Speaker 1 (01:02):
I couldn't help over the last 30 minutes just getting emotional over the phrases that he has risen, that he has risen. Not because it was just something cool to do in the day he has risen. Not because it was just something that he should have done, but Christ has died. Christ has risen, and Christ has made a way. I want you to know today, church, that today is a day of celebration. It's a day of hope. It is a day of future. It is a day of honor. And listen to me closely. Every single thing that we do in our faith rests on today. It rests on the death and the resurrection of King Jesus. And I believe that that beyond any sports game, beyond any team that we've cheered for beyond anything in our life that has happened that deserves an accolade, I think that the words he has risen today deserves what the psalmist would say, a shout of praise, what the psalmist would say, a clap of our hands and a standing ovation to this community to know that he is Lord! Would you gather with me today and just say that he is Lord, he is king, he is mighty.

(02:25):
He has saved us. He has given us a way, and that we are his children. Amen, amen and amen. Man, you can be seated. Lemme tell you today exactly what I want to do in just the next couple of minutes, so that you're not gonna be described. Today I simply want to show you how much Jesus loves you. Secondly, I want to convince you that you need to give your life to Jesus. And thirdly, I just want to persuade you, if you know Jesus, if you've given your life to Jesus and your past has given you some struggles and you find yourself in a deep, dark, heavy moment, that today can be the day that you come back to Jesus. And I wanna do all this today from John's firsthand account of Jesus's life, from John's Gospel today, our church has been walking through John's gospel for the last couple of months, and today we come to John chapter 19.

(03:36):
We come to John chapter 20, we come to one of the most pivotal points in all history, the resurrection and the death of Jesus. In fact, as you're finding John 19 and John 20, lemme just walk you through what is happening, where we're going to pick up the scriptures today. Jesus has walked on this earth. He has come as the king of kings. He has been born of a virgin. He has walked a sinless life for 30 something years. At this point. He has taught his disciples. He has called many to himself. He's given life to those who have been dead. He has healed those that have been sick. He's fed those that have been hungry. He has called these 12 men to himself as his disciples to train them, to set them free with the gospel, with what he's about to do. And now Jesus has just spent the last hours of his life in this upper room with his disciples teaching them what is about to happen.

(04:37):
Jesus has taught them, he's shown them what has happened. And now Jesus has gone to the garden of Gethsemane. He has received the sin of all mankind upon himself. He's been turned over to the Roman authorities. He's been given at best a couple of sham trials at best. He has been scorched. He has been whipped beyond recognition and now where we're going to catch Jesus on the cross. He has been there since the morning. He's been whipped beyond anything that a human being should go through. The darkness has come over the earth for the last three hours. But Jesus, where we're about to catch him is on Friday afternoon of the passion week. You're about to see the crucifixion of Jesus. But I can see in your minds a little bit, but pastor today, we're not celebrating the crucifixion. We're celebrating the resurrection. Let me say this, just to clear this up today.

(05:33):
Never look at the cross without the resurrection. Never look at the resurrection without the cross. You see, the cross was what bought us and paid for our sins. The resurrection is what proved that Jesus could do what he just did. So with that in mind, I want you to follow with me here in John's gospel. I simply wanna read it over us this morning, make a couple of comments on what the resurrection and what the death of Jesus has done for us. John chapter 19, he's on the cross. The agony of pain is too much for any person to endure. History tells us that Jesus probably died not from the physical pain but the heartbreak of pain of being separated from the Father and having all sin upon all mankind put on him. And this is what he says in John 19 verse 30. Jesus said, it is finished.

(06:31):
And with that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Friends, that afternoon, that Friday afternoon at three o'clock, Jesus' life was over. His heart stopped. His life had finished and the Romans had made sure of it. But I want you to pay really close attention to right before he died. What is it that Jesus said? Jesus said, it is finished. But what did Jesus not say in this moment? Pay close attention. Jesus did not say, I am finished. Amen. He said, it is finished. It is finished. That's what he said. And this phrase, it is finished is actually the Greek word in the Bible. Esai. This word esai is an incredibly rich Greek word. Now, the Bible in this point was written in Greek. Jesus spoke this word over the people at the cross in Greek this day, to telles has so many meanings that every person that was present at the cross that day and that heard what Jesus said, knew exactly what he said.

(07:44):
Why? Because tetelestai was a word that was used all over Greek society. In fact, if you were a servant and your and your and your master sent you to do a job, you would simply come back into the master's presence and look into his face and say one word to him. And that would be the word to tell. Usai indicating that you had done what you had been charged to do. Friends, that's exactly what Jesus said on the cross that day as he was dying on top of a servant, it was an artist's word. It was a word of an artist. After they put the final brushstroke, the final chip onto a sculpture, they would step back from the sculpture looking and the fact that they had done what they had set out to do, they would step back from the sculpture and simply say the word esai, that it was finished.

