1 00:00:00,060 --> 00:00:02,710 Well, good morning. Great to see you all. 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,630 He has risen. He is risen indeed. 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,580 Fantastic. If you have brought a Bible with 4 00:00:08,590 --> 00:00:11,730 you and you want to follow along with me, I am in John's Gospel, 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,810 chapter 20. If you didn't, no problem. 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,320 But the if you don't know where John's Gospel is, it's right 7 00:00:18,330 --> 00:00:20,280 there on the table of contents up there on the screen. 8 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,130 You know, one of my favorite memories of Easter week as a kid 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,790 was running it was watching all those reruns of the movies of 10 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,190 Jesus's life, You know, watching him teach, seeing him do 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,320 miracles, the compassion he had for people. 12 00:00:36,330 --> 00:00:42,110 And of course, what stunned me was his death on the cross into 13 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,390 through through childhood. There was there was an intrigue 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,370 that I had about the person of Jesus Christ. 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:54,810 Once I hit university stage, I lost sight of who he was and I 16 00:00:54,820 --> 00:00:59,520 remember being asked a question by someone saying who, what do 17 00:00:59,530 --> 00:01:02,820 you think about Jesus Christ? And my answer to that question, 18 00:01:02,830 --> 00:01:05,459 I realized I don't really know a lot about Jesus Christ. 19 00:01:05,470 --> 00:01:08,920 I remember he taught and remember he did some miracles or 20 00:01:09,050 --> 00:01:11,880 allegedly, but that he died on a cross. 21 00:01:11,890 --> 00:01:14,410 That's really the main thing that I remember, that he died on 22 00:01:14,420 --> 00:01:18,410 a cross. The resurrection of Jesus didn't 23 00:01:18,420 --> 00:01:22,730 factor in at all for me, but my remembrance of Jesus Christ. 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,400 It was almost like the resurrection, even though I had 25 00:01:25,410 --> 00:01:29,050 heard about it, was sort of detached completely from the 26 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:32,150 story of Jesus. Ever thought about that? 27 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,690 Like what what the what the the resurrection really has to do 28 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:40,290 with anything, and yet it is the most significant event that is 29 00:01:40,300 --> 00:01:46,260 taking place in human history. You know that your birthday is 30 00:01:46,270 --> 00:01:52,800 in reference to the days, months and years away from the 31 00:01:52,810 --> 00:01:54,660 resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 32 00:01:54,730 --> 00:01:59,990 This historical fact, every time that you open up your iPhone or 33 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,890 your smartphone and you look at the date right there on the 34 00:02:03,900 --> 00:02:08,360 screen, it is a reminder of how many days, months, and years we 35 00:02:08,370 --> 00:02:11,360 are from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 36 00:02:15,250 --> 00:02:18,640 It's a reminder every day. This is how long it's been since 37 00:02:18,910 --> 00:02:22,120 it's reminding us every day of the resurrection of Jesus 38 00:02:22,130 --> 00:02:24,680 Christ. It is the most significant event 39 00:02:24,730 --> 00:02:29,980 in history and that's why today over 2 million people around the 40 00:02:29,990 --> 00:02:33,320 world, world will be gathering in churches just like this to 41 00:02:33,330 --> 00:02:37,490 celebrate this historical event that has changed the world and 42 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:40,440 has split history between AD, BC and AD. 43 00:02:40,790 --> 00:02:42,380 It's the reason why we're sitting here today. 44 00:02:42,450 --> 00:02:47,700 This is the reason. And yet it has taken me at least 45 00:02:47,910 --> 00:02:50,540 years to figure out what the resurrection was really all 46 00:02:50,550 --> 00:02:52,990 about, like why it had actually had to happen. 47 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,370 Are you in that place you ever wondered? 48 00:02:54,380 --> 00:02:57,600 Like why did the resurrection actually have to take place? 49 00:02:58,010 --> 00:03:02,060 If so, you are in very good company because of the very 50 00:03:02,150 --> 00:03:05,540 closest followers of Jesus Christ had no idea why it had to 51 00:03:05,550 --> 00:03:08,410 happen. They were surprised, completely 52 00:03:08,420 --> 00:03:10,590 surprised. And that's what John's gospel in 53 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,830 chapter 20 we're going to take a look at. 54 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,130 So just before we do read this, let's just whisper up a prayer. 55 00:03:16,140 --> 00:03:19,670 Father in heaven, thank you for this beautiful day. 56 00:03:19,740 --> 00:03:22,520 Thank you for the opportunity that we have to be together in 57 00:03:22,530 --> 00:03:27,960 this place to hear the greatest story ever told and we pray that 58 00:03:27,970 --> 00:03:31,890 you would open our eyes and soften our hearts to hear from 59 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:38,950 you today in Jesus name. E-mail John chapter 20 starting 60 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,520 at verse one early on the first day of the week. 61 00:03:42,630 --> 00:03:45,920 So that's a Sunday while it was still dark. 62 00:03:45,970 --> 00:03:49,640 So that means very early in the morning Mary Magdalene went to 63 00:03:49,650 --> 00:03:53,420 the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the 64 00:03:53,430 --> 00:03:56,360 entrance. So she came running to Simon 65 00:03:56,370 --> 00:04:01,040 Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved and said 66 00:04:01,190 --> 00:04:04,750 they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where 67 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,420 they have put him. Just put just pause right there. 