What is Easter, Really?

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great privilege to be given the opportunity to present the Word of God here at Durbin Memorial Baptist Church.

Whenever you make a decision, whether you realize it or not, you are trying to accomplish something. You go to work because you want to provide for yourself or your family. You watch a funny movie to cheer yourself up. You cultivate relationships with other people so that you don’t have to walk through life alone. You go skydiving because you’re insane. Just kidding… sorta. You go skydiving to spike adrenaline and fulfill a dream of flying.

From the extreme to the mundane, whether you realize it or not, every decision you make is an attempt to meet a felt need.

So with this understanding, I want us all to take a moment to think why are we here this morning? What brought you to this church on March 31, 2024?

The first reason may be simply that today is Easter. Statistically, this is one of the highest days of church attendance. This is a day when many people think about going to church. If that’s why you are here this morning, allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here!

Maybe you came today to have children participate in the egg hunt following the service. You want your children to have a memorable Easter experience and enjoy a treat or two! If that is why you are here this morning, allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here!

Maybe you are here this morning, because you are searching for a church home. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with a church in the past and are searching for a place where you can connect with other people. If that is why you are here this morning, allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here!

Maybe you’re here this morning because you were invited by a friend or neighbor. You care about your relationship with that person so you wanted to show them support by coming with them to this service. If that is why you are here this morning allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here.

Maybe you are a regular member of the church and are here virtually every Sunday. Coming to church is part of your weekly routine. If that is why you are here this morning, allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here!

Maybe you are fond and familiar with the ins and outs of what this Easter day is all about. You may have come here this morning to give praise to God for the Risen Savior. If that is why you are here this morning, allow me to say, I’m glad you’re here!

Whatever the reason you walked through those doors this morning, I’m glad you are here. As we get into our section of Scripture this morning, I want to explain why I am here this morning.

If you would, turn your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6. Since December 24, as a church we have been walking through the book of 1 Timothy, line by line, word by word. If you have missed some of the series, or even if today is you’re first time hearing any of is, don’t fret. Here’s what you need to know: 1 Timothy is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a man by the name of Timothy. Timothy is a young man who has been given the tall task of cleaning up the church in Ephesus. There were a lot of things going wrong in the church at that time. From false teaching, to bad practice within the church. Whether you have been a part of the church for sometime, or today is your first introduction, it is no secret that the church can often be a messy place. This can leave a bad taste in the mouths of many. But the gathering of believers is essential to the way in which God accomplishes His will in this World. By His grace, we have been provided with His Word to guide and correct our practice in the church. Let me assure you this morning, here at Durbin Memorial Baptist Church, we are not perfect. But we do look to God’s perfect Word to guide and correct everything that we do.

So by looking to the Word this morning, I hope to properly explain my purpose in speaking to you this morning, have all of us leave here with a greater appreciate for Jesus Christ our Risen Savior and His Church.

If you would, begin with me in 1 Timothy 6, picking up towards the end of verse 2.

1 Timothy 6:2–4 (ESV)

2b Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4a he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

When you see a preacher get up to speak, you may have thoughts on why you think he is speaking to the congregation. Before I get to my ultimate purpose in speaking with you today, I want to first showcase from our text this morning 3 motivations that I DO NOT have for addressing you on this Easter Sunday.

Number 1:

I am NOT here to teach you MY ideas.

I am NOT here to teach you MY ideas.

Any time someone is put on a platform with a mic in their hand, or in my case, on the ear, the perception is that they are giving their views to shape the ideas of those who listen. You may have seen a TED Talk before. They are these concise video presentations where experts from a variety of fields share on their topic and seek to bring people to see the world from the expert’s perspective. I’ve watched a few over the years and they are usually at least very thought-provoking demonstrations.

But my purpose this morning, is not to give you a TED talk. I don’t want to share with you MY ideas. My ideas, in fact, aren’t worth very much! I remember one time when I was a child, I thought it would be a good idea to try to parachute off the top of our shed using a trash bag as a parachute. Now I could give you all the details on how I selected the right size trash bag and evaluated the softest landing spot. Then tell you how my sisters had to carry me up to the house because I was so banged up. And finish with a Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

I’m not the brightest crayon in the box. I might have a million opinions on everything under the sun. But my intention this morning is not to give you MY ideas.

At our church we have a few sayings to help us understand our purpose. One of which is written on the board as you walk in the front door and on the intro to our sermon podcast. “Here, you will hear the Word of God.”

We have no desire to teach beyond the Word of God, while preaching the whole of God’s Word unashamedly.

Paul wrote to Timothy, teach and urge these things, referring to all the guidance he had given in the rest of the letter. But the summation of that teaching is contained here in verse 3. If the teaching doesn’t line up with the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, if the teaching isn’t about growing in godliness, then it has no business being in the teaching of the church. We rigorously seek to approve everything we do by the Word of God. We have said time and time again if something we are doing or teaching is in contradiction to the Word of God, then bring it to our attention so that we can correct it!

A position of leadership and speaking is very attractive to the narcissist. It is the reality of living in a fallen, sinful world, that people enter into a position like the pastorate to propagate their own agenda. The leaders who do that are puffed up with conceit and understand nothing.

