SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN (BEATITUDES): BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5:1-12

 

Matthew 5:1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

            -- this morning, we are finishing our sermon series on the Beatitudes called “The Measure of a Christian” -- on that very first Sunday that we started this series, I reminded you that these Beatitudes are the attitudes and attributes that we should be seeking to develop in our lives if we wanted to become more and more like Jesus and become mature Christians in the faith

            -- each Beatitude that Jesus gave us represented a step of progression in our Christian lives -- we started with the call to be poor in Spirit and respond to the grace that is offered us at the cross -- next, we were made aware of our sins as we mourned them and began the arduous path of sanctification

            -- we learned to experience and express the power of the Spirit in our lives through meekness -- not prideful of God’s presence in our lives -- not boastful of our position -- but power in control -- power exercised for our good and the good of others

            -- next we talked about relationships -- first, our need to hunger and thirst for righteousness as we tried to maintain a right relationship with God -- and then we talked about our relationships with others, as we learned to be merciful and to live as Christ to those around us, especially those who have wronged us

            -- we moved on to talk about a life of purity -- a life of holiness -- where we are constantly cleansed through the power of the Word and our lives display a direction and a devotion to Christ and the things of Christ

            -- and then, last week, we talked about our need to be peace makers -- people who are actively involved in God’s work of bringing hope and life and love to this world

            -- this week, we finish up the Beatitudes by learning that life is not over at death, but that our physical deaths usher in the full experience of our spiritual lives as we enter into the very presence of God

 

II.  Persecution

            -- in this eighth and longest Beatitude, Jesus makes a promise that seems foreign to our modern-day American ears -- let’s read verses 10-12 together

 

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

            -- when’s the last time you saw the celebration of persecution on somebody’s Facebook status?

            -- when’s the last time you heard that message from the pulpit or from a preacher on the radio?

            -- I guarantee you that it would be rare to hear a church service end with these words, “If you come and believe in Jesus and put your faith in Him, He will forgive you of all your sins and you will start a new life with Him -- a life filled with trouble and tribulation -- a life filled with persecution and insults and lies -- a life that may lead to your death -- come to Jesus this morning and die”

            -- that is the very message that Jesus gives us in this last Beatitude -- that is the call of every Christian who truly wants to follow Jesus wherever He might lead -- “Come and suffer -- come and die,” Jesus says, “and you will be blessed”

 

            -- remember the context of this passage -- remember the setting -- this is early in Jesus’ ministry -- the people who were originally going out to see John the Baptist  are now flocking to hear Jesus along with many others who have heard of the miracles -- great crowds of people are following Jesus -- outside of the official temple in Jerusalem, Jesus has the biggest and fastest growing church in the land -- by all accounts, He is a success because that’s how we judge the quality of a church and its pastor, isn’t it?

            -- pastors like to see growing churches -- they like to see large numbers on Sunday mornings -- it validates them -- it lets them know that they’re doing good -- and so some pastors become careful in their sermons so they don’t alienate the crowd -- so they don’t lose what they’ve got -- they stay safe in their sermon topics and in their teachings

            -- so, when Jesus sees the crowd here in Matthew 5 and goes up on top of a mountain to preach, that’s kind of what you expect to hear -- that’s probably what his disciples expected to hear -- but what does Jesus do?

            -- He gives them the Beatitudes -- He calls the people to do more than just come to church -- He calls them to live out their faith -- He calls them to live holy and fruitful lives and to be peacemakers -- and then He caps it with this final Beatitude -- “blessed are you when you are persecuted -- blessed are you when you suffer for your faith -- blessed are you when you come and die for Me”

            -- now that’s hardly a sermon that will win friends and influence people -- that’s hardly a message that will keep the crowds coming and the church rolls filled -- I can just imagine Peter and John standing there cringing as Jesus delivered these words -- “Come on, Jesus -- we had them -- look at this crowd -- look at all these people -- we’re finally getting somewhere and you had to go and ruin it all by telling them that they will die if they follow you”

            -- you’ve been there -- you invite someone to church and they finally show up and that Sunday either the preacher delivers a message that’s a dud or they start hammering people on sin and their lifestyle and what’s wrong with Americans these days -- and you’re sitting there cringing and saying, “Why that sermon? -- why this hard topic today of all days?” -- and when you leave, you promise your guests that usually the sermon is better -- usually the sermon is more uplifting and encouraging -- but you know they’re not coming back

            -- that’s what’s going on here at the Sermon on the Mount -- Jesus didn’t preach to please the crowd -- He preached to make people get real with God

 

            -- as I was working on this message, I looked out into my backyard and saw a bunch of chickens and one lonely pig -- and that reminded me of a story I heard one time about a chicken and a pig who were walking down the street -- and, as they passed by a restaurant, they noticed a sign in the window that said, "eggs and bacon wanted" -- the chicken looked at the pig and said, "we should go in and help" -- the pig said "I don't think so" -- the chicken said, "why not?" -- the pig said, "because for you it's a contribution -- for me it's a commitment"

            -- that day, when Jesus looked out over that great crowd of people who had come to hear Him, He knew that there were a lot of chicken Christians out there -- people who had just come to Jesus for what they could get -- people who were attracted to Jesus because of the rewards of Christianity -- they liked the idea of salvation -- they didn’t mind making a contribution -- but they were just not willing to pay the price that Jesus demanded for holiness

            -- so, Jesus used these Beatitudes as a way to get the people to count the cost of following Him -- “if you want to follow Me,” He says, “there is a price”

            -- in these Beatitudes, Jesus isn’t just asking for you to give Him part of your life -- He’s asking for you to give Him everything -- body, mind, and spirit -- even your very life

            -- that is the cost of discipleship -- that is the price that must be paid if you are going to live for Him

