Well, it had been an awful weekend for the followers of Jesus as they watched the events unfold.
First, Jesus' betrayal and capture in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Then the corrupt and humiliating proceedings of Jesus' trials before the religious leaders,
before King Herod, before Pilate.
Then came the brutal treatment of Jesus by the soldiers as he was beaten and mocked.
After that came the grueling procession of Jesus with criminals to the place of the skull, Golgotha.
And finally came the agony and pinnacle of his suffering as Jesus was nailed alive to a Roman cross
and hung up to die.
And die he did.
After his death, his followers helped with the burial of his body in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
But then came the morning of the first day of the week.
Listen to the account from Luke chapter 24.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground.
But the men said to them,
Then they remembered his words.
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.
Bending over, he saw the strips of linen laying by themselves.
And he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Later that same evening, Jesus appeared to his followers when they were all together.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
Peace be with you.
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
He said to them,
Why are you troubled?
And why do doubts rise in your minds?
Look at my hands and my feet.
It is I myself.
Touch me and see.
A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
And while they still did, they still did not believe it, because of joy and amusement.
He asked them, Do you have anything here to eat?
They gave him a piece of boiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
He said to them,
This is what I told you.
This is what I told you while I was still with you.
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.
Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures.
He told them,
This is what is written.
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.
And repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
I am going to send you what my father has promised,
but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Well, Jesus continued to appear to his disciples for a period of about 40 days.
And he continued to perform signs and miracles to prove that he was alive.
At the end of this period, his disciples watched as he was taken up to heaven before their very eyes.
And it went like this.
On one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command.
Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Then they gathered around him and asked him,
Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?
He said to them,
It is not for you to know the times or dates the father has set by his own authority,
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes,
and a cloud hid him from their sight.
So the sadness and grief of Jesus' death was very quickly replaced with the triumphant joy
in the hearts of all Jesus' followers who saw him alive.
But 40 days later,
Jesus, the risen Savior, was gone,
taken up to heaven by God.
And there his disciples sat in a house in Jerusalem,
waiting for the promised Spirit of God to come.
And come he did,
just as Jesus said.
The moment was spectacular.
There they sat,
in the room,
when suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind
came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them.
Can you imagine this?
The sound of this ferocious wind.
And at the same moment,
this bright, glowing something.
And out of that something,
these licks like fire,
tongues like fire,
coming out and resting on each of them in the room.
The Spirit of God himself
came upon them.
And as evidence,
he enabled them to speak in other known languages.
Well, at some point,
they moved outside the house
and these followers of Jesus
begin declaring the wonders of God
in many different languages,
such that people from all over the Mediterranean world
who had come to Jerusalem for the festival
could hear and understand
what they were saying in each their native tongue.
And it caused quite the commotion.
Many were amazed
and recognized it as a sign from God,
while others doubted and accused them of being drunk.
The Apostle Peter stood up in this moment
and he addressed the crowd
that had gathered there in Jerusalem.
And he first began by explaining,
No, we are not drunk.
It's nine o'clock in the morning.
How could we be?
No.
And he explained to them
what was really happening.
that just as God had promised long ago,
so now he was doing.
God had poured out his Holy Spirit upon them
and he was enabling them
to speak prophetic words
on his behalf.
Now, at this point of the story,
you might wonder
if I've got the wrong sermon for this morning.
If, I mean, it's Resurrection Sunday.
This all happened 50 days after
Jesus rose from the dead.
But now let's consider for a moment
what it was like for many of the Jews
who weren't believers
or followers of Jesus
before this day.
They knew very well about Jesus.
They knew what had happened with him
just over a month ago.
Many of them had been at his trials.
Some of them had even shouted,
Crucify him.
Some of them had probably witnessed
and seen him dying on the cross.
And everybody since then
knew the stories that had been going around
about how he had risen from the dead
just a few days after.
And the religious leaders
and the Roman soldiers,
they were saying that his disciples
had stolen the body in the night.
And the followers of Jesus were saying,
No, he's alive.
Some of us have seen him alive.
Even as far away as Galilee in the north,
reports were coming in from there
that Jesus had been seen alive.
Well, for those Jews who hadn't believed
or followed Jesus before his death,
this probably sounded and felt absurd.
