Death is a terrible thing. No-one wants to face death. Maybe you have dead things in your past, or sin in your life. However, Jesus Christ has overcome death, hell and the grave – so that you can have eternal life through his blameless sacrifice of his body on the cross. Jesus dived into the jaws of hell to save those who died before him, forever breaking the stronghold of the devil. Jesus is waiting for you to call out to him. Do you want to receive him today?
Happy Easter! My name is Chris Fluitt, and this is Redemption Church in Plano Tx, wishing you a happy Easter. Everyone online & everyone in the room I greet you in the name of Jesus.
The other day a Facebook friend posted about their difficult day.
“It has not been a good day…”
- My car was broken into last night and somehow they stole my security camera that was supposed to tell me my car was being broken into.
- The appliances I ordered through my contractor do not fit the cabinet openings we have built.
- Today is my mom’s funeral and I can’t be there because of Canadian covid 19 regulations.
This was a bad day. Having your car broken into is a real negative. Having the wrong size appliances is a pain. …but your mom passed away and now because of something out of your control you can’t even be there to lay her to rest. Off all that happened that is the worst, because death is the worst.
Death is the worst
Whatever hassles you are dealing with… whatever the struggle or disappointment… nothing compares to death. Death makes everything else look like a slight inconvenience.
You have had those phone calls where someone says “Is this Mr. Chris Fluitt? “Yes.” “Is your Father’s name Clyde Fluitt?” “…yes…” “I am sorry to inform you that…” And inside you are screaming no. Do not say what I think you are going to say!!!!
“Sorry to say your father’s subscription to Sports Illustrated comes to an end next month. Would you like to renew for the low payment of blah blah blah…”
When death seems like a possibility, everything just stops… your brain stops, your heart stops, your dreams stop, your peace stops, your hope stops, your breathing stops…
Death is the worst. I don’t think I need to convince you of this.
Here we are on Easter Sunday. We would not be here if Jesus had never died. Let’s read in Mark 15.
Mark 15:25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [a] 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b]
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Jesus died. In this scripture reading Jesus is spoken of in past tense. It is such a sad thing to speak of someone in the past tense for the first time.
Jesus died. He was alive. Surely this WAS the son of God!
Jesus died, but Jesus was not the only one to die that day.
When Jesus died…
Hope died
In Luke 21, 2 followers of Jesus told someone about the terrible thing that happened in Jerusalem.
Luke 21:19-24 “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
We had hoped… but when Jesus died our hope died too. We hoped he was the prophet, powerful in word & deed to redeem… When Jesus breathed His last, hope breathed its last. Jesus & hope are spoken of in the past tense.
There was another casualty on the day Jesus died.
Peace Died
Jesus is called the prince of peace. He is the one who stepped out on the boat and calmed the storm by saying “peace! Be still.” With Jesus by their side, the disciples never really needed to fear.
..but when Jesus died all those disciples gathered in a room and hid behind a locked door. They had no peace. They were afraid they were next. They were confused how it all went wrong. They stayed in that room and hid in fear.
Hope died. Peace died. And there is another that passed when Jesus breathed His last.
Purpose Died
Jesus walked up to people like Peter, Andrew, James, & John who were fishermen. Jesus walked up to them and said the simple words “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) Jesus revealed to these men a greater purpose and they dropped their fishing nets and followed Him.
Jesus revealed a greater future, dream, promise, & purpose than they had ever realized. Perhaps no one ever looked these back wood country guys in the eyes and said to them that they could be special, they could achieve, they could be great and do great things. When Jesus looked them in the eyes and invited them to follow it revealed to them a purpose.
They saw the dead raised and the demons cast out. They themselves healed the sick. Peter walked on water. They heard the mysteries of God & His kingdom straight from the source. God used these disciples, and the impossible seemed more than possible, with Jesus the impossible seemed LIKELY!
Yet, when Jesus died so did the purpose they felt.
The disciples did not try to preach the kingdom, heal the sick, or feed the multitude after Jesus was crucified. The disciples went right back to the life they lived before Jesus. We know that the ones who dropped their nets went right back and picked them up and settled for a life of mediocrity.
Jesus died, and a lot died with him…
The body of Jesus literally was laid in a tomb. The death of hope, peace, & purpose were just as real.
Matthew 28:2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
When Jesus came back to life…
I want to preach to the one who has held a funeral for hope. You feel hopeless.
The problems in front of you seem impossible. The issues in your life seem terminal.
There is no hope in your relationships,your mind, your career, your heart, your spiritual relationship with God… it all seems hopeless.
