Untitled Sermon

Is Christ Risen?

To answer this we must first ask did Christ die, and to that we give the answer yes.

But don’t all people die? Not in the way Christ did.

The distinct difference given by the Apostle Paul in our text is that Christ died FOR our sins.

That alone is unique to Jesus. People die for causes every day. But not like this.

What does it mean that Christ died for our sins?

Jesus spoke of his own blood as a symbol in Mathew 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Christ’s died consequently because you and I are sinners, and sin deserves death.

HE was not a sinner. He did not die for His sins, but ours.

Not only in this way did Christ die, but he died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

It was according to a predetermined plan that he died in this particular way.

Predicting that someone would die is not a great accomplishment. But predicting the manner in which they will die, by whom they will die, where that person will die, in what era, and then dozens of other predictions surrounding that death…Now that’s another thing.

All of this happened with Jesus Christ.

Psalm 22:14-18

14  I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15  my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16  For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17  I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18  they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

In case we think this is not connected to Jesus’s death, and accurately predicting suffering by crucifixion, look at v1 of the same chapter, written hundreds of years prior to Christ, long before death by a cross was ever invented.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Acts 4:27 “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

It is true that Christ died, and he died in the place of sinners, and he died according to the scriptures.

But Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 15, that he was buried, that he was raised in the third day according to the Scriptures.”

The burial is mentioned, and that is important. The burial of Jesus had great significance even just for the finality of his death, but it was also a very specific tomb, in fulfillment of prophesy.

Isaiah 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

This being fulfilled in Matthew 27:57 “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud  and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled ea great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.”