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Riverside April 5, 2026
Easter Sunday 2026
INDEED -HE IS RISEN
(as told by Peter)
I didn’t want Jesus to die. It was hideous to watch. Why should he have died, He was innocent of any crime. All He did was help people, heal people, why, I saw Him raise people back to life, one family I knew well, in fact, Lazurus was like a brother to all of us. All Jesus did was help people and teach people about a just and loving God. Oh, how I would enjoy sitting at His feet and listen to Him speak words that would touch my soul. But I think His bluntness about some hard truths got Him killed. I couldn’t figure out what He was talking about some of the time but now as I recall His words I’m dazed, stunned really. To think He befriended me, loved me, cared for me and now I know that He died for me.
They had no idea how good Jesus was, He was compassionate to all accept to the arrogant which He had a few choice words for. But they killed Him along with my hope and my dreams and my faith. I was devastated, totally confused and aimlessly hung around with the other overwhelmed disciples.
And when those two women told us that the tomb was empty that morning and that an angel told them that He was risen from the dead and then they said that they met Jesus -I was even more confused and despondent. How could that be -I saw him die!! I couldn’t think straight. Even though Jesus told us He would rise from the dead I knew that was impossible. But the tomb was empty, I saw the empty tomb, so did John.
All the disciples except Thomas but were there -including me,-Peter -the denier, we were huddled away behind closed doors and we even locked the doors too because we were so fearful, so dazed and unbelievingly confused. And then it happened, Jesus. He came into our hideout, He appeared, He spoke to us (the first thing He said was PEACE), we touched Him.HE IS ALIVE, HE HAS RISEN
For me, seeing was believing, and I believed, I was overjoyed.
MESSAGE
INDEED -HE IS RISEN
Easter Sunday morning! What a powerful morning this is! Resurrection morning is the most significant day we Christians celebrate. Why? Because the resurrection makes the whole Bible story true, the story of creation, the story of Abraham’s journey, the Psalms of David, the prophecies, the promises and truths, the life and words of Jesus are all true because the one who said they were true (Jesus Christ) did something so humanly impossible, so super-natural, so God-like that He rose from the dead by His own power. And NO ONE HAS EVER DONE THAT.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the exclamation mark of Christ’s Power, He had power, unbelievable power. In fact, Jesus said He had all power in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 …Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
All power – we can’t even imagine what that is like to have all power. We call it theologically, omnipotence. Jesus claimed He had omnipotence; He had all power. Here again Jesus says who He is, for only God has all power, Jesus speaks His divinity, His Godness, with power by raising Himself from the dead on that resurrection morning.
In John 10:17Jesus said … I lay down my life—only to take it up again. Power -the POWER of the resurrection. It’s God power.
Some people may say that Jesus laid down His power when He came to earth. Nay, Nay, He may have stepped down from His throne in Heaven but He maintained His Power but He limited His power to the Father’s will.
Jesus spoke with power and the wind and waves obeyed Him.
Jesus was recognized as having ALL power by demons who pleaded with Him not to punish them.
-And prior to coming to Earth, Jesus, Emmanuel, the only Son of God, spoke the world into existence with His power. And by His power all things are held together.
I have heard of Power Lunches in business and power bats in baseball but have you ever heard of a power funeral? Jesus attended funerals and they ended up in resurrections. What kind of power is this?
-Jairus’ daughter was dead, Jesus shows His resurrection power and raises her to life.
Wouldn’t that get your attention if you saw that!
-The widow of Nain’s son was dead. Jesus demonstrates again His power to resurrect from the dead and make people live again.
Has that got your attention yet! Power over death.
-then we have Lazarus whom Jesus let die by not coming to him when he was sick. Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, laid in the tomb 4 days and then Jesus speaks to a tomb filled with death, He speaks ‘Lazarus, come forth. He speaks life into dark death, and Lasarus rises from the dead by the power, the all-power of Jesus Christ.
The grave has been vacated, Christ is not there, HE IS RISEN…
By His own power God raised Himself from the dead.
INDEED -HE IS RISEN. HALLELUJAH It’s resurrection morning!
Why is the resurrection so vital, so dynamically important?
Because of the Resurrection, because Jesus rose from the dead:
*that makes everything Jesus said was true and is still true.
God, this self-resurrecting one, proved His power and His word by resurrection. God can not lie, therefore everything Jesus said is true!
What did this Jesus say?
-that God loves you, He cares for you, He wants to help you
-that mankind has a problem -sin, separation, eternal destination
-that judgement is coming.
-and that Jesus came as the Saviour -including you,
-your personal Saviour.
Yes, indeed.
Why is the resurrection so vital, so dynamically important?
Because of the Resurrection, because Jesus rose from the dead:
Everything Jesus claimed to be, was and is still true.
God, this self-resurrecting one, proved His power and verified His claims by resurrection.
What did this Jesus claim?
Jesus claimed to be the sacrifice for our sins,
Jesus claimed that He took our judgement, our punishment if we believe
Jesus claimed that He is only way to escape our punishment
Jesus claimed that He is the only way to heaven
Jesus claimed that He is The resurrection
-That He is the only hope we have of resurrection, eternal life, heaven
Yes, indeed.
Listen to some of the words that Jesus spoke and you will see the very heart of Easter -why Easter happened -why death, why resurrection, why God died and rose again.
John 3:16Jesus said -For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:10Jesus said … I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. (eternal life)
John 14:6Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Jesus the only way)
John 10:11Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(Good Friday -crucifixion )
John 10:17Jesus said The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. (Good Friday & Resurrection day together)
John 10:18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority (omnipotence) to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (Resurrection power of Jesus)
Mark 10:9(Jesus told His disciples of His coming death and Resurrection) As they were coming down the mountain (Mt of Transfiguration), Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.(the disciples couldn’t figure out what was happening)
-and then it happened, Jesus died
John 19:30When he had received the drink (while on the cross) , Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jesus -historical man-DiedJesus -heavenly God-Died
BUT then it happened, Jesus rose from the dead -by His own power
The angels declared at the tomb He is risen, He is God, He’s alive.
Here is the most important message for you this resurrection Sunday morning:
BECAUSE HE LIVES I TOO SHALL LIVE
BECAUSE HE LIVES YOU TOO SHALL LIVE
John 14:19Jesus said Because I live, you also will live.
