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Happy Resurrection Day! We are here today to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, celebrating the fact that 2000 years ago, the Son of God came to earth, and after living a sinless life, he was crucified. That death was not just a random, tragic death, but rather was a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the world, so that all who would repent, turn from their sins and put their trust in Jesus would be saved from their sins and would have life – eternal life – in His name. We come to celebrate that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, restoring our relationship with God and giving us eternal life.

To give you an idea of how essential this day is – just listen to how Paul puts it:

1 Corinthians 15:13-23 - If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

If Jesus was not raised, I will quit my job tomorrow, and you can all go your own way, because, as Paul said, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins, you are lost after death, and you are to be pitied more than all men. But Jesus was raised from the dead, a new day is upon us, and life for those who know Jesus can never be the same. I won’t be talking about proofs of the resurrection this morning, but if you are interested in that, some recommended resources include NT Wright – The Resurrection of the Son of God; Timothy Keller – The Reason for God; Lee Strobel – The Case for Christ, and William Lane Craig – www.reasonablefaith.org.

This Sunday, I am beginning a new series I’m calling “Practical Christianity.” My goal in this series is to lay out the essential elements of the gospel – the good news of Jesus, what the Christian faith is all about at its core, and then to look carefully over the coming weeks at how believing the gospel fundamentally transforms every aspect of your life – your love life, family life, work, money, church, friendships, city, and your own personal and spiritual growth. If you’ve been around here, you know that my preaching is gospel-centered. It is not how-to sermons or inspirational pep talks; neither is it turn or burn, hellfire and brimstone preaching. I believe that the whole Bible points to Easter – Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sins of the world, and the more this reality of what He has done for you and for the world penetrates your heart and infuses your life, the more fully alive you become. It’s like what Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13 - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Work out the implications of your salvation, of the gospel, in every aspect of your life, as God works in you.

Today I want to define three fundamental elements of the gospel, which I believe address the question of why Jesus died and rose again 2000 years ago, and over the next three months I will be bringing those elements to bear on every aspect of your life, with the hope that you will become more fully alive, freed from the things that hold you back, and full of God. Those elements are:

1) Salvation and justification by grace

2) New life

3) A certain hope