This isn’t Pastor Brad’s church. My opinions doesn’t matter. What matters is the Word of God and its profitability for showing us our need for a Savior, who that Savior is, and how we live in response to receive our Savior. If you enjoy and learn something from this message this morning, I don’t need your praise, it’s God’s glory! I hope that anything you take from this is in full accordance with His Word, not mine.

I am not here to teach you MY ideas. I am hear to proclaim God’s Word.

In the latter half of verse 4 and verse 5, we find another false motivation:

1 Timothy 6:4b–5 (ESV)

4b He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

The second motivation I do NOT have today, or any other Sunday for that matter, is this:

I am NOT here to fight with you.

I am NOT here to fight with you.

We live in a sensational world in which gathering views and clicks drives anyone with a platform to constantly stir the pot and ruffle the feathers of both the folks on the opposite side of their opinion and many times even within their own camp. The desire for engagement and the social media algorithm has made division the way of life for the talking heads around us.

That’s not what the church is supposed to be. The church is not a place for an “unhealthy craving” for controversy! Too often the pulpit is used to bully on a particular musing from an individual’s mind. At best, misguided pastors, at worst false teachers are constantly using their platforms to introduce new conjectures and opinions to God’s people with no basis in Scripture. This will certainly cause division in a church as some folks say, “But the Bible says…” while other folks say, “But the Pastor says…” Friction and factions are introduced to the body of believers in which there is supposed to be the peace of Christ uniting them in one body.

This doesn’t mean that the Word of God will not step on your toes, surely it will! But there should never be an attempt to stir the pot for the sake of sensationalism! God’s Word is convicting enough on its own! I have to tell you that most, if not every week, as I am preparing the message for our church, the Lord convicts me of my own shortcomings. It desperately hurts to know I have fallen short of the glory of God. There will be many times when you hear a message that seems as if it were written about your very soul, should you be upset about that, if the message has been prepared faithfully to present the Word of God, then your fight is not with the pastor, but with God’s Word!

I’m NOT here to fight with you. I’m here present the Word of God which pierces to the division of soul and of spirit, and joint and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It is an utter abuse of the pulpit to use to form a cult of personality while dividing the body over personal musings. In our fallen world, however, that happens far too often. People use the guise of godliness to amass their own little empires. We must not allow this in our church.

That leads me to the third motivation:

1 Timothy 6:6–10 ESV

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

The third motivation I do NOT have today, or any other Sunday is this:

I am NOT here to take your money.

I am not here to take your money. Nor am I here to make you money, for that matter.

In the context of the verses we just read, Paul is warning Timothy of the trouble that comes when leaders in the church set their eyes on their bank accounts rather than on faithful service to the Lord. “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation…into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction…through this craving…some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” This is rightly and intentionally gruesome language. One pastor noted, “I have seen this repeatedly—once-eager Christians who leaders in their churches who moved up and out of faith. Beautiful homes but cold hearts. They love money, but their children hate them. In some homes only their familial love for money keeps them together.”

The faithful pastor’s intention in preaching to a congregation is not the gain of financial riches. When our eyes are set on eternity, we realize that all the things of this earth will eventually pass away. We can be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in because we trust in the Lord and know that He is with us even in times of trial and a lack of material possessions.

There have been those who have used their platform, supposedly in the name of Christ, preach the message, “God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas, and creativity.” I can tell you wholeheartedly from the testimony of God’s Word, that none of us are promised a financial windfall because of our relationship with God. Whether that be pastors, deacons, Sunday School workers, the kid in the youth group, or our favorite back-row baptists, none of us are promised to receive some grand financial growth.

I’m not here to take your money, and I hope you are not here to maneuver a major financial blessing.

So if I am not here this morning to teach you MY ideas, to fight with you, or to take your money, why then am I here?

I am here to show you what Easter is, really.

What is Easter, really?

And though, that may not have been your intention for gathering with us this morning, I believe it is why God has brought us together.

You will see a variety of viral facebook posts claiming the word Easter is attached to pagan goddess. However, those claims are based on pretty big stretching of the historical evidence. The most concrete evidence we have for the naming of Easter is its connection to an old word for “east” and the name of a springtime month in the Saxon calendar (Eosturmononath). There is no strong historical connections beyond that for the name “Easter.” What we can all recognize is that we celebrate this holiday in the spring time months each year. Then, when you look through the history of the church you will find that there has been much debate as to when Easter should be celebrated. You could go down a long rabbit trail on the internet this afternoon if you are interested. Culturally, Easter is celebrated with candy, eggs, bunnies, and going to church.

Ultimately, however, Easter is not about the name, the date, the candy, bunnies, or even going to church. At the end of the day, Easter is about setting aside a specific time to celebrate the truth of the passage our students read this morning.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb, as they approach, the stone covering is rolled away and an angel appears. It was a tremendous and terrifying experience. Then read with me again verse 5:

Matthew 28:5 ESV

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

The tomb they were going to was the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. It had been three days since He was publically mocked, beaten, and gave up His life while being strung up on the cross. He was crucified. The women were coming to the grave to pay honor to Jesus. They didn’t expect to be greeted by an earth quake or an angel. Nor did they expect what the angel would say next.

