The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 at our West University Baptist campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDguu7V8yEU

“He is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!  He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!”

How many of you will have some sort of Reese’s Easter Candy?

• An Egg?
• Some Reeses Pieces?
• Or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Bunny?

Harry Reese’s Persistence

The most popular candy on planet Earth not surprisingly is the Reese’s Cup, but the back story of this perfect recipe finds its most prominent ingredient from the heart of its creator, H. B. Reese.

Harry Reese was not originally a confectioner, in fact the very trade that would one day become his legacy was the same trade that devastated his life. Reese worked for The Hershey Company in Chocolate Town, USA, also known as Hershey, Pennsylvania. He worked as the manager of the Round Barn for the Hershey Company.

This position in the company provided security, stability, and sufficient income for his large family. In 1919 the Round Barn was closed in an effort to save money. Harry Reese found himself the father and provider of ten with no job.

It is not hard to imagine that this was a devastating blow to the man. It was likely the kind of sucker punch to the gut that would defeat someone, but Harry Reese chose to take this bitter reality and find a sweet solution. Because of his position as manager of the Round Barn he learned many valuable skills of what it took to create chocolate.

Several attempts were made in his own home kitchen before the fateful day when the marriage of chocolate and peanut butter would at last come to be. The Reese’s Cup soon became a local favorite and it caught the attention of the Hershey Company. Hershey’s sought a partnership with Reese, supplying the chocolate for his chocolate peanut butter cups.

Hershey’s would buy the H.B. Reese company after Harry Reese’s death, with his descendants still receiving a percentage of its earnings to this day, showing his legacy lives on.

It would appear at one point in Reese’s life that his story was reaching towards tragedy, but that was not the end of his story. Act two of his story proved to be the comeback from the setback, but it only happened because the mold was broken in his life of a typical story.

We love a great comeback story, don’t we?  There is something about it that is so compelling!  When we see it happen in real life, we rejoice and we say, “Did you see that?”

Well, today, my friends, we are here to celebrate the comeback of all comebacks—the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

And it’s a comeback with the deepest of meanings and implications.

We’ve been looking at the Top 5 Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die.

The Top 5 Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die

#5: To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners

#4: To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us

#3: To Ransom People from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation

#2: To Call us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love

#1: To Secure our Resurrection from the Dead

Look at the words of Jesus from John 11.

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…

This claim is before Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s at the moment in the Gospels where he raises Lazarus from the dead…and he is telling Lazarus’ sister, Mary, that in him is resurrection.

His promise to her, and the Scripture’s promise to us, is Resurrection.

Let’s look at Luke’s account of the resurrection, in Luke 24:1-12.

Luke 24:1-12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.⁵ And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” ⁸ And they remembered his words, ⁹ and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, ¹¹ but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹² But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Now, that’s a comeback!  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest comeback in all of history.

It’s so meaningful, that the Apostle Paul says it this way:

1 Corinthians 15:17

 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

The Apostle Paul here is saying, if the resurrection isn’t true, we are all just wasting our time.  But if it is true, then it has HUGE ramifications for our lives.

So, what does the Bible teach about Resurrection? In other words, why is this so significant for us?

The Resurrection of Jesus…

1. Declares the work of Salvation to be Complete
2. Gives us a great hope and an amazing future
3. Fuels our lives today

I. The Resurrection of Jesus…Declares the Work of Salvation to be Complete

Think of some of the most famous championship trophies…

There is the Stanley Cup

This weekend, the Master’s Golf Tournament is taking place, and depending on the weather, we may see a champion don a new Green Jacket today, or tomorrow.

Then there is this trophy…

I mean, our city celebrated, didn’t we? Over a million people went downtown to the parade.

Academy stores had people line up around the stores to get in to buy World Series gear.

We celebrated that championship, and felt a bit validated and vindicated from the 2017 World Championship.

But can I tell you something?

The Astros’ World Series Trophy is nothing compared to the Resurrection of Jesus.

Our City’s greatest parade and party is a little bobblehead compared to the Victory secured for us in the Resurrection.

John Piper says,“The Resurrection was the reward for what Christ achieved in His death.”

Take a look at Hebrews 13 with me.

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Do you see the phrase, “by the blood of the eternal covenant?”

Hebrews 13:20

“…by the blood of the eternal covenant…”

This verse says that God raised Jesus from the dead by the blood of the covenant.

In other words, the blood that Jesus shed on the cross was so effective and so complete, the Resurrection, as John Piper says, “is the reward and vindication of Christ’s achievement in death.”

So, what did the cross of Christ and His blood shed accomplish?

The Bible teaches that:

The Resurrection is the Reward of Christ’s Achievement in Death because…

1. The Wrath of God was satisfied.

Romans 3:25 states of Jesus:

Romans 3:25

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Jesus was put forth by God as a propitiation.

Propitiation – The term means, the turning away of anger by the offering of a gift.

So, God put forward His Son as the gift that would satisfy the wrath of God toward sin.

What else did the blood that Christ shed on the cross accomplish?

The Resurrection is the Reward of Christ’s Achievement in Death because…

1. The Wrath of God was satisfied.
2. The Holy curse against sin was fully absorbed.

Galatians 3:13

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Christ became the curse for us.  In other words, he took our curse…he became our curse.

The Bible says, “He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.”

What else?  What else did the blood of Jesus accomplish?  It declared…

The Resurrection is the Reward of Christ’s Achievement in Death because…

1. The Wrath of God was satisfied.
2. The Holy curse against sin was fully absorbed.
3. The obedience of Christ was completed to the fullest measure.

