Jesus challenged the greatest empire of his time – the Roman Empire. They did in fact, crucify him on a Roman cross, but they did not kill him. They searched all the land for him, but he was about his father‘s business and they could not find him. He was on a divine mission. 

When I see Easter coming, I get excited about delivering the Easter message. Each year he opens my eyes just a little bit more. I’m not Talking about my physical eyes; I’m talking about my spiritual eyes.

I have realized that when he gives me an aha moment and I thank him my very next question is who else needs to know this information and he brings me a picture of you all.

      Now, it’s time for us to dive into the word of God. The most appropriate scripture that I can find for this morning is found in Mathew chapter 28. As we read this message it will Dawn on you too why it is appropriate for this morning.

Slide 2

Matthew 28:1-6 ESV 

The Resurrection

28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he^[a] lay.

Wow! What a message! Jesus is not dead, but he lives! I think that we ought to just stand up this morning and praise the Lord shout Thanksgiving to him and vas in his victory.

Now, for Easter, we might ask the Holy Spirit what was the significance of Jesus‘s life and how do we apply that knowledge to our life?

The Holy Ghost wants us to meditate on the mission of Jesus.

Jesus came to reveal the father to us. The people of Jesus’s time did understand what Jesus was alike, because they had him with them.

Remember what Jesus said and John chapter 8? Jesus said for if you knew me, then you will know the father. I and the father our one.

Slide 3

Then Jesus said, if you can’t believe me then believe in the works themselves. You can primarily found that truth in John 10:37-38 and John 14:11. In these passages, Jesus argues that the miracles (works) he performs in his Father’s name serve as proof of his divinity and unity with God, even if the people do not believe his words.

So we see that the people did have such understanding. They caught a glimpse of God like they never understood before, because Jesus was standing in their mists. Today, we know Jesus because our bodies house the Holy Ghost. We know Jesus and have a relationship with him because the Holy Spirit exists in each one of us.

Jesus came to give us a glimpse of the father like we’ve never known before. I have traced out a few scriptures in the Old Testament foreshadowing the day in which the Holy Ghost would come up upon the Earth.

• Symbolic Representations: The Holy Spirit is symbolized by fire, wind, water, oil, and the cloud, which represented God’s glory guiding Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 24:15-16).
• Prophecies of a Future Outpouring: The prophet Joel foretold a time when God would pour out His Spirit on all people, not just leaders (Joel 2:28-29).
• The New Covenant Promise: Ezekiel spoke of a future time when God would put a “new spirit” within His people to move them.
• The Messianic Spirit: Isaiah 11:1-5 prophesies the Spirit resting upon the future Messiah, equipping him with wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might

Secondly, Jesus came to earth with the following purpose: to redeem mankind back to the father. That is, he came to be our savior. And on Easter: to be our risen savior. One that is not in the ground, but resides alive in heaven.

Jesus came to take care of our sin problem.

Jesus came to die a horrible death on the cross once and for all.

Jesus came so that we did not have to die within our sins.

Jesus came so that we could be restored to the father.

Let’s think about Zacchaeus. He was up in the tree and he came down to meet Jesus. Jesus said,  “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). That means every single one of us. Every single one of us were lost. But, those who have trusted in Jesus Christ now has a whole new outlook on things. We all have an eternal destiny.

So he came to reveal the father. 

So he came to redeem those which are lost.

Thirdly, he came to all of those who had a faltering hope, that the Messiah would come. 

You see, thousands of years. In Isaiah chapter 9 foretells the coming of the Messiah. Look with me at Isaiah 9:6. This verse announces, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders”. 

Then, when John baptizes Jesus, Andrew is there says the following: “We have found the Messiah!”

Prove it you say! Turn to 

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John [the Baptizer] had said and who had followedJesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus and Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Isn’t that neat? I love how scripture fulfills itself.

I think we need to review Jesus ‘s mission again!

Jesus came to reveal the father. 

Jesus came to redeem those which are lost.

Thirdly, Jesus came to fulfill prophecy. Imagine what it would have been like to be Peter hearing  from his brother Andrew, and for the first time that they had found the Messiah.

Now, I want to talk about the fourth reason why Jesus came, and that was to die a cruel death so that we can be reconciled to God, the father.

1 Peter 2:24 is the verse that speaks about Jesus bearing our sins. It states that He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross (or “tree”) so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness, noting that “by his wounds you have been healed”.

