Easter Sunday | April 9
Amazing Easter: Get Your Belief
Luke 24
April 9th, 2023
Life-changing belief doesn’t come from somewhere inside of you.
Life-changing belief comes from someone outside of you who gets inside of you and fills you forever!
Christianity isn’t a moral system that monitors behavior.
Christianity is a belief system that resurrects and empowers life now and secures life for all eternity.
Romans 6:3-8 “don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. AMEN!
Faith in Christ isn’t blind or uninformed.
Faith in Christ is hearing, seeing and understanding experience.
Interaction #1 The Women
Luke 24:1-6a “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you.”
Dead places can’t produce life but they inadvertently point to where life is – like, not here.
Resurrections are hard to believe when you have heard, seen or felt death.
Yet, resurrections are the best thing Jesus does!
Jesus consistently transforms dead ending places into fresh beginning places!
Belief in Christ is belief in someone outside of ourselves and its genesis moment is when you hear about Jesus!
The Gospel
Jesus is our Savior. He is the Son of God born in the flesh who paid the penalty of our sin, crushed power of Satan and restored our personal connection our Creator.
Jesus gave His life up for us, He raised His life up for us and He gives us a new life in Him!
Interaction #2 The Men
Luke 24:19-24 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
With every new day with Jesus something old and dead falls off and something fresh and living is added.
Blood is one of the hardest substances to get out of fabric and yet Jesus’ blood is the only power to wash away the sin from the fabric of our lives.
Luke 24:27, 30-32 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Belief in Jesus starts with hearing about Jesus.
Belief in Jesus surges with a seeing, feeling encounter with Jesus.
Interaction #3 The Others
Luke 24:36-49 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Belief in Jesus starts with hearing about Jesus.
Belief in Jesus surges with a seeing, feeling encounter with Jesus.
Belief in Jesus fills us when He removes our doubts with understanding.
Doing doesn’t produce belief or life, receiving Jesus does.
Life-changing of belief doesn’t come from somewhere inside of you.
Life-changing belief comes from someone outside of you who gets inside of you and fills you forever!