Introduction
Are you living like the resurrection is real, like your sorrow truly can turn to joy, your fear can give way to peace, and your death is not the end? The central truth I want to press into your heart is this: because God raised Jesus from the grave, He freely gives all who believe unshakable joy, real peace, and eternal life, gifts that flow from the empty tomb into our lives by faith.
To worship God “in spirit and in truth,” we’re going to let Scripture shape our praise. During Passion Week we’ve been walking through the Gospel of John, and today we’ll trace the storyline from the Upper Room (John 16–17) to the risen Christ appearing to His disciples (John 20). As we do, I want you to keep one lens in mind: Easter is not mainly about what we bring to God, it’s about what God gives to us. No one checked your resume at the door. No one asked for your theological degree. No one weighed your good against your evil before welcoming you in. Easter is a “come one, come all” announcement: the grace of God is a free gift for all who believe.
Main Points
Are you living like the resurrection is real, like your sorrow truly can turn to joy, your fear can give way to peace, and your death is not the end? The central truth I want to press into your heart is this: because God raised Jesus from the grave, He freely gives all who believe unshakable joy, real peace, and eternal life, gifts that flow from the empty tomb into our lives by faith.
To worship God “in spirit and in truth,” we’re going to let Scripture shape our praise. During Passion Week we’ve been walking through the Gospel of John, and today we’ll trace the storyline from the Upper Room (John 16–17) to the risen Christ appearing to His disciples (John 20). As we do, I want you to keep one lens in mind: Easter is not mainly about what we bring to God, it’s about what God gives to us.
No one checked your resume at the door. No one asked for your theological degree. No one weighed your good against your evil before welcoming you in. Easter is a “come one, come all” announcement: the grace of God is a free gift for all who believe.
The “Little While” That Humbles Us
In John 16:16–18, Jesus tells His disciples, “A little while, and you will not see Me… and again a little while, and you will see Me.” They’re confused, and their confusion is important: in the Upper Room there was zero expectation of resurrection. They weren’t waiting for Sunday like we are. Jesus had to teach them what was coming.
And I want you to feel the weight of that phrase: “a little while.” Jesus is forecasting His death, you will not see Me, and then His resurrection, you will see Me. But it also confronts us with our own reality: in a little while, we won’t see each other either. Scripture is honest about what we all know: one out of every one person will die.
This is where faith becomes more than a holiday mood. The resurrection speaks directly to the “little while” hanging over every life. We need more than sentiment. We need a Savior who can carry us through death and out the other side.
Sorrow Turned Into Indescribable Joy
Jesus continues in John 16:20–22: the disciples will weep while the world rejoices; they will be sorrowful, but their sorrow will be turned into joy. Then He gives a parable: labor pains.
A woman in labor experiences real anguish because her hour has come, but when the child is born, joy overwhelms the pain. Jesus is teaching us a pattern of redemption: God can bring life out of anguish. And that’s not abstract theology; it’s exactly what happens between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
I want you to apply this in two directions:
- To Christ: The cross looked like the end, wrath poured out, the Son of God buried, hope sealed behind stone. But the empty tomb declares that the suffering was not meaningless; it was the pathway to life.
- To you: Many of you don’t need to imagine sorrow, you’ve lived it: death, pain, brokenness, heavy hearts. Easter is God saying, this will not be the end of the story for those who believe.
This is the first gift flowing from the resurrection: a joy that cannot be taken from you (John 16:22). Not a joy chained to circumstances, but joy anchored in the living Christ.
Peace In A World Full of Trouble
Jesus doesn’t pretend the world is stable. He says plainly in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation.” Trials, anxiety, depression, wars, relational fractures, financial fears, even messy churches and broken families. Easter doesn’t land on a perfect family photo; there’s always a story behind the picture.
And we must be honest about the root of the trouble. It’s easy to blame “that person” or “those people,” but Scripture says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, implied by the sermon’s logic). The world is troubled because human hearts, including mine and yours, are fallen and in need of rescue.
But Jesus adds the command and the comfort: “Take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Notice the timeline: He says this before the betrayal, before the trial, before the nails, before the tomb is opened. Why? Because the victory is certain. The mission is not in doubt.
So when headlines scream and your heart trembles, I want you to hear Jesus steady you: I have overcome. We don’t deny trouble, we refuse to surrender to pessimism, fear, or despair. The resurrection means the world’s chaos does not get the final word.
The Risen Christ’s Message: “Peace Be With You”
Now we move to the other side of the story: John 20:19–20. Jesus is risen, but the disciples are hiding behind locked doors “for fear.” Then Jesus comes and stands among them and says, “Peace be with you.”
