Sermon Tone Analysis

Have you ever heard a story that seemed too good to be true?

How about this:

God creates the universe.

He fills it with stars, planets, galaxies, animals, and people.

He creates people with the unique capability to reason, behave, and love like the creator.

He created them in his own image..

But God’s people rebel against him.

They chose to listen to the enemy instead of the creator.

They chose to listen to their own wisdom, rather than the creator’s wisdom.

It would be like creating a beautiful vase and having the vase say, “I’m not a vase, I’m a baseball bat.”

Humanity’s choice to rebel against God was as destructive.

The result was a total turning away from God.

God is God.

He’s the creator.

He could have wiped out humanity right away.

Like a potter who isn’t happy with the vase she created, who chooses to destroy it and start over.

But God chose not to.

He chose to create a way to redeem, to restore, to resurrect humanity.

God chose to save the people he made.

Make no mistake, he didn’t have to, he chose to.

And the way he chose!

God chose to enter his creation.

The creator took on the created.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is like an artist who became part of his painting, painting himself into the canvas!

Jesus Christ took on humanity.

He did this in order to be able to pay for the sin, the rebellion of humanity.

Being fully God, he was able to pay for the sins of the whole world!

Being fully human, his sacrifice in place of others was accepted.

Being

The proof, the proof is in the events that happened on this day, nearly 2000 years ago!

This story indeed does sound too good to be true.

After three days in a grave, the tomb is empty.

None of the disciples expected it.

And that’s where this story rings so true.

Jesus had told them what to expect.

The angels in our text reminded the women, “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful me, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”

Then they remembered.

We can’t blame them.

These women, intending to do a good deed, went to the tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body.

That this was utterly unnecessary didn’t even enter their minds.

They simply believed he was dead.

They expected to find his body there.

But then they remembered his words.

Jesus said he would die.

Jesus said that he would pay for our sins.

This story rings true.

A revisionist history would have changed things.

For sure, men would have gone to the tomb first—full of belief in finding it empty.

For sure, women wouldn’t be given such an honour, not in those days, when a woman’s testimony wasn’t even accepted in court.

The disciples disbelief, would have been changed into a sure faith.

The very way it is written tells us that this account is true.

The disciples didn’t believe the women.

They thought their words were nonsense.

They were the experts.

They had been with Jesus from the beginning.

They were chosen by Jesus himself.

Surely they knew better.

It’s true, isn’t it?

Their story seems like nonsense.

The empty tomb.

The angels.

The story that Jesus is alive!

Why look for the living among the dead?

Jesus is alive!

But Peter, Peter had to go for himself.

He ran to the tomb and found it empty.

The women were right, of course.

What did it mean?

What of the guilt he’d been feeling since the rooster crowed?

What of the grief?

What of the fear?

What would Jesus say when he saw Peter?

So now the disciples started putting it all together.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus calmed the storm.

Jesus healed people.

Jesus fed thousands.

Jesus forgave a man his sins.

Jesus is who he said he is.

Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah!

They knew, they were starting to understand.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

So.

Today is Easter Sunday.

Today is the day Christians all over the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from Nazareth, Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus conquered death!

Jesus fully paid for all sin.

Jesus freely offers forgiveness to everyone.

Will you accept it?

On Good Friday, when Jesus was dying on the cross, being crucified between two criminals, he did something that no one had ever done before.

He prayed, “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.”

The two criminals with him heard his prayer.

One mocked him.

“If you are who everyone says you are, why don’t you save yourself and save me while you’re at it?”

Those are familiar words, aren’t they?

Have you ever said to God, “God, if you just do this or that, then I’ll trust you, I’ll believe in you, I’ll give my life to you.”

The first criminal was only seeking to escape his situation.