THE STORY OF EASTER

This Can Change Your Life

Easter Sunday • April 5, 2026

BIG IDEA

If Jesus really rose from the dead, it should change who’s in charge of your life, what kind of life you live, and how you live from this moment forward.

WHY BELIEVE THE RESURRECTION?

• Where it happened: You don’t start a resurrection movement in the same city where the body is buried… unless the tomb is actually empty.
• When it happened: It was being preached while eyewitnesses were still alive to shut it down.
• The price they paid: Every one of the disciples suffered for this claim. People will die for a lie they believe… but no one dies for a lie they made up.

1  The Resurrection Proves His Authority

Matthew 28:5–6 (NLT)  “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”

The resurrection was not a surprise—it was promised centuries before it happened. A few key prophecies fulfilled:

• Pierced for our sin — Isaiah 53:5 (written 700 years before crucifixion was even practiced)
• Buried like the rich — Isaiah 53:9 (crucified among criminals, buried in a rich man’s tomb)
• No bones broken — Psalm 34:20 (Roman victims had legs broken; Jesus’ were not — John 19:33)
• Crucifixion described in detail — Psalm 22 (mockery, thirst, pierced hands and feet, soldiers casting lots for his clothes)
• Would not remain in the grave — Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31 — “David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection.”

Romans 1:4 (NLT)  “He was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Only one person in history perfectly fulfilled what was written hundreds of years before He was born. The resurrection is proof that everything God said about Jesus is true. He is THE authority.

2  The Resurrection Secures Your New Life

1 Peter 1:3–5 (NLT)  “It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.”

When Jesus rose, Mary came expecting to find a dead body. Instead, He called her by name (John 20:16). The resurrection is not just a historical event—it’s personal.

• John 10:3 — “He calls his own sheep by name.”
• Jesus didn’t just rise from the dead for the world in general—He rose for you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)  “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Christianity is not behavior modification. It is the opportunity to be made completely brand new. Success, control, and approval can’t make you new—only resurrection can. He doesn’t just rise from the grave; Jesus is giving you a chance to get out of yours.

3  The Resurrection Rearranges Your Life

Matthew 28:18 (NLT)  “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

Romans 14:9 (NLT)  “Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.”

Luke 6:46 (NLT)  “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord,’ when you don’t do what I say?”

The resurrection isn’t just something you believe—it’s something that rearranges every part of your life:

• You belong to God in a way you never did before.
• You’re His representative in your family, community, and world.
• You can believe in the resurrection and still live under your own authority—but if Jesus truly resurrected, you’re not under your authority. You’re under His.

We don’t just believe in a risen Savior—we live under the authority of a sitting King.

REFLECTION

• Where are you still in control?
• Where are you still calling the shots?
• Where are you saying, “Jesus, you can have this—but not that”?

If He walked out of that grave, He has the right to lead every part of your life. The tomb is empty. The only question is: have you ever given Him your life?

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