← ArchiveSaviorEaster – The Savior’s VictoryDateApril 21, 2025SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamText—TranscriptMachine transcribed · click any line to jump0:00.0:30Okay, welcome, beautiful people, to the church that gathers here locally at Bethel. No matter where you are or where you've come from, you are welcome here. Not only are you welcome, you are wanted. We've been praying for you, and we have been asking the Lord to do great things in your life.0:55We've been praying for you, and we have been asking the Lord to do great things in your life. And the invitation still stands. If at any point you say, well, I need to get baptized, I need to give my life to Jesus Christ, we have pastors, if you go out, well, whatever door you go out, if you go that way, we have pastors that will pray with you and over you right now. Don't wait to the end to get your life right with Christ. Start now. Seek the Lord and find that Jesus Christ is everything that you need. Well, it's Easter, and I know some of you come once a year.1:26Well, it's Easter, and I know some of you come once a year. Some of you have never been in church before, and some of you come often. But as a dear, almost 90-year-old friend told me this week, she said, Pastor, I was a lost church member. I said, what does that mean? She's like, I was a church member but didn't know Jesus. I said, is that a thing? She's like, yeah, that was me. And the passage of scripture we read earlier, where Jesus tells his disciples, I am going to be betrayed, I am going to be insulted, I am going to be mocked, I am going to be killed, and I am going to rise again.1:53I am going to be betrayed, I am going to be insulted, I am going to be mocked, I am going to be killed, and I am going to rise again. And their response was, we don't get it. So if you ever feel that way in your life, you are not alone. And my prayer today for all of us, no matter where you have come from, and no matter how far you have come, is that you would catch a glimpse of the glory of God in this place yet again.2:19is that you would catch a glimpse of the glory of God in this place yet again. It's the reminder that Jesus is patient with people who miss it. Anyone ever missed it before spiritually? You just, you know God has worked in your life. You know what his word says, and you say, God, what do you mean? The spirit of the living God is patient with you. Come near today.2:48Come near today. The gospel is not something that we need once, something that we need over and over again. Today's message is simply entitled, The Savior's Victory. My name is Josh, lead pastor. I preach often here, but I'm not the only one who preaches. God has given this church some amazing people who love the Lord and can preach the word. So if you come back next week, I will most likely be preaching, but there's no guarantee. So if you don't like it, come back next week. You might be in for a surprise.3:17You might be in for a surprise. A glimpse of God's glory. You have most likely heard the Easter story before. You could tell it like the back of your hand. Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, led away to be crucified. But let's slow down and take in for some moments details that we often gloss by. John 19, the disciple, the beloved disciple, the Bible calls him, writes it this way.3:43John 19, the disciple, the beloved disciple, the Bible calls him, writes it this way. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. That is, they whipped him on his back with whips that would have some type of animal bone at the end of the whip. The soldiers also twisted a crown of thorns, put it on his head and clothed him in a purple robe. And they kept coming up to him saying, Hail, King of the Jews.4:10Hail, King of the Jews. And some were slapping his face. You see, the crown of thorns was not simply pain. It was mockery. It was blasphemy. It was a coronation, not with honor, but with contempt. The world sneered at Christ. You're a king. Here's your crown. But heaven saw something else in that crown.4:39But heaven saw something else in that crown. Even in shame, we see there's a glimpse of glory, even in the crown of thorns. Let me explain. Not all crowns of life are made the same. Rome gave its emperors laurel wreaths. You would never see the emperor of Rome wearing a crown of gold. Think Burger King crowns. Because that was a sign of authority.5:08Because that was a sign of authority. And the emperor wanted to be known as the one who brought peace. Now, you know that Rome brought peace by bloodshed. And so, the crown of Rome was a laurel wreath. But Jesus, our true king, wore thorns, symbols of the curse. That wasn't weakness, though. That was love. You see, the crown that the world gave Jesus meant to disgrace him.5:36You see, the crown that the world gave Jesus meant to disgrace him. But in God's hands, that crown of thorns was something more beautiful and radically different. You see, the crown of thorns pointed us to something in the future. Now, listen to how John, the writer of John 19, describes it at the end when he sees Jesus coming on the clouds. Now, keep in your mind the crown of thorns. John, the same writer, says,6:06John, the same writer, says, I looked, and there was a white cloud. And one, like the Son of Man, that's Jesus, seated on a cloud with a golden crown on his head. See, John is reminding us today, the crown of thorns has us looking forward. It points us to redemption, to a Jesus crowned in glory, reigning in love. Because not all crowns are made the same.6:35Because not all crowns are made the same. There's another crown in Rome called the Corona Civica. It was like our medal of honor. It was the highest award given to a Roman soldier who had almost given his life to save the life of someone else in battle. Why is that important? It was a rare crown. It was