Christ's Victory over Death (John 20:1-18) - Fr. Anthony Paul

Summary

The sermon delves into the significance of the Resurrection as a central theme in Christian faith, emphasizing that every Sunday is a celebration of this event. It discusses the loss of immortality and incorruption due to humanity's rejection of God, and how Christ's sacrifice and resurrection overcame death, restoring the divine-human relationship. The sermon highlights the importance of the apostles' testimony of the Risen Lord, the Ascension, and the New Covenant marked by Pentecost, where God's indwelling presence is reestablished within believers. The church's practices during the holy 50 days, including no fasting and no bending of the knee, symbolize the victory over death and the joyous celebration of Christ's triumph.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The sermon discusses the significance of the Feast of the Resurrection, emphasizing that every Sunday is a celebration of Christ's resurrection.
• 📖 The speaker mentions that the resurrection is not just a one-time event but a continuous belief that shapes the faith throughout the year.
• 🛐 The sermon highlights the divine plan set forth from the beginning of creation, where Christ took on human corruption to give us immortality and incorruption.
• 💔 It discusses the human fall from grace and the loss of the divine presence, which led to death and corruption entering the world.
• ✝️ The sermon explains that Christ's mission was not just to die for our sins but to conquer death itself, breaking the hold of Satan over humanity.
• 🕊️ The resurrection is presented as the triumph over death, offering hope and the promise of eternal life to believers.
• 👥 The importance of the apostles' testimony is underscored, as their witness to the resurrected Christ validates the claim that death has been defeated.
• 🛑 The speaker points out that without the resurrection, there would be no reason for the church's existence, making the event central to Christian identity and belief.
• 🎉 The 50 days following Easter are described as a period of intense celebration, culminating in the Ascension and the promise of entering Paradise once more.
• 🕊️ Pentecost is highlighted as the fulfillment of the New Covenant, where believers receive the Holy Spirit and experience the indwelling of God within them.
• 🙏 The church's practices during the holy 50 days are explained, including the prohibition of fasting and bowing, to reflect the joy and victory of the resurrection.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the sermon in the provided transcript?

The central theme of the sermon is the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the core belief of Christianity, signifying the defeat of death and the restoration of humanity's relationship with God.

Why is every Sunday considered a 'Feast of the Resurrection' within the Christian faith?

Every Sunday is considered a 'Feast of the Resurrection' because it is a day to re-celebrate the resurrection of Christ, which is the foundational event of Christian faith, representing the victory over death and the promise of eternal life.

What does the speaker mean by 'the plan set forth from the beginning of creation'?

The speaker is referring to the divine plan of salvation that was predetermined by God from the beginning of time, which includes the incarnation of Christ, his sacrificial death, and his resurrection to redeem humanity from sin and death.

What is the significance of 'incorruption' and 'immortality' in the context of the sermon?

Incorruption and immortality are significant because they represent the original state of humanity before the Fall, as well as the restored state promised through Christ's resurrection, indicating a life free from decay and death.

Why did humanity lose the 'elixir of life' according to the speaker?

Humanity lost the 'elixir of life' due to the rejection of God, which led to the loss of the divine indwelling, the ability to enter Paradise, and ultimately, the loss of incorruption and immortality.

What role does death play in the narrative of human separation from God?

In the narrative, death serves as the consequence of humanity's separation from God, acting as a tool wielded by Satan to hold dominion over humans, who were destined to die due to their sins.

How does the speaker describe Christ's approach to overcoming death?

The speaker describes Christ's approach as not just paying a ransom to death, but rather entering into it willingly, with the intent to break the hold of death over humanity, liberating them from its power.

What is the importance of the resurrection in the context of the sermon?

The resurrection is of paramount importance as it signifies Christ's victory over death, providing hope and the promise of eternal life to believers, and is the foundation for the Christian faith.

Why is the testimony of the Apostles regarding the Resurrection crucial?

The testimony of the Apostles is crucial because it provides the historical and eyewitness account of Christ's resurrection, which substantiates the claim that death has been defeated and that believers no longer need to fear it.

What is the significance of the Ascension in relation to the sermon's theme?

The Ascension is significant as it marks the moment when humanity, represented by Christ, could enter Paradise again, signifying the restoration of the divine-human relationship and the fulfillment of the divine plan of salvation.

How does the speaker explain the connection between baptism and the Resurrection?

The speaker explains that baptism symbolizes the believer's participation in Christ's death and resurrection, representing the believer's dying to sin and rising to a new life in Christ, which is a reflection of the divine indwelling restored through the Resurrection.

