“But he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” - Mark 16:6-7
What a wonderful morning! I am so grateful to see you all. We have gathered here together on Easter Sunday to remember and celebrate the most important event in all of human history… the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike so many other religions, who follow the teachings of a revered prophet who is long since dead and gone, we as Christians serve a risen Savior who is alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. He was crucified, dead, and buried - but the grave could not hold Him, death could not keep Him, and He rose to life victorious over the sinister powers of sin and darkness.
There were over 500 eyewitnesses who saw the risen Jesus during the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension into heaven. 1 of these was the apostle Peter, who rushed to the tomb that first Easter morning only to find discarded grave clothes and no body. Later that same day, the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to Him personally, then again that night with most of the other disciples. Just days earlier, on the night of Jesus’ arrest and incarceration, Peter had denied Him 3 times. Yet the risen Jesus appeared to Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and lovingly restored him. From that moment forward Peter was a changed man who made it his life mission to “feed the sheep” of Jesus’ flock.
Peter spent the rest of his life boldly proclaiming the gospel message. Though he was imperfect and made some missteps along the way, his passion and zeal from Christ resulted in the salvation of countless souls. Ultimately, Peter was martyred by the Roman emperor for his unrelenting faith. He wrote the letters we refer to as 1st and 2nd Peter preserved in the Bible. In these, he laid out 3 major benefits for the believer that he experienced as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I. A LIVING HOPE (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Many people, including Peter for a while, believed that Jesus had come to save the Jews from Roman dominance. They thought that He would lead a revolution to throw off the hated Romans and secure Israel’s independence. They envisioned a return to the ancient days of Jewish prominence and wealth, when King David and Solomon reigned in glory and splendor. But their hopes were dashed when Jesus, the promised Messiah and long-awaited King, was crucified on the cross of Calvary. The hope of His disciples died with Him.
But on early Easter morning, when the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out of the tomb alive and victorious over sin and death, their hopes were resurrected. Not only theirs, but those of all who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have a living hope, because we serve the living Son of God! He is not dead, but risen! The resurrection validates that Jesus’ promises are true, that He is who He claimed to be, and that death had been defeated. Our hope in Christ is not baseless, naive, or foolish. Because He lives, we will live also now and forever.
There is an inheritance reserved in heaven for all who trust in Him. It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. The Lord has prepared a place just for us that is more wonderful than we can possibly describe or imagine. Someday we will obtain it, but in the meantime God has promised to guard us - to protect and shield us - by His great power. So in all these things - Christ’s resurrection, our coming inheritance, and His watchful protection - we as believers have a living hope.
II. AN ENDURING JOY (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Before His crucifixion, Jesus predicted that Peter would also be persecuted and executed for his faith. Surely enough, this is exactly what happened. Peter was arrested multiple times for His courageous preaching and evangelism. He was intimidated and threatened, but not deterred. Despite the many hardships and sufferings Peter experienced, he rejoiced in Christ Jesus. Peter knew the pain of trial and tribulation personally, yet through it all encouraged his fellow believers to face such difficulties joyfully and with a proper perspective.
The trials of this life serve to check the authenticity of our faith. Just as fire tests gold, so also persecution proves whether or not our faith is genuine. We should count it all joy when we face various sufferings and hardships for the cause of Christ. True faith is much more valuable and precious than gold. It will weather the fiery storms of this life and not be burned up. At the revelation of Jesus Christ, it will result in praise, honor, and glory. In this, we as believers should view each day and every challenge as a blessing from God and should approach it with enduring and unwavering joy.
III. A EXPECTANT FAITH (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Peter had personally seen and been with Jesus after His resurrection. He was an eyewitness that Christ had indeed risen from the dead. However, by the time he wrote this letter, several years had already passed since Jesus’ ascension and his readers had not seen the risen Lord. Nevertheless, Peter praised them for loving Christ despite not having physically seen Him. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ words to doubting Thomas when He said, “Because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen Me yet still believe!”
We as believers have reason to rejoice because, though we cannot see Jesus now, we can know Him. We can walk in a relationship with Him, converse with Him daily, and experience His merciful grace and love. If we’ve trusted in Him, we have the assurance that someday we will see Him face to face and our faith will be confirmed. The work that He has begun in us will be completed and we will obtain the fullness of salvation for our beleaguered souls. We as believers should possess an expectant faith that longs to see our Savior, Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
Each Easter we come to remember the resurrection of Jesus, as we should. But my friends, the resurrection is something we should celebrate every Sunday, and in fact every moment of everyday. Jesus has conquered death and secured eternal life for all who will receive Him. Through the resurrection, Christians have a living hope, an enduring joy, and an expectant faith.
May I ask you this morning… Where is your hope found? “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
Do you know the joy of Jesus Christ? “I have joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory!”
Have you placed your faith in Jesus? “My faith has found a resting place, from guilt my soul is freed; I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.”
Do you know the goodness of God? Do you have the hope, joy, and faith that His resurrection made possible? Peter did, and so have countless others who’ve trusted in Jesus for salvation. But don’t just take our word for it… experience for yourself. Surrender to the Lord Jesus today, and make this Easter the day of your resurrection.
