1.  2000 years ago on that first Palm Sunday, Jesus wsa at the height of His popularity.  Thousands of people who had come to Jerusalem for the passover welcomed Jesus to the city.

2.  They threw palm branches in his path
 * some threw their coats in his way
 * they were shouting "Hosanna --- Hosanna"

3.   Some of them had been among the thousands he had fed
     Some of them heard him preach
     Some of them had seen his miracles
     Some of them had heard about him and had come to see him

4. He was riding the crest of popularity.
 

1.  BUT, it was also the last week of His life.   It was a week of sorrow & pain.

2. He would stand at 4 mock trials
* He would be betrayed by one of His disciples (and a friend, He thought)
* He would be denied by his right hand man (Peter)
* He would be forsaken by all but John
* He would be scouraged and beaten and battered.
* He would be nailed to an old rugged cross
* He would be laughed at & jeered & mocked
* He would be shamed by having his clothes ripped off
* He would be crowned with a crown of thorns
* Finally His Father would turn Him back on Him.

3.  No one ever suffered trials, sorrow & pain like Jesus.
 BUT his sorrows & trials were for a purpose
      ** the redemption of mankind.
 
 

1.  2000 years ago, something happened.
         Something was going on that was way above us.
               Something in the Spirit world.
                     A battle was being staged.   War was about to break out!!

2.  Jesus felt the need to pray.

3.  And meanwhile, Judas let money master him

4.  The next day Jesus was taken to Herod and Pilate

5. But Pilate was afraid of the crowd

6.  SO, they dragged Jesus away and nailed Him to a cross

7.  Praise the Lord that right before his last breath of life was exhaled, he said those blessed word, "It Is Finished"
 

1.  He was taken down from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

2.  To the disciples, their future was now undecided.  They were afraid.  They were scared to death.  The giver of life was dead.

3.   Early in the morning, some women were on their way to the tomb when all the sudden, the ground started shaking and things just didn't seem right.    (You know what?  They were right)

4.  It wasn't a normal morning.  Something very above them was going down.   The war was about over.

5.  They got to the tomb, and the stone was rolled away.   Jesus wasn't there.   WHAT HAD HAPPENED??????

6.Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior
 waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord
 Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior
 Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord
 Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus my Savior
 He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord
 Up from the grave He arose
 with a mighty triumph o'er His foes
 He arose a Victor fromt he dark domain
 and He lives forever with His saints to reign
 He arose, He arose
 Hallelujah! Christ Arose!

7.  Some people need proof for everything.
 Some has, does, and will say .....  GIVE ME PROOF!

8.  I need no other proof than the WORD of God!!!!!!!!!

9.  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US?
 * Jesus is not a liar.
 * God accepted His sacrifice
 * Our bodies too will rise

     A- One of these days, there's going to be an earth shaking event.
          We are going to be resurrected.
          We're going home to be with Jesus.
 

1.  Great empires have risen and fallen
 Mighty men have lived and ruled and died

  YET  this simple preacher
   this simple man born in a stable
   this man who never harmed anyone
   this gentle lover of all people
   this one who was killed at calvary
  STILL.....changes lives today!!!!!!!

2. NOW, on this Easter, let's remember that we we who believe in Him will go the same route that He took.

3.  Of course, if He returns in the air while we are living, we'll be taken up to heaven without going through the experience of death.

4.  BUT, if He tarries, we're all going to die.  But, that's not the end.

5.  One may go down into the grave, but He's made a back door and we'll follow Him up the sun-lit path to glory.

6.  Tim, can you prove that?
 Well, we can't prove the resurrection in a laboratory but let me give
 you 4 other proofs that Christ rose from the dead.

1.  While He was here he brought 3 people from death to life.  (And according to Jn. 20:30, it could even be more that that)

2.  Then He said in John 10:18, "No man taketh it from me, but  I  lay it down of myself.  I   have   power  to lay it down, and  I   have   power  to take it again....."
3.  They couldn't have killed Him if he hadn't submitted himself to them.

4.  He could raise from the dead because he had power over death.

5.  The grave couldn't hold Him

6.  He made the earth and every foot of ground.   And, He who made it couldn't be held captive by it.

1.  Peter, James & John and the others had known Him for 3 years

2.  They saw Him alive not dead.  And becaus they saw Him, they were changed men.
         * Before his death they were cowards
         * they ran away the night He was arrested
         * One denied taht he had ever known him

3. But look at them now.
         * they go forth to preach Christ bodly
         * they give their lives away for Him
              -- almost all of them were killed becasue of Him

4.  Now, a dead man couldn't inspire other men to do that.
                  --- They knew they had a living Savior!

1.  There are 260 chapters in the NT and the resurrection is mentioned more than 100 times.

2.  When the apostles preached they centered every message on the fact that Christ had risen and was alive.

3. John 14:19    "............  because   I   live , ye shall  live  also"
    John 14:2      "...............I  go to prepare a place for you."

4.  I tell you this morning, there is one who can help you NOW with your problems and troubles and LATER He'll take you to heaven after by means of the grave or the rapture.   One thing you can bank on,   HE'S THE OWNER OF LIFE!
 

1.  Think of all the hospitals, orphanoges, nursing homes, and all the charities and all the institutions organized to help people.

2.  All of these came about because of the influence of Jesus Christ.

3.. A dead man couldn't inspire others to do these things.

4. 96% of Americans over 18 believe in God
    4% are either atheist or agnostic
    Only 10 million people say "There is no God or I'm not sure"
 

SO, let's rejoice that we have a living Savior!

1.  In the OT days they observed the last day of the week in comemeration of a finished creation.

TODAY, we observe the 1st. Day in comemeration of a finished redemption.

2. God did a great thing in creating the world
             -- but a greater thing in giving us his son

Every Sunday should be Easter
Every Sunday we should celebrate the Resurrection
Every DAY we're to remember that Christ is alive!
 

Now let me add just one more point that I feel needs to be made to make this sermon today complete.

1.  We can be saved.

 A.  We are siners
          We're sinking in quiksand

 B.  There is only one person who can pull us out.
        The one who defeated the dirt.

2.  We have someone to help us in time of sorrow

 A.  As we think of Jesus in the    Garden
                                                  Beating
                                                  Mocking
                                                  Dying
                                                  Resurrection
We realize, He's been there, He's done that!!
 He's over qualified to help us in our situation.

3.  We have someone to answer our prayers
    We have not because we ask not.
                 Seek....you'll find
                 Ask.... it'll be given
                 Knock... it'll be opened

4.  We have someone to guide us in our choices.

What we need to do today is take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus and to the needs of others.

  THEN... we'll make the right choices and our lives will be transformed.

5.  We have someone who can take us to heaven.

A.  Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place...."
 * Heaven is a prepared place
 * We prepare oursleves by faith in Him, then, He takes us home to
    heaven at the end of the way.

B. When General McArthor left His men, He said, "I shall return"
 His soldiers were imprisoned by the Japanese
 They waited and waited and thought he would never return.
And then one day when they saw him coming, they started to say, "Free, Free at last"