Outlines

00:00

📖 The Resurrection's Significance and Christ's Victory Over Death

The speaker begins by acknowledging the challenge of delivering a sermon on the Feast of the Resurrection, a topic that is central to Christian faith and celebrated every Sunday. The sermon emphasizes the resurrection as the ultimate accomplishment of God's plan since creation, highlighting the exchange of humanity's mortality for divine immortality. The narrative discusses humanity's initial state of immortality, the loss thereof due to the rejection of God, and the subsequent dominion of death over humanity. The speaker explains that Christ's mission was not just to die for humanity's sins but to conquer death itself, liberating believers from its fear. The sermon also touches on the symbolic nature of Old Testament sacrifices and the significance of Christ's death and resurrection in breaking the power of death and Satan, allowing for the reestablishment of the divine-human relationship.

05:01

🎉 The Celebration of Resurrection and the Transformation of Existence

This paragraph delves into the importance of celebrating the resurrection, which is integral to overcoming the fear of death. The speaker argues that without Christ's resurrection, death would remain a source of terror. The Apostles' testimony of witnessing the risen Christ is highlighted as crucial evidence supporting this claim. The transformation brought about by Christ's resurrection is not just spiritual but also physical, as it allows humanity to re-enter Paradise, a place inaccessible since the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The speaker discusses the significance of the 50 days following Easter, leading to the Ascension and the reestablishment of the divine covenant, culminating in the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The church's practices during this period, such as abstaining from fasting and the prohibition of kneeling, reflect the joyous and victorious nature of these celebrations, emphasizing the believer's dignity as children of the 'great King'.

10:01

🙏 The Consecration of Time and the Sanctification of the Holy 50 Days

The final paragraph focuses on the sanctification of time during the Holy 50 days, a period dedicated to the joy of the Savior's resurrection. The speaker describes this time as a consecrated period where the church devotes itself to celebrating the life-giving act of Christ, who corrected the wrongs done to humanity. The paragraph underscores the gravity of this event as the foundation of Christian hope, belief, and glory. It also touches on the church's practice of not commemorating the dead during this period, reserving the recitation of names of the departed for a specific day, signifying the church's focus on the resurrection's joy and the anticipation of eternal life. The speaker concludes by urging the congregation to worship and glorify God, attributing eternal glory to Him.

Keywords

💡Resurrection

Resurrection refers to the rising of Christ from the dead, a central tenet of Christian faith symbolizing victory over sin and death. In the video, it is the main theme, emphasizing the significance of Christ's resurrection as the foundation of Christian hope and the reason for the Feast of the Resurrection.

💡Incorruption and Immortality

Incorruption and immortality are states of being free from decay and death, respectively. The video discusses how humanity was originally given these gifts but lost them due to sin. Christ's resurrection is presented as the restoration of these states, offering believers the promise of eternal life.

💡Divine Indwelling

Divine indwelling refers to the presence of God within an individual, a concept that underscores the intimacy of the believer's relationship with God. The script mentions that the loss of divine indwelling in the Garden of Eden led to humanity's separation from God and the loss of immortality and incorruption.

💡Paradise

Paradise, in the script, symbolizes the original state of bliss and communion with God that humanity enjoyed before the Fall. The video explains that Christ's resurrection reestablished the possibility for humanity to enter this state of grace once again.

💡Satan

Satan is depicted as the adversary who held dominion over humanity through the fear of death. The script explains that Christ's victory over death disarmed Satan's power, freeing humanity from this fear.

💡Plan of Salvation

The Plan of Salvation is the divine strategy to redeem humanity from sin and death. The video describes how Christ's death and resurrection were part of this plan, aimed at restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity.

💡Feast of the Resurrection

The Feast of the Resurrection is a Christian celebration commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The video script highlights that every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, but the specific feast day intensifies this celebration.

💡Hades

Hades, in the script, represents the realm of the dead or the underworld, where souls were believed to reside before Christ's harrowing of hell. The video mentions Hades to illustrate the transformation in the afterlife belief system post-resurrection.

💡Apostles

Apostles are the disciples of Jesus, who were the first to witness the resurrected Christ. The video emphasizes the importance of their testimony as evidence of the resurrection, which is crucial for the Christian faith.

💡Pentecost

Pentecost is a Christian feast day commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. The script connects Pentecost with the new covenant, signifying the return of divine indwelling and the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

💡Holy 50

Holy 50 refers to the fifty days following Easter, leading up to Pentecost. The video script describes this period as a time of intense celebration and joy, free from the usual practices of fasting and mourning, reflecting the triumph of the resurrection.