68 00:04:08,750 --> 00:04:10,940 Think about this. This is John's gospel. 69 00:04:11,010 --> 00:04:15,330 This is the a gospel account according to the disciple John. 70 00:04:15,340 --> 00:04:18,779 And he's actually the other disciple here mentioned in verse 71 00:04:18,790 --> 00:04:21,220 2. And notice how he refers to 72 00:04:21,230 --> 00:04:24,040 himself, the one that Jesus loved. 73 00:04:26,010 --> 00:04:29,320 He's not saying that he's the only one that Jesus loved, but 74 00:04:29,330 --> 00:04:32,820 that's how he saw his primary identity as one who has been 75 00:04:32,830 --> 00:04:35,640 loved by Jesus. It is awesome. 76 00:04:35,990 --> 00:04:40,560 And so John focuses attention here on Mary Magdalene as the 77 00:04:40,570 --> 00:04:43,840 one who is coming from the tomb. But we know that she was not 78 00:04:43,850 --> 00:04:47,950 alone because she says we don't know where they had put him. 79 00:04:48,020 --> 00:04:52,510 But notice her statement. They have taken the Lord out of 80 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,340 the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. 81 00:04:56,700 --> 00:04:59,710 She was not at all expecting him to rise from the dead. 82 00:04:59,780 --> 00:05:02,240 None of them were. This was an absolute shock. 83 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,010 It was a utter surprise trying to figure it out. 84 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:10,590 Verse 3. So Peter and the other disciple 85 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,750 started for the tomb. Both were running. 86 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,940 So it's not like, hey, you know, John, let's go for a jog right 87 00:05:17,950 --> 00:05:19,430 now. No, they were sprinting all out. 88 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,610 They wanted to get to the tomb. Both were running, but the other 89 00:05:22,620 --> 00:05:25,280 disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 90 00:05:26,030 --> 00:05:28,600 Interesting little note, Eyewitness note. 91 00:05:28,690 --> 00:05:33,400 I I beat Peter. There's a little bit of 92 00:05:33,410 --> 00:05:34,900 competition between the disciples. 93 00:05:34,910 --> 00:05:38,740 Maybe that's coming out here. So John got there first. 94 00:05:38,750 --> 00:05:43,300 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, 95 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:46,060 but did not go in. So John gets there first. 96 00:05:46,070 --> 00:05:49,120 He looks into the tomb. So tomb would have been carved 97 00:05:49,130 --> 00:05:52,940 out of rock and and he looks into the tomb and he doesn't see 98 00:05:52,950 --> 00:05:55,920 the body of Jesus and say, OK, yeah, that's right, Report is 99 00:05:55,930 --> 00:05:57,680 true. Jesus is not there and he just, 100 00:05:57,750 --> 00:06:01,960 he just kind of turned aside. But then Peter, this is verse 101 00:06:01,970 --> 00:06:06,180 six, came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. 102 00:06:06,190 --> 00:06:08,860 This is just like Peter, right? Just impetuous guy. 103 00:06:08,870 --> 00:06:10,100 I'm going in there to check it out. 104 00:06:10,110 --> 00:06:14,430 And he saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the 105 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,160 cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus head. 106 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:22,590 The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 107 00:06:23,670 --> 00:06:30,120 Um, so Peter gets in there and he is studying what he has seen 108 00:06:30,250 --> 00:06:34,940 these linens that were wrapped around Jesus's dead body. 109 00:06:35,250 --> 00:06:40,560 And just the fact that they were there says something because 110 00:06:40,570 --> 00:06:45,080 they would have been soaked in like earlier, earlier on in, in, 111 00:06:45,090 --> 00:06:49,430 in chapter 19, it says that 75 lbs of aloes and murder. 112 00:06:49,690 --> 00:06:53,580 These was used to wrap Jesus's body and these strips of linen. 113 00:06:53,670 --> 00:06:55,960 In other words, they were clinging to his body. 114 00:06:56,050 --> 00:06:59,460 So if you were stealing this body or in some way trying to 115 00:06:59,470 --> 00:07:02,700 create some kind of a hoax, why would you try to go through the 116 00:07:02,740 --> 00:07:07,400 go through the hassle of trying to unwrap this body, unwrap the, 117 00:07:07,510 --> 00:07:09,790 the, the linen from the body? We wouldn't do that. 118 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,660 You just take the body, but the linens are just sitting there 119 00:07:12,670 --> 00:07:14,030 just about. But by the very fact that 120 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:19,790 they're there, but the way that they were there didn't make 121 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,450 sense. Something unusual there was 122 00:07:22,460 --> 00:07:27,550 happening. And so you have verse 8. 123 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,730 Finally, the other disciple, that's John, who had reached the 124 00:07:30,740 --> 00:07:33,430 tomb first, just in case you've forgotten, like I'm the guy that 125 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,060 reached him first, also went inside. 126 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:44,850 He saw and believed just by looking at the close, at the at 127 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:47,710 at the, the the grave close, the the the strips of linen. 128 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,710 JC Ryle put it this way. He said we shouldn't forget that 129 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:57,060 this simple fact of the linen clothes line there was enough to 130 00:07:57,070 --> 00:08:01,540 satisfy any thinking mind that something extraordinary must 131 00:08:01,550 --> 00:08:05,290 have occurred. The grave clothes were just 132 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:09,600 lying there and it was as though Jesus had passed through the 133 00:08:09,610 --> 00:08:12,770 grave clothes and the allows in the mirror, just like he had 134 00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:15,670 passed through the walls of the disciples. 