Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Easter is the most important day in history for humans

Certainly days like the 4th of July and The day the Allies won WWII are important days in history, but Easter is hands down and without question the most important day in history for humans.

If there were another day that could rival Easter on importance, it would have to be Christmas.

Welcoming the Savior of the World to Earth is obviously hugely important, but Christmas was just the start of the life that was eventually going to lead Jesus to the cross and then to victory over death on Easter.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

Matt 27:35-

As Jesus is dying on the cross, we see the universe itself begin to fail and crack at the seams.

From the sixth hour to the ninth hour there is a darkness over the world.

Jesus cries out as God has left Jesus.

Jesus is severed from the triune God so that God can view Jesus as an enemy and unleash His full wrath on him.

This is completely unnatural and defies the order of reality.

We see the curtain torn in the temple and an intense earthquake shake the foundations of the Earth.

Rocks are split and tombs are opened, and dead people are walking around.

Creation itself is bending and groaning at the scene of Jesus Christ dying and receiving the wrath of God.

The affects were so intense that even the centurions that were carrying out his crucifixion proclaimed “Truly this was the Son of God!”

You can imagine their thoughts, that they come to the realization that they are responsible for the death of the Son of God.

You can imagine the regret, the distress, the utter repentance.

We should be able to imagine those feelings in the centurions because if we are Christians, we have been confronted with the reality that we are also responsible for all of Jesus’ suffering.

Jesus had to suffer for all of our sins.

Do you begin to see the impact of your sin now?

Do you see that sins are not just “slip-ups” or “mistakes”?

Our sins have caused our Lord and immense amount of pain and grief.

We are responsible for Jesus being severed from the Godhead and being treated as the #1 enemy of God.

The Resurrection of Jesus

As large as the impact of your sin may be, it is not the center focus of the death of Jesus.

Although it was our sin that made Jesus’ death necessary, our sin couldn’t keep Jesus dead.

The main focus of the death of Christ is the fact that he has power over our sin and over death itself!

It couldn’t keep him in the grave!

Matt 27:62-66

We see in this passage the people who killed Jesus making even more efforts to prevent Jesus from rising up again.

They seal the stone to his grave so that nobody can go in or out.

They even set up their own personal guard of soldiers to make absolutely certain that nobody can go in or out.

The sin inside of man is making every effort at defeating the Son of God

Truly we see here that Christ is more powerful than our sin, and that God cannot be thrown into a cage by men.

We may try all we want to thwart the plans of God, but we are no match for His plans.

What does the Resurrection Mean For Us?

1 Cor 15:

By ourselves, we see that our mortal bodies are not able to enter the Kingdom of God.

We see that we must be changed!

We must put on immortality, we must exchange flesh and blood for an imperishable body.

Its only then that the beautiful promise shall be fulfilled “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

By ourselves, we see that our mortal bodies are not able to enter the Kingdom of God.

We see that we must be changed!

We must put on immortality, we must exchange flesh and blood for an imperishable body.

Its only then that the beautiful promise shall be fulfilled “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

How do we do that?

You can’t go to any professor or doctor who will be able to show you how to put on the imperishable body, or to become immortal.

That isn’t a normal thing to ask for or seek after.

So how do we see this change?

How do we see this victory that swallows up even death?

V.57 Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

We have received immortality and victory over death through Jesus Christ.

Jesus alone makes this transformation possible!

Praise be to God for Jesus Christ, who defeated death on our behalf on Easter day.

Our Response to All Of This

Not only are we saved from our sins, but Paul continues and states that we are invited to participate through the Holy Spirit!

1 Cor 15:

Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Why? Out of a sheer gratitude for the fact that Jesus has granted you the ability to live in eternity with God.

Are you trying to make the most of this life, living it to the fullest to squeeze every ounce of satisfaction from it?

Or do you offer it up to God as a response to everything he has offered up for you?

If your labor is for the Lord, then we can know for certain that it won’t be for nothing.

We know this because it is the Lord who makes it happen, and no man can stand against the power of our God.

So as Easter week is upon us, begin to really consider all that God had sacrificed so that he could bring you into His Kingdom, and consider whether you are willing to sacrifice your own time, popularity, resources or anything else for His glory.