Highlights

The sermon discusses the significance of the Feast of the Resurrection, emphasizing its importance as a celebration of Christ's accomplishment of the divine plan.

Every Sunday is considered a Feast of the Resurrection, reflecting the continuous celebration of Christ's victory over death throughout the year.

The concept of incorruption and immortality is highlighted, noting the human desire to defeat death despite a general discomfort with the idea.

The loss of the elixir of life and the indwelling of God within humans due to the rejection of God is discussed, leading to the loss of immortality and incorruption.

Christ's role in reclaiming humanity from death and the enemy is described, emphasizing His mission to break the chains of death.

The sermon explains that Christ's death was not a payment to death but a mission to destroy its power and liberate humanity.

The fear of death is contrasted with the joy of the resurrection, illustrating the transformative impact of Christ's victory on human existence.

The importance of the Apostles' testimony of the Resurrection is underscored, as it provides the foundation for overcoming the fear of death.

The transformation of the Apostles from fear to proclamation after witnessing the Risen Lord is highlighted, demonstrating the power of the Resurrection.

The Ascension is presented as a pivotal event, signifying the reopening of Paradise to mankind and the fulfillment of the divine Covenant.

Baptism is described as a symbol of dying and rising with Christ, reflecting the believer's participation in the New Covenant.

The indwelling of God within believers through the Holy Spirit is celebrated as the restoration of the original divine presence in humanity.

The church's prohibition of fasting and kneeling during the holy 50 days is explained as a sign of standing in the victory of the Resurrection.

The unique service of the Kneeling at the end of the holy 50 days is noted, marking the first time of kneeling after a period of celebration.

The sermon concludes with a call to worship and glorify God, recognizing the eternal significance of Christ's Resurrection for believers.