Matthew 28:6 ESV

6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

The one they came to honor was no longer in the tomb, but up from the grave He arose!

Now, on its own, this is an incredible event, unmatched in all of History! More monumental than landing a man on the moon. On its own the resurrection of Jesus Christ would be a spectacular marvel to ponder upon. But it is the meaning behind the resurrection that spurs our celebration today!

Remember the words from our Scripture Proclamation this morning!

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, those who believe in Him are given living hope! Easter is the pointed celebration of Christ rising from the grave assuring all those who believe in Him of the an inheritance that imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, an inheritance that is kept for us in heaven. It is guarded by God’s very power!

Because Christ arose, we can rejoice! Even though we go through trials, even though we are grieved at times by our circumstances, even though the financial blessings may never come our way, we know that in those times God is giving us the honor of glorifying Him through the testing of our faith. As we cling to our Risen Savior through faith, it results in a life filled with praise and glory and honor to our Savior!

Easter, Resurrection Sunday is a celebration that Because He Lives we can face tomorrow and all fear is gone!

At this point, ask yourself these question: On this Easter, am I gathered this morning to celebrate the Risen Savior? Do I have eternal hope because of what Christ has done for me? Do I even truly understand what Christ has done, including the significance of the resurrection?

Here is what we must all understand before we can have a real grasp on what Easter is. We have to understand that we are sinners and our sin separates us from the Holy God. How do we know we are sinners? Well no one among us can claim to be perfect. Not a one of us can claim to have never had impure thoughts, to have never done anything for our personal betterment at the expense of another, to have never been stricken with jealousy and conceit.

You might say, Pastor Brad, that’s just being a human. That’s no big deal. And I would agree…partially. That IS being a human, but it is a big deal! We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The just sentence for our sin is death! You might say, Pastor Brad, that sounds pretty harsh, if God is good, then He will certainly overlook my petty sins and save the harsh judgment for the real sinners. “But if you were guilty of a crime in a civil court and said to the judge, ‘Judge, I am guilty but I believe you are a good man and will therefore overlook my crimes.’ the good judge would reply, ‘you are right about one thing, I am a good man, and it is because of my goodness that I am going to see that justice is done and you are punished for your crimes.’” Because God is good, sin cannot go unpunished.

At this moment, if you are paying attention, that reality should rightly send a shudder down your spine! We should all feel the very weight of our sin and the burden of punishment it brings! All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, the Just judge, but in His great grace, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the God-Man, the only Man who never fell to temptation as you and I are so oft to do. And by the grace of God, sinners understanding the burden of their sin are offered relief through redemption in Christ Jesus! Romans 3 tells us that the Father put forth the Son as a propitiation, that is a big word that means something pays the price for something else. The Father put forth the Son Jesus Christ as a propitiation by His blood, so that the death of the righteous God Man would pay the cost for the sins of everyone who believes in Him! The very wrath of God owed by every sin of every believer past, present, and future was poured out on Jesus Christ on the cross! Jesus died so that our God would be just in dealing with sin and the justifier by not counting the sins of believers against them! It’s not that the punishment for sin vanishes into thin air, it’s that the punishment for sin was laid upon Christ on the cross! Through Christ’s death, God can deal with repentant sinners with justice and be their justifier.

And we are also justified through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 4 says that Christ was delivered up, that is killed, for our trespasses, our sins, and raised for our justification. Christ’s resurrection is the justification that He was the perfect sacrifice. He would not be defiled by death and would defeat death. The resurrection is a declaration of the righteousness of Jesus. And because He arose we can be rest assured that if we believe in Him, His righteousness will be accounted to us!

Are you beginning to see why Easter is a celebration of the Resurrection? Because of the Resurrection, whosoever believes in Christ will not perish, they will not have to pay their sin debt, but they will have eternal life because Christ has already paid their debt for them!

To truly celebrate Easter, we have to understand that we are sinners, that Christ died to pay a debt we couldn’t pay, and rose from the grave proving His validity as the One who can make atonement for our sins. We show a real understanding of that truth by turning from our sins and placing our faith in Christ, following His command and His Word. That is the real message that I have been entrusted to share with you today. That is why I am here. I exist to proclaim the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. To some this might seem like an ancient fairytale, but the record of the Bible is substantiated in History. I can tell you with no reservation Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, lived and died and rose again. I can assure you that that tomb is empty and He is risen, He is risen indeed. Do you believe? Then rejoice! This is the day set aside to celebrate our Resurrected Savior! Are you just beginning to understand the seriousness of your sins and how God deals with them? Then make that know! Come speak with me during the hymn of response in just a moment or following the conclusion of our service. I want nothing from you but to point you to truth of Jesus, our risen Savior, the reason we celebrate today.

We may not be eyewitnesses to the Resurrection, but I can assure you Christ lives and reigns and is still drawing folks to see His grace. That can be you, today. Allow me to conclude by reading one more selection of Scripture.

1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Let’s pray.