Sermon 21 Wilfred - Corona Virus and Easter

We have many deaths worldwide due to the corona virus. Why does death rule on earth?

Death is a result of the fall. We have to go back 6,000 years in history, when once again God provided the destroyed and empty earth with trees, animals, birds and fish. On the sixth day, God created the man Adam and the woman Eve. God gave man a huge garden and many fruit trees. They were allowed to eat from every fruit tree, EXCEPT 1 tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they ate of this fruit it was certain that they would die. The enemy of God, satan or also called the devil, was jealous and could not stand this beautiful creation.
Satan seduced Eve with half truths and she ate the forbidden fruit. Then she offered it to her husband Adam. Now he had a free choice of either obeying God and not eating the fruit, or disobedience and eating. He had a conscious and free choice. He made the wrong choice and ate the forbidden fruit. With that, sin and promised death came into the world. Immediately the spirit with which they could communicate with God, was taken, the spiritual death. God removed them from the garden. Many years later they died of a physical death.

What is the meaning of Easter?

Originally, Easter is the Passover that was and is celebrated by the Israelites. It recalls the deliverance of the Israelites from the slavery in Egypt. After 9 plagues, Pharaoh persisted in refusing the Israelites to worship God in the desert. By the tenth plague, Pharaoh was informed that every firstborn man and animal would die. Pharaoh persisted. God instructed the Israeli people to slaughter a lamb and eat it with unleavened bread. The blood of the slaughtered lamb had to be applied to the doorposts and the lentil so that the angel of death would pass by that house. The angel of death killed all the firstborn in Egypt, including the son of Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh released the Israeli people. In the desert, the Israelites received the Torah (including the 10 Commandments) so that they could live in obedience to God's Will. Among other things, with the instruction not to steal, not to murder, to honor your parents.
God is a just God and cannot overlook sin. Likewise one does not want a thief or murderer to go unpunished. Therefore, every person will receive the punishment of God for his or her sins after death. However, God is also Love. That is why Jesus, the Son of God, offered to take the punishment for sin. He left Heaven and came to earth. He was born as a human being and took the punishment upon Himself through His crucifixion.
He was crucified with a criminal on either side. One criminal said: Ha, if you are the son of God, then take us off the cross. The other said, don't you be ashamed? We hang guilty, Jesus hangs innocent. He showed REPENTANCE. And Jesus answered, TODAY you will be with me in paradise. The other criminal went to hell. That means that every person lives eternal life. After death, either the continuation in hell due to no repentance and disobedience to God, or in paradise if you lived a life according to God's Will and obedience.

When was the Holy Supper instituted?

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus and His 12 disciples used the Passover, commemorating the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Two disciples had prepared the Passover, the slaughtered lamb with unleavened bread. At the end of this meal, we read in Matthew 26:20:

When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so." Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Easter is a reminder of the resurrection of the dead through Jesus

The sacrifice at the cross by Jesus was accepted by God the Father. God the Father raised Jesus from the third day. Christians now celebrate that as Easter. On Easter Day, Jesus was raised from the dead. And anyone who repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as his or her savior receives eternal life (in paradise). For more information, see my 16th sermon, what happens after death?
Unfortunately, many are killed by the corona virus and Covid-19. But now is the time to think about what happens after death! You may not have much time yet, but now you have the opportunity to come to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We do not know how long God gives that time. But with these viruses, we know that time is short. The first Coming of Christ when Jesus Christ comes to those who recognize Him as Lord and living under the control of the Holy Spirit in obedience to God the Father is very near. Therefore, make the right decision today. And now that the churches are closed, Christians have to celebrate the Holy Supper at home, watch the video.