Resurrection Validates the New Covenant of Jesus

 Easter is a celebration of Jesus courage and love in overcoming the power of sin and death. It is God’s divine yes to the New Covenant of Jesus, that created a new way for us to be forgiven and made holy so we could be in the presence of God in heaven:

·      Challenges us to have the courage and love to experience and share that grace like Paul

 

 

1.   God Made a New Covenant of Grace

The Covenant of Jesus does not replace the covenant of Moses. It replaces animal sacrifices and sin offerings with the one-time sacrificial death of Jesus for the sins of the whole world. Many people who have not read the Bible carefully, have trouble believing the man Jesus could die for the sins of the whole world. They miss the key point that God the Father, coming as Holy Spirit over Mary, was the biological father of Jesus. Christians believe Jesus was both fully human and fully divine – so a sinless divine man could die for the sins of the whole world. 

Under the New Covenant Jesus would:

·      Voluntarily give up His life out of obedience to God and love for mankind.

·      God would accept this as a sufficient sacrifice and full payment for the sins of all believers

·      Believers are joined spiritually to the death and resurrection of Jesus in Baptism.

·      Going to Jesus and asking for forgiveness is a sign of faith and repentance

·      God would send His Holy Spirit to believers to guide, comfort and heal them during their earthly life

·      Jesus would judge them and welcome them into heaven after physical death – our resurrection life

 

2.   Resurrection Validates the Covenant of Grace

The Resurrection is hard for people who have not read the Bible carefully and experienced the supernatural to understand and believe in. Many people have come to serious faith by reading the whole Bible. The Bible is full of stories of the supernatural acting in the physical world:

·     Noah and the flood – historical evidence including the arc on Mt. Ararat and Mediterranean geography

·     Exodus – in Egyptian hieroglyphics

·     Conquest of Canaan – burned ancient towns as described in Bible

·     Jesus raised the widows’ son

·     Modern experiences of the Holy Spirit and miraculous healings (I have seen)

 

3.   Grace Challenges Us to Experience and Share Grace

   Christianity has been intellectualized in many places and lost its’ supernatural roots:

·     Why Cursillo is so effective for Baptism preparation and personal spiritual growth – people share their experiences

·     Hard for intellectually trained clergy who may not have had experiences of the supernatural / avoid conflict

·     Why those who have had these experiences need to be humble in sharing them (i.e. grouping)

·     We need courage and love to share this Good News

·     We need to remember the courage and love of Jesus that we celebrate at Easter in confronting both religious and spiritual authorities