a sacred crown. It was a hero's welcome. Because the Roman soldiers who put the crown on Jesus7:06Because the Roman soldiers who put the crown on Jesus did not realize that Jesus was getting the Corona Civica. That Jesus was laying down his life in that moment for a fellow citizen. Did they know? The crown of thorns points us forward. See, the crown of thorns was never a joke to God. It was mockery from the world's perspective. But it was the gospel.7:36But it was the gospel. It was glory. It was for you and for me. Don't miss the glimpse of glory in the crown of thorns. There's a second glimpse I want us to see. Not only the crown, but the robe. It points us forward, this purple robe. Mark 10, 34. And also Luke 18, which we have read earlier, says this, that they will mock him. That's Jesus. They will spit on him. They will flog him. They will kill him.8:06They will kill him. And he will rise after three days. Jesus said that would happen. And what Jesus says always happens, by the way. And mock him they did. They put a crown of thorns on his head. They beat him. They spit at him. They slapped him and said, Hey, tell us who hit you. If you're a prophet. Tell us who spit upon you. On the cross. You saved others. Save yourself. Oh, redeemer of Israel.8:36Oh, redeemer of Israel. And then someone got the brave idea. They said, hey, there's a robe in the barracks. Let's put that on his shoulders. Purple robe. A beautiful robe. Purple was the color reserved for royalty. Made out of very rare seashells. It was difficult to find. And it made it valuable and expensive. A robe borrowed from the barracks.9:04A robe borrowed from the barracks. Thrown across his torn, bleeding shoulders. Again, this robe was meant to shame him. To mock him. But even in their shame, God gives us a glimpse of glory. Heaven wasn't blind to the scene, by the way. Earth laughed. Hell cheered. But heaven saw a different king.9:35But heaven saw a different king. Again, listen to how John the Beloved, who witnessed the scene of the royal robe, sees Jesus at the ends. I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man. Again, that's Jesus. And he was dressed in a robe.10:04And he was dressed in a robe. And the last time John saw Jesus in a robe, he was in a purple robe. The last time he saw Jesus with a crown is a crown of thorns. And he said, this robe, he had a golden sash wrapped around his chest. Once stained in blood, the robe will shine with unmatched splendor when he returns. See, the mocked king is actually the redeemer. At the cross, we see a glimpse.10:34At the cross, we see a glimpse. But at the empty tomb, we see glory. So let's take a moment to see the glory of the resurrection and what that means for your life and for my life. Luke 24, again, says, Why are you looking for the living among the dead? It's a good question. I think when you go to a cemetery, who do you look for?11:01I think when you go to a cemetery, who do you look for? I know you're learned and cultured. But not a single one of you have gone to a cemetery looking for alive people. So we would expect the same question. Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen. And the angels say this. Remember what Jesus said to you. After they flog him, they will kill him.11:31After they flog him, they will kill him. And he will rise on the third day. The women went to the tomb expecting to care for the dead. But Jesus wasn't there. You see, death had an issue that day. Death had a struggle. Because death found someone that it couldn't defeat. The ancient enemy, death, who had swallowed up every son of Adam, every daughter of Eve.11:56The ancient enemy, death, who had swallowed up every son of Adam, every daughter of Eve. But at the cross, Jesus turned the tables. You see, Jesus didn't sidestep the grave, did he? He entered into it. And from within it, he crushed death. Jesus went into the grave of a lamb. He rose a lion. The tomb became his footstool. In church, the empty tomb is but a reminder.12:24In church, the empty tomb is but a reminder. It's God's reminder. That as Jesus rose again, the gospel brings life to all who believe. If you've come here dead in your sins, the empty tomb is a reminder that in Christ, you can have victory over death. That is the promise and the glory of the gospel in the resurrection. If you're not impressed by that, some of you are not, there's a second glory.12:52If you're not impressed by that, some of you are not, there's a second glory. But wait, there's more. It's the glory that we have victory over sin in Jesus Christ. Listen to how the apostle Paul in the book of Colossians reads. If you have your Bibles with you, we're going to camp out in Colossians chapter 2. Verses 13, 14, 15, and maybe 16. Paul, writing to a church, says this in Colossians chapter 2, verse 13.13:21Paul, writing to a church, says this in Colossians chapter 2, verse 13. He said, when you were dead in your trespasses. Now again, Paul is writing to a church. He is preaching to the choir. He is writing to the saints. And to the saints, he reminds them, hey, don't forget that you were dead in your sins.13:46And to the saints, he reminds them, hey, don't forget that you were dead in your sins. And in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and he forgave us all of our trespasses. How many? All. We'll come back. He erased a certificate of debt with his obligations that was against us and opposed to us. And has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.14:14And has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly. And he triumphed over them in Jesus Christ. Because of the resurrection, Jesus has made you alive with him. Now listen slowly to the gospel. Sometimes it's easier, it's easy for us to rush past Easter.14:43Sometimes it's easier, it's easy for us to rush past Easter. We know the story. We know that he died on the