And where were those disciples of his now?
Those 12 men who had been traveling with him
all over the place.
They must be sneaking around or hiding
because we can't seem to find them
after all this.
Why don't they show their faces
now that Jesus is gone?
And if Jesus is alive, prove it.
This is probably how many felt
in the days following Jesus' death
and resurrection.
And now this here
was the annual festival of Pentecost.
And countless thousands
came from all over the Mediterranean world
to observe the feast.
And perhaps they were also eager
to catch up on what had happened
since they were last there for Passover.
To hear the news about this Jesus,
the one called Messiah,
whom some were claiming
had risen from the dead.
Could it be true?
The rarest and greatest of all miracles.
Something God only ever did
in connection with a prophet.
Or perhaps Jesus is the Messiah
that we've all been waiting for.
This may have been some of the feeling
and the wonder of those days.
Until finally this day of the feast
when the silence was broken
and Peter, one of the 12 disciples,
emerged and spoke on the heels
of this great sign and said this.
No, we're not drunk.
It's nine o'clock in the morning.
How could we be?
No, this is what God promised long ago.
He's poured out His Spirit on us.
He's enabling us to speak on His behalf.
And this day God has something to say
to all of you about what happened
50 days ago.
Fellow Israelites,
listen to this.
Jesus of Nazareth
was a man accredited by God
to you
by miracles,
wonders,
and signs
which God did among you
through Him
as you yourselves know.
This man was handed over to you
by God's deliberate plan
and foreknowledge.
And you,
with the help of wicked men,
put Him to death
by nailing Him
to the cross.
It's as if Peter is telling them
and us
that this is what really happened
at Passover.
Let's set the record straight.
Jesus,
the man from Nazareth,
God Himself
made it clear
to all of you
who Jesus was.
He gave proof of it.
He put His stamp
of authenticity
upon Jesus
by performing
all kinds of signs
and miracles
and wonders
through Him.
Things that only God
could do.
And you all know it.
You witnessed it.
He did these things among you.
Some of you tasted
in your mouths
the very bread and fish
that He made
out of thin air.
Others of you
were healed
or knew someone
healed by Him.
These things
God did among you
right here
in your midst.
You know it.
You were witnesses
of it.
And this man,
Jesus,
was handed over
to you.
But make no mistake,
this happened
according to
the very plan
of God.
God knew
that it would go
this way
even before it did.
in fact,
He deliberately
brought it about
that it should happen
this way.
This man,
Jesus,
was handed over
to you
and you,
with the help
of wicked men,
you killed Him.
You put Him
to death
by nailing Him
to the cross.
Yes,
Jesus,
the man
accredited by God
Himself,
did die.
You put Him
to death,
but
God
raised Him
from the dead,
freeing Him
from the agony
of death
because it was
impossible
for death
to keep its hold
on Him.
Here it is.
This is the moment
where God chooses
to break the silence
and puts it on
public record
for all to hear
from the lips
of the official
spokesperson,
the Apostle Peter
himself,
yes,
I did
raise Jesus
from the dead.
I imagine
that this was
quite the moment
for Peter.
Peter,
the man
who couldn't
even bring himself
to admit
to the servant girl
at the door
that he was
a disciple
of Jesus
on the night
that Jesus
was betrayed.
Peter,
the man
who had been
huddling quietly
in the house
with the doors
locked
even after
meeting Jesus
alive for the
first time.
Peter,
the fearful
one who cared
too much
about what others
thought of Him.
Yes,
I saw Jesus
alive,
but if I say
that out loud
to anybody,
they're going
to think
I'm crazy.
just like
I thought
the women
were the day
that they
came running
back from
the tomb.
But here's
Peter now,
and God's
Spirit has
come upon
him with
power,
and he's
declaring for
the first
time to
this huge
crowd in
public,
despite what
the religious
leaders may
think or
may do,
you killed
Jesus,
but God
raised him
from the
dead.
And Peter
has some
specific things
to say
about this
to them.
He says,
by raising
Jesus from
the dead,
God freed
him from
the agony
of death.
Now,
this is a
bit of a
tricky phrase
here.
A very
literal
translation
of this
is given
by the
New King
James Version.
