He is Risen (Easter Hope 2018)

On this Easter 2018, let’s acknowledge this Simple Truth of Scripture: 

Jesus is Risen. 

Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,

 “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6 He is not here; he has risen!

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words.

This Simple Truth makes all the difference in the world. 

• The grave could not hold Him.  In Him, it cannot hold you back either. 
• Death is a defeated enemy and the battle is won.  Jesus Christ is victorious and won the battle against death, a victory won for you and won for me, too. 
• Sin’s curse and the wages of sin and death have been paid in full. 
• In Christ, we are forgiven.  In Him, we are free indeed!  In Him, we no longer need to be slaves to sin or fear death. 
• In Christ and Christ alone, we have hope…hope of a resurrection, of an eternity in the presence of God, of strength for today and reward set in heaven for our perseverance in faith. 

We have confidence that what He said is Simple Truth: 

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”