"Building a Church Through Outreach"
God was Human
Easter Service
ELCOG 4/8/07
Text: Isa. 53:3
Read daily devotional from Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado. This morning I want to focus on the humanity of Christ. It is often easy to forget the great price that Christ paid for us. We remember during this time of the year the crucifixion and resurrection, but do we remember that at one time Jesus was in heaven and God made the decision that something had to be done to bridge the gap between God and man. God desired to be with man. He remembered the fellowship that he had with man while He and Adam walked in the cool of the day. But then Adam chose to be disobedient and God had to deal with the sin of disobedience. He put man out of the garden that he had placed them in and made it where man would work for his food and his livelihood. Things were bad for man, for generations God was separated from man, with the options of animal sacrifice to atone for sin. But God wanted more. He wanted all people to be able to enter into His presence. So God had to make a decision. What will he do? He will decide to send the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of all sins. Who should he send? Would Gabriel be sufficient? Would the likes of a great prophet such as Elijah or Elisha be the right choice? No! That would not do the job.
John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17
17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God loved us so much that He sent Jesus, His only son to become the sacrifice. Jesus, left the splendor of Heaven to become man. He paid the highest price for the people He loved. He died for us.
John 15:13
13Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus took on the flesh and became human. God dressed in flesh and lived among us. God ate with sinners and fellowshipped with fisherman. He preached to multitudes and taught the twelve. God was all human and yet all God. Jesus became the sacrifice as he was betrayed by one of his chosen disciples and was arrested by the Roman soldiers. But let me remind you of the words of Christ…
John 10:15
15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:16
16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
John 10:17
17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
John 10:18
18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
So Jesus gave his life as the soldiers pierced his hands with the spikes to hold him to an old rugged cross. He was all human. He loved us. He felt our pain, he carried our burdens. He suffered for us.
Isa. 53:4
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa. 53:5
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
He was all human. He felt every sorrow, he felt all the pain. Every stripe on his back was felt though out his body. He did all of that because of his love for us. He was beaten and stricken, and nailed to the crossed. He died for the forgiveness of our sins. He loved us enough to do just that, but as I have said many times before we can not stop at this point of the story. Because today we have gathered at an empty tomb to worship a risen savior!
Matt. 28:1
1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Matt. 28:2
2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Matt. 28:3
3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Matt. 28:4
4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
Matt. 28:5
5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Matt. 28:6
6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matt. 28:7
7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Matt. 28:8
8And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
The news of the God man is this….He is risen. He loved us enough to die, but was powerful enough to come back from the dead. This morning we come to celebrate the resurrected king of kings. We have every reason to have hope this morning, because Jesus provided hope with His resurrection. We have every reason to live in peace, because it was provided in His resurrection. He should over-flow in joy, because it was provided in the resurrection.
On Friday the disciples and followers of Jesus experienced one of the darkest nights of their lives as their hope was crucified, but on Sunday morning, hope was restored. Today, some of you come into this sanctuary having lived through a dark Friday, but I present to you this Sunday the bright hope of a resurrected Jesus. God was in love with you before time began. As a matter of fact…
Rom. 5:6
6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom. 5:7
7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom. 5:8
8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom. 5:9
9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom. 5:10
10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom. 5:11
11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom. 5:12
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom. 5:15
15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Eph. 2:5
5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph. 2:6
6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
God still has grace. He has what you need this morning. How dark was your Friday? How bad was your Saturday? Today is your day. Today can be your day of hope. God’s grace is sufficient for all your needs. He has an ample supply of forgiving grace. Today is the day you need to experience the resurrection of Christ in your life. If you have faced death all week and Christ has not been seen. Come see the place where Jesus lay. He is alive. Rejoice in His hope. Celebrate the resurrection. Allow him to resurrect in your life. Is He dead in your life? Let Him come alive today. He loves you so much that he paid the price for you. He is waiting. Will you come let him be alive in your life? He is waiting.