Resurection Sunday 2021

Good morning saints. It is so good to be together today. Today is resurrection Sunday! Today we celebrate that day in history that Jesus defeated death and the grave - for our sake. This is a big day for us.

As the story goes - two thousand years or so ago, a group of religious people got together to plot against a guy named Jesus of Nazareth - the carpenters son. He had been going around teaching things that didn’t line up with what they were teaching, and it was disrupting the natural order of things. Some of the people were reporting that he had done miracles - healed blind people, even raised the dead. More than once he had caused a disturbance in the temple. They were losing their authority in people’s lives, they were losing their importance. So they planned. They wanted him captured and killed. Nothing else would do.

One of his friends - Judas or something - came to these guys. And offered to help. Judas was always looking for ways to enrich himself. He had been skimming some off the top for some time, and wasn’t really as devoted a follower as people might think. He was pretty good at acting. Judas promised to lead them straight to Jesus - and to make sure they took the right guy.

So Jesus got together with his closest followers for dinner, then went with them to a garden where they hung out for a while. It was pretty late. Then Judas showed up. With some help. They snatched up Jesus and the rest of his group ran away like cowards.

Then they had to figure out what to do with him - so they labeled him a terrorist and gave him to the federal government. The romans pretty much took care of the rest. One of the romans didn’t seem really excited about it, but made the decision to crucify Jesus. that would accomplish a couple of things - buying favor with the religious leaders, and strike some fear into the normal folks. Part of the process of course had to include some good torture. They beat him up pretty good - so much that he couldn’t walk. Flayed his back open with a jagged whip.

As they were on their way to the hill that they were going to string him up on, he couldn’t even carry his own cross - so they grabbed a guy out of the crowd to help. Finally, they got him there, and strung him up. \They stripped him of his clothes and divided them up.

It got dark outside - it was dark for a little while. Jesus said a few things while he was on the cross. And he stayed there, until he died. There was also an earthquake that day. The religious people reported that the curtain in the temple was ripped.

They took Jesus down, wrapped him in a linen cloth, and buried him.

And that was all part of the plan.

I have titled my sermon today - Jesus wanted to.

I told that very calussed version of the story, because it is very easy to see the story of Christ’s death and resurrection as a kind of cause and effect - one thing led to another kind of story. But as we look at the bible, old testament and new - we are going to see that this was God’s plan all along, and see what that means for us today.

Lets pray.

As we look at the story of Christ’s death and resurrection, one fo the first things that we should know and understand is that Jesus planned for this. It would be very easy to look at t hat story and say - hey, wrong place wrong time. But this is exactly where Jesus wanted to be, and when He wanted to be there.

Luke 9:51–56 CSB

When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him. But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.

The Bible shares with us that Jesus knew full well that to do what he needed to do, he needed to go to Jerusalem. That had been the end goal of this trip the entire time. Jesus knew the day and the hour that he would be taken up. As the days were coming close, he started heading that direction. Jesus had an appointment, and He didn’t want to be late. He wasn’t wasting any time. So they headed for Jerusalem.

What is funny to me is that even though Jesus was just a few days away from dying on the cross, he still took time to run people out of the temple. The things that were important to God, His temple - his name - his Glory, never stopped being important.

Some of us show up early to our appointments so that we can read 3 year old lobby magazines - Jesus came to jerusalem to flip tables.

It is important for us to understand that it wasn’t an accident for Jesus to be in Jerusalem when they wanted to kill him there. Nothing about this is accidental. Jesus planned to be there at the appointed time - they mapped out their travels so they would be there.

Jesus planned to be in Jerusalem because he wanted to be in Jerusalem. Jesus wanted to die on the Cross. That was the plan.

Not only did Jesus plan - He also prepared for this season. He told his disciples what the plan was, and how everything would unfold.

