Resurrection Sunday Philippians 2:1-11, John 20:1-9 Glorious Day! Pastor Barry Kerner
Resurrection Sunday
Philippians 2:1-11, John 20:1-9
Glorious Day!
Pastor Barry Kerner
Christ is Risen! Isn’t it a glorious day? Sadly, most of the world doesn’t understand why many churches sing the song, Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate!
A Sunday School teacher asked her class on the Sunday before Easter if they knew what happened on Easter and why it was so important. One little girl raised her hand and said: “Easter is when the whole family gets together, and you eat turkey and pumpkin pie, and sing about the pilgrims and all watch football.” “No, that’s not it,” said the teacher.
A second student raised his hand and said. “Oh, Oh, “I know what Easter is.” “Easter is when you get a tree and decorate it and give gifts to everybody and sing lots of songs.” “Nope, that’s not it either,” said the teacher.
Finally a third student spoke up, “Easter is when Jesus was killed, and put in a tomb and left for three days.” The teacher thought to herself, “Thank goodness somebody knows.”
But then the student went on: “Then everybody stands outside the tomb and waits to see if Jesus comes out, and if he sees his shadow he has to go back inside and we have six more weeks of winter.”
There are many people, including Christians, who have to stop for a minute to remember what Easter is about under the fluffy bunnies, jelly beans, and chocolate eggs.
Over the years I’ve sung in some Gospel Choirs and in a few cantatas. The last Easter Cantata featured songs by a Contemporary Christian Rock Band, Casting Crowns. This morning our service includes one of Casting Crowns’ songs called Glorious Day.
The original song was written by John Wilbur Chapman in 1911 and it is titled One Day. Band members Mark Hall and Michael Bleecker rewrote the tune in 2009 for Casting Crowns. The chorus is:
Living He loved me,
Dying He saved me,
And buried He carried my sins far away,
Rising He justified freely forever,
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day.
The original hymn, One Day, appears in many Hymnals and I remember singing it in church a few times over the years.
The song tells the truth about the Easter Story in a very powerful way but it never hit home with me until I learned the words and contemporary tune for that Easter Cantata. This morning, using God’s Word as our guide I want us to look at five distinct “Glorious Days” that are part of every Christians’ Easter Story.
The first verse of the song tells us that
One day when heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us, His glory revealed
The Nativity Story found in Luke chapter two is The First Glorious Day of the Greatest Story Ever Told
Luke tells us that “While they were there in Bethlehem, , the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no space in the upper room available for them.”
Paul in his letter to the Galatians says that, “when the fullness of time had come, at just the right moment, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Luke goes on
“there were shepherds living out in the fields that night, keeping watch over their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior; which is the Messiah, Christ, the Lord.
Then suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
On that night long ago it wasn’t just that shepherds quaked, angels announced, and sheep did whatever sheep do. That night, God’s Glory, which had been conceived by the Holy Spirit was born of a young woman named Mary and began to live among us.
And that’s the First Glorious Day of our Easter Story that in Living, He loved me. And you!
John says that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John also said, “For God so loved the world. “that’s us, you and me”, that he sent his only begotten son.”
Paul wrote to the Philippians that, “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
First, Jesus laid aside the form of God for us.
Second, He made Himself nothing, and became a servant for us.
Third, He became obedient to His Father unto death for us.
The Word did not pretend to be a man or play at being human. The Word became flesh. The Word did not “beam down” in full bodily form as in a Star Trek movie. The Word did not enter into and possess another human being. John doesn’t say that the Word “dwelled in” human flesh but that the eternal Word, God the Son, entered into this world by being born as a human being.
John also tells us that, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
What a Glorious Day that was when God chose to make His dwelling among us.
But Jesus didn’t just come to earth to show us the right way, the song says, “Living He Loved me, but it also says Dying He saved me.”
One day they led Him up Calvary Mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree, and took the nails for me.
That Good Friday, so long ago when “Dying, He saved me.” was a Second Glorious Day.
Paul writing to the Corinthians, reminded them, “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:3
In Mel Gibson’s Movie, “The Passion of Christ” there is an obscure detail in the crucifixion scene. It goes unnoticed by most people, but it is a detail that speaks volumes.
When Jesus is being placed on the cross, the camera comes close to watch as a large spike is positioned in the middle of Jesus’ hand. Then, a mallet comes into focus, and a rugged hand swings it to drive the spike. All things you expect to see in a scene about the Crucifixion.
But there is something you don’t see. You never see the face of the one who drives that nail. You never get a glimpse into the eyes, or heart of the one who so assuredly pounds away until the spike has pierced Jesus’ flesh and comes to rest in the wood of the cross.
