This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on April 4th 2021 by Colin D via zoom. For the audio please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.
John 19:
On Friday, we
looked at the sufferings of Jesus. When we watch a movie, if the good guy gets
beaten up, I get angry. On Good Friday, the most innocent person was beaten, spat
upon, whipped. He suffered an excruciating death.
Jesus suffered
physical agony, emotional trauma and spiritual separation from the Father
Was Jesus a
victim? No, he was the Victor!
John 10:8 No one
takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
When we look at
the crucifixion, all the players were part of the Cross's plan. He said, "It
is finished!" Not I am finished. He was in control of His life. He gave up
his spirit. Jesus needed to suffer for you and me. Why? For the joy set before
him.
Jesus is taken
down from the Cross in a hurry and placed in the tomb. There was no time to
embalm him.
Sunday morning,
while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb.
What is
resurrection – Jesus was raised to life again in a new body, never to die
again. Jesus raised many to life, but it was not a resurrection. They all died
at some point.
The
greatest enemy of man, death, was conquered that day.
Look at the
devotion of Mary Magdalene. While it was
still dark, just at sunrise, she went to the tomb because she wanted to embalm
her body. Her devotion was rewarded. She saw two angels in the tomb who gives
her the good news, and as she comes out, she meets Jesus Himself, and He talks
to her.
Matt 28:2
The stone over
the tomb was huge. The angle was sitting on it. Imagine how big the angle was.
The guards fell as though dead.
Do you know who
was expecting a resurrection? The Chief priests and Elders
Matt 27:62 - They
secured the tomb.
1Cor 15 – the
resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. So believing in this is very
important.
3 THINGS
ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
John 20: Go to
the other disciples and tell Peter. Imagine Jesus singles him out. What amazing
grace, forgiveness and love?
V19- the disciples were in, the doors were locked,
and they were fearful of the Jews
Jesus comes
through the walls, and he shows his side and hands. And Jesus says peace be
with you.
Peace is peace
between God and us. We were enemies of God before we know Jesus. Rom 8:7,- the
mind that does not know God is hostile to God
Rom5:10 – if
when we were God's enemies.
The Cross
reconciled us to His son
Col 1:21, we
were enemies in your mind because of your evil behaviour.
Now we are reconciled,
and we are a part of His family, and we are his friends, and He calls us His
sons
Now we can have
peace bet us and others in Christ. Gal 3:28 – we are all one in Christ. God has
broken the dividing wall of hostility.
We need to
preserve that peace and love. No matter where we meet Christian s we become
family because we have one Father.
There is peace
with ourselves as well. Jesus gives us peace that the world cannot give.
Heb9:14 – How much more ….cleanse our conscience. The power of the Cross is that
God can cleanse us of any sins. We can rely on the work of the Cross, and the
penalty of sin is taken away, Not to sin but to serve the living God.
This peace is
received by receiving God. John 1
Rom 5:1
PURPOSE
John 20:21
As the Father has
sent me, I am sending you. We are saved for a purpose. Between our conversion
and heaven, there is a purpose fr our living. We are being sent just like Jesus
was sent. – to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
Our purpose is
to serve the body and to share the good news. In our busyness, we need to make
time for our primary purpose. Let us not lose sight of this.
Jesus gave us
peace, purpose and power. He gave them the Holy Spirit. John20:22
Acts 1:4 wait
for the gift my Father promised. V8 You will receive power when the Hole Spier
come s on you to be my witnesses to the end s of the earth.
IF you forgive,
they will be forgiven; if you don't forgive, they will not be forgiven. I.e.
when we preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, it is Jesus speaking
through us, and if anyone does not receive our words, they miss out on the
forgiveness that He has to offer and vice versa.
Jesus suffered
died on the Cross not as a victim but as a Victor. He rose again from the dead,
and what happened to him will happen to us. This is what Easter is about.
No comments:
Post a Comment