Easter: Resurrection, Relationship, and Mission
Pastor Tim's Easter Sunday sermon centers on the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the pivotal event addressing humanity's greatest needs. He argues that the resurrection defeats death, offering eternal life to believers and resolving the fundamental human concern about mortality. Furthermore, it makes a personal relationship with God possible, countering the feeling of divine distance. Finally, the resurrection gives believers a clear mission to share their experiences of the risen Savior with the world, providing purpose and meaning in life.
Deep Dive Podcast
Easter Sunday Sermon Study Guide
Key Concepts
The Resurrection: The central event of Easter, signifying Jesus Christ's victory over death.
Impact of the Resurrection: The sermon focuses on three key results or ways God meets our needs through the resurrection: overcoming death, enabling a personal relationship with God, and providing a mission/purpose for life.
Fear of Death: The inherent human struggle with mortality and the cultural tendency to avoid confronting it.
Desire to be Known: The deep-seated human longing for authentic connection and recognition.
Personal Relationship with God: The opportunity for individuals to have a direct and intimate connection with God, made possible through Jesus's resurrection.
Witness/Mission: The calling for followers of Jesus to share their experiences and knowledge of him with others, driven by the reality of the resurrection and their personal relationship with God.
Quiz
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.
According to Pastor Tim, what makes preparing a message for Easter or Christmas challenging?
What was Timothy Keller's point about the significance of Jesus's resurrection?
What was the context of the passage in Matthew 28 that Pastor Tim discussed?
How does Pastor Tim illustrate our culture's tendency to avoid the topic of death?
What does Pastor Tim say is wrong with the idea that death is simply a part of life?
According to the Pew Research poll mentioned, what is a common belief about a higher power?
How does Pastor Tim connect the desire to join small groups with the deeper human longing?
What was significant about Jesus calling Mary by her name at the tomb?
According to Acts 1:8, what does Jesus promise his followers after the Holy Spirit comes upon them?
How does Pastor Tim define "being a witness" in the context of faith?
Quiz Answer Key
Pastor Tim explains that these holidays are challenging because the central event or "punch line" is already widely known (the birth of Jesus at Christmas and the resurrection at Easter). Additionally, he notes the difficulty of summarizing the profound significance of these events in a short message.
Timothy Keller stated that if Jesus rose from the dead, then his teachings must be taken seriously; conversely, if he did not rise, then there is no reason to pay attention to anything he said. The resurrection is presented as the pivotal event that validates or invalidates Jesus's claims.
The passage in Matthew 28 describes a group of faithful women arriving at Jesus's tomb to care for his body after his crucifixion. They encounter an angel who informs them that Jesus is not there because he has risen from the dead, just as he had said.
Pastor Tim uses the example of Michael Jackson's death and the quick shift in cultural focus afterward to illustrate how society often celebrates a significant event and then rapidly moves on, similarly avoiding a deep or prolonged engagement with the topic of death.
Pastor Tim argues that while death is inevitable, our innate human desire and soul tell us that it is not natural or how things should be. He believes that death is not merely a neutral part of life but something contrary to our deepest longings.
The poll indicated that a significant portion of people believe in a higher power or greater being but feel that this being is unknowable or that a personal relationship with them is not possible.
Pastor Tim suggests that the desire to be connected and known in small groups reflects a deeper human longing to be seen and accepted for who we truly are, with our weaknesses and frailties, a desire that is ultimately met by a personal relationship with God.
When Jesus called Mary by her name, "Mary," it was a personal and intimate act that communicated, "I know you, I see you." In a moment where she didn't recognize him, this simple act of using her name conveyed recognition and deep personal connection.
Jesus promised his followers that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, indicating a mission to share the message of Jesus globally.
Pastor Tim explains that being a witness, in its most basic form, is akin to a witness in a court case: sharing what one has personally seen and heard. For believers, this means sharing their experiences and knowledge of Jesus.
Essay Format Questions
Discuss the three "results" of the resurrection that Pastor Tim highlights in his sermon. How does he argue that these results address fundamental human needs?
Analyze Pastor Tim's use of examples (e.g., Haruki Murakami, Napoleon, personal anecdotes) to illustrate the human struggle with death and the unique perspective offered by the resurrection.
Explore Pastor Tim's argument for the human desire to be known and how the resurrection facilitates a personal relationship with a God who sees and knows us intimately.
Explain the connection Pastor Tim draws between the resurrection, a personal relationship with Jesus, and the concept of mission or purpose in the life of a believer.
Critically evaluate Pastor Tim's approach to presenting the resurrection as the answer to fundamental human questions. How effective do you find his arguments and illustrations?
Glossary of Key Terms
Resurrection: The act of rising from the dead, specifically referring to Jesus Christ's return to life after his crucifixion and death.
Profundity: Deep insight or understanding; great depth of meaning or significance.
Existential Philosopher: A philosopher who emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.
Theological: Relating to the study of God and religious beliefs.
Philosophical: Relating to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.
Historical: Relating to past events or based on evidence from the past.
Eternal Life: Life that continues indefinitely beyond physical death, often associated with a spiritual existence in God's presence.
Red Sox: A professional baseball team based in Boston, used as an example of an obvious answer in a trivia game.
Grief: Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone's death.
Rabbi: A Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one qualified to make decisions on questions of Jewish law.
Frailty: The condition of being weak and delicate.
Pandora: The fictional world depicted in the movie "Avatar," used as an illustration of the desire to be seen and known.
Avatar: In the context of the movie, a genetically engineered body operated by a remote human consciousness. More broadly, a representation of oneself online.
Witness: Someone who has seen or heard something and can testify to it. In a religious context, someone who shares their faith and experiences with others.
Cultivating: To foster the growth of. In the sermon, refers to both the physical world (as in the creation mandate) and the spiritual lives of others.
Intentional: Done on purpose; deliberate.