cross. We know that there was a crown of thorns. We know that there was a purple robe. We know he rose again. Now let's go eat. But the spirit of the living God calls us to slow down. Paul says, don't forget, church people, you look so fine today on Easter, by the way. With your Easter drip on.15:13With your Easter drip on. Paul says, on your best day without Christ, you are dead in sin. I think that's Paul's way of saying, hey, Baptist, get off your high horse. Colossians, who do you think you are? Don't forget that you were dead in your sin. You see, the world will tell you that if you are living in iniquity and if you're living without Christ, it's okay.15:41You see, the world will tell you that if you are living in iniquity and if you're living without Christ, it's okay. You're just, you have a fever. You have a sickness. Paul says, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You are dead in sin. He says, there is no hope for eternal life for someone who is dead. Don't rush past your sinful condition. Dead is the spiritual state of every human being apart from Christ.16:07Dead is the spiritual state of every human being apart from Christ. And if you say, well, pastor, I know Jesus. I am alive and you can't tell me any different. Don't forget you were dead. Praise be to God of his grace. And then Paul says, you were dead. But in the same verse, he says, you were dead. But what happens in Jesus? He says, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you, he made you alive. That means you didn't do anything on your own to make yourself alive.16:35That means you didn't do anything on your own to make yourself alive. Think about natural birth. There's not a single person in here that birthed himself. None of you said, mom, I just need you to know tomorrow I'm going to be born. I'm going to induce myself. I'm going to, I'm going to birth myself. I'm going to spank myself and I'm going to take my first breath. If someone told you that, you would say, how foolish are you? But we do the same spiritually, don't we?17:05But we do the same spiritually, don't we? We think that if we just play the church game, that we can do something in ourselves to resurrect ourselves spiritually. And Paul says, no, Jesus made you alive because he forgave you, not just forgave you. Some of you are the Colossians. I am the Colossian. I'm the one who raises my hand and say, okay, I know I'm a sinner. I know the depth of my sin. Can you just tell me how much of my sin that Jesus forgave?17:34Can you just tell me how much of my sin that Jesus forgave? Because some of you in here are baby sinners. And you just don't realize the depravity of your sin yet. Some of you are like me and you're the chief of sinner. And for the chief, Paul is speaking into your life and he's saying, Josh, lean in. Jesus forgave all of your sin. I'm going to give you a really quick Greek lesson.18:02I'm going to give you a really quick Greek lesson. In the original Greek, the word all means everything. I'm going to give you a redneck lesson real quick. Another way to say it, there ain't no sin in your life that cannot be forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God for the victory we have over our sin. How is this possible? How can we, who are dead in our sin, find life ever?18:32How can we, who are dead in our sin, find life ever? Paul says, okay, I'm glad you asked. Verse 14. Jesus erased the certificate of debt that we owe. Now, I love what the King James says, the old King James. Some of you are reading King James right now. And it says this, that Jesus blotted out the handwriting of debt that was against us, which is a perfect translation. Really what Paul is saying is when you sin, you are autographing an IOU in your handwriting to God.19:01Really what Paul is saying is when you sin, you are autographing an IOU in your handwriting to God. When you sin, you owe a debt to God that you say, God, I owe this. Because I am created in your image. And by your image bearer, I am saying that I will, I will walk in obedience to the one who has created me. And every time we sin, we sign a different promissory notes. Some of you have a lot of debt in here.19:31Some of you have a lot of debt in here. And you know what Paul says to you? Look at this. He says he erased your autograph of debt. And he did it this way in the gospel. That debt was against you in your handwriting. He took it to his cross. And he nailed it to his cross. And he wiped it clean. When you come to Christ by faith, and one day when you stand at the judgment of God, and Satan is somewhere lurking.20:01When you come to Christ by faith, and one day when you stand at the judgment of God, and Satan is somewhere lurking. And Satan says, Father, he won't say Father. He would say God, because God's not his father, because he denies that God has authority in his life. We saw how that worked out. And we will see how it works out in the end. When Satan says to God, your accuser, God, you can't let Josh into heaven. Look at the IOUs.20:30Look at the IOUs. Jesus says, what are you talking about? You mean the ones I nailed to the cross? And Satan says, yeah, the ones you nailed. Oh, you mean the ones I wiped clean. So look to the cross. You and I have victory over our sin and our autograph, because Jesus wiped my sin with his blood. It's as if he signed over my name in his blood.21:00It's as if he signed over my name in his blood. This is the victory that we have. One of the hymn writers reading this wrote these beautiful lyrics. He said, my sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh, my soul. When you hear that sum today, you are stuck in the my sin part.21:31When you hear that sum today, you are stuck in the my sin part. All you can see before you is the debt. Run to Jesus today. And find that the song continues. