April 20th, 2025 Sermon
Title: The Power (Resurrection's Transforming Power) Easter Sunday -- Series: The Path of Redemption
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Title: The Power (Resurrection's Transforming Power) Easter Sunday
Series: The Path of Redemption
Introduction:
"Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
That was the question on the minds of the women as they made their way through the darkness toward Jesus' tomb that first Easter morning. It was a practical concern—the stone was massive, far too heavy for them to move. But it was also symbolic of a deeper question:
Who will roll away the finality of death? Who will move the immovable?
They had witnessed Jesus' execution. They had watched as His body was placed in the tomb. Now, they came simply to complete the burial rituals—a final act of devotion. Their hope had died with Jesus.
But God had other plans. Listen to Mark's account:
[1]When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." (Mark 16:1-6)
"He has risen! He is not here." These words change everything. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a happy ending to a sad story. It is the pivotal event of human history—the moment when death's finality was overturned, when God demonstrated His ultimate power over darkness.
Over the past two weeks, we've explored "The Promise" of God's covenant faithfulness and "The Passion" of Christ's sacrificial death. Today, we celebrate "The Power" of the resurrection—a power that transforms everything it touches.
The resurrection power of Jesus Christ prevails over death, permeates our lives, propels us into mission, and promises our own future resurrection.
1. POWER THAT PREVAILS
First, the resurrection demonstrates a power that prevails over death itself. In the ancient world, death was the ultimate unconquerable enemy. Philosophers sought wisdom to face it, emperors built monuments to defy it, but no one claimed victory over it.
Until Jesus.
The Apostle Paul captures the triumph of the resurrection:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
Death, the great devourer, has itself been devoured. The seemingly invincible has been conquered.
This changes how we view death itself. Death is no longer the final word in the human story. It is not the end but a transition. It is not a wall but a doorway.
James, a hospice chaplain, sees this transformation in his work with the dying. "There's a marked difference," sai, "between those who face death with resurrection faith and those who don't. For many, death is terrifying. But for Christians grounded in resurrection hope, there's often a peace that transcends understanding. They see death not as an ending but as a homecoming."
But the power that prevails isn't just about what happens after we die. When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated the spiritual forces that stand against God's purposes. Colossians tells us that through the cross and resurrection, Jesus "disarmed the powers and authorities" and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them" (Colossians 2:15).
What does this mean for us? It means that no force—not addiction, not depression, not violence, not injustice—has the final word in our world. The resurrection declares that God's power ultimately prevails over every darkness.
2. POWER THAT PERMEATES
The resurrection power doesn't just prevail; it permeates. It flows into every aspect of our lives through the Holy Spirit.
Paul makes this connection in Romans 8: And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)
The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you through the Holy Spirit. This is not a metaphor. This is the astounding reality of the Christian life—resurrection power permeates our everyday existence.
What difference does this make? It means we have supernatural resources available to us. It means the transformation of our character isn't just about willpower but about God-power.
Paul expresses his desire to "know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). Paul understood that resurrection power isn't just about the future; it's about the present.
Resurrection power permeates every aspect of our lives:
It brings hope where there was despair
It creates love where there was hatred
It produces joy where there was sorrow
It establishes peace where there was conflict
As we walk with the indwelling Spirit of the resurrected Christ, we carry this power with us—not as a possession to boast about, but as a gift to humbly depend upon.
3. POWER THAT PROPELS
The resurrection didn't just prevail over death and permeate believers' lives; it propelled the early church into mission with unstoppable force.
Consider the disciples before the resurrection: fearful, confused, hiding behind locked doors. Peter had denied Jesus. All had fled when Jesus was arrested. These were not individuals poised to transform the world.
But after encountering the risen Christ, everything changed:
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all. (Acts 4:33)
What propelled these ordinary people to extraordinary courage? What transformed them from fearful followers to fearless proclaimers? One thing: they had seen the resurrected Jesus.
Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, stood before the very authorities who had crucified Jesus and boldly proclaimed:
"You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." (Acts 3:15)
The resurrection was not a philosophical idea for the early church; it was a witnessed reality that propelled them to radical obedience and global mission.
This same resurrection power propels the church today. Whenever Christians step out in faith, lift up their voice for what is right, serve the marginalized, or share the gospel in hostile environments, they are being propelled by the reality of the resurrection.
The question for us this Easter is: Are we allowing resurrection power to propel us? Or are we living as if the resurrection were merely an ancient event with little relevance to our daily lives?
The resurrection should propel us out of our comfort zones, beyond our fears, and into the mission of God in the world. Not in our own strength, but in the power of the risen Christ.
4. POWER THAT PROMISES
Finally, the resurrection power promises our own future resurrection. The empty tomb of Jesus guarantees that our tombs will one day be empty as well.
Paul makes this connection explicit: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
Christ is the "firstfruits"—an agricultural metaphor. The firstfruits were the initial portion of the harvest, a guarantee that the full harvest was coming. Jesus' resurrection is not a one-time exception to the rule of death; it is the first instance of a coming reality for all who are in Christ.
This promise extends beyond our individual resurrection to the renewal of all creation. Paul writes that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21).
What difference does this promise make?
First, it gives us hope in the face of death. When we stand at the graveside of those we love, we grieve, but not as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Second, it helps us live with eternal perspective. Knowing that this life is not all there is changes how we invest our time, talent, and treasure.
Third, it shapes how we see ourselves and others now. If we are destined for resurrection, then our current limitations are temporary.
The promise of resurrection doesn't mean we deny the pain of our current existence. Rather, it means we contextualize it within a larger story—a story that ends not with death but with life.
Conclusion
On that first Easter morning, the women came to the tomb asking, "Who will roll the stone away?" It was a question born of resignation, within the accepted finality of death.
They received an answer beyond imagination: the stone was already rolled away, not so Jesus could get out, but so they could see that He was already gone! The impossible had happened. Death had been defeated. The immovable had been moved. Not by human hands, but by divine power.
Today, we celebrate resurrection power—a power that prevails over death, permeates our daily lives, propels us into God's mission, and promises our own future resurrection.
This is not ancient history; this is present reality. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today—to transform our lives, renew our communities, and ultimately, resurrect our bodies.
What stone in your life needs to be rolled away? What situation seems immovable or final? The resurrection declares that no stone is too heavy for God, no darkness too deep.
As we conclude our Easter celebration, I invite you to receive the power of the resurrection anew. Next Sunday, we'll explore "The People"—how resurrection power creates a new community. But today, let us leave this place with the joyful certainty that the tomb is empty, Christ is risen, and His power changes everything.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
[1] All Scripture is from the NIV (New International Version)