Easter Sunday: Facts about the Gospel Message
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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, since you hold fast to the Word I preached to you (unless you believed in vain). For I delivered to you as of primary importance what I also received: that Jesus Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Sermon today covers the great span from Good Friday to Easter. It is, in fact, a summary of human history, past, present, and future. Theologian Jurgon Moltmann said, “God weeps with us so that we may someday laugh with Him.”
I. THE INDISPUTABLE FACT OF CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH
A. Death for Man is Universal
Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”
I Cor 15:22 “And as in Adam all die”
Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death”
Heb 9:27 “For it is appointed for man once to die and after that, the judgment”
B. Death for Man is Melancholy
C. Death for Christ was Victorious
I Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory”
II Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
II. THE INDISPUTABLE FACT OF CHRIST’S LITERAL BURIAL
A. Christ Died for Our Sins
John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and
B. Christ Conquered Death
Acts 3:13-15 “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”
Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Acts 4:26-28 “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” When they heard that, they were cut to the heart.
III. THE INDISPUTABLE FACT OF CHRIST’S BODILY RESURRECTION
A. Good News of the Gospel
I Corinthians 15:5-9, 14-21 “and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me (for I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.)
“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
B. Understanding the Power of the Resurrection
C. Appropriating the Power of the Resurrection
Some of us stay at the cross, some of us wait at the tomb,
Quickened and raised with Christ yet lingering still in the gloom.
Some of us ‘bide at the Passover feast with Pentecost all unknown,
The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place that our Lord has made His own.
If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross, His work had been incomplete.
If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb, He had only known defeat,
But the way of the cross never stops at the cross and the way of the tomb leads on
To victorious grace in the heavenly place where the risen Lord has gone.