Gods Easter Declaration About You

There is lots of excitement this morning!  The Kingdom Kids are all excited to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.  We like to start our Sunday mornings with the kids talking about Jesus’ love for us.  If I would ask them, “What had Jesus done for you?” I’m sure they would be quick to answer, “Jesus died on the cross to wash away our sins!” But, it is Easter!  How many of our kids, or how many of us for that matter, would answer what happened on Easter morning?  It isn’t that we don’t know what happened on Easter morning because we confess it almost every Sunday with words like this, “The third day he rose again from the dead.”  We didn’t greet each other this morning by saying, “Oh, What a beautiful morning!” and you responded, “Oh, what a beautiful day!”  No, we said, “Christ is Risen!” and you answered, “He is Risen Indeed!”  The facts of Easter are a big deal!

A short time before Easter Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. By doing this Jesus showed us that he really is true God who has power over death. But, on Easter Jesus was also raised from the dead!  This is

God’s Easter Declaration About You!

Proclaimed by the Father

On Easter we recognize the resurrection event and may ask this question: How was Jesus raised back to life?  Remember it was Jesus who said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again” (John 2:19).  So, it is correct to say that Jesus raised himself from the dead.  Jesus said, “¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again” (John 10:18).  We love to think of Jesus raising other people from the dead. But, how much more do we love to hear that Jesus raised himself from the dead? This is proof that Jesus’ words are true—he said he would raise himself and he did!

However, the Bible also says, “³²This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that” (Acts 2:32).  This is Paul’s point in Romans 4:25 “[He] was raised to life because of our justification.”  “Was raised” is a passive verb, teaching us that someone (God) raised Jesus back to life again.  This teaches us a very comforting lesson regarding Jesus’ resurrection from another angle.  Peter zeroed in on this lesson during his sermon on Pentecost to the crowds, “²⁴ He is the one God raised up by freeing him from the agony of death, because death was not able to hold him in its grip” (Acts 2:24).  Paul was inspired to write to the Corinthians with very plain words, “because we testified about God that he raised Christ” (1 Cor 1:15).

So, we have heard the inspired passages from the Bible regarding Jesus rising from the dead.  The Bible is filled with words that are simple to say, but we want to know is what they mean for us.  For instance, Jesus is our Prophet!  This means when Jesus was on this earth he proclaimed God’s Word & today he continues to proclaim God’s Word through parents, Kingdom Kids teachers, and pastors so we get to hear God’s Word.  Jesus is our Priest!  This means Jesus offered himself on the altar of the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all people. Today, Jesus is in heaven as our Mediator between you and God.  Jesus is our King!  Jesus went to war against Satan and won by dying and rising from the dead.  Today he is in heaven controlling all things for us.  We love hearing these words that teach us about Jesus. 

Today St Paul uses the word “justification.”  This might very well be one of the most crucial words in the Bible.  This is a wonderful Easter word! “Justification” was primarily a courtroom word.  You’ve got the picture.  There is a defendant, the prosecutor and the judge.  The judge drops the mallet and declares, “Not guilty!”  Others may not use this word in everyday life, but you often hear it like this, “Those people are trying to justify their actions.”  We get what they’re saying.  For instance, think of entering into someone’s house with signs all over that say, “No Trespassing!”  At first glance it might look like I did something wrong.  And I’ll admit that under normal circumstances what I did would have been wrong.  But, these were not normal circumstances.  When I explain my actions in light of the situation you’ll see why I have a clear conscience. You’ll see that I can be declared not guilty, that I was justified in my actions.”  (Give an example such as going into a home on fire to save someone).

Can you see how this vital term is a part of Easter?  We could explain to all our friends why weren’t not guilty for cursing (because the situation was intense), or I had to cheat to save the company, or God wants to me care for my family instead of worshiping at church, but I’m not all that bad of a person and not deserving of hell’s punishment.  But unless you are holy before God’s courtroom you are condemned.  Besides, God’s Word teaches us that all of our actions before God are worthless because they are by nature stained with sin.  “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth” (Is 64:6). It is vital that we hear God’s Easter Declaration About You Proclaimed by the Father!