Transcripts

name of the father son Holy Spirit one

God Amen

CH Christ is

risen there's always some mumbling on

that

one if I can get my notes to open

forgive me because what's in my so my

mind is different from what I have in my

my notes so I'll go with my mind for

now um and if necessary we'll switch to

the notes I'm not used to giving a

sermon on the Feast of the Resurrection

um

and so it was strange to me to try and

think of even what to to talk about

because the resurrection is what we live

the whole year right every single Sunday

um is the Feast of the Resurrection

we're re celebrating it um and this

coming holy 50 is every day of it but

what we're celebrating today is

not a rough week for Christ right this

is this is a celebration of the

accomplishment of the plan

that was set forth from the beginning of

creation right he took what is ours and

gave us what is his we praise and

glorify him right is that in the first

in the beginning we were given

immortality we were given incorruption

we're given everything right and in that

first place and that's why this this

whole last week we kept revisiting The

Narrative we lost our place because we

rejected God right and in so doing we

lost the elixir of life if you will we

lost the indwelling of God within us and

we lost the ability to enter Paradise at

that time right and we lost very

importantly sesus emphasizes

incorruption and immortality and it's

funny because most people don't like the

incorruption immortality part even

though almost every person for all of

civilization has always been trying to

find a way to defeat death um but we

like the magic show more even though

this is still very magical if you will

um just socially um in that our divorce

from God removed us from our communion

with life right is that anything created

anything that's made of material is

corruptible it dies it rots right no

matter how slowly it does everything is

rotting everything is dying right and

this is why Christ said the day you eat

of this tree you will die by death right

is that when you were in me you could

have life

I'm not going to retell that story

because we've done that this week

but as a result what had dominion over

us until the coming of

Christ

death right this was the tool that Satan

had over us because we were to die

because we die but go

where right because there was no peace

yet between us and heaven where would we

go and so Satan was using against us our

death right this became the place right

of our of of our our residence if you

will is that we were Bound for Hades and

that's why Christ's Plan of Salvation

wasn't just kill me some animals right

the animals did nothing for him as we'll

read in Hebrews at the holy 50s like

what am I going to do with your

Holocaust of lamps right like I don't I

don't eat them right I don't use your

money right this was a symbol a

remembrance that it was our sin that

caused us to die right and that we were

in need of his life-giving blood that

there needed to be a fixing of this

issue but our Lord when he died he

wasn't going to

pay death off right it wasn't like death

is a superior to to Christ right and so

said in a different way Christ wasn't

just going to pay whatever the bail was

for prison right is that Christ was

saying if the entry into this prison is

death I will die right I'm going on this

Mission that's why the devil had no idea

what was coming but what he also had no

idea was coming is that Christ is going

and saying I'm not just here to pay bail

I'm here to wreck this prison right I'm

coming in to break out all of my

children who are mine and I reclaim them

as my children they do not belong to the

enemy they belong to me right and that

no longer could no longer would Death be

the fear of humanity

right because it now meant

nothing right imagine if your whole life

you're afraid of this one thing because

of whatever reason you're afraid of fix

that reason and you don't have the fear

anymore right is that now Christ is

saying you don't need to fear death

because there's something after it and

this is why it is so important that we

celebrate the resurrection because if

Christ didn't

rise then we should fear death right

this is why St Paul was saying in the

epistle that we read it was saying if if

the Lord is not risen then we of all men

are most miserable right it's like what

a horrible place to be for us if it's

not true right then then there's no

reason for us to be here we're not an

assembly of people who like some guy who

lived 2,000 years ago we're an assembly

of people who believe that Jesus Christ

is God and the king of glory who

conquered death and rose from the dead

and slayed death and this is why it was

so important the testimony of the

Apostles to say that we really saw him

right this is why the testimony of the

hundreds of people that he appeared were

a big deal because if we're going to

make the claim you don't need to fear

death anymore then there needs to be

something to back it up of saying how do

you

know right and it was not a a question

of oh because I feel it in my heart I

really think Jesus is Alive no it's

because they saw the Risen Lord right

and it was in seeing the Risen Lord that

gave the confidence of these very

apostles who were the first to tell St

Mary and the and the woman who came to

anoint the the Lord with spices these

are Idol Tales these are fairy tales

these are this is sorry right this is

this was their reaction to it right

they're hiding out in a room right

afraid of what might happen to them if

they didn't see the Risen Lord why are

they running out and proclaiming it

ready to accept death the very people

who were not with him when he was going

through all sorts of problems why would

they now in his absence be willing to

not only take on the persecution but

even to the point of death

in freeing us from death the Lord was

opening up the whole path starting from

his Incarnation starting from the

beginning of the world really of the

fixing of this issue in the garden right

is that as we're going to celebrate

throughout these 50 days is that we're

going to come to the Ascension where for

the first time in history since we

exited the garden mankind could enter

Paradise again that's why it is such a

big event it's saying that we weren't

allowed in right nobody was allowed in

and for the first time we're allowed in

again and the Covenant that was made in

in of of of days old of saying if you be

if you be my people and I will be your

God and I will grant you life right this

Covenant that was that was given to all

that was broken in the old in the Old

Testament is going to be it is

reestablished in his Redemption and what

we celebrated on Covenant Thursday and

on great Friday and that now our entry

into this is in our baptism and what is

baptism a symbol of our dying and our

Rising with him but what is the seal

what was the reason why we had

immortality and incorruption why was it

that we were able to be different in the

garden it was the indwelling of God

within us and that is why at the end of

these most holy days we're going to

celebrate on the day of Pentecost this

New Covenant where we receive the Holy

Spirit and once again God lives and

dwells within us and all these

prophecies that we were reading on

Covenant Thursday we see fulfilled in

the Living Church it's not it's not a

small feast and so seriously does the

church take this of saying celebrate

right is that they they say no fasting

which many people are very happy about

um especially those who usually fast on

Wednesday and Friday no shots being

taken um but that the church takes even

further there the Cannons of

NAA actually say there is no bending of

the knee what's whatsoever during the

holy 50 right there's not supposed to be

any bowing there's not supposed to be

down they and it's a it's it's a thing

that we've somehow culturally stopped

doing right where people are coming in

for communion even on Sundays bowing

down and we're not supposed to be doing

that right is that we stand in The Firm

victory of the resurrection of our Lord

Christ who has conquered death who has

humiliated sin who has humiliated Satan

we stand in honor and the Dignity of

Sons and Daughters of the great King

right and that's why the end of the Holy

50 we have a whole special service

called the kneeling because it's

supposed to be the first time in 50 days

that you kneel right is that there was

none of that for 50 days for 50 days we

don't commemorate the dead theoretically

on Sundays during the whole year but

again that's somehow changed we don't we

don't say the name of the Dead out loud

we do that on Saturday when we remember

the Lord descending into Hades right and

freeing the souls that are there but on

Sundays there's supposed to be no

recitation Nam of the that's why on the

day of sagda on the day of the kneeling

why there's long lists of names that

departed because it was the first time

that we're doing the church is saying

sanctify a time set aside consecrate

make holy a time where we devote

ourselves only to the joy of our savior

who came and fixed everything that had

went wrong on our behalf for the life of

the world this is no small occasion

right this is the reason of our hope the

reason of our belief the reason for our

Glory it is our identity and our

sunship he gave us what is his let us

worship Him and glorify him to whom is

Glory now and always and unto the age of

all ages amen