The Resurrection | Essential Christianity | Easter Sunday
Rodney Thrift   -   March 31, 2024

Essential Christianity

THE RESURRECTION…

 

Luke 24:6a (ESV) 6He is not here, but has risen.

 

In Greek…Christos Anesti; (“Christ is Risen!” Alithos Anesti! (“Truly He is risen!” Or “He is risen indeed!”)

 

Easter is my favorite season. I love Christmas as the “beginning” and I love Easter as the “completion.”

 

New Series: The Playing Field. Can we put the new series graphic here?

 

Romans 8:11 (NLT) 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

 

“Our old history ends with the cross. Our new history begins with the resurrection.” Watchman Nee

 

 “I am the bread of life, I have the words of eternal life, whoever finds me finds life, whoever believes in me has eternal life, and whoever believes in me his name will be written down in the lamb’s Book of Life.” Jesus Christ

 

Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

 

Luke 24:1-8 (NIV) 1On 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 over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

 

SOUL TATTOO: The resurrection isn’t just beyond our expectation, it is beyond our imagination, it is miraculous.

 

4 PROMOTIONS THAT THE RESURRECTION OFFERS:

 

PROMOTION: the act or fact of being raised in position or rank; preferment.

 

  1. The resurrection promotes our doubt to trust.

 

John 20:29 (NIV) Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

 

  • When we are wavering between doubt and trust, we have to look to the TRUTH.

 

 

John 14:1 (NLT) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

 

 

  • Jesus was always trying to get the disciples to understand the power of faith and trust.

 

 

John 14:6 (NLT) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

 

  • Peter doubted and Jesus saved Him.

 

 

Matthew 14:31 (NLT) 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 

  1. The resurrection promotes our distortion to truth.

 

SOUL TATTOO: The resurrection isn’t just beyond our expectation, it is beyond our imagination, it is miraculous.

 

  • The enemy is a liar and distorter.

 

John 8:44 (NIV)…He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 

  • Jesus is the truth and if we wholeheartedly give Him our lives, we can go from death to life in a millisecond. 

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

 

 

  • If Jesus brought the Apostle Peter back into the fold, He wants to save you too.

 

 

Mark 16:7 (NIV) 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

 

  1. The resurrection promotes us from being distracted into being focused.

 

SOUL TATTOO: The resurrection isn’t just beyond our expectation, it is beyond our imagination, it is miraculous.

 

John 20:14-16 (NIV) At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

 

 

  • Temporary distractions make it hard to focus on the ONE who knows us the best.

 

 

 

  • Jesus calls us by name.

 

 

 

  • Don’t let a temporary distraction keep you from hearing Jesus call your name.

 

 

  1. The resurrection promotes death to life.

 

SOUL TATTOO: The resurrection isn’t just beyond our expectation, it is beyond our imagination, it is miraculous.

 

 

  • Jesus desires to give us life and life to the fullest. 

 

 

John 10:10 (NIV)The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

 

  • Jesus broke the power of death and gave us everlasting life.

 

 

2 Timothy 1:9-10 (NLT) 9It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

 

 

  • Jesus holds the key to death and the grave, He is the ultimate master key.

 

Revelation 1: 17b-18 (NLT) 17…”Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.