 

            -- the Bible tells us to expect persecution -- I’m going to give several verses here, so you might want to jot these down so you can look at them later

            -- 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ’

            -- in Acts 14:22, Paul and Barnabus told the disciples in Asia, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,"

            -- Philippians 1:29 -- it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him

            -- and 2 Timothy 3:12 -- everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

 

            -- persecution because of righteousness -- persecution because of Jesus -- is the badge of the Christian and the cost for following Him

            -- this was something the early church knew well -- from the moment that Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and led to the cross at Calvary, the disciples and the other believers lived in fear of persecution and in fear for their lives

            -- even after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, persecution continued -- first from the Jews and later from the Romans

            -- in fact, all 11 of the remaining apostles experienced hardship and persecution in their lives -- with 10 of them ending up as martyrs of the faith

            -- Matthew was killed by a sword in Ethiopia -- Peter was crucified upside down -- Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during a missionary trip -- James was beheaded in Jerusalem -- and the Apostle John was tortured and sent in exile to the island of Patmos to live out his days in hard labor

            -- we American Christians are quick to cry, “persecution,” when the cashier says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” but that doesn’t come close to the reality of persecution our brothers and sisters around the world experience daily -- right now, believers around the world, especially those living in Muslim-dominated countries, live in persecution daily and many give their very lives for their faith

            -- right now, more people are being martyred for believing in Jesus than at any other time in history, including the intense persecution by Nero and Domitian and the other Roman emperors

            -- for most Christians, their faith means persecution and martyrdom

 

            -- which kind of brings us to the question, “Are we truly Christians if we are not facing suffering and insults and persecution in our lives because of our faith?”

            -- Kyle Idleman puts it this way in his book, “I am not a Fan” -- “When is the last time that following Jesus cost you something?  When is the last time it cost you a relationship?  When is the last time following Jesus cost you a promotion?  When is the last time it cost you a vacation?  When is the last time you were mocked for your faith?”

            -- shouldn’t there be a cost to following Christ? -- if the Bible tells us to expect persecution, shouldn’t we at least be a little uncomfortable as Christians? -- could it be that we are not living the committed lives that Jesus has called us to? -- could it be that we are just part of the crowd?

 

III.  Committed Christians

            -- C.T. Studd said, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to give for Him" -- Jesus is looking for men and women who are willing to sacrifice themselves for Him -- men and women not willing to settle -- men and women who are willing to stand up and pay the cost and follow Him -- men and women who consider a reward in Heaven as worth more than a cost here on earth

            -- the question, then, is how do we become men and women who are committed to Christ? -- how do we become people of faith who have given all that we have so that we might be blessed in Him and receive the kingdom of heaven?

 

            -- to answer that, we have to turn over a little farther in the book of Matthew -- to Matthew 16:24-27

 

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

 

            -- in these verses, we read the steps to commitment -- to becoming a mature Christian -- someone who lives out the Beatitudes daily -- someone who is truly living out their faith in Christ, even though it might lead to suffering and hardships and persecution

 

            -- the first thing we see in verse 24 is that this call to commitment is just that -- it is a call -- it is an invitation -- Jesus says, “if” -- if you want to come after Me -- if you want to truly follow Me -- if you want to walk the way of the committed Christian

            -- Jesus is not going to force anyone to come to Him -- He’s not going to force anyone to love Him and to obey Him -- He’s just going to invite us to come and follow Him, but only after we are made aware of the cost of being a Christian -- it is a decision that we have to make on our own

            -- every single one of the Beatitudes we have looked at include both a blessing and a promise -- Jesus tells us up front that the cost to follow Him is high -- but He also says that if we follow Him, these are the rewards we can expect -- the kingdom of heaven -- comfort -- satisfaction -- mercy -- He says that we will inherit the earth and will be called sons and daughters of God

            -- these are the rewards...IF -- if we choose to live out our faith in this way or not

            -- the choice is up to you whether you will be part of the crowd or part of the committed -- the choice is up to you whether you will just be a pew-warmer or if you will be on the front lines of faith

 

            -- next, Jesus tells us that we must come after Him -- to come after Jesus means that we follow Him -- it actually implies that we follow hard after Jesus -- we pursue Him -- we chase Him -- we go where He goes -- we follow His footsteps and His path regardless of where they might lead

            -- to come after Jesus means that we daily make the choice to follow Him and not the world -- to follow Him and not our flesh -- to follow Him and not our own wants and desires and wishes

            -- to come after Jesus means that we let the Holy Spirit work through us and in us to transform us from the inside out into the person God has called us to be

            -- Eph 1:4 says that God chose us to be holy and blameless in His eyes -- 1 Pet 1:16 says, "be holy because I am holy" -- When Jesus tells us to “come after Him”, He is calling us to follow Him and His ways so we can become holy like Him

            -- Jesus never wanted us to be satisfied with just being saved -- He never wanted us to be satisfied with being part of the crowd -- He wants us to become committed Christians, sold out for Him -- regardless of the cost

 

            -- the next step on this path to commitment is to deny ourselves -- now this means more than just choosing to lay aside our wants and wishes and desires -- we already do that when we choose to come after Jesus

            -- no, to deny ourselves means to go one step farther -- it means to disappear -- it means to forget about ourselves -- “to not even acknowledge or recognize our own existence” -- as John the Baptist put it, “I must decrease so He can increase”

            -- Kyle Idleman writes about the time he preached in a tribal area in Africa -- after he was finished, he closed with an altar call that made clear both the rewards and the cost of following Christ -- two young men came forward and offered their lives to Christ

