Easter 2025
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Back to Life
Back to Life
Today I get to tell you the greatest story in history
A story that you are a part of
A story that begins like every other story
1 In the beginning God…
In the beginning….
God, creation, work and rest
And the crown jewel of creation
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
And so the creator God set in motion the meaning of life.
To expand His kingdom and creation across the earth
To rule not as subjects but as partners
This is life. To know God, to walk with God, to rule on behalf of God and spread the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth
Then we see life in motion. Man fulfilling this very command and everything was good
Until one day the antagonist makes his way onto the scene in the form of a serpent
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The man and woman take of the one fruit God forbid.
They sinned against the creator by believing that there was more to life
they simply had a lack of knowledge and if they knew what God knew they would find that there is more to life
And in an attempt to find life they found death
In fact they looked toward death itself in search of life
Why would they look for life among the dead?
This one sinful act makes all of mankind guilty
Romans 5:12
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Fast forward and we see brothers killing brothers, evil men proud of their sin and evilness, mankind in search of life but looking in all of the wrong places
looking for life among the dead
Why would they look for life among the dead?
Fast forward and we see a chosen people
A people group that God would set apart
A people who would usher in the life God intended
Out of this people group leaders would rise like Moses would go into Egypt and set the nation of God free
He would speak with Moses, commune with moses, reveal Himself to moses
And the creator God would give moses His law
If you want life this is what you are to do
Creator God says “Keep my commandments and live.”
This is how mankind would find life
But they can’t
They can’t keep the commands of God, they constantly break them, go against them, and spit in the face of God
They would search for life amongst other things. Things that only bring death
Why would they look for life among death?
Fast forward and a man named Joshua who would lead the people of God into a land promised to them long ago
Surely this land would bring life, surely this would be the moment that the people of God realize that life can only be found in their Creator
And although God’s people would show glimpses of promise they would fail, fall, and stumble over and over again
Raising up alters, serving other Gods, serving themselves
Constantly searching for life but consistently looking toward things that only brought death
Why would they look for life among death?
Fast forward and God would send Judges
Men and women who would declare the way to life
Who would come to the people of God as a mouthpiece of God pleading with the people of God to repent, turn from their evil ways, and turn toward God, the creator and giver of life
And although there are glimpses of great possibilities
humankind continue their pattern of looking for life in things that only bring death
Why would they look for life among death?
Fast Forward and God would send kings
Some more godly than others
The first Saul who starts out with great promise only to fall to his own pride
Next is David who may be the one to turn the tides. Maybe David can bring humanity life and keep them from death.
But David is just a man. A man susceptible to lust and anger.
A man who wants life as God intended but often looks to things that only bring about death.
Kings come and kings go
And none can change humanity
And so the pattern continues, man looks for life among the dead.
Why do they look for life among the dead?
Fast Forward and God sends prophets
Men who would tell of a future to come
And the prophet Isaiah would tell us this:
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Although mankind has exchanged life for death there is one to come who will exchange death for life
He will be beaten and broken, led like a lamb to slaughter
And the iniquity of all will be laid on Him
But after He suffers He will see the light of life and He will bring it to all of mankind
Life will be illuminated once more
Life, the way that God intended, will be possible once more
But who? How? When?
Although the prophets prophecy of the one to come, He is not here yet and mankind continues their descent to death
Constantly searching for life in death?
Why do you look for life among dead things?
Fast forward and…..silence
Mankind wonders through centuries of silence
Where is this Savior foretold about?
The one who would take away the sins of the world?
Where is God? Has He given up? Has He turned His back?
Maybe life is no longer possible? Maybe death is our end?
Fast forward and a man named John steps on the scene
He’s a little weird but speaks with authority and conviction
He baptizing people in water declaring that they can die to sin and be raised into new life with God
Could this be the one?
Is John the Baptist the one who would save the world from death to life?
Many are asking the question and this is John’s response
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
There comes another. More powerful than John? Who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire?
Who is this man? Where is He?
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
He is here! The Creator God looks down and calls Jesus His Son. This is the one and not only is He fully man but also fully God
This is the one to take away the sins of the world
This is the one who would usher in a kingdom of life
No longer would humanity have to settle for death
No longer would we need to look for life among dead things
Why would we look for life among death?
The Messiah is here the Savior is here
He does miracles and casts out demons.
He preaches life changing messages
And makes statements like “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
And say things like
6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus has brought heaven down to earth
The Creator’s kingdom is here
Life is not only possible but life is here
Could this really be it?
Not all believed so
Although Jesus does no wrong, is without sin, some hate him
Despise him, reject him, and plot to kill him
But surely since He is the Son of God He sees it coming and He will do something about it, surely He will stop them, but He doesn’t
They capture Jesus, chain Him, beat Him, and nail Him to a cross
They curse Him, spit on Him, pierce Him and kill Him
The one who was supposed to bring life is now dead
The one who was supposed to change humanity forever now lays dead in a tomb
So, what now?
The one who was bringing life is dead.
Why would we look for life among the dead?
Those closest to Jesus are confused.
How could this have happened?
Where did they go wrong?
What will they do now?
Fast forward 3 days later…
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen!
Why do you look for life among the dead?
Jesus has risen! He is alive!
Death is defeated!
Sin paid for.
Life possible
Freedom found
Hope restored
a greater Adam, a greater moses, a greater Joshua, a greater David, the one Isaiah spoke of. He has done what the law could not do
Brought life!
Jesus is the Savior of the world! He is life itself!
Fast forward and a man by the name of Paul would write
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
The great exchange. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead wants to live in you and if He lives in you, death no longer has the final word
Sin loses it’s power, death its sting
How do we make this our reality?
25 “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
You were wired to find the meaning of life
Humanity has the natural tendency, from the very beginning to look for life among things that only lead to death
Fast Forward and here we are…
Faced with the same decision
Where do we find life?
Where do you look for life?
A job? A relationship? A hobby? Religion?
Drugs? Alcohol? Money? Sex?
These things will only let you down, will only lead to death
And so I ask you this morning
Why do you look for the living among the dead?
Jesus is the resurrection and the life
I invite you this morning to stop giving your life to things that lead to death and believe in your heart, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
Repent from your sins and turn to giver of life
For He is alive and wants to give you life both here and now and for eternity with Him
