This Sunday
around the world has been observed and celebrated as Easter Sunday. What is
Easter? Depending on who you ask you get
a different answer. There is the
commercial version of Easter and the real Christian version of Easter. The Commercial version of Easter is all about
Easter eggs, bunnies, and candy, but is this all there is to Easter or is there
more? This Easter Sunday morning let me ask you a question, what do you really
believe?
Jesus has risen
from the dead as He has said. This is a proven Fact and is not Fiction. Some
might say ‘so what; if he has risen from the dead’? What does that have to do
with me today? Well it has everything to do with you and me; because your life
and death depends on it. Therefore it is essential that you know what the
essence of Easter is all about. Let me share the three fold Essence of Easter.
But before that let’s hear Matthew’s version of the resurrection story. Matthew
28:1-10 The first aspect of Easter is that: We are forgiven.
I.
WE ARE FORGIVEN
The Biblical
narrative tells us that the disobedience of Adam and Eve brought sin upon all
of us and its wages which is death. Since that time many have tried all kinds
of things to get rid of the inherited sin. Each year people in the OT offered
the blood of a perfect animal for the forgiveness of their sins. Even today some
religions offer blood sacrifice as to seek cleansing from their sins. Others
suggest that “being good and doing good works” will take away sin.
But none of these
acts could actually wash away the guilty stain of sin. What can actually wash
away my sin and the sins of the whole world? Only the blood of Christ the Holy
Son of God who became man and humbled himself unto death on the Cross be able
to wash our sins.
Romans 5: 18-19, “Here
it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us all in this
trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it.
But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said
no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put
many in the right.”
When Jesus rose
from the dead, He provided forgiveness for our sins, not only that, He defeated
our last enemy which is death. So let’s echo the words of the Apostle Paul and
say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”(I Corinthians 15:55-57).
Today the
forgiveness of sins has been made available for all of us. But it doesn’t mean that all are saved
automatically, only those who acknowledge that they are sinners; repent of
their sins; ask Jesus to forgive their sins and accept His forgiveness by faith
will be saved. In other words on the Day of Judgment they can stand before God
without shame and guilt. The second aspect of Easter is that: We are empowered.
II WE
ARE EMPOWERED
The word empower means,
“to give someone (the authority) or executive power to do something. For
example The
Secretary of State, carries out the President’s foreign policies through the
State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States.
One among many of
his responsibilities is that he, “Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties
and agreements.”[1]
In order to do his Job well and serve the people of the USA and its interests,
the US senate empowers the Secretary of State with authority and executive
power.
Similarly;
Christians are the representatives of God who are on a holy mission. The risen
Lord empowers his followers with supernatural power to represent Him well
through their godly lives and also to carry out His divine purposes on the
earth. After Jesus rose from the dead; he called his eleven disciples to him
and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always; to the very
end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20)
Jesus was sending
his disciples into the world with his authority to preach the good news. They
now have the authority but they still needed to be empowered, so he told them
to wait for His promise which he said he would send upon them very shortly. He
said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends
of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
The truth of the
resurrection is that we, his followers are empowered. Paul brings out the purpose of this
empowerment. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living
in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters,
we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For
if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put
to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:11-14)
The reason that
God has empowered us with his Holy Spirit is not that we boast about the
gifting that the Lord has freely given to us, but so that we do not live
according to the flesh. The Holy Spirit enables us to overcome sin; to stand strong,
and to proclaim the message of the gospel boldly and unashamedly. The third
aspect of Easter is that: We have Hope.
III.
WE HAVE HOPE
If you ask why
people commit suicide; people give various answers such as due to unbearable
pain, loneliness,
rejection, abuse, deep sadness, guilt, depression, and helplessness. While all
these factors may contribute to someone committing suicide, I believe more than
anything the reason why people commit suicide is that they feel hopeless.
They are hurting
so badly and want the pain to end, but they can’t imagine it ever going away.
They can’t see the light at the end of a very dark, lonely tunnel. Have you
ever felt that way?
When Jesus died on
the cross and was buried in the grave one can only imagine what the disciples
might have been going through. In spite of Jesus telling them that He was going
to be killed, buried and on the third day He would come back to life, the mood
in the camp of the disciples was anything but one of jubilance and victory. It was
absolute hopelessness.
They were filled
with despair and anguish as to what was happening. Their doubt and hopelessness
was turned to joy and amazement when Jesus came back to life on the third day
as he had promised.
The resurrection
of Jesus is what gives Christians for that matter all of mankind hope today.
Paul while dwelling on the theme of Christ’s resurrection, and arguing with
those who were discrediting Christ’s resurrection had this to say:
“And if Christ has
not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that,
we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about
God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact
the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not
been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile;
you are still in your sins.
Then those also
who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope
in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” ( I Corinthians 15:14-19) But
thank God; Christ has indeed has been raised from the dead according to the scriptures.
This is what Jesus
promised to his heart broken disciples while he was still with them. John
14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God
believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if
that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a
place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
One day Christ
will come back and take all those who believe in Him to be with him forever
where there will be no more pain, no more tears and no more death. That is the
hope of resurrection. Dear friends; on this Easter Sunday what do you really
believe about Easter? The essence of Easter is that: We are forgiven. We are
empowered and we have hope. If you are here today and not sure whether your
sins have been forgiven; you can be assured that they are forgiven when you
come to Christ in repentance and ask for his forgiveness.
Some of you may have
been Christians for a long time but you are lacking the power to live out your
Christian life then you too can ask God to empower you with His Holy Spirit. If some of you are struggling in life and
feeling absolutely hopeless of your situation then cheer up the risen Lord
wants to fill your life with hope. No matter who you are what you might be
going through today the risen Lord is here to meet your need. I invite you to
come to him in faith and let him forgive you, let him empower you and let him
fill you with eternal hope. Amen