            -- the next day, these men showed up at the house where Kyle was staying with bags on their shoulders stuffed with everything they owned -- Kyle asked the local missionary what was going on -- the missionary explained that by accepting Christ, these men “would no longer be welcomed by their families or in their village”

            -- they were going to cease to exist for all intents and purposes -- by coming to Christ, they were giving all, even to the point of denying themselves and being shunned by their families and friends and society forever

 

            -- next we are told to take up our cross -- in our society, the cross has become just a symbol -- something that we wear around our necks or use as decorations -- true, it is a symbol of Christ -- but we have forgotten its true meaning

            -- to take up your cross was to die -- the cross was the Roman’s most cruel form of execution, reserved for those criminals and rebels who they wanted to make an example of -- who they wanted to humiliate and shame even as they died

            -- no one would willingly offer to go to the cross -- no one would ever think of taking up a cross -- this was something that was forced upon them -- to the people who heard these words of Jesus, the cross was a symbol of suffering and death -- certainly not an ornament to be taken up and lightly worn around our necks

            -- Jesus is making it clear here -- to follow Him is to die -- to follow Him is to suffer hardships and trials and persecution -- to follow Him is to give everything that we have, even our very lives

            -- C.S. Lewis puts it this way:

“Christ says, ‘Give me all -- I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work -- I want you. -- ‘I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it -- ‘No half-measures are any good -- I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there -- I want to have the whole tree down -- I don’t want to drill the tooth -- or crown it -- or stop it -- but to have it out”

 

            -- when Jesus tells us to take up our cross, He is telling us to agree to pay the price -- any price -- any cost -- that there may be to follow Him

            -- it may cost us our job -- it may cost us a promotion -- it may cost us a good grade in school -- or a good report on our personnel evaluations

            -- it may cost us friends -- or Facebook likes -- or social isolation

            -- it may cost us our finances and our resources and our family -- it may even cost us our life -- but this is the price to follow Him

 

            -- finally, after we have died -- after we have taken up our cross -- Jesus tells us, “Now you are ready to follow Me” -- you are ready to walk the pilgrim’s way -- you are ready to be My disciple

            -- this is the pinnacle of the Beatitudes -- this is where that arduous path to sanctification was leading -- to the place where we truly become committed followers of Christ -- men and women who have counted the cost and who have paid the price and who stand with Christ despite what the world may throw at us

 

IV.  Closing

            -- Nathan Schaeffer wrote, "at the close of life, the question will not be, "how much have you gotten?  But how much have you given? -- not how much have you won, but how much have you done? -- not how much have you saved but how much have you sacrificed -- it will be how much you loved and served -- not how much were you honored?”

            -- the life of a Christian may not be glamorous -- despite what some well-known preachers will tell you, it won’t be a bed of roses -- it won’t be all wealth and health and prosperity

            -- Jesus promises that your life will be filled with hardships and trials and persecutions -- He tells you that you will be insulted and persecuted and have all manner of lies and falsehoods spoken against you

            -- but He tells us to rejoice and be glad because great is our reward in heaven and great is His name

 

            -- as I close today, I want to issue you a very specific call -- I want to invite you to come and die -- I want to invite you to leave behind half-hearted religion -- to separate yourself from the crowd -- and to come after Jesus, and deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him

            -- He expects nothing less from you -- He demands nothing less from those who call themselves Christian

            -- so, as I close in prayer, join with me and give yourself to Him wholly and completely so that you may truly reflect His character and nature in your life from this point on

            -- let us pray

SERMON: THE MEASURE OF A CHRISTIAN (BEATITUDES): BLESSED ARE THE PEACE-MAKERS

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5:1-12

 

Matthew 5:1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

 

            -- this morning, we are continuing on in our sermon series on the Beatitudes that we have called, “The Measure of a Christian” -- today, we are looking at the seventh Beatitude, Matthew 5:9 -- “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”

 

            -- when I think of Christian peacemakers, I am always led to the story of Telemachus -- Telemachus was a monk in the 4th century who desperately wanted to live for God -- he tried to do this inside the walls of a cloistered monastery, but after some time there, he came to realize that true Christianity must be lived out among the world -- that to be a Christian, he must serve God by serving people -- feeling a call from God to go to Rome, Telemachus left the isolation of the monastery for the first time in his adult life and went to the capital of the world

            -- when he arrived there, he found himself surrounded by jubilant throngs of people who were celebrating a great victory over the Goths -- he let himself be swept up with the crowd to the Coliseum, where the Romans were forcing the Goth prisoners to fight the gladiators in the arena to the delight and entertainment of the crowd

            -- he thought to himself, “four centuries after Christ, and they are still killing each other for enjoyment? -- as he watched the first prisoners being forced into the arena and heard the gladiators announce to Caesar, “We who are about to die salute you,” he knew that this was wrong -- he knew why God had sent him to Rome

            -- Telemachus vaulted over the wall and went out into the middle of the field -- he stood between a gladiator and a Goth prisoner and said, “In the name of Christ, forbear” -- the crowd began to protest this disturbance to their entertainment and began to shout at Telemachus and throw stones at him -- but still, he stood in the middle with his hands up, begging for peace in the name of Christ

            -- the crowd screamed, “Kill him” -- and one gladiator, to the cheers of the crowd, turned and plunged his sword into the monk -- Telemachus collapsed onto the sand of the coliseum -- his blood staining his monk’s robes and flowing onto the sand -- in one final gasp, Telemachus breathed out, “In the name of Christ, forbear” -- all noise stopped and the coliseum became quiet as all 80,000 people sat in stunned silence at the violence done to this man of Christ

            -- before long, one man stood and left --and then another and another -- and within minutes, all 80,000 spectators had left the coliseum

-- three days later, the emperor declared Telemachus a martyr of the faith and issued an official decree that ended gladiatorial events in Rome forever

