Easter Sunday 2012

He’s Alive, Jesus is Alive!!

Where was Jesus? Where did He go during those three days? I have heard many stories on this. I have seen plays where it showed Jesus going into Hell and working over Satan. Yes, it showed Jesus in a fist fight with the master of evil... But what do I think? I have never heard this from anyone else, but here is one place I think He went and the way I figured it out...

If you read Luke 23: 26 through 43 you will find what I am talking about today.

I believe that one of the places Jesus went right after He died, on that very first day, was Heaven. Yes, I think He went to His Father in Paradise. Here is why I think this. Starting with Luke verse 39 - One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "Since you are under the same sentence?" 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise." (NIV)

Now let me repeat that last verse, Luke 23: 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise." Now we know that Jesus did/does not lie, and here He tells this one "bad guy" "today you will be with me in Paradise." He did not say next week you will be with me, or in 40 days you will be with me, or the day I am risen you will be with me... He said today, and that to me means that Jesus took this man, the one that stood up for Him, and went to the Father. Sounds to me like Jesus was this criminal’s ride straight to Heaven. Oh, and Jesus is our ride into Heaven also, don't forget that... So, my brothers and sisters, there is one of the places I think Jesus went during the three days, and I think it just might have been the first place. According to the Bible, and I believe what is in the Bible, Jesus went there the same day. "TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE."

Now let’s go to the Tomb of Jesus. Let us just go along with the women who were going there to put perfume on the body of Jesus. Now when they arrived they found the stone that had been placed in front of the tomb and even sealed was rolled away. They also found the guards that were watching over the tomb standing like stone. Let’s see, the men were like stone and the stone was like a wheel and rolled away… Then we go with the ladies and look into the tomb. Jesus is gone and two men appear, looking like angels of the Lord, asking us, why are you looking for Jesus among the dead, for Jesus is alive, He has been risen from the dead. He has been brought back to life as He said He would be.

Today we sing praises to our Lord Jesus for He did die for us, all of us, and on the third day He was risen from the dead.

JESUS IS ALIVE!!!! Happy Easter my dear brothers and sisters, and it is a beautiful day here in Central Pennsylvania and all over the world because of Jesus. And did I say: JESUS IS ALIVE!!!

Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o'er His foes. He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign. HE AROSE! HE AROSE! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Alive, Alive, Alive forever more, my Jesus is alive, alive forever more. Alive, alive, alive forever more, my Jesus is alive. Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah, my Jesus is alive forever more, sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah, my Jesus is alive.

Alive, Alive, Alive forever more, my Jesus is alive, alive forever more. Alive, alive, alive forever more, my Jesus is alive. Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah, my Jesus is alive forever more, sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah, my Jesus is alive.

JESUS IS ALIVE!!!! My dear friends, as we sing praises and lift our Lord Jesus remember this, that Jesus was risen from the dead so that someday we also might be risen from the grave.

Now I want you to place yourself in the shoes of those who went to the tomb of Jesus on the first day, in the shoes of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James who found that the "Stone" that was not just placed in front of the tomb, but also sealed and then guarded was rolled away. Angels of the Lord rolled away that stone and our Lord Jesus was risen.

Now I want you to think about your being to a service for a family member or loved one at a cemetery. You watch as the casket is placed in position over the grave site and you go through the service, and then walk away. Now if you are like me, when my mamma and daddy and also my brother were buried, I went back to the cemetery a few days later to see if they did a good job of finishing off the site. Was the grave closed neatly, was the headstone in place. And of course just to visit the gravesite of my just departed loved one. Now think about this. What if you would have found the grave site open, the lid off the vault, the casket open and the body gone... Oh my gosh, how would we react? Like the women did that morning at the Tomb of Jesus? Think about it, and place yourself back in time to the day Jesus was risen from the dead.

Now not only was Jesus not in the tomb when the ladies looked, and they were told by the angels of the Lord that He has risen.

