Kids rejoice over Easter because it's a time of getting Easter eggs, chocolate sweets, Easter egg hunts, getting a whole lot of goodies, sometimes little toys that go with it, and before you put the kids down adults rejoice for another reason, it's a lovely long weekend, it's a chance to take a break from the grind. In South Africa we have Friday and Monday off, beautiful long weekend, you take an extra day you can go away down to the coast. Ah everybody looks forward to Easter, what a time to chill out and relax, and you know most believers they either follow the way of the world or they just totally ignore Easter and say oh it's a pagan celebration, we don't celebrate Easter, it's the way of the world, all those Easter eggs and Easter bunnies, pagan, but you know there are some very good reasons to rejoice at this time.

Jesus rose from the dead and that makes all the difference in the world to a believer. So there are some wrong reasons to be celebrating and rejoicing at this time, but there are also some real reasons. The title of my message is Real Reasons to Rejoice in the Resurrection of Jesus.

You know I love alliteration, kind of rolls off the tongue. Here's some of the real reasons for you to rejoice today, because Jesus rose from the dead. We rejoice because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross of Calvary.

We rejoice because of the atonement, oh it's one of those theological words, easy way to remember what atonement is, is to split it up into its pieces, at-one-ment. Atonement is what makes us at one with God. Because Jesus died our sins are taken away.

Because Jesus died we can now become friends with God, whereas before we were his enemy. Because Jesus died we can rejoice in having our sins forgiven and we can rejoice now in having God as our friend. Those are some real reasons to rejoice because of Easter.

And because of the resurrection we can rejoice because of the power of intercession. What do I mean by that? Because Jesus arose, the scripture says that he sits on the right hand of the father interceding on our behalf. That means we have a lawyer in the high court of heaven fighting our case every time we break the law, which for most of us is several times a day, some more than others.

You and I need a good lawyer, we really do, and we've got the best. Because Jesus rose from the dead we have the best lawyer in the universe fighting our case. The great thing is we don't even have to appear in court.

He does it on our behalf, we don't even realize it, but our case has already been fought and won and cleared before we even realize that we broke the law. That's something to rejoice about, isn't it? Because Jesus arose we can now have direct access to God through him. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man can come to the father except through me. Because of our sins we had no access to God at all. Our sins had separated us from him, but now because Jesus lives he's there to give us access to the father.

Because Jesus arose we have a hope for the future. We have the hope that one day we too will rise from the dead. Scripture says Jesus is the first fruits.

He was the first begotten from the dead. We don't have to sorrow that when we get to the end of this life and we die it's all over. Because Jesus rose from the dead we too can rise from the dead.

We don't have to remain in the grave, dead and forgotten. Because Jesus is alive we will become like him. The scripture says when we see him we shall be like him.

We're going to be free from sin. We're going to be free from this miserable flesh that resides in us that keeps making us do the wrong things and mess up. We have a hope for the future because Jesus lives.

I think that's something to rejoice about, don't you? That's a real reason to rejoice. Because Jesus lives we have the power of the indwelling Christ. Because Jesus lives we can now have eternal life.

What is eternal life? Life is not just life that goes on forever and ever. Everybody already has that actually. The spirit of man is eternal.

We will live forever. Whether we know him or not. The difference is now because he lives we can spend that forever in his presence and in the presence of God.

Except instead of out of his presence in the place of judgment and punishment that was reserved for the devil and his angels. We can live eternally in his presence. But you know most people that's all they think about when you say we can have eternal life.

Romans 6 23 says for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. So isn't this wonderful? Because I've received Jesus I now have the hope of living eternally. Well when did you get the gift? One day when you die? One day when you're resurrected? Is this when we get the gift? No the gift is in our thing.

You notice the comparison? The wages of sin, gift of God. You know you have to you have to work really hard to go to hell. Really you have to work really hard at it.

And you know what? You will get paid for every bit of work you did. But you go to heaven you don't have to work for it. It's a gift.

That's something to rejoice about. We can have that gift because Jesus died and rose from the dead and now stands ready to present to us that gift of eternal life. It's a free gift.

We have life now. John said in him was life and that life was the light of men. We don't have to walk in darkness.

We can walk in his light right now. Now that's something to get excited about. That's something to rejoice about.

His eternal life is in us. So what does that mean? You say well I thought becoming a Christian meant I don't have to go to hell. I can go to heaven now.

If I just hold on long enough. If I'm good enough. If I don't fail God.

If I make it one day. I gotta hang on and cling to that old rugged cross. You know they used to go and cling to the horns of the altar there in the temple when they were about to get killed.

We don't have to cling to the old rugged cross. Jesus ain't there anymore. We cling to the living Christ.

Not the cross in which he died. We thank the Lord for Good Friday. We thank the Lord for the cross and the death.

But we live because he lives and because he lives he's placed his eternal life to come and live inside us. That means we can now live same kind of life he lived when he walked this earth. How are we going to do that? By just saying okay Lord you're in me.