 

II.  Making Peace

            -- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” -- out of all the Beatitudes that we have studied so far, this Beatitude is different -- in the previous six Beatitudes, we saw the maturing of character -- we saw the development of a person of faith as they moved from just being aware of the existence of God and their need for a Savior to demonstrating the depth of character that a true Christian should possess

            -- in each of the previous Beatitudes, the changes in character and attitude are inward-driven as the Spirit works within us to make us more like Christ -- God does the work, and our role is merely to accept and embrace the changes that He is making so that we will reflect the nature of Jesus in our lives

            -- but, in this Beatitude, we become an active participant -- once again, God is working in us and through us, but here Jesus calls us to action -- Jesus calls us to make a difference

            -- “Blessed are the peacemakers -- Blessed are those who intentionally go forth and choose to make peace in the midst of life”

            -

 

            -- I think we can really see what Jesus means by thinking again about the story of Telemachus -- Telemachus was the perfect example of a man of faith who lived out this Beatitude

            -- certainly, you could say that Telemachus was a peaceful man -- as a monk living in isolation with a few other Christians, his life was one of peace and tranquility -- but that is not the calling in this Beatitude -- it does not say, “Blessed are the peaceful or blessed are the tranquil” -- this Beatitude is not a call for us to passively go through life with peace in our hearts -- serenely going about our days regardless of what is going on around us

            -- no -- look at what this Beatitude says, “Blessed are the peacemakers -- Blessed are those who make peace”

            -- and, so, God wasn’t satisfied with Telemachus just living a life of peace and tranquility and sereneness in his monastery -- God was calling him to more -- God was calling him to action -- and in answer to that call, Telemachus left the peace of the monastery and entered the chaos of life in the capitol of Rome and became known as a peacemaker for all time when he gave his life to abolish gladiatorial events  

 

            -- the message of this Beatitude is that peace must be made

            -- back a few years ago, Mama and Daddy took a trip across the United States -- from Adel to the Pacific Ocean and then back again -- when they got home, we all got together to welcome them back and to hear about their adventures -- Mama got out her computer and started showing us all the pictures they had taken -- and, as we were watching the slideshow, one of the pictures she had taken was of a van from the 60s that was in the Route 66 Museum -- on the side of the van was painted the slogan, “Make Love, not War”

            -- well, my niece was still in high school at the time, and she said that a friend of hers had been sent home to change after coming to school in a shirt that had that same slogan on the front -- the school administration said the shirt promoted sexual behavior and was not appropriate

            -- my niece was dumbfounded and couldn’t believe they sent her home -- “that’s not what it means,” she said, “it means, “Make Peace, Not War” -- that’s what we’re supposed to be doing, isn’t it?”

            -- I have seen that slogan all my life and never really made that association, but she’s right -- regardless of what the originators of that slogan meant, Jesus told us that we were to love one another -- and we show our love to others by making peace and not war -- as Christians, we are supposed to be the peacemakers

 

            -- which leads us to the question, “How?”

            -- well, I’m glad you asked -- if you would, turn over to 1 Peter 3 and let’s answer that question starting in verse 8

            -- in this epistle, Peter gives his readers practical instruction on how to live the Christian life -- he has written to slaves and masters -- to husbands and wives -- and to Christians in general -- and now, as he finishes up his instructions in this area, he sums it up with these verses here in chapter 3 that echo the words of Christ, “Blessed are the peacemakers”

 

            -- look with me, if you would, at verse 8

 

1 Peter 3:8a Finally, all of you, be like-minded (harmony)

 

            -- as Peter closes his instructions on practical living as a Christian, he ends up with this final instruction that is for everyone -- slave and free -- husband and wife -- children and adults -- everyone who names the name of Christ, Peter says, is to live in harmony with each other

            -- what does he mean by harmony? -- the dictionary says that harmony is “agreement in feeling or opinion -- being in accord -- like-mindedness” -- the Jews had another word for it, “Shalom” -- that all-encompassing peace that permeated lives and cultures and that affected relationships with each other and with God

            -- Peter is saying this is our goal -- this is what we are striving for -- this is what Jesus was calling us to in the seventh Beatitude -- and now he’s going to tell us how to get there

 

            -- look back at the second part of verse 8b

 

1 Peter 3:8b be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

 

            -- we could call these verses, “Steps to peace” -- Peter says that if we want to live in harmony -- if we want to experience Shalom in our lives -- then this is the way to do it

            -- first, be sympathetic -- think about the other person -- before you react to another person -- before you jump to conclusions and become angry or hostile towards them, stop and consider what might be going on with them to make them act that way

            -- several years ago, we were at a restaurant here in town and we just were not getting good service -- the waitress was rude and short with us and would just disappear and we couldn’t get what we needed and it was not a good situation -- and, generally, it takes a lot to get me angry and I was starting to get fed up -- I was about to let this waitress and her manager know just what I thought -- when all of a sudden, we heard tires squealing and people yelling screaming outside and just general chaos -- and when we looked out the window to see what was going on, I realized why our service was so poor and why our waitress was so distracted and appeared so rude -- turns out she was in the middle of a domestic dispute that had followed her to work -- and her husband/boyfriend was harassing her and screaming at her in the parking lot and causing all manner of disturbance -- no wonder she was distracted -- no wonder she seemed rude -- she was going through chaos in her life at that very moment -- and as I began to have sympathy for her, my anger melted away -- we ended up leaving her a very big tip and not saying a negative word to anyone

            -- be sympathetic

 

            -- the next step to peace is “love as brothers” -- how better to bring peace into a situation than by showering someone with love? -- Jesus told His disciples on the night that He was betrayed that He was leaving them with a new command -- “love one another” -- by this, He said, all men will know that you are a Christian

