Easter: Our Deliverance

Jesus’ Resurrection

Easter is about God delivering us from sin and death.

Luke 24:1-8

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words.

Luke 24:6b-8

“Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words.

1. Jesus had prophesied his upcoming death.

Matthew 16:21-23

From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

Matthew 17: 22-23

As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

2. It was necessary for him to die on a cross.

3. God’s plan was always that he would rise from the dead.

Our Deliverance

By dying on the cross Jesus dies in our place, for our sins. And by rising from the dead he conquers Satan, sin, and death.

Jesus was convicted by the Romans of treason (claiming to be a king), and by the Jews of blasphemy (claiming to be God).

Jesus’ death is considered “good” because God had a reason for his death – our deliverance or salvation.

Genesis 50:20

You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

We needed deliverance because of our sin and its resulting death.

Romans 3:10-18

There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one… ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Rom 6:23a

For the wages of sin is death…

God provides for our deliverance by the death of Jesus on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Romans 3:23-24

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Why did God sacrifice so much for our deliverance? Because he loves us.

Romans 5:6-8

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will 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.

What is our response to the deliverance that God provides through Jesus Christ? To believe in him and confess that he is Savior & Lord.

Romans 10:8b-13

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation… 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Results and blessings of our deliverance.

(a) We no longer need to live in condemnation, bondage, or defeat.

Romans 8:1-2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

(b) We are adopted into God’s family.

John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name.

Romans 8:15-16

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

(c) We receive eternity in Heaven, with him.

Romans 8:16-17

The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

(d) We have security in him and his love.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Dear God, I admit that I need deliverance and salvation, because I am a sinner. Thank you for loving me and treating me with kindness that I do not deserve. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and in my place. And I believe that he rose from the grave three days later, conquering Satan, sin and death. Forgive me of my sins. I confess that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.