The Easter story isn’t just about what Jesus did 2,000 years ago. It’s about what
he’s trying to do in your life today.
Luke 19:30 “Go into that village over there,” [Jesus] told them. “As you enter it, you will
see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden.
This was predicted 500 years earlier in Zechariah 9:9 the messiah would be riding on
a colt.
Luke 19:41-42a 41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.
Jesus was actually heartbroken during this grand entrance.
Why? Because all he could think about was the people that he knew wouldn’t get it.
John 20:24-27
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
John 20:28-29
26 Eight days
later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
Jesus was patient towards Thomas’ doubts. Shouldn’t Jesus be upset at him, though? They’d known each other for years. Thomas was one of his close friends. 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Thomas’ doubt brought him closer to God, not away from him.
You can either use your pain, struggle, doubt to stay far away from God or you can use it as a bridge towards him.
Rom 3:20-25a
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what
the law commands.(no ones perfect) The law simply shows us how sinful we are. 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ
Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with
God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…
He took your sin and he nailed it to the cross.
He took your doubt and he nailed it to the cross.
He took your anxiety and he nailed it to the cross.
He took your pain and he nailed it to the cross.
He took your loneliness and he nailed it to the cross.
Don’t miss the story behind the story.
Easter isn’t just about Jesus rising from the dead, it’s about Jesus rising you from the dead.
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Application Questions
1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?