EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 20, 2025


Though He was God, Jesus was born as a human being. Mary, while she was still a virgin, became pregnant with Christ. And while they were in Bethlehem she gave birth. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Though He was God, He was baptized. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching… proclaiming the good news. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them. Jesus also did many other things. “If they were all written down,” John said, “I supposed the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus. Then the detachment of soldiers arrested Jesus. And all His disciples deserted Him and ran away. (At His trial before religious leaders) many false witnesses spoke against Him, but they contradicted each other. Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat Him with their fists. (At His Roman trial), Pilate asked the people, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” And when they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals. In this, God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. So Joseph of Arimathea bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, some disciples were on their way to the tomb of Jesus. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!” Selections from Matthew 1, 3, 9, 15, 26; Mark 14, 15, 16; Luke 2, 23; John 18, 21; Acts 1; Romans 5; Philippians 2; 2 Corinthians 5; 1 Peter 2


SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EASTER

Gospel: God’s good news to all people.

Good news isn’t good news unless it is a solution to bad news.

1/ The Good News is evidential!

But Thomas replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.” John 20:25

The eyewitnesses, empty tomb, martyrs, and even atheism are convincing evidences.

But at the end of evidence, faith is still required. It’s the way of God. Hebrews 11:6


2/ The Good News is essential!

(All are spiritually) dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. Ephesians 2:1
The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 14:2-3

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.” William Booth

The events in the Garden of Eden broke us on every level:

We are broken in our bodies.

We are broken in our souls.

We are broken in our spirits.


3/ The Good News is extraordinary!

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Skip Heitzig said: “There are only two religions. The religion of human achievement or the religion of divine accomplishment.”

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

You can’t understand the forgiveness offered until you grasp the judgment you deserve.


4/ The Good News is for everybody!

Jesus’ own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:11-12

Everybody responds to Jesus. No one is neutral. Each person receives or rejects.

“God loves all of us as if there was only one of us.” St. Augustine

Christianity is the most inclusive and exclusive religion in the world!

Jesus’ body lays across in the path to Heaven. We either step into Him or over Him.






5/ The Good News is an experience!

…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Salvation is intellectual.

Salvation is emotional.

Salvation is spiritual.


6/ The Good News is eternal!

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (Heaven), but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (Hell). John 3:36

Hearing the Good News either awakens the heart or hardens it.

“The (concentration) camps law is that those going to their death should be deceived until the end.” Tadeusz Borowski