Easter: The Resurrection of a New Life

Romans 6:1-23

I. Introduction

Easter Sunday, like many other holidays, has lost its meaning over time. To the world, it is simply a time for the Easter Bunny and colored eggs. For many, it is one of few times they set foot in a church during the year. But what is it really? What lessons, if any, can be learned from the Easter Story? (Complete story found in Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-20)

A. What did Christ endure for us?

1. Extreme emotional stress—(hematidrosis) sweating blood can occur in highly emotional states.

2. Betrayal—His closest friends had abandoned him.

3. Physical fatigue—the trial before the Sanhedrin took place between 1 a.m. and daybreak; was forced to walk more than 2.5 miles during the course of the trials that night.

4. Scourging—He would have been stripped of his clothing and flogged with a whip containing iron balls, sheep bones, etc. Robe then placed on his back and ripped off, reopening the wounds.

5. Crown of thorns—Long thorns were jammed into his brow and forehead, struck in the head with a rod.

6. “Carry your Cross”—Forced to carry his own torture device to his death. Weighed anywhere from 75-125 lbs.

7. The Nails—Driven in the wrists provided the most support (also verified by the prophecy that His bones would not be broken); 5-7” long, would have severed a couple major nerves causing excruciating pain. Nail driven through feet also severing several nerves. The entire weight of his body supported by 3-4 nails.

8. The sin—Jesus, a man who had never experienced guilt or sin, took the entire weight of sin of the entire human race upon himself at one time.

9. The temptation—knowing that at any time, he could command a legion of angels to his rescue, leave sinful humanity to its own devices, and end the suffering and agony…but he didn’t.

B. He Arose!

1. I Corinthians 15:12-22

2. If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is in vain.

3. Either Christ was who he says he was, or he was:

a) A raving lunatic who didn’t know that he was wrong.

b) A liar, who purposely mislead thousands of people to believe a lie.

4. Whatever he was, he was not just a “good man.”

5. If Christ is who he says he is, then he demands our complete dedication and loyalty.

II. You are dead to sin. (begin text—Romans 5:2)

A. You cannot continue to live in sin!

1. It will choke your spiritual life.

a) Job 20:11-16 (sin = poison)

b) Psalm 66:18—“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

c) Hebrews 12:1-3—“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.”

2. You no longer are enslaved to Satan, Christ has set you free.

a) John 8:34-36

b) Christ has paid your debt in full, no longer have to pay the ultimate price.

B. Why do we keep returning to the sin that holds us back?

1. “People are to sin as dogs are to their vomit: we somehow think it will taste better the second time down.”

2. “Insanity—doing the same thing you’ve been doing all along, while expecting different results.”

III. You are alive unto God!

A. We are servants of the Most High God (vs. 22)

B. Through Christ we have the gift of Eternal Life.

Conclusion:

Isaiah 53:1-10—“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”