Easter Message

we had a family gathering yesterday at riverfront park in Wenatchee. We saw many of my nephews and nieces and their young kids. the discussion came up about who the kids are to me….. are they grand nieces and nephews? ……. then one of them asked what am I? a grand uncle? We decided great uncle suited me better… the youngers just wanted to be nieces and nephews like their parents.

lets pray

Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever, With His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

After Jesus rose (John 20), the followers of Jesus had some serious challenges to handle. To look at these challenges, we will compare them to old testament where the Israelites were rebuilding the Temple and city walls in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah). Both situations represent a time of spiritual reconstruction.

Just as the Israelites, returning to their ravaged homeland, faced the daunting task of physically rebuilding their temple and city walls,

the early New Testament believers, after Christ's death and resurrection, were called to salvation. This was not merely a restoration of what was, but a new and very different covenant! It’s called the new covenant, and it’s based on faith in Christ's death and resurrection.

There are some parallels between these two periods . Both were born out of devastation and despair,

the Israelites from the destruction of their city and 70 years of exile,

the early Christians from dealing with crucifixion and resurrection of their Savior.

Both were marked by a sense of disorientation and uncertainty, a questioning of old beliefs and practices. And both were characterized by a determination, a refusal to fall into despair, and a commitment to God, and a commitment to moving on.

In both cases, the task of rebuilding was not simply a matter of physical labor or smart planning. It was a spiritual endeavor, and desire for meaning and purpose. Both groups were searching for divine guidance and presence.

The Israelites, in rebuilding their temple, were not just constructing a building; they were attempting to rebuild their connection to God, reaffirming their covenant, reclaiming their identity as God's chosen people. This time lasted for several hundred years until the time of Christ.

The early Christ followers after the resurrection, were sharing the gospel and leading people to faith in Jesus Christ. we can do the same today a few thousand years later! They were not just organizing social groups; they were living the teachings of Christ, spreading the Gospel message:

Turn with me to see what Jesus says about this:

Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

18] And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

receiving a new way of life based on salvation, including love, forgiveness, and hope. This was all the result of believing and confessing the death and resurrection of our Savior. Romans 10:9-10

Both periods also highlight the importance of divine guidance and presence in the midst of rebuilding. The Israelites, in their efforts to rebuild Jerusalem, looked to the prophets for guidance and inspiration. The early Christians, just like we can, found salvation, and looked to the Holy Spirit for wisdom, power, and direction . In both cases, the rebuilding process was seen as turning to God,

the Old Testament followers through prophets and the law.

In New Testament converts by being born again and becoming obedient to the Holy Spirits’ leading.

The new era of Christ followers shows many features that bigger and better than the Israelites rebuilding Jerusalem.

The things that were a result of Jesus’ resurrection, are ultimately superior in spiritual significance and impact. While both eras involve rebuilding, the nature and scope of the time after Jesus died and rose again, demonstrates a new covenant: rather than simply returning to practicing the old covenant better.

Old Covenant

*Physical destruction of a city and temple during the captivity

*Rebuilding the houses and commerce in Jerusalem

*Restoration of a physical place, a place of worship, and the Jewish faith and sacrifices.

After Jesus died and rose again

*Establishment of a new covenant and eternal hope through Christ's resurrection

*Pentacost where the Holy Spirit was given. It established a greater power for for enlightenment, faith and change. He is called the Helper

Let’s turn to

John 14:16–17,26(NKJV)

16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever

17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Jump down to verse 26————————————————————————

26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (Talk about the jail)

the Holy Spirit for our earthly life, PLUS A promise of eternal life with Him

while we are in John turn back to

John 3:15–17 (NKJV)

15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 

16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

While the rebuilding in Jerusalem addressed tangible loss of peoples homes and their land, the events after the resurrection of Christ Jesus, confronted a far deeper, spiritual crisis. This problem was really lack of relationship with God, lack of faith in God through Jesus, and a lack of trust that Jesus could provide everything they need. We humans seem to drift toward unbelief if we dont keep moving forward in faith and going deeper>

Yes, hope offered through Christ's resurrection is much bigger and better than the earthly restoration of Jerusalem and the temple in the Jewish faith, it promises eternal life and a personal relationship with God through Christ Jesus, a superior and eternally lasting hope.

