The Easter Turnaround

 

There’s two parts of the Easter story – Most churches focus on the cross and with good reason.  The cross is where Jesus suffered as the sacrifice for our sins and where the price for our redemption was made.

But I want to focus on the resurrection.  Afterall, today is the day of the resurrection otherwise known as Resurrection Sunday.

The resurrection is the story of hope.

 

Headingly 1981 England v Australia;                                  

In the first innings of the match, Australia had the upper hand as they struck a total of 401 runs. In reply, England collapsed and were bundled out for 174 runs. Follow-on was enforced and a number of critics predicted an innings defeat for England. In the second innings, England fought back with a sensational century from Ian Botham. Chasing a total of 130 runs, Australia were all out for just 111 runs 18 runs short of victory.  This has been described as one of the greatest turnarounds in Test cricket.

September 2009, Brisbane vs Carlton at the Gabba, the Lions trailed by five goals early in the last quarter after Carlton kicked the opening goal of the term. But Brisbane poured on the last six goals of the match in a stirring 16-minute surge to win by seven-points 16.15 to 15.14.Another fantastic turnaround.

 

How many other sport games have been turned around in the second half or the last quarter or even extra time? 

How many movies have we seen where the hero’s win in the last few minutes of the film after everything looked impossible?

In 1985 when Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, people had begun writing the company’s eulogy.  30 years later, it is one of the most valuable companies on the planet.  Other companies such as IBM, Ford, General Motors and more recently, Qantas have all turned around from disasterous results.

If you read their biographies you will find that many if not all multi millionaires have at some stage been totally broke many  bankrupt but they all turned those situations around.   

God is also in the turnaround business. He turned Sarah’s situation around when she was way past normal baby bearing age to give her and Abraham a son, Isaac.

The Pharoah decreed that all Israeli baby boys should be killed but God turned that around, even using Pharoah’s own daughter to save Moses who was destined to lead Israel out of slavery.

He turned Joseph’s situation around taking him from prison to prime minister overnight.

The Israelites stood in fear of the giant Goliath but God turned that around with a young boy armed with just a slingshot and a few stones.

He turned Pauls many life threatening situations around so that He would be able to fulfil his calling.

 

 

 

In World War 2, It looked as if the Nazi’s could never be stopped as they ploughed through Europe.  The RAF was so badly depleted at the Battle of Britain, England was preparing for the invasion.  Intercessors were praying and  God turned the situation completely  around.  Instead of invading Britain, Hitler turned towards Russia.

How many of us remember the Cuban missile crisis where we all thought we were going to be destroyed by a nuclear war between America and the USSR but God resolved that without a single bomb going off.

Communist USSR for many years was a powerful fearful evil force that we thought was inpenetrable but where is it now? 

Whoever would have thought the Berlin wall would come down as quickly or as suddenly as it did?

 

 

The Greatest Turnaround

For us Christians, Easter marks the greatest turnaround of all time.

At the beginning of the week, the people hailed Jesus as their king and messiah as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  The disciples must have been so happy to see their leader receive the adolation of the people.

Matthew 21:7-9 (NKJV)
7  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
8  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"

But a few days later, the worst of all disasters hit when the one they thought was the messiah was arrested, beaten and crucified. 

The disciples must have been so devastated, they fled, they hid, they denied they were His followers.  Their world, their hopes and their dreams had all collapsed.

John 19:14-16 (NKJV)
14  Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15  But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
16  Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

It was a horrific death.  Jesus sweated blood just thinking about it.  He asked the Father to take away that cup. But He knew He had to go through with it.

So He suffered and died on the cross.

But then just three days later, God completely turned the situation around when Jesus rose from the dead.

Can you believe it?  This man who was beaten, tortured to near death, crucified, died and then speared in the side, after 3 days, suddenly became alive again, rolled away the stone, and walked out of the tomb!

Then He walks up to Mary and starts talking to her as if nothing had happened.

John 20:11-16 (NKJV)
11  But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.
12  And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13  Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
14  Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15  Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
16  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).

