Jesus’ Resurrection Made You A Champion

Welcome to Divine Peace!  I’m glad that you’re here today to celebrate Easter with us.  If you are a guest here, I hope you weren’t too distracted by the sitting and standing we have done during the service.  It doesn’t really bother the members who have been coming here for a while, but I would think it seems a little weird to guests who are not used to our Lutheran service.  I do have to admit that sometimes the power to ask everyone to stand or sit can go to my head.  So, I thought I would try something a little different that will make you all feel a little uncomfortable.  I want all of you to clap your hands and stomp your feet like this—“Stomp Stomp Clap.” “Stomp. Stomp. Clap.”  Do you recognize this rhythm?  It’s from a song in the 80’s called, “We Are The Champions!”  This song was made famous by Queen—arguably one of the best Rock Bands of their time.  The song boasted, “We are the Champions of the World!”  Well, a couple years after this song came out the lead singer, Freddy Mercury, died of Aids and the group ceased to exist.  So much for being conquerors of the world!

That’s why I’m so glad you’re here today.  I want to share an Easter Secret with you.  A secret of Easter?  Yes!  It make my point, how would you answer this question:  Easter is all about ____________ (Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Hunt, Ham for Dinner, Spring is here, etc.).  It is obvious that Easter falls during Spring so flowers are blooming, grass and trees are green again!  But, there’s a lot more to Easter than all these things. The secret that I’m going to share with you today is way more important than jelly beans and colored eggs.  Are you ready for me to reveal the secret to you?  Okay –

Jesus’ Resurrection Made You a Champion

For Losers Like You

We all like to win.  We love success, achievement and recognition. This mindset can be both a blessing and a curse – it drives one to work hard and reach for the stars but can also lead to discontentment and an inability to appreciate what one already has.  You probably love to win so much that it is reflected in your attitude and the way you live your life.  You might change your ways in order to fit in with the people that will get you ahead.  You say the right things to build your relationships with others.  When something doesn’t go right, you do your best to fix it because as much as you love to win, you may hate to lose!  

So what does one do when they find themselves on the losing end?  Just watch a 1^st grader play Uno.  What frustration is revealed when they are down to their last card and pick a “Draw Four Card” from the deck?  Tempter Tantrum!!!!!  As we grow up we learn to control that anger a little bit more and avoid taking out our frustrations on others, or shut down, or give up!  Why?  Because we hate to lose and love to win! 

Today we heard Paul say, “we will all be changed.” Changed from what?  Sin!  We don’t like to talk about sin because when we sin we lose!  I know you didn’t get all dressed up, squeeze into a parking spot, pack yourself into these chairs to hear that you were a loser!  We hate to lose!  Sin is failing it think and act the way God wants us to.  Some of you here will freely admit that you have disobeyed God and his holy commands.  Others of you will get defensive and think, “I’m not all that bad.”  Some of you will try hard to defend yourself by trying harder and think, “That has to count for something!”  You want to win.  You want to be right.  You want success, achievement and recognition in your life.  But, God holds his law up before our eyes to show us where and how we’ve failed.  How many times this past week did you choose Barabas instead of Jesus?  And if you don’t know what I’m talking about maybe it’s because you have sinned by spending too much time in front of worldly entertainment rather than time in God’s Word or worship.  How many times this past week did you choose to concentrate on health for this life, rather than health for your eternal life?  How may times this past week did you work on relationships that will last a short time in this life, than your relationship with God that will last forever?  You see these bad choices, or sins, damage the perfect relationship that God wants to have with you.   Sin separates us from God because you’re not perfect as God demands.  That sin deserves eternal death in the punishment of hell.  You deserve to lose for God says,

“The wages of sin is death”

Romans 6:23

No matter how hard you try to fight to lead a good life, struggle against temptations, and work to make it right, it ends in death.  That is the change that Paul is talking about. For

“⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” 

When we break God’s law, sin occurs.  And when sin occurs, death is the stinging result!

But you didn’t come here to be called a loser!  Or did you?  For understanding that we are losers before God is the first step to understanding how Jesus’ Resurrection Makes You A Champion!  You see, the secret of Easter isn’t about losing!  Easter is victory!  Listen:

“⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”  

Did you hear it?  The first word, “But.”  That word reveals the big secret of Easter!  It turns us from the fear and sadness of the sting of death to the announcement of Jesus victory over sin, death and the devil!