When Jesus came back to life, hope came back to life.
In Mark 15 those 2 disciples who said they “had hoped that He would be the one to redeem Israel.” They didn’t know it but they were actually talking to a resurrected Jesus.
Those disciples felt something when a resurrected Jesus spoke to them.. “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He spoke with us..” (Luke 24:32) I believe they felt HOPE come back to life!
With hope they hurried to tell everyone that Jesus was alive. When Jesus came back to life, their hope came back to life.
Because of Jesus you can have hope today. Your cold dead heart can burn within you again!
If you are lacking hope you need to call on a resurrected Jesus today.
I want to preach to the one who has been mourning the loss of their peace today.
You are afraid. You spend most of your time hiding and not living. You are overwhelmed by the evening news. You are not enjoying life, you are dreading it.
When Jesus came back to life, peace came back to life.
The disciples who were hunkered down in hiding, experienced a miracle when a resurrected Jesus walked through the walls and stood in their presence.
It transformed fearful followers into fearless preachers of the Gospel.
When Jesus died they hid, but when Jesus came back to life there was no hiding them. They stood up boldly and declared the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came back to life, their peace came back to life!
Because of Jesus you can have peace today. You can be fearless, bold, and passionate… no more hiding!
If you are lacking peace you need to call on a resurrected Jesus today.
I want to preach to the one who has lost their purpose.
You think often, what is the point.. You have no faith that things will get better. You have learned to settle instead of pressing toward your calling and using your gifts to the fullest.
When Jesus came back to life, purpose came back to life.
The disciples were on a boat fishing after the death of Jesus… they had given up and went back to their old life.
BUT A RESURRECTED JESUS SHOWS UP! Peter, the one who denied Christ… he cursed and said “I never knew him” right in sight of Jesus… the one who had lost all purpose… when Peter saw Jesus He did not wait for the boat to dock, he stepped right off the boat and ran through the water to Jesus. (John 21:7)
Jesus looks at Peter and gives Him back his purpose.
John 21:17 Jesus said, “Feed my sheep
Peter dropped his nets a 2nd time when purpose came back to life. Peter would preach the gospel, do miracles, start churches, see samaritans & gentiles filled with the Spirit.. His very shadow healed people as he passed by!
Because of Jesus you can have your purpose today. You can know that you are loved and called by Jesus. You can know that great things are in your future. The impossible is no longer possible… with Jesus the impossible is LIKELY!
If you are lacking purpose you need to call on a resurrected Jesus today.
In a few moments we are going to spend time praising and praying to the one who came back to life. It is so important that you understand we are not just celebrating a story where a dead man came back to life… we are celebrating you coming back to life.
Because Jesus came back to life, we come back to life. You hope, our peace, our purpose… if you die and are buried you will rise again… Jesus’ resurrection is your resurrection story.
John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
Do you realize that the entire Bible is the story of dead things coming back to life?
Adam & Eve’s relationship with God died… it is brought back to life.
Cain killed Able and seemingly ended the promise of messiah… it is brought back to life.
The whole earth dies in a flood… it is brought back to life.
Abraham’s promise dies because Sarah has a dead womb… it is brought back to life.
Joseph’s dream dies in an Egyptian prison… it is brought back to life.
Israel’s hope of the promised land dies in Egyptian slavery… it is brought back to life.
At the Red Sea Israel will no doubt die at the hands of Pharaoh… it is brought back to life.
Over and again God brings the dead to life.
My favorite example is the rod of Aaron. Do you know about the rod of Aaron?
(Numbers 17) Aaron the high priest, brother of Moses, has a wooden staff. The staff is no doubt a cut off branch. His staff is literally a dead piece of tree.
In the wilderness the children of Israel turn on Moses & Aaron. They say that they will reject the leadership of Moses & Aaron.
Moses prays and God says to Moses, have Aaron and the other people who want to lead place their staffs forward. They all do… and God causes the staff of Aaron’s to bloom.
A big beautiful flower blooms up that dead cutoff piece of wood. It revealed to all the people who the called leader was.
Jesus Christ is the cutoff one who died… but God caused Him to bloom… God brought Him back to life. He is the true authority we should lead.
Mohammed is still in the grave.
Confucius is still in the grave.
Buddha is still in the grave.
You name the religious leader… Jesus Christ is the one who came back to life. He is the one who is the true authority. We know it because He has come back to life.
You know He is the true authority because He is the one that brings us back to life!
Hope come back to life.
Peace come back to life.
Purpose come back to life.
Jesus bring us back to life today.