Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday everyone!
I wanted to share with you my sermon notes from the Good Friday (the day when we remember Jesus' crucifixion) service.
I think we've all asked the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
We all hear stories about tragic things happening to people that just don't "deserve" it and maybe we've been those people. We just can't seem to understand why.
Pastor Brian said we should first divide that question into 2 questions...
Why do bad things happen?
To good people?
Let's find the answer for the first question...
Bad things happen because we live in a sinful world.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God because they wanted to be all powerful, sin entered the world. God didn't intend for it to be that way. He didn't want them to eat from the tree, but they did and that's when "bad things" made it's big entrance into this world.
Now for the second question...
Well this may come as a shock to you but there are no good people. Okay, so maybe you've never stolen or committed murder, that's great. However, I'm almost positive you have committed other sins like saying God's name in vain or dishonoring your father and mother. You know why I'm so sure of it? Because we are sinful creatures. We aren't perfect. We mess up. We may donate to charities and use our manners, but that doesn't mean we are "good". The only person who is good...truly good... is Jesus Christ.
Now that we've answered those questions, we can understand why bad things happen to "good"/or I'll say "decent" people, but what about Jesus?
Why did Jesus have to suffer such a painful death even though He was perfect?
One word...
love.
He loves us so much that He sacrificed His life for us.
He was wrongly accused.
He was mocked.
He was beaten.
He was hung on a cross.
Not because it was fair (because it wasn't), but because He loves us.
This was His way of saving us. He put Himself in a place where we deserve to be...on the cross.
He didn't do it to manipulate us. He did it because He loves us.
What's even more amazing than the sacrifice and pain He endured for you and me is that He didn't stop there.
3 days after He was tortured, hung on a cross, and placed in a tomb, He rose again. So much is to be said for this amazing act of love...
He rose from the dead to show us that...
death has no power over Him
We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never
die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ~Romans 6:9
nothing is impossible
For nothing is impossible with God. ~Luke 1:37
He remembers our sins no more and forgives us
And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their
sins.~Hebrews 8:12
no matter our sins, He can make us new
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone,
the new is here!~2 Corinthians 5:17
whoever believes will live forever with Him in paradise the way He intended
I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?~John 11:25-26
This should make us want to jump up and down, praising God for the sacrifice and love He has covered us in.
Check out this song by Phil Wickham - "Because of Your Love"
Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!