135 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:20,850 Later on here in chapter, later on in chapter 24 or sorry, yeah, 136 00:08:20,860 --> 00:08:23,630 chapter chapter 20, verse 19, it says on the evening of that 137 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,870 first day of the week, so this is the evening of his 138 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,950 resurrection when the disciples were together with the doors 139 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,650 locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood 140 00:08:33,659 --> 00:08:36,549 among them and said peace be with you. 141 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:38,919 That would have been an utter shock. 142 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,030 He just appeared again in verse 26. 143 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:45,360 It says that as well. Something happened and it was 144 00:08:45,370 --> 00:08:51,520 enough for John, even though he had not seen Jesus, the physical 145 00:08:51,530 --> 00:08:55,460 Jesus risen from the dead. Just seeing the linens there was 146 00:08:55,470 --> 00:09:02,640 enough to satisfy him. He's risen, but not everybody 147 00:09:02,650 --> 00:09:07,540 was at that place. But then verse 9, and this is 148 00:09:07,550 --> 00:09:12,460 the kicker, says they still did not understand from Scripture 149 00:09:12,510 --> 00:09:15,030 that Jesus had to rise from the dead. 150 00:09:16,230 --> 00:09:18,300 They still didn't understand why it had to happen. 151 00:09:20,890 --> 00:09:25,160 I find this incredibly encouraging because I'm really 152 00:09:25,170 --> 00:09:27,320 slow at picking things up. I don't know about you. 153 00:09:27,330 --> 00:09:28,500 You're slow at picking things up. 154 00:09:28,510 --> 00:09:31,020 These guys were very slow and picking, picking things up. 155 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,490 The Lord God who created us is so patient with us. 156 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,270 He's got an incredible amount of patience and compassion. 157 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,450 He knows how ignorant we can be sometimes and how slow and how 158 00:09:42,460 --> 00:09:46,430 slowly we we receive information and and embrace the truth and 159 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,400 pattern our lives behind it. He knows that, and I think we 160 00:09:49,410 --> 00:09:52,050 have to have the same kind of compassion toward other people 161 00:09:52,060 --> 00:09:54,820 too, who may not get it the way that we get it. 162 00:09:56,990 --> 00:10:01,720 But they didn't understand and yet the scriptures had confirmed 163 00:10:01,730 --> 00:10:02,820 it. Now we can look at a number of 164 00:10:02,830 --> 00:10:04,020 scriptures. Actually we will. 165 00:10:04,070 --> 00:10:07,220 Now let's just take a look a few scriptures that are referring to 166 00:10:07,270 --> 00:10:12,030 the suffering of the servant of God and his resurrection from 167 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,850 the dead. Psalm 16 verse 10 says you will 168 00:10:14,860 --> 00:10:18,290 not abandon me to the to the realm of the dead, nor will you 169 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:22,320 let your faithful ones see decay a glimpse of it. 170 00:10:22,770 --> 00:10:26,650 Josiah chapter 6 says, come, let us return to the Lord. 171 00:10:26,850 --> 00:10:30,120 He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us. 172 00:10:30,430 --> 00:10:33,960 He is injured us, but He will bind up our wounds. 173 00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:36,120 After two days He will revive us. 174 00:10:36,190 --> 00:10:39,500 On the third day He will restore us that we may live in his 175 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:42,060 presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord. 176 00:10:42,070 --> 00:10:45,730 Let us press on to acknowledge Him As surely as the sun rises, 177 00:10:46,420 --> 00:10:49,850 he will appear. Just glimpses pictures of Good 178 00:10:49,860 --> 00:10:54,280 Friday and Easter Sunday. Also Isaiah 53. 179 00:10:54,550 --> 00:10:58,620 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to 180 00:10:58,630 --> 00:11:01,480 suffer. This is this is like 600 years 181 00:11:01,490 --> 00:11:05,720 before the the Jesus comes to the earth and suffers and dies. 182 00:11:05,810 --> 00:11:09,640 And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he 183 00:11:09,650 --> 00:11:13,480 will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will 184 00:11:13,490 --> 00:11:17,250 of the Lord will prosper in his hand after he had suffered. 185 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,360 He will see the light of life and be satisfied. 186 00:11:23,430 --> 00:11:27,820 And when Jesus also likens his death and his resurrection to 187 00:11:27,830 --> 00:11:30,580 the experience of Jonah, who was swallowed. 188 00:11:30,590 --> 00:11:35,320 He spent three days in the belly of a fish and then he's coughed 189 00:11:35,330 --> 00:11:39,350 out onto dry land. Jesus, Jesus showing us these 190 00:11:39,410 --> 00:11:44,900 images, these pictures, these prophecies that all this was to 191 00:11:44,910 --> 00:11:49,300 happen. But beyond that, Jesus had told 192 00:11:49,310 --> 00:11:54,300 his disciples very specifically, I'm going to be murdered, and 193 00:11:54,310 --> 00:11:56,600 after three days I'm going to rise from the dead. 194 00:11:56,670 --> 00:11:59,720 He told that to his disciples, these very disciples, multiple 195 00:11:59,730 --> 00:12:04,200 times, and they did get it. They still didn't get it. 196 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:07,410 How long does it take us to get it? 197 00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:09,330 Sometimes it takes, it takes us a long while. 