And that verse says (it like) the following: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Jesus came on a very specific mission. God had very specific things for him to accomplish. One of those specific things, that was going to happen to Jesus, was that he was going to die a very horrible death, when a Roman cross, for the sins, of all of humanity.

Now, I want you to pivot your thinking a minute. I want you to think about the life of Jesus. What did it all mean? what did his very public life do for us Christians today? The Holy Ghost wants me to point out a couple things to you this morning.

Well, Jesus wants us to think like he thought.

Jesus wants us to act like he did.

Jesus wanted us to live like he did

Jesus even introduced us to the Holy Ghost. If you were recall, the Holy Ghost was mentioned in the Old Testament and prophecy was fulfilled in the New Testament.

But Jesus came to bring the Holy Spirit to us in a whole new way. We can really learn about the functioning of the Holy Spirit in John chapters 14, 15, and 16.

Let’s

look at John 14:16–17

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocateto help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you

So chapters 14, 15, and 16 of John tell us about the Holy Ghost, but it also tells us about Jesus‘s purpose. If you would like some Easter homework, these would be perfect chapters to study.

The Holy Ghost wants you to know that every believer has been sealed with the promise. A very important promise. In fact, today, we celebrate the promise. If God can bring Jesus back to life, then he surely can bring back his other children to life.

The sealing of the Holy Ghost is what makes the difference between us and the lost. This seal cannot be broken. You have the Holy Ghost living inside of you and you have the power of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus, in scripture and to his disciples, made it very clear that when he goes away from their sight that another one will come and Jesus will be with us. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us, because we could not do spiritual work alone. None of us, could live the spiritual life absent from the Holy Ghost. the Holy Spirit, that dwells in us, teaches us, comfort us, assure us, directs our paths, and never forsakes us.

The pages of scripture wants us to know that Jesus was here on earth and is now seated at the right hand of the father. Though we cannot see him he is with us.

So, every single day of our life, we have Christ with us in the form of the Holy Ghost. He enables us to live of godly life. You can’t do it on your own, and I can’t do it on my own.

So, when we think of his mission, it is very clear that his mission was to seek and save those who were lost, reveal the plan of salvation, and to send the Holy Spirit.

This Easter, Jesus wants us to also know, that he came to teach us how to live and love one another. And part of loving one another is forgiving one another. When we forgive one another we do not hold anything against the other person and we want good for them. He told us all about this through the 10 Commandments, the sermon on the mount, and his crucifixion on the cross. When he laid down his life willingly, because he loved us.

They crucified him, but Jesus loved them and he forgave them. Do you have a hard time, forgiving and forgetting? Well, we need to think about what Jesus has done for us.

He just did not appear on the scene, but he came with a clear Mission. He came to leave us with some truths that would absolutely transform our lives and our ways of thinking. He also came so that we could prepare ourselves to meet him one day. one of these days if you die, you are going to see Christ in all of his glory.

He was to come and live in such a fashion that we would mimic his behavior, his attitudes, his beliefs, and his mannerisms. Jesus came on a mission to show us the way.

The way is to receive Jesus so that through Him we could live in this wicked and violent world. It’s through him that we can live a more abundant life full of peace. As I look around our world today, there is no peace. There’s wars and rumors of wars everywhere.

In John 14:27, Jesus promises his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you,” promising an inner serenity that persists regardless of external circumstances. Unlike the temporary or conditional peace offered by the world, this “supernatural” peace is a lasting gift from the Holy Spirit, designed to calm hearts and eliminate fear.

Another part of Jesus‘s mission was to teach us how to pray.

Here it is Easter! Some question me: “Why have a sunrise service Pastor? I don’t see a sunrise service in scripture.”

Part of my heart wanted to give a simple answer, but studying this Easter message God gave me a clear answer and I want to share it with you now.

Turn to Mark one and look at the 35th verse.

Mark 1:35 New International Version

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place ^“35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Think about this for a moment: Jesus wanted us to live by his example. So, clearly we can gleam from the scripture. Jesus wants us to start our day with prayer.

I know from personal experience that Jesus talks to me very early in the mornings. It is in the very early hours of the morning that God has given me answers and directions. It is great to get up early and study the word and talk to the Lord.

So we see in scripture, that Jesus got up very early, before dark, and went to a secluded place. It is clear to me that it was not a ordinary prayer. Meaning that we wake up in the morning and we thank him for the new day and we ask him to bless us and we ask him to give us a great day.

