Study Scripture:  John 17;  John 18

Introduction:

Yesterday we talked about abiding in Him, and we also talked about the Holy Spirit.  We talked about how that adds to the importance of the Resurrection, and that if there wasn’t a Resurrection the Holy Spirit never would’ve come.  So, I think we’re past the point of having to continue to dwell upon whether there’s more to Easter than the commercialization of it…because there is.  In fact, Easter really isn’t Easter without the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Today’s Message:

If you ever have opportunity, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t unless your just lazy and don’t read your Bibles on your own…I would recommend taking some time to digest John Chapter 17.  This is Jesus’ prayer for us.  In case you don’t understand what I just said.  This is God’s prayer over us!  I sure hope we don’t have to debate that Jesus was fully God, and fully man.  So, when you read John 17, and you understand that this is Jesus praying for His followers (which includes you and I)…this is GOD praying over and for and about us.  The next time you read John 17, think about the very fact that this is Jesus praying because ever last bit of it is written in the red letters that let’s us all know Jesus is speaking.  Jesus, the Son of God is praying for us, and when you understand that Jesus is God…you realize that this is God’s prayer for us.  This is Jesus’ last will and testament for us.  This is how Jesus prayed…for us.  This is JESUS praying…for US.

Then, in John 18, Jesus is apprehended, and this is what the devil thought was the beginning of the end for Jesus.  Fortunately for us, it was the beginning of the end for the devil, and it was just the beginning of something that would rescue all of humanity…well all of the mankind that would accept what Jesus was about to do.  You know the real tragedy is that as we begin to understand what Jesus went through there are still millions of people who will reject Him all the way to the end.

WEDNESDAY

Jesus had a last request. He knew what was facing Him in the next day, but His last prayer was not for Himself, but for you. For all of us. Jesus prayed for His followers. Jesus’ prayer is a wonderful window into God’s will for us. Be an answer to Jesus’ prayer this week. Go through His prayer line-by-line to see how. This weekend, as the global Church unites to celebrate His resurrection, let’s look for ways to be one with God and one with each other. Make Jesus’ prayer your prayer, that the world will see His glory and come to know Him through our unity and God’s love. – Commentary from YouVersion

I think that there’s a really good challenge in the commentary here.  I wrote my commentary before I read this one, and it bears repeating that you don’t just breeze through John Chapter 17.  Take some time to really read it, digest it, line-by-line, and meditate upon the fact that God is praying for you.  When you read the Bible sometimes you have to make it personal, and insert your name into it.  When you make it personal, and you realize that God is praying this for you…it does something in your heart.  So, I would like to urge you to really take some time to read the prayer here line-by-line, and don’t rush through it.  Take your time, and really read His prayer…to the Father for us.

Conclusion:

Being one with God is only possible because of Jesus, and it’s another one of the reasons why the Resurrection is so important.  Do you know that one intimate moment with God will help you to understand just how significant the Resurrection really is.  Why is that?  Because in that moment you realize that had it not been for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus…those intimate moments wouldn’t be possible.

You see, beloved, the more we really look at the Resurrection the more we come to understand that it is a central belief of Christians.  It’s important because so much of what we enjoy as children of the Most High God is because of the Resurrection.  Whether it’s being able to abide in Christ, the promise of the Holy Spirit, or spending an intimate moment with God in His presence…it’s the Resurrection that makes this all possible.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24)

Blessing & Grace to you
Bryan J. Kizer

Study Scripture:  John 15;  John 16

Introduction:

Yesterday we began to talk about how Easter is about much more than the commercialization of  it would like you to believe.  It’s another one of those Holidays that’s used to sell greeting cards, many families once again will gather to eat either turkey or ham or some other kind of traditional Easter meal, and some even go out to restaurants for the Easter Brunch.  Add to it the things geared towards our children, and that’s why Easter is kind of known as the Christmas of Spring.  So, as we continue to take a look at what Easter is really about, and why it’s so important to us as Christians the hope is that we’ll take a moment during all the festivities to remember Who and what this Holiday is really about…and what it is that we  should be celebrating.

Today’s Message:

Today, we look at John Chapters 15 and 16.  In Chapter 15, we learn that we must abide in Christ if we’re to have any success in the Christian walk at all, and in Chapter 16 is where we find that we don’t have to do this walk alone…because of the promise of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus made a statement in Chapter 15 that really sums up why it is so important that we abide in Christ…because He said; “Apart from me you can do nothing.”.  That is quite a strong statement…isn’t it?  In one breath Jesus states;  “with God all things are possible”, and in another breath He says that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Have you ever stopped to meditate or think about that verse?  I know I have.  What Jesus is driving at is a point that He made during His famous Sermon on the Mount.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus said.  During our latest series at New Life Christian Center Pastor Cass Hill taught a little something about this verse that is relevant to where we’re going at the moment.  He said that what Jesus was driving at here was that the poor in spirit are completely and totally dependent upon God as their source for everything.  He makes the point again here in John 15 talking about how He is the vine, and we are the branches.

Have you ever seen a branch that’s partially connected to the vine?  Just because it’s not fully connected to the vine doesn’t mean that it won’t grow, but it will never reach it’s full potential and yield the fruit it’s meant to bear if that branches isn’t reconnected to the vine does it?  Did you know that if you want to bear fruit in the Christian life we need to be fully connected to our Vine?  We may grow if we’re partially connected, but the only way that we really bear fruit is if we are completely connected to Christ.

