April 5, 2026 | More Than Applause

More Than Applause | Easter 2026

2 Corinthians 4:7–18

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (ESV)

In More Than Applause, Jed Gillis explains that the resurrection is not something Christians simply admire from a distance. From 2 Corinthians 4:7–18, he shows that God displays the power of Jesus’ resurrection through weak, suffering people who keep trusting Him. Paul’s point is that believers do not see resurrection power by escaping hardship, but by enduring affliction with real hope because Jesus was raised and all who belong to Him will be raised as well. That future certainty changes how Christians face suffering, resist sin, love others, and remain faithful in ordinary life. The sermon calls listeners to move beyond applauding Christ’s victory and to live each day in the strength, hope, and perspective that His resurrection gives.

Transcript of More Than Applause | Easter 2026

Viewing the Resurrection Like a Sports Fan

Jed Gillis: This morning if you have your copy of scriptures, would you turn to Second Corinthians chapter four.

As we look at second Corinthians, I invite you to think of a sports fan. I don't mean just your average casual sports fan. We'll call this sports fan Brad, if your name's Brad, I'm not picking on you. I don't know of any Brads who are here today, but perhaps there is one. Let's call this sports fan Brad.

He's the kind who plops down on his couch when March Madness starts . He never leaves the couch . He keeps watching March Madness. He yells at the couch at the TV the whole time, all the while eating his snacks. Then afterwards, the next day, what does he tell everybody? We won.

And you're like, um, Brad, you didn't play. And yet we know what he means. We know there's a sense in which he is emotionally connected to this team. And there's a big difference. There's a huge difference between some of you who may say, I enjoy watching a sports game. It doesn't really impact my life. I see it. I cheer. We win, we lose. I've forgotten it by the next day. And our sports fan, Brad, who lives and dies on whether his team won the day before. There's a big difference between cheering and being emotionally invested in what you're cheering for.

And I wonder sometimes when we celebrate the resurrection when Easter rolls around, it might be easy for us to think about it like a fan. Like a spectator to think, oh, I'm watching the replay as we read through and I go, yes, Jesus won. And wonder what that has to do with my life today.

Maybe you'd even say We won, but I want you to think with me because God calls you to something more than just being a spectator for Jesus's resurrection. And he even calls you to something more than just sitting on the couch and cheering and saying, well, we won this emotional investment. There's more to it than that.

Reading Second Corinthians 4

Jed Gillis: So let's read what Paul has to say in two Corinthians chapter four. I'm going to begin in verse six.

For God who said, let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair. Persecuted but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying in the body, the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies, for we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what has been written, I believed, and so I spoke, we also believe, and so we also speak knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look, not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

How Do You See the Power of the Resurrection?

Jed Gillis: So how do you see the power of resurrection? If I were to ask you coming in church today, do you want resurrection power in your life? Most of you probably say, yeah, that sounds really good, but how do you see not just power, not just strength, but resurrection power? You only see resurrection power with death.

Think about it. Jesus told his disciples these things over and over. He told his disciples, destroy this body. I'll raise it up in three days. I'm going to lay down my life. I'll take it back up again. And we think the disciples should have gotten it right, but you know the story like they, they didn't get it.

Like, Jesus, we don't quite understand. Can you go over it again? And we think that should be obvious. Why wasn't it obvious to them though? Because it's really hard to see resurrection power until death happens.

Similarly, Paul looks at our life and he says, if you want to display the resurrection power of Jesus in your life, there's going to be some things that feel like death.

He starts off by saying, we hold this powerful surpassing treasure. What is that treasure? It's why we read verse six, what he said right before this, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. If your trust is in Jesus today, the treasure, the best treasure you have is that you have seen that God took on flesh and dwelled among us. He lived and he lived a perfect life, and he died out of love for you. That's the treasure he's talking about. We have this treasure, but we have it in jars of clay in weak common vessels.

God's Power is Displayed Through Our Weakness

Jed Gillis: Why does God do that? Why doesn't he put the treasure in a treasure chest? Why doesn't he put it in a safe? Why does he put it in jars of clay?

