In our Easter Sunday sermon titled, JOHN’S PERSONAL TESTIMONY, we see the Apostle John’s eyewitness account as to how he first came to believe Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:1-10). The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is what Easter is all about, and it is also central to the Gospel itself, which states, “…Christ died for our sins… was buried, and… rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4, 14-26; Acts 26:23-26, etc.).
In John’s personal testimony he centers on Mary Magdalene who came to the tomb first “while it was still dark” on that premier Sunday morning nearly two thousand years ago (John 20:1). She saw the huge stone at the tomb entrance had been rolled away and feared the worst, “Maybe grave robbers had taken the body of Jesus?!?” (Mark 16:3-4; John 20:2). Reporting this distressing possibility to Peter and John, the two disciples ran to the grave to investigate (John 20:3-4a). John arrived first, peering in from the outside while Peter barreled into the cave (John 20:4b-6). Then John followed… and from the evidence there, Jesus’ graveclothes empty, untouched and the facecloth carefully set aside and folded, John believed the truth that Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:7-8). As of this point, John believed because of the scientific physical evidence in front of him (John 20:9-10; Luke 18:34, etc.), but the time would come when Peter, John, and the other disciples would believe because of what Jesus had said (John 2:22; Matt. 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-33, etc.). God also wants today for all people to trust in His Word to be saved through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ (Ezek. 18:32; John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4, Ps. 2:7/Acts 13:33; Ps. 16:8-11/Acts 2:34-36; Isa 53:10; 1 Cor. 15:20-23/Lev. 23:9-14, etc.).
Additional summary from the sunrise service:
Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead”- that is, the first and only Being to conquer sin and death (Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 15:20, Rev. 1:5, etc.)! All other people who were miraculously raised from the dead in the past like Lazarus (rare as they were) died again. Not so with Jesus, the God-Man, who is life itself (John 14:6, etc.). The Bible clearly states, He “died once for all”- ONCE, NEVER TO RETURN TO THE GRAVE AGAIN (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 7:27; 9:12, etc.). And as the “firstborn from the dead” He also is the “pioneer… of our faith;” the One who has gone before us (where no other could go) to prepare a home for us (Heb. 12:2 NET; 6:19-20; John 14:1-4, etc.). One day, Scripture is clear, “death [will be] swallowed up” into life for those who are His when He returns, and our bodies will then be glorified (that is, resurrected) like His glorious resurrected body- forever (1 Cor. 15:54; Rom. 8:28-30, 34; 1 John 3:2, etc.). While the days we live in may be getting darker (Gal.1:4; 1 John 5:19, etc.), Christians are to set our eyes toward His return knowing, just like that Easter morning long ago, light will win over darkness when the Son of Man comes for us (Rom. 16:20; 1 Pet. 1:13; Hab. 3:4; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 22:16, 20-21, etc.)!
Pastor Dave
My passion is to protect and promote the truth, and teach others to do the same through the faithful teaching of the Bible.
Gospel means “good news.” While we can have good news throughout our lives in many forms, the good news God shares with us is the forgiveness of sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
My cell is 208-597-1508, or you can also reach me at pastor@springhillchurchspokane.org