EASTER 2025: A Victorious Love (John 10:17)
John 10:17: For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
Intro: 1942, a Saturday morning, and I’m at your house eating French crepes.
-After debating what we should put on our crepes (Nutella, or maple syrup), a grief sweeps over us
-We have family members and friends suffering in France under Nazi occupation.
-They need a rescue, a victory of this horrific evil
-Thankfully, that is what happened in the Allies invasion: May 8, 1945
-The human race is in a desperate plight because of our sin:
-There is a darkness, evil, and sin. We need a rescue from outside to be right with God and redeemed.
-And that is the message of Easter: Victory and deliverance come to us in love from God!
OUR TEXT for today is John 10:17:
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
-This is a prediction of Christ’s dead AND his resurrection:
–DEATH: “I lay down my life.”
-Jesus made explicit that his dying and rising were accomplishing a powerful deliverance for his people:
Matthew 20:28 “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
–GOOD FRIDAY: Incomparable love of Jesus for sinners.
–RESURRECTION: “that I may take it up again.”
-Jesus, as GOD the SON, raises Himself from the dead.
-Scripture speaks also of Father raising Jesus (Rom 6:4), and the Spirit (Rom 8:11)
-Resurrection was a TRIUNE event.
QUESTION?: But what did Jesus accomplish through his resurrection?
*The resurrection of Jesus brought about a VICTORY of God for his people over Satan, sin and death.
-It was the COMPLETION of the rescue which began at the cross of Jesus.
***TODAY, consider with me 3 aspects of this VICTORY accomplished in the resurrection:
1. An Accomplished Victory; 2. A Sufficient Victory; 3. A Shared Victory
1 An ACCOMPLISHED Victory: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
When the Allied army retook France and drove out the Nazis, it took effort, time and great energy
-But this victory was real, and it was accomplished deliverance for the people’s of Europe
-The resurrection of Jesus was real, and it accomplished a victory for God’s people.
-Victory over Satan, Sin, and Death.
ACCOMPLISHED VICTORY: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
-Jesus really did rise from the dead (take it up again)
-Attested in gospels, seen by over 500
-His resurrection brought about a victory:
1 Victory over Satan
-Jesus wins, not the devil.
-1 John 3:8 “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
2 Victory over sin.
-Jesus was raised for our justification (Rom 4:25)
3 Victory over DEATH.
–2 Tim 1:10“our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
QUESTION: What does the fact of Jesus’ resurrection teach us?
ANSWER: Jesus is has ACCOMPLISHED a VICTORY for his people over Satan, sin and death.
APP: See again with me the significance of Jesus’ resurrection: Jesus is victorious!
2 A SUFFICIENT Victory: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
When the Allied Forces defeated Germany, their victory was an sufficient victory: they got the job done!
-The victory of Jesus shown in the resurrection is a SUFFICIENT VICTORY: total and complete
SUFFICIENT VICTORY: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
-Resurrection was not a partial victory, but a sufficient victory.
-Jesus really is alive and accomplished all that the he set out to do
-ONCE AND FOR ALL SUFFICIENT VICTORY: ‘once and for all sacrifice for sin’ (Heb 10:14)
-Jesus’ victory over Satan, sin and death was total and complete
-We do not need more victories or other saviors: Jesus is the Savior.
APP: Only Jesus can give us a victory that is SUFFICIENT in the face Satan, sin, and death.
-Positive thinking; moral improvement; religious obedience—none can sufficiently overcome Satan, sin, death.
-But Jesus in his resurrection has accomplished a SUFFICIENT VICTORY
3 A SHARED Victory: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
When the Allied troops won the war, their victory and the BENEFITS were shared with the world
-The victory of Jesus over Satan, sin, and death is shared with all who believe in Jesus.
-“I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”: Take it up again, so that we might share in it!
-A SHARED VICTORY:
-Christians are RAISED spiritually with Christ (Col 3:1)
-Christians are part of the New Creation (2 Cor 5:17)
-Christians are justified from sin (Rom 4:23-25)
QUESTION: WHO IS THIS VICTORY SHARED WITH?
ANSWER: ALL WHO BELIEVE: Rom 10:9-10.
-If you believe in Jesus, you will partake in the victory that Jesus won.
-If you are not a Christian, believe this morning! You can partake in Christ’s victory yourself.
CONSIDER: A FUTURE COMPLETION: 1 Cor 15:53-57
-Resurrection of the dead
CONCLUSION: “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”:
Jesus’ resurrection has brought about a victory that is ACCOMPLISHED, SUFFICIENT, and SHARED.