In John 16 we learn that one of the most important reasons Jesus has to suffer the death, burial and resurrection is so that we would receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.  Do you know what the Holy Spirit’s job is?  It’s to help us to stay connected to the Vine.  The Holy Spirit is that still small voice inside of you that if you listen to it…He will lead and guide you into…all truth.  He is always going to point us in the direction of Christ, and when we stray from Him it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts us that we need to get back to being connected to Christ…to our Vine…to our Life Source…and to the One who is with us until the ends of the age.

TUESDAY

In the picture of the vineyard, we must make sure we know who we are. We are the branches. Our only one job is holding on to Jesus, the vine. By doing so we will fulfill our solitary purpose: bearing fruit. Literally all the other work that takes place in the vineyard will be done by the gardener. That’s God. Not me. Not you. Our job is to allow Him to work through us by staying connected to the vine. Meditate today on who you are and what you’re called to do. Clinging. Remaining. Connecting. Holding on. Abiding. That’s all, nothing else. –  YouVersion Commentary

As we read here, it is our job to stay connected to the Vine, and the way we do that is by yielding to the Holy Spirit.  We do that by constantly reading and studying the Word of God.  We do that by taking time to privately and corporate praise and worship Him.  We do that by seeking Him in prayer.  No one does it perfectly, and that’s why we need the Holy Spirit.

But, here’s the truth about the Holy Spirit.  Without the death, burial, and resurrection there would be no Holy Spirit.  Jesus Himself said that it was beneficial to us that He went away because His death, burial, and resurrection were precursors to the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:

The fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit is another reason the Resurrection is so important to us as Christians.  When you begin to think about all the things that we wouldn’t have because of the Resurrection, and specifically about not having the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us…it kind of takes away from all the commercialization of Easter.  I don’t know about you, but it certainly does for me. 

You know, I feel about the Holy Spirit the way I used to feel as a child as I was trying to hunt down my Easter basket, or opening an awesome gift on Christmas morning.  There’s nothing like the Holy Spirit in all the world, and once you come to that kind of understanding…you think of Resurrection Sunday in a whole new light.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24)

Blessing & Grace to you
Bryan J. Kizer

Study Scriptures:  John 13; John 14 

Introduction:

Today, we begin a seven-day series to take a look at what the real story of Easter is all about.  Is it about candy, colored eggs, Easter bunnies, and family dinners…or is there something more to this Easter story?  As a kid I enjoyed the hunting for Easter eggs, and of course the glorious Easter basket full of candy and other goodies.  However, once I began to understand the things of God I began to realize that we have commercialized this Holiday much like Christmas to the point that we lose focus about what Easter is all about, and it really has nothing to do with eggs, bunnies, candy, baskets, family dinners, or anything else.  What it is all about is the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and what’s really lost in all the commercialization of this Holiday is that the very hope and assurance that Christians have is linked to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Because, beloved, if Jesus Christ never rose from the dead there would be no hope for any of us.  The Resurrection is just as important as the Cross, and with out Jesus being raised from the dead there isn’t any hope for us.  Christianity as we know it without a living God is futile, and there’s no hope for any of us.  So, while all the fun and festivities are nice…let’s not forget just how important to Christianity the Resurrection really is…and that IT is the real reason we celebrate Easter.

Today’s Message:

As with all of our messages, we really rely upon the YouVersion Bible App for our messages, and I guess I’ll take an opportunity to give them a supportive plug to say that if you don’t have their mobile application on your phone…you should get it.  It’s free of charge, and it’s a very handy tool.  Although nothing takes the place of reading the Bible it is a very good tool for all Christians to add to their phones…because we should never…ever be without our weapon.  So, with that out-of-the-way, let’s get into this message.

This passage illustrates one of the key purposes for Jesus’ life on earth, to be a human example of how God wants us to live. Jesus said, “Do as I do.” The most incredible part of this command is that it comes with an offer of the power to live it out. Jesus doesn’t just ask us to try to live like the Son of God out of our own strength – His resurrection gave us access to His strength. Today, meditate on the example Christ left for us. What does washing feet look like in your own relationships and circumstances? How can you serve others in this most basic way like Jesus did for His friends?  – Commentary from YouVersion

As I mentioned in the introduction the resurrection is a key part to all of Christianity, and I dare say again that without it we are all (pardon my language) screwed.  If Jesus never really rose from the dead than the entire Bible is false.  That’s right.  The resurrection is that critical to the entire Bible.  The Cross is a very significant part of what we believe, and teach.  It wasn’t actually on the Cross that Christ laid down His will for that of His Father’s (we see that in the Garden of Gethsemane, but the significance of the Cross is that’s where all of sin, sickness, disease, and curses were defeated and put to death.  The resurrection is where the good stuff happens because that’s where Jesus defeated death, hell, the grave, and took back the authority that Adam and Eve gave to satan. 

This is the real reason we celebrate Easter.  In fact, most churches Christian or not will commonly refer to it as Resurrection Sunday.  Because this is the third day following His death and burial.  See, there’s an important piece here.  Death, burial AND Resurrection…these are the key parts to what we…as Christians believe, preach, and teach.

So, as we continue to talk through Passion Week, and we look at why this is so much more than Easter bunnies, eggs, and baskets…let’s take a moment to really think about why this day is so important.  Let’s remember that there is a spiritual meaning behind Easter, and actually one that is absolutely critical to why we have any hope at all that one day we too will be resurrected.

Conclusion:

I’m not going to answer the questions.  I’m going to leave that to you.  I want you to reflect upon what we’re reading.  I want you to interact with this study, and I want you to understand what it is about Resurrection Sunday that is so vital to who and what we are and believe.  I hope you’ll enjoy this series, and tell your friends about it.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24)

Blessing & Grace to you
Bryan J. Kizer