Easter in 12 Words

Some of you are probably thinking that if I am trying to preach 3 of my own sermons this morning we will probably be here until Pentecost 40 days from now

But let me set you heart at ease, I have NOT written 3 sermons that I am going to try and preach this morning

This morning I want to summarize Easter for you in 12 words

Actually I have only one sermon made up of the usual 3 points but each of the 3 points is based on a different Easter sermon that we can find in the New Testament

No my sermon will not be restricted to just 12 words because I have already gone over that

But I will warn you right off the bat that the message this morning is a little bit different than my usual because I will focus a little bit more on theology/doctrine side of things but make no mistake that I do so because these doctrines will have a major impact on our walk with God

What I want to do is to give you 12 words from the scriptures that if we let them permeate into us will forever change us

So let’s get right to it with our first text this morning which comes from the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, “but we preach Christ crucified”

Not only is this the first text that we are going to look at this morning but it is also our first 5 words of Easter that can forever change us

But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you

So let’s look at it, Paul is reminding the Corinthians in this passage that when he came to their city his message was singular and simple, Jesus Christ was crucified as an atoning sacrifice to redeem them

In fact just a few verses later at the beginning of chapter 2 he says,

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 NIV

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2

Paul was a brilliant man with a high level of education, the proof is found in that 2/3’s of our New Testament and all the theology it contains is credited to Paul

Yet with all of that great knowledge and understanding he says my message was this and this only, Christ was crucified for you

‘But I did some terrible stuff in my past’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

Ya well you don’t know the kind of person that I am’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

But the family that I am from...’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you.’

Whenever we get caught up in those things that we consider barriers to Christ receiving us we need to remember this important fact, ‘but Christ was crucified for you’

And then there is the other side of the coin where we have come to Christ but get caught up in all the peripheral stuff and forget about what is really important

‘We heard you Paul, but what about transubstantiation?’ “Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But what about divorce and remarriage?’ “Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But what about idols and meat sacrificed to them?’ ‘Christ was crucified for you!’

But when will He return to establish His kingdom?’ ‘Christ was crucified for you!’

‘But I did some terrible stuff in my past’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

Ya well you don’t know the kind of person that I am’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you’

But the family that I am from...’ ‘But Christ was crucified for you.’

Whenever we get caught up in those things that we consider barriers to Christ receiving us we need to remember this important fact, ‘but Christ was crucified for you’

Alexander MacLaren wrote, “The cross is the center of the world’s history; the incarnation of Christ and the crucifixion of our Lord are the pivot round which all the events of the ages revolve. The testimony of Christ was the spirit of prophecy, and the growing power of Jesus is the spirit of history.”

Everything in scripture points to one event and one event only and that is the cross, the Old Testament points ahead to the cross and the New Testament points back to it for it is the single most important event in the history of the universe

Even the future events recorded in Revelation have as their central theme the lamb that was slain

So when the enemy tries to run us down and put us out of commission what we need to do is go back to the cross because it is the only thing that matters

The reason why can be seen in this quote from Thomas a Kempis who wrote, “In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue; in the Cross is perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.”

No wonder wrote in his letter to the Galatians,

Galatians 6:14 NIV

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians 6:

I want you to realize this morning that it doesn’t matter how much you know, how much theology is in your head or even how many scripture verses you can quote from memory

The only thing that matters is do you know the cross, not just know about it but do you know it? Have you experienced it and the tranformational power that it contains in your life?

Do you mind if I mash up a couple of my favourite hymns for you? I won’t sing them I’ll just read them

Or even m

“When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”

“Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life my all”

“My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole. Is nailed to the cross and I bare it no more. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord o my soul.”

“Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened heart found liberty, At Calvary”

This one was actually preached by Jesus Himself

No it has nothing to do with any of the 7 things that He said from the cross, although a number of you have told me that my message a few years ago called “Crosswords” was your favourite and you’d love to have another one like it

No believe it or not this sermon by Jesus actually takes place after He died and before He rose

1 Peter 3:18–19 NIV

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—

in the original NIV says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison”

1 Peter 3:

through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison

I’m curious how many of you remember reciting or hearing the Apostle’s Creed as a part of your upbringing

Let me read it for you as a reminder,

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The reason I bring it up is that there is a line in there that is very confusing and I believe has led to some false doctrine about that first Easter

Near the middle of the Creed it says of Jesus that he, “ He descended to Hell”

I do not agree with this statement as it is presented and I want you to know that it wasn’t even a part of the original Creed but was added some 300 years afterwards to combat a heresy going around that Jesus didn’t have a human spirit

‘But Pastor you just read which says that He descended to Hell and so too does ,

Ephesians 4:9 NIV

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

Ephesians

Let me explain what I believe,

Before atonement was made by way of the cross, the Old Testament taught that after death the spirit went to a place called in the Hebrew, Sheol

Now the O.T. also taught that Sheol was divided into two sections, upper Sheol which is where those who by their faith in God were considered righteous went and lower Sheol which is where the unrighteous went

In Jesus tells the parable/story of the rich man and Lazarus during which He alludes to this teaching and refers to this as He talks about Lazarus dying and being carried by the angels to “Abraham’s Bosom” AKA Paradise, while the rich man died and went to “Hell” which the Jewish Annotated Bible more accurately translates as “Hades”

The Jewish Annotated Bible more accurately translates that word as “Hades”

When Jesus died, He died!

