Have you noticed what has been available in every grocery story the last few months? There are tons of Easter eggs, jellybeans, chocolate bunnies, and Peeps. I recently watched a video about the factory that produces Peeps. According to the company representative, they produce about 2 billion Peeps each year! With all of the Easter eggs, chocolate, and family get togethers, it would be easy to forget what this holiday is all about. Today we remember the wonderful fact that Jesus not only died for our sins but that He rose from the dead on the third day as He promised. Since He kept His promise that Sunday, we have confidence that He will keep all of His promises to us: forgiveness, peace, and eternal life with Him in heaven.
Hymn 278 – One Day
- Remember the Cross (Mark 15:33-39).
What does it say?
Around noon that day, there was darkness over the whole area for three hours. After that, Jesus cried out loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders thought He was calling for Elijah. Then someone got Him some sour wine in a sponge to drink. He lifted it up on a reed and said, “Leave Him alone. Let’s see if Elijah will get him down.” After this, Jesus cried out loudly and stopped breathing. Then the temple veil was torn in half from top to bottom. When the centurion who was standing nearby saw what happened, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God.”
What does it mean?
Jesus was forsaken by God that day (34).
Mark tells us that Jesus asked God why He had forsaken Him. Why was it that Jesus felt forsaken by God the Father that day? You must remember the reason why Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross. He hadn’t just been lynched by an angry mob. This was God’s plan for Him to go to the cross. All of our sins were laid on Jesus and He was being punished instead of us. As Paul would later say, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). As Jesus took our sins on Himself, God the Father turned His back on His Son, Jesus. That is how bad our sins are to God.
Jesus completed the job that day (37-38).
Just before Jesus breathed his last, He cried out loudly. According to John, Jesus yelled, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Mark tells us that after Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in half from the top to the bottom. What did all of this mean? To answer that question, remember the reason for the cross. Jesus was giving His life to pay the awful price for our sins. When He dies that day, His death was the full and complete, one-time payment for our sins. This is why He yelled, “It is finished!” He was referring to what His death had accomplished. The ripped curtain in the temple was an additional sign from God that Jesus’ death had been accepted and that there was no further need to offer blood sacrifices to pay for sins. Once and for all, the price for our sins was paid by Jesus that day.
How does it apply?
Do you recognize the seriousness of your own sin?
To God, our sin is rebellion against Him. Our lies, evil thoughts, and sinful actions were so bad in God’s eyes, that He sent His Son to die for them. None of us is sinless. None of us is good. Even our best is not enough to overcome our guilt. And that is a serious thing to consider. The Bible says that even our best efforts are like filthy rags to God. This is true because God is completely without sin. He is holy and just and will judge our sin ultimately in the lake of fire. Thankfully, Jesus took our place on that day.
Do you believe that Jesus paid the price for you?
When Jesus died on the cross, He “suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). He took my place. He took your place. He suffered the punishment that we deserved. And that payment was completely paid, finished, and accepted by God. And now He offers to forgive you based on Jesus paying the price for your sins. But you must receive that forgiveness by faith. As God convinces you of your own sinfulness and the fact that Jesus paid the price, He calls on you to respond in faith. Simply believe that Jesus died for your sins and He will save you from the punishment you deserve.
Hymn 247 – The Old Rugged Cross - Remember the Resurrection (Matt. 28:1-8).
What does it say?
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see Jesus’ tomb after the Sabbath and on the first day of the week. Right then, there was a tremendous earthquake because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled the stone away from the door and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white like snow. The guards at the tomb shook with fear and fell over as if they were dead. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you came looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here because He is risen as He told you. Come and see the place where He laid. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and that He will go to Galilee before you get there. Look, I have told you.” After that, the women left the tomb quickly with both fear and joy and ran to tell the disciples.
What does it mean?
Jesus came back to life as He promised (6).
Notice what the angel said to the women. He told them that Jesus was not there and that He had risen “as He said.” The angel stated the facts. Jesus had risen just as He had told them before He died. When we studied through the Gospel of Mark, we noted several times that Jesus told them what would happen before it did.
Mark 8:31 – “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Mark 9:9 – “Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”
Mark 9:31 – “For He taught His disciples and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.'”
Mark 10:34 – “And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
Jesus told them that He would suffer, be killed, and then rise from the dead. And yet nobody expected it to actually happen. But it did. Jesus didn’t stay dead. He rose from the dead just as He had promised.
Jesus was seen by many after His resurrection (7).