It says,
whom God
raised up
having loosed
the pains
of death,
or having
released or
set him
free from
the pains
of death.
And
interestingly,
that word
pains is
the same
word that's
used to
describe the
pains of
childbirth.
I thought
this was
surprising,
and apparently
there's a
whole bunch
of connections
to the
Old Testament
and how
this word
was used.
We're not
going to get
into that
this morning.
I think
it's sufficient
to say
that Peter
wants us
to think
of labor
pains,
even as
we think
of the
end-of-life
dying pains
that Jesus
suffered.
There are
similarities
between them.
End-of-life
dying pains
and labor
pains.
Both may
come upon
a person
suddenly
and forcefully.
Both may
be rhythmic
and part
of a
drawn-out
process.
loss.
The outcome
of both
is inevitable
and
uncontrollable.
Labor
pains
and end-of-life
dying pains,
both of them
take hold
of you
and they
don't let
go
until the
end result
comes.
And in the
case of Jesus
dying on the
cross,
the end result
of those
pains
came.
He died.
He wasn't
loosed or
set free
from actually
dying.
He did
die.
Yet
amazingly,
by God's
intervention,
just as labor
pains lead
to new
life,
so Jesus'
dying pains
led to new
life for
him as well
because God
raised him
from the
dead.
And Peter
explains this a
little bit
further.
here.
He says,
God freed
him from
the pains
of death,
the agony
of death,
because it
was impossible
for death
to keep
its hold
on him.
This is the
interesting part
about Peter's
choice of word
here.
Just as
eventually,
the pains
of childbirth
must give
way to
something good,
the new
life of the
baby,
in the same
way the
pains of
death that
Jesus suffered
had to give
way to
something good
as well,
to the
resurrection
that God
had prepared
for Jesus.
And I love
this last
phrase here
in verse
24,
it was
impossible
for death
to keep
its hold
on him.
Death is
personified
here as
that which
holds us
and doesn't
let go.
And once
it's got
us,
that's it.
It's got
us.
But in the
case of
Jesus,
Peter says
it was
impossible
for death
to keep
its hold
on him.
As powerful
as death
is,
God's
life-giving
power
is greater.
And so
through Peter,
God declares,
yes,
I raised
Jesus back
to life
from the
dead.
I set
him free
from the
clutches
of death
itself on
that first
day of the
week,
resurrection
morning.
God
will
be
going to
go on
and he's
going to
add to
this.
He's
going to
speak
about
this
shocking
to many
and perhaps
unexpected
truth that
this was
God's plan
all along.
Not just
the death
of Jesus,
his chosen
one,
but also
the raising
of Jesus
back to
life from
the dead.
And basically
in the next
number of
verses,
to sum
it up,
Peter says
that God
hinted,
God
foreshadowed,
God foretold
that he was
going to do
this long
ago.
And what
Peter does
is remind
the people
of the
words of
David
from Psalm
16.
If you
know the
story of
David,
he lived
about a
thousand years
before Jesus
was born.
And God
specially
chose David
to be
the king
of Israel.
And David
was a
musician
and a
songwriter.
And more
than that,
he himself,
David,
was a
prophet.
Peter says
as much
in verse
30 of
chapter 2
in Acts,
but David
was a
prophet.
And so
David's
psalms
and poems
and songs
and prayers
were very
special.
They were
his words,
but by
the Spirit
of God
speaking
through David,
they were
also
God's
words.
And so
that's what
Psalm 16
is.
It's a
God-inspired
utterance
of David,
a psalm,
a prayer
in which
David was
speaking to
God
and expressing
at the same
time the
very words
of God.
And Peter
wants all
of his
hearers
in this
moment
in public
to reflect
back on
Psalm 16.
Now,
they would
have been
much more
familiar with
this psalm
in their
culture and
day in
Israel than
probably most
of us are,
so we're
going to go
back and
just look at
it for a
couple minutes
here,
Psalm 16,
and see
what it
says.
I'll just
read through
it for us.
These are
David's words
to God.
He says,
Keep me
safe,
my God,
for in you
I take
refuge.
I say to
the Lord,
you are
my Lord.
apart from
you I
have no
good thing.