Go and live. Here I am. Relive your life in me the way you did as you walked this earth.

It kind of takes all the pressure away. It kind of takes all the self-effort away. Gritting your teeth and trying real hard.

Clinging to that old rugged cross and the winds blowing and the storms raging and you're still hanging clinging onto that old rugged cross for fear that if you let go you're going to get blown away. No no no no no. You don't hold on to the rock.

The rock holds you. You see when you're standing on the rock the rock's holding you. We're not hanging off the rock.

We're standing on it. Rock Christ Jesus. Oh that's something to rejoice about.

The spiritual life is not a life of self-effort. It's life just resting in him and letting his life in us manifest itself. That means that we can be victorious.

Scripture we read at the beginning says that we will be saved through his life. A Greek word sozo I've described in many different places many different times means a whole lot more than making it to heaven. It means to be saved from the power of sin.

It means to be saved from the power of satan. It means to be saved from the power of sickness. To be saved from the power of poverty and lack.

To be saved from loneliness and despair. We shall be saved. We shall be righteous.

Glorious over satan. Walking in health. Walking in wealth.

Walking in good relationships because of his life that is in us. If Jesus had not risen from the dead we could not have that life living in us. It's not enough for him to die.

His resurrection is the most powerful truth of all. And we just pass him out and say oh it's Easter. It's Easter Sunday.

Jesus rose from the dead. Whoop-de-doo. We go on our way not realizing the power that that event brought to us.

Power for us to live that life of victory. Kind of life that God designed for us. Jesus came to restore everything that Adam gave away and sold out to satan.

He came to bring us back to the garden of Eden. To live a life of blessing in every way. Oh but we're still clinging to that old rugged cross.

For one day when heaven is finally ours and we can live that life. No you can live that life right now because he lives. As the famous song says I can face tomorrow.

Because he lives all fear is gone. Because he lives I can face the future. Life is worth the living because he lives.

That's something worth rejoicing about isn't it? Because Jesus rose from the dead we have available us to us the power of his anointing. The power of his spirit. And Jesus rose from the dead.

Scriptures tell us he sent the promise of the father the holy spirit. Firstly to come and live in us. To take Jesus place.

And then to empower us to do great things. That's something to get excited about. That's something worth rejoicing about.

The holy spirit makes us like Jesus. Enables us to do the same things that he did. Allows us to touch lives in the same way that he did.

This is something to rejoice about. The holy spirit is also our teacher. He makes Jesus real to us.

Jesus said he won't speak about himself but he'll take of what is mine and reveal it to you. He makes God the father real to us. The God that no man has seen.

The scripture says no man can see God and live. Whoever read that scripture eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has prepared. A lot of people preach that and say eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God's prepared for us in heaven one day.

And one day when Jesus comes. One day when he's present we'll finally see it and hear it. No.

You forgot the next verse. It says but God has revealed these things to us by his spirit. Yes eye has not seen, ear has not heard but by his spirit we see and we hear and we know the realm of the spirit in which God dwells.

He's there to show us how to live victoriously in this world right now. That's something to rejoice about isn't it? We have so many reasons to rejoice because Jesus rose from the dead. Have you been rejoicing for the right reasons? Time to have a party with Jesus.

Let your mouth be filled with joy and gladness. Jesus rose from the dead and he lives. He lives in heaven where he intercedes for us.

He lives in this world where he walks with us by his spirit. He lives inside of us where he empowers us to live victoriously and he comes upon us where he gives us the ability to do great things in this life. Why don't you join us as we celebrate our living Lord.

Let's rejoice in him on this Easter Sunday and appreciate all that is ours because he rose from the dead. Amen. Thank you Jesus.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. We welcome you.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. Thank you for your life.

Thank you for the price you paid on the cross but thank you that you didn't stay in the grave but you rose from the dead and you live triumphant and well and because of that we can also live triumphant and well. We can live in victory. We can live in prosperity.

We can live in divine health. We can live having favor with others. This is our inheritance in the name of Jesus.

Tonight we want to give ourselves to you afresh. Say Lord this body of mine is available to you to come and live your life afresh. To come and walk this earth once again as you did so many years ago.

I make myself available to be a living sacrifice to you. Live in me Lord. Do in me what you did when you walked this earth.

Speak forth your word to the people through me as you live your life in me. Reach out and heal the sick as you live your life through me. Take authority over the powers of evil and set the captives free as you live your life through me.

I make myself available to you afresh. Come Lord Jesus. Come Lord Jesus.

Come and live your life again in me. I invite you now. I thank you.

Hallelujah. We rejoice in you Lord. We rejoice this day that you rose, that you triumphed, that you come back to live in us.

That one day you'll come to receive us to yourself so we can continue in eternity with you. Thank you for it Lord. May we be a testimony to you.

May we show the world what they're missing because they don't know you and don't have your life living in them. At this Easter time we dedicate ourselves afresh in spirit, soul, and body, your kingdom, your work, the work of the ministry that you've called us to make ourselves available to you once more Lord. Thank you Jesus.

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