1 Peter 4:6–11 NIV

For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:6-

What I mean by that is Jesus became a victim of death and as such He went where everybody else up to that time went, Sheol

remember what He said to the thief on the cross?

Luke 23:43 NIV

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

And while He was there Jesus took advantage to proclaim the message of the gospel to all of those to whom up until now it had been veiled

The word that the NIV translates as “preached” in the 1 Peter text is misleading because it was not the same word so often used in the scripture to describe the preaching of the gospel, this word is better translated as “proclaimed”

Jesus as a prisoner of death was taken to Paradise and began to show those who were righteous how it was that their faith in God was being fulfilled by what had just taken place up on Golgotha

They were waiting for the time when they would get to leave Paradise and enter into the presence of God Himself for all of eternity and Jesus explained to them how this was about to happen

I could continue but let’s go onto our second text which is found in Acts chapter 2 and is a part of the sermon by Peter on the day of Pentecost

Acts 2:22–24 NIV

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2:22-24

I just love that last line, “because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” the Message Bible puts it this way, “Death was no match for Him.”

But the 7 words that make up the latter part of our 12 words of Easter are the words that are just slightly before those final words, “But God raised Him from the dead.”

I want to make sure this morning that you understand something, something very important, Jesus did not escape death! Jesus conquered death.

Do you understand the difference?

Jesus didn’t just find some loophole to outwit death or sneak out from under death’s cold grip, Jesus crushed it and quelled it, Jesus subdued it and subjugated it, Jesus overwhelmed it and overcame it, Jesus vanquished it and was forever victorious over it

There’s an important reason why I am striving so hard to drive this point home

Paul explains that reason in his first letter to the Corinthians,

1 Corinthians 15:15 NIV

More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

1 Corinthians 15:

The reason why all of Christianity becomes useless if Christ has not conquered death is found in the next several verses

I want to read for you a passage from the Easter story we don’t usually spend too much time on, it’s from Matthew’s gospel

Matthew 27:

Matthew 27:51–53 NIV

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

1 Corinthians 15:17–26 NIV

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

The reason we don’t hear much about it is because this passage creates questions we can’t always answer but I want to give you my theory

1 Corinthians 15:17-22

Because Christ conquered death we can know that the faith that we have is not only about getting through this life but that through Christ we will have eternal life for the day is coming when He will put an end to death

The moment Jesus died atonement was made for all the righteous that had lived throughout time but just as Jesus was a victim of death and was down in paradise so too were these saints

But when death, the final enemy had been conquered all those saints were raised into their glorified bodies to await entry in Heaven with Jesus

The awesome news from this is the assurance it gives to us that came after the resurrection that we too will be received by the Lord with a resurrected body to forever remain with Him

In John’s gospel he tells us that after receiving the message from the angels that Christ had risen and then going to get the disciples Mary came back to the tomb where Jesus appeared to her, when she realized it was Him she must have reached out to Him but Jesus stopped her and,

In other words, Christ’s victory over death becomes OUR victory over death!”

John 20:17

John 20:17 NIV

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

By what takes place next, Jesus appearing to the disciples and they touch Him we can assume that while Mary is gone to go give the disciples this good news Jesus ascends to the Father taking those who had been raised along with Him

The awesome news from this sermon is the assurance it gives to us that came after the resurrection that we too will be received by the Lord with a resurrected body to forever remain with Him

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NIV

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 NIV

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

So be encouraged and be motivated by the fact that “But God raised Him from the dead” knowing the great implications that such a fact has for us

So there you have it, Easter in 12 words, “But we preach Christ crucified. But God raised Him from the dead.”

tells us

Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice, to save you and to redeem you and if that’s all you get from this it is enough

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

As a prisoner of death, Jesus did not go to Heaven but instead went to Paradise where he was able to celebrate with those saints their faithfulness to God and how it would be soon rewarded by God Himself

By the power of the Father Jesus conquered death and was raised from the dead, the firstfruits of all who belong to God, and so we know that our turn will come when He returns

May I humbly suggest to you that when that moment comes and someone wants to know the reason for your hope, you simply share with them these words or a simple variation of them