I say of
the holy
people who
are in
the land,
they are
the noble
ones in
whom is
all my
delight.
Those who
run after
other gods
will suffer
more and
more.
I will
not pour
out libations
of blood
to such
gods or
take up
their names
on my
lips.
Lord,
you alone
are my
portion
and my
cup.
You
make my
lot
secure.
The
boundary
lines have
fallen for
me in
pleasant
places.
Surely,
I have
a delightful
inheritance.
I will
praise the
Lord who
counsels me.
Even at
night,
my heart
instructs me.
I keep
my eyes
always on
the Lord.
With
him at
my right
hand,
I will
not be
shaken.
Therefore,
my heart
is glad
and my
tongue
rejoices.
My body
also will
rest secure
because you
will not
abandon me
to the
realm of
the dead.
Nor will
you let
your faithful
one see
decay.
You make
known to
me the
path of
life.
You will
fill me
with joy
in your
presence.
With
eternal
pleasures,
at your
right
hand.
So David
had a
confidence
in God
that his
life was
secure.
Even though
all throughout
his life he
was surrounded
by enemies,
he was able
to rest.
He was able
to have
peace.
Even as
his father-in-law,
King Saul,
hunted him
all over the
Judean
wilderness,
David knew
with confidence
that even if
he was
captured by
Saul,
he could
not be
killed.
Why?
Because God
had chosen
him to be
the next
king of
Israel,
and nothing
can stand
against the
choice and
plan of
God.
But eventually,
David did
become the
king,
and he got
old,
and death
drew near
for him.
And yet here,
David expresses
something that's
quite remarkable
in this
prayer.
He says
to God,
my heart
is glad
and my
tongue
rejoices.
My body
also will
rest secure.
Why?
Because
you,
God,
will not
abandon
me to
the realm
of the
dead,
nor will
you let
your faithful
one or
your holy
one see
decay.
This is
maybe a
surprising
statement from
King David.
He expresses
this confidence
that God
will not
leave him
to stay
in the
place of
death,
the realm
of the
dead.
And we
notice,
it's not
that he'll
never go
to the
realm of
the dead,
not that
he'll never
die,
but that
God won't
abandon
him there.
He's
expressing
a hope
in God
for life
after
his death.
He's saying,
I'm happy.
my heart
is glad
because you
won't let
death have
me in
the end,
nor will
you let
your faithful
one,
your holy
one see
decay.
And so
David expresses
this confidence
in God
that God
will not
allow his
body to
decay or
to rot
in his
burial tomb.
God
will not
raise him
to
him.
He says,
you make
known to me
in your
presence,
with eternal
pleasures
at your
right hand.
What is
David saying
here?
This is what
Peter is trying
to get his
audience to
see there in
Jerusalem on
the day of
Pentecost.
David was
expressing
confidence
that God
would raise
him from
the dead.
He was
saying,
there is a
path to
life.
There is a
path to
joy in
the presence
of God.
There is a
way to get
eternal
pleasures.
That word
eternal is a
dead giveaway.
David is
thinking about
heaven,
life after
death,
and he has
this confidence
that he
himself will
enjoy good
things with
God forever.
God will
not allow
his body
to decay,
to rot
in the
grave.
He will
not leave
him for
dead after
he dies.
Now let's
look back to
what Peter
is saying.
He is
quoting
these words
of David.
Let's see
how Peter
applies these
words to
Jesus back
in Acts
chapter 2.
Peter says,
David said
about Jesus,
because I
saw the
Lord always
before me.
Because he
is at my
right hand,
I will not
be shaken.
Therefore,
my heart is
glad and my
tongue rejoices.
My body
also will
rest in hope
because you
will not
abandon me
to the realm
of the dead.
You will not
let your
Holy One
see decay.
You have
made known
to me the
paths of
life.
You will
fill me with
joy in
your
presence.
Fellow
Israelites,
I can tell
you confidently
that the
patriarch David
died and
was buried.
And his
tomb is here
to this day.
But he
was a
prophet.
And he
knew that
God had
promised him
on oath
that he
would place
one of his
descendants
on his
throne.
Seeing
what was
to come,
he spoke
of the
resurrection
of the
Messiah.
