Why Celebrate the Resurrection

Intro

So for a few minutes this evening, I want you to consider the resurrection of Jesus, we have just celebrated it for Easter...

Here is the point I want us to consider this evening… Why celebrate the resurrection/

why is it important to us and why we can praise God each day because of it.

So lets examine the first part of this thought.... Why celebrate the resurrection, why is it important?

1. We were Guilty in our sin

let me share why? One man

1 Corinthians 15:21 ESV

21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

We know that Adam brought sin into the world and as such every generation after him is guilty of sin, we hold death in our lives.

This truth left us ‘wanting” literally being weighed in the balances before God...

What could we do to please God? Nothing… listen to Isaiah

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Because Jesus rose from the dead.

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

So while our righteousness was unacceptable

We were guilty in His presence,

Since we could do nothing about our sin, nothing to improve our state in front of God, we should be grateful that God did what we could not…

our guilty was a stain we could not clean, but by His stripes we are healed

Isaiah 53:5 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

We can celebrate Easter, we can celebrate every Sunday because he died on the cross for our sin.

Now the next thoguht

2. Because Jesus rose from the dead.

2. Because Jesus rose from the dead.

The resurrection is important because of the truth that Jesus rose from the dead on the rist day of the week.

We know the truth of what happened three days before… Jesus was arrested and brought before Pilate...

.... talk about Jesus being arrested and what happened after that..............

They buried our Savior in a new tomb ....

3 days pass and then the stone was rolled away....

Tell about Mary Magdalene and the other Mary going to the tomb on the first day of the week… what did they find?

The stone was rolled away, the angel of the Lord greeted them and told them the news of His resurrection....

Matthew 2

Matthew 27:1–5 ESV

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. 3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

Later that evening .... and 8 days later....

The 10, and then even to Thomas the Lord appeared too and the great confession, of My Lord and my God. ....

John 20:28 ESV

28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Such a wonderful testimony of a man whose life was filled with doubt and then saw the Lord risen and gave praise to Him...

Psalm 30:12 ESV

12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

And then finally my thoughts think of a future hope...

3. The Resurrection gives us a Future Hope

The other day I was looking at Paul’s writing to the believers at Thessalnica. Their were some who were doubting the resurrection, they feared death unnecessarily...

And Paul wrote to remind them of the hope they have in the face of suffering, in the face of death....

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

There is a compassionate cry to help.... The message of Easter should be a message hope, Jesus is alive.

........................ explain the passage

And at the end of the passage, Paul says encourage....

Encourage each other with these words,

Jesus who died,

Jesus who rose

Jesus is coming again