What a wonderful morning! I am so grateful to see you all. We have gathered here together on Easter Sunday to remember and celebrate the most important event in all of human history… the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike so many other religions, who follow the teachings of a revered prophet who is long since dead and gone, we as Christians serve a risen Savior who is alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. He was crucified, dead, and buried - but the grave could not hold Him, death could not keep Him, and He rose to life victorious over the sinister powers of sin and darkness.
There were over 500 eyewitnesses who saw the risen Jesus during the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension into heaven. 1 of these was the apostle Peter, who rushed to the tomb that first Easter morning only to find discarded grave clothes and no body. Later that same day, the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to Him personally, then again that night with most of the other disciples. Just days earlier, on the night of Jesus’ arrest and incarceration, Peter had denied Him 3 times. Yet the risen Jesus appeared to Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and lovingly restored him. From that moment forward Peter was a changed man who made it his life mission to “feed the sheep” of Jesus’ flock.
Peter spent the rest of his life boldly proclaiming the gospel message. Though he was imperfect and made some missteps along the way, his passion and zeal from Christ resulted in the salvation of countless souls. Ultimately, Peter was martyred by the Roman emperor for his unrelenting faith. He wrote the letters we refer to as 1st and 2nd Peter preserved in the Bible. In these, he laid out 3 major benefits for the believer that he experienced as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I. A LIVING HOPE (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Many people, including Peter for a while, believed that Jesus had come to save the Jews from Roman dominance. They thought that He would lead a revolution to throw off the hated Romans and secure Israel’s independence. They envisioned a return to the ancient days of Jewish prominence and wealth, when King David and Solomon reigned in glory and splendor. But their hopes were dashed when Jesus, the promised Messiah and long-awaited King, was crucified on the cross of Calvary. The hope of His disciples died with Him.
But on early Easter morning, when the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out of the tomb alive and victorious over sin and death, their hopes were resurrected. Not only theirs, but those of all who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have a living hope, because we serve the living Son of God! He is not dead, but risen! The resurrection validates that Jesus’ promises are true, that He is who He claimed to be, and that death had been defeated. Our hope in Christ is not baseless, naive, or foolish. Because He lives, we will live also now and forever.
There is an inheritance reserved in heaven for all who trust in Him. It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. The Lord has prepared a place just for us that is more wonderful than we can possibly describe or imagine. Someday we will obtain it, but in the meantime God has promised to guard us - to protect and shield us - by His great power. So in all these things - Christ’s resurrection, our coming inheritance, and His watchful protection - we as believers have a living hope.
II. AN ENDURING JOY (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Before His crucifixion, Jesus predicted that Peter would also be persecuted and executed for his faith. Surely enough, this is exactly what happened. Peter was arrested multiple times for His courageous preaching and evangelism. He was intimidated and threatened, but not deterred. Despite the many hardships and sufferings Peter experienced, he rejoiced in Christ Jesus. Peter knew the pain of trial and tribulation personally, yet through it all encouraged his fellow believers to face such difficulties joyfully and with a proper perspective.
The trials of this life serve to check the authenticity of our faith. Just as fire tests gold, so also persecution proves whether or not our faith is genuine. We should count it all joy when we face various sufferings and hardships for the cause of Christ. True faith is much more valuable and precious than gold. It will weather the fiery storms of this life and not be burned up. At the revelation of Jesus Christ, it will result in praise, honor, and glory. In this, we as believers should view each day and every challenge as a blessing from God and should approach it with enduring and unwavering joy.
III. A EXPECTANT FAITH (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Peter had personally seen and been with Jesus after His resurrection. He was an eyewitness that Christ had indeed risen from the dead. However, by the time he wrote this letter, several years had already passed since Jesus’ ascension and his readers had not seen the risen Lord. Nevertheless, Peter praised them for loving Christ despite not having physically seen Him. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ words to doubting Thomas when He said, “Because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen Me yet still believe!”
We as believers have reason to rejoice because, though we cannot see Jesus now, we can know Him. We can walk in a relationship with Him, converse with Him daily, and experience His merciful grace and love. If we’ve trusted in Him, we have the assurance that someday we will see Him face to face and our faith will be confirmed. The work that He has begun in us will be completed and we will obtain the fullness of salvation for our beleaguered souls. We as believers should possess an expectant faith that longs to see our Savior, Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
Each Easter we come to remember the resurrection of Jesus, as we should. But my friends, the resurrection is something we should celebrate every Sunday, and in fact every moment of everyday. Jesus has conquered death and secured eternal life for all who will receive Him. Through the resurrection, Christians have a living hope, an enduring joy, and an expectant faith.
May I ask you this morning… Where is your hope found? “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
Do you know the joy of Jesus Christ? “I have joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory!”
Have you placed your faith in Jesus? “My faith has found a resting place, from guilt my soul is freed; I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.”
Do you know the goodness of God? Do you have the hope, joy, and faith that His resurrection made possible? Peter did, and so have countless others who’ve trusted in Jesus for salvation. But don’t just take our word for it… experience for yourself. Surrender to the Lord Jesus today, and make this Easter the day of your resurrection.