EASTER SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 31 March 2024
Sermon Text: Luke 24:36-53
Sermon Series: “Jesus’ Suffering to Resurrection” (#6)
Main Points:
Introduction
I. Do you believe in Christ’s resurrection?
II. Has your belief in Christ’s resurrection changed your life?
III. Is your changed life affecting others?
Conclusion
On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Lord Jesus’ resurrection. It is the day we deeply rejoice because the death was defeated and our participation in the Lord’s resurrection glory was assured. This is, in fact, the best day in the Christian calendar. Christ’s glory in His resurrection fills this day as it fills our heart of faith.
But, have you realised that, for Christians, every Sunday is Easter? I mean, we celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead on every Sunday, calling it the Lord’s Day. Otherwise, we would’ve not considered the first day of the week so important for our faith and life. Every Sunday is, to us believers, Easter day. I say this not to discrown the joy of Easter, but to emphasise our appreciation of Jesus’ saving grace culminated on the day He arose, leaving the tomb empty. My intention is to highlight how you and I live in the joy and power of Jesus’ resurrection.
In other words, living Jesus’ resurrection is so real and natural for Christians. Living it out in your life began as soon as you put your trust in Jesus, believing Him as the Son of God who came in flesh to be the Substitute and pay the death penalty you deserved for your sins. Moreover, as you began confessing Him as your Saviour and Lord who gave His life on the cross in your stead and God the Father raised Him from the dead, His resurrection glory and power became yours overwhelmingly. So, you’re no longer under the burden of sin; the death has lost its pang and no longer do you fear its sting. You’re living Christ’s resurrection daily!
So, today, on this glorious Easter Sunday morning, I’d like to talk about living in Jesus’ resurrection – more specifically, in what way you live Jesus’ resurrection out in your daily living and how you could appreciate the Lord’s blessing.
I’d like to do it with asking and considering three questions and answers. The first question is, do you believe in Christ’s resurrection? Second, has your belief in Christ’s resurrection changed your life? And the third and last question is, is your changed life affecting others?
I. Do You Believe in Christ’s Resurrection?
Now, let me present to you the first question, that is, ‘Do you believe in Christ’s resurrection?’ This seems awkward and unfit for Christians. Of course, you believe in Christ’s resurrection. But what I mean to ask is how serious is your belief in Jesus’ resurrection.
Before you answer this question, you might first wonder how you could measure or quantify your faith in this sense. So, let me suggest you ask this to yourself – ‘Is my heart filled with joy when I think about Jesus’ resurrection?’
Well, what do you say? Do you feel your heart getting warmed with joy? Or, just ‘normal’ with no special or any particular difference? Brothers and sisters, I see that joy in your heart is the measure of how serious your belief in Jesus’ resurrection is. Consider the case of Lk. 24, for example. When the disciples saw Jesus appeared in their midst, their hearts were filled with joy; they were marvelled. I’m talking about that sort of joy – though in much less degree, because not many Christians would have such an experience of facing the risen Lord. Also whenever Jesus’ resurrection is noted or mentioned in the NT, overflowing joy and amazement and praise always accompany.
Let me give you an example. I’m going to read you Eph. 2:5-6, and please try to catch the apostle’s joy and excitement – Paul says, “even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and [God] raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Have you grasped his thrill in these words? Paul finishes in the following verse, saying this, “so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable [or ‘surpassing’] riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Have you noticed how joyful Paul is when he talks about Jesus’ resurrection and the believer’s participation in the glory of the Lord’s resurrection? Have you noted that Paul is so eager to tell you that you too have this joy through your faith.
So, the question is, ‘Do you believe in Christ’s resurrection, my dear brothers and sisters?’ How serious is His resurrection to you? When you hear the truth of resurrection, does your heart pump up Christian joy and hope and send them through your veins, thus, your mind and soul are thrilled with the glory of life and heaven?
If you’re not really excited in the truth of the Lord’s rising from the dead or of your participation in His resurrection glory, you’d better examine your heart for Jesus, you’d better test yourself and see what you miss in your faith. The Apostle Paul urges in 2 Cor. 13:4-5, pointing out to us all that this is a matter of faith – listen to what he says, “[Christ] was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but … we will live with Him by the power of God. Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in [this] faith. Or do you now realise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”
We Presbyterians tend to be allergic to ‘feelings,’ emphasising instead such aspects as knowledge and understanding and commitment, but it’s quite safe to measure your faith by your heart’s reaction to Jesus’ resurrection. You can be sure that you’re serious about Jesus’ resurrection and wholeheartedly embrace His resurrection glory, if your heart and soul get excited with the truth of your Saviour’s resurrection, His victory over death and Satan!
