Living Your Life From an Easter Point Of View By Pastor Charles Elliott…
I take my text from Isaiah 9:2 (The message bible) “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows, light has burst forth!! v3 You have brought expansion, you have expanded their joy, Oh Lord, they are so glad in Your presence with Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. v4 The abuse of oppressors and curses - Is gone, done away with, in a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon's victory over Midian. v7 The zeal of the God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this, and it has landed right on your doorstep”.
They had watched him die. Hanging from a cross, nails in his hands and feet, gasping for air, they had heard him call out with the last bit of energy he could muster, "It is finished!" and then, He was dead. Among the women who saw Jesus take his last breath were Mary His mother, Mary, His aunt on His Mom’s side….and Mary Magdalene, the former prostitute.
They could have said with the poet W. H. Auden, “He was my North, my South, my East and West, my working week and my Sunday rest, my noon, my midnight, my voice, my song, I thought that love would last for ever, how could I be so wrong. The stars are no longer needed now, you can put out every one, pack up the moon for the darkness is come, and you can dismantle the sun; pour out the blood and sweep up the wood. For nothing can ever come now, that could be of any good".
When those with Joseph of Arimathea, took Jesus’ body down from the cross, they helped him wrap the body of Jesus in a linen sheet and carried him to a tomb cut out of solid rock. There they laid the man who had loved them as no one had ever loved them before and whom they had loved so *…..deeply that nothing or no one else could fill the empty place within. This was the man, who had given them so much hope and who had changed their lives, but now He was dead. Dead as anyone could be. They watched as a huge stone was rolled across the entrance of the tomb, sealing the dead Jesus in his grave forever, so they thought.
If you’ve ever been there….when something you hoped for so deeply, that you desired so intensely, and the dream which was motivating you, not only seemed to die, but it was as though they rolled a stone over it to seal it’s fate….To cause you to believe that it was beyond hope, beyond the thought of ever seeing it come back to life again….
The next day was the Sabbath – a day of praise and worship and I can imagine they found it hard to concentrate on anything that was happening at the synagogue with so many questions swirling around in their heads. He said he was the Son of God, so how could all this happen, and Why?
It was a long day and a very long night. Matthew tells us that the women got up early and went to the tomb of Jesus to grieve, perhaps to just sit quietly and recall the love Jesus had shown to them. Never in their wildest imagination could they dream or imagine what happened next. Even though the Lord had laid it all out for them and tried to prepare them so their faith would not falter in this critical time. You see, our natural mind will fail us when it comes to understanding the inner workings of the mysteries of the kingdom. The God dream inside each of us, is birthed supernaturally, and cannot be destroyed in the natural realm, if we dare to hold on and refuse to stop believing that “He who has begun the work will be faithful to complete it!
Matthew gives us an insight that is not recorded in the other Gospels. He said, (Matthew 28:2-4)."Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men"
There was an earthquake, not just a tremor or gentle rumble, but a violent earthquake. God was on the move, in spite of all contrary forces. I’m reminded of Matthew 11:12 ”And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”.
I like the part that says that not only did the angel remove the obstacle, the thing that tried to keep the dream, the vision, the hope a captive of death’s realm….but then he sat on it…HALLELUJAH!
Can you imagine it? Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, their eyes red and still filled with tears, barely able to see where they were going because of their tears and because of the early morning light. The two Mary’s who had witnessed Jesus’ death and helped lay his body in the tomb, and saw the huge stone rolled over the entrance of the tomb. They were at an all-time low, they’re heads were down, there steps were heavy, confused and filled with questions that seemed to have no answers, they could not believe their eyes when they saw this angel, as bright as lightening on dark night, sitting there on the stone which had been rolled away!
How many times have we heard that the stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out…that stone was no match for His power. But It was rolled away so that the two Marys could go inside and see and understand that the God of all hope, reaches to the highest mountain, and flows through the lowest valley, and prepares a banquet table in the presence of our enemies. When His enemies are our enemies we are unbeatable in Christ the mighty conqueror!!!
