Luke’s Gospel ch23 vs33 – 34, ch24 vs1 – 9.
1st Corinthians ch15 vs3 -4, 12 – 22.
Personal Question… What does Easter mean to you?
Is it a time for chocolates? Going on holiday? Perhaps a
time for visiting family and friends?
What it means to the Speaker is summed up in fifteen words –
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS… (1st Corinthians ch15
vs3)
AND THAT HE WAS BURIED… (1st Corinthians ch15
vs4)
AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN…
(1st Corinthians ch15 vs4)
1) CHRIST died for our sins -
Dear reader, do you believe this?
Some say Jesus Christ was a good man, an example to follow –
but just another man.
To some He means nothing, yet they often use His name as a
swear word.
However, the facts are that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son
of God, born of a virgin.
He grew up completely sinless – it was impossible for Him to
sin, being God!
His entire life was apart from sin.
Who do you say that He is?
The Speaker trusted Jesus Christ in June 1968 and he fully
commends this Man to you tonight. He loves The Lord Jesus Christ and knows
Christ loves him.
How much does He mean to you tonight, dear friend?
What will you say about Him?
The Lord Jesus Christ having lived a perfect life without a
single sin, then suffered an awful death on our behalf - to pay the full price
of our sins that we could never pay.
He was crucified – a most barbaric and tortuous death.
Later, the Roman Emperor abolished it, as being too horrific.
The Lord Jesus Christ allowed His own creation to take Him
and nail Him to that Cross. This is how much He personally loves you and I!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting
life”.
- John’s Gospel ch3 vs16.
He physically died for our sins,
that we may be forgiven and not face eternal punishment in that most terrible
place called Hell.
Every one of us has sinned and we
all need to come in repentance and faith, accepting the only Saviour of sinners - through His
redeeming work on Calvary ’s Cross.
“For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God”.
- Romans ch3 vs23.
The world loves to gloss over this
and not mention our sin problem!
Some people left the scene of His crucifixion glad that He
was dead. They were envious and jealous of Him, and now thought that was the
end of it all.
Others were sad.
But what about you, reader? How do these things affect your
heart tonight?
Is your heart not filled with
gratitude and wonder, at such undeserved love towards you? No – one will ever
love you more than this Man!
2) And that HE was buried –
Wicked hands nailed Jesus Christ
to the Cross, but loving hands removed the cruel nails and took Him down after
His death.
He was buried, with a great stone
rolled across the tomb, and then sealed.
There has been some notable
celebrity burials over the years, where millions have watched and thousands
have attended. Great pomp and ceremony has taken place before, during and after
the burials.
None of these things surrounded
the burial of The Eternal Son of God…yet never was there One as precious! It is
recorded in only a few verses, and only a few people were there.
However, it was most definitely
not the end of this Man! We would not be gathered here tonight if it had been
so!
3) And that HE rose again –
On the third day Jesus Christ rose
from the dead!
His sacrifice for our sins fully
accepted by God The Father.
A risen, justified Saviour!
Do you believe this, literally and
physically?
If not dear friend, then you are
still in your sins and facing a lost Eternity, separated from God.
The risen Christ was seen of many
people during the following month. This included His own disciples, and then to
over 500 people at once.
He is now ascended back to Heaven,
to His Father’s right hand.
His work of redemption here is
done – once for all!
Today, many others are worshipped
– the likes of Karl Marx and Elvis Presley’s graves are regularly visited. If
you ask anyone to take you to their leader, they all have one thing in common –
they will take you to a cemetery or a shrine!
When the Speaker says “come and
meet my Leader” – he points and looks upwards to living Saviour in Heaven!
Christians look up, not down!
“I am he that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore…”
- The Revelation ch1 vs18.
Jesus Christ is soon returning – for those who have genuinely
repented of their sins and in faith asked The Lord Jesus Christ to forgive
them, making Him their personal Lord and Saviour.
“… 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 unto myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also”.
- John’s Gospel ch14 vs 2 – 3.
Do you want to know the only way
to this real place of Heaven? ...
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the father, but by me.”
- John’s Gospel ch14 vs6.
It also needs to be made known, that Hell too, is a real
place.
A place of eternal torment for those who have not accepted
Christ’s atoning work.
One noted celebrity recently denied it’s existence… reader,
do not be deceived!
But for those who have grasped
this full and free Salvation through Jesus Christ – the best is yet to come…
and forever!
Please do not reject the most
wonderful love He has for you – it is beyond measure! Even though He knew
exactly what He was going to suffer in taking our sins upon Himself at Calvary , He still came!
“But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.
- Romans ch5 vs8.
Is Jesus Christ your own Lord and
Saviour tonight?
Can you say “it is well with my soul?”
Come to Him without delay, and
make that decision to know Him this very hour.
This IS Easter! -
1) CHRIST
DIED FOR OUR SINS
2) AND
THAT HE WAS BURIED
3) AND
THAT HE ROSE AGAIN…
A risen, glorified Saviour!
Are you ready for His return – not as The Judge, but as your
Saviour?
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