            -- love should be the defining characteristic of a Christian’s life -- and, as the slogan on that hippie van points out, “Love leads to peace”

 

            -- next, be compassionate and humble -- compassion and humility are kissing cousins and should be attitudes that we all seek to demonstrate in our lives at all times -- to be compassionate and humble means that we are putting others above us -- it means that we are not demanding our rights and our way, but are putting the wants and wishes and desires of others above ours so that peace may reign

            -- what would happen in a relationship if everyone demanded to be first? -- what would happen in a relationship if each person demanded to have all of their wishes and desires met, even at the expense of the other? -- the relationship wouldn’t work -- it would be strained at best -- Peter is saying here that peace only comes to a household when someone chooses to be compassionate and humble in their heart

 

            -- next, Peter says don’t repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but instead bless those and do good for those who insult you or do evil to you -- remember what Christ said in this Beatitude? -- “Blessed are the peacemakers” -- it is our calling and our duty and our responsibility to be the better person -- to accept the insult -- to accept the injury -- in order to make peace and show the love of Christ to others

            -- Brant Hanson makes the case in his book, “Unoffendable,” that we should live as people who are never offended by the actions of others -- that we accept insults -- we accept injury -- we accept the hurt -- without responding in anger or in hostility, but by responding in love -- in that way, we lead the way to peace

            -- think about Jesus’ own example -- when He was being led to the cross, He was mocked and insulted -- He was beaten and suffered all kinds of indignities -- but from the cross itself, He never spoke evil back -- He never repaid the insults -- instead, He prayed for those who had wronged Him and asked God to forgive them for what they were doing

            -- this same attitude of Christ is what we are called to express in this instruction from Peter if we want to live in harmony with all

 

            -- verse 10

 

1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil

    and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

 

            -- here we see the final two steps to peace -- be mindful of your speech and turn from evil and do good

            -- when I was growing up, we recited that familiar rhyme in the schoolyard -- “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never hurt me” -- years later, I realize just how wrong we were -- words can hurt you -- words can devastate you -- I still remember hurtful words that were thrown my way when I was very young -- to this day, I still feel the hurt and pain that they caused

            -- in James 3:8, it says that the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison -- to make peace, we must control our tongues -- we must be mindful of what we say and how we say it -- and we must be sure to speak only the truth and only the truth in love

 

            -- finally, we must turn from evil and do good -- all of our actions must reflect the goodness and nature of God -- peace cannot exist with evil -- peace cannot be present in the face of sin -- and so, Peter tells us to turn from evil -- to repent from what is wrong -- and to do good in our lives

 

            -- notice that he says there in verse 11 that we must seek peace and pursue it -- peace doesn’t just happen -- it isn’t something that you stumble across in your daily life -- peace is something that is made -- something that you have to strive for and work for and live for

            -- that’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” and not “Blessed are those who are peaceful” -- to be peaceful you have to first make peace -- and to make peace, you have to seek it and pursue it through the steps that Peter gives us here in this passage

 

III.  Sons of God

            -- before we close, let me spend just a moment reflecting on the promise that is associated with the command in this Beatitude -- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”

            -- we were at my great-nieces birthday party yesterday, it struck me how similar everyone in our family is -- there were a lot of people there -- my niece’s in-laws -- other parents with their kids -- but out of this crowd of people, you could tell who belonged to who -- you could look at us and know that we were related -- you could see the family resemblance

            -- that’s what Jesus means here when He says that peacemakers will be called “sons of God” -- He’s saying that when you make peace --when you seek peace and pursue it and strive to produce it in your life and your relationships, that others will know it -- they’ll see your life -- they’ll see your nature -- and they’ll see your family resemblance to God

            -- without you even having to tell them you are a Christian, they’ll know you are His son or daughter because you reflect the very image of God in your life and in your actions

            -- the word, “Christian,” literally means, “little Christ” -- and that is just what we should be -- that’s just what we should look like to those around us

            -- as we mature in Christ -- as we grow and take on the attitudes and characteristics of Jesus, our goal should be that when others look at us, they see Jesus and they call us “sons and daughters of God”

 

IV.  Closing

            -- as I close, for just a moment I want you to think back to September 11th, 2001 -- do you remember that day? -- do you remember how you felt?

            -- when we started to grasp the fact that our country was under attack, at first, we couldn’t believe it -- and then we denied it -- and then panic set in because we didn’t know what was going on -- we didn’t know if this was the first of many attacks and we didn’t know if our community would be next

            -- we watched on our TVs as men and women ran for their lives in the streets of New York and Washington

            -- when the first planes hit the World Trade Center and the government realized that this was an intentional attack on our nation, the Secret Service issued an evacuation notice for the White House -- they ran through the halls telling everyone to get out -- to run away from the danger

            -- Tim Goeglien was there in the White House on that day -- he worked for President Bush -- and on a Focus on the Family broadcast, he talked about the panic as people rushed out of the entrances of the White House and onto Pennsylvania Avenue -- he said it was total chaos

-- but, as he ran through the gates, he noticed small groups of people clustered in circles on the street -- Christian staffers who had gathered in small prayer circles in the middle of the street

-- as chaos streamed around them, they were in perfect peace and harmony -- they trusted God despite the fear and uncertainty -- they turned to God -- and the peace that emanated from them affected the whole crowd -- and calmed those around them and took away their fear

-- on that day, Christian employees of the White House became peacemakers and were called the sons and daughters of God

 

-- as we close, I want to encourage you to spend some time this week reflecting on the call of Jesus in this Beatitude -- hopefully, none of us will ever find ourselves in situations like Telemachus or the White House staffers on 9-11 -- but let me remind you that we are living in unprecedented times

