The King of Victory
Notes
Transcript
This Easter season we have been looking closer at our King…
The King of Peace coming riding on a donkey
Friday we looked at the King of Justice as Christ died for sin
Death had occured
The capital offense paid & atoned for
Satan the serpent of old had stricken the heal…
BUT… the head of this serpent was about to be crushed!!!
Today we will look at and consider our King as the One of Victory… But to see His victory first we need to understand the enemy.
Death
Death
The letter to the Ephesians states that we were DEAD in our sin.
Death surrounds us… this week we said goodbye to a dear saint, Janell, as she stepped into the arms of her Savior.
Death seems so final… it holds people in its grip of fear a vial tool of the devil… Hebrews 2:14-15
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Jesus had this to say about the devil John 8:44
For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Death grips mankind with fear, enslaving so many, smothering its victims with hopelessness! BUT SUNDAY MORNING WOULD COME...
I Am The Resurrection
I Am The Resurrection
When death occurs many emotions stir… grief, sorrow, regret, even love, peace, laughter and joy… but one emotion that occurs can seem uncomfortable… ANGER!
I want to rewind several weeks prior to the crucifixion and the Sunday morning we all anticipate… back to an event where a close friend of Jesus dies… LAZARUS!
He was sick… Jesus was informed… Jesus delayed
Lazarus died… our narrative picks up as Jesus approaches John 11:21-27
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
Jesus declares His 5th “I AM” statement in the Gospel of John here… It is defining of Who He Is!!!
In the presence of death Jesus offers HOPE… LIFE!!!
John 3:16… those who believe have LIFE ETERNAL
John 11:32-38 Jesus joins the rest of those grieving…
When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.
ANGER… why was Jesus angry??? Many translations use deeply moved because to see Jesus angry at a funeral seemed uncomfortable… but the Greek word here is ANGRY! WHY???
Because of their grief? NO
Because they didn’t know His plan? NO
Because some of the people’s unbelief? NO
Jesus anger burned over the tyranny of Satan… the sorrow, heartache, suffering, and death that plagued the people He loved so much… so dearly!
Jesus was NOT deeply moved He was ANGRY:
SIN… brings death, SIN… brings sorrow and suffering
Everywhere Jesus looked He saw the consequences and destruction of sin
Here with those He loved its bitter fruit had once again been sewn… DEATH!!!
AND OUR GOD… IN THE FLESH… WAS ANGERED!!! Look what He does! John 11:39-44
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
DEATH LET GO!
At the very words of Jesus Christ death had to release its grip, no more could the walls of the grave hold him!
Sorrow turned to Joy
Grief into Celebration
Fear was diminished
The chains of death were released because the “GREAT I AM”… Spoke!
The same power that brought Lazarus back to life would Sunday morning conquer death as the King of Victory would emerge from the grave… the serpent’s head crushed!
Resurrection Victory!
Resurrection Victory!
Yes Jesus rose from the dead, yes He still lives… is it really that big of a deal?
Paul lays out a beautiful argument for its importance and power… 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 declares the gospel of Jesus Christ
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
Paul continues to argue the necessity of the resurrection and the power it holds in our life! 1 Corinthians 15:14-22
And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
The New Testament scriptures across its pages declare the VICTORY we have because of Christ Resurrection…
Romans would declare Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes...”
Peter would bless the churches with these words 1 Peter 1:3 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.”
With saints around the world and down through the ages we celebrate today the Resurrection Of Jesus Christ… Our King
He came the first time on a donkey offering peace
He suffered the consequence of our capital offense… the Just for the unjust
And He is Victorious… one day to return riding a white horse
The King of kings and Lord of lords
We with all the saints cry out today 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
He Is Risen!
He Is Risen!