1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,600
Hello. A quick one today as we go into the Easter weekend. Tomorrow is Good Friday, where

2
00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:23,520
we take some solemn time to remember that Jesus was put to death by Roman soldiers at

3
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:30,440
the request of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. But this is not the focus of Easter. On Sunday,

4
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:37,360
our solemn contemplation turns into a joyful celebration because this man was raised back

5
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:43,120
to life. Jesus said many things about himself and actually he placed himself at the same level as

6
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,800
the Jewish God Yahweh, which probably explains why he wasn't too popular with the religious leaders.

7
00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:56,160
Several people are recorded as being raised back to life, brought back from the dead in the Bible,

8
00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:03,960
but Jesus didn't consider himself as an average man. So if this man was raised back to life,

9
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:10,320
it says a lot about who he is and who he said he was. Not only this, but all the others who

10
00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:15,800
were brought back to life will die again one day. But Jesus will never die. He was raised

11
00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:25,640
back into heaven and he will be seated at the right hand of Yahweh God forever, equal to him.

12
00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:33,520
This was to fulfill a lot of things that were said about him, that a man would come who would be

13
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:38,040
shepherd over the people, he would be king of the people whose reign would never end,

14
00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:45,640
and he would be a priest who would sacrifice on our behalf. When you accept Jesus, you become

15
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:52,960
one of his flock and he will tirelessly look after and defend you. You'll become a member of

16
00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:58,280
his kingdom, subject to his perfect laws and this kingdom will never end. You will live with him

17
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:08,440
forever. One day this will be a perfect existence in a new and better creation, not subject to the

18
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:16,040
brokenness and the suffering that we see today. Finally, he becomes your priest and in times

19
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:23,960
gone by we would have had to sacrifice to God or your gods and this would be for your wrongdoing

20
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:30,480
and this would be a continuous process because you would never truly be able to right your wrongdoings

21
00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:37,520
because the animal that you sacrifice would be imperfect. After all your sacrifice would be

22
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:47,600
imperfect but Jesus was a perfect sacrifice. He was a perfect man. He was a godly sacrifice

23
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:53,920
and there was nothing more to do after that. He has done everything that he needed to on the cross

24
00:02:53,920 --> 00:03:01,280
and this is why we celebrate the cross because it's the center of our existence. It's our hope for

25
00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:08,160
the future where pain, suffering and all types of abuse will end and we will live with him forever.

26
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:17,040
If Jesus is not your king or your priest or your shepherd but you long for a hope for the future,

27
00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:23,840
I would so warmly encourage you to find a Christian who will tell you about him. Find a Bible. You

28
00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:29,920
might have one lying around at home but you can download an app for free on your phone and I would

29
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:35,120
point you in the direction of the Gospel of John and you can read for yourself about this man.

30
00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:41,440
It will take you no more than an hour to read the whole thing and you will see who he was. You'll

31
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:47,200
see the things that he did, the things that he said about himself and maybe you'll feel drawn to

32
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:53,760
him like so many billions have been over the course of history and you will find peace,

33
00:03:53,760 --> 00:04:02,080
rest and love and hope for the future. God bless you this Easter wherever you are,

34
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:24,320
whatever you're doing. Peace be with you in Jesus name.