 

The situation went from disaster to victory in just three days. From mourning to rejoicing, from death to life, from hopelessness to hope.

Later that same day Jesus appeared to the disciples;

John 20:19-23 (NKJV)
19  Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
20  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

According to the apostle Paul, Jesus was seen by over 500 people after His resurrection.

Jesus the Christ, the Son of God who was beaten, ridiculed, crucified and speared.  Who died for our sins.  He rose from the dead!

But there has to be a death before there can be a resurrection.

It was only after the resurrection that the cross made any sense.  It was only after the resurrection that the disciples realised what the cross was all about. 

Before the cross, He was hailed as a rabbi or the king, the messiah.  After the resurrection they realised He was as Thomas said “My Lord and my God”.

Jesus had to pay the price for sin.  He was that sacrifice.  The beatings, the blood, the death only made sense after He rose from the dead.

But that is not the end of the story.  7 weeks after the resurrection, the power of God comes upon the disciples in the form of the Holy Spirit. 

They began to preach the gospel in other languages, they healed the sick and cast out demons.  Signs and wonders followed the preaching of the Word.

With the confidence of having seen and touched the risen Lord, the disciples went out preaching the gospel all over the known world.  They themselves were persecuted, suffered and died proclaiming what they had seen that Jesus had risen from the grave.

In Matthew 28, John 21, Acts 3, 4, 13, 17, 26, Romans 1, 6, 8, Galatians, Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, and 1 Peter it clearly states God had raised Jesus from the dead.  There can be no doubt that the disciples believed it.  Thomas even tested it.

After he had healed a man, in

Acts 4:8-12 (NKJV)
8  …Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9  If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11  This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
12  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

And there’s even more victory to come;

1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV)
52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

So that briefly is the chocolate free story of Easter.  No eggs, no chicks, no bunnies.  Just Jesus.

God turned the cross around when Jesus rose from the grave..

But it is not the end of the story, God is still in the turnaround business.

Today, He can turn your disasters into victory too. 

He can turn around your sicknesses, your financial problems, your marital problems, your business problems, your persecution, your fears, your sorrows.

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)
17  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

 

As John 14 says, Jesus promised us that we will do the same works He did and whatever we ask in His name He will do for us;

John 14:12-14 (NKJV)
12  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
13  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

 

 

He has given us His word.

He has given us His name.

He died for us.

He has paid the price.

Our sins are forgiven.

He has given us the power of the Holy Spirit.

What more do we want?

Yes, there are going to be trials and tribulations, battles to fight but in the end, the victory is ours.

Trust in God, the author and finisher of our faith.

Maybe you are struggling with something now in your family, your health, your business, your finances, your faith. Maybe you are losing or have lost hope.  Perhaps you don’t understand what is happening.  It doesn’t make any sense to you.

You cry out to God “I’m trying to do the right thing, I’m trying to live a good life, but why is all this happening to me?”

When something is sick, it can be healed but when it dies there has to be a resurrection.

Are you going to give up at the cross - the darkest hour when things look so bad or can you wait for the resurrection?. 

John 12:24 (NKJV)
24  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Life is different after the resurrection. The power came after the resurrection. Everything changes. The disciples had changed, they had a new life, a new sense of purpose and a determination to fulfil God’s calling on them.

It was never the same for the disciples and it will never be the same for us.

We have hope today because of the cross and the resurrection.

As John says;

1 John 5:4-5 (NKJV)
4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
5  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The cross and the resurrection go together.

There could never have been a resurrection without the cross.

God is in the turnaround business.

He turned the cross around.  He turned death around.

He turned us around when we were born again and He can turn our circumstances around too.

 

I don’t know about you, but I find the most encouraging words in the Bible are to be found in Mathew 28

Matthew 28:5-7 (NKJV)
5  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."

 

 

So, rejoice, today is the day of the resurrection.

Christ is risen.

He has gone before us,

We will see Him,

We are saved,

We have hope.  

We have a future.

 

Amen