The Tale of His Triumph

Today I want to tell you a tale. It is more than a story, more than folklore, and more than legend. It is tale from days of old, a tale of One that makes all things new. It is a tale the world does not understand; a tale that is nonetheless true. It is the tale that answers the question… why did He die for me? Today… I tell you the Tale of His Triumph. And be mindful for as this tale is told… things are more than they appear.

Risen. Raised up. Resurrected! Could it be? Can One who laid in the grave three days really come back to life? Could Jesus walk out of the tomb that was closed with a heavy stone and sealed by the roman governor - the same governor who ordered Christ to be crucified?

“It is Finished” (John 19:30) were His final words. Words that indicate completion. Words that communicate that this was the end. And after speaking these words, Jesus gave up His spirit. Jesus died on the cross… and His substitutionary work on the cross was now… complete.

Jesus took on our sin… He took on our wrong doing and through His sacrifice… nailed it to the cross.

Jesus took on our condemnation… He took on our guilt and through His sacrifice… nailed it to the cross.

Jesus took on our suffering… He took on our brokenness and through His sacrifice… nailed it to the cross.

Jesus took on our separation… He took on shame and through His sacrifice… nailed it to the cross.

Jesus’ body had been broken. The blood of the spotless Lamb had been spilt. Jesus did not deserve to be crucified… yet He gave it all. He GAVE it all. Jesus’ life was not taken by this world, but was given by His Father so that the sin, the condemnation, the suffering, and the separation could be done away with once and for all. It IS finished.

But was Jesus finished as well? Was this the end of the story for Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world? As His body was taken down from the cross and laid in tomb… would this be the end of His earthly ministry and influence?

Day one goes by… and the tomb remained closed. Speculation began to circulate... Jesus’ followers, His disciples, might try to steal the body. So the tomb was secured with a seal and a guard was posted.

Day two goes by… and the tomb remained closed. By now rigor mortis had set in. The body of Jesus would experience the stiffening of joints and muscles taking place a few hours after death, usually lasting from one to four days. This day was the Sabbath… and activity outside the tomb was minimal.

Day three goes by… but not at all in the same manner as day one and day two. For on day one and day two… death appeared victorious… the sting of death was fully felt. But day three… day three WOULD BE DIFFERENT! (PLAY VIDEO) Day three asked this question… (1 Corinthians 15:55) “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Now we live… NOW WE LIVE! You see, these tales of the tomb have been told in order to answer the question why did He die for me? (1 Thessalonians 5:10) He died for us so that… we may LIVE together with Him!

Day three changed it all! All that Christ took with Him to the cross was left buried in the ground - our sin, our condemnation, our suffering, and our separation. The shackles of death could not hold him… the power of the grave was no match for Him. HE IS RISEN! Jesus was raised back to life conquering sin, death and the grave once and for all! Day three was not another day for the tomb… it was the day of His triumph!

Jesus’ victory over death rewrites the expectations of those who choose to believe. In sin… death is expected. In Christ… life is given. Jesus was triumphant over the grave… and He offers salvation and victory to all who believe in Him! Jesus invites the world to struggle no longer in death, but to come alive in Him through His triumph!

Truth of the Tale

Today is a day that is all about coming alive! Today is a day of leaving death behind and embracing new life that is available in Jesus Christ!

So what does it mean that Jesus died so that we may live together with Him? what does “living together” with Christ incorporate and look like? LIFE IN CHRIST LOOKS NOTHING LIKE ANYTHING THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER.

The life now offered in Jesus is NOT ANY LIFE this world could come close to offering. Why? Because this world is tainted by sin… this world knows nothing but corruption and brokenness. Again…this was NOT God’s original design… but it became our reality when mankind chose to disobey the Lord. Sin became our reality.

But the power of sin was BROKEN and the sting of death DESTROYED the moment Jesus gave His life on the cross. Although it was mankind’s choice to sin… God now offers a new choice to all who would believe: We can choose to die to sin and come alive in Christ Jesus.

“Living together” with Christ means doing away with the old… you and embracing the new that God has to offer through His Son.