After announcing His resurrection, the angel told the women to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen and that they were to meet Him in Galilee. It was there that they would see Him. This was exciting news to the women but some of the disciples doubted whether it was true. Despite their doubt, Jesus appeared to them on several occasions. He appeared to the women (Matt. 28:9-10), the disciples (Matt. 28:16-17; Luke 24:36-43), Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18), two disciples on a road (Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35), Thomas (John 20:24-29), and by more than 500 others (1 Cor. 15:3-6).
How does it apply?
You can trust that He is alive.
Someone recently sideswiped my wife’s vehicle while someone else was driving it at night. The damage was enough that I decided to submit the claim to our insurance. But the only one who was there when it happened was the driver. The other party left before they could be confronted. With only one person’s testimony to go by, will the insurance company believe her testimony?
When you look at the evidence for the resurrection, you find it in all four gospel accounts. And in the Bible, there are more than 500 people who saw Jesus alive after His death. There were so many witnesses to His resurrection, that the religious leaders hired the guards to fabricate a lie about it. The fact that so many people testified to having seen Jesus alive after His death is strong evidence that Jesus actually did rise from the dead. I believe their testimony to be true. Do you?
You can trust what Jesus says.
The second thing to note is that Jesus promised it would happen. He told the disciples on multiple occasions that He would not only suffer and die, but that He would also rise from the dead. After His resurrection, He was proved to be right about all of those things. That leads us to the conclusion that Jesus told the truth. No matter what anyone else says, Jesus always told the truth. Because He told the truth about His death and resurrection, we can trust Him when He talks about anything else. I believe Him. Do you?
Hymn 268 – He Lives
Special Music - Remember the Promise (Acts 1:6-11).
What does it say?
When the disciples met with Jesus, they asked him if He would restore the kingdom to Israel right then. Jesus told them that it was not their place to know the Father’s plans. But they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. As a result, they would testify about Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the whole earth. After saying those things, they saw Him taken up into the air until a cloud kept them from seeing Him. While they were staring into the sky, two men in white clothes spoke to them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you staring at the sky? This Jesus who was taken from you into the sky will return in the same way that you saw Him go into the sky.”
What does it mean?
Jesus gave the disciples a job to do (7-8).
The disciples had been with Jesus for about 40 days at this point. Their sorrow at His death had been replaced by amazement and joy at His resurrection. But now they were wondering what the next step was. Was it time for Jesus to rule as the Messiah? Would He restore Israel as a self-governing country? Jesus quickly reminded them that it was none of their business. Their business was to tell the world about Jesus. When the Holy Spirit empowered them, they would be witnesses about Jesus to the entire world.
That is exactly what happened. If you were to read the rest of the Book of Acts, you would read about the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, preaching the gospel in Jerusalem, and eventually taking the good news to the world. This was the job given to them by the Lord.
Jesus will return (11).
The disciples were so surprised by Jesus ascending into heaven that they kept staring into the sky wondering what had happened. Two men in white clothing appeared (probably angels) and questioned what they were doing. They assured the disciples that the same Jesus who had gone up would come down some day. This was what Jesus had promised them before.
John 14:2-3 – “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
As the disciples traveled and preached about Jesus, they knew that someday He would return. He had promised a beautiful future place for them. He had also promised to return and to take them there. This promise has not been realized yet, but it is as sure as His promise to die and rise again. Jesus will return and take every believer to Heaven someday.
How does it apply?
Every Christian has a job to do.
As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we should remember that not all understand what it is all about. Jesus has left us here to tell the world about Him. The world needs to hear that despite their guilt, Jesus died for them and rose again. When people hear the truth, they have the opportunity to repent of their sin, believe the gospel, and be forgiven by God. But someone needs to tell them so that they can know. Remember that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Let them know.
Every Christian has a beautiful future.
As we tell the world about Jesus, there will be difficult conversations and people may reject the truth. We saw that in the Book of Acts. Some believed while others were violently opposed to the message. Preaching the gospel is a great thing, but it includes some difficulties. As you tell others about Jesus, keep in mind that this life is not the only one we will have. Jesus has promised to come back for us and to take us to be with Him forever. Let that be an encouragement to you today.
Hymn 276 – Listen for the Trumpet
Conclusion
Today we have remembered several things. We have remembered that Jesus died to pay for our sins once for all. Because of that, whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. We have remembered that Jesus rose from the dead. Because He kept His promised to rise from the dead, we can trust His other promises. We have remembered that Jesus promised to return. Because of this, we ought to faithfully speak about Jesus and find hope for the future. I hope that these thoughts from the Bible have been helpful for each of you.