(08:36):
And actually Paul in Ephesians chapter two, calls us Jesus's workmanship and his masterpiece. And that day on the cross, he said, it is finished on top of those to tell us. That was also a business word. It was a merchant word. When you bought something, the bill of sale would've been handed to you after the transaction was made and there would've been a stamp. There would've been a writing on it that uttered the word teti, serving as an official record that the transaction had been made, that it was finished. Isn't this exactly what Christ did for us with his blood, with his death, with his pain, Jesus paid in full the wages of sin. In fact, Romans 6 23 tells us that the wages of sin is death and Jesus uttering the words. It is finished in this moment, indicated that he paid the death that I deserved and that you deserved.

(09:33):
And the fact that nothing else can pay it, nothing else can be added to it. Jesus paid it all and all to him. I owe on top of those to tell us it was a judge's word. He would simply write on the charges of a criminal that had served their full sentence that was posted outside the jail cell as they were being released. He would write the word Ty on the charges that were made against them because it was finished. I love in Colossians chapter two, verse 14, Paul says this, he says, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us. Listen to this, he, this is Jesus. He has taken it away and what has he done? He has nailed it to the cross. Jesus nailed our sin to the cross. He took our punishment. He wrote the words paid in full, never to be tried again.

(10:29):
There is no double jeopardy in God's kingdom because Jesus has paid it all. If those aren't good enough to tell us I was a warrior word as a warrior would won a battle somewhere in a foreign kingdom, he would simply come before the ruler of this kingdom. He would say one word in the ruler's presence and he would look the ruler or the king in the eye and say to telles, I have done what you have charged me to do and it is complete. But last but not least, if those are not powerful enough to telli was the exact copy of the Hebrew word that the high priest would utter as he was coming out of the temple after sacrificing the lamb on behalf of all mankind, the the, this priest would open up the veil, walk onto the stairs and utter the words. It has been complete in Hebrew, we translated into Greek to tele sty.

(11:30):
Why? Because Jesus was the perfect lamb of God and he did completely what every one of those lambs for all time had attempted to do so to tell us high. It is finished. It's better than just a phrase. It's better than just something that he uttered on the cross. It had a rich meaning and even more than the language, it meant that he had been sacrificed, that all sin had been dealt with, that Jesus became sin on my behalf. The perfect son of Jesus dies for all sin, but praise God, he didn't say in that moment he was done. He said it is done. In fact, he rises to prove it. Look at the next verses in John chapter 20. I'm gonna read 'em. John says it better than any pastor could say it today. John chapter 20. The first 18 verses says this, early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been remote removed from the entrance.

(12:34):
She came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one who Jesus loved. That's John's nickname for himself. As he wrote this book and said this, Mary said, they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb. We do not know where they have put him. Verse three. So Peter and the other disciples started for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter, why is that there? Because a dude never tells another dude's story, and without saying that I beat him. The other disciple, John outran Peter, and he reached the tomb. First he bent over, he looked into the strips of linen. They were lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head.

(13:26):
The cloth was still lying in place, the separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside and he saw and believed verse nine, they still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the other disciple went back to where they were staying. Now, Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been one at the head, the other at the foot. When he, when they asked her woman, why are you crying?

(14:06):
They have taken my Lord away. Mary said, and I do not know where they have put him at this. She turned around and saw that Jesus was standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked a woman, why are you crying? Point of reference here. If you're ever at a funeral, never ask a woman why they're crying. Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you're looking for thinking? It was the gardener. She said, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him. Verse 16, don't miss this. Jesus said to her, Mary, she turned toward him and cried out an Aramaic rabbi, which means teacher. Jesus said to her, do not hold on to me for I'm not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.

(15:05):
Last verse, Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news saying, I have seen the Lord Church, listen to me on top of the word to tell us th what hit me the most over this last month studying this scripture. What jumped out from this firsthand account that has never stood out as strong to me is that despite right, despite all the confusion, despite all of the initial seeming unbelief of everybody that heard this, the resurrected glorified Jesus actually transforms this ragtag group of followers and they actually changed the world and they are the ones that we owe today's celebration to because Jesus changed them and they handed down what Jesus had done in their life. But here's the question I've been asking. What is it that changed them? What is it that took them and moved the and move these disciples from these grieving and mourning and hurting and scared and scattered and somewhat unbelieving followers?

