Experiencing Everlasting Life
Sermon
Experiencing Easter
The Lenten Journey of Death to Life
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, 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 died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Experiencing Everlasting Life
Brian La Croix tells of a tragic and painful childhood memory that impacted his impressions of Easter. It happened during a family trip -- he doesn't recall where they were going, or how old he was because of memory loss due to the tragedy -- but he vividly remembers what happened. His dad was driving down the highway that dark night when all of a sudden, a small rabbit ran across the road. There was a sickening thud as the little flop-eared fur ball met with the tires of the car. Witnessing what had just transpired; Brian cried out to his father, "You ran over the Easter Bunny!"
Brian says tongue-in-cheek, "The trauma still haunts me. I struggle with forgiving my father for that heartless, cruel act."
As he matured though, he realized that his father did not purposely run over the rabbit. And he also realized that the rabbit meeting his doom that evening wasn't really the Easter Bunny. However at the time of the incident, his feelings concerning Easter were very real. He thought that since the Easter Bunny was dead, Easter was dead. There was no hope for Easter.1
Imagine for just a moment that Easter was dead. Imagine that Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Imagine that Good Friday was the end of it all -- that death had the final word. There would be no hope for Easter.
In the Corinthian church the resurrection came into question as some were saying there was no resurrection of the dead. So in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, Paul describes how necessary the resurrection is to the Christian faith. It is everything. Without it, faith is empty. Christianity would be like every other religion in the world. In fact, it would be worse because it would be making a false claim.
Lee Strobel felt Christianity was doing just that -- making a false claim. As a journalist, he was an avowed atheist. Strobel earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He became an award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and was awarded Illinois' highest honors from UPI for both investigative reporting and for public service journalism.
After his wife, Leslie, came into the faith, he used his investigative reporter skills to begin a two-year examination of the historical, scientific, and philosophical evidence for Christianity. What happened was incredible. After viewing the evidence, the award-winning atheistic journalist believed in Christ -- resurrection and all.
Strobel became a minister and the New York Times best-selling author of nearly twenty books including God's Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for Easter.
In today's scripture, the apostle Paul makes his case for Easter and the resurrection. He asserts the main claim of Easter and of Christianity: "Christ has been raised from the dead." And, Christ's resurrection has a purpose: so that "all will be made alive in Christ." Death has no hold on us any longer, as "the last enemy to be destroyed is death."
Yet how often do we ignore our basic belief and fear death? We live as if Easter was dead -- as if Christ stayed in the grave. We fear death.
During a Bible study, the leader asked the group, "If you found out that you only had two weeks to live what would you do?" After a few minutes of silence, one man said, "I would quit my job, sell my possessions, and travel." Another said, "I would call all of my family and friends and plan a going-away party." A third said, "I would invite my mother-in-law to come and live with me."
A bit puzzled by the third man's answer the leader asked if he would explain. He said, "I would invite my mother-in-law to come and live with me because it would be the longest two weeks of my life!"
We fear death and want to hold onto this life -- partly because we know that death has eternal consequences related to sin. Paul reminded the Corinthians that death came through Adam's disobedience.
Sin leads to death.
Comedian, W. C. Fields, who was known for being a Hollywood playboy, was allegedly on his deathbed when a friend came to visit him and was astonished to find him reading the Bible. The friend asked, "What in the world are you doing reading the Bible?" W. C. Fields said, "I'm looking for loopholes."
We know that sin leads to death -- that thought can be scary. But I believe we also fear death because it is an unknown. We fear what we don't know.
Have you talked with someone who died and came back to tell you about the afterlife? There are reports of near-death experiences where people speak of a white light or a tormented feeling. But have you actually visited with someone who was resident in the afterlife? Do any of us have firsthand experience of death? We fear what we don't know.
Max Lucado, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. The tribe was in need of medical attention as a contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away -- across a large river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death.
The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn't go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn't matter. They were still afraid to enter the river.
Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.2
That's exactly what Jesus did! He took the fear out of death as he conquered it through the resurrection. Even though he had raised the dead with the touch of his hand and the call of his voice, they wouldn't believe. But when he died and was resurrected, he led the way and the people believed.
Paul calls Jesus' actions in the resurrection "firstfruits." What he is saying is that we follow Jesus in the resurrection. If Jesus is firstfruit, we are second. Just as Jesus experienced everlasting life, so do we.
Just as death came through Adam, life came through Christ. When Paul lays out his Adam-Christ argument, he wants us to see what we have in Christ -- resurrection and everlasting life. The death produced by Adam is ultimately overcome in Christ.
Easter shouts to all who will listen: The enemy of death has been destroyed! Adam's disobedience leading to death has been reversed by the obedience of Christ. The resurrection is real.
* Jesus is no longer on the cross. The cross is empty.
* Jesus is no longer wrapped in grave clothes. They are empty.
* Jesus is no longer in the tomb. The tomb is empty.
Christ is risen! We are no longer quite so afraid of death. Death loses some of its power and sting.
There's a wonderful story told about a father and his seven-year-old daughter who were driving around in their car on a fresh spring day. A great big yellow bee flew into the car. The little seven-year-old girl was very much afraid -- and so was the father.
