Jesus, Satan, and Easter (Matthew 28:1-7)
Gary McManus, 04/04/2021Part of the Easter series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Easter, April 4, 2021; Matthew 28:1-7
Today’s topic: the MORE of Easter morning.
John 1:9: Jesus was the light coming into the world.
(See also Isaiah 60:3, Luke 2:32, Isaiah 60:1-3)
Isaiah proclaimed Jesus.
We need no longer live in DARKNESS.
For believers, the time Jesus was in the tomb was
the darkest time—the light was gone.
Isaiah: “darkness covered the earth.” Why?
A: The Prince of Darkness, Satan
Luke tells us more about Jesus and Satan.
Prof. Susan Garrett: Luke is most concerned
with the cosmic battle of Satan and Jesus.
Satan does oppose the purposes of God.
Satan opposed God on earth from Day 8.
(See Genesis 3)
Luke tells us that Satan entered Judas (Luke 23:3).
The reason it is called Good Friday goes back to Satan.
Satan wanted Jesus dead. Satan thought that would
be the end of God’s plans.
Satan didn’t know that Jesus’ death WAS God’s plan.
Hebrews 2:14: in Jesus’ death, Jesus opens Satan’s
dungeon of dead from the INSIDE.
Easter morning, Jesus left Satan’s prison first and left
the prison door open so that everyone else can leave.
(It is not unlike the story of the Trojan Horse.)
Good Friday is good because Jesus’ death
is the key to unlock Satan’s dungeon from
the inside.
Satan was fooled. Satan thought he was winning.
The whole time, Jesus was winning.
Jesus was winning—FOR YOU!
(See John 14:28, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Acts 26:18)
Satan’s power was broken.
--defanged, declawed
--like D-Day in Europe, June 6, 1944
(Even with the Battle of the Bulge in December, 1944,
the German Army couldn’t win the war.)
In and through Jesus, we have the power
to turn away from Satan and darkness.
We can fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
God’s complete victory is certain.
God’s complete victory hasn’t come yet for us, yet.
Some use the military term: mop up operations.
In practical terms:
--we may discern what God wants
--we may access the Lord’s help in achieving God’s will
--we can be guided by the light of Christ
--we can walk in Christ/ with Christ
The light of Christ reaches into our past.
This is the MORE of Easter that we celebrate.
John 1:4! Amen.
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