Matthew tells us that the unbelieving Roman guards at the tomb saw all this and were terrified, and what’s so cool, is that they were the first to agree with the women when they reported to their Centurion, that the events that took place were not just manufactured by believers trying to pump up the hopes of a questioning, doubting church. He was risen, like He said….and that was the unbelieving Roman guard’s report to their superior!!!
The angel sitting on the rock gives them a reference point for faith and hope, He told the women… "Do not be afraid", he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised up, just as He said. Come inside and see the place where His body was lying." Matthew, unlike the other Gospel writers, doesn’t tell us if the women actually went inside the tomb, but, overwhelmed at the power of God, they ran with joy and excitement to tell the disciples. (Have you been overwhelmed by God’s power, grace, and faithfulness lately)
As far as Matthew is concerned, they didn’t need to look inside. They believed the impossible which deep down inside refused to let them go. Jesus was dead – now he is alive. The DNA of God planted within the spirit of every believer, causes us to somehow know that “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”! You can’t explain it many times, but down inside your knower, there is imbedded an unshakable belief that has become your reference point for life…. “ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE”!
May we never lose the sense of wonder and awe of that first Easter morning as we reach down inside and tap into the redemptive work of God that is the tipping point between life and death, sickness or wholeness, bondage or deliverance, doubt or faith and grasp the message of the angel of the Lord saying the crucified and dead Jesus is alive! Words that instantly change our whole outlook on our divinely destined outcome…If God be for us, what can stand against us!?
The resurrection is not something that happened 2000 years ago but it is happening again and again in hearts and lives around the world, and it changes FOREVER, the way we look at life AND OUR WORLD.
The Resurrection Changes the Way We Look at the Future.
The greatest and constant threat that hangs precariously, like a Damocles sword over the lives of most men and women today, is that in their future for everyone, young, old, rich, poor, good, bad, pretty or ugly, from every nation, and every tongue, and every life, will be interrupted by the finality *….of death. The ominous reality of death controls our lives much more than we realize. This shadowy force can dictate what we eat, what activities we engage in, even where we live. The fear of death makes us attentive to every ache and pain in our body. It is like a conspiracy marching in a processional, led by doctors, hospitals, medicines, bad nutrition, funeral homes, morticians, and cemeteries!
But the resurrection of Jesus takes the teeth out of death. Easter shows us that there is life beyond the grave. Death is no longer a giant but a whimpering midget… it is no more than a blip on the screen of eternity. Jesus’ return from the grave allows us to face the future with new confidence. We understand now that for the child of God, death is just simply passing from life in this world to life in eternity. Nothing more. Christians don’t die, they just get promoted…..
What will happen to the child of God when they die is sure and certain. Unlike a football game when the outcome is unknown even right up to the last minutes of the game. And it may teeter back and forth until there is an interception or a hail Mary, or a running play that breaks through to score as the clock runs out….And in some sports, the game may even go into overtime, stretching out the uncertainty even more….But there is never a tie game when it comes to death….when life wins, death loses!
There may be some doubt as to what paths our life may take. We may even have to face many fearful things, but the end of the game of life is not in doubt. We know who the winners will be. The future is certain and sealed for the child of God. Jesus ascended to heaven and came back to give to us His message of guarantee and assurance!
The Resurrection Changes the Way We Look at the Past….
There are so many who are haunted by their past. They worry because God knows what they’re really like – they worry that he knows their secret thoughts and desires and that one day he is going to demand that they give an accounting and pay the penalty?
Are there some things in the past that you feel God would have a hard time forgiving? If you keep dwelling on it, then it’s true. It’s been said that you can’t stop birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest!!! Do you live with the fear that your past decisions will come back to demand their pound of flesh? Do you live as though every good day you enjoy, will assure that some bad days will come and complete the cycle of your “Ying and Yang” If any of this is so with you, you have a lot of company.
