Easter 2023 // The Simple Gospel

Introduction

The message of the gospel is a message of victory. In fact, “gospel” or “good news” is the word used by messengers of the emperor when Rome won a victory over her enemies.

But HERE ME: There is no gospel, no good news, and no message of victory if no one lived.

But today, the message we proclaim and the life that we have been given is authenticated in the historically verifiable fact that Jesus rose up out of the grave.

No teacher, no prophet, no supposed god, no world leader, no athlete, no celebrity, no king or queen, no religious leader has ever ridden into battle against death itself and come back with “gospel,” good news. 2 Corinthians 15 - The last enemy to be defeated is death.

Today, we celebrate a message authenticated by a victory over the undefeated foe, death itself.

The resurrection is how we know that Jesus is who He says He is, and He did what He said He would do. I want to take this morning to tell you Who Jesus is and What He came to do.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Explanation

GOD

We can only understand ourselves and the world around us, when we understand the One who created us.

If you want the MOST information about how an iPhone works, you go to Apple. They are the creators. They get to decide how an iPhone is used and how it functions best.

In the same way, we go to God for who we are and how He created us.

God is holy.

The Hebrew word for “holy” literally means, “to be set apart.” God is different from us. He isn’t just a bigger version of us. He is something entirely and completely different. How?

God is completely morally perfect and pure. He is complete perfection.

Because God is perfectly moral and pure, God is also just, and God is loving.

God is just.

God is the righteous judge.

Deuteronomy 32:4 ““The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

For those who have sinned against Him, God’s wrath is poured out upon them for their sins.

Because God is infinite, God’s wrath is infinite.

Just as a righteous judge is one of great goodness.

Just as a righteous judge pronounces judgments upon those who have violated the law, so God is righteous in pronouncing judgments upon those who have violated his laws and sinned against Him.

As such, God is the just and righteous judge of the universe.

God is loving.

The Bible is FULL of God’s love and the world around us shows us how much He loves us.

God created us to share in His glory and love. Creation is God’s desire for His goodness to spill out into others.

He created the plants and animals that we see. He created the food that you are going to eat for Easter lunch today. He created the flavors. He created humor. He created the concept of family.

God loves his creation, and you, as part of his creation, are deeply loved.

Not only did he create great things God desires intimacy with His children. Adam and Eve had unhindered access to His presence. He loves humanity, who he created in His image.

This all sounds great, but we have a problem. A big problem. And that problem is us.

MAN

Man was created by God. Mankind was created to worship God and live in perfect communion with Him. However, man sinned against God. That sin broken mankind’s capacity for communion with God and actually set man against God, Himself.

As God is a righteous judge, He punishes the wicked. Only an unrighteous judge would allow one who has broken the law to go free.

God’s righteousness shows us that He upholds His law. He is gracious and true in his decrees and his judgements.

God’s judgement isn’t jail time or lethal injection.

It is separation from Him.

It is a spiritual separation and a physical separation.

We cannot commune with God nor can we stand in His presence.

That separation is not only now, on this earth, but rather, it is an eternal wrath poured out upon mankind in hell.

Every man has sinned against God, and therefore, they are destined for an eternity in hell.

We have severe indications of this reality all around us. We live in a world of such brokenness. If we are really honest, we even sense this in ourselves.

Always looking for something more.

Always hungry for something new.

Always jumping from one toy to the next for a thrill only to be disappointed and quickly move to the next.

The brokenness of the world and the brokenness in us show us that we are under the wrath of God for the sin that we have committed.

Imagine your sin as a brick wall between you and God. It is infinitely high and infinitely wide. It is unbreakable and unmovable and unscalable.

Our sin has the same effect. We have been stained by sin, and we can try to do good and atone for the things that we have done, but our sin is to big and the separation is too complete.

If the story ends here, we are in trouble. But thankfully, our God loves us and wants us. Jesus shows us the heart of our Heavenly Father as he speaks in Matthew 23:37 ““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Now here is the big question: How can a God who is just also be a God who is loving? It can only be demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

CHRIST

Romans 5:7–11 ESV

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

What has Jesus done upon the cross?

Jesus, the Son of God, came into this broken world and lived a perfect life in the presence of His Heavenly Father.

Jesus went to a sinners cross where he took our sin upon himself, and Colossians 2 tells us he NAILED to the cross.

What happened when Jesus went to that cross?

That separation from God caused by sin

the unscalable brick wall - obliterated.

In a moment, the uncrossable chasm between God and man is bridged by none other than God’s own son, Jesus.

Not because God simply excused our sin… but because Jesus took it.

And because Jesus took our sin upon Himself, God gave us His righteousness.

He now looks at us as He looks at Jesus - His perfect, spotless, and blameless children.

The separation that we once experienced become an embrace of a father.

When Jesus went to the cross, he took your death, but when He came out of the tomb He came with your life.

RESPONSE

Mark 1:15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

To know God, repentance and faith are necessary. To repent literally means to turn. Faith is to trust in Jesus to save us from our sins by His work on the cross.

Trust that Jesus is the Son of God who died upon the cross for our sins.

Turn to him and turn from ourselves and our sins.

Invitation

The Resurrection is all the proof that you need about Jesus of Nazareth.

His Resurrection proves his message. He came, lived, died, and rose again to set us free.