Many of us celebrated Resurrection Sunday last weekend or Easter Sunday as a lot of people call it. My pastor preached on the risen Savior. Jesus has risen indeed. He’s alive! I know that I will live forever because my Redeemer lives. But why did He rise from the dead?
He Arose
He arose because He was Emmanuel – God with us. He arose from the dead because He was fully God as well as fully man. Jesus lived a sinless life. He suffered and died for guilty sinners because He is the only way for any of us sinful creatures to get back right with God. He paid the debt that He didn’t owe in order for us to have eternal life. He rose from the grave because death could not hold Him.
Jesus rose from the dead three days after He was crucified on the cruel cross. He was severely beaten; He was beaten so badly that you couldn’t even recognize who He was. Christ endured 39 vicious lashes across His back. He was forced to carry the cross, even though His back was all mangled from the beating. Once He got to Golgatha – the place of the skull, His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. He was lifted high on the cross, where He suffered immense physical pain.
Even worse than that, He suffered God’s wrath over sinful people; sinners like you and me. He suffered the wrath of God the Father and He was forsaken by the Father while He hung on the cross. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus’ crucifixion was predicted about 1,000 years prior to His death and that prediction was by King David. Psalm 22:1-19: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Forsaken
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus cried these words while He hung on the cross. Jesus was forsaken by God the Father because of our sins. He carried the sins of the world upon His shoulders as He hung on the cross and He bore them alone. Jesus was forsaken.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6).
Jesus was forsaken by God and He was forsaken by men. People still forsake the Lord today. Maybe this describes you tonight. Do you despise Jesus Christ? Does it anger you to hear His precious name being lifted up in downtown Springfield? Do you hate the Lord Jesus? Have you rejected Him by your words and your actions? Are you an enemy of Jesus Christ? Jesus said you are either for Him or against Him. Which is it? Are you alive in Christ or are you still spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins?
Jesus rose from the grave. Before that He suffered, bled and died on the cross. He died for guilty sinners like you and me. He was afflicted by God. He was forsaken by God because of sinful man. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. By His stripes we are healed. He died in the place of guilty sinners like us. He paid the sin debt that we owe.
Why did He do that? He willingly laid down His life as a ransom for many. He took the punishment that you and I deserve. He is the sinless Son of God and He never sinned one time. Not in His thoughts, words or actions. He was born of the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect, sinless life and then He laid down His life for guilty sinners like you and me.
None Are Good
We have all gone astray. We have all turned from God and turned to our own way. We have all sinned against a Holy, righteous and just God. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 53:1-3).
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us have been good. None of us are good. We are filthy in the eyes of a Holy God. We are dirty, rotten sinners and each and every one of us deserves to go Hell. We deserve God’s everlasting punishment over our sins. We have all broken the 10 Commandments. None of us have loved God with all of our heart, soul and mind, every second of every day. We have all gone astray. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and each and every one of us has sinned since then.
If you die in your sins, you will suffer everlasting fire and damnation. You will be forsaken by God. You will be separated from the love of God for all of eternity. You will gnash your teeth and weep in agony. You will wish that you had not forsaken Jesus. You will wish that you had not rejected Him.
You will regret every time that you mocked and scorned Jesus. You will wish that you had not driven the nails into His hands and feet with all of your sins. You will regret your adding sin upon sin, the whole time that you walked this earth. You will regret that you forsook the only Savior. But it will be too late. Once you die in your sins and are cast into Hell, there is no escape. There are no second chances. There is no way out. You will be forsaken by God and because He is so Holy, His forsaking you will last forever.
You Can Be Saved
But you don’t have to die in your sins and go to Hell. You can be saved. If God is convicting you tonight, don’t reject such a great of salvation. Jesus paid it all. He paid your sin debt so that you – a guilty criminal (sinner) could go free. He was forsaken on your behalf so that you might have everlasting life. You don’t have to be forsaken for all of eternity. He was forsaken for guilty sinners like you and me. But you must receive salvation.
You must repent and believe the Gospel. Stop rebelling against Jesus. Stop mocking Him. Stop rejecting Him. Stop scorning Him. Stop hating Him. Stop getting angry when you hear His precious name. Stop running away from the only Savior. Oh, bow your knee; confess with your tongue the Lord Jesus. Be saved tonight. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Forsake Him no more. Repent and surrender your life to Him. Follow Him. Follow Jesus from this night forward. Forsake all for Him. Forsake the world and submit to the Lord Jesus. Confess and forsake your sins.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:8-13).
Forsake your sins, forsake your life and come to Jesus and be saved and you will receive everlasting life. You don’t have to be forsaken for all of eternity. You don’t have to be damned to Hell forever. Your sins can be forgiven. Your slate can be wiped clean. God will remember your sins no more. He will cast them as far as the East is from the West; if you repent and surrender your life to Jesus.
Oh call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved. Don’t put this off. Be saved tonight. Come to Jesus. Come just as you are. Come to the Savior and cry out for mercy. Come to the One who was forsaken for you so that you don’t have to be forsaken by God for all of eternity. Confess and forsake your sins. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on April 1, 2016)