I wonder how many Christians get up and say a quick prayer before they enter the expressway.? They Ask God to protect them and for a good day?

Are you guilty this morning? If you are, that’s OK, because through the Holy Spirit, we know that God is asking us this very Easter or grow more mature and to follow Jesus‘s mission.

Think about it: Jesus got up before daybreak. Jesus had a habit about praying. So ask yourself: if Jesus done it shouldn’t we be doing it? Yes! We should have a habit of prayer. there is no time in our life that is more precious to God the father then time we spend time communicating with him. this is not time of remote prayer, but this is time that you personally set aside to meet with Jesus. This is when we take time to unburden your heart and we tell him thank you and that we love him.

He has to think how precious is this little one of mine.

One of the most crucial lessons for a Christian to learn is to get up, in the hours of the morning, and get your day straight with the Lord. now, we still will have those days where we will say to the Lord I must’ve missed something this morning, because look at what’s going on right now. But remember, that when Jesus started his days, he started the days in prayer with his father. Jesus had some very difficult and tough days, then he had the crucifixion.

I have realized, that I do not have the mental capacity, to get up, get dressed and live the day seeking after the spirit if I first do not go to my father in prayer. Their is not any one of us that is so busy that we do not have time for God first thing in the morning.

He started his days out alone with the father; so, he could be reenergized to carry out in the evil day. God, gave him the wisdom and guidance that he would need to do what God had called him to do.

This Easter, I want to tell you that the most important thing in your life is your personal relationship with God, the father.

This was a great part of his day. This was part of his mission. His mission was to teach us how to pray. His disciples witnessed this, and they wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray.

I don’t believe that you can give God the excuse, that I do not have time today, because it is the holy God of the universe that gives us our very breath.

The next part of Jesus is Mission that I want to talk to you about and that the Holy Ghost wants us to know about is of course the Resurrection power.

Mary and Martha we’re having a very difficult time, because they thought Jesus should be there. I’m talking about the time when Lazarus was brought back to life.

Have you ever been there? Where Mary and Martha were? God if you’d only been here? I can admit to you that I have this morning.

Mary and Martha said if you had been here, Lazarus would not have died. Then Jesus said to them in a John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

We see here that this is a promise of living, even when you die. And all of us have had loved ones who have passed on and the scriptures says that we live even after we die. And the reason why we know this is true is, because God has promised us eternal life through the cross. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We know that he raised Jesus Christ and he is not a respect of persons, and therefore when we two die, we will be resurrected with eternal life.

Jesus came with a specific mission in mind. When we think about Jesus‘s life and his mission, we should know that these things were meant for our learning. Our lives are supposed to be a living sacrifice; holy and acceptable to God.

So Jesus gave us assurance of life after death. The next part of the mission of Jesus that I want to introduce to you today; is about heaven.

I encourage you and hope to see you back at our Wednesday service at 6:30.

Now I’ve already given you your homework. Remember, that was to read the following chapters of John 13, 14, 15, 16 and maybe even 17.

Let’s read John 14:1-2

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believein God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

Now, what did Jesus go to do?

See Jesus was so on a mission. And part of that mission was to get us prepared for heaven. He wanted us to be prepared to die and to meet him an eternity forever. He also wanted us to be able to live out of life that would testify of his goodness and mercy. These testimonies would bring others to him.

So the Holy Spirit wants me to ask you: in your circle of influence Can you name one person that you have led to Christ? Can you tell me of one person that because of your life, because of your testimony has come to know the Lord?

See we are not supposed to live For ourselves. Jesus did not come because of himself or for himself he came so that all of humanity could be redeemed and have the right relationship with God.

Jesus is risen! And in the accomplishing of him being risen, he fulfilled his mission.

This Ester God has me on a mission to meditate on Jesus‘s mission. I think about how he invested in the 12 disciples and I think about all of his works.

Thus, We can safely say that Jesus had a successful mission. His mission was complete 2000 years ago at the cross then we won the victory as he arose and went to the father and sent us the Holy Spirit.

Today, we set here, sealed by the Holy Ghost, because of Jesus.

Now, what do you want to do? What is our response to the mission of Jesus? For the saints, We have a burning inside of us to fulfill the commission of Jesus. To go out, give our testimony, and see others come to know Jesus Christ. Perhaps you would agree that our life has a mission too.