He foresaw that his death would be by crucifixion (John 3:14, 12:32). He predicted that the disciples would find an unridden colt when they entered the town (Luke 19:30). When the disciples entered Jerusalem that last Thursday, he predicted they would meet a man with the water pitcher who would have a room for them to meet in (Luke 22:10). After three years of waiting, he knew the exact hour of his departure out of the world (John 13:1). Jesus knew that he would be betrayed, and who would betray him, and when it would happen (John 6:64, 13:1; Matthew 26:2, 21). He knew and predicted the fact and the time of Peter’s three denials (Matthew 26:34). Jesus predicted that the disciples would all fall away and be scattered (Matthew 26:31; John 16:32; Zechariah 13:7). Jesus prophesied that he would be “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32). That is, he would not be stoned but crucified—not by Jews but by Romans. So the decisions of Pilate and the Jews of how to dispose of him were a fulfillment of his prediction.

He makes all these predictions, according to John 13:19, so that we would believe he is God, that what he says about himself is true.

John 13:19 CSB

I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he.

Jesus made all of the necessary preparations. He gave his disciples as much information as he could. Hey this is going to happen, and this is why. Just watch. Watch, and listen.

Jesus also took a lot of time away to pray. The night that he was betrayed, he was praying in the garden. Preparing himself for the pain and suffering that he was about to endure. He knew that he would die soon, and spent time with God the Father to ready himself for that.

We see throughout his ministry, throughout his walk with his disciples that Jesus planned to die in Jerusalem. We also see that Jesus prepared himself and his disciples for what was going to happen. Most importantly, as we study this story - we should see that Jesus wanted to.

John 10:18 CSB

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

And why does he say that? Why does he stress his willingness to die? Because if that wasn’t the case - if Jesus was forced to come, if He were made to be the sacrifice, if that was the law… then we might question His love for us.

John Piper said it this way - The depth of his love is in its freedom. If he didn’t die for us willingly—if he didn’t choose the suffering and embrace it—then how deep is his love, really? So he stresses it. He makes it explicit. It comes out of me, not out of circumstances, not out of pressure, but out of what I really long to do.

Jesus wants us to know that his love for us is freely given. That his sacrifice is his to make, his to give, and he does it because he loves us.

He prepares us for those times that we think that isn’t true. He prepares us for those times the enemy would say “Jesus doesn’t love you” “He wouldn’t die for you” Jesus seems to hear something like that, or anticipate it. And he responds, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” So he is pressing this on us to see if we will believe his protest of love, or if we will believe the opposite—that his heart is really not in this.

So here’s the point. The resurrection of Jesus is given to us as the proof that he was indeed free in laying down his life. And so the resurrection is Christ’s testimony to the freedom of his love. His love for you. His love for the world, full of sinners. He planned to, He prepared to, He wanted to.

The Meaning of Easter

This sermon doesn’t have six steps to being a better christian. There isn’t a biblical call to be a better parent or child, or to be a better spouse.. this isn’t how you go about relationships with people at work.

Today is about one thing. The Love that Jesus has for you.

My desire is that we dwell on it, and today of all days - we celebrate it. Jesus died on the cross for you, and rose from the grave three days later. For His glory, and your restoration.

Luke 12:32 CSB

Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

Of all the great things that Easter means, it also means this: it is a mighty “I meant it!” behind Christ’s death. I meant it! I was free. You see how free I am? You see how much power and authority I have? I was able to avoid it. I have power to take up my life out of the grave. And could I not, then, have devastated my enemies and escaped the cross?

My resurrection is a shout over my love for my sheep: It was free! It was free! I chose it. I embraced it. I was not caught. I was not cornered. Nothing can constrain me to do what I do not choose to do. I had power to take my life from death. And I have taken my life from death. How much more, then, could I have kept my life from death!

I am alive to show you that I really loved you. I freely loved you. Nobody forced me to it. And I am now alive to spend eternity loving you with omnipotent resurrection love forever and ever.

Do you hear the Lord in that?

Come to me, all you sinners who need a Savior. And I will forgive you and accept you and love you with all my heart forevermore. For believers, this is a good time to come back to right relationship with the Lord.

As the worship team comes forward - we are going to celebrate communion this morning. Hours before Jesus accomplished his work on the cross,