Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

The Day Christ Rose from the Dead!

Easter is not about Easter eggs or Easter Bunny. Easter is about the First Coming of Jesus Christ. Just as the world has distorted Christmas (which remembers the birth of Christ), it has done the same to Easter. Commercialism and materialism are compatible bedfellows that have yielded much profit to all businesses that have taken advantage of these distortions. Billions of dollars have been made by millions throughout the years because of these religious events celebrated worldwide. There is no doubt that many lives have been enriched through these monetary profits. However, the happy face of material gain has hidden the sinister spiritual agenda of tragedy. Many are deceived and deluded into thinking that Easter is exactly what is portrayed by the world . . . eggs and bunnies! Millions of children and adults are dying in sin and finding themselves in hell and the only Name that is able to save them from their sins is completely hidden by the facade of materialism! The world is dying in sin even as they merrily eat and drink themselves to death!

Easter and Christmas are to be seen as one event. Christmas is the beginning and Easter is the end of the same event that is the First coming of Christ. What is so significant about the First Coming of Christ that Satan desires to mask it from the world?

* Easter is the climax of God's greatest plan for the world! – God's greatest plan began the moment the first man, Adam, sinned against God. God did not have to do anything because the fault of bringing sin and death onto the earth totally belonged to Adam and Eve. God could have left man to die in his sin but God did not. He loves man even though there is nothing lovely in man for God to love after the fall into sin. God revealed to man His plan to redeem man from his sin, death and hell. Genesis 3:15 (KJV), "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The first good news was that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. The seed of the woman means that man will not be involved in this Seed's conception. We know that it will be born through a virgin as God further revealed. Isaiah 7:14 (KJV), "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This was fulfilled when Christ was born. Matthew 1:22-23 (KJV), "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." The virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Ghost when the Holy Ghost came upon her. Luke 1:26-35 (KJV), "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. . . . . 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. . . . . 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Jesus Christ, the Son of God became the Son of Man to save man from his sin as God promised in the days of Adam and Eve. God's justice requires that man must be punished for his sins unless he finds a substitute who can take his place to be punished. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for man. When Jesus Christ became man, He was at the same time fully God. Christ lived a perfect life according to all of God's Law. Christ was perfect and did not need to die. But He was persecuted and then crucified on the cross to be man's Substitute and He died on the cross. Man's sins put Him on the cross. On the third day after Christ's death, God raised Jesus Christ from the dead to let sinful man know that He had accepted Jesus Christ's perfect life and death. All sinful people who believe that Jesus Christ died for them and rose from the dead for them will be saved. Romans 10:9-10 (KJV), "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

God's plan of salvation for mankind was completed when Jesus died on the cross.

* Easter is the day Death died! – Death is man's last enemy. Everyone will have to face death one day. The Bible says that sin was the cause of death. This means that if a man dies in his sin, he will end up in hell. However, if he can have all his sins forgiven, then he will not need to die. He will then have eternal life. This is where Christ comes in. If a man receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, all his sins are forgiven. He does not need to die anymore. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (KJV), "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Yes, a believer seems to have died; in the eyes of man he has died but in reality he has gone Home to be with God his Heavenly Father. A sinner who dies in his sins will find himself in hell. In Christ Jesus a believer has his death removed and when he leaves this world he goes to Heaven, in spirit. One day he will be given a resurrected body and he will live eternally in his new glorified body. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (KJV), "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." All believers of the Lord Jesus Christ do not need to fear death. Death has been defeated on his behalf by Christ, his Lord and Saviour.

* Easter is the Greatest Hope for all mankind! – Hope for man on this earth is a hopeless one because everything will end in death. The hope that this world offers is money, fame and comfort. These are all temporal and cannot stop death from taking them all away. Man needs a hope that death cannot take away. This hope has to defeat death. This hope is Christ. Christ died and rose again to defeat death for all who will believe and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour. His hope is the resurrected body in Heaven, with God forever. 1 Corinthians 15:14-22 (KJV), "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

This hope cannot be bought by money or attained by good works. Man is a sinner. All his good works are like filthy rags in the sight of the holy and perfect God. This hope is attained by faith. The sinner believes in Christ and this hope is his for eternity. Nothing can take this hope from him. Not even death or Satan. Romans 8:38-39 (KJV) ,"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

* Easter is the Day Satan was Defeated! – On the day of Easter when Christ died on the cross, Satan, the one who deceived Eve into sinning against God, was destroyed by Christ. Hebrews 2:14-15 (KJV), "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Christ being God could have easily defeated Satan without becoming a man. However, the defeat of Satan was not only in punishing him. He deceived Eve into sinning, who in turn caused Adam to sin. If Christ had not come to die on the cross, then all mankind would be found in hell for eternity. The work of Satan would have resulted in no human being allowed into Heaven and all found in hell. God did not let this happen. Man was created by God to be found in Heaven for God's good pleasure!

God wants to see man in heaven. But man is in sin and cannot be found in heaven. With sin in him, man is an enemy of God. In Christ Jesus alone, all sinners become saints because all their sins can only be forgiven by God through Christ's death. Saints can enter Heaven because saints literally means "holy ones." God is holy! Satan's evil plan has been permanently defeated by God when saints are found in Heaven for eternity. All sinners can become saints by believing in Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour.

CONCLUSION–Christmas combined with Easter equals the First Coming of Christ. The First Coming of Christ begins with Christmas which is the birth of Christ through the virgin Mary. Christ, the Son of God became the Son of Man . . . fully God and fully Man. The First Coming of Christ ended with Easter which is the death of Christ on the cross at Calvary.

It is called the First Coming because there will be a Second Coming! At Christ's Second Coming, He will come as the Judge of all judges to judge this sin-filled world. His First Coming was to save sinners whereas His Second Coming will be to judge.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ now so that Easter will truly be Easter . . . Christ died for you a sinner and rose from the dead so that you can become a saint! Amen.