II. Has Your Belief in Christ’s Resurrection Changed Your Life?
The next question for you is this, ‘Has your belief in Christ’s resurrection changed your life?’ In other words, are you a new person and do you believe that your faith in the risen Lord has turned you to be a different person? I guess this is again an awkward one to ask because – I believe – all of you here are new creation in Jesus Christ through faith in Him. You believed in the Lord, and were baptised in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. You’ve become members of this visible, local, earthly church as the symbol of your ultimate membership of the invisible, universal and eternal Church of Christ Jesus. Moreover, you come to God in worship through Jesus. Of course, your life has been dramatically changed as born-again Christians.
But what I mean to ask is not any ‘outward’ changes, but your ‘inward’ change because of your faith in Christ’s resurrection. By ‘inward’ rather than ‘outward’ change, I mean – simply put – the focus of your life. What change have you experienced in terms of the direction of your life or the want or desire of your life? Is there any significant change? Or, not so much?
For example, you’ve stopped from going to beaches or pubs on Sundays, and come to church for worship. That’s an exciting change, isn’t it? But if such a significant change in one’s life is purposeless – I mean, rather habitual with little excitement of worship to the Saviour – that is merely an outward change. On the contrary, an inward, thus, purposeful change generates in your heart joy of worship; it enables you to taste heaven on earth on Sundays when you stand before God, being surrounded by fellow Christians. Such an inward change enables you to see all things of your life through the lens of faith, through the very word of God; and such an inward change guides your path to align with the way of Jesus.
I mean this kind of change. So, this question, ‘has your belief in Jesus’ resurrection changed your life?’ Has the purpose of your life been changed? Have you realised that you have now a whole new focus? What is your answer? This is an important question to ask because you believe in Jesus, and you can’t miss out on living the blessings of Jesus’ resurrection.
Listen to God’s word from 2 Cor. 4 and hear His urge for you and for me to live with purpose, “knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. … So … we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
III. Is Your Changed Life Affecting Others?
The last question is this: ‘Is your changed life affecting others?’ The questions we’ve consider so far are about our faith in Jesus’ resurrection. How serious is the Lord’s resurrection to me? And has the purpose or focus of my life been changed and do I benefit from it? Then, this third question is on the result or natural outcome of what the previous questions have dealt with.
Let me rephrase this third question. Have you heard from your family members or friends or neighbours that they value your kindness highly? Or have you been thanked for your warmth or goodness toward others? Has anyone approached you, being curious to find out why you say and do things unlike others? Or have you reconciled people and brought peace to their broken relationships? I could go on, but I believe you get the point. So, in this sense, is your changed life affecting other?
If you consider Christ’s resurrection serious, thus, live your life with a firm purpose in Him, you will be very much conspicuous, distinct, in the sight of people around you; your life will leave some significant impact on theirs. What you say and do will stand out and shine Jesus bright to their eyes and mind.
Brothers and sisters in Jesus, being present at the Easter Sunday worship service is important; singing a few good Easter hymns is important; greeting one another with the blessings of Easter is also important. But, while our praises to Jesus go upward, while we please God with our loving fellowship, our praise to the risen Lord Jesus ought also to be heard by people around us – especially the unbelievers – and our fellowship ought to be seen and touched by all around us. We’re, in fact, called to this important task as the risen Lord says in Lk. 24:48 that we are ‘witnesses’ of Christ’s death and resurrection, thus, witnesses of His forgiveness of sins and salvation available for all peoples and nations. Our life changed because of our faith in the risen Lord Jesus should affect many lives around us!
Conclusion
These questions you and I should ask ourselves, not just on Easter Sunday only, but on every Lord’s Day when we come to God in the risen Lord Jesus. Do I believe in Jesus’ resurrection? Is my heart, my soul, overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord’s resurrection? Has this faith in Jesus’ resurrection changed my life? Then, finally, is my changed life affecting others and shining Christ bright to their eyes and hearts?
I pray that ‘Amen’ is your answer and mine to these questions! I ask God to empower us all to say ‘hallelujah!’ to the risen Lord because He is our only salvation and power and hope and everlasting joy! So, please God, help us all to live and enjoy Jesus’ resurrection in our life! ***
St Columba's Presbyterian Church 