Well, it's kind of like, if you think of Captain America at the beginning of the story, he's a puny, weakling kid from Brooklyn. Why did the author, when he wrote that story, obviously fictional account, why'd he write that? Because he wanted everyone to read it, to know that the real strength of Captain America wasn't about his biceps, it was about his inner strength, something that wasn't as obvious, and in order to display that in the story he had Steve Rogers start out as a weakling. To say he had the character, he had the treasure in something that looked common, ordinary, breakable.

And God does the same thing masterfully in his story to say, I want to demonstrate that the power of God is really that incredible, how am I gonna do that? Not by putting it in the strongest, most amazing people, but by putting it in people who are just jars of clay, who recognize their weakness, and actually our weakness demonstrates the strength of that power within us.

You say, well, how, how does that work? Exactly? And, and Paul, what are you thinking about with weaknesses? We can think about weakness in a flattering way. Even you might think, I want to be successful in my career. I've got the skills. I'm diligent, but I know I really need God to bless it. It's not just about me. We can think about it that way, where weakness isn't really my weakness, it's just that I'm not God, so I can't control everything. So we actually sometimes think I'm strong, but I'm not infinite. So God's power is displayed because I'm not infinite and he takes care of all the things I couldn't. That's not the way Paul talks about it here.

Instead, what Paul does is he draws your attention to suffering. Now, that might surprise us. That's not how we tend to display strength. But that's exactly where this passage goes. And at this point, the, the wheels fall off the prosperity gospel wagon. Right? Can you imagine, by the way, if somebody preached the prosperity gospel to Jesus in Gethsemane. You know, somebody comes up and says, Jesus, the Father wants you to be healthy and wealthy and comfortable. And if you just have enough faith, and speak the right words he'll give that to you right now. That sounds a lot more like Satan in the desert than like the gospel.

And Paul doesn't preach the prosperity gospel to the Corinthians. Instead, he says four statements in verse eight for contrast designed to drive you to say, what displays resurrection power in a human life.

He says, first we are afflicted. The word here is like burdened. It's a physical term. We hurt. It's hard.

We're afflicted, but we're not crushed. This word could be translated bound. It's like I'm, I'm hurting, but I'm not stuck just to take it and not be able to move until I die. It'd be like saying I feel pain and difficulty, but I'm not trapped and tortured.

He says, we're perplexed, we're confused. Are you ever confused about suffering in your life? Of course, he says, we're perplexed. We don't get it. I don't get why I had to go through this suffering, God, but I'm not driven to despair. I'm not out of resources. I'm not hopeless.

He says, we're persecuted. We're chased and harassed by enemies who want to harm you, but not abandoned.

He says, we're struck down. The enemies come and chase and harass, and sometimes the enemies land their blows. I'm struck, I'm hit but not destroyed.

What is he doing with all of these contrasts? He's saying the power, the surpassing power of God is not demonstrated by his people. Avoiding all difficulty in this life, it's demonstrated by the way we endure difficulties with hope.

Paul's not the only person who noted the importance of hope. Viktor Frankl, who was a Jew, who survived concentration camps during the Holocaust. He said A person who has a why to live can endure almost any how. A person who has hope, a reason, a purpose. And when he said almost any how he meant the concentration camps, he didn't mean some of the little things we might think of.

So Paul tells the Corinthians, if you want resurrection power, here's how it's displayed by things that look and feel like and sometimes are death. That's why he explains with verse 10, we're always carrying in our body the death of Jesus. What we're doing is always displaying, yes, here's suffering. My Lord suffered.

Here's death, my Lord died. When we deal with suffering from physical challenges, that's the word, afflicted from spiritual challenged, emotional challenges, that's the word, perplexed. When we deal with challenges from enemies that chase us, that's persecuted and from enemies that strike us that struck down. He says, all of these difficulties when they come, God's people display the surpassing power of his resurrection in the way that we endure.

God's Power is Display Through Our Hope

Jed Gillis: Resurrection power is shown through real suffering and unconquerable hope.

Paul continues to explain in verse 11, for we who live, he's speaking of himself and those who are ministering the gospel. We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus sake. So that the life of Jesus, the resurrection life of Jesus, the power may also be manifested or displayed in our mortal flesh.

Paul says, I suffer so that God's power can be seen because I clinging to hope.

And the opposite of this is a, a lack of hope. It's phrased with things like this Eat, drink. For tomorrow, we die. People sell this kind of message as this is what's truly living, but in reality, it's just prolonging death. It's trying to enjoy something for the moment, but something that has no purpose. Really, no eternal meeting. It doesn't matter. Just eat, drink. Tomorrow, you die, it's gone.

