Easter 2022
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Why Do Seek the Living Among the Dead?
Why Do Seek the Living Among the Dead?
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”
And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
John’s account of the resurrection of Christ is probably my favorite.
The reason being verse 5:
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?
The reason this statement strikes me so powerfully, is that too often we seek for “life” among things that are actually “lifeless”!
Our pursuit for what is “life–giving” and “life fulfilling” is misdirected.
This Resurrection Sunday, I hope we can all come to the realization that this Christian faith is all about “life” and that life “abundantly”!
Jesus Came To Bring Life
Jesus Came To Bring Life
Read ONLY 10–b:
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
What kind of life is Jesus talking about?
This is the life that God intended for us at Creation.
It is a life lived in the presence of Almighty God.
It is a life lived in the blessings of a loving God.
It is a life lived in harmony with one another and with Creation itself.
It’s important to take Jesus’ complete statement because there is and has been a threat to this life.
Sin Cames As An Intruder
Sin Cames As An Intruder
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The “thief” here is often spoken of as Satan. But this is not accurate.
In the context, Jesus is speaking about false shepherds and teachers who lead the “sheep” (people) astray.
These shepherds are under spiritual influence.
We know the apostle John writes that there is an “anti–Christ spirit” in the world already.
This “spirit” influences and ideology or philosophy promoting and offering life in abundance apart from Christ.
Secular Humanism
Materialism
Liberalism
Hedonism
Ultimately this spirit is under the power of Satan, so we can understand why some refer to the thief as the devil.
These “thieves” lead us to sin; breaking from God’s created intent.
Sin separates us from:
God’s presence.
God’s blessings.
God’s harmony.
Sin separates us from life itself!
The wages of sin is death!
These thieves kill and destroy the life God has intended for us.
These enemies make up a long list!
Jesus Came To Destroy The Intruder!
Jesus Came To Destroy The Intruder!
Remember what we’ve just read: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
How exactly does Jesus go out this?
For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
The strong man is Satan, the tempter of sin and rebellion, is fully armed with deception:
False teaching
False teachers
Ideologies
Philosophies
His possessions are people under the deception.
Yet, Jesus is someone even stronger!
He has overpowered the enemy, exposed his weapons, and sets the captives free!
How did Jesus go about this?
Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
God has made us alive with Christ cancelling the record of charges against us by nailing it to the cross!
He has disarmed the intruders and any authority they may have had in our lives.
United With Christ
United With Christ
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
When we identify with Christ by faith, we died to sin with him and our old selves were crucified with Christ.
Sin now loses its power in our lives!
It loses its power to condemn us.
Its power is deceit and compulsion that it equals life!
But, it is now exposed to be a lie! It is an intruder to the life God has for us and only wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
We are now dead to sin and alive to God through Christ!
The Thief and Intruder No Longer Push Us Around!
We were dead but now we are alive through Christ!
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
We now live the new life we were created to live!
Free from the “intruders” that attempt to steal, kill, and destroy.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
The resurrection of Christ raises us to new life!
We no longer continue in sin, because sin is the intruder that steals, kills, and destroys the life God has created us to live!
Jesus has come to give life and that life more abundantly.
It is a life lived in the presence of Almighty God.
It is a life lived in the blessings of a loving God.
It is a life lived in harmony with one another and with Creation itself.
This is life!
And it’s going to be good life!
And remember, when this part of our life is over, our forever, eternal life will just be beginning!