Thank God, because of the Resurrection, every saint may have a past, but every sinner has a future… It’s like breathing, you breathe in the future and you breathe out the past…..(it’s easy, try it…)
When Jesus rose from the dead, he proved that the sacrifice of his life on the cross was accepted by God the Father. And He is our present, living Lord. If he had remained in the grave, then his death would not be any different than that of any other human. But his death and his resurrection is historical proof that the debt for all of our past sins has been paid.
1 Corinthians 15:54 (message bible) “The saying has come true: Death is swallowed up by triumphant Life! v55 Who got the last word, oh, Death and who's afraid of you now? v56 It was sin that made death so frightening and the guilt that gave sin its leverage and its destructive power. v57 But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three - sin, guilt and death - are gone, the gift from our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God, v58 with all of this going for us, my dear friends, stand your ground and don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort”.
Paul tells us in Colossians 2:12 “We are buried with Him in baptism, wherein also we are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead”.
Water baptism is a powerful outward witness to an inner work of resurrection life and an experiential prelude which connects us to Jesus’ death and resurrection. When the water of baptism flows over us, there is the pronouncement that as Christ rose from the dead, we now rise up from the waters to new life in good standing with Him.
Romans 6:4 The apostle Paul goes on to say, "By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and share in His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live in new life".
Sure, our past may embarrass us. People may judge us and think badly about us because of what has happened in the past but ... ultimately, God has dealt with our past. He has erased it with the blood of Christ. We are forgiven, and we know it is true because He is risen and is in heaven, representing us to the Father. What wonderful liberating news this is to every believer.
I recall years ago, that a young man in the military came forward to recommit his life to Christ and he shared with me that his job was to sign out and keep track of shop items which were used by the men for work done around the base. He said that over the years, he had stolen thousands of items and tools, which were now in his garage. God was dealing with him to make restitution, but he knew that if he filled up his truck, and brought it all back, it would raise flags, and it would also mess up his inventory, and he would face disciplinary action….We prayed together about it and he loaded his truck and took it all back, miraculously no one ever said or did anything and his obedience to God took place without any negative action….When it is possible, I believe we should attempt to make restitution, as a witness to those God wants us to reach with the gospel.
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore (repair, mend, make complete) such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. v10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”.
The word righteous, means to do the right thing, as Christ would do…. doing this doesn’t make us righteous but we do these things because we are righteous….
The Resurrection Changes the Way We Look at the Present......So, welcome….you’ve spent you’re whole life getting here…
I couldn’t agree more with A. A. Milne’s cartoon creation which he named Winnie the Pooh, in one of the cartoon series…. Pooh asked Piglet…”What day is it?"…. "Oh, It's a wonderful day, it’s today," squeaked Piglet. "Great, today is my favorite day," said Pooh.
I don’t want to minimize the suffering and set backs that many experience, but Easter makes the declaration for all of us, for all time to come, that pain and evil do not have the last and final say. I’m constantly amazed how people are able to rise above such incredible challenges and live creative, productive lives. The resurrection is having a powerful effect in all of our lives right now, as Pooh said, today is my favorite day.
GLORIFY GOD TODAY, WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION AS YOU TRUST IN HIS SOVEREIGN PURPOSE AND POWER to do what you cannot. Trust that God can and will turn even the most trying and overwhelming circumstance into his holy, good and constructive ends. As we stand fast in the Easter point of view, God will continually surprise us by the way He turns things around, adjusts and repositions people and circumstances, and brings about the outcome He desires in ways we could never dream! History has confirmed this on more than one occasion through unexpected and unexplainable circumstances – these unexpected historical events have happened often enough for us to not be surprised when things take a sudden turn to reveal outcomes we could hardly dream possible.
For instance…. Napoleon was sweeping to another in a long string of victories when his soldiers stumbled over a sunken road and followed it to an out-of-the-way place named Waterloo.
The Nazi war machine slipped to a stand-still in its conquest of Russia because of something as small as snowflakes.
Robert E. Lee was giving the Army of the Potomac the worst whipping they had seen, but his hopes for victory curled up in smoke literally, when important and strategic orders were lost because they were wrapped in a handful of cigars, and as someone somewhere was smoking them, history was changed.