That's because without resurrection. Without the thing we celebrate on Easter, then every suffering you have in life has to be weighed against something in this life. Is it worth it?

See, we can suffer. We're all fine with suffering as long as we think it's worth it. You go exercise. Most of you, if you do that, don't enjoy it. Probably you go, it hurts, but it's worth it. You make sacrifices in your family for a goal five years from now or 10 years from now. You say it hurts, but it's worth it. See, we, we weigh sufferings against whether it's worth it. That's how we function all the time.

Without resurrection, you have to weigh your sufferings against the things in this life. And at the end of the day, that equation always ends in misery because we all know whether we like to admit it or not, you face death eventually. You might eat, drink, enjoy your time, but at some point there's sufferings that aren't worth it for what happens in this life.

And Paul tells them, by the way, this is how it's always been. Verse 13, maybe this quote doesn't strike us the same way that it would them because they would've known what he was quoting. He was quoting from Psalm one 16 saying that this is the way God's always worked. Belief in God and his promises in the middle of suffering has always been one of the most powerful testimonies to God and his love for his people.

Psalm one 16 says things like this, the snares of death encompassed me. I suffered distress and anguish. He goes on about five verses saying things like that. Then he says, I called on the name of the Lord. Oh Lord, I pray, deliver my soul. And then he writes to say, this is what God has done. You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And we get this verse, Psalm one 16, verse 10. The one Paul quotes here, I believed even when I spoke, I am greatly afflic afflicted. Even when I said, this is too much. The affliction is awful. I still believed. I still had hope.

Why did the psalmist do that? Because there's another verse that comes a little later in the psalm that says, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Before Jesus came. The Psalmist wrote this saying, the resurrection gives me the power, the ability, the strength to say I believe in God's goodness even when I suffer.

Jesus Is Our Hope

Jed Gillis: But Paul knows more than the psalmist, right? 'cause he gets verse 14 and he says, this isn't just a vague hope, this is the confidence that says the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also. With Jesus. That is his hope. This is much more than watching from the couch and saying Jesus won. It's more than even saying, okay, we won, but I didn't. I'm not involved. I watched it. I can maybe have bragging rights over the rivals. I'm not really involved. It's more than that. It's knowing that Jesus was raised, we will be raised. The resurrection is the ultimate transforming hope. It's not just Jesus won, it's we can't lose. That's his point. We can't lose because Jesus didn't stay dead and anybody connected to him will be raised.

I was listening to a secular speaker who said something incredibly profound and incredibly sad at the same time. He was asked, what's something you believe in that you can't prove? And his answer was, I can create the reality I desire for my life.

Now, I think there's probably quite a few common sense limitations that he would admit if you talk to him. But what he means is, whatever dream I have, I can pursue it and I can get it. It, and then he said this, it's really fascinating to me. He said, perhaps when I die, I will meet a creator and find out that this belief wasn't true, but I will still be glad that I lived like it was true.

He's holding onto a kind of hope to the point that it's like one of the most core beliefs he has. I have to have some kind of hope. But the best he can muster is the idea that I can create what I want for my life, and even if I can't, it's better to have lived that way.

True Connection to the Hope in Jesus

Jed Gillis: That's not a Christian hope. A Christian hope isn't an uncertain projection. It's not just Jesus won and I hope that matters. The Christian hope is a guaranteed future that Jesus resurrection guarantees the resurrection of everyone who trusts in him.

It's kind of like this. If you think back to our, our sports fan, we know there's a difference between the casual fan and the we won fan, but probably all of us go like, I mean the we won things a little silly. You didn't play. All right, so let's take it one step further.

Imagine you were related to one of the players. Say you're a player's wife. I was thinking of this recently. There's a guy that was in our youth group in Florida and he's now playing NBA for the Pacers, and I was thinking, what must it be like to be his wife and to watch him play we won sounds different, doesn't it? Because she's connected to him because it's not just emotionally invested, it's if he plays well, he gets a better contract. If he gets a better contract, my life is different. My life changes because of this win.

There's a huge difference between being a fan and being emotionally invested, but there's even a bigger difference between pretending to be connected and actually being connected.

