Sermon Notes

Jesus Changes Everything! Easter 2025

Jesus – OT Hebrew Joshua “Yahweh God is salvation”

Christ – HS anointed Messiah

1. 2000 yrs ago, small town, poor teen parents, mom Mary adoptive dad Joseph
2. 30 yrs obscurity carpenter w/dad
3. 3 yrs ministry – preaching sermons & performing 33 miracles
4. NOT – travel few 100 mi, wife, kids, book, political office, army, home, office/desk

=#1 Most Famous Person history planet earth  – songs/books/paintings/lives

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte said, “I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison.”

Jesus Christ’s 6 Unprecedented Claims

1. Jesus said He came down from Heaven.

John 6:38, 41-42 I have come down from heaven…at this the[y]…began to grumble about him because he said, “I…came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

• Jesus – descend not ascend = GOD FROM HEAVEN

2. Jesus said He was sinless.

John 8:46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?

3. Jesus said He is God.

John 10:30-33 “Jesus answered… I and the Father are one.” Again the[y]…picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,”…”but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Only founder any major religion said GOD = Killed for it.

4. Jesus forgave sin.

Mark 2:5,7-8 Jesus…said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”…“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

-Sin against God (Ps. 51:4)                        – Only God can forgive (cross)

5. Jesus taught people to pray to Him and worship Him as God.

Prayer: John 16:23–24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you…Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Worship: John 5:23 “…all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”

• Beyond cruelty if a lie

6. Jesus said He is the only way to Heaven.

John 11:25–26 Jesus said…, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

A). Said God             B). Died for it    C). Promised resurrection to prove = THE ISSUE

What is Resurrection?

• Step 1: Living as a whole person, with unified body and spirit.
• Step 2: Die with your body going into the ground and your soul going before the Lord for judgment.
• Step 3: Return to life with your glorified body and soul reunited to never die again.

=Life’s Big Question – what happens after we die? JESUS WENT BEFORE US

10 Reasons to Believe in Jesus’ Resurrection

1. Jesus predicted His Resurrection.

Mark 10:33–34 “...the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

• 4 gospels. Every gospel Jesus predicts resurrection. 3X Mark alone

2. Jesus died

• Night of beatings, scourging, crucified, spear, 100lbs, buried rock tomb

3. Jesus was buried in a tomb that was easy to find. 

• Joseph of Arimathea. Roman seal & soldiers. Women arrived Sun. am

4.  Jesus appeared physically, not just spiritually, alive three days after His death.

• 40 days, crowds 500, people hugged him, ate meals, Doubting Thomas

5.  Jesus’ Resurrection convinced His family to worship Him as God. 

• Mary. James & Jude

6.  Jesus’ Resurrection was confirmed by His most bitter enemies.

• Paul – wrote roughly ½ books (1 Cor. 15)

7.  Jesus’ disciples were transformed and remained loyal to Him.

• From cowards to courageous. Died martyrs. Peter upside down cross MOTIVE?

8.  Worship changed.

• Communion; Baptism; Worship Jesus as God, Sat/Sun, BC/AD

9.   Jesus’ tomb was not enshrined.

@ least 50 enshrined tombs of holy men in the region Jesus day

• 4 major religions based upon founder rather than system of ideas,

Abraham                    Buddha                      Mohammed

10. Christianity exploded on the earth, and a few billion people today are Christians.

Newsweek Magazines new Millenium cover story, “2000 Years of Jesus” said, “Jesus is…the dominant figure of Western culture…much of what we now think of as Western ideas, inventions, and values finds its source or inspiration in the religion that worships God in his name. Art and science, the self and society, politics and economics, marriage and the family, right and wrong, body and soul—all have been touched and often radically transformed by the Christian influence.” = CAUSE-EFFECT

Believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized today!

Mark 16:15-16 “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

• Jesus Final Words – BELIEVE & BE BAPTIZED!

= Jesus changes everything!