For Winners Like You

This is the message you came to hear today.  Jesus came to rescue you from being a loser forever.  Jesus came and was perfect where you failed.  Jesus came to die on the cross where God placed the punishment for your sins on him.  The victory happened in his death!  He paid his holy, precious blood to God on your behalf to set you free.  Jesus gave his perfect life to God as the payment for your sins.  Jesus wrestled with the devil’s temptation and never gave in, but he pinned Satan and knocked him out for the count.  Jesus was victorious for you!

This all sounds great, but how can we be sure it’s true?  Listen to the words of the angels at the tomb:

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but has been raised!”

Luke 24:5,6

Jesus didn’t lose.  Jesus won!  Jesus’s resurrection proves to us that he victorious in the battle against sin.  Jesus went to battle against the curse of sin—death, and won!  Paul said,

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 

Jesus swallowed up death like you would consume every last bite of a great meal.  Jesus left nothing.  He swallowed up the poison of sin along with the curse of death and hell.  He devoured it.  He completely destroyed it.  Death couldn’t hold on to Jesus.  Jesus lives!  And the victory of Jesus belongs to you. 

Think of it like this.  Where were you when the Texas Rangers won the World Series?  I remember where I was!  Standing the living room and watching the game.  I can remember jumping up and down and pounding my fists in the air yelling, “We won!  We Won!”  But, I wasn’t in Phoenix, Arizona.  I didn’t play the game.  I didn’t get to hold up the trophy.  So why could I claim the victory?  Because I was a fan!  I was a follower.  Their victory was my victory!  The players and coaches said so when they said, “This championship is for all our great fans!”

Even better the victory that Jesus gives to you!  You and I can’t win the battle against sin and death.  We fail every time.  We get crushed.  But Jesus fought and won.  That is the secret that is revealed at Easter!  Easter is Jesus’ Resurrection That Made You a Champion!  God gives that victory to you.  That’s Grace! We trust and lean on Jesus as a fan, a follower, and believer!  Because of Jesus you are not a loser headed to hell, but you are a winner, a forgiven sinner, heading to heaven!

Now, stop and think about it a second.  What does this Easter victory mean for your life?  Jesus’ victory has changed us from death to life, from being separated from God and punished in hell to being right with God and welcomed into his presence.  What other change has happened?  When a loved one dies as a fan of Christ, we are not afraid because we know their soul is with Jesus.  And when the day comes for us to die, we do not fear because Jesus has made us winners in heaven.  Yes, when death happens it makes us sad because we miss the person we love.  But, God used that same death to separate their soul from a life of sin, misery, frustration and losing to a perfect life in heaven.  This is the victory Jesus won for us by his resurrection.  Paul said,

“⁵⁵ Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?…. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

After a victory is won by a team, they usually enjoy a great parade to celebrate the victory.  That is a day we winners are looking forward to.  On the Last Day the trumpet call of God will raise all the dead.  Christ will return with the souls of all people to reunite them with their raised bodies.  Paul wrote,

“⁵² in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory.” 

All those in Christ will receive the perfect, glorified body as Jesus’ glorified body to live with the Lord in heaven forever!  Because Jesus lives, you too, will live!

Yes, we are looking forward to that glorious day, but we don’t have to wait until them to enjoy the blessings of Jesus’ resurrection.  Because Jesus victory has made us winners, another change has taken place: we can enjoy the blessings of Jesus’ resurrection today!  Remember I said I know how much we like to win.  We love success, achievement and recognition and we hate failure.   So what can we remember when we don’t see success?  Remember the success of Jesus’ resurrection.  What can we remember when we don’t win?  Remember the victory we have in Christ.  What can we remember when relationships are rocky, investments might fail, or you are struggling about your future and your feel like a loser?  Remember that Jesus’ rose from the dead to make you a Champion!

I want to be clear.  Easter does not mean that all our troubles go away as Champions.  However, Easter does give us the confidence that all these troubles will one day all be gone.  This world is not going to last forever, but heaven is.  This gives us hope and peace when those days of gloom and sadness, fears and guilt, anger and resentment, sin and death happen.  Jesus’ Resurrection Made You A Champion.  The empty tomb proves it.  It has changed your identity!  You are a forgiven Loser!  You are an Eternal Winner!  Stomp! Stomp! Clap!  Because through faith in Jesus Christ You Are The Champions!! Amen!