While they were heading out to tell others this happened. In Matthew 28: 8/9 it tells of this, and while the ladies were heading out to tell the others “Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, He said.”

Oh, my gosh, what if you had just buried your son and had gone to the grave, he was gone and now he was standing talking to you? What would your thoughts be?

Just really think about that, and then my friends also think why Jesus did this. Why be killed, put to death on the cross, and then risen three days later? Why did God The Father put His Son Jesus through this? This is a real easy question my brothers and sisters. God The Father put His Son Jesus through this for this reason. For you and for me... That's it. It was done for us, God The Father, I am sure felt every hit, every spit, every nail that was used on Jesus that day. He watched as this was done, even knowing He could stop it. It had to hurt God The Father as much as it did Jesus. As parents we know how we tell the kids, this is going to hurt me more than you! And it really did. God had to feel the same way about His Son. However Jesus died on the cross, He suffered and died so that we might live. He was risen from the dead, so that we also might be risen from the dead if we just believe in Jesus... All this was done for us, for you and for me... Please, please don't ever take this lightly. Jesus went through a lot of pain to give us a way to get to Heaven when we leave this earth. All the hard work is done, we just must confess our love to Jesus (see Romans 10: 9 & 10).

So now I want you to picture going to the cemetery one day to visit the grave of a loved one and you find a lot of graves, maybe half of them open, and the bodies gone. What is going on? What is going on is, if you are seeing this, you missed out when Jesus came back... You were "left behind." You are in big trouble.

Up from the grave He arose!!! With a mighty triumph o'er His foes!! And just by taking Jesus as your Savior, You also will be doing that same thing some day. Up from the grave we will rise!! To meet our Savior in the sky!!! And yes, we will have that mighty triumph o'er our foes. “Free, free at last, thank God, we are free at last.” Those words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Will ring real clear that day. Don't be left behind. If today you are not real sure where you stand with Jesus, will you pray with me in faith and give yourself over to Jesus right now? This is an "I" prayer, I can not pray this one for you, only lead you. Have faith now, ask Jesus into Your life, or ask Him to renew you today, to clean you if you are already saved. Let's start this day together with Jesus, clean, clean, clean... Please, in faith.

Dear Father in Heaven, Thanks for going to the cross, thanks for taking the punishment that I should have had. Thanks for taking my place, thanks for giving me a way to be risen from the dead and to be able to join with You in Heaven. Now Jesus, hear my confession of faith, and come into my heart and stay... Lord, forgive me of my sins, I do love You, Jesus, and I believe that You died for me on the cross, so I might be set free from my sins, from evil. Lord, I believe also that You did not just die on the cross but You were taken down and buried and on that third day, the first day of the week You were risen up from the dead, so that we might also be risen if we just believe in You... I believe in You, Jesus, and ask that You right now save me. Teach me to repent from my sins, and walk the other way when it comes to evil. Lord, place my name on the list of those to be left into Heaven... Save me Jesus, save me. I ask this in the name of the one who went to the cross for me, my Savior, my Lord, my dear sweet Jesus. Amen.

The Bible tells us in John 3: 16/18 ... "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the World to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (New International Version)

My dear brothers and sisters, there will be a day when folks will see graves opened at the cemetery and it will not be grave robbers, for when our Jesus returns those who loved Him will be brought up from the graves, those buried at sea will also rise up to meet our Lord in the clouds, then those believers who are alive will go next. I pray today that you are not one standing looking at the open graves for it could only mean one thing... You missed the call. The others who did not believe and have died, will also be risen to be condemned. Listen to these words from the book of John 5: 24/29 - "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out. Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." NIV

In short, those who love Jesus and have confessed themselves over to Him will be saved... Please read Romans 10: 9/10 for this...

So as I say to you Happy Easter, Now go forth and share those blessings. Love ya,  Pastor Dan.

PS, Please keep praying for Dolores who is still in the hospital...