Philippians 2:8

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

You see, God put Jesus forth, and Jesus willingly obeyed.

John 10:17-18

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

What else did the blood that Christ shed on the cross accomplish?

The Resurrection is the Reward of Christ’s Achievement in Death because…

1. The Wrath of God was satisfied.
2. The Holy curse against sin was fully absorbed.
3. The obedience of Christ was completed to the fullest measure.
4. The price of forgiveness was fully

Listen to Hebrews 10:1 and 4.

Hebrews 10:1 & 4

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near…

⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

You see, this is saying that the sacrificial system wasn’t sufficient to fully pay the sins of the people.  That’s why the people would have to offer them over and over again.  But if you keep reading Hebrews 10, you see that the price for forgiveness was fully paid by Christ on the Cross.

Christ’s sacrifice was once and for all.

Hebrews 10:12-14

 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

My friends, the Scripture is clear…the price of forgiveness was fully paid.  There was no need for any more sacrifice!

What else did the blood that Christ shed on the cross accomplish?

The Resurrection is the Reward of Christ’s Achievement in Death because…

1. The Wrath of God was satisfied.
2. The Holy curse against sin was fully absorbed.
3. The obedience of Christ was completed to the fullest measure.
4. The price of forgiveness wasfully
5. The Righteousness of God is completely vindicated.

Romans 3:25

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

“This was to show God’s righteousness.”

Giving Jesus as the just punishment of sin, as the one who would completely remove God’s wrath, and as the one who fully brings forgivingness of sin, demonstrates the right-ness of God.

Righteousness is the fulfillment of expectations in any relationship.

One writer states…“It is applicable at all levels of society and is relevant in every area of life. It is the conformity to a certain set of expectations.”

We say that someone was righteous in his conduct…what do we mean? That they did what was expected and what was right, we deem this to be appropriate.

The opposite of righteous is wicked or evil.

God put forth Jesus as a sacrifice that satisfied His wrath, so that He could be seen as completely right in all of His judgements against sin.

Romans 3:26

It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

So what does all of this mean?

Christ’s Death was so sufficient, that Christ’s resurrection was the ringing endorsement of Jesus Christ.

John Piper says…“All that was left to accomplish was the public declaration of God’s endorsement. This He gave by raising Jesus from the dead.”

Application:  So, as we come to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, know that it is the glorious endorsement from God the Father, of what the shed blood of Jesus accomplished on the cross.  Aren’t you thankful for the cross of Jesus Christ?

But I know that some of you today are here and you are thinking, “Okay…thanks for the theology lesson, but help me make sense of this stuff…What’s in it for me?  How does this affect my life?”

I’m so glad you asked.  Let’s keep walking through our outline today.  Remember, it’s the greatest comeback story ever…

The Resurrection of Jesus…

1. Declares the work of Salvation to be Complete
2. Gives us a Great Hope and an Amazing Future
3. Fuels our lives today

II. The Resurrection of Jesus…Gives us a Great Hope and an Amazing Future

One of our members sent me this nice card…

Again, we are asking the question, “Why did Jesus come to die?” And today, we are learning that He came to die to secure our resurrection from the dead.

This is where we move from talking about what happened before God through Jesus’ death and resurrection, to seeing the implications of all of that for our lives.

Notice how this should give us hope because of the promise of an amazing future.

Here are a few scriptures about the impact of the resurrection for our lives.

Romans 6:5

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 6:14

And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

Q: What is the simple promise of the gospel message? 

A: Resurrection is available.  Death doesn’t have the final say. 

The Apostle Paul says it this way…

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Friends, the Bible is clear.  Faith in Jesus Christ means we will have a resurrection like he had.

So, the real question is this:  Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? 

• His death is the complete payment for your sin so that you are no longer separated from God.
• His resurrection is the crowing achievement declaring that forgiveness of sin is available.

Won’t you trust him?  Won’t you believe in him? 

When you trust Christ as your savior, you understand that Death is not the final word.  We have hope beyond the grave.  We have a hope and a future.

Which leads me to my last point…

The Resurrection of Jesus…

1. Declares the work of Salvation to be Complete
2. Gives us a great hope and an amazing future
3. Fuels our lives today

III. The Resurrection of Jesus …Fuels our lives today

There is a great hymn that says…

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. 

Because He lives, all fear is gone. 

Because I know he holds the future,

my life is worth the living,

just because he lives.”

Listen to how Paul says it in Romans 6.

Romans 6:8-11

⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

What is this passage saying?

1. This new life is a life set apart unto God. (v.8) “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

This life he has for us is one full of purpose…service…encouragement…peacemaking…history making as we share his love with others.  When we live today in light of the resurrection, it changes everything for us.

Louie Giglio, in his book, The Comeback, says it this way…

Because Jesus is alive again, we can come back from anything the world throws at us:

– the deepest kind of sin

– the devastation of crumbling relationships

– the rejection of job loss and failure

– the general disappointment of life

– the pain of bereavement

– the hammer of betrayal

– whatever, you name it

Jesus’ comeback from death, never to die again, ensures that we can come back from the jaws of sin and the death penalty it demands. There is no cancer, no sickness, no sin, no reversal of fortunes, no curse, no heartache— nothing— that’s greater than Jesus.

Jesus heals. Jesus restores. Jesus brings life.[1]

[1] Louie Giglio, The Comeback.

There is no greater comeback story than Jesus’ resurrection

There is no greater victory than Jesus’ triumph over the grave.

Because He lives…you can have eternal life.

Because He lives…you can face tomorrow.