It Ain't Over Until Its Over!

Yogi Berra was a catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946-1963, statistically speaking he is perhaps the greatest to the play the game. He would go on to coach the Yankees and the Mets. However, his claim to fame is being the most quoted sports figure in the world. You’ve heard many of his yogi-isms, but here are a few of his more quoted quotes. “You better cut the pizza into four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.””Baseball is 90% mental and the other half physical.” Someone once told Yogi that he looked cool, he answered, “well you don’t look so hot yourself.” Yogi is also credited with coining the simple term “It ain’t over until its over.”

Yogi first uttered this phrase in 1973 about the National League Pennant race. His team, the Mets were a long way out when he said it but then they rallied and came back to when the Pennant. “It ain’t over until its over” cautions people against making a premature judgement call in spite of the odds because the situation still might turn around. And that is the central message of Easter… God can bring life out of death, victory out of defeat, and resurrection out of crucifixion. So don’t close the book on a life too soon because If God is in it, Its not over until it’s over.

From birth Jesus was on a collision course with death, Herod ordered all the male babies 2 years old and under in Bethlehem to be put to death. The shadow of death always hung over Jesus’ head. He told his disciples that he came to pay a ransom for the many. He spoke of the cross plainly when he said “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified.” Jesus told of His impending death as he neared Jerusalem saying “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto myself.” The cross was always before Jesus, it never took Him by surprise. When Good Friday came it was the darkest day in human history. Jesus was betrayed by His friend Judas, forsaken by His followers, and delivered to the Romans by the religious to be crucified. He was nailed to an old rugged cross like a common criminal deserving of capital punishment. After six hours Jesus’ body lay lifeless on the cross, and 2 of his followers laid Him in a tomb and rolled a stone in front of it. *If you had interviewed the people on the street of Jerusalem that day they would have said, “it is all over.” If you had asked his followers if it was all over they would have answered , “Yes it is all over.”

But we know that it wasn't over. Early on Easter Morning the women made their way to the tomb, but when they got there the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. An angel greeted them with the best news of time and eternity, “He is not here, but He has risen!” The women went and told the disciples, then they knew the central truth of Easter: “It ain’t over until its over!” Nothing is over until God gets through with it, He specializes in turning Calvary's into Easter Mornings!

Today I want to give you two reasons that make this day so glorious.

I. Sin is Defeated

{Man’s greatest problem has been settled}

A. The Effects of the Cross.

Man has a sin problem (Rm. 3:23.) Sin separates us from God and brings about death (Rm. 6:23). Because of sin it is impossible to get to God. But God made a way! It is the Cross!

ILL: Imagine for a moment that you are trying to get to God but there is an expanse separating you the length of this sanctuary and you must jump over it in one single bound. We could all try. Some would jump further than others but we would all fall short. But the Cross on which Jesus died is the bridge that spans the distance we couldn't jump.

The Cross removes the separation! Jesus took our sins out of the way nailing them to the cross (Col. 2:14).

ILL: Horatio Spafford said it best, “My sin, oh the bliss of that glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!”

B. The effects of the Resurrection

The Cross is essential to the removing of sin but the resurrection is the proof that sin has been defeated! God understood that many of us would hail from Missouri, the show me state. It is proof! 1 Cor. 15:17 says “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; and you are still in your sins.” This is what we celebrate today, the risen Christ who defeated our sin by offering His life a sacrifice and returning from the dead. The crucifixion and the Resurrection is necessary for salvation, Rm. 10:9.

App: The only way that you can be saved is by believing in your heart the resurrection of Jesus! It doesn't matter how deep in sin you have fallen, how far away you have wandered, or how many scars may be on your soul. Its not too late for you! Remember the central truth of Easter, Its not over until its over.

In the New Testament world, the Apostle Paul was the least likely person to be saved. He had a fanatical hatred towards Christians and had many killed. He said that he was the chief sinner, he blasphemed God and persecuted His people. But on the Road to Damascus Jesus appeared to Him and he was saved, later he became the greatest missionary the world has ever known. If Paul can be saved anyone can be saved. His life is proof that no one has to stay the way he is. Today you may be far away from God, a blasphemer like Paul or a murderer like the thief on the cross beside Jesus, but you're not so far away that Jesus can’t get to you and change you!

ILL: A seminary Professor used to remind his students. “Young men, when you preach, never leave Jesus on the cross or the prodigal son in the far country.” God can bring His Son down from the Cross, God can bring His Son out from the grave, and He can bring the prodigal out of the pigpen and the back from the far country.

II. Death is Defeated

{Man’s greatest fear had been conquered}

Come Sundown on Good Friday Jesus was dead, but to make sure they thrust a spear into His side causing water and blood to flow out. It was official, Jesus was dead. But early Sunday morning when the women arrived at the tomb an Angel said to them “Why do you seek the living One among the dead. He is not here, but He has risen.” (Lk. 24:5-6).... Easter isn’t a time to sit in quite reflection and meditative repose. Easter is a time to shout at the top of your lungs, Jesus is alive! Death is dead, Satan is defeated, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive!

You see, death has been defeated and now there is no reason to fear death. Ps. 23:4. While standing in a cemetery Jesus announces “I am the resurrection and the life..... ” (Jn. 11:25). Jesus has transformed death from a conclusion to an introduction; from an ending to a beginning; from a period to a comma.

Since death has been defeated, by grace through faith we don’t die, we simply relocate (Jn. 14:1-3). No matter how final death looks, remember God raised Jesus from the dead and one day He will raise us up too. Because of His resurrection we can live until we die and after we die we still live forever. John 14:19!

ILL: Just because you may not believe in God or an afterlife will not change the fact that there is something beyond the grave. Imagine a conversation between two twins in their mother’s womb. The female twin Sandy says to her brother Andy, “I believe in life after birth, do you?” Andy says, “No, this is all their is.” Later Sandy says, ‘I’ve got something else to say and you probably won’t believe it either, but I also believe in a mother.” Her brother says, “What are you talking about? We’ve never seen a mother! I tell you this is all there is, why do you wan’t more? We have everything we need here.” For a while Sandy doesn’t say anything else, but finally, she can’t stay quiet and blurts out, “but don’t you hear those muffled sounds? I think there is another world waiting for us that’s much more beautiful than where we are and there we will see our mother face to face.” Andy is so fed up that he doesn't answer, after all to him the womb was all there ever was and all there ever will be. But some time later the twins were born and Andy was surprised! For Sandy, it was even better than she imagined! Do you believe in life after birth? Then believe in life after death! (John 11:25-26)

Con: Even when things look like its over, it ain’t over until God gets through with it. It is just like God to bring life out of death. He has a way of turning Good Fridays into Easter mornings, crosses into crowns, and hurts into hallelujahs.