Resurrection Sunday 2026 "Christ's Unique Resurrection"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City! He is Risen! He is Risen!

Thank you for joining us for Resurrection Sunday, a day when we commemorate Jesus’ victory over the grave.

A day we can joyously proclaim “He is Risen!”

If you are visiting today, welcome… thank you for celebrating this very special day with us…

Today is a key day that we remember that death is not our end… for as Jesus rose from the dead… ALL who have faith in Him… though we will die… we will rise to everlasting life.

Jesus rose from the grave almost 2,000 years ago… which was not a fictional story, but a literal event…

Over 500 eye witnesses saw Jesus after He rose again according to Paul… as inspired by the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 15:6.

The word resurrection in Gk. anastasis means “a standing up”, “a raising” or “rising up.”

And while there are various accounts of people in the Bible dying and rising again…

… there is ONE resurrection that stands above them all… and that is “Christ’s Unique Resurrection”… which is our message title today.

Let’s open our Bibles to Mark 16. Mark 16:1-8 concisely summarizes the Resurrection account of Jesus Christ…

In previous years… we have looked at the Resurrection Account through the eye of Matthew, Luke, and John… and one year even harmonized the account through the eyes of all four writers.

Matthew and Luke provide greater detail, especially about the angelic appearance at the tomb…

John provides greater depth of a character study of Peter, John, and especially Mary Magdalene.

Mark provides brevity… which fits well with our purposes today… as we will not focus as much on the narrative of the resurrection as we did in previous years… but instead will examine the significance of Jesus’ resurrection theologically... and why it was fundamentally distinct from others who were raised from the dead.

So, let’s read this passage in Mark now on Jesus’ resurrection.

And in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Mark 16:1–8 … which picks up after Jesus’ death on the cross… and His burial… V1 begins… “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man [an angel] clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” 8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

Today, I’m not going to exposit this passage… like I normally would on a Sunday morning…

As mentioned, we are going to topically discuss Jesus’ resurrection… it’s unique significance amongst those who would die and rise again… and what His resurrection means to believers today…

… for we have a great hope and many assurances because Jesus died and rose again… which I believe we often miss… or fail to understand.

There will be quite a few bible verses that we will cross reference today… to ground our points in Scripture.

Because more important than what I say… is what does Scripture say about the topic.

AND my hope is as we dive deep… you will walk away even more in love with Jesus because of His sacrificial death and resurrection.

At the close of the message we will also take communion remembering His sacrifice.

Before we reflect on Jesus’ resurrection… I’d like to take a moment to reflect back on this past week… which many Christians call “Holy Week”… or “Passion Week”… there are several significant days… and significant events important for our salvation.

The whole week, except for Wednesday, is packed with significant events… and probably one of the best documented weeks to ever have been recorded.

In the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)… there are a total of 89 chapters.

And approximately 30 chapters are devoted to the events of Jesus' final week…

So, Jesus’ final week leading up to the cross and then the resurrection… represent roughly one-third of the entire content of the Gospels…

Which highlights just how central these events are in the biblical account of Jesus' life and ministry… and how central they are to our lives.

Here are some key highlights:

The Sunday prior to Resurrection Sunday (or Easter Sunday)… is Palm Sunday… which looks back to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem during the Feast of Passover.

A multitude of Jesus’ disciples waved palm branches… and cried out “Hosanna” (meaning “Save Now we pray”)… and said, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” looking back to messianic Psalm 118.

If only that were the National outcry of Israel, but it was not.

Sadly, Pharisees called to Jesus to rebuke His disciples as recorded in Luke 19… and within the week the outcry of the chief priests who stirred up the people… was “Crucify Him!”

Now… Israel is still written into the prophetic plan… and during the Tribulation and come into National belief that Jesus is Messiah…

And as Israel confesses the Lord Jesus (crying out Hosanna) and believe that God rose Him from the dead… she will be saved or delivered out of the tribulation… and into the millennial kingdom.

Maundy Thursday marked the Last Supper and the institution of Communion.

Maundy comes from the Latin word for “command.”

And Jesus gave 2 commands…

He instituted the ordinance of Communion, stating in Luke 22:19 “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

And after the message, we will take communion today.

And, Jesus said in John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

How important for us to love God first and love others as we love ourselves?

On Good Friday we remember Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins.