Lets look at some more points of contrast between the old and the new:

Rebuilding in Jerusalem

Physical temple and city walls

Re-establishment of national identity and worship practices

Establishing faith after the Resurrection

the spread of the Gospel: salvation through hearing the word and believing

Romans 10:16–17 (NKJV)

16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 

17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We focus on Transformation through Salvation and discipleship: bringing love, forgiveness, and hope, repeating:

Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We have a focus on the eternal Heavenly Kingdom

Revelation 21:2–4 (NKJV)

2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 

4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The rebuilding in Jerusalem aimed to restore a specific religious and national identity. The post-resurrection period, however, focuses on a universal mission to bring Christ's teachings and transformation by faith, to the world . This spiritual mission has a broader, more profound purpose and Spiritual meaning than the physical rebuilding in Jerusalem.

old testament

Source of Guidance was the

Prophets and scriptures

External guidance through the Holy Spirit through the priests and prophets. Guidance through prophetic words

changes because of Resurrection day

Word of God personally changing us, and personal guidance by the Holy Spirit

Internal guidance and power to change through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for all believers

While the Israelites relied on prophetic guidance, the New Testanent believers are marked by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, providing direct, personal guidance and empowerment to all believers. This is call the mind of Christ. This direct access to divine guidance represents a whole different world a superior and more accesable form of empowerment compared to the external

guidance of prophets in the old testament

Having the mind of Christ means we are practicing humility. Christ is humble

Let’s turn to

Philippians 2:5–11 (NKJV)

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 

6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 

7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 

8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 

11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Why do I bring this up on resurrection day? The answer is this: we came today to find inspiration in Godly things.

What Christ did when He was crucified and He rose from the dead is wonderful and life-changing ! right? If we struggle to see the significance of this we need to ask ourselves if our belief in Him , our faith, is deep enough to grasp the wonderful and life-changing part. What usually is standing in the way is our pride. wow! really? Isn’t pride a good thing?

well—what does the Bible say about pride? Definitely the Bible speaks against pride that is arrogant, self exalting, or has the lack of humility.

let’s look at a story that describes this: turn to

Luke 14:8–11 (NKJV)

8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 

9and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 

10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 

11For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

to continue let’s turn back to:

James 4:1–6 (NKJV)

1Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 

2You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 

3You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 

4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 

6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

We as believers have the mind of Christ. just listen to

1 Corinthians 2:14–16 (NKJV)

14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

15But He who is spiritual judges all things, yet He himself is rightly judged by no one. 

16For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

so we can:

perceive and understand truths that the world can’t see. this will change the way we approach decisions, relationships and conflicts. if we take the time to meditate on a situation we are facing, asking God to help us see it through His eyes, it will change our attitudes and decisions.

OK. lets say God is nudging us to forgive someone who has offended us.

Here are some application steps we can take as a believer to tap into the power of God with resurrection power for forgiveness:

1] Be sure we have repented——that is turned away from every sin.

2] If the offense keeps popping up in our mind, give it to Jesus right then and there! this is Spiritual Warfare !!

3]We Base our appeal to forgive soley on what Jesus did for us through His death on the cross, not on any “good works” of our own.

4] Be sure that, by an act of our will, we have forgiven every person who wronged us, and listen to the Lord here; we could discover we wronged them back by our response in the moment we were offended!

All this to say—-Jesus died and was resurrected , so that through salvation, we have the ability see beyond what is here and now. We have the divine power to change. He actually promises to transform us by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:1-2.

I want to encourage you to utilize the power we have in Jesus to overcome anything that is blocking us , and walk in freedom and joy through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are brothers and sisters in the faith and function best together when we are actively involved in pursuing our faith. This involves prayer, Bible learning, and fellowship. that is why we are here!

As believers individually, we need to appropriate what Christ purchased for us by His blood. to walk in fellowship with His Spirit, we need to developa listening ear to His voice, and a tender and clean heart that yields to His Spirit’s nudges.

Let’s walk in resurrection power and be led by His eye, not by the bit and bridle!

Psalm 32:8–9 (NKJV)

8] I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 

9] Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.

Let’s become a generation who keep their eyes on the Lord.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.