He is Risen
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Introduction
Introduction
He has risen, he has risen indeed!
This is the phrase we use each year, I wonder why we do not start each service with this.
When I was in a ministry in Calgary, preaching every Sunday, I needed to supplement my income and God led me to become a tent maker. Not literally making tents, but working on the side while shepherding the folk of this small congregation.
As it turned out, the job that supplemented my income was working at the Lowe’s Department store. In fact, it not only supplemented my income, but it gave me a chance to not only preach God’s Word each Sunday, but live out God’s Word with those I worked with.
It was always interesting to see the looks people gave me when I told them I was pastoring as well as working full time at the store.
They were not sure how to respond. Some avoided me, others engaged in conversation.
As the schedule worked out, I was required to work every other Sunday. I asked for the closing shift so that I would be able to preach in the morning and make it work. I made for a long day, but through God’s strength I was able to endure.
The one time that really stood out to me was one Easter.
It was my week to work on Sunday, and I showed up. Imagine that, I didn’t call in “Sick” on a holiday weekend. I showed up for my shift.
What amazed me was the response from management.
This is how the conversation went.
“Why are you here?”
“This is the week I am scheduled to work!”
“But it’s Easter! Shouldn’t you be in Church!”
“I was, Every Sunday is Easter to me!”
I was able to explain that I go to church to worship a risen saviour.
Christ is Risen.... He is Risen indeed!
There is always one thing different about Easter and preaching.
The story never changes.
When you are doing sermon prep, you don’t have to look far to see what you will be preaching on.
Look, the same story.
The interesting fact is telling the beloved story over and over again from a perspective that is new and fresh.
This week, I came across a song, fairly new, written by a group of people that I believe are writing songs with strong doctrine written within their lyrics.
It got me thinking of some Easter Story Declarative Statements that we can declare because of what happened that first Easter Morning.
I want to play the song for you at the end, but for now, listen to their lyrics.
"It Was Finished Upon That Cross"
Words and Music By Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, & Nigel Hendroff © 2021 CityAlight Music CCLI: 7171907
How I love the voice of Jesus
On the cross of Calvary
He declares his work is finished
He has spoken this hope to me
Though the sun had ceased its shining
Though the war appeared as lost
Christ had triumphed over evil
It was finished upon that cross
Now the curse it has been broken
Jesus paid the price for me
Full, the pardon he has offered
Great, the welcome that I receive
Boldly I approach my Father
Clothed in Jesus’ righteousness
There is no more guilt to carry
It was finished upon that cross
Death was once my great opponent
Fear once had a hold on me
But the Son who died to save us
Rose that we would be free indeed!
YES He Rose that we would be free indeed!
Free from every plan of darkness
Free to live and free to love
Death is dead and Christ is risen!
It was finished upon that cross
Onward to eternal glory
To my Saviour and my God
I rejoice in Jesus’ victory
It was finished upon that cross
Easter Story Statements
Easter Story Statements
He is Risen
He is Risen
We begin here at this declarative statement because it was that first morning.
“He is risen.... Just like he said!”
let’s first turn to Matthew 28
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 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.”
These women felt compelled to go to the grave after the allotted “3 day period” You see the Jewish belief and custom about death was nested around three days. Although they knew the body had died, their was a belief that it took three days for the spirit to leave. That first Sunday morning gave them adequate time to prove that Christ had truly died. He wasn’t faking death, he wasn’t asleep, he had died.
With the women heading to the tomb, their intention was to see Christ’s body lying in the tomb. To our surprise, the followers of Christ, the women that were his faithful followers hadn’t truly believed that He was going to rise. They were coming to a grave to adorn their master with burial spices and perfume.
We can only image the surprise they were arrived at the tomb to find an empty tomb. The questions that were running through their mind would be from, “what is happening” to “What now?”
We look back at this story know the outcome, yet image their thoughts that first moment they saw the empty grave.
Did they immediately understand they are now serving a risen Christ.