If you're just a fan, then yesterday's victory doesn't really matter. If you're just a fan of Jesus and you show up, yeah, Jesus won. Good. I like that story. It's not gonna make much difference for you.

Maybe you get along and say, we won, but I'm not really connected to Jesus. It's not gonna make much difference.

But if you look at Jesus and you say, that's my only hope. That's the one who's coming back for his bride, and I'm part of that, which means his victory matters. Since he was raised, I'm raised. Then the resurrection power changes our lives.

This was true, by the way, not just for us. I don't know if we think about this. It's even true for Jesus. The power of the empty tomb didn't start to be powerful when the stone was rolled away. Why did Jesus endure the cross? For the joy set before him. He knew resurrection was coming. The reality of his future resurrection empowered his current obedience.

Why did he not revile those like mock those who mocked him? Why did he say father, forgive them? Because first Peter tells us he knew, he trusted his soul to the one who judges justly. He knew that a just judge was not in fact going to leave him in the grave because he didn't deserve death. He trusted resurrection, and that future resurrection changed his life now.

Examples of Hope

Jed Gillis: Think back to the Old Testament. Why did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego go into the fiery furnace? Not because they thought God was gonna spare them from pain. They said, we hope so. We don't know. Here's what we do know, because we know the character of our God. Even if we die here, that's still better for us. They trusted resurrection.

How about Job? What empowered him to say, though he slay me, yet will I trust him? He also could say, I know my redeemer lives and he will stand on the earth. In my flesh, I will see God. Job with like a tiny fraction of God's word compared to what we have, Job said, I know there's a resurrection and it's real, and that lets me endure suffering with hope.

How about Abraham? He obeyed God, believing God would do what he promised, even if it meant God was going to raise Isaac from the dead. This has been true throughout the Old Testament into the New Testament, the power of a promised resurrection transformed people's lives and especially the way we suffer.

How about the disciples? Peter and the other disciples were transformed after Jesus's resurrection. Why? I mean, when all they knew was Jesus' death. What did Peter do? I don't know the guy. When all he knew was the suffering he says, he actually swore I don't know him. I'm going away. I'm not even hanging around to watch.

Once the spirit came to him and testified to him of the resurrection, what he does in the middle of his sermon in Acts two, he says, looking at the people who crucified Jesus, this, Jesus was raised up and of that we're all witnesses. They're told, don't preach in Jesus' name. And Peter says, um. Sorry, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel. Same guy who's like, no, I don't know him to three people, right? Let it be known to absolutely everybody, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this, by him, this man is standing before you well.

The power of Jesus's resurrection transformed Peter and gave him boldness to suffer with hope.

Think of Paul. In Philippians he says, I'll count absolutely everything is lost. I will share Christ's sufferings. Why? To pursue the resurrection from the dead.

It's all throughout scripture that the resurrection transforms you. The past resurrection of Jesus guarantees your if your trust is in Christ, your future resurrection, and because of that, you endure difficulties in a different way.

What Does Hope Through Suffering Look Like for Us?

Jed Gillis: So let's ask what that looks like. 'cause most of us aren't facing fiery furnaces. Most of us aren't preaching in front of Pharisees and people who hate Jesus. So what's it look like?

When you face the temptation to sin, where do you find motivation to fight that sin? One place is in the resurrection. You say it's suffering. When you say, I'm tempted and I don't wanna do this, but I kind of do wanna do it and it's hard, and how do I do? It's hard. It's a difficulty. How do you endure that?

You endure it with hope. You remember that your anger is a pathetic emotional release compared to the joy of eternity. That means nothing if the resurrection's not real. You remember that your lust is a cheap substitute for what God promises you in the resurrection. Sin doesn't make any sense if the resurrection's real because you take this one moment of immediate escape, of short term joy, and you choose it over the long term joy for eternity.

When you're tempted to panic because life seems to spin out of control and you wonder if it will ever get back in control and you think, I certainly can't control it all. What do you do? You remember that what seemed like the most chaotic and unjust moment in history was still under God's wise guidance and he could take all of the suffering around the cross and bring resurrection from it.

How about when you feel anxious because you just don't have enough time. Anybody ever feel like that? I can't ever get enough done. You get to the end of the day and you're like, well, still didn't do as much as I wanted today.