This is not a vague inspirational moment. Jesus backs up His message with evidence: He shows them His hands and His side. The wounds become the proof that peace is real.
Here’s the gift: God has come to make peace with people. Peace isn’t achieved by self-improvement or religious effort. Peace is purchased by Christ’s sacrifice and secured by His victory over death. The resurrection turns “peace” from a wish into a reality: the crucified One lives, therefore your sin and death do not win.
If you’re fearful today, afraid you’ll lose what you love, afraid the world is collapsing, afraid your past still condemns you, Jesus meets you with the same announcement: peace.
Eternal Life Through Knowing God
The final and most important gift goes deeper than better feelings in this life. Jesus shifts from preaching to praying (John 17), and I want you to notice why: no gathering and no sermon can replace the spiritual transaction that happens when a person truly comes to God.
Jesus prays in John 17:1–3 that He would give eternal life, and He defines it: “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Eternal life is not merely duration; it’s relationship, knowing God through Jesus. And that’s why Easter is the greatest gift: if all we received was a slightly improved 70–80 years, then in “a little while” it would all vanish. But the resurrection declares that sin and death have been dealt with for all who believe.
This is where Romans 8:11 lands with power: if the Spirit who raised Jesus dwells in you, God will also give life to your mortal body. The resurrection of Jesus is not only His victory, it’s the firstfruits promise of yours.
And this is why Jesus tells His followers not to rejoice mainly in power or experiences, but in this: your name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20, implied by the sermon). If you belong to Christ, you know the end of your story.
Receiving the Gift, Not Earning It
I want to speak tenderly and plainly: these gifts are received, not achieved. Eternal life is a free gift because Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live, exchanged His righteousness for our sin, and paid the price on the cross so that He could freely give life.
If you have never received that gift, today can be the day. Not by performing, not by promising to clean yourself up, but by coming honestly to Christ with faith. A simple confession is enough to begin:
“Lord, thank You for loving me. I receive Your free gift. Forgive my sin. Give me new life.”
And if you do believe, then I want you to stand firm in what is already yours in Christ: joy no one can take, peace that holds in trouble, and life that reaches beyond the grave.
Conclusion
Easter worship is the right response to the greatest reality in history: the stone was rolled away, Jesus walked out alive, and now He offers gifts that only God can give. From the Upper Room to the locked room, from predicted sorrow to demonstrated peace, the message is consistent:
- Your sorrow can be turned to joy because Christ lives (John 16:20–22).
- Your trouble is real, but it will not win because Jesus has overcome (John 16:33).
- Your fear can be met with peace because the crucified Savior is risen (John 20:19–20).
- Your death is not the end because eternal life is knowing God through Christ (John 17:3; Romans 8:11).
And it will only be a little while before each of us stands before the One with authority over all flesh. So let’s live, and worship, like the resurrection is true.
Father, thank You for displaying Your power by raising Your Son from the grave. Thank You that Jesus is alive, reigning at Your right hand, and that His victory is certain. Turn our sorrow into joy that cannot be taken. Speak Your peace into our fears, anxieties, and troubles, and help us take heart because Christ has overcome the world.
For those who do not yet know You, give them faith to receive Your free gift today, newness of life, forgiveness of sin, and peace with You through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. For those who believe, deepen our worship, strengthen our confidence, and fix our hope on the day we will see You face to face.
We praise You, King of kings and Lord of lords. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclusion
Easter worship is the right response to the greatest reality in history: the stone was rolled away, Jesus walked out alive, and now He offers gifts that only God can give. From the Upper Room to the locked room, from predicted sorrow to demonstrated peace, the message is consistent:
- Your sorrow can be turned to joy because Christ lives (John 16:20–22).
- Your trouble is real, but it will not win because Jesus has overcome (John 16:33).
- Your fear can be met with peace because the crucified Savior is risen (John 20:19–20).
- Your death is not the end because eternal life is knowing God through Christ (John 17:3; Romans 8:11).
And it will only be a little while before each of us stands before the One with authority over all flesh. So let’s live, and worship, like the resurrection is true.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for displaying Your power by raising Your Son from the grave. Thank You that Jesus is alive, reigning at Your right hand, and that His victory is certain. Turn our sorrow into joy that cannot be taken. Speak Your peace into our fears, anxieties, and troubles, and help us take heart because Christ has overcome the world.
For those who do not yet know You, give them faith to receive Your free gift today, newness of life, forgiveness of sin, and peace with You through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. For those who believe, deepen our worship, strengthen our confidence, and fix our hope on the day we will see You face to face.
We praise You, King of kings and Lord of lords. In Jesus’ name, amen.