When we believe… as we place our faith in Him, the death that Jesus died on the cross becomes our death. And as Romans 6:5 makes clear, “...if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Jesus Invites You to LIVE in His Triumph

Here’s the key - Before we can live together with Christ… we must be united with Christ in His death. Only then can a person come alive with Him through resurrection. Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Galatians 2:20 reads, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So being crucified with cross means through our faith, our sins, our condemnation, our suffering, and our separation were all nailed to the cross with Christ. HE DIED to SET US FREE FROM SUCH THINGS! And… If the Son has set you free today, church, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED! (John 8:36)

Jesus won the victory over sin, death, and the grave and He did so that we might be set free! He died to live together with you!

Jesus IS alive. Christ desires to live in you now… and He desires to spend eternity with you when that day comes.

But we’ve got to make a choice… we must choose to come out from under that which is bringing death to our lives. Living together with Christ means leaving that old sin-ridden self behind and coming alive in Jesus.

Consider the words of Romans 6:5 once more. Since, through faith (through choosing to believe) we are united with Christ in His death, we are also united with Him in His triumph. His victory becomes our victory.

By grace, God offers to those who would believe the victory that Jesus won when He was raised from the grave. Believers become “more than conquerors” as Romans 8:37 makes clear. And the key to LIVING in that victory is believing in Jesus!

Jesus desires for all to walk in victory today! That’s why He died for you! That’s what “living together” with Christ looks like - it’s living together in victory!

Here’s the deal, we often look at the events of Easter as historical. We often leave the significance of the day in the past. We must never forget how His resurrection from the grave can change our present and give us hope for our future! HIS RESURRECTION POWER IS AT WORK THIS VERY DAY AND THIS VERY MOMENT.

God RAISED Christ back to life but continues to RAISE us daily over the death and destruction found in this world. WE MUST CHOOSE to live and operate in that resurrection. WE MUST CHOOSE to WALK in that victory at all times.

When the devil tries to get you down, look to God who will raise you up! Never forget that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives and resides within the hearts of those who believe. GOD HAS FILLED YOU WITH THAT RESURRECTING POWER! Why would we allow the enemy to try to stuff us back into that ole’ grave? CHOOSE TO LIVE IN HIS TRIUMPH!

And as Jesus invites us to live in His triumph… I pray we would also choose to invite others to do the same. As we choose to live in victory… let’s also choose to tell others of the victory that Christ is offering today!

Jesus Invites You to TELL of His Triumph

The news of Jesus having been raised from the grave is GOOD NEWS! It is certainly news that is worth telling… news that should be shared to all!

On the day of His resurrection, when the tomb was discovered to be emptied, the telling of this news was encouraged by both the angel at the tomb and by Jesus Himself.

Matthew 28:5-7 reads, “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

When the women met Jesus on their way back to the disciples, Jesus told them in verse 10, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Think of all the things you might tell a person within a day’s time. Think of all the information we pass on in our communications and conversations. Now, consider this… of all that we pass on… is there any GREATER message than the tale of His triumph? Is there any greater testimony than Jesus is alive?

We live in the blessing of this truth every single day! But thee are many who have yet to believe… there are many who struggle to hear. After His resurrection but before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples… to go and tell the story. Jesus desires for His followers to tell of the triumph they now live in… to pass on the truth that set them free.

Jesus died on the cross. Three days later He rose from the grave. Those who believe in Him are united with Him in both His death and resurrection. Those who believe in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life. The old self has gone… and the new has come. And as we praise God for that truth today I pray we never forget the price that was paid.

Never Forget the Price that was Paid

This morning, we close by remembering that before there was an empty tomb, there was a cross. Our victory… the victory that Christ is offering all who would believe… was made possible through His death on the cross. His blood had to be split. His body had to be broken. His life had to be given.

Nothing and no one else could have done what Jesus did. He took your sins, your condemnation, your suffering, and your separation and nailed it to the cross. When He said those three words, “It is finished” He completed the necessary work. That chapter was now closed… but three days later… a new one was opened.

Jesus wants to open a new chapter in your life… Jesus wants you to understand that what He did… He did for you. Not so you can stay where you are… but so that you might be set free!

Your freedom comes through the cross. Your new life comes through His resurrection. Will you choose Him today? Will you choose to believe in the One that died for you?

PRAYER - Salvation

Lastly, we prepare to receive communion together. This ordinance is done not for ritual sake… but for remembrance sake. May we never forget the price that was paid. Jesus had to die… He had to be laid in the tomb before He could walk out of the tomb.

As we celebrate the victory… as we give praise for His triumph… we also do this in remembrance of Jesus as He did all that was required to bring us salvation.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.