Good morning, church. Our scripture reading today is found in the book of Matthew chapter 28 verses 1 through 7. Again, that's Matthew chapter 28 verses 1 through 7. In the word of the Lord reads. Now after the Sabbath toward the dawn of the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary want to see the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow and for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men but the angel said to the woman do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here where he has risen as he said come see the place where he lay then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and behold he is going before you to Galilee there you will see him see I have told you that the Lord had a blessing to the reading and hearing of his word the Lord is risen he is risen indeed Easter has always been a day of renewal even when I was a young child the most important thing for me about Easter was that I was going to get a new set of shoes a new shirt and a new suit amen brother first amen and the reason that was important I might not have been important for some of y'all but the reason that was important for me because there were only two times a year that we were guaranteed to have new clothes that was the start of the school year mama didn't want you going to school and raggedy clothes the start of the school year and Easter and we understand it started a school year everybody's got to look fresh there's new faces there's new grades there's new friends there's new girls you got to look fresh but why why new clothes at Easter why new clothes at Easter we love it Easter points us to renewal Easter points us to new life the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the revelation and demonstration of new life Christ was raised unto newness of life and all those the Bible tells us now raised in him have been granted new life new life better life eternal life and in fact the resurrection of Jesus gave us what was the fulfillment of God promise to do a new thing
a new thing some of y'all probably first heard that idea of a new thing from listening to DC talk back in the day now you don't have to tell on yourself you know you know you listen to that you know you probably wouldn't admit it now but I don't know what exactly DC talk was referring to when they said a new thing and I'm not here to throw shade at DC talk because past the field they were just doing the best they could the fact that a matter is beloved when the Bible speaks about this idea of a new thing the Bible is referring to the fulfillment of the promises of God new and better promises this promise of God from old has been the promise of something new in Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 19 God says behold I am doing a new thing now it springs forth do you not perceive it I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert but with God beloved it is important to understand that new is not just different new is better when God says he's going to do a new thing he is not just saying he's going to do a different thing God is saying that he's going to do a better thing better
and in our world that's that's interesting because in our world new is not always better with those of you who are Coca-Cola enthusiasts you might remember this that new Coke apparently was not better than old Coke and the Coca-Cola company quickly discovered that in this world new is not always better but when it comes to the Bible of it new is always better when Christ was born Christ was the birth of new the incarnation was the revelation of better when Christ came he came ushering in the new and the better for the Bible says he brews chapter 8 verse 6 but as it is Christ has obtained a ministry that is much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is what better since it enacted it is enacted on better promises new covenant better covenant new promises better promises in Christ God was bringing into the world a new piece a better piece a new joy a better joy a new love a better love a new way a better way a new wine a better wine and notice what the Bible says in Mark chapter 2 and verse 22 right that he wasn't going to put the new wine in all wine skins but new wine required new wine skins if you get a new phone what else do you also have to do you got to get a new case now most people I'm not talking about pacifio but most people when they get a new phone they get a new case why because the old case doesn't fit you need a new one the resurrection of Jesus Christ beloved is the declaration to the world that God is making all things new and the old doesn't fit anymore the old doesn't fit and it all started that first resurrection morning right there at the grave it started right there but God began to reveal a new day a new people a new song and a new word is you get that by the murk a new day a new people a new song and a new word a better day a better people a better song and a better word and start off with a new day the resurrection literally ushered in a new day literally did beloved Matthew chapter 8 verse 1 now after the seventh toward the dawn of the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb beloved the resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred on the first day of the week it didn't happen on the Jewish Sabbath the seventh day of the week it happened on the first day of the week of the 10 appearances that the Bible records for us of Jesus after the resurrection the first five appearances appeared on the first day of the week several times several times when the Bible is retelling the story of the resurrection of Jesus the emphasis is not just on the fact that Jesus rose but the emphasis is also on the fact that he rose on the first day why is that important beloved because the first day became a reminder that we have entered into a new day a new day God was not doing things the old way there was a new day there was a better day better day a better day beloved a better day as you do understand that the seventh day was revealed according to Moses but the seventh that the first day has been given in accordance with Christ this is important because we worship not in accordance to the old creation but we worship in accordance with the new creation but the Bible says Saint Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation he has been enveloped into the new creation where now old has passed away behold the new has come when Christ was raised from the death he lifted the veil and he revealed a new day the Lord's day it's resurrection day this is why we worship we worship the Lord on the Lord's day it is resurrection worship why because we worship on a new day because we are new people we are new people we have been born not under Moses but we have been born a new in Christ we are a new people we have been given a new day again look look at verse 1 again the first people to hear the good news of the resurrection and share it were Mary and Mary not that Mary Mary Mary Mary Mary and the other women listen beloved this is not a coincidence this is not accidental this is not happened since there is a purpose and intention with this God was doing a new thing and this new thing is an inclusive thing God is what establishing a new people and these people are going to be bigger these people are going to be broader these people are going to be better better better you do understand that the ministry of Jesus had already been given hints at this all along he had been given hints at this and it's testimony to the reality of this inclusion Jesus had many women amongst his loyal disciples he also had many Gentiles who were among his followers now don't you understand something beloved for a teacher of any