That the many words that were mentioned by Christ leading up to the moment are now true? If they fully understood the unfolding events, why then did the Angel need to be there to explain the resurrection?
At that moment they heard
Christ has risen he has risen indeed!
Life was about to change that very first Resurrection Sunday for the women.
The Angels, God’s messengers, used throughout the centuries are now declaring the greatest news to the people.
This day was coming and declared by the prophets, the Angels.
Christ’s coming to this world as a child was declared by the angels and now they are the first ones to declare,
He is Risen.
Can we read those words with passion, with excitement.
They are packed full of purpose, potential.
The Angel must have been beaming not just because of it’s glorious being, but with the news that Jesus IS Risen.
We Serve a Risen Saviour. He arose from the Dead.
If this isn’t the greatest news you will ever receive?
He is Risen.
Can you imagine the scene,
Come see says the Angel.
It’s like the child who has just received a long awaited gift and want to show everyone who comes their way. Come See.
Grab my hand. I want to show you He is not there.
Matthew records that account, but I would think there was more to the scene.
The angel then says,
Go
Go and Tell
Go and Tell because your life has just changed
Go and Tell Quickly
Do not wait any longer. This news needs to be heard by one and all.
They went on their way, with the one message
He is risen
8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Now they see the statement come to them
The Risen Saviour is standing in front of them.
Did you notice what the saviour says to them?
Some of your translations say
Greetings
while others state
He greeted them
The original language uses a greek work
Chairo— (Chair-O)
It’s meaning is a greeting to rejoice and be glad.
It wasn’t a simple, well hello, fancy meeting you here.
It’s a greeting that brings excitement, Joy, gladness.
Do we come to the saviour, our lord with the same greeting.
Do we come to God knowing that Jesus Christ is risen. He arose from the Grave.
Conquering death.
Do we come with Chairo in our voices as we approach the throne of Grace every time we come to Him.
Do we fall at our feet and worship Him because He is Alive. He is Risen
Are we like the ladies in this narrative that didn’t stop there. Didn’t just sit at the feet of Jesus, not they got up and rand to tell others the Good News.
He is Risen.... He is risen indeed!
The Curse has been broken
The Curse has been broken
The second Easter statement is that the Curse has been broken.
First we need to state what the curse actually is and was.
The curse is that of Sin.
Since Adam and Eve fell into Sin, the curse of sin has fallen on each one that is born.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We are cursed without Christ’s work on the cross. We stand in separation from God because of the price of Sin.
Christ went to the cross to stand in our place.
To break the curse that should have been upon us, but has broken that because of His work on the cross.
He now lives within us and empowers us to become like Him.
Sin cannot enslave us. Not anymore. Jesus overcame the greatest curse on mankind to make available the greatest blessing — life in the Spirit of Christ!
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
We have been set free.
The curse no longer has a hold of me.
Romans goes onto say
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Curse of sin that leads to eternal death has been removed by Christ’s work on the Cross.
He broke the curse.
It was His grace given to us, shown to us by the work on the cross.
We accept this free gift, a broken curse for our lives
He has risen..He has risen indeed
The Curse has been broken.
We have been redeemed
We have been redeemed
The third Easter statement we can declare is that We have been redeemed.
Whitefield writes,
Selected Sermons of George Whitefield Sermon 44: Christ, the Believer’s Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption
And it is plain, that Christ’s resurrection was an earnest of ours: for says the apostle, ‘Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that sleep; and as in Adam all die, and are subject to mortality; so all that are in Christ, the second Adam, who represented believers as their federal head, shall certainly be made alive, or rise again with their bodies at the last day’.
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
The Price has been paid for you and me.
We are no longer slaves bound to sin.
We are no longer slaves ruled by our human nature. A sin nature that is opposed to God, but have been redeemed and called an heir to the King of Kings
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
How do we know we need to be redeemed?
Peter shows us in this moment when He sees Christ perform a miracle. He sees the holiness of God and by his own merit he utters these word.
I am a sinful man.