Why does that bother us so much? Part of why it bothers us is we wonder, what if I don't get it all done? What happens with my life at that point?

How much does that change though when you remember your day, your week, your month isn't a percentage of your finite life only, it is that, but it's one moment and an eternal story.

If the resurrection's real, and if your resurrection will happen because of Jesus's resurrection, then that moment, that day, that week, it's important. But it's not ultimate.

When you suffer, when things hurt physically or emotionally. Do you think, how do I escape this? How do I get out of it as fast as possible? Or do you stop and say, God, how do you want to display the life of Jesus, the resurrection, hope of Jesus in the way that I suffer?

Some of you deal with chronic illness that barring a miracle you'll deal with for the rest of your life. How do you do that in a way that displays hope? You do it remembering the resurrection. You do it remembering that Jesus was raised so you will be raised. So right now you hurt, but you're not hopeless because one day all will be made new.

Why do you go to scripture and read it when maybe you don't feel like it. Because Jesus is alive, the resurrection's real, and he promises to work through his word. And because you want a relationship with him, even though your heart may not be lined up like it ought to right now. So you go and you say, Jesus, I believe you're alive. Would you change me? Would you help me?

When you lose your job? And it feels difficult. What does the resurrection mean for that? The resurrection means that your confidence and your future was never in that job anyway. Of course, you diligently seek God's provision. Of course you work. You pursue the avenues he puts in front of you. Of course, all of those things, but you don't despair like those who have no hope.

When your marriage is a struggle, or perhaps it's ended, you remember that the resurrection and your relationship to your real king was always the point. So you fight for your marriage when it's a struggle. So you serve your spouse with love. Why? Because you know the resurrection is real. So even if I am taken advantage of here, my soul is safe, because I'll be raised with Jesus.

The Resurrection Powers Our Daily Faithfulness

Jed Gillis: In fact, that's really a big theme that underlies all of this. As believers in Jesus, knowing the resurrection, you can take risks and in order to love anyone, you must take risks. You can risk in order to give of yourself to others. What if they don't appreciate me? What if they don't really love what I've done for them? What if it's not worth it in the end?

Well, this life isn't all there is. There's the resurrection that's promised. The resurrection means ordinary, daily, faithfulness, risks to love others risks, to care for them, risk to give of yourself. Ordinary faithfulness is not wasted. Think of what Jesus said. A cup of cold water given in my name will be rewarded.

What's the point of that? If there's no resurrection, the re, the hope of the resurrection is the whole reason you can trust what Jesus said there. Jesus said, your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. What's the point of that if there's no resurrection?

In fact, like Paul says, if there's no resurrection, we are to be most pitied. If there's no resurrection, then all of the stuff that we hang our emotional trust and safety on is useless. That's why Paul said it.

How about when you grieve the loss of a loved one? You say it hurts. Yes. And scripture's clear that believers grieve, but we don't grieve like those with no hope. Why? Because there's a resurrection. The resurrection doesn't mean there's no grief and no pain. What it means is this isn't over.

And so Paul summarizes in verse 15, this is why he endures with hope. He says, it is all for your sake. Looking at the Corinthians extending to us, it's all for our sake that Paul suffered, so that as grace extends to more and more people, it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

It's The Best Way to Live, In Spite of the Hurt

Jed Gillis: Now, maybe we get here and you think that all sounds well and good, but it's gonna hurt. Maybe you think okay, great. Grace comes to me and I can endure some suffering, and I wanna do that for other people. I want them to feel the life of Jesus, to see the life of Jesus flowing through me. Maybe you think I really do want that, but does that just mean I have to just suffer however much God allows so that one day I can live forever? If we're honest, maybe we actually think sometimes. If the suffering's bad enough, living forever is not even worth it.

That's why I'm glad Paul ends where he does 'cause Paul for sure. He says, look, the main point of this isn't about you. You bear in your body the death and the suffering living in a fallen world as followers of Jesus. You bear those difficulties. You also bear life and you do it so others can see life. We see that in verse 12. Death is at work in us, but life in you. But

Paul also says it's the best way to live. Verse 16 says, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

You say, what about me? What's he going to do? He's using the suffering and the difficulty in your life to prepare this eternal weight of glory, and we could have, we could talk for hours on what that might mean. I think the best way for us to think about it is this deepening sense of joy and delight in God and who he is, which will grow and grow and grow for eternity.