(16:16):
What was it that took them from that to becoming the foundation of our Christian faith? It's incredibly simple and we just read it. It was none other than the undisputed resurrection of king Jesus. That's what everything rests on. But the irony of the story is that they didn't even come to the tomb that morning looking for a resurrection. We forget this sometimes. In fact, when you read the text back, maybe later on this evening, you'll see the irony is they weren't looking for a resurrection. They were looking for closure. Mary was coming to the tomb. The other gospels tell us there were others with 'em, but John is spotlighting her. Mary's coming to the tomb to finish the burial process, to finish her grieving process. In this moment, everybody's hurting. Everybody's kind of doubting at first, but then as we saw in the rest of the text, as it caught hold, that Jesus had did what he said he did, it's true as it caught hold that it was real.

(17:18):
What I'm trying to get you to see is what changed them was the fact that Jesus was dead and now he's alive and he showed himself to them that morning. He continued for the next 40 days to show himself later that afternoon on the road to Emmaus, later that evening to the disciples, another time to the disciples, another time at the beach with a couple of disciples, another time over those 40 days to 500 people at one time, Jesus showed himself to them all telling them that you can have life and this changes everything. That's what happened here, and that's the offer that Jesus is making. That is the resurrection. It's true, but here's the question. If it's true, what does it do? If it's true, what does it do? Lemme spend the next couple of minutes before we close today and give you three things that the resurrection does for those who trust in King Jesus.

(18:24):
Number one, the resurrection gives us victory over sin. It gives us victory over sin. Isn't this the central message of the gospel of Jesus? That Jesus as the sacrifice bought us back from a life of sin and that the resurrection is the proof that God, the Father, accepted his sacrifice and set us free. In fact, the apostle Paul in Romans four, and in Romans five, he talks about the resurrection is the verification of Jesus's sacrifice. Romans 4 25 says that he was delivered over to death for our sins. He was raised to life for our justification. Justification is a fancy word that just literally means that Jesus coming back to life was assembled, that we too can be set free. That's what the Bible says. Think of it as a receded Costco. That's what the resurrection is. You pay the cashier, they hand you the piece of paper.

(19:27):
You stand by the long line of people waiting to get by the guy with a yellow marker in his hand to simply say it has been verified that you have paid your bill. That's the resurrection. You see, many people had been crucified. Many people had claimed many crazy things. Many people had made many promises, but only king Jesus came to this earth, lived the simplest life, went to the cross saying that he was gonna do it and rose from the grave. You see, when Jesus died, they thought that they had lost. You get this right, you see from the moment the prophets of the Old Testament said that God would send a redeemer, that God would send a messiah, that God would send a deliverer. They thought it was gonna be a political king. They thought it was gonna be a a, a military leader.

(20:16):
They thought it was gonna be a new kingdom that was on this earth that would be brought peace, and it kinda looked like that's what Jesus was gonna do, right? He was healing people, he was feeding people. He was gaining this huge follower, followers. But at the moment, Jesus died. At the moment He died, they thought he had lost. You see, a redeemer would not lose. But lemme tell you what Jesus did for us. Jesus solved a way bigger problem than a national problem or a political problem or a Rome problem on the fact that Jesus died for our sin and rose from the day from the gray. Jesus offers a redemption to a bigger problem, and it is the problem of sin, and it's the problem of death. Jesus takes our sin. He takes our curse onto himself, and he rises to give us victory.

(21:08):
In fact, look at this verse in first Corinthians verse 15, verse 55. It says, where? Oh, death is your victory, where oh, death is your sting, but thanks be to God that he gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to me closely. For those of us that are in Jesus because of the resurrection, our death is no longer a defeat. Our death is no longer a sting, but our death is a victory in Jesus, victory in Jesus, my savior, forever He sought me and bought me with his redeeming love. You see, you get it right. The cross without the resurrection is just another death, but the resurrection gives us victory over sin. But secondly, it doesn't stop there. Number two, the resurrection. It actually floods our lives with his, with God's divine power. Listen, Jesus's resurrection means that there is now a power that is overcome the grave.

(22:19):
There's a power that overcomes so many things in our lives that drag us down and that defeat us. In fact, that's why second Corinthians five 17 says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, listen, there's a new creation that has come. The old has gone, and the new is here. You realize because of the 'cause of the resurrection, now when the newness of Jesus comes over us, that means we're not reconditioned, we're not shined up, that Jesus has now made us like himself and we are now fully alive, more alive than we could ever be without him, and Jesus is not only able to forgive sins, that's the cross. He's now able to put back our broken hearts. He's now able to fully restore us even from death. See, Matt, how do you get that from the resurrection? You remember who it was that made it to the resurrection first.

