EASTER SUNDAY

?

A Sunday school teacher was teaching a group of four-year-olds. It was Easter Sunday and she asked, ''Does anyone know what today is?'' One little girl raised her hand and said, ''It's Easter.'' The teacher complimented her and then asked, ''Does anyone know what makes Easter so special?'' The same little girl raised her hand and said, ''Easter is special because Jesus rose from the dead...'' Before the teacher could compliment her, the little girl added, ''but if He sees His shadow, He has to go back in for seven weeks.''

HE IS NOT HERE

Matthew 28:1–10 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

EMPTY ROOM PIC

WE CAME TO CANADA IN 1998 AND FOR THE FIRST YEAR WE LIVED IN CALGARY WE LIVED ON A LARGE “GREEN” AS THEY CALLED IT. ONE NIGHT I WENT OUT TO HAVE MY HAIR DONE AND MY DAUGHTER HAD GONE NIGHT SKIING WITH THE GIRL OVER THE ROAD AND MY SON WAS HOME WITH HIS DAD AND UNCLE JOE WHO WAS VISITING US FOR THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD.

WHEN I GOT HOME MY HUSBAND WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN AND RATHER GREY AROUND THE GILLS.

HE PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

HE WAS IN THE KITCHEN PREPARING SUPPER AND MATT WAS PLAYING AROUND THE HOUSE AND WHEN HE CALLED HIM FOR SUPPER THERE WAS NO REPLY.

HE WENT TO HIS ROOM AND NO MATT, HE SEARCHED THE WHOLE HOUSE AND CALLED OUT AND THERE WAS NO REPLY.

HE WAS NOT THERE.

PANIC SET IN AS WE HAD ONLY BEEN IN CANADA FOR 6 MONTHS AT THIS STAGE MY KIDS AND ESPECIALLY MATT HE WAS ONLY 4 DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SMARTS TO KNOW TO TAKE A WINTER COAT WITH THEM AS THEY LEFT THE HOUSE.

HE COULD HAVE GONE TO VISIT THE NEIGHBOUR KID HE PLAYED WITH

DAN ASKED TWO OF THE NEIGHBOURS THAT HE KNEW HE WOULD BE AT AND NOPE.

ANYWAY THEY WENT FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE AND TO NO AVAIL - AS DAN CAME BACK TO GET THE CAR KEYS THE NEIGHBOUR CAME IN WITH HIM AND HIS LITTLE GIRL WAS WITH THEM AND THE DAD SAID LETS TRY ONE MORE TIME LET JENNA CALL HIS NAME OUT.

JENNA CALLED HIM TWICE AND HE CAME STROLLING OUT OF HIS BEDROOM TO SEE HER.

YOU SEE WE HAD BOUGHT HIM A BED WITH BIG DRAWERS AND HE HAD PULLED OUT THE ONE DRAWER CRAWLED IN BEHIND TO HIDE AND FELL ASLEEP AND WHEN JENNA CALLED HIM HE WOKE UP.

YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE AT THAT TIME DANIEL WAS BESIDE HIMSELF WITH WORRY.

Matthew 28:1–10 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Luke 24:5–7 ESV

And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

;

Mark 16:6–7 ESV

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 ESV

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:3 ESV

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

2. Jesus’ resurrection means that death is defeated once and for all.

First, the resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God Himself.

To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God.

Jesus is unique for many reasons, but the most distinguishing factor is without question His resurrection. The whole Christian faith rises and falls on the truth of the resurrection.

If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead.

If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting and gain the victory over the grave

1 Corinthians 15:54–55 ESV

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

).

().

In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.

The resurrection is intellectually feasible, and there is proof for the resurrection of Christ that can stand up to any amount of scrutiny. First, there is the empty tomb. Doubters have come up with several theories to try to explain why the tomb was empty. Some say Jesus wasn’t really dead; He just “swooned,” or went unconscious, and then resuscitated in the cool of the tomb. But according to

John 19:31–34 ESV

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

, the soldiers made sure Jesus was dead.

Other people hypothesize that Jesus’ body was stolen. But the tomb was sealed with a two-ton rock and guarded by Roman soldiers.

Another proof of the resurrection is the transformation of the disciples. Peter denied knowing Christ the night before the crucifixion, but after Jesus’ resurrection, he preached to thousands at Pentecost. Paul persecuted the church and murdered Christians for their faith, but after meeting the resurrected Christ he became one of the greatest leaders in Christianity and wrote this:

He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and … He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as one untimely born, He appeared to me also

1 Corinthians 15:4–8 ESV

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

).

The resurrection of Christ happened in history. And the power of that resurrection affects us today

The Message (MSG)

9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him!

· WE CHOSE TO SIN AND THERE WAS A CONSEQUENCE, WE WOULD BE PUNISHED FOR THAT SIN.

· GOD LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO LIVE AMONG US AND SHOW US THE WAY.

· MAN KILLED JESUS BUT 3 DAYS LATER HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD PROVING POWER OVER SIN AND DEATH.

· IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD YOU WILL BE WITH HIM.

THE RAGMAN

Even before the dawn on Friday morning, I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking in the alleys of the city. He was pulling an old cart, filled with clothes; and he was calling in a clear, resonant voice, "Rags! New rags for old, I'll take your tired, old rags. Rags!" Now

this is a wonder, I thought, for the man stood six feet-four, with arms like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed with brightness. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in one of the rougher areas of the city?

hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed with brightness. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in one of the rougher areas of the city?

than this, to be a ragman in one of the rougher areas of the city?

