Easter Lesson

April 16, 2006

Matthew 28:1-20

Read ch. 28:1-20

It is very hard for me to ignore ritualism!

"God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must

worship Him in Spirit and Truth"

"Christ is Truth"

Grace - Mercy - NOT WORKS

Christmas - "the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise"

Resurrection - the resurrection of Jesus Christ was on this

wise!

Christmas time rituals from a child - reading the Christmas

story - Bible story book - a cheap one at that - covers torn off -

but "Oh what a meaning it had for me - the reality - the

solitude and the manger at the barn - (I wish I still had that

relic) probably like my baseball cards - thrown away by

Mother in ditch covered now by the bulldozings at the

Somerset-Pulaski County Airport

Death on Good Friday and the Resurrection on Sunday -

the readings - the meanings - the reality - the formality

I read again from the Four Gospels Friday night - perhaps

not as thorough as in time past - a perusal if you will -

reading certain chapters - am I the better or causally

reading excerpts am I the worse?

I find there a discipline in ritualism that is lacking

in "purposelessness"

"the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!"

I say this because the "birth of Christ" and the

"resurrection of Christ" are VERY IMPORTANT

EVENTS!

We are dealing with the RESURRECTION this

morning - the life and death of JESUS CHRIST for

us - just as important but beyond scope of this lesson!?

The Three Greatest Things I Know - My Lord is them all!!

Life

Light

Love

(1) "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth...."

(2) "I am the Light of the world" - "God is light & in Him is no

darkness at all"

(3) "God is Love"

Kathleen Schoolcraft's death and application of John 11:25-26

"Christ died" - Romans 8:33-34

"the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin"

I John 1:7c

I cannot understand a secular world view - "If in this life only

we have hope, we are of all men most miserable" - I Cor. 15:19

"The fool hath said in his heart - there is no God" -

Ps. 14:1

Acts 26:8

John 20:26-31

Luke 24:38-39

I Cor. 15:45-58

Isaiah 25:6-9

Romans 8:32

Job 14:10,12-15

Hebrews 4:12-16 (Acts 4:10-12) Acts 2:21

2:14-18

Affirmation

Job 19:25-27 Philippians 3:10

Job 13:15 John 6:66-69

Acts 4:33a - "And with great power gave the apostles

witness of the resurrection of the dead"

Romans 10:9

Unbelief

Acts 17:30-31

Isaiah 25

v. 1 - "faithfulness and truth" - the wonders for

which God is praised - counsels decreed from

eternity!

v. 4

vs. 6-9 ***

A heavenly feast

The removal of the veil cast over all people

The abolition of death

The ceasing of tears

"unto all people" - there is no restriction of salvation

to any particular race or nation - some of each come in -

Dan. 7:14, Matt. 8:11, Rev. 5:9, 7:9 - people from all

nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues.

The final beatitude of man is represented as "a feast"

compare "marriage supper of the Lamb" - Rev. 19:7

"well refined" - God the Host - His people receive the

choicest and most exquisite gifts!

v. 8 - death is to disappear and cease to be a

possibility

"the rebuke of His people shall He take away" -

the reproach that they had endured all their lives.

v. 9 - "we have waited for thee"

v. 10 - The protecting hand of God will for ever

be stretched out over the spiritual Zion to

defend and keep the Church Redeemed

throughout eternity!