MESSAGES
People all around the world will soon be attending an Easter Sunday church service. Those who haven’t stepped foot inside a church building all year long will take their yearly pilgrimage to the church nearest them. They will sit for a period of time listening to music, followed by a message, and ending in a prayer. As they hasten to leave at the end of the service they may think to themselves, "I’ve done my duty for another year, or at least until Christmas comes along."
People perform their yearly Easter pilgrimage for many reasons. Some do it out of respect for the day, if not the Person. After all, everybody goes to church on Easter. Others do it in the hope they can make a few points with God—it never hurts to cover all the bases. And some actually hope to renew their spirit for another year. Unfortunately, anything that lies dormant all year long isn’t revived that easily.
I believe the biggest reason people see their need for church at this time of year is because Easter reminds us of our immortality. We all know we are going to die, and some of us will surely die sooner than we anticipate. But what happens after we die? Most people are asking the same question as Job, "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (14:14). People are hoping that there is more to life than death.
Someone once said, "Life is a bad joke that isn’t even funny, and the only way you get out of it is by dying." For those of you who may feel this way, I want you to know that there is more to life than death. There is life beyond this life. There is eternal life. Allow me to qualify this by saying there is eternal life in heaven and in hell. Where we go depends on whom we follow. The Bible says if we follow the Devil we will go to hell, but if we follow Christ we will go to heaven.
Jesus Christ saw to our salvation when He came to this earth, died on the cross for the sin of all humanity, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Had Jesus remained dead and buried, we would have nothing to look forward to at the moment of our death. Praise the Lord that is not the case. The most encouraging words in the Bible are, "He is risen."
Jesus was able to rise from the dead because He is the Resurrection and the Life. As He was about to raise His good friend Lazarus from the dead—after four days of being in the tomb—Jesus said to Martha and Mary, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26, emphasis added). I believe this is the greatest question ever to be asked in the Bible—Do you believe this?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in all He said, and the work He accomplished on the cross of Calvary? Do you believe that He died for the sin of all mankind so that those who put their faith and trust in Him will never die, and instead will receive everlasting life? Do you believe that He died on Friday, laid in the tomb on Saturday, and rose from the grave on Sunday?
As we read the Easter story, we learn about the three most important days of history. Without these three days the world would continue to be in a state of hopelessness. They are Black Friday, Bleak Saturday, and Blessed Sunday.
As we look at the death of Jesus on the cross that Friday afternoon, we see it as being a very black and dark time in the annuls of history. Think about it. God’s creation was murdering their Creator. Jesus hung on that cross bleeding profusely from His wounds. His back had been torn open from a soldier’s whip. His beard had been plucked from His face. A crown of thorns had been pressed on His head. Spikes had pierced his hands and feet. His side was sliced open by a Roman spear. People were laughing and mocking Him. The darkness of man’s sin could not have shown itself to be worse. Jesus didn’t die on the cross from a bloody and broken body, but from a broken heart.
His suffering was appalling, and yet there was a greater pain for the Lord to endure. Jesus felt the darkness even greater as God the Father turned His back on, and closed His eyes to, the horrible scene of His Son bearing our sin upon Himself. Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, Why has Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34). God was willing to forsake His Son at the hour of His death, so that He would not have to forsake you and I at the hour of our death.
Though it was a very black Friday in the eyes of man, it was a very Good Friday in the eyes of God. God knew that through this act of love, Jesus was reconciling the world back to God. Jesus said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). The Bible says, "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). It wasn't nails holding Him to the cross—it was love.
We die because we cannot help it, but Jesus laid His life down freely. Jesus said, "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again" (John 10:17-18). His death was an act of willful obedience to the Father. Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Satan thought Jesus was a victim on the cross, when in reality He was the Victor. Satan would discover this truth in just a couple days.
Black Friday is about over, but it was followed by a Bleak Saturday. It’s interesting that we read much about what happened on Friday and what happened on Sunday, but we read very little of what occurred on Saturday.
On Friday the people shouted, "Crucify Him!", but on Saturday there was very little commotion. Saturday was a very bleak and quiet day, and yet a day filled with emotions of every kind.