Soon the Ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. She was sobbing into her handkerchief, shedding thousands of tears. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking. The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly he walked to the woman and asked, "Will you give me your rag; I'll give you another." He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes, and laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined? Then as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing. He put her tear-stained handkerchief to his own face; and began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done. Yet she was left behind without a tear. "Rags! Rags! New rags for old!"

handkerchief, shedding thousands of tears. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was

breaking. The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly he walked to the woman and asked,

"Will you give me your rag; I'll give you another." He slipped the handkerchief from

her eyes, and laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined? Then

as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing. He put her tear-

stained handkerchief to his own face; and began to weep, to sob as grievously as she

had done. Yet she was left behind without a tear. "Rags! Rags! New rags for old!"

In a little while the Ragman came across a little girl whose head was wrapped in a bandage. Her eyes were blank and empty. A single line of blood ran down her cheek. Now that tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lively bonnet from his cart. "Give me your rag, and I'll give you mine." He loosened the bandage, removed it and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. I gasped at what I saw, for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow ran a darker, richer flow of his own blood! "Rags, rags! I take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding Ragman.

bandage. Her eyes were blank and empty. A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now that tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lively bonnet

from his cart. "Give me your rag, and I'll give you mine." He loosened the bandage,

removed it and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. I gasped at what I

saw, for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow ran a darker, richer

flow of his own blood! "Rags, rags! I take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding

Ragman.

The sun was at its height by now, and the Ragman seemed more and more in a hurry. "Do you have a job?" the Ragman inquired of a man leaning against a telephone pole. "Are you crazy?" the man sneered, pulling away from the pole and revealing that the right sleeve of his jacket was empty. "So give me your jacket, and I'll give you mine." The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman. I trembled at what I saw. For the Ragman's arm stayed in his jacket, and when the other put it on, he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

"Do you have a job?" the Ragman inquired of a man leaning against a telephone

pole. "Are you crazy?" the man sneered, pulling away from the pole and revealing

that the right sleeve of his jacket was empty. "So give me your jacket, and I'll give

you mine." The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman. I trembled at

what I saw. For the Ragman's arm stayed in his jacket, and when the other put it on,

he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

By now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman. Though he was weeping

uncontrollably and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling the cart with one arm, stumbling with exhaustion, he still ran on ahead faster. I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I needed to see where he was going in such a hurry, perhaps to discover what drove him so. The little old Ragman came upon a landfill, a garbage dump. He climbed the hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on the hill. Then he sighed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief. He covered his bones with a jacket; and he died. Oh, how I cried to witness his death! I slumped in a car and wailed and mourned, because I had come to love that Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man. When I saw that he was dead, I couldn't keep from crying. I cried myself to sleep. I slept all the way through Saturday to Sunday.

stumbling with exhaustion, he still ran on ahead faster. I wept to see the change in

this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I needed to see where he was going in such

a hurry, perhaps to discover what drove him so. The little old Ragman came upon a

landfill, a garbage dump. He climbed the hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little

space on the hill. Then he sighed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a

handkerchief. He covered his bones with a jacket; and he died.

But then on Sunday morning, I was awakened by a violent light, a pure, hard, demanding light shining against my face. I looked up, and I saw the last and the first wonder of all. There was the Ragman, folding his clothes, a scar on his face, but alive! And besides that, healthy!

Oh, how I cried to witness his death! I slumped in a car and wailed and mourned,

because I had come to love that Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of

this man. When I saw that he was dead, I couldn't keep from crying. I cried myself to

sleep. I slept all the way through Saturday to Sunday. But then on Sunday morning, I

was awakened by a violent light, a pure, hard, demanding light shining against my

face. I looked up, and I saw the last and the first wonder of all. There was the

Ragman, folding his clothes, a scar on his face, but alive! And besides that, healthy!

There was no sign of sorrow, nor of age, and all the rags that he had gathered shined with a clean sheen! I was in awe of the transformation, but humbled by the sorry state of my own ordinary sameness. I lowered my head and, trembling for all that I had seen, I walked into the Ragman's presence. I told him my name, and that I felt like a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes, and I said with dear yearning in my voice, "Dress me. Dress me with your rags." He dressed me. My Lord dressed me. He dressed my feet, my body; he dressed all of me. He put new rags on me. And now I glow in the sight of the Ragman, this Ragman, my Christ. AMEN

with a clean sheen! I was in awe of the transformation, but humbled by the sorry

1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 ESV

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

state of my own ordinary sameness. I lowered my head and, trembling for all that I

had seen, I walked into the Ragman's presence. I told him my name, and that I felt

The Message (MSG)

9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him!

like a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes, and I said with dear

· GOD CREATED HUMANITY

· WE CHOSE TO SIN AND THERE WAS A CONSEQUENCE, WE WOULD BE PUNISHED FOR THAT SIN.

· GOD LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO LIVE AMONG US AND SHOW US THE WAY.

yearning in my voice, "Dress me. Dress me with your rags." He dressed me. My Lord

· MAN KILLED JESUS BUT 3 DAYS LATER HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD PROVING POWER OVER SIN AND DEATH.

· IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD YOU WILL BE WITH HIM.

dressed me. He dressed my feet, my body; he dressed all of me. He put new rags on

O come to the alter - video

me. And now I glow in the sight of the Ragman, this Ragman, my Christ. AMEN