They tried desperately to get the bee out of the car. But they couldn't. It just kept buzzing from the front of the car to the back -- scaring them both as it flew past their heads. The little girl was starting to get hysterical and the father was shouting at her not to be afraid -- which only made her more hysterical.
About that time, that great big yellow bee landed on the father's neck and stung him. The little girl became so petrified, she started crying hysterically. The father tried to calm her down and finally said to her, "You don't need to be afraid anymore. The bee has lost its sting; its stinger is right here in my neck; the bee has lost its sting."
The bee is nothing without the sting. To use Paul's words, Easter causes us to question: "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" On Easter, the sting of death was removed. The stinger is located in the neck of Jesus the Christ.
Charles Wesley wrote about it in the classic Easter hymn, "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today" (1739) -- remember?
Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save,
Where's thy victory boasting grave?
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head,
Made like him, like him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies ...3
We sing about it and I hope we believe it. Because Christ rose, so do we. Because Christ is alive, we experience everlasting life. Death doesn't have the last word. There is tomorrow.
After his mother died, a small boy was being raised by his father. Trying to be both mommy and daddy, the father had planned a picnic. The little boy had never been on a picnic and was very excited. The night before the picnic, the boy couldn't sleep. He tossed and he turned, but the excitement got to him. Finally, he got out of bed, ran into the room where his father had already fallen asleep, and shook him. His father woke up and saw his son. He said to him, "What are you doing up? What's the matter?"
The boy said, "I can't sleep."
The father asked, "Why can't you sleep?"
Answering, the boy said, "Daddy, I'm excited about tomorrow."
His father replied, "Well, son, I'm sure you are, and it's going to be a great day, but it won't be great if we don't get some sleep. So why don't you just run down the hall, get back in bed, and get a good night's rest."
So the boy trudged off down the hall to his room and got in bed. The father fell asleep, but not the son. He was soon by his father's side pushing and shoving him. His father was about to scold the boy until he saw the expression on the boy's face. The father asked, "What's the matter now?"
The boy said, "Daddy, I just want to thank you for tomorrow."
The message of Easter is so clear: We have reason to be thankful -- Christ has given us a tomorrow. There is no need to fear death -- Christ has destroyed that enemy. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in our Lord, Christ Jesus!
Because of Easter, we can and will experience everlasting life. Let us experience God's love as the last word over death. Alleluia! Amen.
____________
1. Bryan La Croix sermon, "Because He Lives ..." sermoncentral.com.
2. Max Lucado, Six Hours One Friday (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), p. 157.
3. "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today," words by Charles Wesley, 1739, in the public domain.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Experiencing Everlasting Life
Brian La Croix tells of a tragic and painful childhood memory that impacted his impressions of Easter. It happened during a family trip -- he doesn't recall where they were going, or how old he was because of memory loss due to the tragedy -- but he vividly remembers what happened. His dad was driving down the highway that dark night when all of a sudden, a small rabbit ran across the road. There was a sickening thud as the little flop-eared fur ball met with the tires of the car. Witnessing what had just transpired; Brian cried out to his father, "You ran over the Easter Bunny!"
Brian says tongue-in-cheek, "The trauma still haunts me. I struggle with forgiving my father for that heartless, cruel act."
As he matured though, he realized that his father did not purposely run over the rabbit. And he also realized that the rabbit meeting his doom that evening wasn't really the Easter Bunny. However at the time of the incident, his feelings concerning Easter were very real. He thought that since the Easter Bunny was dead, Easter was dead. There was no hope for Easter.1
Imagine for just a moment that Easter was dead. Imagine that Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Imagine that Good Friday was the end of it all -- that death had the final word. There would be no hope for Easter.
In the Corinthian church the resurrection came into question as some were saying there was no resurrection of the dead. So in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, Paul describes how necessary the resurrection is to the Christian faith. It is everything. Without it, faith is empty. Christianity would be like every other religion in the world. In fact, it would be worse because it would be making a false claim.
Lee Strobel felt Christianity was doing just that -- making a false claim. As a journalist, he was an avowed atheist. Strobel earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He became an award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and was awarded Illinois' highest honors from UPI for both investigative reporting and for public service journalism.
After his wife, Leslie, came into the faith, he used his investigative reporter skills to begin a two-year examination of the historical, scientific, and philosophical evidence for Christianity. What happened was incredible. After viewing the evidence, the award-winning atheistic journalist believed in Christ -- resurrection and all.
Strobel became a minister and the New York Times best-selling author of nearly twenty books including God's Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for Easter.
In today's scripture, the apostle Paul makes his case for Easter and the resurrection. He asserts the main claim of Easter and of Christianity: "Christ has been raised from the dead." And, Christ's resurrection has a purpose: so that "all will be made alive in Christ." Death has no hold on us any longer, as "the last enemy to be destroyed is death."
Yet how often do we ignore our basic belief and fear death? We live as if Easter was dead -- as if Christ stayed in the grave. We fear death.