Despite all that Jesus suffered through his passion and crucifixion… which was NOT good…

His redemptive sacrifice for our sins was very good…

Because we all have sinned… Romans 3:23 declares… “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

But on Good Friday… Jesus paid the price for sin… which is death.

Romans 6:23 declares, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God hates sin… because He is holy… set apart from sin… and since the original sin in Eden… man has been in a fallen state and separated from God.

So… what makes Good Friday so good… is that as God sent His Son… to pay the price for our sin…

We can be redeemed back to God… out of the slave market of sin… and restored into relationship with God… through faith in Jesus Christ.

1 Pet 3:18 declares, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just [Jesus] for the unjust [mankind], that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit...”

1 John 4:10 states, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Jesus propitiated or satisfied the Father’s wrath on sin… Jesus paid our penalty… the just for the unjust… and it was all done in a love… A love beyond our comprehension.

ANY person who places their faith in Jesus Christ… is cleansed from their sins…

And it only takes faith to be saved and forgiven… not good works.

According to Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

And that one who has faith is justified or accepted by God as not guilty for sin…

As Romans 5:1 declares… “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

One who believes is justified before God… they are granted spiritual life… their sins are forgiven…and this was only possible because of Jesus’ death on the cross.

And, in all this… Good Friday was indeed very good.

Which brings us to today… Resurrection Sunday…which is commonly called “Easter.”

During His ministry Jesus predicted His death and rising again three days later…

He stated in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” … speaking about the temple of His body.

In Matthew 12:40 Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Very explicitly to His disciples Mark 8:31 records, “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

And Jesus died on Good Friday… just as He predicted… early Sunday morning… He rose again.

There is NO religious leader that has ever predicted their own death and resurrection and had it come to pass except for Jesus Christ…

Which proves that everything else He said… namely about salvation through faith in Him… and the blessed hope we have for His return.

Paul instructed Titus… that because we have been graced with salvation… we should turn from godless living and sinful pleasures… AND should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God… Titus 2:13 “… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Jesus is both God and Savior… and He is coming back… and we can believe that because He said… I will die, but three days later I will rise again.

And, so annually on this day we celebrate this tremendous gift and promise of life that Jesus gave us through His death AND resurrection.

We celebrate as we victoriously proclaim “HE IS RISEN!”

“He is Risen Indeed.”

In the narrative we read in Mark 16… Mark would record the appearances of Jesus next in his narrative… noting Jesus “rose early on the first day of the week”…

Which is our Sunday… setting a pattern for WHY we hold church on Sundays… and why the early church gathered on Sunday.

Jesus’ resurrection is so significant that the church gathers on the First Day of the Week… not on the Sabbath (Saturday) as Jews do.

Scholars title the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ as “the cornerstone of our Christian faith”… “the most important event in history”… “the foremost miracle throughout all ages” and “a key foundation of our faith.”

One scholar stated, “The resurrection was not only the supreme validation of [Jesus’] deity; it also validated the Scriptures, which foretold His coming and resurrection. Moreover, it authenticated Christ’s claims that He would be raised on the third day. In fact, apart from Christ’s bodily resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, and no hope of eternal life. As the apostle Paul said, our faith would be “useless” and the life-giving power of the gospel would be altogether eliminated.”

The Resurrection is a proof that all that Jesus said was true… He is ‘… the way, the truth, and the life.’ And, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Jn 14:6

The resurrection is a validation that the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for sins…

Jesus propitiated or satisfied God’s wrath on sin through His sacrifice.

And Jesus’ resurrection was so important… that all three persons of the Trinity… the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit… ALL played a part in raising Jesus from the dead…

Making the resurrection not merely a historical moment, but a a cornerstone of the Christian faith.

Scripture declares the Father raised Jesus…

Acts 2:32 “This Jesus God has raised up...”

God raising Jesus from the dead is repeated in Acts 3:15, 4:10, and 10:40… as well.

Romans 6:4 in the context of our sanctification, states “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

This verse NOT only verifies that the Father resurrected Jesus… but also informs us how we should live after believing… and links water baptism to Jesus’ resurrection.

Baptism identifies us with Jesus… and His death and resurrection…

Our very lives should be marked by putting to death the life of flesh… symbolically seen at we went into the baptismal waters… identifying with Jesus’ death.

And as Jesus rose… we are to rise anew spiritually… coming out of the water… and walking in newness of life.

Beyond Father God… the Holy Spirit also played a role in Jesus’ resurrection…

Jesus was “made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Pet 3:18).

