BECAUSE HE LIVES



Read Matthew 27:45-66

This is the story of the death of Jesus.

Isaiah said He would be brought as a lamb to the slaughter. (53:7)
            The sinless blood sacrifice for the sins of the world!

This is the sealing of the greatest covenant ever made!
            Sealed by the blood of God Himself!

When they lifted Him up on that cross He was totally sinless - No guile was to be found in Him!

He had been tempted and tried in every way known to man - But NOT ONE TIME did He ever sin!

Pure and spotless and without blemish!

But, while He hung there in unimaginable pain and agony,
            HE BECAME SIN FOR US!

My sins - and yours - My sicknesses - and yours, -
My diseases - and yours, deformed His body - made it ugly and repulsive!

They beat Him! Spit on Him! Slapped Him!

They drove huge spikes through His hands and feet!

They stuck a spear into His side!

His mother couldn't help Him!
His earthly father, Joseph, wasn't there!
The angels couldn't help Him, unless He called them!
Peter and John couldn't help Him!

AND HIS HEAVENLY FATHER HAD FORSAKEN HIM!!!

Isaiah said His face was 'marred' beyond recognition - (52:14)
And because He didn't die soon enough, they stuck the final spear into His side - - AND HE DIED!

They took Him down from the cross and took Him to Joseph's tomb.
      * They rolled a great stone over the opening!
      * The soldiers sealed the tomb with a piece of rope!
      * They put a guard at the door!
And the Son of God - The Messiah - The Anointed One was dead!

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I don't know if you've ever lost a loved one - Most of us have!
But it leaves a great sadness - a great loneliness!
We grieve for a long time - and somehow feel cheated!
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A great emptiness came over Jesus' followers.
      * They forgot about the temple being torn down! AND being rebuilt!
      * They forgot about Jonah and the great fish! AND the three days!
      * They forgot about the sign to an untoward generation!
They forgot EVERYTHING Jesus had promised them!

But the Pharasees didn't forget!
            They posted guards and concocted lies and stories!

The devil didn't forget! His whole future depended on whether this Jesus would come forth from the grave!

The people had lost their great hope!
      * THE KING OF ISRAEL WAS DEAD!
      * THE MESSIAH HAD NOT COME AFTER ALL!
      * ALL THE HOPES AND PROMISES LAY DEAD IN A TOMB THAT BELONGED TO A MAN NAMED JOSEPH OF ARAMATHEA!! (A Rich man!)

And they would have to keep on waiting for the Messiah - The One who would set them free! The One they desired!

We titled this message:
           "BECAUSE HE LIVES"

What a tragic story it would be IF IT ENDED THERE!

You see, a CRUCIFIED SAVIOR IS NOT ENOUGH!!!
      * There is no power in death!
      * There is no power in the cross!
      * There is no power in the grave!

To leave Jesus there - in the grave - is to have a DEFEATED savior!
Jesus can not heal from the grave!
Jesus can not deliver me from death if He is dead Himself!
AND SO, WE MUST FINISH THE STORY!

Read Matthew 28:1-6
HE IS NOT HERE - HE IS RISEN!!
He has been in hell for you and me!
      * He met satan in his own domain, his own territory and TOOK AWAY THE KEYS TO DEATH AND HELL!!
      * He made him Helpless - Hopeless - and Powerless!

When satan is spending his eternity in his bottomless pit, he'll suffer every sickness and disease that he sowed among mankind -
BECAUSE JESUS GAVE THEM ALL BACK TO HIM!!
      * Jesus opened the prison doors and set the captives free!

HE IS NOT IN THE GRAVE - HE IS RISEN! HE'S ALIVE!

And He said, "See all these miracles - these signs and wonders?
      * Well, you'll do even GREATER THINGS THAN THESE! Because I go to My Father!"

What gives us the authority of Jesus Christ?
BECAUSE HE LIVES!

If He had not risen from the grave, we would have nothing!
BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING - BECAUSE HE LIVES!

BECAUSE HE LIVES!
      * I can speak sight to the blind!

BECAUSE HE LIVES!
      * I can speak hearing to the deaf!

BECAUSE HE LIVES!
      * I can open the prison doors!

BECAUSE HE LIVES!
      * I can speak peace to the lost and undone!

BECAUSE HE LIVES!
      * I CAN HAVE COMPLETE VICTORY!

because HE lives! I can live!!

Stand up and lift your hands to THE RISEN SAVIOR!
Raise your voice to THE RISEN SAVIOR!
Sing Hosanna to THE RISEN SAVIOR!
Praise THE RISEN SAVIOR!
Worship THE RISEN SAVIOR!
Proclaim THE RISEN SAVIOR to the world!

BECAUSE HE LIVES, the devil can't touch you!

            BECAUSE HE LIVES!

(Please don't miss next month's Sermon) I would appreciate your feed-back on these monthly sermons. Thank You for visiting this page. Pastor James West