            -- we are in the middle of a global pandemic -- we are living in one of the most divided times in our country -- politically and materially and culturally -- and, as Christians, we have an opportunity to make a difference in what is going on around us -- we have the opportunity to make peace where we are and to bring peace to our relationships and to those we come into contact with

            -- far too often, I see complaints about Christians on social media or hear complaints from others -- about how Christians are judgmental or hate-filled or how their actions don’t reflect Christ

            -- we need to change that -- we need to live as peacemakers -- we need to live based on the law of love -- to stop being offended by every little slight -- to stop demanding our way and putting ourselves and our desires above others -- we need to learn to live differently -- to follow the path that Jesus and Peter laid out for us in Scripture -- so that we can be islands of peace and harbingers of love in a world struggling with sin and hatred

            -- so, let’s close in prayer, and let’s pray that God gives us the strength to pursue and seek peace in our lives each and every day

-- let’s pray

SERMON: EASTER -- WHY THE RESURRECTION?

 

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in your Bibles to Luke 24:1-12

 

Luke 24:1-12 (NIV)

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"

8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

 

 

      -- this morning, as we gather together to celebrate Easter -- the most holy of days in our Christian church -- I have a confession to make -- for a long time in my life, I really didn’t understand what Easter was all about

      -- like most of you, I grew up celebrating Easter from childhood -- Easter was the day of bunnies and baskets -- of waking up and running into the living room to see what presents the Easter bunny brought -- enjoying chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs at breakfast before we got all dressed up and went to church to hear the same story again -- the story of Jesus rising from the dead

      -- but it really didn’t mean a whole lot to me -- it seemed like Christmas was the bigger celebration -- it seemed like the church and the world put more importance on Christmas than Easter, so that was obviously the more important holiday -- I mean, we spent over a month getting ready for Christmas -- buying presents and decorating our houses and getting together for Christmas parties and meals

      -- but for Easter, we really didn’t do much other than hiding eggs and getting Easter baskets -- I knew it was important -- I knew it was a celebration -- but I just really didn’t understand the significance

      -- as I got older and learned more, I began to understand the cross and that Jesus died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins -- I began to understand that He had to suffer and die as the perfect sacrifice so that our sins would be forgiven -- and I began to make that connection and the importance of the cross

      -- that’s why we have crosses in our church -- that’s why we wear crosses around our necks as decorations -- that’s why we symbolize our faith with a cross -- it’s all to celebrate the fact that Jesus died for our sins -- that’s what we tell people about when we tell them about Jesus

 

      -- but that still didn’t explain Easter -- even after coming to Christ -- even after giving my life to Him and asking for Him to forgive me of my sins and to be my Lord and Savior, I still didn’t understand the importance of Easter -- the importance of the resurrection

      -- I couldn’t figure it out -- from what the church was saying -- from the way we celebrated the holidays -- it seemed like the two important things in Christianity were Christmas and the Cross -- we talked about them a lot -- but Easter was just a day and the resurrection was only really mentioned that one time

      -- and then there was the way the world looked at Easter -- they joined with us in buying bunnies and baskets and giving out chocolate at Easter -- but they didn’t put any special emphasis on anything else

      -- and every year, there were always stories on TV or articles in the paper or magazines where scientists were debating the resurrection -- trying to prove it wasn’t true -- that it was  impossible for Jesus to have risen from the dead -- and the church didn’t really have much to say about it -- we’d just say, “Yes, He did” and that was about it

      -- and, so, I was confused -- I just couldn’t understand what the big deal was all about -- what was so important about the resurrection? -- I mean, if the important thing was that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, what did it matter if He rose from the dead or not?

      -- if our sins were forgiven, wasn’t that all that mattered? -- I just didn’t understand

 

      -- but I’m not the only one -- the disciples didn’t understand, either -- we see that in Scripture -- we see that in this passage from Luke

      -- as the sun rose on that first Easter morning, the disciples weren’t looking forward to that day with joy or happiness -- they weren’t waiting for Jesus to come walking in the door after rising from the tomb -- no, the Bible says they were huddled together in the upper room in fear --praying for their own survival

      -- that’s understandable -- people didn’t just rise from the dead -- sure, Lazarus did, but that was a special case -- and it was Jesus that raised Lazarus from the dead -- but now Jesus is gone -- dead and buried -- and everything has changed

 

      -- for three years, the disciples had followed Jesus with the hope that He was the promised Messiah who would restore Israel to prominence and rid the land of the Romans and the Gentiles -- it sure seemed like this was going to happen when He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to the shouts of “Hosanna, Hosanna” from the crowd on Palm Sunday -- but how quickly things turned

      -- just a short seven days later, their leader was dead -- betrayed into the hands of chief priests and the Sanhedrin by one of their own -- turned over to the hated Romans -- beaten, whipped, and sentenced to death on a Roman cross

      -- and when Jesus died, the hopes and the dreams died, too -- with the death of Jesus, their lives had changed forever -- Jerusalem -- the city that was so familiar to them was now foreign -- the people that they once called brothers now looked to them as strangers and enemies -- death waited at every door

      -- they didn't know if the next knock on the door would bring the temple guards or another frightened follower seeking respite from a cruel dark world

      -- for them, nothing would ever be the same -- all their dreams -- all their hopes -- and all their desires -- were crushed when Jesus was crucified -- and for the past three days, it had been the same

 

      -- the only ones who dared to venture forth were the women -- the silent followers of Jesus who could come and go hidden in their dark robes and tunics -- the second-class citizens who were regarded with little account and who passed by the Romans and the temple guards with no notice

      -- the Bible tells us that three of these women left the upper room and went to the garden tomb on that first Easter morning to finish anointing the body of Jesus with oils and fragrant spices

