Ressurection Sunday 2024

He is Risen

Introduction

Let’s imagine together a very famous person. Maybe even a favorite famous person who loves God and does great things for others. News about that person has reached many people. Followers have been growing by the thousands and every platform, media outlet and talk show has been discussing their recent arrest, conviction and death penalty that was crafted by a small elite group who hated that persons fame and following.

The coverage of the following days are highly sought after like a prepaid event and the highlight reals of this gruesome execution ensures everyone that our famous, beloved icon has left this life. The televised funeral is an open casket displaying the brutality of their punishment and the very beautiful burial sight where that person is placed is guarded and more protected than the tomb of the unknown solider.

You could imagine the discussion around town. All the social media posts and video’s expressing opinions, accusations and divisive arguments. But after three days an eruption of excitement leaves the haters confused and concerned because the heavily guarded tomb is empty and our icon who was loved by many has multiplied His following because He has came back to life and is sharing with all who will listen that He has a message from God in heaven. For forty days He campaigns His God given message both publicly and privately.

This is the true story and message of Jesus.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

AND HIS MESSAGE WAS THIS!

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

THE DISDAIN OF SIN

Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection and promised return speak of the supernatural salvation of God.

Most of us don’t really like to admit our imperfections or failures but when it comes to God we cannot hide our sins. God is omniscient, omnipotent and omni-present. That means that He is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere. He is a mighty, holy, perfect God and His judgments have no flaws.

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day never argued this point. They understood the journey to having a relationship with God in all His holy perfection would require a sinless path and lifestyle. BUT left to our own strength finding that path is impossible. To find that path we need a merciful loving God who can show us the WAY we are to go, The TRUTH we are to follow and the LIFE we are to live.

When I think of path of salvation I kinda think of the old game called frogger. The game systems were pretty simple back then but the concept was still challenging enough to keep us engaged. The idea was to move your frog in between lanes of traffic and try not to get hit by on coming traffic. At first the levels were pretty simple and you could get the rhythm down to get to the other side and get to the next level but as the levels got higher the traffic got faster and thicker. And if you MISSED YOUR MARK, well you know what happened to that frog LOL.

Why does sin separate us from God? Well the NT was written in Greek and the Greek word for sin is hamartia, which literally means “to miss the mark.”

There are many things in life that don’t require perfection. Things like spaghetti, goulash, chili, high school, parenting etc. On the other hand, there are certain things that require us to hit the mark every time or the out come is catastrophic. Things like parachutes, oxygen, even light. Reflecting on the eclipse that is getting so much interest lately, did you know that the sun itself is needs to hit the mark every time. It is a perfect 93 million miles away from the earth. If it was any closer we would burn, if it was any further we would freeze. Are you glad today that you have perfect oxygen in your lungs and perfect sun on your face today!

For God to require perfection is not crazy, its essential to His divinity.

But in His awesome power and wisdom He knows we cannot hit the mark our selves. He knows we all constantly fall and make mistakes. He knows we need help, mercy and grace. He knows we need Jesus.

You see for us to find salvation requires supernatural divine intervention. When Jesus rose from the grave he gave this solemn promise to judge every sin and unrighteous deed in the earth. He said there would be a resurrection and that he would judge the living and he dead. The judgment on sin is eternal death.

But Jesus’ message thankfully didn’t stop there he went on to say he also came to bring life, forgiveness so that we might not have to worry about missing the mark. He would be for us THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE! Imagine the game frogger had a bridge that could get over to the other side so that all the obstacles keeping you from victory could be by passed. You know on your own your soon to meet your fate but if you had a bridge you could cross to get you the holy place every time you would take it. Can I tell you beloved, Jesus is that bridge.

The only way for sin and missing the mark to be appeased required judgment and penalty to be paid. And Beloved that payment has to be made.

The Bible says:

The curse falls upon those who transgress God’s commands, and no one is exempted from penalty (Rom. 3:9–20, 23).

For all human beings need a substitute/payment since “all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

The introduction to sin in the genesis account was a horrible thing for all of humanity.

In his essay on Substitutionary Atonement, Thomas Schreiner says (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/substitutionary-atonement/#:~:text=Penal%20substitution%20means%20that%20Christ,3%3A23).

“God’s anger against sin represents his personal response to sin. Judgment is not merely cause and effect, but is God’s holy wrath against sin, which must be distinguished from sinful human anger. God’s anger is holy and in this sense beautiful and right because sin is so horrible that it warrants punishment, and the failure to see this indicates that sin is seen to be a minor defect instead of a destructive and disfiguring cancer.”

I cannot lie to you. God hates our sin. He hates my sin. He hates your sin. To him it is the most appalling thing that could ever exist. It is what separates us from His divine love, purpose and plan for our lives. To Him sin must be judged and punished. He cannot overlook it. A holy God must deal has to deal with it.

THE ATONEMENT MADE BY JESUS

The gospel message and story about Jesus is not one of just judgement but also one of love and compassion. For we see in the atoning sacrifice of Christ both the love and justice of God.

John 3:16-17 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

you see we cannot pay our own penalty because it would take all eternity but Jesus who was completely innocent an perfect paid the penalty once and for all by laying his life down for us. So that we can be saved and set free.

1 Peter 3:18 Christ also suffered. He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners although he himself was innocent of any sin at any time, that he might bring us safely home to God.

RESURRECTION VICTORY

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

The Message Bible

12-15 Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ.

And face it—if there’s no resurrection for Christ, everything we’ve told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you’ve staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there’s no resurrection.

16-20 If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves.

If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.