Easter Is.....

John 20:19-29

Easter is one of the two major holidays of the year. It is a time of celebration and renewal, and people attend church services where they might not at any other time of year. The other such holiday is, of course Christmas.

Even among non-believers, Easter is a favored holiday because of its links to new beginnings, fresh starts, and the coming of spring. It is good for us to remember the importance of this holiday as celebrated in the Christian church. Easter is more than fluffy bunnies, beautiful lilies, chocolate, colored eggs, or toys. It is more than baskets, hams, or other earthly joys. Let us look at our text this morning and see exactly what comes with a sincere, accurate view of Easter. Let us look and see exactly what Easter is.

I. Easter is Presence (19)

Easter is presence. I don’t mean presents, like Easter eggs, bunny rabbits, candy or toys, I mean the presence of the Risen Lord! When Jesus appeared on that first Easter, the disciples were barricaded behind closed doors, locked in, for fear of the Jews. They were afraid, wracked with guilt, and puzzled by the accounts they had heard of Jesus’ resurrection. Doubtless, the empty tomb was the hot topic of conversation, and each time a sound was heard, they feared the Roman or Jewish authorities coming to arrest them for stealing Jesus body.

Suddenly, without warning, without opening a door, or sounding a chime, Jesus was present. One moment he was not there, the next he was! Can you imagine the startled looks on their faces when Jesus, the man they had seen murdered and buried, began to speak to them? Can you imagine the fear that many of them might have felt? Can you imagine the joy that was welling up deep within them? You don’t have to imagine it, you can experience His presence for your self.

If a person has placed his or her faith in Jesus as savior, the Jesus is present with you today. Jesus is a part of your life, and walks with you, helping you along the way. He is present, and accounted for, because He is alive! We don’t serve a great martyr, or worship a golden statue, we worship the living son of God. His resurrection secured His presence in our lives.

Jesus is also present when believers gather in His name. The scripture tells us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there as well. He is present with us right now because we are gathered here this morning to celebrate his resurrection. But not only is he present with us when we are worshipping together, he is also present with us when we take the Gospel anywhere. When we share with out neighbor, or the paper boy, the cashier, the gas station attendant, or the yard man, Jesus is there. When we pray for the sick, help the needy, or love the unlovable, Jesus is there. We don’t have to worry about what to do or what to say, Jesus’ presence will give us the words to say, and the deeds to do.

Easter is about the Presence of the Lord.

II Easter is Peace (19,21)

Easter is also Peace. Twice in our passage, Jesus wished peace upon the disciples. He knew they were scared, He knew they needed reassurance. He gave them peace. The denier was there. (Peter), the deserters were there, except of course for Judas, and Thomas. Yet the first words out of the mouth of our Lord were intended to encourage and edify the disciples. The first words spoken by our Lord were “Peace be unto you.” This disheartened group needed peace more than they realized. They had lost their peace, because their focus had shifted from Jesus to themselves. He restored that peace for them.

We are no different as Christians today. Each of us have done things that cause us to lose our peace, and require the Risen Lord to step in and restore us. We need Christ’s reassurance. We need his hope, we need His peace.

Easter is about Peace.

III. Easter is Praise and Joy (20)

When the disciples had overcome their initial shock, and the peace that Christ offered them began to take hold, their reaction turned to one of extreme joy. They were excited that Jesus was alive. Can you imagine the joy that they felt when they realized who was present with them? They were probably delirious with joy, intoxicated with ecstasy.

We too can find joy when we see the Lord! If you look at the church, at the pastor, at your friends or your family, or even to yourself to find joy, you won’t. You won’t find joy at the bottom of a bottle, or with the high of a drug. You won’t find joy in technology, or innovations. Joy isn’t in the food you eat, the drink you drink, or in the places you go. True joy only comes from the Lord!

Look at the risen Savior, and there is much to be joyful about! Be joyful and praise on this Easter morning! Easter is joy!

IV. Easter is Purpose (21)

Before Christ appeared to the disciples, they were defeated. They no longer had purpose in their lives, their sense of direction was shattered. But when Jesus appeared, they had a mission. Jesus was sending them out to do the work that was left unfinished. There purpose was to continue the work of God. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, our mission is now defined. We now have a new job, a new reason for being.

God sent Jesus to a lost and dying world.

Jesus sends US to a lost and dying world.

God sent Jesus to a world that hated Him.

Jesus sends us to a world that hates us.

God sent Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus sends us with the help of the Holy Spirit.

On that first Easter, God clarified the purpose of His creation. On this Easter 1997, we need to redefine our own purpose, and insure that our purpose is the same as God’s. Easter is our purpose.

V. Easter is power and authority (22-23)

The resurrection of Christ granted to us the very power of God. The very power to defeat Satan once and for all. Jesus gave to us the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and define our lives, and the authority that we claim comes straight from the Word of God. We are authoritative. We are the final answer to the troubles of the world. The question is often asked why we Christians feel that we have the right to ‘force’ others to conform to our way of life, and the simple answer is, that while we cannot really force anyone to believe like we do we are right. We have the authority to share God’s Love, and the power to do it as well. We serve the risen Savior. We serve a God who is victorious over death. Easter represents the Power of the creator of the universe.

In order to receive these Easter blessings however, we need to be present before God. Look at Thomas. He was not present when Christ appeared the first time. He had no peace, he had no joy, he had no purpose, and he had no power or authority. He was a defeated shell of a man, only restored to fellowship when He had the faith to believe in the Risen Lord. We have to be present before God in order to receive His blessings. It is just like a raffle that states, you must be present to win.

Where are you this Easter morning? Are you present before the Risen Lord? Or are you simply here because it’s Easter, and going to church is something to do on Easter? Are you here this morning to receive the blessings of our God? Have you come before an empty tomb to experience His presence? To receive His peace? To rejoice with His Praise and Joy? To understand His purpose? To utilize His power and authority? These are the things that defined that first Easter so many years ago. What defines your Easter today?

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