CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! Today I am going to present you with my Easter sermon. Though I prefer to call it my Resurrection sermon. And as part of my sermon I am going to tell you why. A clue to this is the fact that tomorrow is the day of Passover. More on that later. The resurrection of Christ was probably celebrated near the resurrection itself. I cannot imagine that such an earth-shattering event could be ignored particularly since it was connected so closely with the Jewish celebration of Passover. And church tradition records that John the disciple personally celebrated the Resurrection on the 14th of the Jewish month Nisan. As the disciples died out, there started to be dissension about many areas of Christianity. Among those was which day was the right one to celebrate the Resurrection. The first discussion was which day of the week to observe. Since a day of the month will fall on different week days, there were some, as the Apostle John, who celebrated the resurrection on 14 Nisan regardless of what day of the week it fell on. But soon there came a general consensus that the Resurrection should always be celebrated on Sunday, the day of the week that Jesus was resurrected on. Then the issue came to be, "On which Sunday of the year should we celebrate the resurrection?" To greatly simplify things, there were two basic groups. The first calculated the resurrection on any number of factors, and there was general chaos in the Western church. This was finally corralled by Constantine, who worked through the church counsels to standardize the day that the Resurrection was celebrated on a day called Easter, paralleling a pagan celebration. One of the arguments used in setting this date was that it was necessary to separate a Christian celebration from an observance of the hated Jews. The Christians of Syria and Mesopotamia however celebrated the Resurrection on the first Sunday after Passover, more closely following the apostle John. Which brings me to why I am preaching a Resurrection sermon today. By the way, the word Easter is never found in the original text of the Bible. The only time that it appears in the King James Version is where the word "pascha", which is translated Passover in every other instance, is translated Easter. Now that is not the message that I want to bring to you. But I thought that you would find it interesting. And I did it for another reason, also. There has been in our faith a tendency to play down Easter because of all of the pagan trappings that are associated with it now. And by doing that we perhaps do not give as much attention to the resurrection as we should. So I choose to eschew the pagan influences while remembering, and celebrating the most important event in human history. So I believe in observing the Resurrection as close to Passover as possible. And what a more beautiful way to do it? Turn with me in your Bibles to: Exodus 12:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Now when God tells me that something is a new beginning, I want to perk up my ears, don't you? And God is telling His people that He is getting ready to do something spectacular for and with them. He is preparing to deliver them from bondage and slavery and take them to a new earth, a promised land, flowing with goodness and beauty. You remember the story well. Each family was to take a lamb into their house and keep it in the house until the 14th of the month. At that time the lamb, that they had played with, eaten with, and perhaps slept next to, had to have it's neck slit and the blood collected. Then it would be prepared and roasted whole. The blood was to be taken and painted on the door posts of the house as a sign that God's people lived here. And it is important to note, that not just Israelites put the blood on the door posts, but some Egyptians did also, claiming the God of Israel as their God. The Word goes on to tell us: Exodus 12:8 'Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 'Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire; its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 'You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. 12 'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 'Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Note: And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; Pass Over. The celebration of God placing His hand over those who are those who are under the blood. And through the blood, and the waters of the Red Sea, was born a new nation, under God, spared through faith in the blood of the Lamb. You see, Passover is not just about death, it is about resurrection also. Jesus emphasized this as recorded in Matthew 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." Paul wrote in Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. You see friends, the blood of the sacrifice is an exercise in futility if there is no resurrection to go along with it. Paul can hardly contain himself as he writes about it. I can see his pulse raising and his writing become fast and furious as he writes: 1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. You see, and you have heard this from me before, and I can no more quit saying it than can Paul, the all important concept is that we are, should be, must be, IN CHRIST. Outside of him we have nothing. Note his progression in this passage: Why are you denying the resurrection? If there is no resurrection, Christ can not be resurrected. If Christ is not risen, our faith is empty. If Christ is not risen, we are liars, because if there is no resurrection Christ is not risen. If Christ is not risen, you are in a hopeless state. If Christ is not risen, all the dead have perished. If we have hope only in this life we are PITIFUL!! BUT CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! AND "IN CHRIST" OUR RESURRECTION IS A CERTAINTY. If were are "in Christ" and he is a dead man, what are we? Dead. If we are "in Christ" and He is a living Savior, then we are alive, and will be even more alive when He receives us into Glory. Think just a minute about what you believe. Use the logic of Paul. What of our beliefs, our doctrines have any meaning without the resurrection? Live carefully so that we can have long and painful lives, and then nothing? Spend time in religious activities for a dead God? Uphold holiness and goodness if there is no future? Tell others the good news that Jesus was a good person? But dead. Prepare for a second coming, but no one is going anywhere, and no one is going to be resurrected? BUT CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! The beauty of being "in Christ" who is a resurrected Christ is that now we sit at the right hand of God through our Elder Brother. The glory of being "in Christ" who is a conquering king, means that we are conquerors through him. The wonder of being "in Christ" who is a living Savior means that our past was buried with Him, and we live a new life. CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! A handful of disappointed followers did not suddenly become bold witnesses of a grave robbery. A day of Pentecost did not happen as the result of delusioned followers covering up sorrow and disillusionment. The gospel to the world was not the result of people merely trying to remember a good man who lived and died a painful death. NO NO NO. CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! All this happened because of the reality of an actual fact. An life in history that not only divided time in this world, but divided the world itself. A fact that changed hearts and lives. And still changes hearts and lives. Brothers and sisters, He Lives! Not just within our hearts. But in Heaven, at the right hand of God. And He wants you to be 'in Him." You can, you know. No maybe's or if's or I hope's. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. BECAUSE CHRIST IS RISEN!!!!! Benediction 2 Cor 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.