An Eternal King

Easter Morning

King of Kings

John 20:1–17 NIV

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 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.’ ”

Focus:

He Lives!

Easter Morning

(NIV) 1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.

4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.

6Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,

7as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.

8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

10Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

11Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17Jesus 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.’ ”

He Lives!

There is a difference between being raised from the dead and being resurrected. A resurrection refers to “a person being brought back from a mortal death to a state of immortality[1]. The Bible provides descriptions of several people who were raised from the dead. Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son. Jesus raised the daughter of an unnamed ruler, the son of 2 different widows, and Lazarus. Both Peter and Paul raised men from the dead. BUT, only one man was RESURRECTED! That man was Jesus.

I’m not saying that being raised from the dead isn’t wonderful. It is! But these all eventually would die. Jesus rose from the grace and is alive ETERNALLY! He is an Eternal King.

Ephesians 1:18–23 NIV

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The Awards of the King

(NIV) 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

19and his incomp

20he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The Awards of the King

Jesus is the True King. His heroism on the Cross brought us some wonderful benefits. Many heroes, after the battle, will have the privilege of receiving medals and awards for the acts of valor that they performed while in combat, in the fire, under fire, or during unusual times. The Resurrection validates the person of Jesus Christ. He is who He said He was. You have to accept everything that He claimed as truth. Every promise that He made is sure. Every word that He uttered was solid.

As a result of the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus won amazing benefits for you and me. Let’s just survey them very quickly.

The 1st Medal – Satan is Crushed

From the earliest prophecy of the Bible we see that a hero would come that would reverse the curse of sin due to Adam and Eve’s fall. This hero would crush the serpent’s head. On Good Friday we ended with Jesus Christ victorious over the enemy, the devil. Early in the Gospels, devils would ask Jesus if He had come to destroy them. It wasn’t time yet. And, the devil’s ultimate end hasn’t come yet but he was defeated on the Cross. The sting of death, the sting of sin was removed by the blood of Christ and the power of the devil was destroyed.

The 2nd Medal – Justification

The simplest definition of justification is “to be just as if you had never sinned”. It is as though Adam and Eve had never disobeyed God. Our relationship to God is just like it was originally in the Garden of Eden.

Romans 4:24–25 NIV

but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. Do you think I’m making too much of the crucifixion and resurrection? Peter Lewis said, “The Cross was too terrible to be optional, the suffering involved too enormous to be unnecessary, and the Sufferer too precious to His Father to have been given over needlessly to such pain.”

(NIV) 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

The Cross is a fitting symbol for the love of God. The Lord treasures people. But on the other side of mercy, there is justice. The Cross also speaks of God’s justice and righteousness.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. Do you think I’m making too much of the crucifixion and resurrection? Peter Lewis said, “The Cross was too terrible to be optional, the suffering involved too enormous to be unnecessary, and the Sufferer too precious to His Father to have been given over needlessly to such pain.”

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Cross is a fitting symbol for the love of God. The Lord treasures people. But on the other side of mercy, there is justice. The Cross also speaks of God’s justice and righteousness.

Imagine the joy that the Heavenly Father has in His Son. Imagine the love of the Heavenly Father to all the world that He would give His Son!

Medal #3 – Life

A New Life for Today

As our hero, Jesus didn’t just provide life for us in the ‘by and by’. The power of the Cross and the Resurrection become real for us today in our every day lives.

Romans 6:4 NIV

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

(NIV) 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

In the popular hymn, “I Come to the Garden Alone”, the author says that “He walks with me and He talks with me. He tells me I am His own.” Being a Christian means that you are in relationship with Christ, a living and breathing relationship that touches every aspect of our lives.

In the popular hymn, “I Come to the Garden Alone”, the author says that “He walks with me and He talks with me. He tells me I am His own.” Being a Christian means that you are in relationship with Christ, a living and breathing relationship that touches every aspect of our lives.

An Eternal Life for Tomorrow

You and I were designed for eternity. Because of the Resurrection we can be certain that the promises of God that we will be reunited with Christ in spirit and soul are true. After the resurrection of the saints, we will also be with Him in body. This promise is an eternal promise:

1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

Romans 8:11 NIV

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Kingdom of God is an eternal Kingdom where the sun will never set.

(NIV) 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

(NIV) 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Kingdom of God is an eternal Kingdom where the sun will never set.

Medal #4 – Fruitfulness

Jesus did not leave this world with an expectation that we should just sit around and wait until He returns. He told the church to ‘occupy’ until He comes again. As soldiers of Christ we should be sharing the message of Christ, loving one another, and growing in the grace that God has given us.

Romans 7:4 NIV

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In addition to these are spiritual gifts that we are able to receive as Christ followers. These are all provided so we can be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

(NIV) 4So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In addition to these are spiritual gifts that we are able to receive as Christ followers. These are all provided so we can be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

Medal #5 – The Gift of the Spirit

Another benefit of the Cross and His Resurrection is the Gift of the Spirit. As Jesus left ‘follow on’ instructions to His disciples, He told them that He had to go so that the Comforter, or the Holy Spirit, would come. We know Jesus knew that He had to go the way of the Cross, but that He would be Resurrected. In the mind of God was also the realization that the Person of the Holy Spirit would come into the lives of those who believed in Jesus through faith. The Holy Spirit would lead men into the truth. He would confirm and remind men of the words of Jesus. As the church age is revealed in the book of Acts we see the works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men and women faithful to God. The Holy Spirit empowered the church to witness and live passionately the Christian life.

These are all benefits won by our Hero, Jesus Christ. Again, He is the True King and our Heroic King. On this Easter we are reminded that the tomb stands open because He is no longer in there. He has risen as He said He would. His resurrection ensures that all the things we have talked about are real.

An Eternal King

I’m not trying to hide what I’ve tried to do with these last 3 messages. I’ve tried to show you that Jesus Christ is the legitimate King of kings (the True King). I’ve painted a picture of how Jesus Christ is the greatest historical Hero this world has or will ever know. And today, on Easter Sunday, I’m here to share that Jesus Christ is the One and Only Eternal King to which the entire world will one day bow down.

Philippians 2:9–11 NIV

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:91

My hope is that everyone who hears this message this morning would understand the truth that the angel shared with Mary,

(NIV) 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 1:30–33 NIV

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

My hope is that everyone who hears this message this morning would understand the truth that the angel shared with Mary,

Do you know Jesus as your King of kings? If you can say ‘Yes’ then I hope this series of messages on the King of kings expands your worship and relationship with Him.

(NIV) 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Do you know Jesus as your King of kings? If you can say ‘Yes’ then I hope this series of messages on the King of kings expands your worship and relationship with Him.

If you don’t know Him as the King of kings, you can by simply believing in faith:

Romans 10:9 NIV

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you would like to know Jesus as your King of kings, perhaps you can simply agree with me in this prayer.

(NIV) 9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you would like to know Jesus as your King of kings, perhaps you can simply agree with me in this prayer.

[1] Seely, D. R. (2000). Resurrection. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 1120). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.