Untitled Sermon (13)

The New International Version Chapter 16

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ”

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

“The Significance of the Resurrection”

Text: Mark 16:2-8

Introduction: What would our world be like if there was no resurrection? The resurrection of Christ is the most powerful and divine event in the history of mankind. Apart from the resurrection, we cannot have salvation. The wrongs we have committed and the effects thereof would remain forever. The unfairness and injustices of this life would perpetuate forever unchecked, never undone. Those of us who believe in the sovereignty of God have reason to hope because the Word of God teaches us facts about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. I didn’t come this Easter Sunday Morning to prove it to a hostile and unbelieving world, but to encourage those who have answered the Masters call to hold on and see what the end is going to be like.

What is the Significance of the Resurrection for Christians Today?

The resurrection of Jesus shows us that death isn't the end. There is a life after the one we live now. In 1 Corinthians 15:54, Paul writes about our imperishable bodies that we will take on when we die. We will have glorified bodies, just as Christ came back to earth with the same body he had before the crucifixion. Thats good news even if you can’t understand how and why God wants to do it for you! He does not want us to live forever in turmoil so He provides a way for us to live forever, and if we accept His way you will experience the resurrection to a brand new life that is free from sin, evil, and the problems and cares of this current life in which we live. You think you have a reason to shout now! How about living in a time where shouting and praising Him will be the order of the day.

How does the Resurrection influence Christianity today?

The resurrection is a sign of God's great power. It signals to every believer that nothing is too great for God to achieve, and this is comforting and encouraging for Christians in difficulty. If God can conquer our most feared foe, my hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is through the Resurrection that we find the faith that we will ultimately be in eternal relationship with God. This is why it is important to believe and accept the provision that God has so graciously given us. The cross and resurrection are foundational doctrines of Christianity. They are intertwined and cannot be separated from one another. We cannot experience resurrection without first dying. The degree to which we lay down our lives for the Lord and His purposes, while embracing His cross, is the same degree that we will experience His resurrection life, perceiving and partaking of the glory that He now abides in.

Jesus did not stop at the cross, and it is imperative that we not stop at the cross. The Lord did not just call Israel out of Egypt, but He called them into the Promised Land. We are not just called to die to this world, but we are called to walk in the newness of life because we are a new creation, created to do good works.

Israel had to go through a wilderness that was the exact opposite of the land of milk and honey they had been promised in order to get to their inheritance. They had to learn and endure some difficulties along the way. We too must do the same. As the Lord said in John 16:33:

    "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

    In the world you have tribulation, but take courage;

    I have overcome the world."

Our goal is to be like Jesus and to do the works that He did. We cannot do this on our own, but only by abiding in Him. We learn to abide in Him by going to the cross. It seems that almost everyone wanted to be close to Jesus to experience the miracles and glory of His works, but when He went to the cross even His closest disciples fled from Him, because they did not yet understand the resurrection. After the resurrection, however, even these proved willing to face death with the greatest courage and peace.

Why is the Resurrection Significant to our Faith?

In (1 Cor. 15:14), the apostle Paul says: “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” The importance of this world is supported also by the doctrine of the incarnation, the Christian teaching that God became an embodied human being in Jesus Christ. Jesus was not some spiritual manifestation or temporary avatar, but a real-life, flesh-and-blood person, located in a particular time, place, and culture. Just because no one we know was there is not a reason to doubt the validity of the biblical text. Jesus came proclaiming the coming of God’s kingdom and to restore the world. By virtue of His superior authority He demonstrated to us what His kingdom would look like, by healing diseased bodies, casting out demons, challenging the oppressive social order of his time, and offering forgiveness and hope to those in bondage to sin. And when he died Calvary, the incarnate Lord of heaven and earth absorbed the poison of our sin into himself (through a mystery called the atonement); and he rose again, conquering death, as the “firstfruits” of the new creation (1 Cor. 15:20).

Closure: Thank God for Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate our Lord rising from the grave. What a joy it is to know that, because He rose, all believers will one day rise too. Thank God for loving the world so much that He sent His only Son to die and save us from our sins. We have reasons to shout, because He did it all because He loves us. We ought tell the world about our Saviors love. Yes Easter is a joyous time to remind the world just how much God loves us. Yes He lives, He lives, because He lives I can face whatever may happen on tomorrow, because He live fear might not be gone, but He is able to calm all of my fears, You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart………………..