When we come to this point in our lives and we realize that alone we cannot stand before a holy God we realize that we are in great need of redemption.
One person wrote,
It is here that redemption is necessary. We are not able at any time to stand before God by ourselves, but by the redeeming blood of the cross.- https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-REDEMPTION-OF-THE-CROSS.HTML
The second part of redemption is that we are clothed in righteousness.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
His work on the cross has redeemed us so that we are clothed in righteosness
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Are faith is on a firm foundation as we hold to this truth.
Christ’s work on the cross has made a way for us to be redeemed, and declared righteous before our Heavenly father
It was Finished on the cross
It was Finished on the cross
The final Easter statement is this. It was finished on the cross.
Victory was won on the cross.
Christ brought a way to have eternal life because of the cross.
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical.
It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself.
He became sin for us:
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This replacement of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.
It was finished on the cross.
The Enemy thought they had won.
The Enemy thought they had conqured death.
Christ’s work on the cross was the way of salvation.
Christ’s last words before he shed his own blood for us for our forgiveness uttered these words
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts F. The Death of Jesus (19:28–37)
The use of the perfect tense in “It is finished” (tetelestai) signifies full completion of Jesus’ work and the establishment of a basis for faith. Nothing further needed to be done. Jesus’ act was voluntary and confident, for he had discharged perfectly the Father’s purpose and was leaving the scene of his human struggle. The expression may be interpreted in various ways: as a cry of relief, because suffering is ending; as a cry of anguish, because his ministry has ended in failure; or as a shout of victory, because the purpose of God has triumphed in his death. The last of these seems to be the author’s intent. He makes it the final report of Jesus to the Father, who will now exalt him to glory. The final word says that “he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” It could also be translated “he laid his head to rest and dismissed his spirit.” Jesus retained consciousness and command of himself till the very end.
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 27: John All Things are Accomplished
Jesus’ last word, “It is finished!” is a cry of victory, not of defeat. He is really in charge! He willingly accepts death because it is the completion of God’s plan. The work of the Incarnate Word has been accomplished. This is the moment of His glory, not His enemies’. The verbs are active, “bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (v. 30). Did Jesus give His spirit to those at the foot of the Cross who now symbolize the new people of God?
His last words, they were the words of victory.
His last words were stating that God’s will, His plan was completed.
The Work of God Incarnate had been accomplished on that cross.
It was finished on the cross.
Matthew Henry’s commentary sums it up this way
(1.) It is finished, that is, the malice and enmity of his persecutors had now done their worst;
(2.) It is finished, that is, the counsel and commandment of his Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled; it was a determinate counsel, and he took care to see every iota and tittle of it exactly answered,
(3.) It is finished, that is, all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished and answered.
(4.) It is finished, that is, the ceremonial law is abolished, and a period put to the obligation of it.
(5.) It is finished, that is, sin is finished, and an end made of transgression, by the bringing in of an everlasting righteousness.
(6.) It is finished, that is, his sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul and those of his body.
(7.) It is finished, that is, his life was now finished, he was just ready to breathe his last, and now he is no more in this world,
(8.) It is finished, that is, the work of man’s redemption and salvation is now completed, at least the hardest part of the undertaking is over; a full satisfaction is made to the justice of God, a fatal blow given to the power of Satan, a fountain of grace opened that shall ever flow, a foundation of peace and happiness laid that shall never fail.
[1]
[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2048). Peabody: Hendrickson.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In conclussion we are reminded this Easter Morning the statements of Easter.
He is Risen… He is Risen indeed
The Curse has been broken for you and for me. We can come to him today with full assurance that he will receive us unto his own.
When we come to the Son accepting His work on the cross we are redeemed in the Father’s Eyes and are called Children of God
And finally, It was finished on the cross.
I want to close this part of the service with us watching and listening to this song.
Listen to the words, sing along if you can.
We serve a Risen Saviour because it was finished on the cross.
The Song
The Song
Response to Worship
Response to Worship