This is the Easter sermon which was delivered at Hillcrest Baptist Church on the morning of April 20, 2014. This message looks at the the glory and importance of Jesus’ resurrection, and the necessity of seeking Him. You will find audio of the sermon, and my sermon notes below. Please note that the notes are not a complete transcript, they are only notes. For the complete message, you should listen to the audio.
SERMON AUDIO:
SERMON AUDIO – DOWNLOAD:
SERMON NOTES:
Luke 24:1-9
INTRODUCTION:
Easter is the most precious of all holidays. It commemorates the proof of God’s promise to us.
Easter is so significant because the resurrection is the foundation upon which our faith is built.
Without the resurrection, all would be lost, we would be hopeless.
v.1:
On the first day, Sunday, as the sabbath was now over.
The fact that they brought spices, tells us that their intention was the completion of Jesus’ burial.
They fully expected to find Him still there. . . dead.
But even in His death, we see something amazing. First thing in the morning, they sought Jesus.
Even though they thought He was dead, they were going to start their day by honoring Him. What a picture of love and devotion.
How do you start your day? Do you seek Jesus first, before all else? Do you begin your day seeking to honor Him?
v.2:
While they were on their way to the tomb, they knew they faced a problem, who would roll the stone away?
Mark 16:3
However; upon their arrival, they discovered that the problem had already been solved. The stone had been moved.
Isn’t that just like God?
They thought they had a problem, but God had solved it.
What had appeared to be a serious roadblock, had been moved out of the way.
Why? Because they were seeking The Lord.
If you never seek Him, you’ll never see Him work.
Matthew 6:33
Luke 11:9
I’m sure this came as quite a surprise, but not nearly as much so as what they were about to discover.
v.3:
The body of Jesus was gone!
v.4:
Now this really confused them, but they would soon understand.
God left two angels to give them the news of the resurrection.
However; had they never sought Jesus, they never would have discovered a living Savior.
God would make sure they had answers, just as He does today, through His word.
Faith in the God of the Bible has never been a blind faith. It has, and always will be a faith which is based on substantial evidence.
Hebrews 11:1
He has given us the means to know, we don’t have to be wishful and doubtful. We have been given the Bible so that we can know!
1 John 5:13
The question is, what do you truly seek?
v.5:
The angels asked a very good question, and one they should have known. “Why do you seek the living among the dead”?
We should ask ourselves the same question today. All too often, we think we are seeking Jesus, but we act as if He is dead.
Instead of relying on a living Savior, we try to solve every problem, and handle every difficulty ourselves.
We treat Him like He was dead, because we never give Him the opportunity to take control.
vv.6-8:
The good news is that Jesus is not dead, He is alive and well.
Revelation 1:18
Hebrews 7:25
Suddenly they were reminded of the very words that Jesus spoke. He had already told them that He would live.
They sought Jesus that morning, and what they found was a living Savior. How beautiful is that?
We have a living God, who is in control, and always working on our behalf.
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that He is God.
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that His sacrifice was acceptable to the Father.
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that Jesus has defeated death, and therefore has the power to save us.
1 Corinthians 15:55
In fact, belief in the resurrection is essential to the Christian faith.
1 Corinthians 15:14-19
It is impossible to deny the resurrection, and be a born again believer.
Romans 10:9
The resurrection (rightfully) made such an impression on the disciples, that they began to worship on Sunday, in honor of the Risen Savior.
Christ’s resurrection tells us that we need not be alienated or estranged from God.
By the resurrection, God demonstrated his desire for fellowship with us.
By the resurrection, Christ demonstrated the ultimate victory of good over evil.
The resurrection assures us that we can trust him completely.
v.9:
What was their response to such a blessed assurance?
They immediately began telling people. They didn’t stop with just the apostles, they told all the rest.
The resurrected Jesus Christ is a transformational, saving force.
Such a transformation should be met with mush excitement. Do you look for opportunities to share Christ with others.
Do you have a desire for the lost to share in what you have experienced.
Would you deny that to others? To yourself?
Jesus went to great lengths and unspeakable suffering, just to have fellowship with you, but you can’t have fellowship with him unless you trust him as your savior.
Would you deny him that which he worked so hard, and suffered so much for?
Will you trust Him as your Savior?
Will you make it a point to tell a lost person about Him this week?
This is truly a time for celebrating and rejoicing.
In Defense: The Blog 
Posted on April 20, 2014
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