Next Sunday we celebrate the most triumphant day in world history. Easter makes Christianity unique among the world’s religions. What makes it unique and distinctive is that it has a living Lord.
The Apostle Paul said, (1 Cor 15:3-8) "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."
Easter bells in churches and cathedrals around the world will peal out the victorious chime that we serve a living Lord. When the angel appeared to the two Marys who were looking for Jesus’ tomb, he said, “He is not here, He is risen” (Matt. 28:6).
A letter was written to the advice columnist, Eutychus which said, “Our preacher said, on Easter, that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think?”
Eutychus replied: “Dear Bewildered, beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails with 39 heavy strokes, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun for 6 hours; run a spear through his heart; embalm him; put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours and see what happens. Sincerely, Eutychus”
The resurrection split history in two, it changed history. For those who don’t know Him and the power of His resurrection, Easter has no significance. It will just be a day of picnics, Easter bunny, and new clothes.
But for those who have experienced the living Christ Easter is all about the resurrection of our living Christ, and we join the angel in shouting, “He is risen! Christ is alive!”
First let’s go back to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. It was a time of great turmoil and confusion for His disciples.
First Judas betrayed Him. Then Peter denied even knowing Him. The others ran away. They were ashamed to face their friends and families who were saying, “We told you so.” The awfulness of the cross shattered their dreams and made them afraid to face the future.
It is impossible to put into words the reality of their disillusionment. I don’t think the world has ever seen such a pitiful and dejected group of people.
Then it happened—like a trumpet blast at sunrise after a night of unspeakable horror, came the shout, “He is risen! He is alive!” From street to street, from house to house, the disciples heard, “Jesus is alive.”
What did it mean? For one thing their doubts were answered.
Jesus appeared to the women at the tomb, to Peter and John, to the other Apostles, to more than 500 brothers at the same time, and to his brother James, and others. We know this from the eyewitness accounts.
But until He did, the disciples naturally had doubts. Remember Thomas? We call him doubting Thomas. It was inconceivable to him that Christ was alive. He said in John 20:25a, “Unless I see the nail-prints in His hands, I will not believe.”
So how did Thomas triumph over his doubts? Not by endless speculation. He didn’t talk it to death. His doubts were removed by revelation. Jesus appeared to him and invited him to touch the scars in His hands and the wound in His side.
But Thomas didn’t need to touch Jesus. When Jesus revealed Himself, Thomas fell on his knees and worshipped Jesus. Thomas said to him John 20:25b, “My Lord and my God!”
My friends, belief comes when you enter into an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you experience His presence and say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” “I do believe. I believe you rose from the dead. I believe that heaven is real. I believe my salvation is assured. I believe you answer my prayers. I believe I do not need to live in fear anymore.
When Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in the tomb, the hopes and dreams of His little band of followers were buried with Him. Their faith had given away to shear terror.
You see, their faith was incomplete. They heard Jesus tell them He must be crucified. But that upset them so much they didn’t hear the best part: that He would be raised from the dead. So now Jesus was dead and according to John…
John 20:19, "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews . . . "
Why were they afraid? Because they had seen the power of the Sanhedrin. They were present when the Temple police arrested Jesus. They narrowly escaped arrest themselves. They were known associates of Jesus. Even right then the “Jews” might have been looking for them.
I think they may have been meeting behind closed and locked doors to plan how they could get out of town without attracting too much attention.
Many of you live in fear today. It seems our entire world is shaken by fear. The farther we get away from the resurrected Christ, the stronger our fears are. We worry about our future, finances, wars, gangs, and so on.
What is the answer to this stifling fear which is prevalent in our world? Faith! God is on His throne. Did you know that true faith cannot exist in the dead. The fear of those first disciples disappeared when they found themselves in the presence of their living Lord. They came alive and animated.
As the disciples hid behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus appeared and said, Luke 24:36, “Peace to you.” He also said to the women in the garden, Matthew 28:10, “Do not be afraid.” These are words we need today. The answer to your fear is the living, glorified Christ.
We do not worship a dead Christ. We worship a risen Christ! He is living today. The Bible teaches that He is at the right hand of God the Father, and that He intercedes for each of us on our behalf.
The Bible teaches that He is present with every believer through the Holy Spirit.
The Bible teaches that this living Christ is coming personally to this earth again some day. The Bible teaches that we will live forever with our Savior. The Bible proclaims that through our faith in the living Christ, no matter what happens in this life. our future is forever assured. You no longer need to be afraid, even of death.
The Bibles says in 1 Corinthians 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." Jesus told His disciples, John 14:19, “Because I live, you also will live.” The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ opened the door to heaven to us.
Death no longer holds us in a vise-like grip. Immortality comes to us through the empty tomb. Remember the cowardly disciples hiding behind closed doors, trembling in their sandals, afraid they might be next?
Well, after the revelation of Jesus, they were never the same again. They went and proclaimed a living Christ available to all, and they turned the world upside down.
We are told that many of those disciples, the same ones who cowered behind locked doors, actually gave their lives, made the supreme sacrifice upon the altar of devotion for their love of their Savior.
The resurrection changed them from cowards to brave witnesses for the resurrected Christ. Death no longer had power over them.
This is a biggie. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
The cross and the resurrection are the very center of who we are as Christians. Without them we wouldn’t be here. The cross in our church is empty because we worship a living Christ.
If Christ was not crucified for our sins and if He was not resurrected, we would still be in our sins just as much as the most wicked and unbelieving person in the world.
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Satan won, and continues to be victorious over all men. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then, when we die, we too will remain dead and damned.
The Bible tells us that at the Feast of the Passover it was a custom for the governor to release a prisoner. Barabbas was a notorious criminal who was in custody. Pilate asked the crowd, Matt. 27:17, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus?”
Of course we know that the crowd asked that the guilty Barabbas be released, and the sinless Jesus be crucified. Jesus literally took Barabbas’ place on that cross. Barabbas was the only man in the world who could say that Jesus Christ took his physical place.
But listen, and apply this to yourself. Jesus Christ took my spiritual place. It is I who deserves to die for my sins. I deserve eternal punishment. Jesus was delivered to the cross for my offenses. He was handed over to judgment for my sins. Jesus Christ was my substitute. I deserve hell. Jesus took my hell. Now there is nothing left for me but His heaven.
The purpose of trusting in Christ is for forgiveness of sins, because it is from our sins we need saved. If Christ was not raised from the dead, then His death was in vain, our faith in Him is in vain, and our sins are still counted against us.
If Christ was not raised, then He did not bring forgiveness of sins or salvation or reconciliation or spiritual life, either now or for eternity.
But God did raise Jesus Christ from the dead. Because Christ lives, we too shall live. Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
What is the meaning of Easter? It means that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world. It means that God raised Jesus back to life. Easter means that every person who puts his or her trust in Jesus Christ receives forgiveness of their sins, is adopted into God’s family, and inherits eternal life. It means that when we die, immediately our soul goes into eternity to live with Christ forever. It means we do not need to live in fear of the things of this life or the future.
Someday our old, decaying bodies will rise to be reunited with our souls, and we shall ever thus live with our Lord. This is God’s promise.
Without the resurrection Easter means nothing. But the indisputable fact is, Jesus rose again. If you have not trusted Him as your Savior, Easter still means nothing to you. Today, give Him your life. Trust Him and surrender your life and will to Him. Know the thrill and the joy and the security of the resurrected Christ living in you. He is risen!