Perhaps for Jesus’ disciples, as they hid from the Jews in the upper room, they began to wonder if Christ was truly the Messiah. Perhaps they wondered how He could be the Messiah if He were dead? Why didn’t He save Himself as the religious leaders had taunted Him? They soon began to believe that when Jesus died all hope died with Him.
Many of Jesus’ followers were mourning; Mary His mother was in great grief. She was experiencing the sword that Simeon the prophet spoke about when telling her about her Sons death, "Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also…" (Luke 2:35). She was now experiencing the stabbing pain of that sword.
The Roman soldiers involved with His death might have been eating and drinking in order to erase the memory of Black Friday from their minds. That is, except for the soldier who stood by Christ as He was dying on the cross. That soldier recognized Christ for who He was as he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39). What must He have thought when he realized he had been personally involved with the murder the Son of God.
I wonder what the priests must have thought when they entered the Temple and discovered the veil ripped down the middle. Did they spend Saturday trying to sew it back together? Did they hold a Sabbath service? Did they offer a sacrifice to God? I’m certain in my heart that they attempted to offer their Passover lamb on the altar, all the while knowing, but denying, that the true Lamb of God was lying in a borrowed tomb sealed with a stone and being guarded by soldiers they had placed there.
The priests were celebrating a dead Sabbath, but within hours many people would begin to celebrate a Risen Lord. Saturday was a very bleak and quiet and hopeless day. The hope of life beyond the grave was dead, and buried in a tomb. Would things remain hopeless or would hope come alive.
Good News! In just a few hours Bleak Saturday would soon turn to Blessed Sunday. For many people, Sunday would be just another day. It would be "business as usual." For others it would be a day that would change their lives forever. For many people, the Sabbath remains to this day a day of death. But for others Sunday has become a day of celebration. The celebration of life as Jesus conquered death and offers eternal life to those who believe in Him.
Eight of the most comforting and hopeful words ever spoken in the Scriptures are found in Matthew’s gospel. As the women arrived at the tomb of Jesus, only to find it empty, an angel said, "He is not here; for He is risen" (Matthew 28:6, emphasis added). The words of the angel were fulfilled as Christ rose from the grave on that Blessed Sunday morning.
The empty tomb speaks loudly to us today. It says He is alive! It says His promises are true! It says His power is intact! It says the devil is defeated! The empty tomb is evidence that Jesus conquered the enemy of death. The empty tomb assures us of eternal life as we come to faith in Christ.
I’m reminded of the words of Jesus to the Apostle John, "I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore" (Revelations 1:18, emphasis added). Death was not able to hold Jesus Christ down. The stone and soldiers were unable to hold Christ down. The devil was unable to hold Christ down. On the 3rd day the grave gave in to the promise of God as the tomb was found empty. That is why we can rejoice at Easter. Jesus is alive!
It was a very Black Friday that our Lord Jesus Christ died on. It was a very Bleak Saturday as many people wondered whether or not God was dead. It was a very Blessed Sunday when Jesus proved that He was truly the Savior of the world, and that we did not ever need to fear death as we place our faith and trust in Him.
Just as Christ died on Friday and was resurrected on Sunday, so are those who believe in Him and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior assured of their own resurrection. Jesus said, "Because I live, you will also live" (John 14:19, emphasis added). The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). We might experience physical death, but we receive God’s gift of eternal life as we place our faith in His Son. Have you received that gift? Do you want that gift?
Jesus said, "The enemy has come to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). The enemy wants to prevent you from experiencing Easter as it was meant to be, and he will do whatever he has to in order to keep you from it. Jesus came that you might experience life, but that only comes as you place your faith and trust in Him. There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only person who ever promised, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6, emphasis added).
If you would like to have your sins forgiven and have the assurance of going to heaven when you die, then pray this prayer of invitation: "Lord Jesus, come into my life. I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. I believe that you died for me, were buried, and rose from the dead. I invite you to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. Help me to turn from my sins and to follow You from this day forward. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!"
If you prayed that prayer, and meant it in your heart, you have become a child of God. The Bible says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12, emphasis added).
May you and your family enjoy this coming Easter as it was meant to be enjoyed, knowing personally the Risen Lord.
God bless you,
Pastor Steve |
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| SHIELD OF FAITH |
|
|
For more information,
call (951) 687-6902
Attention Juanita
|
| |
| |
 |
|
