Sermon Cloud

Soma Austin Community Church
Sermon: Easter: Shalom by His Death, Renewal by His Life
April 12, 2009

Shalom by His Death, Renewal by His Life

Easter is not just another day on the Christian calendar, it is the reason for Christianity to even exist. If it is not true, then we follow just another dead man who has no ability to give us life.

Before we get to the resurrection we are gonna look at the cross.

READ John 19:16b-30

What exactly was finished? To see what was finished, let's see what was started.

• Gen 2: tells the account of creation, of the earth, of four rivers (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates), tells that not everything was good, but that Adam needed a helper (Eve), 'bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh', v25 says 'And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.' Let's call this Shalom.

• Gen 3: In Gen 3 we see Adam and Eve tempted by Satan, and we see the consequence. Shalom is broken, internally, with creation, relationally, and with God. And ultimately we have death.

• But something else happens in Genesis 3:15. 'enmity between your offspring, Satan will bruise the offspring's heel, but her offspring will bruise the head of the enemy' This is the first prophecy of God that sets in motion God's work in the world to defeat evil and sin. And it speaks to the cost of this.

What we see in the cross is Jesus being mortally wounded. And in the resurrection we see Jesus crushing the enemy and winning victory over death. What is finished is the work that the Father gave his Son to do.

And what a heavy weight to carry for Jesus. Knowing that death is coming (Mt 20), he continues walking toward the cross. 'For the joy set before Him' (Heb 12) Through the death of Christ we can approach God again. The veil is torn. Through Christ death, we are freed from the consequences of disobedience.

But that's not all. If the story stops here, then Christ is still in the tomb. Still dead and just another dead man who cannot give us life. In John 20 we see the resurrection. At the death of Jesus, he said, 'it is finished', and at the resurrection it is like God said, 'it is most definitely finished' and put an exclamation point on it.

NT Wright would say that 'the message of the Resurrection is that this world matters.' Through Jesus death and resurrection we see God at work in Christ renewing all of creation that was corrupted in the fall. Victory on the cross, progressive renewal in this age, and final renewal of all things when Christ returns.

What is purchased at the resurrection is our renewal and the renewal and restoration of all creation.

• Romans 6:4 'We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.'

And now we get to participate with God in the renewal of all things, of people and all creation around us. Christ gets it started, and we are to continue it until it is completed.

And because of the shalom and renewal that Christ brings, we worship him. Intro Communion.

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Related Scripture

Mark 14:22-24
'And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body. 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Mark 10
Jesus gave his life 'as a ransom for many'

John 10:17-18
'I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father'

John 11:25
'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.'

1 Corinthians 15:1-7
'Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.'

Acts 2:24
"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Romans 6:4
'Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.'

Romans 8:1-2
'Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.'

Romans 8:11
'If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.'

2 Timothy 2:11
'If we have died with him,we will also live with him.'