Can you see how the word “justification” is a vital part of Easter?  If Jesus had come and failed to keep the law perfectly in our place, the Father would not have raised him from the dead.  If Jesus had died on the cross and failed to pay the price God demanded for sin, his precious, holy blood, the Father would not have raised him from the dead.   And that is why we came to church today with hearts eager to say, “He is Risen indeed!” because we know and believe “[he] was raised to life because of our justification.” God the Father Raised Jesus from the dead because Jesus did do it all!  He lived in our place.  He died in our place.  And our being declared not guilty in Jesus is Proclaimed By the Father with more than words, but in actions!  The Father raised Jesus from the dead Declaring his Approval of Jesus’ Work for you.  And the Father’s Easter Declaration about You Was

Proclaimed with Power!

There are some words spoken that contain a lot of power!  You know them. “Freeze!  Police!”  Stops people.  “You’re fired!” crushes people.  “I’m pregnant!” changes lives.  The Word of God shares accounts of Jesus’ life that are filled with power.  “Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39) Trust that Jesus has power over nature.  “At that time Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits. And he gave many blind people the ability to see” (Luke 7:21), Trust Jesus has power over illnesses.  “²³ Just then there was a man with an unclean spirit in their synagogue. It cried out, ²⁴ “What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ²⁵ Jesus rebuked the spirit, saying, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” ²⁶ The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and after crying out with a loud voice, it came out of him” (Mark 1), Trust Jesus who has power over Satan.  We see Jesus’ power from his miracles, and we’ve heard the very Words of Jesus that are filled with power!  “There people brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven” (Matt 9:2), Jesus has power to forgive sins.  “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6) Jesus is the powerful way to heaven.  “Take, eat, this is my body.  Take, drink, this is my blood” (Matt 26:26), Jesus’ powerful words make miracles happen!

So, we recognize these familiar words of Scripture, but what does this mean for us?  Well, Scripture records for us all the perfect words and works of Jesus, but Scriptures also record words about Jesus’ innocence from those around him.   When Jesus was on trial Pilate said many times, “See, he has done nothing worthy of death” (Luke 23:15).  The thief on the cross next to Jesus said, “this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41).  This means Jesus did everything required by God’s holy will perfectly.  And Jesus did not ever sin, therefore providing for us the perfect sacrifice we needed to pay the penalty of all our sins.   According to Jesus, he did everything the Father sent him to do.  Therefore, “²⁵ He was handed over to death because of our trespasses and was raised to life because of our justification.” Jesus had the powerful blood required to pay for the sins of the whole world.  The Father accepted his payment and Proclaimed His Verdict With Power by raising Jesus from the dead.

Today we rejoice that the penalty of our sins has been paid by Jesus on the cross.   While this is Good News for all of us, we also need to hear the verdict.  It is the declaration of the judge that matters.  God the Father Almighty, the creator of all, the judge of all is the one who has the power to justify (declare not guilty or not) for all.  When Jesus died on the cross we hadn’t heard God speak yet.  But, when he raised Jesus, his One and Only Son from the grave, it is God’s Powerful Declaration of Forgiveness of Sins for the Whole World!   It is as if God was saying with Jesus, “I agree with you Son, it is finished!  Everything I sent you to do is complete.  Sin’s penalty is paid.  I’m satisfied.  The devil’s head is crushed.  The gate of hell is closed and the gate of heaven is open for all people (Objective Justification).  Therefore I declare the whole world not guilty!”  All sins are paid is powerfully pictured at the cross.  God’s stamp of approval is pictured at the empty tomb.

There is one more word to notice from St Paul’s declaration in Romans 4:25. “[He] was raised to life because of OUR justification.”  That’s you.  That’s me. When God raised Jesus from the dead with power he declared each of us not guilty.  That means Easter points to Jesus’ victory, but that victory is for you!  This is big deal with you bury a loved one, when going through difficult days, or when challenges arise.  Through faith in Jesus what he did on the cross and proved with his resurrection is yours.  Believe Jesus’ death paid the penalty of all your sins.  Believe Jesus being raised from the dead by God the Father is his powerful stamp of approval on Jesus’ work.  Believe God’s Easter Declaration About You!  You know how to answer the question: What has Jesus done for you?  Jesus did it.  God Declared it!  You are Forgiven. Amen!