Sermon Info
Summary
Easter changes everything. Death, the one thing that everyone in history has always feared, is now defeated! Jesus conquered death and made a way for everyone who follows Him to have eternal life. Easter means Jesus is alive, and we can come alive as well. Will you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior today? And, if you are a Christian, then will you commit to live your life fully for Him? Your best days are still ahead. Come to Jesus and experience the joy, peace, and hope that only He can give. Jesus is alive! We serve a Risen Savior. Happy Easter!
Content
What Redemption Means
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
— Galatians 3:14
In our everyday lives we don’t use the word “redemption” or “redeem” too often. But when we do, it often has to do with us cashing in something we’ve earned and stored up, like frequent flier miles or the coupons we’ve clipped.
For those of us newer to the lingo that Christians tend to use, the word “redeem” may be confusing at first, because when we say we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ it means something totally different than those everyday redemptions in this world.
Many of us were raised in a tradition which emphasized the importance of doing good things so that we could somehow make up for our mistakes. We have watched movies where a character must redeem himself by changing his ways or making a symbolic gesture or impact.
But when a devoted follower of Christ says that he has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, it has nothing to do with what that person has done for himself. Once we’ve committed a single sin, no amount of good deeds could match us up as equals to God, who is perfect.
A Christian is not made capable of redeeming himself because of Jesus’ sacrifice; Jesus has done all the work for His people. We are not saved by our own good work, not even in part. Our salvation comes entirely from our faith in the Lord, who died to redeem us from our sins.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9
A Doubting Thomas
Even as the other disciples began to see and believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, Thomas remained skeptical. The other disciples tried to tell him of the amazing news, but in John 20:25, Thomas told them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Many of us have been like Thomas, not only as we were coming to first believe in Jesus, but also after we’ve been Christians for years. We have short memories of the blessings we once knew could only be from God. We question how the things we once believed could be true now that some tragedy has occurred and changed our circumstances. We are tempted to bargain with God, telling Him we’ll believe whole-heartedly again if only we were to see a sign with our very eyes.
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” —John 20:26
Yet, even in our times of doubt, our God has mercy on us. After a week, perhaps it started to seem that Thomas would never believe. Imagine what it would be like to be one of the disciples who’d been with Thomas and Jesus for years, witnessing miracles and incredible teaching, and watching as Thomas still struggled to believe this most amazing truth.
Even though the doors were locked, Jesus can come into our lives. Even when we close ourselves off to Him, He chases us down. He is a locksmith of spiritual proportions. Read on to verse 27:
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jesus gave Thomas exactly what he asked for! What Thomas likely considered to be impossible evidence to receive, he was able to examine for himself, because Jesus came to him. If you struggle in these modern days to believe, pray that God will bring you greater faith. Acknowledge that the evidence you seek may not come your way, but trust that the Lord’s way will be enough for you.
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” —John 20:29
Let us all pray that those among us will have the same spiritual moment Thomas had here. Let us pray that, if we haven’t yet, we will come to accept Jesus as our Lord and God. And if we’ve been Christians for years, let’s pray that we will consistently keep the truth of His Lordship in our lives at all times.
Resources:
RH Worship // New Song // Rise