Like thirst makes water that much better. We all know that, right? When you're really thirsty, water tastes good. When you're just a little thirsty, water tastes okay. If you're not that thirsty, maybe you say, I really don't want any. Like hard work and exercise makes rest better. When you've been out and you've been running around either working or playing hard, whatever you're doing, you go, oh, it feels so good to lay down in bed.

That's what he's saying to you. Enduring suffering in this life with hope in the resurrection makes glory that much better.

It's Not a Blind Hope

Jed Gillis: So how do we know that? Like how do we cling to it? Maybe you say sounds good, but just like the the speaker who says, well, I believe it. I can't prove it. I'll just hope that that's the way it works out and it's better to have lived that way. Is that what we're saying? No, it's not. Because of exactly why our brother Isaias said earlier, Jesus lived and he was raised, and we have all the reason in the world to believe that. To believe that it's true, that he died. To think of what happened, the disciples believed that they saw this one who was their friend, who they loved for years. They weren't foolish, random people who happened to see a little figure in the dark and be like, maybe that's Jesus. I hope so. And then say, well, now I'm gonna live my life based on it.

No, there were people like Thomas, who's sitting here going, no way. I'm skeptical unless I put my hand in his side and in his hands. I'm not gonna believe that he's raised from the dead. And Jesus shows up, says, here you go, Thomas.

You notice Thomas didn't have to put his hand in Jesus' side when Jesus actually showed up? He knew.

They were people who were skeptical about the resurrection. People who were skeptical, like Jesus's brother. If your brother claimed to be God, you'd be skeptical. And yet he comes back to say, yes, I'm gonna write a whole letter about it and tell you how Jesus really is. People like Paul, whose whole life is built around Judaism and persecuting followers of Jesus. Talk about a skeptic. He's a very well educated person, and he is riding down the road. He gets knocked off his horse by this bright light and he says, yep, you're master. Who are you? Jesus. Okay, I'll follow you. Clearly, you did not die and stay dead.

These are the things that happened early, like, like Isaiah said earlier, so many eyewitnesses when it would've been easy to go to these people and say, Hey, wait, did Jesus stay in that tomb? And I don't doubt there were skeptics who did. They went and asked them, Hey, did Jesus stay in that tomb? Like it was empty?

Why do we clinging to hope with confidence? Because Jesus wasn't in the tomb. That's why.

And I'll be the first to say, if somehow I don't think this will ever happen, if somehow the resurrection were disproved, I'll be the first out the door. That's the way Paul talks about it.

He says, the resurrection of Jesus gives me such confidence and hope. That I'm willing to stake my entire life on it.

So I'd invite you, investigate it. Maybe you're a little more skeptical. Maybe you say, I really need to see some proof. You know what? We have the internet. There's a lot of conversations out there. If you want some good ones, come talk to me. I'll show you some.

Look at it, investigate it. Wonder. But if you're willing to do that, be willing to say if Jesus really did come outta that grave, I'll follow him forever. 'cause that's what the resurrection means. It means you have confidence. It's not a cold doctrine to stick on a shelf and say, yes, yes, I believe the resurrection. Now, what else? It's not like a rerun, like sitting on your couch and watching, going, oh good. Jesus won again. What do you know?

I hope that's not what Easter is every year for you. The invitation is not come cheer for Jesus. The invitation is not just that he won. It's not even we won in one sense. It's that you can be united with him so that his resurrection impacts your life and the way you suffer every single day.

Jesus didn't rise so you can applaud. He rose so you can be raised and so that you walk in that new life today.

I'll invite you just to bow your heads. Would you ask Jesus to work by his spirit? I don't know where all of you are. Maybe some of you aren't sure. If you believe in the resurrected Christ, I'd invite you just to to pray to him. He loves to hear those prayers. Pray to him and ask him. To convince you to show you the truth of the resurrection and the hope that it gives.

Maybe you're a follower of Jesus today. Ask him that he would take the power of the resurrection and that it would change the way you live each day, the way you endure suffering, the way you endure difficulty, what you risk for Christ and out of love for others. If you ask God to display his resurrection power to give you that hope today, I'll give you just a moment to respond to God and then we'll sing together.