Easter Sermons
The Real Jesus
April 16, 2017 • Toby Henson
1. His Eternal Preexistence Jesus had no starting point. Eternally existing. Jesus was with God and Jesus was God. Before the heavens and the earth were created, Jesus existed. As God, He created the world long before entering it as a baby. 2. His Powerful Earthly Ministry In human flesh, Jesus demonstrated His deity through His teachings and His miracles. In His teachings, Jesus made an extraordinary claim--that He was, in fact, God. The miracles Jesus performed provide proof that Jesus was who He said. 3. His Divine Restraint In perfect faithfulness, Jesus walked down the lonely road to the cross. He let nothing hinder His obedience to the Father. To offer Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God as atonement for the sins of the world, Jesus had to restrain from using His divine powers. 4. His Forever Victory The good news this Easter morning is that we worship a Savior who has forever won the victory over sin and death. As Jesus predicted, He rose from the grave. His resurrection brings to completion His saving work on the cross. Because of His victory over death, we have hope of eternal life.
O Sweet Exchange
April 9, 2017 • Toby Henson
Christ's death was unique. He died, but not for what He had done. He was sinless with no penalty to pay. He died for others. He died to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. Jesus voluntarily died the death I deserved and you deserved. To help us understand the substitutionary death of Jesus, we turn to a notorious murderer named Barabbas. In the story of Barabbas, we should see ourselves. We won't appreciate what grace does until we understand who we are. We are rebels. We are sinners. We are Barabbas. Like him, we have been set free. They took Jesus instead. Grace happened. Christ took away our sins. Where did He take them? He took them to the cross.