      -- as you remember, when Jesus died, Pilate had allowed Joseph of Arimathea to take His  body and bury it -- but there hadn’t been enough time to properly prepare the body for burial before the Passover began -- normally, the body would be wrapped in a linen cloth and covered with about 100 pounds of oils and aromatic spices, mixed together to form a gummy substance intended to retard decay, but Joseph hadn’t been able to complete the job -- all he could do was wrap the body of Jesus in a linen shroud and leave it until later

      -- but now that the Sabbath had ended, the women followers of Jesus went to finish the job -- they went alone, because the men did not dare to show their face for fear of meeting the same fate as Jesus -- but what they found was not what they expected

 

      -- Jesus often talked about rising from the dead in three days -- everyone remembered Him saying this -- the thing is no one really understood what He meant -- perhaps they thought it was just another of His stories -- another parable that they didn’t quite understand -- no one took His words literally -- no one really believed it would happen and that He would rise from the dead

            -- the Pharisees and the priests didn't -- they just wanted to prevent the body from being stolen so they could produce it later in case the disciples claimed Jesus had risen -- their response to Jesus’ proclamation was to seal the tomb and secure it with a guard next to the entrance

            -- the disciples didn't believe that Jesus would rise again, or else they would have been waiting in anticipation for the event -- they wouldn't have been huddled up together in a small room in fear for their own lives

-- The Bible backs this up -- John 20:9 says that the disciples did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to die and be raised again -- even though they had spent three years with Jesus -- even though they had seen many, many miracles -- even though Jesus had told them He would rise again, they didn't believe -- they didn’t understand

-- so, on that first Easter morning, they weren’t waiting at the tomb in expectation for Jesus to come walking out -- they were hiding together behind locked doors -- and even when the women came and told them that the tomb was empty and that they saw angels who proclaimed that Jesus was alive -- even when the disciples saw the empty tomb with their own eyes, they still didn’t understand -- they still doubted, because nothing in their life could have prepared them for this -- and so they continued to hide in fear and in depression and in sadness, because Jesus had died and was not coming back

 

-- but just a few days later, something has happened -- the disciples are changed men -- the Bible records that these frightened sheep -- these men who were huddled in back rooms for fear of the Jews -- were now standing boldly in the streets of Jerusalem -- filled with the power of the Holy Spirit -- preaching the gospel message to all who would listen -- and proclaiming that Jesus was not dead, but that He had risen, just as He said

-- they were no longer fearful and frightened men -- they were no longer discouraged and hopeless -- they were no longer worried about being arrested and losing their life

 

-- but here’s the question: what changed them from being fearful followers hiding in the shadows to boldly proclaiming the good news? -- what made the difference? -- one thing: the resurrection -- they changed because they had seen Jesus

-- Jesus had appeared to them and they knew -- beyond the shadow of a doubt -- that Jesus was God and that He had risen from the dead just like He said -- and that made all the difference

-- when you experience the power of the risen Lord in your life, all fear is gone -- and that is exactly what happened to the disciples

-- this is one of the most convincing proofs that the resurrection actually occurred -- the changed lives of the disciples give testimony to the fact that the resurrection was real -- but what does that mean for us?

 

            -- as I have grown and studied God's word, I have come to understand that the resurrection is the single most important event in Jesus' life and in our faith    

            -- the doctrine of the resurrection is foundational to our Christian faith -- our religion hinges on the truth that Jesus rose from the dead -- it is more important than anything else, because without the resurrection, we have no religion -- without the resurrection, our faith is in vain -- without the resurrection we have no hope and we are wasting a perfectly good Sunday morning because we are here for no reason at all

 

            -- Gerald O'Collins put it this way:  "Christianity without the resurrection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter.  It is not Christianity at all."

 

            -- we are here today because we believe in the resurrection of Jesus -- we are here today because we know what the resurrection means to us -- we see it in the witness of the disciples and the early followers of Jesus -- how their lives were changed and how they turned the world of their day upside-down because of it

            -- we see it in lives through our personal experience with the risen Christ -- the resurrection changes everything -- and because we believe that Jesus died on the cross at Calvary for our sins and that God raised Him from the dead three days later, we will be raised as well

            -- this is a foundational truth -- you cannot be a Christian if you don't believe in the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the body

            -- I didn’t understand that as a child -- I didn’t understand that as a young man growing up in church -- in fact, I didn’t understand that even as a new Christian -- it took years for me to truly understand the significance of Easter and the significance of the resurrection

            -- so, I’m going to take a few more minutes this morning to express to you how important this is to us as Christians

           

            -- if you would, turn over with me to 1 Corinthians 15 and we’ll finish up there

            -- let's start in verse 3

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NIV)

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

 

 

            -- as I said, the resurrection of Christ is the core of Christianity -- in fact, the emphasis of the early church was not on Christmas or on the cross like ours is today -- we tend to focus on the cross -- we tend to focus on the death of Jesus -- on the atonement for sin and the forgiveness of sin that comes through the cross  

            -- but the early Christians didn’t focus so much on the cross -- their focus was on the future -- their lives and their faith revolved around the resurrection -- and for good reason

            -- it was real -- they could point to it and say, "The resurrection happened -- we saw it with our own eyes -- after Jesus died, He appeared to Peter and then to all twelve of the apostles -- and then He appeared to over five hundred other believers at one time -- He appeared to James, His brother -- and finally, He appeared to Paul"

            -- "if you want to know if the resurrection was real, ask us -- ask any of them -- we know that everything Jesus taught was true because He died and rose again -- and because Jesus died and rose again, we know that we will, too!"