reputation a particularly a Jewish rabbi to have women following him and to have Gentile numbered amongst his followers this was unprecedented this was unheard of and in most quarters this was unacceptable but the resurrection of Jesus doesn't care about your precedent the resurrection of Jesus doesn't care about what you and I find acceptable but a resurrection of Christ was ushering in a new thing a better thing the resurrection was breaking down walls the resurrection was tearing down barriers the resurrection was establishing a new community of people like the world had never seen before here would be a people no longer divided by race and nationality no longer divided by color or gender but here would be a new people a new community a better community a better humanity the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 15 he did this by ending the system of law with his commandments and regulations he made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself what one new people one new people the world beloved continues to perpetuate divisions and in our flesh we are all likely to acquiesce and follow those divisions to the point where they cloud our faith and they cloud our fellowships and because we are in the world we are often tempted to see our lives as the world sees our lives in terms of black and white in terms of men and women in terms of those things that separate and divide but beloved I want to suggest to you this morning that the kingdom of God calls us to something deeper that the kingdom of God calls us to something richer that the resurrection of Jesus Christ raises us up to a higher reality it raises us up to a new humanity in Christ we are not raised into divisions of black and white in Christ we are not raised into divisions of Jew and Gentile male of female we are raised a new people and if we are a new people then we are a better people better people so what the Bible says
glace is chapter 3 again in verse 27 so as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ and there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is no male or female for you are all one in Christ Jesus because the resurrection raises up a new people a new day a new people a new song we won't be alone a new song when the angels spoke to Mary and Mary as they trembled in fear at the thought of their missing Savior the angels words that they spoke to those ladies would become the disciples anthem in verse 6 he is not here he is risen just as he said come see the place where he lay he is not here he is risen these are not just the words of the angels but these would be the answer this would be the song of God's new people Jesus is alive he is risen he is risen indeed it would become the substance of our confession it would become the soul of our songs the reason we think is because Jesus is risen that's why we sing beloved the resurrection of Jesus gives us new songs the resurrection of Jesus gives us better songs this is a new song this is a better song we don't just sing the songs of Moses listen to me this morning we don't just sing the songs and the songs of David but we sing new songs that proclaim the sufficiency of the blood of the lamb we sing songs that speak like revelation five and nine that proclaim that there is a new song that talk about a new people redeemed by the blood of the Savior new songs we think songs that proclaim the glory and power of Jesus like in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 10 and 11 where it says because he's raised from the dead every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father that's what we sing Jesus is Lord Jesus is risen Jesus is coming again that's why we sing these songs we sing songs of the cross at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away we sing no songs we sing songs of the blood one day when I was lost he died upon the cross and I know it was the blood for me we sing new songs beloved we sing songs of the resurrection because he lives I can face tomorrow because he lives all fear is gone he lives he lives Christ Jesus lives today he walks with me and talks with me a long life narrow way we sing resurrection songs anybody ever ask you why you sing you let him know I sing because I know why the cave verse he sings because Jesus is alive he sings because the Lord is risen these are the new songs in celebration of God doing a new thing we are resurrection people and therefore we sing resurrection songs because beloved we got a resurrection word we got a resurrection word this morning it's a new word those new songs are based upon a new and better word when the angels told these ladies to go and spread the word go and spread the word what you want us to say the Lord is risen just like he said he would the Lord is risen just like he said he would do the word they were to declare is a word no one had ever heard before the dead are not dead anymore death is defeated Jesus is alive this was new beloved this was a new word because God was doing a new thing and the resurrection of Jesus was the guarantee of this new covenant not only was it a new covenant the Bible says since it's a new covenant guess what it's a better covenant it's a new word it's a better word it's a new community it's a better community it is a new worship it is better worship better worship he brews chapter 12 again in verse 22 if I'm says but you have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem you have come to thousands upon thousands of angels enjoy full assembly to the church of the first born whose names are written in heaven you have come to God the judge of all to the spirits of the righteous made perfect to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of angels listen to me we don't go to with Moses to mount Sinai in fear but because of a resurrection we now go with Jesus to mount Zion enjoy we are not going every Sunday to mount Sinai go to mount Zion we don't go in fear we go enjoy why because the resurrection of Jesus declared no more sacrifice no more lambs no more goats no more ceremonies no more rituals no more veils no more hiding no more fear no more guilt no more shame God is doing a new thing beloved yeah new people a new worship a new word a new day because he's all brought up into a new life and that life is a better life because it is life in Christ through the resurrection Jesus has done it all Jesus has done it all he's done it all beloved and all all all to him we give let us let us love and live and trust him let us in his grace beloved daily live because he has done it all because not only beloved is Jesus I should end the better the promise is that you and I are going to receive the best the best that is what heaven will be heaven is that place of which no greater place can be perceived I want you to think for a moment of the best place that you could possibly imagine in your feeble fallen sin for mine just imagine the greatest most pleasurable pleasant beautiful place you can even close your eyes and try to do it for a moment and as you imagine that I want you to understand that heaven will be even better because it is that place of which no better place can possibly be conceived that's what the resurrection does that's what the resurrection does when Christ rings he would say and I go to prepare place it's a better place the best place and where I am there you will be also become death is dead all death is going to do you is the favor of us and you in to the better place the best place y'all is doing a new thing and you and I because of the resurrection of Christ have been enveloped in all that is new if you are in Christ this morning you are part of that new creation old things are passing away be old all things are made up let's pray