Sermon Tone Analysis

*EASTER CHANGES EVERYTHING*

Pastor Greg Henneman

April 8, 2007 (Easter Sunday)

 

Text:          Topical

 

Key Idea:   Easter changes everything.

Goal:                   To invite people to Easter Faith.

Introduction

 

*Easter is a special time for me* –not just because it’s the time when Jesus rose from the dead, but because of sentimental reasons.

Easter takes me back to my childhood.

It makes me think of my mother who died suddenly in 1999 of a massive stroke at the age of 60.

 

*My mother loved Easter.*

My father was not and is not a Christian and so he didn’t go to church.

But my mother would buy new dresses for my two sisters and new pants and little shirt and tie for me to go to church on Easter.

Invariably as a little kid I would run around in the church yard with my friends and stain my new pants or rip my new tie.

And mom loved me anyway; and it’s awesome to know that because Jesus lives she too lives and one day I’ll see her again.

*I encourage you to take your outlines* that are in your programs.

You may want to fill in the blanks and take some notes as we go along this morning.

*I want to talk to you about the Easter Story, about Easter Faith, and about Easter Changes.*

If the Easter Story is true and if we can believe it –it changes everything!

It can change your life!

It can change how you face death!

It can change where you spend eternity!

First, I want to talk to you about the…

 

*A.

Easter Story *

 

*          Do you know the story?*

*          The Story of Easter*

 

Jesus was crucified on the Passover.

The Passover was and still is an annual Jewish celebration.

It’s a time when Jews celebrate how God freed them from slavery in Egypt around 1400 BC.

 

God sent a death angel to the Egyptians to set the Jews free.

The Jews were told to kill a lamb and spread its blood on the doorpost of their houses so the angel of death would “pass over” their houses.

Every year after that and even today Jews celebrate the Passover to commemorate how God worked miracles to free them from slavery in Egypt.

*In Jesus’ day, about 30AD, the Jews were celebrating the Passover.*

To us it may seem bloody and gruesome.

A lamb was selected for sacrifice.

The afternoon sacrifice was always at 3 o’clock (a priest was assigned to watch the sundial to be exact).

As the time approached another priest lifted the sacrificial lamb onto the altar and put a knife to its throat.

At precisely three o'clock a signal was given and a shofar (a ram's horn used as a trumpet) was sounded – and the priest killed the lamb and its blood atoned for the sins of the people.

At least for a moment sins were forgiven.

*At Passover time in 30AD Jesus was nailed to a cross.

*He was called “the lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.”

He had been beaten almost to death, nailed to the wood and hung there for hours until almost 3 o’clock on Friday.

When the sound of the shofar echoed from the temple grounds to outside the city walls Jesus lifted his head and cried out, "It is finished!"

He died a bloody death.

Never again would another lamb have to be slaughtered –because Jesus died to take away the sin of the world.

*Jewish law required burial the day of death and that meant before sunset at 6 p.m.*  Within 180 minutes a rich man named Joseph petitioned the Roman authorities for permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross and bury it in Joseph's new family tomb that had been carved out of the rock outside the city wall.

*Jesus' body was quickly wrapped up like a mummy* and placed on a slab in the crypt.

A large rock in the shape of a wheel or millstone (probably weighing more than a ton) was rolled down a grooved incline and over the entrance to the grave.

*Jesus was dead and buried!

* The religious leaders must have given each other high fives and said, “There, we finally got rid of him!”

The Roman authorities who feared Jesus as a trouble maker took a deep breath and said, “Whew!

Glad that guy is gone!”

Jesus’ followers like Peter and James and John were depressed!

They were bewildered and confused and angry!

“How could Jesus die!

We thought he was the Messiah –the coming King!”

They were miserable on Friday and all day Saturday.

*But early Sunday morning the dead body of Jesus started to stir.

*His fingers and toes began to move.

His eyes began to blink!

He started to breath!

He pulled off the burial cloth that was wrapped around his head.

He peeled off the strips of linen that were wrapped around his body.

He folded them neatly and placed them on the slab!

And then he left!

*Some women showed up at the tomb with hopes of washing and preparing his body* the way it should have been done the previous Friday when they ran out of time.

They were worried about how they could get the stone moved so they could enter the tomb.

But to their astonishment, the stone was already rolled back and the tomb was open.

*Mary Magdalene went running to Peter and John.* “Pete!

John!

They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and John raced to the tomb but John was faster and he got there first.

He stuck his head into the tomb and looked in and saw the strips of linen neatly folded there.

Finally Peter caught up and pushed his way into the tomb.

Peter too saw the folded up linen and burial cloth.

Then John worked up the courage and he too stepped into the tomb and looked around.

*Over the next 40 days Jesus appeared many times* to the apostles and to over 500 people.

And after 40 days they literally saw Jesus ascend up into the sky and disappear!

Where did he go?

To Mars?

To outer space?

Jesus was just making the point that he was leaving them and going back to heaven –wherever heaven is.

He said, “One day I’m coming back!

And in the meantime I want you to go to the entire world and tell everybody about me.

Tell them they can be forgiven of their sins.

Tell them I can give them an awesome life.

Tell them they don’t have to be afraid of death anymore!”

And they did!

They went out who told people who told people…who told us!

And here we are today!

*That’s the story.*

Did you know all that?

If this story is true, then it changes everything!

It changes our life.

It changes our death.

It changes our destiny!

It’s important to understand that the death of Jesus was NOT an accident or a mistake…

 

*          1.

The claims of Jesus (Mark 8:31-33; 14:61-62; 15:2)*

 

Jesus claimed all along that he had to die and had to rise again!