RESURRECTION: THE DAWN OF VICTORY John 20:1-9 Rev. Dr. Samuel P. Fernandez PREACHER

“Life is a state of embryo, a preparation for life. A man is not completely born until he has passed through death.”

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” (v. 1, NIV) Notice that Mary Magdalene went first to the tomb. Panic ensued. First, Mary Magdalene had a big problem. How can she enter the tomb? Now that the stone “was taken away” she had another problem. Where is the body of Christ?

“they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” (v.2, NIV)

“So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.” (v.3-4, NIV) “Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.” (v. 6-7, NIV)

under the Jewish law as heinous as the Roman law. But Pontius Pilate exacted the Roman punishment on Christ, a non-Roman citizen. His cruel and sadistic mind brought Christ to the Cross, thus fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy. there was no

“God foreordained for His own glory and display of His attributes of a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, another part, in just punishment of their sins, to eternal damnation.” (Institutes of the Christian Religion)

It is the story of an empty tomb Easter is the story of victory. triumph of life over death. Easter is the story of victory. triumph of life over death.

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer; Death is strong but Life is stronger; Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right. Faith and Hope triumphant say Christ will rise on Easter Day. Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer; Death is strong but Life is stronger; Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right. Faith and Hope triumphant say Christ will rise on Easter Day.

Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eostre, a Teutonic (German) goddess of light and spring. The word Easter is not found in the Holy Scripture except in the mistranslation of pascha, Greek word for “Passover.”

Christian world, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus. Today, Easter is a spring feast It is a movable feast.

The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad: The Passover of gladness, the Passover of God. From death to life eternal, from this world to the sky. Our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory. (St. John of Damascus: The Day of Resurrection) The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad: The Passover of gladness, the Passover of God. From death to life eternal, from this world to the sky. Our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory. (St. John of Damascus: The Day of Resurrection)

And, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?