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, because he saved us. How much sin he forgives us? All. Ain't Nan left that is not forgiven. What a glorious thought that is.22:04What a glorious thought that is. And I bear it no more. And I bear it no more. Because he nailed it. He wiped it clean. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, oh, my soul. I don't know where you are in that song. But if you are stuck at the first word, may you end up today at the praise the Lord. Because of what Christ has done. Not only do we have victory over death in our life. Not only do we have victory over our sin.22:33Not only do we have victory over our sin. But there's one more victory. There is more. Verse 15. And just for good measure. Jesus doesn't leave anything undone. He disarmed the rulers and the authorities. You remember the ones who wore the laurel crowns? Who said, we are the victors. We will give the peasants the crown of thorns. Jesus says, hold my crown real quick. He disarmed the rulers and authorities.23:05He disarmed the rulers and authorities. And he disgraced them publicly. The mockery that they heaped upon Jesus publicly, they will one day receive. And he triumphed over them in him. That is Jesus Christ. Jesus did not quietly exit the tomb. He rose. I love the Bible language, right? You'll never read in the Bible that Jesus slipped out of the tomb.23:35You'll never read in the Bible that Jesus slipped out of the tomb. He snuck out under the darkness of night. No, he roared out of the empty tomb. Because he publicly shames the forces of darkness and in our life. Sin, death, and Satan were not just defeated. They were publicly mocked. See, Jesus turned the mockery of the cross into the triumphal procession. And every chain meant to bind you was broken in his love.24:04And every chain meant to bind you was broken in his love. So I just encourage you today, walk boldly by faith. There is not a sin you have in your life that will not be forgiven. There is not a, there is not any dark authority that will not be publicly shamed or broken by the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.24:24There is not a, there is not any dark authority that will not be publicly shamed or broken by the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every enemy that once ruled over you now lies in ruin at the feet of Jesus. So let us look at the empty tomb one more time. Luke 24 says, why are you, you silly humans?24:52Luke 24 says, why are you, you silly humans? I think this is how the angels talk to us, by the way. You know, some of you think it's like, why are you looking for the living? I think it's more like this. Dude, why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here.25:22He is not here. He told you this multiple times. What is wrong with you people? And the angel says, remember, remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee. Easter is that message. Easter is the angel, is heaven saying, hey, people of God, remember. When you are weak, remember. When you forget, remember.25:50When you forget, remember. When you are stuck in your sin, remember. When you are worried about the forces of darkness, remember. Remember, he told you he would die. He told you he would rise. And just as he spoke, he did. Remember, we have victory over death. Hey, remember, you have victory over your sin if you're living in sin today. Hey, remember, you're dead without Christ.26:19Hey, remember, you're dead without Christ. Run to the Lord and find forgiveness today. And if Satan has been poking you and priding you, remember that Jesus publicly shamed the forces of darkness. And broke their control in your life once and for all. In a moment, we're going to do exactly what Jesus tells us to do.26:42In a moment, we're going to do exactly what Jesus tells us to do. On the night in which he was betrayed, he took the last supper and he said, this is my body broken for you. He says, this is my blood shed for you. He says, as often as you do this, remember the word. He said, do this in what? Remember. Why do we gather on Easter?27:13Why do we gather on Easter? Remember. Why do we preach the gospel to ourselves daily? Remember. Why do we publicly confess our sin? Remember. This is the power of our risen Savior. In a moment, we're going to ask you to spend some time to reflect. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ and by faith he is yours, all your sins are forgiven.27:37If you have given your life to Jesus Christ and by faith he is yours, all your sins are forgiven. Praise be to God. If you have publicly declared that Jesus is your Lord by baptism, it doesn't have to be in this church. We invite you to come to the table and remember with us. Our deacons will be at the back and the front and they will serve you. If you would go back to your seat and we will eat and drink together. If you have not given your life to Jesus by faith, we ask you not to celebrate.28:04If you have not given your life to Jesus by faith, we ask you not to celebrate. Because this is not for you. This is for Christians. But our prayer is that you would come to Jesus today. And that you say, I want what you have. I need forgiveness for my sins. I am dead in sin. I need life in Jesus Christ. And we have pastors. Again, Pastor James is back there. He would love to speak with you about your faith. And about how you can have the resurrection of Jesus Christ living in you.28:33And about how you can have the resurrection of Jesus Christ living in you. And if you are baptized today. You are our invited guest. Because today for the first time you have a seat at the table of the Lord. By faith, he is now your Savior. I don't know where you are or where you've come from today. But the gospel beckons you. Remember. Why are you looking for the living among the dead?29:04Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Remember that Jesus rose just as he said. Father.