These weren’t big things in themselves….a road that wasn't in the battle plan, a snowstorm, cigars that wandered from the pocket that held them. Nothing much. But these "little things" spelled the difference between a foregone conclusion and a final historical outcome.
A powerful Persian ruler summoned his sages and wise men and asked them for one quote that would be accurate at all times and in all situations. The wise men consulted with one another, and devoted themselves in deep contemplation, and finally came up with the answer ...the quote that would be accurate at all times and in all situations..."This too, shall pass". The ruler was so impressed by the quote that he had it inscribed in his royal ring. Many poets and song writers have used it as their theme, and we too should know and live like “This too shall pass”.
Joseph lived his life with God’s word and will as his primary reference point and with God as His number one audience. In the midst of all the temporary changes, he found an unchanging foundation. Our lives, like his, will have integrity, focus and stability if we live them under the sovereign control of God. What will endure will depend on how we view our circumstances and how we have responded and submitted to the God of every circumstance.
Our resurrected Lord has promised that he would walk with his modern day disciples thru all of their days in this life.
He’s alive to answer our prayers. He’s alive to give us his power in those circumstances that want to fill us with fear and discouragement.
He’s alive to give us courage when our knees would buckle.
Our resurrected Lord brings new life, rekindles hope, sustains us, and even recreates us, in and through many of those circumstances that would seem to be the most senseless and hopeless and useless.
The resurrection changes the way we look at all of life, beginning right now, today.
The past is the lesson, the present is the gift, and the future is our constant motivation! So, accept your past without regrets, Occupy your present with confidence, and face your future, free from fear…
When Jesus' made His final utterances from the cross, He said "It is *….finished" or “It is Done”… And when He rose up from the grave on Easter morning, it was so that His final words, could be every believer’s faith declaration….“It Is Done”…. That means it’s all taken care of….just believe it, receive it, and live like you know that it is true…..
We now live from an Easter point of view!
When the disciples entered the empty tomb, we are told that they found the empty grave clothes and the napkin which covered Jesus’ face, lying neatly folded by itself. In the time of Christ, they clearly understood the message of the folded napkin. When a wealthy master, had finished eating his meal, he would crumple his napkin and throw it down on the table. This was a message to his servants that he was finished and they could put everything away. But if the master folded his napkin and placed it by his plate, it was a message that He was coming back! Jesus was telling his disciples that it wasn’t over…..HE WAS COMING BACK!!!
Every Christian who ever lived, should find room on their tombstone to put that “we were buried once, but we will live twice”…
Easter is about second chances, and do-overs and that’s what grace is all about….
Closing Prayer……
Lord, we believe and receive all that you have done that we may have eternal life. Thank you that we have a savior who cleanses us from all sin and redeems our life from destruction. When you become the Lord of our life, you bring to us your righteousness, peace and eternal hope. We can face the future, with all it’s uncertainty and challenges unafraid, in the knowledge that you have gone before us to prepare the way. You now ever live to represent us and send forth your angels to work in our behalf.
Today, we come before you expecting this to be the greatest day of our life. A day filled with unique opportunities to share your love with every person we meet. We are of good cheer for the Lord has overcome the world and given us His victory. We have been made more than conquerors in Christ. Through Your resurrection, You enable us to come forth victorious and be raised to a higher place than we have ever been, as we receive full under-standing of our rights, privileges, and authority in Jesus.
The lord sets us on a path of ever increasing success so that the latter days of our life are much greater than any previous time. We now leave the past behind as the Lord brings us into the wider place of His abundance. We walk in happiness, peace, Divine favor and good fortune. Our families are blessed and anointed and our possessions are secure, because “It is done, It is finished”.
The limits have been taken off and we overflow with God’s covenant of fullness Lord Jesus, and Your finished work, brings wholeness and wellness into our lives. We were healed, delivered, and totally set free, 2000 years ago, when you were crucified and resurrected and Your word says it is already done in Jesus’ name. We boldly declare that we are made whole, spirit, soul and body, in Jesus’ name!