And, Romans 8:11 declares, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Not ONLY did the Holy Spirit raise Jesus from the dead… He will do the same for believers… death is not our end!

In addition to the Father and the Spirit raising Jesus… Jesus Himself claimed His own resurrection…

Jesus said in John 10:17–18 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.””

Or as we read earlier, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (Jn 2:19)

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a most unique resurrection in that all three members of the Trinity acted together… to accomplish histories most transformative event.

Now… Jesus is NOT the only person who died and rose again in Scripture…

In the OT… there were three who rose again…

Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22).

Elisha raised the son of the Shunamite woman (2 Kings 4:34).

And a dead man who came into contact with Elisha’s bones was raised, while he was being buried (2 Kings 13:21).

Imagine the surprise for those grave diggers.

In the NT…

Jesus raised three people from the dead:

Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9; Mark 5; and Luke 8)

Also, the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:15).

And He raised Lazarus of Bethany (John 11).

When Jesus died… “graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised...” (Matt 27:52)

Which was a unique group that demonstrated Jesus’ death defeated sin and death.

And who knows what happened to this group… did they ascend when Jesus ascended? Did they live out their days? It’s quite the mystery.

Also, Peter prayed and raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40)… and Paul raised Eutychus in Acts 20:10.

So… not counting the saints who rose… Scripture describes eight people who died and rose again.

But their ‘rising again’ does not compare to Jesus’ resurrection.

In fact, some scholars say these people were NOT resurrected… but rather resuscitated…

… for they rose from the dead… returned to normal life, but would eventually die again.

Where Jesus’ resurrection was unique… He rose again in a glorified body… much like the resurrected body we can look forward to…

NEVER to die again. His was the first permanent resurrection.

Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18)… a title emphasizing His supremacy over death itself.

Romans 6:9 declares that Christ “dies no more” and “death no longer has dominion over Him,”

… which is a sharp contrast from those merely revived.

Acts 26:23 describes Jesus as “the first to rise from the dead,”… which marks a first of many transitions to a new state prepared for Heaven… not simply a temporary return.

Forty days after Jesus rose again… He did not die, but exited the earth… ascending into Heaven on a cloud… and was seated at the right hand of the Father.… and “always lives to make intercession for [us].”

And He didn’t permanently leave us… He will return…

As He ascended… An angel promised the disciples in Acts 1:11 “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

And ONLY His resurrection was theologically unique for all who believe in Him.

Easter or Resurrection Sunday… is not just a narrative describing survival from death… it is a theologically distinct day.

When we proclaim “Christ Has Risen!”

We declare His resurrection secures our forgiveness…

It provides present hope for believers…

And it guarantees our own future life.

His resurrection not only provide great comfort and hope for believers, but also promises us… and assures us because of the resurrection… several great truths… and we are going to close looking at five great assurances:

1. Our Justification, 2. Eternal Life, 3. Jesus' Permanence and Power, 4. Jesus as our Eschatological Prototype, 5. And A Glorified Body

First, because of Jesus’ resurrection… we have the assurance of Justification… being declared not guilty as our sins are not counted against us.

Jesus was Romans 4:25 “delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

We have the assurance of being justified judicially before God because of the resurrection.

Our faith stands upon this. Saving faith demands belief in Jesus and His death and resurrection.

It’s not enough to just believe in His teachings… or historical events… or the beauty of His life.

We must believe that He died for our sin… and trust in His sacrifice… and trust that the redemption of mankind was accomplished which is proven by the resurrection.

And because of the resurrection… we can stand assured that there is no guilt on our account before God…

Jesus took our sin… and put onto our account His righteousness.

Second, because of Jesus’ resurrection… we have the assurance of Eternal life.

Jesus is the model for all who believe… Jesus promised in John 11:26 “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

When we exit this body and life we will not simply be buried… we will be present with the Lord… eternally alive.

In John 14:19 Jesus told His disciples, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”

We can hold Jesus to His promises because He did what NO other religious leader did…

He predicted His death and resurrection and it was so just as He said. His word is true.

Third… because of Jesus’ resurrection… we are assured of His Permanence and Power.

Jesus was not raised to life to die again… He was raised to never die again… which will be true for us as well.

Paul once preached to Jews in Antioch in Pisidia (modern day Turkey)… and Paul recounted some of their history and how from David’s lineage, “God raised up for Israel a Savior- Jesus...”