The person who plays that role in the movie is the director himself, Mel Gibson. And, there is a reason why he never shows the face of the one who nailed Jesus to the cross? There is a reason why we never see the face of one who had the gall to put the Son of God to death?
He didn’t show us that face because that face was his. And, that face was mine. And, that face was yours. It wasn’t the Romans. It wasn’t the Jews. It was our sin that nailed Jesus to the cross.
Romans 6:23 declares that, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:10 verifies that, “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”
Psalms 103:12 confirms that, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
The price for sin is death, but, Jesus paid that price, for our sin, once and for all, on Calvary. And being Buried, He carried our sins far away. .
By living God loved us! What a Glorious Day when, “God showed us His love for us in that while we were still sinners, His Son, Jesus Christ, chose to die for us!” Romans 5:8
In John 20:1-9, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)”
Joseph of Arimathea was a very wealthy Pharisee, a member of the council, and a secret follower of Jesus. It was Joseph who went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. And it was Joseph who supplied the tomb for Jesus’ burial. Well, it seems that someone pulled him aside and said, “Joseph, that was such beautiful tomb. It must have cost quite a bit. Why on earth did you give it to someone else to be buried in?” Joseph just smiled. “Why not? He only needed it for the weekend.”
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door.
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him from rising again.
I don’t know about you, but to me, THAT MAKES RESSURECTION SUNDAY A GLORIOUS DAY.
The song says, Rising, He justified us. Freely forever.
We are forever free from the curse of our sins – spiritual death
Colossians 2:13-15 reads, “When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, and canceled our debt by nailing it to the cross. He has disarmed the enemy and made a public spectacle of them. He has triumphed over them and gained victory by the cross. “
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 says, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” And, thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God provides a Fourth Glorious Day for His sons and daughters. It was the day that you took back what the Devil stole from you. It was the day that you reaped the harvest God promised you. It was the day you confessed Christ as Lord and Savior, were born again, became an heir to the Kingdom and took possession of the “Glory of Christ.”
Paul told the Thessalonians, “God chose you as the firstfruits for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth, to which he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 2:13–14)
What I want you to understand is that that is your calling — the God-appointed, blood-bought, Spirit-assured goal of your life is that you obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Your calling, faith, salvation and sanctification are all for this: “that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- The caller is God.
- The instrument is the Gospel.
- The pathway is faith and holiness.
- The workers are the Spirit and the Word
- And the end… is the possession of the glory of Christ.
What a Glorious Day it is when one of His lost sheep is found. What a Glorious Day it is when a prodigal son or daughter returns home to find outstretched arms.
The Passover recalls the mighty works of God in bringing His people out of captivity and setting them free.
Several times I’ve led a a Seder which is a Passover meal. During part of the Haggadah, the order of the Passover service, we read a song that the Jewish people have been singing for thousands of years. That Passover Song is called called Dayenu. For millennia Dayenu has been a template for gratitude and a model for true thanks for Israelites. Dayenu means “It would have been enough.” Paul calls it being content.
The theme of the song is that if God had done this mighty work but not this one, which He did anyways, then Dayenu: it still would have been enough. But our God isn’t isn’t a stingy God. Our God is a God of abundance. Time and again God forgave and poured out His blessings on Israel. He continues to forgive and pour out an abundance of blessing to His children even today. Luke wrote that God’s forgiveness and blessing is not just a good measure. It’s not just a cup full. It’s shaken together, packed down, and then more is added, running over into our laps.
If Christ would have just been born, would just have died for our sins, and would just have risen from that grave then… Dayenu: It would have been enough. But even after all that God didn’t walk away and hope for the best. God, through the Holy Spirit, called us into fellowship with His Son and into life and hope. And you know what? Dayenu. That would have been enough.
But, like Paul Harvey’s radio show, The Rest Of The Story,” God has more in store. God has one more Glorious Day prepared for His people!
As John Chapman wrote and Casting Crowns sing:
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One is bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine
JESUS WILL RETURN and for those of us who are in Christ Jesus it will be a Glorious Day.
Yes, One day He’s coming. Revelation 22:20 tells us that, Jesus Christ, who testified to John throughout that book, says, “Surely I am coming soon”
Paul described that day to the Thessalonians “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
What a GLORIOUS DAY that will be when Christ Jesus returns and we see Him face to face!
As John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons [and daughters] of God, and while it does not yet appear what we will be: we know that, when he does appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2
Today is a day of celebration for those of us who are found in Christ Jesus;
Today is a day we recall all the glory of God;
Today is a day we revel in the glory of what our Savior, Jesus Christ accomplished for us;
And, today is a day we look forward to when the trumpet shall sound and Christ shall return.
Can I get an amen that today is most certainly a Glorious Day?