            -- this emphasis on the resurrection doesn't negate the atoning death of Jesus on the cross -- but that happened in another realm -- the atoning of our sins -- the judgment that came against Jesus -- was in the spiritual realm -- no one watching Jesus die on the cross that day could point to Him and say, "Look, our sins are being taken away" -- it was only after the fact that the Spirit revealed just what had occurred on the cross as Jesus offered His body and blood as an atoning sacrifice for us -- the atonement of our sins is a spiritual truth, not a physical truth

            -- but the resurrection was different -- it happened in our physical world -- and the early Christians could point to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and say, "This proves Jesus was the Messiah -- this proves Jesus was God”

 

            -- now, the Pharisees also believed in the resurrection -- it was one of the distinct differences that set them apart from the ruling Sadducees -- but their view of the resurrection couldn't make room for Jesus returning from the dead

            -- kind of like us, the Pharisees lived in the real world -- they believed in the immortality of the soul -- that at some point in the future, there would be a resurrection of the spirit and that all who died would be resurrected -- some to eternal life and others to eternal punishment

            -- they taught that they would be given a new body at this time and that believers would live with God forever -- all the way back in the Book of Daniel, Chapter 12:2, we see an indication of this belief -- "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."

            -- but for the Pharisees, that was in the future -- that was something that would happen in the spiritual realm -- they never envisioned someone in their day walking out of a burial tomb three days after being crucified -- it was a matter of faith -- something that talked about but couldn't be proven

 

            -- but for Peter and James and all the other disciples and apostles, the resurrection ceased to be theory and became a fact -- their faith had been given sight

            -- in other words, they believed in the resurrection of the body because they had seen a dead man raised -- they knew, without a doubt, that Jesus was dead -- they had witnessed His crucifixion -- they had seen His body taken down from the cross -- they knew He was a dead as dead could be -- like we said, on the day when Jesus was laid in the tomb, the thought that He might physically come back to life again in their day never even crossed their minds

            -- but Jesus had risen from the dead -- not as a disembodied spirit -- but as a living, breathing person who spoke with them, ate with them, and let them touch Him

            -- as Peter said in Acts 2:31, "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. "

            -- the early Christians believed in the resurrection, not because they had been taught about it from a book, but because they had witnessed it with their very own eyes -- and that is why it became the most important part of Christianity and the emphasis of their message to others

 

            -- look at verse 12

 

1 Corinthians 15:12-13 (NIV)

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

 

 

            -- sometime later, false teachings began to circulate in the church -- in this case, some people in the church at Corinth had apparently begun to teach that there was no resurrection of the dead -- a position similar to that of the Sadducees

            -- this had the people concerned -- if this was true -- if there was no resurrection of the dead -- what did that mean?

            -- so, Paul addresses the resurrection issue here in this passage by pointing out that the proclamation of Jesus' death and resurrection are proof that the dead will be resurrected at the last days     

            -- if we preach that Jesus was raised from the dead -- if we are eyewitnesses of this fact -- how can you say that there is no resurrection?

            -- if you believe in the resurrection of Jesus, then you have to believe in the resurrection of all -- because, if there is no resurrection, then Jesus was not raised, either -- nowhere in the Bible does it say that only the Messiah will be raised from the dead -- nowhere in the Bible does it say that the resurrection is only for Jesus -- no, the resurrection is for all of us -- Paul’s point here is that the resurrection of Jesus is real, then it means that it’s real for everyone

            -- in John 11, Jesus is talking to Martha after the death of her brother, Lazarus -- in verse 23, Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." -- Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." -- Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

            -- Jesus tells us that the resurrection is for all -- Paul tells us that Jesus' resurrection is the proof that it will happen

 

            -- now Paul addresses the question of why the resurrection is important -- look at verse 14

 

1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (NIV)

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

 

 

            -- Paul is saying that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then we have no chance at being raised from the dead, either -- and so, he makes the argument that if the resurrection didn't happen, then it doesn't matter what you believe -- you can believe that Jesus was the Son of God -- you can believe that He paid the penalty for your sins on the cross -- you can trust Him for eternal life -- but if Jesus didn't rise from the dead on the third day, then your faith is in vain and it is not true

            -- if the resurrection didn't take place, we are not saved by grace, we are still condemned by the law

 

            -- Do you see why I said that the resurrection of Christ is the most important aspect of Christianity? -- Do you see why the early Christians didn't preach about the cross but emphasized the fact that Jesus rose from the dead?

            -- As Lee Strobel wrote, "The resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus' divine identity and his inspired teaching.  It's the proof of his triumph over sin and death.  It's the foreshadowing of Christian hope.  It's the miracle of all miracles."

            -- The resurrection of Christ confirms His deity.  It proves that He bore the price of our sins on Calvary.  It proves that He has conquered Satan and death.  It proves that there is an eternal life after physical death.  It proves that believers will one day be physically resurrected as well.

 

Closing

-- When the Greek philosopher Socrates lay dying, his friends asked, "Shall we live again?" -- He could only respond by saying, "I hope so." 

 

-- If we have put our trust and our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we don't have to say "I hope so" about our own resurrection -- our answer is "I know so,” because Jesus' resurrection gives us a sure hope

 

            -- What does Easter and the resurrection of Jesus mean to us? -- it means everything -- It means that we have won -- It means that our sins are forgiven -- that death has been defeated -- that Christ is victorious -- and our faith is not in vain.

      -- It means that we can step out in faith, empowered by God and empowered by the knowledge that Christ has risen from the dead -- It means that we can trust God in all our situations because our eternity is certain and our hope is sure

      -- our faith -- our lives -- and our eternity rest on the resurrection of Christ

      -- that is what is important about Easter -- that is why we are here this morning -- and that is why we join together with Christians all over the world today to proclaim, “He is risen!”

      -- Let us pray