That he
was not
abandoned to
the realm
of the
dead,
nor did
his body
see decay.
God has
raised this
Jesus to
life,
and we
are all
witnesses
of it.
What is
Peter saying
here?
He's saying
that David
was not just
talking about
himself and
the confidence
that he
had that
God would
raise him
from the
dead.
He was
speaking as
a prophet
by the
Spirit of
God about
something that
was to come,
something he
saw coming.
God revealed
it to him.
David spoke
of what he
saw, and
what he saw
was the
resurrection
of the
Messiah.
A thousand
years before
it happened.
What he
saw was that
there was
coming one
of his
descendants
after him
who would
receive his
throne,
who would
die,
but who
God would
raise to
life,
whose body
would not
be allowed
even to
see decay.
David was
speaking
prophetically
about Jesus
all those
years ago,
says Peter,
which means
that God
intended and
planned all
of this
right from
the start
to raise
Jesus,
the son of
David,
back to
life.
And I love
how Peter
concludes this
section.
He just
declares it.
God has
raised this
Jesus to
life.
And we
are all
witnesses of
it.
Do you
hear how
unashamed
and bold
Peter is
in this
moment?
He puts
himself and
others forward
as eyewitnesses.
We've seen
him alive,
all of us.
Let it be
known,
let it be
heard,
God really
has raised
him from
the dead.
Now at
this point,
perhaps some
people in
the crowd
that day
were wondering,
well then
where is
Jesus right
now?
Peter's
next portion
here explains
this a little
bit.
Peter says,
exalted to
the right
hand of
God,
he has
received,
that's
Jesus,
from the
Father,
the promised
Holy Spirit
and has
poured out
what you
now see
and hear.
For David
did not
ascend to
heaven,
and yet he
said,
the Lord
said to
my Lord,
sit at
my right
hand until
I make
your enemies
a footstool
for your
feet.
Therefore,
let all
Israel be
assured of
this,
God has
made this
Jesus,
whom you
crucify,
both Lord
and Messiah.
we're not
going to
dig too
deeply
into this
piece here,
but basically
Peter is
telling them
what happened
after Jesus'
resurrection.
He's
explaining,
Jesus was
exalted,
he was
lifted up,
he ascended
to heaven,
to the
right hand
of God.
He's
telling them
that his
ascension is
proof that he
is greater
than King
David was.
It's
proof that
this descendant
of David,
Jesus,
is in
fact the
Lord of
David.
The one
whom God
will allow
to sit
at his
right hand
until he
has fully
established
his kingdom.
Peter's
saying that
God himself
has already
installed
Jesus on
the throne,
in heaven,
at his
right hand.
He has
made him
king,
he's made
him Messiah
and Lord
over all.
Well,
how do the
people respond
to this?
It seems
that God
had been
working in
their hearts
already,
even as
they were
listening to
this.
They don't
laugh at
Peter,
they don't
think that
he's crazy.
This is
their response.
Verse 37,
when the
people heard
this,
they were
cut to
the heart
and said
to Peter
and the
other
apostles,
brothers,
what shall
we do?
Peter replied,
repent and
be baptized,
every one
of you,
in the name
of Jesus
Christ for
the forgiveness
of your
sins.
And you
will receive
the gift
of the
Holy Spirit.
The promise
is for you
and for
your children
and for
all who
are far
off,
for all
whom the
Lord,
our God,
will call.
with many
other words
he warned
them and
he pleaded
with them,
save yourselves
from this
corrupt
generation.
Those who
accepted his
message were
baptized and
about 3,000
were added to
their number
that day.
So many
listened to
Peter and
believed.
They were
cut to the
heart,
it says.
The message
of Peter
struck a
chord deep
within them.
They realized
that what
Peter was
saying was
true.
That yes,
they had
done a
wicked thing.
They had
killed the
Messiah,
the one
that God
had sent.
And in
this moment
they're somewhat
at a loss
for what to
do next.
Brothers,
what shall
we do?
Amazingly,
God's
mercy and
forgiveness
is so
great that
yes,
these Jews
who had
participated
in the
murder of
his son,
God is
willing to
forgive them.
What must
they do?
Repent,
says Peter.