198 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,350 Do you know why Jesus had to rise? 199 00:12:14,420 --> 00:12:19,400 Do you know and do you know how that makes a difference in the 200 00:12:19,410 --> 00:12:21,450 way that we live our lives? Do you know how that that can 201 00:12:21,460 --> 00:12:25,610 help us to live in a very uncertain world, very unkind at 202 00:12:25,620 --> 00:12:29,830 times world It can help us. I want to talk about four 203 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:35,670 reasons why the resurrection had to happen. 4 reasons why God 204 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,450 felt it was necessary to raise his son from the dead. 205 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,080 If you're taking notes, here's the first one. 206 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:50,750 Jesus rose from the dead to show us the greatness of Jesus. 207 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,510 God raised him from the dead to show us the greatness of Jesus. 208 00:12:54,580 --> 00:12:58,020 If Jesus had never been raised from the dead, we never would 209 00:12:58,030 --> 00:13:00,450 have heard from him, never would have heard of him, never would 210 00:13:00,460 --> 00:13:02,330 have heard the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 211 00:13:02,380 --> 00:13:04,310 Nazareth. Why? 212 00:13:05,860 --> 00:13:11,460 Because the the the resurrection is what woke us all up to how 213 00:13:11,470 --> 00:13:15,240 special he was, to how incredibly great he is not just 214 00:13:15,250 --> 00:13:16,830 a teacher. He wasn't just that. 215 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,670 He was a great teacher, but he wasn't just a teacher. 216 00:13:19,550 --> 00:13:25,470 He made outrageous claims about himself, claims that no good man 217 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,050 in his right mind would ever make to be God in the flesh. 218 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:35,580 And then he predicts his death and his resurrection, and he 219 00:13:35,590 --> 00:13:37,600 pulls it off. Like, how great do you have to 220 00:13:37,610 --> 00:13:42,850 be to do that? Think about it, his name has 221 00:13:42,860 --> 00:13:45,910 been a curse word for the last 2000 years. 222 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,010 How awesome do you have to be for your name to be a curse word 223 00:13:49,020 --> 00:13:52,120 2000 years after you've died? It's incredible if you think 224 00:13:52,130 --> 00:13:57,500 about it. We don't curse other use, use 225 00:13:57,510 --> 00:14:01,930 the name of other great teachers like OHP, Confucius, you know, 226 00:14:01,940 --> 00:14:04,590 Buddha, you know, we we don't, we don't do that kind of thing. 227 00:14:04,660 --> 00:14:07,390 It's Jesus and his name alone. Why? 228 00:14:07,460 --> 00:14:12,280 Because his name is powerful, and there's no other name that's 229 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:16,000 greater than his name. And that's why that name will be 230 00:14:16,010 --> 00:14:19,080 lifted up. It will be declared on the lips 231 00:14:19,090 --> 00:14:22,340 of faithful followers who are close to him, and it will be 232 00:14:22,350 --> 00:14:25,050 declared by irreligious people who are far from it. 233 00:14:26,250 --> 00:14:28,510 Either way, it is going to be lifted up. 234 00:14:29,250 --> 00:14:32,640 He is great and the resurrection shows us that. 235 00:14:32,650 --> 00:14:34,910 So what do we do with Jesus? What do we do with Him? 236 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,520 We can't sit on the fence. We can reject Him and choose to 237 00:14:38,530 --> 00:14:43,020 do that, but He invites us to declare the truth, to bow the 238 00:14:43,030 --> 00:14:49,610 knee and say You are Lord, you are Lord, you are my Lord, and I 239 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:53,120 want to follow you. The the more we acknowledge the 240 00:14:53,130 --> 00:14:57,020 greatness of Jesus, our lives begin to reflect His greatness. 241 00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:02,530 Second reason why God raised him from the dead, and that is to 242 00:15:02,540 --> 00:15:05,340 show us the significance of his death. 243 00:15:08,270 --> 00:15:12,140 We would never call Good Friday good if it wasn't for the 244 00:15:12,150 --> 00:15:14,620 resurrection of Jesus Christ. He would have just been another 245 00:15:14,630 --> 00:15:20,330 person, another criminal who was crucified on a cross, and many 246 00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:22,330 people were crucified on a cross. 247 00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:26,230 But it was because of his resurrection that now we realize 248 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,070 that everything he said about his death was true. 249 00:15:29,890 --> 00:15:33,620 That He came into this world to take on the suffering, the pain 250 00:15:33,690 --> 00:15:37,870 and the sins of humanity and bring them down to the grave so 251 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,530 that all who put their hope in Him, all who acknowledge and 252 00:15:41,540 --> 00:15:44,290 trust Him, their sins would be forgiven. 253 00:15:45,300 --> 00:15:47,210 This is such a sweet, sweet thing. 254 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:50,750 What the resurrection did was it. 255 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:55,280 It showed us that God accepted the sacrifice of the cross. 256 00:15:57,490 --> 00:16:06,740 Romans chapter 4 verse 25 says he was delivered over to death 257 00:16:07,010 --> 00:16:10,890 for your for our sins and was raised to life for our 258 00:16:10,900 --> 00:16:16,670 justification. He died to erase our sins, and 259 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,800 the resurrection confirms it. That's what the And So what does 260 00:16:21,810 --> 00:16:23,470 this mean? It gives us incredible 261 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,240 confidence. It's not just that Jesus died 262 00:16:26,250 --> 00:16:29,130 for your sins. It said he was raised from the 263 00:16:29,140 --> 00:16:31,230 dead to confirm that your sins are forgiven. 264 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,090 We do not have to live with our regrets. 