And Paul shared how the ruler of Israel condemned Him… and asked the Roman Governor Pilate to put Him to death in fulfillment of Scripture.

After Jesus crucifixion, they laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead.

Highlighting the divine power in the resurrection.

And Paul wrote of the permanence of this event in Acts 13:34 which states, “And that He [the Father] raised Him [the Son] from the dead, no more to return to corruption...” [meaning decay of the grave]…

Peter preached in Acts 2 highlighting that David wrote of Jesus in the Messianic Psalm 16 as quoted in Acts 2:27 “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

The Father would not leave Jesus in the dwelling place of the dead or allow His body to decay…

Jesus rose again never again to die… which established His victory over death.

Jesus declared this victory in Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

Jesus established an eternal victory over death… that no other resurrection figure achieved… and set a standard for all believers who would die and rise again to eternal life after Him.

Which leads to our next point.

Fourth, because of the resurrection… Jesus is our Eschatological Prototype…

Eschatology is the “Doctrine [or teaching] of the Last Things… the close of this age and the age to come.

1 Corinthians 15:20 promises, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” [meaning dies]

Jesus established the pattern… a template for Christian hope… hope of what happens when believers die… we rise again.

1 Corinthians 15:23 declares the order of that pattern… “But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

First Christ rose… and at Jesus’ coming in the rapture… the dead of the Church Age will rise… and those alive will be translated to heaven with Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”

Because of the resurrection, Jesus will bring with Him those who have died… and those alive… again at the rapture…

… which is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [Gk harpazo… Latin raptus… English rapture… we shall be caught up] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

This will be the first resurrection of believers in the Church Age…

So… Jesus’ bodily resurrection assures us we can trust His promises… and it assures us there is life after death.

During Easter Sunday… we not only look back to Jesus’ resurrection in the biblical account…

But we also look forward to our future resurrection.

For all who place their faith in Jesus Christ…death is not the end.

For church age believers… we will rise again… to resurrection life and our glorified bodies at the rapture of the church…

“… in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Cor 15:52)

Fifth, because of Jesus’ resurrection… we have the assurance of a Glorified body… a resurrected and transformed body… prepared for heaven and the presence of God.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 contrasts our current body to our future glorified body… and speaking about the resurrection of the dead (our resurrection)… wrote this…

Writing in 1 Cor 15:42-45 “It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. 45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.”

The natural body (the one we wear now) is “sown in corruption”…

The glorified body is “raised in incorruption,”

We are moved from “dishonor” to “glory,” from “weakness” to “power,” and from a “natural body” to a “spiritual body.”

Jesus’ body was transformed when He rose again…

He didn’t just return to His old body… and nor will we.

Our new body will be fit to stand in the presence of God… we see in Revelation chapters 4-5, raptured believers in the throne room of heaven…

… before the Father and Son on their thrones… worshipping Him.

Any aches and pains… sags and tears of this old raggedy tent that we currently wear and fails us… it will be no more…

And the resurrection assures us of this. What a blessing to not have to wonder what lies ahead for us, but to have proof as verified in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus… as seen by over 500 eyewitnesses… and testified of in His word.

So… in close… Because of Jesus' Resurrection we are assured of...

Our Justification, Eternal Life, Jesus’ Permanence and Power, Jesus as our Eschatological Prototype, and our future Glorified Body.

(worship team please come)

Resurrection Sunday is one of the greatest narratives… and I encourage you to read through the account of Jesus’ resurrection.

Found in about Five chapters across Four Gospels…

Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21.

But the resurrection is so much more than just a story… there is great depth and theological significance in Jesus’ dying and rising again three days later.

And because of His sacrifice… we are greatly blessed to KNOW… to be ASSURED… that death is not our end.

We too will rise again… to be with Him for all eternity in Heaven.

Thank you Jesus!

Let’s Pray and then take communion… remembering all the Lord did and is doing in our lives.

Our communion passage is…

1 Cor 11:23-31 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith through grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

This is also a time to look inward for a moment of self-examination…

To reflect on our treatment of other Christians… have we been loving… and unselfish… (per the context of Paul’s passage)?

Reflect and also confess to God any unconfessed sin.

Examine yourself… in order to partake in a worthy manner.

But, the reality is… none of us are worthy… so Praise Jesus… because only in Him have we been made worthy.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

Pray and trust Jesus as your Savior today.

Believe that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Our prayer team will be available to pray with anyone who needs prayer as we close.

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