Resurection Sunday - 2022

sally’s birthday 80 years old

This is resurrection Sunday. Today - people across the world will celebrate Easter. Culturally we will celebrate with egg hunts and Easter bunnies, etc. Christians will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, our God, Jesus the Christ.

The foundation of our faith rests on this holiday.

The reality, that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin

He lived on this Earth, ministering to the hurt and the broken - people like you and me.

Then when the time was right, he surrendered himself to die upon the cross, to pay the price for our sins. You and I deserved to pay the price for those.

And yet, like Barabbas - you and I - stood next to the Lord, guilty. And we were set free. That is the great gospel story. And yet - our God is Better.

Not only would He die on that cross, He would rise again. Because He is God. Because Death doesn’t keep God. He is bigger than death. That is what we celebrate today.

Let’s pray.

As we celebrate today, I want to draw our attention into who Jesus really is.

Because who Jesus is, matters. This is the God that died on the cross for our sins. Who Rose again on the third day. Who serves us still today.

Who Jesus is.

It matters.

The kind of person He is, the God that He is.

We are a foursquare church. Our organization is world wide, and in every foursquare church you will find this verse, from Hebrews, posted in a prominent place. It is our “motto” verse.

Hebrews 13:8 CSB

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The importance of that verse in scripture cannot be understated. Jesus is the same. Today. The same today as He was 2000 years ago.

The God that I invite you to serve

We are going to look at a story today from the book of John.

John 20:18–23 CSB

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her. When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

As we look at this story, we an interaction that Jesus had with his followers.

Remember that we are attempting to learn who Jesus is. As He asks us to follow Him, to serve Him, to Glorify Him… its important to know Him. If we understand anything about Jesus from His time on earth, we know that about Jesus today - and so we look at the things that He did to see who He is.

John 20:19 CSB

When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

The situation they were living in was tragic. They were afraid of what their lives would become, now that Jesus had been killed. And they were hiding. They had gone to a place that they could be alone, just them. And they locked the door.

Jesus had been killed. Were they next? Jesus had been betrayed by one of His closest followers.. who could they trust?

Their problems were many.

And so they hid. Together. They locked the door.

It is in that time of desperation that we see our Lord respond.

This is important.

Because that is when we need Jesus the most.

We need Jesus when we are afraid.

We need Jesus, when you get a message that they are taking your grandpa to a hospital.

We need Jesus when momma has been sick for days, and we can’t do anything to fix it.

We need Jesus when our brains won’t shut off, and we have situations on replay causing anxiety and confusion.

Jonah 2:2 CSB

I called to the Lord in my distress, and he answered me. I cried out for help from deep inside Sheol; you heard my voice.

Psalm 56:3 CSB

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

And Jesus, in this one interaction echoed this thought into eternity.

When my people need me, I am there.

It’s not about having enough faith, or living the perfect life.. he proved to us “when my people need me, I am there”

We saw this proven a different time. In the book of Mark 9:24

Mark 9:24 CSB

Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

we see Jesus responding to the desperate plea of a father, who’s son has been possessed by an evil spirit… instead of rebuking the man, he encourages faith and performs a miracle. That is the God we serve. That is the Jesus that we celebrate.

We should also note the condition of the place they were in. Not only were they afraid, but they were locked away.

These people who had decided to follow Jesus, went through measures and means to be alone. They set themselves up to be separated from the population.

And none of that mattered to Jesus.

Jesus can penetrate any situation or wall that we think we can throw up. He can be in our darkest of circumstances. He can be in every operating room, in every meeting. Jesus can be there. He can reach you.

You cannot hide from him. There aren’t secret areas of you life that he cannot see. Jesus was there. The reality that Jesus raised from the dead allowed Him to do things no one else can do. He can be anywhere at any time in a way that is real and tangible.

That is who we celebrate today. The Lord Jesus - who died for our sins on the cross. Was raised again on the third day, and this is how He responds to us.

In our time of need, no matter where we are, He is willing and able to show up.

And not distant, far off and unapproachable.

Vs 19 again of this story tells us that He stood in their midst.

Greeted them with peace.

Proved Himself

Sent them out, with power and authority.

Our response:

Reconcile.

Something I did not mention about this story is the reality that the disciples that Jesus greeted with peace, those were His people. Jesus did not intimately appear to strangers who had never heard his name. He appeared in the time of need to those who had been following him - closely.

Receive.

Jesus stepped into the room, and commanded peace. We should understand that our Lord Jesus comes and gives us peace. He steps into the room and speaks peace into it. Like He did to the storm. And receive that.

We have two options here. To receive the Lord - or to walk away from Him.

Celebrate and Go.

We should bask in our knowledge in our hearts of who Jesus is, and celebrate that. Make that the biggest thing.