265 00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:40,350 We do not have to haul our our our sins around with us. 266 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:44,570 We can know that every single one of them has been erased from 267 00:16:44,580 --> 00:16:46,690 our lives. That is an incredible gift. 268 00:16:47,370 --> 00:16:51,220 All of us have blown it. All of us have sinned. 269 00:16:51,230 --> 00:16:54,220 All of us have offended God. We're all in the same boat, and 270 00:16:54,230 --> 00:16:57,330 we can know that none of that is going to be held against us. 271 00:16:57,340 --> 00:17:00,640 There's not one sin that's going to be counted against us because 272 00:17:00,650 --> 00:17:04,960 of the resurrection. Yes, the death of Jesus, but the 273 00:17:04,970 --> 00:17:08,220 resurrection confirms that fact. And that's why we can be 274 00:17:08,230 --> 00:17:10,660 incredibly confident in the way that we live. 275 00:17:10,710 --> 00:17:14,119 We don't have to live trying to gain God's acceptance or his 276 00:17:14,130 --> 00:17:16,359 approval or anybody else's approval. 277 00:17:16,690 --> 00:17:22,079 We can live out of the approval that we already have through the 278 00:17:22,089 --> 00:17:23,869 death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 279 00:17:23,940 --> 00:17:26,890 That makes it absolute truckload of difference in the way that we 280 00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:32,310 live #3 Third reason why what the resurrection shows is that 281 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,540 shows us that there is always hope. 282 00:17:36,540 --> 00:17:40,930 There is always hope no matter what we are going through, no 283 00:17:40,940 --> 00:17:44,150 matter how we dark the circumstances, no matter how bad 284 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:49,920 our Good Friday looks. We know that there is hope 285 00:17:49,990 --> 00:17:53,880 because of the story of Jesus. This is like this is a picture 286 00:17:53,930 --> 00:17:56,200 of what life is for each one of us. 287 00:17:56,410 --> 00:18:00,720 You know, Jesus said in earlier on in in John's Gospel chapter 288 00:18:00,730 --> 00:18:03,660 16, he said in this world talking to his disciples. 289 00:18:03,810 --> 00:18:06,220 So he's talking to us in this world. 290 00:18:06,230 --> 00:18:12,460 You will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the 291 00:18:12,470 --> 00:18:14,610 world. I have overcome it. 292 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:19,210 All of the garbage, all of the heaviness, everything that we're 293 00:18:19,220 --> 00:18:21,910 suffering, everything in this world that is not right is going 294 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,820 to be set right. Eventually, how to talking put 295 00:18:25,830 --> 00:18:28,200 it, everything sad will become untrue. 296 00:18:29,860 --> 00:18:35,310 Jesus is making all things new through his death and his 297 00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:39,470 resurrection, bringing new life. There is always hope. 298 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:44,830 If God raised a dead Jesus from the grave, he can raise you in 299 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,710 any dead place that you find yourself today, whether it might 300 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,270 be some financial hardship, maybe it's a relationship that 301 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,750 has gone South and it's broken in some way. 302 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:57,570 Maybe there's an insurmountable challenge. 303 00:18:57,580 --> 00:18:59,960 Maybe if you're looking into your future and your career and 304 00:18:59,970 --> 00:19:01,930 you're thinking, man, this is going nowhere. 305 00:19:02,010 --> 00:19:05,100 Maybe you're lonely, maybe you're depressed, anxious, maybe 306 00:19:05,110 --> 00:19:09,500 debilitating illness. Whatever it might be, the 307 00:19:09,510 --> 00:19:13,820 resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks in to that situation. 308 00:19:13,830 --> 00:19:18,140 And there is hope. There is always hope. 309 00:19:19,620 --> 00:19:24,910 Uh, SM Lockridge? Black preacher. 310 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,750 Very powerful preacher. You know what SMH stands for? 311 00:19:27,810 --> 00:19:31,890 Shadrach Meshach. You ever his parents called him 312 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:35,290 Shadrach Meshach Lockridge. It's pretty cool name and it was 313 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:38,410 dog might have been a Bendigo or something, I'm not sure, but 314 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:40,390 it's quite a powerful name, but a powerful preacher. 315 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,070 And he preached one of the most potent sermons ever. 316 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:47,460 And it was titled It's Friday, but Sunday's coming. 317 00:19:48,410 --> 00:19:52,470 It might feel like it's Friday today, but Sunday is coming. 318 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:58,160 The whole picture of the Holy Week is there being It's for our 319 00:19:58,170 --> 00:20:02,280 encouragement, friends. When we put our trust in the 320 00:20:02,290 --> 00:20:07,520 living God and the risen Savior, He rescues us out of everything. 321 00:20:07,530 --> 00:20:10,250 It doesn't make suddenly life become easy. 322 00:20:10,930 --> 00:20:12,760 That's never the promise of Scripture. 323 00:20:13,010 --> 00:20:17,660 But God does in His power promise to come close to us and 324 00:20:17,670 --> 00:20:20,480 to walk through us and actually lift us up in His everlasting 325 00:20:20,490 --> 00:20:23,560 arms and to get us through absolutely anything. 326 00:20:24,580 --> 00:20:27,270 It's kind of like if you're, if you're, if you're watching a 327 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,480 video replay of a game and you know your team won, but you're 328 00:20:31,490 --> 00:20:35,400 watching this replay and they're getting, they're getting toasted 329 00:20:35,450 --> 00:20:38,700 by by halftime, they're just getting pummeled. 