True Meaning of Easter

The point: Assess your understanding of Easter in light of the Scriptures.

Martin imagines an on-the-street reporter asking people in New York City or Newark about the message of Easter, eliciting superficial answers like 'spring is here' or 'good will triumph over evil,' to contrast with the biblical truth of judgment.

If you were to leave this building this morning and go to New York City or down into the streets of Newark, put on something that would at least give some measure of credibility of your being an on-the-street reporter, suppose you were to ask the people you met who seemed in some way or another to be, quote, celebrating Easter, suppose you asked the question of them, what is the message of Easter? Well, I'm sure that some of the answers would be, well, it reminds me that spring is here.

0:03 - 0:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The Christ who was raised from the dead will be your judge. The Christ who burst the bonds of death will one day summon you and me into his presence formally to declare and to administer our eternal destiny.

Martin compares God setting a day for judgment to a person setting appointments for their week, especially for premarital counseling and weddings, to convey the certainty and intentionality of God's appointed day.

There has been a there has been a in no page of history written two days at a time. One day at a time comprised of twenty-four hours in every one of those days, and every single day in the unfolding days of history is pointing to that great day mentioned in this text. God has appointed a day. We say to people, set the time and I'll be there. And that's the sense of the word in the original. God

5:11 - 5:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Christ's resurrection is presented as the 'firstfruits' of the resurrection of all his people, implying that if believers are raised, the judgment of the wicked must also be sure…

The concept of 'firstfruits' is explained by picturing a farmer gathering the first sheaf of ripened grain as a pledge of the full harvest yet to come, illustrating Christ's resurrection as a guarantee of the resurrection of all his people.

Now what are the first fruits? It's coming near harvest time. And so the man goes out into his field and he takes his sickle and he gathers some of the grain that has come first to the ripened stage bundles it together and he comes back with it under his arm to bring it as an offering to the Lord to share it with his family whatever his purpose is. What is that bundle?

39:46 - 40:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Christ's resurrection is presented as the 'firstfruits' of the resurrection of all his people, implying that if believers are raised, the judgment of the wicked must also be sure…

A group of a thousand men incarcerated in an impregnable fortress, chained and guarded, illustrates humanity's bondage to death. If their captain is seen walking free, it is a pledge that all will eventually be freed, symbolizing Christ's resurrection as the guarantee of his people's future resurrection.

That sheaf of grain under his arm? It is pledge of the harvest that is yet to come. Now let me move to a human illustration. Picture a group of one thousand men.

40:08 - 40:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Come as you are, in your tattered, smelly, defiled garments of your own righteousness, and God will cover that with the perfect righteousness of His own dear Son.

The sinner's own righteousness is described as 'tattered, smelly, defiled garments' and a 'stench in His nostrils,' which is 'enough to turn God's stomach,' to emphasize the utter inadequacy of self-righteousness before God.

God sees you in the tattered, smelly, defiled garments of your own righteousness. It's a stench in His nostrils. Everything about you, sinner, is enough to turn God's stomach.

54:13 - 54:26 Read in full sermon