(23:14):
According to John, it was this lady, right named Mary Magdalene. Now, that might not mean a whole lot to you, but the other gospel writers kind of read us in to who Mary was in the beginning. This is huge. You see, mark tells us that Mary, before she met Jesus was actually possessed by seven demons, not one, not two, not three, but seven. That's Mark's way of saying how hopeless that she was. Her life was a mess. She looked mentally ill. She was incredibly immoral. She was probably, history tells us a prostitute beyond redemption. In many people's minds, her life was a mess. She was destitute, outcast on the edges. Most people would've given up on her. But in Luke chapter eight, the gospel of Luke tells us that Mary falls at Jesus's feet, that Jesus heals her, sets her free from these demons that were all over her life, and from that point on, she followed Jesus with a reckless abandonment.

(24:17):
Now, fast forward to the resurrection story, right? Mary Magdalene, this former prostitute, this former lady is now on the scene. She's the first one on the scene. It's amazing, right? She's at the garden with tears, spilled eyes. She looks at what she thinks is the gardener and actually yells at 'em, says, where did you put 'em? I'll go get 'em. And at that point, Mary recognizes the voice that one day called her into victory, and it's none other than Jesus. It's none other than Jesus and Jesus, by calling her name, set her free. Do you know what I believe tonight? I believe that Jesus is calling some of your names tonight. I believe because of the cross and because of the resurrection that now tonight maybe you're beginning to hear the gospel story is not a gospel of Jesus being finished, but it being finished.

(25:12):
It's a gospel of Jesus taking on our sin and shame and rising on the third day to give us his power to give us victory, and I believe that Jesus can do exactly what he did for Mary to some of you tonight. Listen, Jesus can put you back together. He can heal you. He can save you. You can become a Christian. He, he can make the old things pass away and the new things come. He can give you the power to live and possibly like Mary. Possibly you're just struggling. Maybe it's physically, maybe it's emotionally. Maybe it's your family. Maybe it's an addiction. Maybe it's a sinful habit. Maybe there's something else going on in your life. Mary would look at us tonight and just simply say, there's power available in the name of Jesus. That's what she tells us. Many of us would even say, I just don't get it.

(26:06):
Mary would look at you and go, I get it. I was there, but there's healing and there's power in the name of Jesus and he wants to give it to you. Do you realize there's more healing in the power of Jesus than there is sickness in you? That's the point of the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection says that he will give you his power. He will give you his presence. He will give you his life, but the question is, have you turned to him or are you still turning to yourself? Number one, the resurrection gives us victory. Number two, it floods our life with his divine power. Here's the last one this evening, the resurrection not only does those first two, but the resurrection. Number three, it seals our eternal destiny. That's what the resurrection does, right? Simply put the resurrection knocks out any future fear that you may have.

(27:11):
Do you see what Jesus did by conquering death, by offering his power to you? Jesus, there is. Resurrection says that no matter what you think, you can have your eternal life sealed in the name of Jesus with a guarantee from heaven because he's the king over death. Simply put, the resurrection knocks out our future fear. It's not permanent, right? It's not permanent. Even death is not permanent. God will undo every pain. He will undo every hurt. He will wipe away all things and he will make it new. The great reversal is coming in the name of Jesus and believers, listen to me. What a beautiful day that will be when Christ sets us free as Christ was set free from the tomb that morning. If you feel like you're in a season of darkness, if you feel like you're in a season of waiting for God, if you feel like you're in a season of waiting for prayer, waiting for a child to come back, waiting for God to heal a hurt, waiting for God to bind up a wound, here's what I want to tell you.

(28:14):
Don't give up 'cause God is up to something. He's the God of crucifixion Friday. He's the God of silent Saturday and praise be to God. He's God of resurrection Sunday. That's my God. That's what we are celebrating today, and he's not gonna disappoint. Why? Because He's given us victory already. He's flooded our lives with his power now already, and he's already said to us, our eternal destiny is secure and nothing else, and no one else can give you that for your life. Lemme tell you something. That's the message from Mary. That's the message from the disciples, and that's the message that every person that is truly trusted Christ wants to give you. But here's the last question I got. Do you believe it? Do you believe it? Has this grabbed your heart? Man, I've got news for you. Some of you've lived a long time saying, I don't believe it.

(29:22):
It's too good to be true. That's the same thing that these people said until the risen savior, Jesus grabbed their heart, it seemed like nonsense until the proof was in their life and Jesus changed them. Let me ask you this evening, isn't this what your soul for a long time has been looking for? You know what? There may be seasons of your life where you have absolutely ran hard to find something that will satisfy you. Maybe for you it was a season of some habit. Maybe for you it was a season of some relationship. Maybe for you, it was a season of just seeking some kind of success, but the risen savior, Jesus wants to look at you and look at me this evening and simply say, I'm the one that brings victory. I'm the one that brings power. I'm the one that brings your life being sealed in my blood and in my name. What's keeping you.