EASTER 2025

April 20, 2025

“The resurrection wasn’t random. It was predicted. It was promised. And today, we celebrate that it was fulfilled.”

“When Jesus rose from the dead, it wasn’t just to prove a point. It was to offer a promise… Anyone – no matter who they are or what they’ve done – can be forgiven, restored, and made new.”

TWO CRIMINALS, TWO RESPONSES

[Luke 23:32-43] “Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified–one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ A sign was fastened above him with these words: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, ‘So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself–and us, too, while you’re at it!’ But the other criminal protested, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'”

“Two men, equally guilty, equally close to Jesus, facing the same death. But somehow, they end up in completely different eternities.”

“What was the difference? It wasn’t their record. It was their response.”

ONE SPOKE TO JESUS, THE OTHER TURNED TO JESUS

• “The first guy’s attitude was ‘what’s in it for me?'”
• “The second guy spoke from a completely different place”
  • “He knew his position before God”
  • “He was honest about what he deserved”

“The first guy wanted rescue and the second guy just wanted connection.”

“You can speak about God and never surrender to God.”

ONE SAW A DYING MAN, THE OTHER SAW A RISEN KING

“They both saw the same thing: a beaten, bloodied man hanging on a cross. But only one saw beyond the suffering.”

• “The first thief saw weakness.”
• “The second saw royalty.”

“One saw a man who couldn’t help himself. The other saw a King who was still in control.”

• “He believed Jesus was who He claimed to be—even when it didn’t look like it.”
• “He believed Jesus had authority—even as He was dying.”
• “He believed Jesus had a Kingdom—even though He wore a crown of thorns.”

“He believed all of that before the resurrection. He didn’t see the stone rolled away. He didn’t see the empty tomb or the risen Savior. He saw a dying man… and still called Him King.”

WHY BELIEVE THE RESURRECTION?

[1 Corinthians 15:3-8] “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.”

Three reasons to believe the resurrection:

• “Christianity grew faster during lifetime of eyewitnesses”
• “Started in Jerusalem where it could have been easily disproved if untrue”
• “None of the martyrs changed their story, even under torture”

“We have the resurrection on record—confirmed, preached, and carried for 2,000 years.”

“IF the thief could believe on that Friday, with no proof… What’s keeping me from faith on this Sunday, with all of it?!”

ONE DIED GUILTY, THE OTHER DIED FORGIVEN

[Luke 23:43] “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

“His circumstances didn’t change but his relationship with God did.”

“God didn’t take him down from the cross but he did take away his guilt, his shame and the consequences of all of his sin.”

“What had he done to deserve this?! No baptism, no Eucharist, no good deeds, no penance. All he had was faith.”

“It’s not what we do for God—it’s what we believe about what he’s done for us.”

[Ephesians 2:8-9] “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

[Titus 3:5] “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

“This thief had no righteousness to offer. But he had a shot at grace – and he grabbed it with both hands.”

THE DECISION

“Both were broken and dying. Both were right next to Jesus. But only one turned to Him. Only one believed. And only one walked into paradise that day.”

“The difference wasn’t about their behavior – it was about their heart. Not what they had done. It was what they did with Jesus.”

“Not how good or you or the amount of sin you’ve done. What do you believe about Jesus? I mean that you believe it enough to trust him enough, to give him your heart and your life?”

“The thief didn’t make a perfect prayer and you don’t have to either.”

“The same Jesus who made a promise from the cross – ‘Today you’ll be with me’ – still makes that promise today.”

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