Easter Message: Clearview Community Church
Pastor Grant Cotton, Clearview Community Church BIC (Kindersley)
The Easter season is a time for both contemplation and celebration. In the days leading up to Easter we contemplate the road that Jesus walked in obedience, culminating in the sacrifice of his life on behalf of humanity. When we come to Easter we celebrate the miracle both of the resurrection of Jesus and the hope of new life that it brings us.
When someone asks you what you believe they are looking for more than a scripted answer. They are looking for a description of what you really believe and know to be true. One of the most important descriptions of the Christian faith that was often used for teaching “the basics of the faith” is the Apostles’ Creed.
I would like to encourage you to take the time this week to read John 3:1-17, but right now I want to highlight verses 3, 5, 6, 16 and 17:
3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 5 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] (John 3:3, 5-6 ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17 ESV)
This passage of Scripture tells us of some key things about the Kingdom of God. First, the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. We can only understand it once we have been born of the Spirit of God. Second, the key to having access to this kingdom is a changed heart. Whether you came to the Lord gradually or through some profound experience, the main thing that matters is your attitude towards Jesus and who you believe Him to be. And if you haven’t come to him yet, then what are you waiting for! The third thing we gather about the kingdom is that everyone starts out at the same point - lost and in need of a saviour. However, this third point goes directly against today’s culture that largely believes that people are basically good and just in need of some minor moral direction. We don’t just need some guidance, we need to be transformed from the inside out. We need to be born of the Spirit, we need to have a changed heart and believe who Jesus says he is, and we need to acknowledge our need for a saviour. Jesus invites us all to come to him for life everlasting.