330 00:20:39,630 --> 00:20:43,150 And yet you don't have to be anxious because you know that in 331 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,460 the end, your team's going to win. 332 00:20:45,970 --> 00:20:48,420 And this is what the scriptures are given to us for. 333 00:20:48,430 --> 00:20:50,680 We know how it's going to end. For all those who put their 334 00:20:50,690 --> 00:20:53,040 trust in God, there is always hope. 335 00:20:54,090 --> 00:20:58,640 And so no matter how far you are down, no matter how much the 336 00:20:58,650 --> 00:21:03,400 enemy is seeming seemingly beating you, you know how it's 337 00:21:03,410 --> 00:21:05,960 gonna end. There is always hope. 338 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,590 Pope John Paul the 2nd put it this way, he said. 339 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,930 Do not abandon yourself to despair. 340 00:21:12,460 --> 00:21:15,870 We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song. 341 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:20,670 I don't often quote Popes, but that's a good one, guys. 342 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,140 That is a real good one. We are Easter people. 343 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,340 We are Easter people. We're people who know about the 344 00:21:28,350 --> 00:21:31,060 resurrection and the fact that there is always hope. 345 00:21:31,070 --> 00:21:34,630 And that means that when we're living, even when we are down, 346 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:39,280 even when in those dark, low places that we get to and all of 347 00:21:39,290 --> 00:21:42,920 us get to those places, every single one of us, at some point, 348 00:21:44,090 --> 00:21:49,580 we can still have joy. We can still meet people with a 349 00:21:49,590 --> 00:21:51,620 smile. You can make somebody's day 350 00:21:51,630 --> 00:21:56,090 simply with a smile. Cost us nothing and we have a 351 00:21:56,100 --> 00:22:00,290 reason to smile. There is no biblical reason for 352 00:22:00,300 --> 00:22:05,560 discouragement, every reason given to have joy that we could 353 00:22:05,610 --> 00:22:10,250 just a simple act of kindness. Even though my life looks like a 354 00:22:10,260 --> 00:22:13,410 train wreck, I can still do something kind. 355 00:22:13,420 --> 00:22:16,090 I can still serve someone. I can still be generous. 356 00:22:16,260 --> 00:22:21,680 I can still be a Christian because I know, but there's 357 00:22:21,690 --> 00:22:25,330 always hope, and God is even gonna use what I'm doing in 358 00:22:25,340 --> 00:22:27,200 order to bring hope into somebody's life. 359 00:22:28,490 --> 00:22:32,990 There is always hope. Last thing, fourth reason why 360 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,330 the resurrection and that is to show us that there's a life 361 00:22:36,340 --> 00:22:42,700 after death, at least Strobel who wrote the book that Emma 362 00:22:42,710 --> 00:22:44,950 referred to earlier on. So if you're new, if this is 363 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,060 your first time here today, actually, if you're just new, if 364 00:22:47,070 --> 00:22:50,030 maybe it's been a couple of times, you can grab one of those 365 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:50,940 books. It's an awesome book. 366 00:22:50,950 --> 00:22:54,260 He's a he's a he was a journalist for the Chicago 367 00:22:54,270 --> 00:22:55,840 tribute. He was an atheist at one point 368 00:22:55,850 --> 00:22:59,950 in his life and he came to Christ, but he wrote a book last 369 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:04,320 year, 2025 called Scene the Supernatural. 370 00:23:04,610 --> 00:23:07,620 And he documents a number of near death experiences. 371 00:23:07,630 --> 00:23:09,340 I don't know if you're into near death experiences. 372 00:23:09,350 --> 00:23:11,380 I'm not really into that stuff. I think, you know, kind of a 373 00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:13,880 little strange, but there's this one story that just really 374 00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:17,740 struck me. There was a woman, a single 375 00:23:17,750 --> 00:23:22,400 mother, who was dying from severe bleeding and she was 376 00:23:22,410 --> 00:23:27,600 rushed into the OR at Memorial Hospital in London and should 377 00:23:27,610 --> 00:23:28,980 lose, losing an awful lot of blood. 378 00:23:28,990 --> 00:23:32,880 She was unconscious, but she described this event afterward 379 00:23:32,890 --> 00:23:34,460 and said I was conscious for the whole thing. 380 00:23:36,710 --> 00:23:40,460 But as they're working on her and she feel the blood kind of 381 00:23:40,470 --> 00:23:45,720 draining from her body, she suddenly heard this pop and 382 00:23:45,770 --> 00:23:50,390 there was no pain. And she found herself somehow 383 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:55,440 outside of her body looking in on the the hospital staff who 384 00:23:55,450 --> 00:23:57,450 were working on to trying to resuscitate her. 385 00:23:58,190 --> 00:24:02,520 And she's kind of floating up and kind of passes through the 386 00:24:02,590 --> 00:24:06,280 ceiling fan in the ceiling and watching this all happen. 387 00:24:06,710 --> 00:24:09,980 And she describes a bit of what happens there, but she enters 388 00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:12,240 back into her body and she's resuscitated. 389 00:24:12,250 --> 00:24:18,640 Resuscitated and she's describing when she so she, she 390 00:24:18,650 --> 00:24:20,180 got better. She, she, she, she did get 391 00:24:20,190 --> 00:24:21,810 better. She recovered, but she's 392 00:24:21,820 --> 00:24:24,770 describing to the hospital staff what she experienced. 