He is Risen! He is Risen! He is Risen! Easter Sunday marks the turning of the tide. The power of sin is shattered; the chains of Satan are broken; the dominion of death is conquered, for the Son of God has risen with power and is alive forevermore!
In this sermon, we go back to that very resurrection morning and discover how Jesus’ resurrection changes everything.
- A Historical Seismic Shift: All the gospel accounts portray Jesus’ disciples on resurrection morning as being in utter shock. They were NOT expecting this. And it utterly changed the course of their lives and the course of human history. The resurrection of Jesus sent a seismic shock wave across human history, shifting the world.
- A Philosophical Seismic Shift: The resurrection of Jesus broke the philosophical mold of both Greco-Roman and Jewish thought. But today, we don’t live in Greco-Roman or Jewish philosophical categories; we live in a secular philosophical framework. The secular philosophical story goes something like this: We exist because of random chance and the survival of the fittest. And because life has no inherent meaning, it’s up to you to devise your own happiness, because you only live once. But in the end, death conquers us all, and in time, we will all be forgotten. But if the resurrection is true, everything changes. If the resurrection is true, death isn’t the end at all, because There’s life and love and high beauty beyond. If the resurrection is true, we’re not just flesh and bone. We are souls destined to live forever. If the resurrection is true, we exist, not by chance, but because the eternally loving God created us in His image to be enfolded in his love forever. If the resurrection is true… then life is full of rich meaning and purpose, and we can ultimately be made new.
- A Spiritual Seismic Shift: The resurrection of Jesus sends seismic shock waves across our spiritual reality. If the resurrection is true, there’s nothing more important in life than what we do with Jesus. If Jesus’ resurrection is real, nothing else matters. And if it is not real, then nothing else matters.
Takeaways: Has Jesus shifted your world?
One of the ways you know you’ve encountered the living Jesus is the landscape of your life looks very different as a result. You find your affections changing, your desires altering, and your priorities shifting. Instead of looking to Jesus as an advisor, you start following him as Lord.
It’s a whole new kind of life with Jesus at the center. And it turns out to be life as it was always meant to be.
Matthew 28:1-10