Turn to
God with a
contrite heart,
confess your
sin to him,
and ask for
his forgiveness.
That's what
repent means.
repent,
and be
baptized in
the name of
Jesus Christ.
Baptism is
the outward,
tangible act
that Jesus
gave his
followers to
do, which
marks their
repentance and
their belief
in him.
And the
call is to
everyone,
every person in
the crowd,
every single
one of you,
do this,
repent,
and be
baptized in
the name of
Jesus Christ
for the
forgiveness of
your sins.
And not
only that,
but you too
will receive
the gift of
the Holy Spirit.
He's not just
for us,
says Peter,
he's for
everyone,
for all who
God will
call,
for all who
will believe.
And Peter
tells us that
3,000 people
accepted his
message and
were baptized
that day.
or Luke,
I should say
rather.
I love this
story.
Yes, it had
been 50 days
already since
the first day
of the week
when Jesus
had risen,
but it's
this day
where we
start to
see the
impact of
this glorious
reality going
public and
spreading.
No more
was this just
a wonderful,
cherished reality
that his
faithful followers
kept to
themselves behind
closed doors.
Jesus is
alive.
now they
began to
declare what
they had
witnessed to
the world.
God has
raised this
Jesus to
life and
we are all
witnesses of
it.
This is
precisely what
we're celebrating
today, over
2,000 years
later.
Our Lord
Jesus died,
yes, to
atone for
our sins,
but God
raised him
from the
dead.
God set
him free
from the
clutches of
death.
It was
impossible for
death to
keep its
hold on
him because
Jesus is
the Son of
God.
He is
the Messiah.
He is the
King of
Kings and
the Lord of
Lords.
Right now
he's seated
on heaven's
throne at
the right
hand of
God waiting
for his
enemies to
be made a
footstool for
his feet.
It's as
true today
as it was
back then.
And through
Jesus Christ
we too
can say
with David
in confidence
therefore
my heart
is glad
and my
tongue
rejoices.
My body
also will
rest secure
because you
will not
abandon
me to
the realm
of the
dead.
nor will
you let
your faithful
one see
decay.
You make
known to
me the
path of
life.
You will
fill me
with joy
in your
presence
with eternal
pleasures
at your
right hand.
The
resurrection
of Jesus
is wonderful
all by
itself
but it's
also wonderful
in that it
opens the
way for
our
resurrection
from the
dead.
Listen
one more
time to
the words
of Jesus.
This is
what he
said on
one occasion
John 6
verse 40
he said
for my
father's
will
is that
everyone
who looks
to the
son
and believes
in him
shall have
eternal
life
and I
will
raise them
up
at the
last day.
Have you
believed
this good
news
for yourself?
It's only
those who
believe in
him
that
receive
this
eternal
life.
It's
only
those
who
believe
in
him
that
will
enjoy
these
eternal
pleasures
at the
right hand
of God
forever.
Have you
been cut
to the
heart
because of
your sins
against
God?
Have you
repented?
Have you
received the
wonderful
forgiveness
of God
for your
sins?
Do you
believe
that God
raised Jesus
from the
dead?
If not,
I want to
extend these
words to you
today.
Repent
and be
baptized,
every one
of you,
in the name
of Jesus
Christ for
the forgiveness
of your
sins.
And if
you've done
this already,
then today
is all
for rejoicing.
Our
Savior and
our King
was raised
to life
and when
he comes,
you and
I will be
too.
Let's
pray.
Father
in heaven,
we thank
you that
even
death
could not
stop your
plan,
that you
are greater,
that you
are stronger,
that you
are the
author and
giver of
life.
Lord,
it's wonderful
to think
that Jesus'
body was
lying there
lifeless
and then
all of a
sudden,
his heart
began to
beat and
you pulled
him out
of death
back to
life.
God
and it's
awesome to
think that
one day
when he
returns,
the same
thing will
happen for
each one of
us who
believes
and that
we will
live with
you forever
in your
kingdom,
your good
kingdom.
Thank you
for the
gift of
Jesus
and thank
you that
you love
us and
forgive us
even though
we don't
deserve it
enough to
give us
all this.
We just
give you
praise and
we do it
in the name
of Jesus.
Amen.