393 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:30,170 And she remembered that there was this little red tag on top 394 00:24:30,180 --> 00:24:35,770 of the blade of the fan, ceiling fan that no one else would have 395 00:24:35,780 --> 00:24:38,500 been able to see. And she was urged, like, go 396 00:24:38,510 --> 00:24:40,400 check it out. I'm just confident it is. 397 00:24:40,410 --> 00:24:43,980 And one of the nurses took this tall ladder, went up and saw 398 00:24:43,990 --> 00:24:47,100 this red tag on top of the ceiling fan. 399 00:24:47,470 --> 00:24:50,180 No one else would have seen just exactly how she described it. 400 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:53,040 So you think of these things, you think, whoa, there's 401 00:24:53,050 --> 00:24:56,380 something going on there, there. There is more to life than just 402 00:24:56,470 --> 00:25:00,090 what we see. It's not just a material world. 403 00:25:00,340 --> 00:25:04,210 There is more to it, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ 404 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:10,040 tells us he rose from the dead and he's alive today. 405 00:25:11,950 --> 00:25:17,000 You know, I recently turned 55 about six years ago. 406 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,580 And you know, you get to this age and it's like you're trying 407 00:25:22,590 --> 00:25:25,510 to slow stuff down, right? Trying to slow, slow your life 408 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,830 down. I'm slowing down physically, but 409 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,850 you're trying to slow life down. It's going so fast, but time 410 00:25:31,860 --> 00:25:34,330 does not wait for me, it keeps on rolling. 411 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,470 For all you Boston fans, alright, keeps on rolling. 412 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,110 We can't stop it and we do not have to worry about stopping it 413 00:25:41,460 --> 00:25:45,450 because what's coming is a glorious reality. 414 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,030 There is life beyond the grave. This is not all that we have. 415 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,450 Eternity goes on forever, my friends. 416 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,750 We just physically, we're just experienced a little piece of 417 00:25:58,510 --> 00:26:03,640 each one of us after we die is going to stand before our maker. 418 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,130 There is a day of accountability for all humanity. 419 00:26:07,140 --> 00:26:08,820 There's accounting of accountability for every 420 00:26:08,830 --> 00:26:11,710 employee on this planet. Why would we be surprised? 421 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,390 It would be a day of of reckoning, a day of 422 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,970 accountability when we stand before the throne of the living 423 00:26:17,980 --> 00:26:20,510 God and give an account for our life, every single one of us. 424 00:26:20,940 --> 00:26:26,550 Now that might make you shake in your boots, but if you have, if 425 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,910 you have received the forgiveness that Jesus purchased 426 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,630 for you on the cross simply by saying forgive me for my sins 427 00:26:36,270 --> 00:26:39,590 and meaning it, you have nothing to fear on that day. 428 00:26:40,310 --> 00:26:44,720 That's the good news that this church is is is not about 429 00:26:44,730 --> 00:26:47,170 preaching hell, fire and brimstone. 430 00:26:48,470 --> 00:26:52,100 There is good news in that there's hope for every single 431 00:26:52,110 --> 00:26:56,330 one of us through Jesus Christ. None of us are gonna make it to 432 00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:59,820 heaven on our own merit. There ain't anybody good enough 433 00:26:59,870 --> 00:27:03,650 to get to heaven, but there is one who was, and his name is 434 00:27:03,660 --> 00:27:07,740 Jesus Christ, and through our faith in Him we get free 435 00:27:07,750 --> 00:27:10,900 entrance. It's free like what on earth is 436 00:27:10,910 --> 00:27:13,250 free? Salvation is free. 437 00:27:13,260 --> 00:27:19,030 It's a free gift that comes to faith in Jesus Christ John or in 438 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,100 John John's gospel. Jesus says this Chapter 11. 439 00:27:22,110 --> 00:27:25,880 He says I am the resurrection and the life. 440 00:27:26,580 --> 00:27:31,270 The one who believes in me will live even though they die, and 441 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,750 whoever lives by believing in me will never die. 442 00:27:36,670 --> 00:27:41,280 Jesus is talking about a life, a quality of life that we call 443 00:27:41,290 --> 00:27:44,460 eternal life. Eternal life is not just, you 444 00:27:44,470 --> 00:27:47,080 know, everlasting life. It's the quality of life in 445 00:27:47,090 --> 00:27:57,610 relationship with God. We can experience that last 446 00:27:57,620 --> 00:27:59,510 week, I guess maybe it's two weeks now. 447 00:27:59,580 --> 00:28:02,770 I spent some time with some pastors in the States and and I 448 00:28:02,780 --> 00:28:06,230 heard again this story that came from the pastor who's associate 449 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:10,480 pastor had had been called by a woman who had terminal cancer. 450 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,290 And so she's dying in the hospital and she had a question. 451 00:28:14,300 --> 00:28:15,960 I have a question I wanted to ask you, pastor. 452 00:28:16,770 --> 00:28:21,000 And the pastor was dreading this visit, just kind of thinking, 453 00:28:21,010 --> 00:28:23,080 oh, man, you know what, you know, as pastors, you get 454 00:28:23,090 --> 00:28:24,260 questions. You think, oh, man, how am I 455 00:28:24,270 --> 00:28:26,020 gonna answer that, right, that that happens? 456 00:28:26,150 --> 00:28:29,260 But even if it's just a very, very sad situation, he goes 457 00:28:29,270 --> 00:28:35,210 there kind of dragging his feet. Honest testimony and and she's 458 00:28:35,220 --> 00:28:40,080 all giddy. She's happy as can be and she 459 00:28:40,090 --> 00:28:42,600 says she says this when I get to heaven. 460 00:28:42,850 --> 00:28:44,660 Here's my question. When I get to heaven, do you 461 00:28:44,670 --> 00:28:46,860 want me to send a message to anyone there? 