It is wonderful to know Jesus. It is wonderful to understand the power of His great name. The Word says that God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name. It is my prayer this season that you will recognize and call on that name unlike you have ever done in your life. For you will find that there is authority in that name, that there is power in that name, and I am excited about that name. I want to get into the Word today and draw your attention to John, the 19th chapter. We will read verses 41 and 42, and then we will jump down to John 20 and read verses 1 through 7. As you know, we have been in this series called «Strategy in the Storm,» and this will be our fourth week dealing with it. It will obviously have a unique Resurrection Sunday nuance this week, but if you haven’t listened to the previous messages called «Strategy in the Storm» in that series of several, we want you to incorporate that into your life.
Now, let’s go to the Word: John 19, verses 41 and 42. It says, «Now in the place where He was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus because of the Jews' preparation day, for the tomb was nearby.» Now, let’s jump down to John chapter 20. We will read verses 1 through 7. It says, «Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.' Peter therefore went out and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. He, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb, and he saw the linen clothes lying there and the handkerchief that had been around Jesus' head, not lying with the linen clothes but folded together in a place by itself.»
Pray with me. Father, we thank You so much for Your Word. Your Word has been enlightening eyes since the beginning of time, and Father, we pray that as we get into Your Word, You would enlighten our eyes in this season. God, I thank You for the spirit of wisdom, revelation, insight, knowledge, and prophecy, and for every tool and resource necessary to encourage Your people, to edify Your people, to lead Your people, and to feed Your people. God, it is my prayer and my declaration that by the time we finish today, we will be wiser, stronger, edified, built up, prepared, and equipped for the things that You have in store for us. We love You, we thank You, and we praise You in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, family, happy Resurrection Sunday! Happy Easter to you! As you know, Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, for believers, is one of the most glorious days and experiences we have in the church, as we recognize and celebrate the victory that Jesus had over death. It truly is the hallmark of our faith. It is a time when churches overflow with men, women, and children who are dressed to the nines. Come on, you know what I’m talking about; they are wearing their Sunday best. There are adorable kids doing their Easter performances in bright colors and pastels, with big smiles, and their parents and grandparents are in front of the stage taking pictures, filled with joy. It is a time of great enthusiasm and excitement, with family and feasting.
I don’t know about you, but my wife prepares an amazing Easter meal. I mean, we have 40 or 50 people over, so it is typically a very festive and celebratory occasion. However, I have to be honest with you; this year, things are a little different. I never thought I would see a time when churches would not be packed out on Easter, when families wouldn’t open their homes to friends and extended family, and when meals would not be shared. No honey-baked ham—maybe some of you still have some honey-baked ham—but no big feast as we are so used to. To be honest, I got a little emotional because I’ve never seen Easter like this before. I’ve never seen Resurrection Sunday like this in my entire life; it has never looked like this. It put me in a place where I wanted to step back and really look at what Easter and Resurrection Sunday are about. Obviously, when you strip away those things, the power of the resurrection doesn’t go away, and so that put me in a position where I needed to take a closer look at Resurrection Sunday and see if I could glean a deeper understanding and meaning of what Resurrection Sunday, what Easter Sunday means.