Jesus came to give us the awesome assurance that he is alive and that heaven will be our home.

Remember, Jesus did not leave us alone, but he left us with each other. Jesus said he was going to build his church.

I have seen groups of people build $1 million churches and I have seen little churches like this, but the scripture is not talking about a building. It is talking about the church. You are the Church and we are the church. We are the bride of Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples, especially Peter, that he would build his church and Hell would not have the power to destroy it.

Can you say that Jesus succeeded? Yes, and thank God that he did!

Jesus said I will establish my church. You are the Church. Jesus did not say that he was going to get just some people saved. He said that he was going to establish his church. We are built on the cornerstone and that cornerstone is Jesus Christ

There is and will be problems and persecutions. When I think of the church today my mind thinks about the millions of Christians, who lay down their life for Jesus today. But you can’t kill a saint, because we have this; a gift this Easter; and that’s eternal life.

This is the ultimate truth: in Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter on this rock I will build my church.

I wonder today, if you can say: God has established is true in my heart today? When was the last time you just picked up your Bible and asked God to speak to you?

Think about this truth: God has preserved his word. God has reserved his plan of salvation.

God has preserved his love story.

God has preserved their words of scripture throughout all generations. However, millions of people on this planet do not have their very own copy. That is why we here at Hissom Tabernacle at least provide money for missionaries. We want God‘s word, that has been preserved, to reach every nation and be translated into every language. Because it is the one truth, that changes a person‘s eternal destiny.

Let’s look at Mathew chapter 24. Jesus is coming to conclusion on things and let’s look in the 42nd verse.

Mathew 24:42-44 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

I think about this scripture often. Am I ready and is a flock that God put me in charge of ready?

Are their families ready?

Who should I be praying for?

Who should I be asking the Holy Spirit to convict?

Listen, are you too busy?

Have you stopped looking for Jesus?

Part of Jesus‘s mission is that he came to prepare us for his re-arrival. Listen, he said we don’t know the hour, but we need to be ready.

Jesus had a mission. A mission that could not be stopped. It wasn’t a long mission like in the days of the profits, but nonetheless, he had a very important mission.

Matthew 28:18-20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Listen, family: Jesus was a prophet,

he was a teacher,

he was a counselor,

he was king of Kings,

he’s the Lord of Lords, and he is the son of God.

I would say that he accomplished his mission. By the word, amen say that you agree.

so, before we leave here, let me just ask you. Maybe somebody brought you this morning?

maybe you don’t have a church that you normally attend?

maybe you are listening on social media, or maybe you decided to come on your own this morning?

Don’t you think it would be wise to respond to the Mission of Jesus? Don’t you think it would be wise to settle where you’re going to spend eternity?

There is only one way and there is only one hope and that’s Jesus Christ.

I want to both invite you and challenge you to think about what is important in life. I pray that today’s message stirs in you a new Hope and a new desire to receive salvation.

I want you to know, that whether you believe Jesus and his mission, or whether you do not: this does not change the eternal sovereign truth of God.

The Bible says that all of us have been appointed a time to die, and we will stand before God and judgment. I want to invite you this morning to accept that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, willingly laid down His life, and was crucified for our sins, and arose on the third day.

Would you be willing to admit that you’re living in sin today? Would you be willing to admit that you need of a savior today?

Would you ask God to receive you today not because of what you have accomplished but because of what Jesus did for all of humanity?

Today, for you to reject Jesus you are actually condemning yourself.

It is appointed once to demand death, the judgment will come. “you’ll find that written in Hebrews 9:27”

If you would pray and mean it from the heart you shall be saved. Let’s pray this prayer together:

Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I confess that I have ignored you and I have been living a life of sin? I have lived things my way, but today I have heard about the mission of Jesus Christ. I have heard the word of God and I am asking for you to forgive me of my sins and to wash me clean. I do believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross from my sins. I do believe you are listening and I do believe what the word says. Today, I accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. I now yield my life and give it to you. In the name of Jesus Christ amen!

Now, If you did just pray that prayer and meant it. Your name has been recorded in the lambs book of life. I encouraged you to step out now and let the Church know.

Romans 10:9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now, you are a child of God. The scriptures tell us to now grow and mature in the faith. This is not the end, but only the beginning.

Scripture also tells us to endure until the end.

Today, we learned that prayer is one of the most important disciplines that we can have while we walk this life. So, remember to start each day with the Lord.

Now let’s pray for dismissal .