Easter is the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. Christmas is Christ coming into the world, but Easter is the reason why He was sent! Let us never lose the wonder of the empty tomb!
So we live in a world that loves tolerance, especially in the West. We have so many great things, like religious liberty and freedom of speech, but is seems this has also produced a massive amount of spiritual diversity, essentially an attitude that all roads lead to God.
Some people believe you can get to God for being a good person (without defining what “good” is), and some people believe that once you’re dead, it doesn’t matter, as you’re dead.
The fact is, our beliefs have consequences. Here at Light & Life, we have our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and what He did for us 2000 years ago.
Today we want you to please consider Jesus.
We will look at His ministry, His resurrection and His eternal message. If we consider all these things, there is only one right response; we must get excited at Easter because Jesus conquered death for us!
These days, nobody seems to really care what they believe until they’re either really unwell on their deathbed, or unless they’ve lost a loved one. People then start to question what life is all about and where do people go after death.
People find Jesus controversial, which is strange, because He was an historical figure, and He really did live, minister, teach, get crucified and rise again, leaving an empty tomb!
New Age beliefs and other spiritual practices are on the rise, and they aren’t controversial, but Jesus is, because He demands a response from us.
Jesus’ teachings are the foundation for Western morals and justice. He was all about helping the poor and looking out for those who were overlooked, so why do people get worried about Jesus? It’s because Jesus has an exclusive claim. He claims to be the Way to God!
1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.a If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?b 3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the way to where I am going.”
5“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.c From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
9Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
12“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
(John 14:1-14)
In today’s passage, Jesus was coming to the end of His ministry and had just prophesied His death, betrayal, and Peter’s denial.
Today we ask you to please consider Jesus:
His Ministry
Jesus’ teachings are followed by Christians and non-Christians alike. The way He lived was perfect. Critics tried to trip Him up but they couldn’t, because He was perfect all the time, keeping the Law of God and never sinning. He also performed miracles. He fed the five thousand and turned water to wine. If He was a phoney, He would have been called out as a false teacher. People couldn’t deny His healings were genuine.
Critics wanted Him to stop His ministry because it was a threat. It was a threat because it was real. Jesus was constantly found with sinners, tax collectors, social rejects. His ministry was one of love.
His Resurrection
As Jesus died, the Roman officer and soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified as an earthquake occurred as Jesus died. One of them said “this man was truly the Son of God”. Why would the Romans be paid to kill someone then to a complete u-turn and acknowledge who He was unless He was the Truth?
Peter who denied knowing Jesus and still became the most prolific “resurrection preacher” to ever live! He pointed to the empty tomb in his sermons. This man who denied Jesus turned 180 degrees to give his life to spreading the Good News of who Jesus was and is.
Perhaps the Romans stole Jesus body? But why would they do that? They wanted to end whatever they sensed was about to start. They wanted to control people with the Roman religion, and Jesus’ movement was a threat. Stealing the body would have given support to the idea that Jesus was resurrected, which is exactly what the Romans didn’t want!
Perhaps the Disciples stole the body? Well we think not. Eleven average men could hardly overpower Roman soldiers and carry out the greatest heist of all time and never tell anyone! If that happened, the soldiers guarding the tomb would have just reported the truth.
Additionally, the disciples were brutally murdered for defending their faith, and they were willing to die for it. If they didn’t believe Jesus was resurrected, they wouldn’t want to sacrifice their lives for Him.
The truth is that Jesus really did rise again and leave an empty tomb, showing Himself to many people as evidence.
So today, please consider His resurrection.
His Eternal Message
So many other religions teach how to be a good person or impress the deity. Jesus’ message is that we are made right with God through Jesus’ death on the cross. There is nothing we can do in our own strength to be right with God. Even if we give up swearing or try acting like a nice person, it won’t be good enough, because even a little bit of sin in our lives separates us from God.
The Good News is that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve failed or how many people you’ve hurt or how many people have hurt you, Jesus didn’t come to start a religion, He came to show the love of God. So please consider His eternal message.
Put simply, there was a man who claimed He had come to make a way to God. He then predicted His death and resurrection. He then died. He was then resurrected.
He came for sinners just like you and me, needy and hopeless, needing a rescuer. Let us believe this Easter that there is only one way to God, through Jesus.
If we consider His ministry, resurrection and eternal message, then we have to consider what a right response to this is.
Our only response can be to give our lives to Jesus, thanking Him for dying and rising again for us.
So this Easter, please consider Jesus.