What Difference Does Easter Make?

Introduction

John 11:25

One of my favorite magazines for years was U.S. News & World Report. I like it because there's a section in there called "News You Can Use" which implies that there is a lot of news you can't use. That's true.  We live in an information society. There's an information glut. But a lot of what's out, I really don't need to know.

I don't want to waste my time this morning and I don't want to waste your time so we're going to talk about News That You Can Use. Headline: What difference does Easter Make?

I want to get right to the point this morning. I feel like the chicken that decided to lay an egg on the California freeway. The rooster said, "Here's how you do it. You lay it on the line and you do it in a hurry!" That's what I want to do this morning. I want to lay it on the line and do it in a hurry.

Two questions: Easter, the resurrection.

• What does it mean?
• Why does it matter?

In the next 24 hours billions of people will celebrate Easter all around the world. How is it something could happen approximately 2005 years ago, and still cause traffic jams today? What does it mean?

A lot of people say, "I believe in the resurrection. I just don't understand it." George Gallup did a pole and here are his findings:

84% of the people who never go to church, believe that Jesus rose from the dead. It's a historical fact. It wasn't done in secret. The entire city of Jerusalem knew about it and eventually the whole Roman Empire. It was news. If CNN or FOX news had been there, they would have had it live.  There are at least 15 historical references to Jesus meeting people, touching people, talking with people.  One time He cooked breakfast for some people. One time He talked to about 500 people after He had risen from the dead. Many people saw Him.

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Three things.

A. JESUS IS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE

In John 11:25 we read, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though He dies." Jesus made some outrageous claims when He was here on earth. He said things like, "I'm God.... I'm perfect ... I'm the only way to heaven ... I'm the Savior of the world... "  Many people try to make Jesus a good teacher.  A good teacher would never say that. I could go out and teach people in Brown County all kinds of good moral truths and they'd say, "Cliff’s a good teacher". But if I started calling myself God you wouldn't think I was a good teacher anymore.
Jesus was either who He said He was or He was the biggest liar who ever lived. He said, "I am God." He made some claims, and He said, What I'm going to do is going to validate who I am.
One day Jesus cleared the money changers out of the temple. They had turned the temple into a kind of Brown County flea market. He went in and drove them all out. They said, "What right do you have to do this?" He said, "Because I'm God." They said, "Prove it!" He said, "I will. After you kill me, I'm going to come back to life three days later." He claimed to be God and His resurrection backs up what He claimed to be.

John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can get to God the Father except by means of me." That's a pretty strong claim. Circle "the". He said I'm the way. He didn't say, I'm one way, I'm a good way, I'm one of the ways. Saying, "All roads get to heaven" is stupid. That's like saying I can dial any phone number and get home. There's one number that will get me home.

He says I'm the truth. That means any other way is not the truth if He's right. He claimed to be God.  He says, "No one can get to God the Father except by me." Even if you don't believe Jesus Christ is who He said He was, you still use Him as a reference point. Every time you write a check, every time you date a contract, every time you put down an appointment in your little blue book what's the reference point? 2005 years from what? Jesus came to earth. God came to earth in the form of a man so we could know what God is like. His name was Jesus Christ. He split all of history into A.D. and B.C. .

It is commonly though that BC stands for "before Christ" and AD stands for "after death." This is only have correct. How could 1 B.C. have been "before Christ" and 1 A.D. been "after death"? BC stands for "before Christ." AD actually stands for the Latin phrase "anno domini" which means "in the year of our Lord." The B.C / A.D. dating system is not taught in the Bible. It actually was not fully implemented and accepted until several centuries after Jesus' death and resurrection.
Every time you write a date, Jesus is the reference point. He said He was who He claimed to be.

B. JESUS SHOWS HE HAD THE POWER HE CLAIMED TO HAVE

He said "All power on earth and in heaven is given to me." Because He was God He could do everything God could do.  In John 10:18 He says, "Nobody takes my life from me. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again." No force could keep Him in the tomb. The Romans killed Him, they put Him in a tomb, they put the big stone in front of the tomb and then sealed it with the Roman seal and they posted a 24-hour guard. They were only trying to prevent the inevitable. He had all the power in the world.  He said, they can't stop me. I can give My life away and I can take it up again. (That's where they get the phrase, "You can't keep a good man down!")

C. JESUS DOES WHAT HE PROMISES TO DO

Mark 10:34 "They will mock and flog and kill me but after three days I will come back to life." The cross was no surprise to Jesus. It was all part of God's plan.

When you think about it, there's humor in the Easter story. How would you feel if you'd been with the guys who put Jesus to death? You publicly executed this man in front of thousands of witnesses who had seen Him die. Then you have Him buried, a stone put over, sealed and a 24-hour guard. Three days later, this guy's up and walking around the city again. What do you say if you meet Him on the sidewalk?

"The angel said, 'Don't be frightened. I know you're looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He's come back to life again just as He said He would.'" Circle "just as He said He would." He did what He promised. When God makes a promise, you can count on it.

That's what it means. Because Jesus did rise, He is who He said He was, He has the power He said He had and He kept the promises that He made. So what?

II. WHY DOES IT MATTER?

What difference does it make? We're talking about News You Can Use. So what if Jesus is who He said He was? What does it mean to me in 2005 in southern Brown County USA?

• My past can be forgiven.

"He has forgiven all our sins... and canceled every record of the debt we owed; Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross."  Col. 3:14 (JB)

• My present problems can be managed.

"How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe Him ... the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!"  Eph. 1;20 (LB)

"I am ready for anything through the strength of Christ who lives is me." Phil. 4:13 (Ph)

• My future can be secured.

"This is the way to have eternal life - by knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one he sent to earth!"  John 17:3 (LB)