“The Power of the Resurrection”
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
Easter Sunday
April 17, 2022
Introductory Comments:
Well, it is Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday. On Easter, we have all sorts of things to celebrate such as dyed eggs [show picture on screen], Peeps [show picture on screen], Cadbury Eggs [show picture on screen], Robin Eggs [show picture on screen], and eggs with prizes inside [show picture on screen]. However, as much as I love all of this, the thing about Easter that I love to celebrate most is the resurrection of Jesus [show picture on screen]!
Easter is about the power of the resurrection! Indeed, today’s sermon is entitled, “The Power of the Resurrection.” [on screen]
Today’s sermon is a little different. I just want to encourage you with some Scripture and some truths from God’s Word regarding the power of the resurrection.
First, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
So, let’s discover three aspects of the power of the resurrection.
First, . . .
I. The power of the resurrected Jesus. [on screen]
The power of the resurrection starts with the power of the resurrected Jesus.
Most of us know the story of Jesus’ resurrection. After His terrible crucifixion and being buried in the tomb on Friday, He sat in the tomb Friday, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning, and then His friends went to check on His body.
We read in Mark 16:6 what happened when some friends of Jesus found an angel at His tomb instead of Jesus Himself. Mark says the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” [on screen]
This event is the resurrection of Jesus. This event is where Jesus conquered death and demonstrated that He truly had the power of God. This event is the foundation of Easter Sunday. This event is the foundation of Christianity. This event is the foundation of why we gather as a church!
There is power in the resurrection of Jesus! A dead man came back to life and He changed history forever!
In case you don’t remember, life was not easy for the early followers of Jesus. After Jesus went back into heaven with the Father, the early Christians suffered harm, hardships, and heartache. Yet, they pressed on. Why? Because they believed that the resurrection of Jesus really happened and they believed that it brought power.
We learn in Acts 4:33 about the effect the resurrection had on the early Christians. The passage says, “With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.” [on screen]
There was power in the ministry of the apostles because there was power in the resurrection of Jesus!
The apostle Paul carried on the ministry of the apostles as one of the most effective preachers, missionaries, and church planters of the early church.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul said, “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” [on screen
Paul said this was most important; this – the death, burial, and the powerful resurrection of Jesus!
First, remember there is power in the resurrected Jesus! Second, recognize . . .
II. The power of the resurrected person. [on screen]
The resurrection of Jesus not only brought new life to Jesus but it made new life possible for every person who would call out to Jesus to be made new.
The apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:9-10, “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”[on screen]
Indeed, by the power of Jesus, we are set free from darkness and sin and we are given new life and immortality.
Paul said this miracle has been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ.
We learned about this just last week in Romans 6.
Paul says in Romans 6:5-6, “For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin. [on screen]
We are dead to our old selves and we are given new life in Jesus! We are united with Jesus in the likeness of His resurrection.
There is resurrection power for the person who is united to Jesus!
Although we are certainly given new life spiritually, the resurrected person gets more than a spiritual resurrection.
We learn of this reality in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. [on screen]
One day, every person who is in Jesus will experience the power of the resurrection when we are caught up with Jesus in the air to experience all the beauties and realities of heaven in the presence of our Savior and our Lord.
We will then experience the beautiful words that Jesus uttered to the man crucified next to Him when He suffered on that Friday on the cross. Jesus said to Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” One day, we too will be with Him in paradise.
So, there is power for the resurrected person. Jesus will give us new life spiritually and physically.
On that note, let us discover the third aspect of the power of the resurrection:
III. The power of the resurrected life. [on screen]
We must understand, friends, that there is not just new spiritual life, there is not just a future new physical life, but there is a whole different level of life now on this earth when you are changed by the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” [on screen]
Jesus said just a little later in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. [on screen]
You see, when we have Jesus, we have life now!
Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection . . .” [on screen]
Friend, don’t you want to experience true power? Don’t you want to feel the power of the resurrected life?
The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t automatically erase all the problems of this world but it gives us true life in the midst of all that is around.
Paul said also in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [on screen]
Let Jesus live in you. Live by faith in the Son of God. Live a resurrected life!
No matter what you’re going through, let Jesus live in you. When you are suffering from the hardships of this world, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you are blessed beyond measure, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When cancer or disease is devastating you or someone you love, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you’re at the best health of your life, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When dementia is attacking your mind or the mind of someone you love, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you’re blessed with a sharp mind and you’re thinking clearly, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When your investments are making all kinds of money, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you can barely scrape up enough money to feed your family, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When your family is functional and happy, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When your family is dysfunctional and broken, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When your church is baptizing hundreds of people, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When your church is struggling and barely able to survive, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you have tons of friends who love and encourage you, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus. When you’re lonely and discouraged, live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus.
You see, church: no matter what you’re experiencing; blessing or burdens, plenty or pitiful, exuberance or exasperation, Jesus is better and He offers us life to which the goods and bads of this world do not compare! Live with the power of a resurrected life!
Concluding Thoughts:
The is power in the resurrected Jesus, there is power in the resurrected person, and there is power in the resurrected life.
This Easter, remember the power of the resurrection of Jesus.
Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learned:
Bottom Line: There’s no power like resurrectionpower! [on screen]
(repeat)
There is no buffet like Fred’s Market buffet. There is no state like the sunshine state. There is no Easter candy like the Cadbury Egg. There is no music like country music. There’s no sport like college football. There’s no country like the United States of America. So also and so much more, there is no power like resurrection power.
So, experience the power of the resurrection!
Closing:
If you are in Christ, live in the power of His resurrection. If you are not in Christ, come to Him today and experience the power of Jesus!
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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