Our Savior Lives! That is the high light of what we call the Gospel.

Paul saw fit to remind believers in the churches he planted of the truth of the gospel. We talk about the gospel all the time. Seeing that we come to gather as the a church to be reminded of the truth of scripture, I figured what better reminder than to remember the Gospel! THE GOOD NEWS OF WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID FOR US!

The Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:1–3 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word 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 in accordance with the Scriptures,

Standing here today, you’ve either received the gospel of Jesus Christ or you’re about to hear it for the first time today. Even if you know it already, it’s always good to be reminded of it.

It is in this gospel in which we stand. The gospel that we base our whole life on is found in these truths. These truths that Paul preached are not just some clever story that Paul made up, they are what He received from Christ himself.

The first truth is that Jesus Died for our Sins!

The first step for the believer or one who is to believe is that they are first a sinner. It’s only then that the truth that Jesus died for our sins really sinks in. We become aware that we need a savior!

Colossians 2:13–15 ESV

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

1 Corinthians 15:4 ESV

4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Romans 6:3–9 ESV

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ today 1) to praise him for being who he is, the son of God who conquered death, proving his deity and 2) we celebrate the Hope we have in him and the present and future reality of eternal life with Jesus because He conquered death!

The question I have for us to ponder this morning is this.

Do you live as one who has a dead savior or one who is alive?

He is Risen!

Lets pray!