Death could not Hold Him. The grave could not hold Him. We serve a risen Savior
The resurrection of Jesus is the HUB of the Christian Faith Everything revolves around it
Without the Resurrection of Jesus, there would be NO CHRISTIAN FAITH.. How can we have Faith in a person who is dead ?
Matthew 27:66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Matthew 28:1-10
The tomb of Jesus was made secure by putting a stone, sealing it and posting a Guard
Today the devil has succeeded in blocking and stopping Our Spiritual Life in a similar manner. He does not want us to rise up in our life
That is why you see as if nothing is happening in your life you are stagnant. You work hard but it all goes away at the end of the day you struggle but you don't see a breakthrough.
He puts Stones, Rocks and to others Boulders - of Fear, doubt, unbelief, Excuses that keep us from being effective for God.
Then We find that we cannot become the person God wants us to be
The devil has put his seal of disobedience, curse, lack , sickness, poverty,
He has posted his guard of Anger, un forgiveness, bitterness, Pride, to make sure you remain in your tomb.
What stone , what Seal & What guard has the devil put in your life ? Do you realize what the enemy has is doing in your life to keep you in effective for God. You can dance, sing, pray, fast BUT he has kept you imprisoned in your tomb ( life ) !
You don't have to despair There is an answer. There is Hope
There is Resurrection Power of Jesus which can 1) Roll away every stone in our life. 2) Break every seal over our life. 3) Destroy every guard from our life.
And set you Free
What does the Resurrection of Jesus mean to us today ?
Matthew 28:1-10
1. The Resurrection Proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Romans 1:4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Many people deny the deity of Jesus as the Son of God
Psalms 16:10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
We do not worship and serve a man or a prophet or a religious leader We don't serve and worship a dead God
We serve and worship the True and Living God We serve and worship Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God
If Jesus was just a man, prophet or religious leader then we would have seen dead bones in His grave like every other person
2) The resurrection of Jesus gives us the Assurance of Eternal Life.
If Jesus had not risen, then we would not have the assurance of Eternal life But His Resurrection proves that we shall live eternally with God.
John 14:19 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
If Eternal Life is in Jesus, and if Jesus died and did not rise from the dead then there would be no eternal life
Eternal life is IN THE LIVING and NOT in the DEAD John 11:25 25:Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;"
Notice also that Jesus says that He is the resurrection and the life, not the life and resurrection. We can not have true life until after we have been resurrected. Once we have been resurrected, we will truly live and death will never touch us again.
Death is our Transit passageway to Eternal life
Jesus was the Captain of life and death. When He rose from the dead to live forever, He went where no man had gone before. No one had ever died and then been raised up never to die again.
Illustr: During the 16th Century , many speculated about the possibility of a sea route from Europe to India by going round the southern tip of Africa.
Mariners doubted that it could be done because of the storms at the point where the Atlantic and Indian oceans met. These violent weather conditions caused the point to be called the Cape of Storms.
In the 16th Century, the Portuguese explorer, Vasco De Gama, successfully rounded the Cape of Storms and found beyond the wild waters a great calm sea and beyond that, India.
No more could people doubt that such a route could be taken. The name of that point was changed from the Cape of Storms to the Cape of Good Hope.
Death had been the cape of storms, the point at which all the hopes of life had been dashed, until Jesus rounded that cape and returned to life.
We now see death as the cape of good hope, as the passageway into a better eternal superior life. At His resurrection, Jesus led the way from death to life. If we follow along His path, when we round that cape of death, we will come out on the spectacular sea of everlasting life.
And not just to life that never ends, but life that is the best life each of us could possibly have.
Life in Heaven is not just eternal BUT superior in every aspect.
3) The resurrection of Jesus enables us to live a life of Victory.
Many believers live defeated lives because they live in their own strength and do not let the risen living Lord take over and live the victorious life through them by His resurrection power.
Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
It is the resurrected Christ living in us that gives us the strength to live victoriously.
We have the assurance that Jesus is with us always..
Matt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
4) The resurrection of Jesus has given us a living Hope in life.
1 Peter 1:3-4 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you,
We do not live like people who have no hope in life.
Our Future is brighter than our Present?
Think of things above The Great Inheritance that God has kept in Heaven for us Don't spend too much time thinking & worrying of the worldly Inheritance that NO one will ever get to take with them
Illustr: Martin Luther once was so depressed over a long period that one day his wife came downstairs wearing all black. Martin Luther said, "Who died?" She said, "God has." He said, "God hasn't died." To which she replied, "Well, live like it and act like it."
We tend to live our lives and act as if Jesus is dead
1 Peter 1:21 God "... raised him (Christ) up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God."
Our life and our actions must be connected to the Risen & living Christ. Too often we live and act as if Jesus is not Alive ??
Discouraged, Dismayed, Fearful, Depressed, This was what happened to the Disciples. But when they met and encountered the risen Lord their lives were never the same again
Their Hope, trust and Faith in God Shot up rapidly In fact , They preached about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ boldly
5) The Resurrection of Jesus brings COURAGE that conquers our Fears
The Disciples of Jesus were timid, frightful & fearful
John 20: 19-21 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were NOT AFRAID to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus
After they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke God's Word WITHOUT FEAR.
When the disciples were together with the doors LOCKED FOR FEAR of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were OVERJOYED when they saw the Lord. (Luke 22:42 )
-- The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were NOT AFRAID to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. After they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke God's Word WITHOUT FEAR. (Acts 4:13,31)
6) The resurrection of Jesus demands us to – Go and tell others about Him.
Matthew 28 - V.7 & V. 10 Go and tell
How can we remain silent on a truth that is not just astounding But the core of our Christian Faith
The Angel said: Go and Tell Jesus Himself said - Go and tell
Today Fear / afraid is keeping so many Believers from Witnessing about Jesus Christ
7) The Resurrection of Jesus Proves that Jesus is coming again.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is imminent. Nothing and No one can stop Him from coming again
The risen Lord will come again to take His church believers washed in the blood and kept pure for the Groom
Acts 1:9-11 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Are you ready for the coming of the Lord or are you still dead in your Sins ? Today you can prepare yourself for the second coming of Jesus By giving Him your life.
Today as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ What do you want God to resurrect in your personal life ??
Your Love and Passion for God which has grown cold or is lukewarm . Your commitment to God and the church Your Spiritual life is dwindling Your relationship life is declining Your health is deteriorating
Your prayer life Your Witness life
Your strength is failing
Your Faith is weakening Your hope is diminishing
Your dreams are fading away
Your relationship is tearing apart
Your future is gloomy & bleak BUT STILL THERE IS HOPE BECAUSE HE HAS RISEN .
God can resurrect & Restore back all that the locusts has stolen in your life. Do you believe ?
This is your time where God can begin a new chapter in your Life Are you willing for God to turn a new page of Destiny for you
There is Resurrection Power that can BRING ALIVE everything that is dying or dead in your life
Pray and ask the Lord for His Resurrection power to raise you up from your drained & strained spiritual state
May the Lord Bless You