We celebrated Easter when Jesus died and rose again for us. And we celebrate that as a key part in our lives. When the early church first started though, they didn't celebrate. They didn't worship on Sunday mornings. They worshiped on Saturdays because it was a Jewish faith that started in the Jewish synagogue. Christians worshiped in the synagogue until there became a conflict. When they said things like, “Wait a minute, what do you mean we don't have to keep the law of Moses?” And so finally it separated and the church started to absorb other believers; Gentiles, rich, poor, slaves, free. As it started to absorb everyone into it, they changed the worship time to Sunday morning in honor of the resurrection of Christ.
They loved the death of Christ for our sins, but they really embraced the resurrection of Christ.
And that's what we celebrate at Easter time — the resurrection. But we emphasize death. The death of Jesus. Death itself is not unique. People are dying all the time. But what is unique about Easter, and what Jesus did, is that here is the God of the universe who died for the sin of mankind. And then to prove His deity, He also was resurrected. He overcame death. Death, bows to Him, and He proves His deity. And so Easter is more than death; it is resurrection. That's really the big thing for us. It's better than just Jesus dying and rising for us, because there was more than just Jesus who died that day. We know two thieves were there. They died on the cross side by side with Jesus. But it's more than that.
If you have received Christ, if you have embraced Him and received Him by faith, then you also were crucified and buried and raised again.
Now, we know Scripture teaches in Galatians that we have been crucified with Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
And Romans says “that our old man is crucified with him.” Romans 6:6a (KJV) Ephesians says that He has “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6 (NASB) So the death and resurrection of Jesus includes us in that whole process. So it's more than Jesus dying for us and rising again. We also died with Him.
If you can embrace this, it will be life-changing to you because it will give you a new identity.
It will give you your acceptance. It will give you righteousness, and put the Holy Spirit within you. You will become a new person — and that is life-changing! If you don't understand that, you need to check it out. You need to speak with the LIfe Untangled team today. My prayer for you is that as you celebrate Easter in years to come, you'll not only celebrate Jesus, His death and resurrection, you'll celebrate your own death, resurrection, and you becoming a new creature. So God keep you and bless you, and His face does shine upon you because of what Easter accomplished.
If you have questions about today’s message, are tangled up in the circumstances of life, or just need to talk, please reach out to the Life Untangled team here: www.lifeuntangled.com/contact-us. You are not alone!