Lesson: What is Easter all about?The Resurrection of Christ and The Covenant |
The Story of Easter is really the story of Jesus Christ. It's a story about God's great love for us, and His plan to deliver us from evil and sin. God looked at the people and realized that there was so much evil in their hearts that He had to do something to clean them up. People needed a real change in their lives. They needed a change in their hearts. And that is why Christ came, He came to fulfill God's plan to redeem us all from our sin. |
John 3: (Amplified Bible) | |
16. | For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whosoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish - come to destruction, be lost - but have eternal (everlasting) life. |
17. | For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge - to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on - the world; but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. |
So we see here that the Father sent
Jesus to Earth from heaven, to make a way for everyone to have eternal
life. Jesus had to become a man to undo, or redeem us from the sin Adam
and Eve released into the world.
(aditional verses: Luke 1: all - 2: 40, John 6: 37-40, 57-58, 69) |
1 Corinthians 15: | |
20. | But the fact is that Christ, the Messiah, has been raised from the dead, and He became the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. |
21. | For since [it was] through a man (Adam) that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man (Jesus) that the resurrection of the dead [has come]. |
22. | For just as [because of union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive. |
God's plan, and the only way possible, was
for Jesus to defeat sin, Satan, and the flesh. He had to prove and show
that the power of God, through His love, was stronger then anything the
Devil had. He had to show that the Spirit is stronger then the flesh, and
the final battle takes place in the three days between the crucifixion
and resurrection.
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Colossians 2: (NIV) | |
13. | When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, |
14. | having cancelled the written code (the old Jewish Law), with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. |
15. | And having disarmed the powers and authorities (the Devil and friends), he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (John 11: 25-26) |
This is the simplicity of the Easter Story, Christ came and defeated the Devil. He set the captives, you and me, free. He gave His believers everlasting life and a mighty inheritance. What inheritance, you might ask? Well first, He made anyone that believes in Him part of His supernatural family, and gave us His supernatural family name, "Jesus". A family and name full of power and authority. (Romans 8:13 - 17) |
Ephesians 3: (KJV) | |
15. | Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Jesus), |
16. | That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; |
17. | That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye (you), being rooted and ground in love, |
18. | May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath, and length, and depth, and height; |
19. | And to know the love of Christ, which passeth (passes) knowledge, that ye (you) might be filled with all the fulness of God. (also Luke : 4: 18-19, John 16: 23 - 28) |
About all you can say after that is
"WOW" !!!! Not only has God made each of His believers part of His family,
He has given us each an opportunity to be filled with the fullness of God
Himself. Now have most of us reached that point. No, but with an honest
unwavering heart we can. In fact, if you read Ephesians 4: 1-13 He gave
us some help. And because we are now part of His family, we have also become heirs
of a better covenant then Abraham had. (see our lesson on the Covenant)
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John 14: (Amplified) | |
15. | If you [really]love Me you will keep (obey) My commands. |
16. | And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby) that He may remain with you forever, |
17. | The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him, nor know and recognize Him, But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. |
18. | I will not leave you orphans - comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless - I will come [back] to you. |
19. | Just a little while now and the world will not see Me any more (because He will be crucified), but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. |
20. | At that time - when that day comes - you will know [for yourself] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. |
21. | The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me, and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him - I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him. And Jesus said that He would be with you always. Matthew 28:18-20; also John 14: 23-26) |
Today, Jesus is our advocate with the Father in our behalf, providing us with a real interactive God that cares for us, and actively, daily demonstrates His Grace (His willingness to use His power in our behalf). |
For salvation, 1 John 1: 9 -10. | |
9. | If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises] and will forgive our sins and continuously cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
2: 1 | , My little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's law and sin; but if any one should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father; [it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous. |
(also John 16: 23-28, John 20:31) |
For Blessings, Mark 10: | |
29. | Jesus said, Truly, I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brother or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, |
30. | Who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (also Luke 18:24-30) |
For Power, Mark 11: | |
23. | Truly, I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! And does not doubt at all in his heart, but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him (by God). |
24. | For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe - trust and be confident - that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. (Also Mark 16: 15-18, Hebrews 11: 1) |
Guidance for living a correct life, | |
Luke: chapter 6: all, Romans 1: all, and of course the entire Bible! |
He gives us Wisdom John 14: | |
26. | But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall - will remind you of, bring to your remembrance - everything I have told you. (also John 8:12; 15: 26-27; 16: 7-16, James 1: 5 - 7) |
He is the Mediator: Hebrews 12: | |
24. | And to Jesus, the Mediator - Go-between, Agent - of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy,] a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. |
The Rewarder: Hebrews 11:1-6, | |
6. | But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily believe that God exists and that He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out). John 10: 10, Mark 10: 29 - 30, Hebrews 11: 1 |
He is our Strength: 2 Corinthians 12: | |
9. | But He said to me, My grace - My favor and loving-kindness and mercy - are enough for you, [that is, sufficient against danger and to enable you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect - fulfilled and completed and show themselves most effective - in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ, the Messiah, may rest - yes, may pitch a tent [over] and swell - upon me! |
He is our Protection, Isaiah 54: | |
17. | But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper,
and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgement you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness,
security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servant of the Lord
[those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]. This is the righteousness
or the vindication which they obtain from me - this is that which
I impart to them as their justification - says the Lord.
also Isaiah 55:11-13, Psalm 23, 34, 91 |
He gave us access to God, John 9: | |
31. | We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if any one is God-fearing and a worshipper of Him and does His will, He listens to him. |
Jesus is the only way to God, Acts 4: | |
12. | And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. Also John 10: all |
Helps us to pray, Romans 8: | |
26. | So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance (praying in tongues). |
27. | And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the (Holy) Spirit - what His intent is - because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will. |
Nothing can separate a believer from God, Romans 8: | |
38. | For I am persuaded beyond doubt - am sure - that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, |
39. | Nor heights, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
It seems like such an incredible event for
such simple words, and yet no one else could have done the job. It took
a God that loves us enough to give His own son for us. What Jesus did,
He did for everyone, and yet few accept Him into their hearts. Why don't
you take a few minutes to clear the slate. Ask God to forgive you of your
sins, and then invite Him into your heart.
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More great verses: John 5: 24, Ephesians 5: 1-16, Colossians 2: 6-7, 3: 1-4, 3: 14-17, Thessalonians 5: 9-10, 5: 15-23