He Is Risen — And That Changes Everything

Title: He Is Risen — And That Changes Everything

0:00–2:00 — Welcome + Opening

Good morning, everybody.

I’m really glad you’re here today. I just love you all so much, my favorite day of the week is here with you, you are Beloved! by all your leaders, and most importantly, by God. God loves you with an everlasting love. John 3:16

Today is all about the GREASTEST MIRACLE TO EVER HAPPEN

and What that means for you?

When I say, He has Risen. you say… He has risen Indeed. That’s what Resurrection Sunday is about. Its not about bunny rabbits. But I am the Candyman, so I brought chocolate.

2:00–5:00 — What Resurrection Means

When we say resurrection, we mean this:

Jesus truly died, and then God made Him alive again— not as a ghost, not as a symbol, not as a made-up story, but in His real physical body.

This was not a near-death moment. He wasn't dead for a few minutes or a couple hours, no.

This was not just an inspiring message people invented.

This was a real historical event.

Jesus died -He was buried -He was in the grave for three days. Then He rose again from the dead and He is alive today.

Jesus said ahead of time that this would be the sign to prove who He is.

Read Matthew 12:38–41

Matthew 12:38–41 NASB95

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Here is why Resurrection Sunday matters so much:

All of Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection.

If Jesus did not rise, then Christianity falls apart.

But If Jesus did rise, then everything changes.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:14–20

1 Corinthians 15:14–20 NLT

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

So here is the big truth for today:

Since Jesus rose, it Changes everything—

who He is (proves He the messiah, Son God).

what sin means (proves sin is defeated),

what death means (assures a doorway into eternal life), and

what your life can become. (a child of God) John 1:12-13

The Bible calls Jesus the firstfruits—the first raised to life, never to die again. The beginning of new life for all His people.

The resurrection means this:

Jesus really died, God raised Him to life again in a real body, the tomb was empty, death was defeated, and Jesus is exactly who He said He is. And because of that, He can save anyone who comes to Him, and give them eternal life.

John 11:25 NLT

25 Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

5:00–11:00 — Read the Resurrection Event

Now, because Scripture is the main event today, let’s read the resurrection account itself.

Read Matthew 28:1–4

Matthew 28:1–10 NLT

1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” 8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

The women came in sorrow and fear.

The stone was rolled away.

The angel appeared. We see this truth: God does what we cannot do.

Now I wan to go to Luke 24 which gives us more detail of that day.

Read Luke 24:1–12 The tomb is empty.

Luke 24:1–12 NLT

1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

The walk to Emmaus

Luke 24:13–16 “13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.”

Luke 24:25–27 “25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”

Luke 24:30–31 “30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

Read Luke 24:36–43 Jesus shows His hands and feet. He eats with them.

Luke 24:36–43 NLT

36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched.

Why does that matter, what does it show us?

Jesus is not just spiritually alive in some vague way. He is truly alive with a Real body. Real scars. Real victory.

Notice: Jesus opens their minds to understand. Luke 24.45

That is such an important reminder: You do not come to saving faith by only knowing the facts, experiencing miracles, or by knowing theology. You need God to open your eyes. You need Jesus to open your mind to understand His words, and soften your hearts to believe.

Transition:

11:00–12:00 — Call to Prayer

“God, open our eyes to see Jesus. Open our minds to understand Your Word. Help us see the truth of the gospel and the power of the resurrection. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

12:00–15:00 — Share Old Testament Promises

This is important:

The resurrection was not God making up a rescue plan at the last second. The Bible had been pointing to this all along.

God promised that His Holy One would not stay in the grave.

Psalm 16:10 NLT

10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

Jesus was pierced for our sins. He suffered in our place.

Isaiah 53:5–6 NASB95

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Transition: This was always God’s plan—a Savior who would suffer, die, and rise again.

15:00–19:00 — Science Illustration: Jesus Cleanses Sin

Now I want to show you something.

When Jesus saves, He doesn’t just cover your sin—He cleanses you.

A song that's been crushing on my heart:

No longer dead, I am alive

The greatest gift, the highest prize

Your love ran red, to wash my white

were would I be if not for Christ

My shame is gone, my sin erased

When justice called, He took my place

Your love ran red, to wash me white

Were would I be if not for Christ.

19:00–23:00 — Personal Testimony

Let me tell you why this matters to me personally.

When I entered junior high, that’s when everything started going bad for me. I met the wrong people (the cool popular people) and started making bad choices. By my freshman year, I was in serious trouble. I ended up in juvenile detention, and later I spent time in youth authority for very serious crimes.

When I got out, I went back to court, I was thankful that my record had been wiped clean before I turned 18. But even though my record was cleared, my heart wasn’t. My wild sinful lifestyle did not stop.

For about ten more years, I kept going deeper into darkness. I tried to cover the pain by making even more destructive choices. My life became more and more broken. I was so beaten down by sin and the enemy (devil) who was trying to kill me. I remember could hardly speak. I was getting very close to death. Then when I was 27, my aunt Mary reached out to me one more time. I went to church with her, and it was there I heard the gospel message, as I’m sharing with you today. And Jesus didn’t just clean me up—

He gave me new life.

He continues to renew and rearrange me to this day. I was just pray Lord, have your way in me, keep giving me the grace to change.

I think about this often:

If I had known Jesus before junior high, it would have saved me from so much pain, and wasted time.

So I want to say this to you: You do not have to wait until life beats you up to come to Jesus.

Some of you are doing great right now, Some of you are quietly carrying heavy things.

At your age, there is pressure: with friendships, at school, fitting in, changes as your growing up, using social media, and worrying about what people think.

God’s message to you: You are not alone. Jesus is alive.

And when you come to Him, He gives real help:

forgiveness when you’ve sinned,

peace when you’re anxious and worried,

hope when you feel stuck,

and new life when you feel empty.

Matthew 11:28 “28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

23:00–25:00 — Gospel Invitation

Jesus lived the life we cannot not live, He died in our place for sin, and rose again from the dead. If you turn to Him and trust Him, He forgives you, cleanses you, and gives you new life.

So what should you do? If you are not sure that you belong to Jesus, today you can come to Him.

In a moment, we’re going to play a song. And if you want to talk, pray, ask questions, or make that decision to follow Jesus, I want you to slip out of the benches, go to the back and talk to a counselor. And for those of you who already know Jesus, you don’t need to ask Jesus into your heart over and over.

No pressure - No embarrassment - Just help. 

play a Second song;

For those those of you who have already asked Jesus to be your savior. I know this walk is not easy, we all struggle with sin, and if you’re struggling—with fear, doubt, worry, or sin—you can respond too. I’m inviting you to Go pray and confess what's going on with a councilor.

But talk to someone. Don’t carry it alone. We want you to reconnect with God and leave today restored, renewed and rearranged onto Gods path.

Closing / Benediction

Church family, God loves you more than you can imagine. Rejoice—Christ is risen, and you say? He has Risen Indeed”

go Walk in new life this week as you seek to know God more each day.

2,383 word (20 minutes)