During a Bible study, the leader asked the group, "If you found out that you only had two weeks to live what would you do?" After a few minutes of silence, one man said, "I would quit my job, sell my possessions, and travel." Another said, "I would call all of my family and friends and plan a going-away party." A third said, "I would invite my mother-in-law to come and live with me."
A bit puzzled by the third man's answer the leader asked if he would explain. He said, "I would invite my mother-in-law to come and live with me because it would be the longest two weeks of my life!"
We fear death and want to hold onto this life -- partly because we know that death has eternal consequences related to sin. Paul reminded the Corinthians that death came through Adam's disobedience.
Sin leads to death.
Comedian, W. C. Fields, who was known for being a Hollywood playboy, was allegedly on his deathbed when a friend came to visit him and was astonished to find him reading the Bible. The friend asked, "What in the world are you doing reading the Bible?" W. C. Fields said, "I'm looking for loopholes."
We know that sin leads to death -- that thought can be scary. But I believe we also fear death because it is an unknown. We fear what we don't know.
Have you talked with someone who died and came back to tell you about the afterlife? There are reports of near-death experiences where people speak of a white light or a tormented feeling. But have you actually visited with someone who was resident in the afterlife? Do any of us have firsthand experience of death? We fear what we don't know.
Max Lucado, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. The tribe was in need of medical attention as a contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away -- across a large river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death.
The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn't go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn't matter. They were still afraid to enter the river.
Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.2
That's exactly what Jesus did! He took the fear out of death as he conquered it through the resurrection. Even though he had raised the dead with the touch of his hand and the call of his voice, they wouldn't believe. But when he died and was resurrected, he led the way and the people believed.
Paul calls Jesus' actions in the resurrection "firstfruits." What he is saying is that we follow Jesus in the resurrection. If Jesus is firstfruit, we are second. Just as Jesus experienced everlasting life, so do we.
Just as death came through Adam, life came through Christ. When Paul lays out his Adam-Christ argument, he wants us to see what we have in Christ -- resurrection and everlasting life. The death produced by Adam is ultimately overcome in Christ.
Easter shouts to all who will listen: The enemy of death has been destroyed! Adam's disobedience leading to death has been reversed by the obedience of Christ. The resurrection is real.
* Jesus is no longer on the cross. The cross is empty.
* Jesus is no longer wrapped in grave clothes. They are empty.
* Jesus is no longer in the tomb. The tomb is empty.
Christ is risen! We are no longer quite so afraid of death. Death loses some of its power and sting.
There's a wonderful story told about a father and his seven-year-old daughter who were driving around in their car on a fresh spring day. A great big yellow bee flew into the car. The little seven-year-old girl was very much afraid -- and so was the father.
They tried desperately to get the bee out of the car. But they couldn't. It just kept buzzing from the front of the car to the back -- scaring them both as it flew past their heads. The little girl was starting to get hysterical and the father was shouting at her not to be afraid -- which only made her more hysterical.
About that time, that great big yellow bee landed on the father's neck and stung him. The little girl became so petrified, she started crying hysterically. The father tried to calm her down and finally said to her, "You don't need to be afraid anymore. The bee has lost its sting; its stinger is right here in my neck; the bee has lost its sting."
The bee is nothing without the sting. To use Paul's words, Easter causes us to question: "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" On Easter, the sting of death was removed. The stinger is located in the neck of Jesus the Christ.
Charles Wesley wrote about it in the classic Easter hymn, "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today" (1739) -- remember?
Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save,
Where's thy victory boasting grave?
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head,
Made like him, like him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies ...3
We sing about it and I hope we believe it. Because Christ rose, so do we. Because Christ is alive, we experience everlasting life. Death doesn't have the last word. There is tomorrow.
After his mother died, a small boy was being raised by his father. Trying to be both mommy and daddy, the father had planned a picnic. The little boy had never been on a picnic and was very excited. The night before the picnic, the boy couldn't sleep. He tossed and he turned, but the excitement got to him. Finally, he got out of bed, ran into the room where his father had already fallen asleep, and shook him. His father woke up and saw his son. He said to him, "What are you doing up? What's the matter?"
The boy said, "I can't sleep."
The father asked, "Why can't you sleep?"
Answering, the boy said, "Daddy, I'm excited about tomorrow."
His father replied, "Well, son, I'm sure you are, and it's going to be a great day, but it won't be great if we don't get some sleep. So why don't you just run down the hall, get back in bed, and get a good night's rest."
So the boy trudged off down the hall to his room and got in bed. The father fell asleep, but not the son. He was soon by his father's side pushing and shoving him. His father was about to scold the boy until he saw the expression on the boy's face. The father asked, "What's the matter now?"
The boy said, "Daddy, I just want to thank you for tomorrow."
The message of Easter is so clear: We have reason to be thankful -- Christ has given us a tomorrow. There is no need to fear death -- Christ has destroyed that enemy. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory in our Lord, Christ Jesus!
Because of Easter, we can and will experience everlasting life. Let us experience God's love as the last word over death. Alleluia! Amen.
____________
1. Bryan La Croix sermon, "Because He Lives ..." sermoncentral.com.
2. Max Lucado, Six Hours One Friday (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), p. 157.
3. "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today," words by Charles Wesley, 1739, in the public domain.