462 00:28:50,540 --> 00:28:53,950 Like, I'm going there and I'm so excited about it. 463 00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:57,910 Do you do you have a message you want me to to bring to somebody 464 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,810 there? And this pastor, he could hardly 465 00:28:59,820 --> 00:29:02,840 pray for her because he realized he was in the presence of 466 00:29:02,850 --> 00:29:08,040 someone who was in the presence of Jesus, who had faith, was 467 00:29:08,050 --> 00:29:13,770 full of the Holy Spirit, and he was broken by we are Easter 468 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,980 people. We are people that are living 469 00:29:16,990 --> 00:29:18,530 our lives based on the resurrection. 470 00:29:18,540 --> 00:29:22,010 And there is a life to come. And you know what the good news 471 00:29:22,020 --> 00:29:27,040 is, is that that eternal life is not just waiting for us after 472 00:29:27,050 --> 00:29:29,700 death. It is a life that we can enjoy 473 00:29:29,770 --> 00:29:34,190 right now, Jesus said Chapter 17 of John's Gospel. 474 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:39,930 He said this is eternal life, that you know me, the only true 475 00:29:39,940 --> 00:29:42,500 God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 476 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:47,180 In other words, knowing God personally, knowing God 477 00:29:47,190 --> 00:29:51,120 intimately, is what eternal life is all about. 478 00:29:51,310 --> 00:29:53,860 And we get to do it even right now. 479 00:29:53,910 --> 00:29:56,140 So don't settle for material existence. 480 00:29:56,490 --> 00:30:03,590 Enjoy that now Jesus is alive and we can know Him personally, 481 00:30:04,490 --> 00:30:08,460 intimately, and He invites each one of us to open up our lives 482 00:30:08,470 --> 00:30:13,270 to Him simply. Today might be the very first 483 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:16,460 time that you do that. You didn't know that you could. 484 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:20,140 Jesus invites you to. Maybe it's gonna be something 485 00:30:20,150 --> 00:30:22,370 that you have done before. Maybe you have shut God out. 486 00:30:22,380 --> 00:30:25,490 Maybe there was a time that you were open to Jesus but just kind 487 00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:29,820 of closed off to Him over the years Jesus said open up your 488 00:30:29,830 --> 00:30:34,020 life to me. Again, Jesus speaking to us in 489 00:30:34,030 --> 00:30:37,420 Revelation chapter 3 verse 20, it says here I am. 490 00:30:37,710 --> 00:30:42,420 I stand at the door and knock. Whoever hears my voice and opens 491 00:30:42,430 --> 00:30:47,090 the door, I will come in and meet with him and then with me. 492 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,920 Jesus is knocking on the door of each one of our lives. 493 00:30:51,740 --> 00:30:54,890 Open up that door and I will come in and we will enjoy 494 00:30:54,930 --> 00:30:58,620 fellowship together. You know, Forest View, this 495 00:30:58,630 --> 00:31:02,020 church, you know, if you're a visitor here, we're just a group 496 00:31:02,030 --> 00:31:05,600 of ordinary individuals who have been somehow touched by Jesus. 497 00:31:06,340 --> 00:31:09,250 Can't get enough of them. You know, there's a church. 498 00:31:09,260 --> 00:31:12,150 We're not after people's money. We're not, we're not trying to 499 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,750 make a name for ourself. We're just the church is here to 500 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:21,240 help people experience God, to to draw near to him, abide in 501 00:31:21,250 --> 00:31:24,440 him, learn to love other people a little better than we did 502 00:31:24,450 --> 00:31:28,460 yesterday and to pass it on. That's what we're about. 503 00:31:28,470 --> 00:31:34,020 We are Easter people proclaiming the greatness of Jesus, 504 00:31:34,470 --> 00:31:38,600 proclaiming the significance of his death, proclaiming that 505 00:31:38,610 --> 00:31:41,970 there is always hope, and proclaiming that there is life 506 00:31:41,980 --> 00:31:45,930 after death and we can experience that life even now. 507 00:31:45,980 --> 00:31:48,590 So if that interests you, I just encourage you, hey, stick 508 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:50,250 around, stick around for a while. 509 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:53,730 If that's something that you want to affirm your faith in 510 00:31:53,740 --> 00:31:57,150 Jesus Christ or maybe perhaps today reaffirm. 511 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,670 I want to encourage you to pray this prayer with me. 512 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,890 And I invite everybody to stand. Let's stand just for a moment. 513 00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:08,710 You know, Billy Graham led millions of people to Christ 514 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,230 through this salvation prayer before his death. 515 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,400 And I prayed a very similar prayer myself when I gave my 516 00:32:14,410 --> 00:32:16,690 life to Christ. And I'd love to lead you in that 517 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:18,940 prayer. And it's a prayer that all of us 518 00:32:18,950 --> 00:32:22,350 could pray. If you believe it, if you're a 519 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:26,990 believer, if you're wanting to become a follower of Jesus, join 520 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,910 me in praying. And 1 of this, just say this out 521 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:30,970 loud. Dear Heavenly Father, just join 522 00:32:30,980 --> 00:32:36,780 me. I know that I'm a Sinner and I 523 00:32:36,790 --> 00:32:42,520 ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins 524 00:32:42,530 --> 00:32:50,650 and rose from the dead. The time I repent, I turn from 525 00:32:50,660 --> 00:32:54,700 my sins. I invite you to come into my 526 00:32:54,710 --> 00:33:01,220 heart and life. I want to trust and follow you 527 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:07,860 as my Lord and Savior in Jesus name, Amen. 528 00:33:09,580 --> 00:33:10,290 Amen.