As the joyful spirit of Easter envelops our hearts and minds, we’re thrilled to present an article that embodies the essence of this sacred holiday. In celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we’ve curated and compiled some of the most insightful and powerful excerpts from sermons and devotionals by three pastors within our movement: Brian Brodersen, Richard Cimino, and Clay Worrell.
As you read through these selected passages, may your spirit be lifted and your faith renewed as we embrace the transformative message of Easter together.
Brian Brodersen: Easter is About the Death of Death, and the Triumph of Jesus
*Original Video Found Here
The phrase “the death of death” embodies what transpired on that first Easter morning when Jesus rose from the grave. He didn’t just rise for himself: he conquered death.
Paul expressed this beautifully in his second letter to Timothy, where he stated that Jesus Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Jesus abolished death. He obliterated it. He wiped it out.
That’s exactly what happened on that first Easter Sunday.
As we gather to worship the Lord, we worship the risen Savior who died not for himself, but for us. He lives, and because he lives, we also will live.
This is the essence of the gospel: life and immortality have been brought to light through the gospel.
We proclaim this gospel because it’s through its power that sin is conquered, and ultimately, death is defeated—granting us eternal life.
The moment we receive Christ, we’re given eternal life that extends infinitely.
This gives us great reason to rejoice!
Richard Cimino: Easter is About the Power of Jesus’ Blood and Resurrection
*Original Video Found Here
The Easter message revolves around Jesus’ eternal nature, resurrection, sustaining power, and his role as a faithful witness to God’s truth.
The resurrection of Jesus is a central aspect of the Easter celebration. It brings hope and joy to Christians as it affirms the truth that Jesus is alive and reigns as the savior of the world. Despite whatever circumstances one may be facing, Jesus is there as the ruling, reigning, and risen savior, offering us support and guidance!
Jesus sustains believers with his power. As described in Isaiah 40:28-29, the Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth, who doesn’t grow weary. He’s the one who gives power to those who are weak, lifting them up in times of need.
In Revelation 1:5, we learn that Jesus is the firstborn of the dead. Although there are instances of people being raised from the dead in the Old Testament and the Gospels, Jesus was the first to be raised with a glorified body, never to die again. He holds a preeminent position among those raised from the dead. And, we’re told that Jesus is the prototype, the first fruit of what’s to come (1 Corinthians 15:20).
As Christians, we believe that we will one day be raised—like Jesus—with new, glorified bodies, never to die again. This belief shapes our actions and priorities, shifting our focus from the temporal to the eternal.
Jesus is the ruler of kings on earth. There’s no higher authority than him. All human authorities are subject to Jesus and will be judged by him. This understanding can help Christians navigate the challenges of a fallen culture. Our King is powerful!
When I see the great length God went to by sending his son to die in my place, for my sins, I realize how lost I was and how much He loves me. The ruler of the kings of the earth loves us and has freed us from our sins by the power of his blood.
Our sin made us his enemy and far from God. His blood brought us near and made us clean. Our sin made us guilty before God, but his blood made us righteous.
Jesus has already accomplished everything needed for our salvation. As he declared on the cross: “It is finished.” The cleansing, liberating power of the blood of Jesus is only applied to our lives through faith in Jesus.
We must receive the work of the cross and resurrection by faith and surrender our lives to Jesus, believing he washed us from our sins by the power of His blood.
Clay Worrell: Easter is About the Incredible Hope We Find in Christ
*Original Video Found Here
Hope in its simplest form is looking forward to something positive in our future. Hope is essential for human existence; without it, we lose the will to live. As a pastor for 15 years, I’ve counseled many people who were ready to take their own lives, and the common thread was that they’d lost hope.
The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “To live without hope is to cease to live.” Hope is as vital to our daily survival as water.
Today’s world is in desperate need of hope. With instability and troubling events abounding, people are grasping for hope in various ways: political parties, the military, careers, families, and even relocating to new places. While it’s not wrong to hope in these things, they’re temporary and can’t offer ultimate hope. All these hopes will eventually end with death.
We long for a hope that transcends the grave, yet the world can’t provide it.
The world offers a dying hope.
C.S. Lewis once wrote that “if we find a desire within ourselves that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world, it is likely that we were made for another world.”
This brings us to the hope we find in the risen Lord.
Unlike the dead hopes of the world, our hope in Jesus is a living hope because he conquered the grave on Easter morning.
Through Jesus Christ’s grace, we’re saved to an imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance in heaven. Instead of placing our hope in the world, believing in the gospel allows our hope to extend beyond the grave. Our hope lies in heaven, our eternal promise of dwelling with God, the source of all goodness and beauty!
We no longer need to seek ultimate hope in politics, relationships, possessions, circumstances, or health because we know that whatever happens on earth, we have eternity with God to look forward to. The amazing thing is that our eternal hope in Christ supports all our hopes in the things of this world.
We can still anticipate life’s good things, with the balance of knowing that this world isn’t all there is. We can hope for peace, righteousness, meaningful careers, family, relationships, financial stability, and possessions, knowing that everything we have ultimately belongs to God and can be used for his glory.
Our hope in the risen Lord underpins all other hopes in our lives, making it possible for us to not despair when our temporal hopes disappoint or fail us. Our hope remains in eternity where King Jesus reigns.
When we lose our job, dream career, struggle financially, or lose our house, we don’t lose hope because God is preparing a place for us where we’ll dwell forever with all our needs met. As our bodies age and weaken, our hope isn’t in our physical selves but in the living God who has prepared a place for us where we’ll dwell with him forever in new bodies.
This living hope is only possible because Jesus faced death and conquered it, dying and then rising again. Earthly things don’t offer security, but in Christ, we’re guarded by God’s power for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last times.
Easter reminds us that when we’re saved by the risen Lord’s mercy, our hope is guaranteed by God’s power. There’s no place more secure than in Jesus Christ’s grace.
For Christians, this living and eternal hope allows us to rejoice even when life is difficult.
If you’re struggling or placing your hope in the wrong things, refocus your eyes on Jesus, the living hope.
If you’re searching for hope in a world that seems hopeless, know that Jesus loves you, and died and rose for you.
Place your faith in him and accept the forgiveness, freedom, and living hope he offers.
