Embrace the Victory

Well, brethren, we've come up once again to the end of the days of Unleavened Bread. This is, as Mr. Oliver was saying, a holy day, a high holy day. We've gone through the Passover. We've gone through the last seven days now of Unleavened Bread, and here we are at the conclusion for this year. And as these days draw to a close, I'd like to end them on a high note. And honestly, that's each year my goal on the last day of Unleavened Bread to end this holy day cycle here of this portion of the year on a high note. Because these days are encouraging, and what God is doing in our lives is encouraging, and our calling and, frankly, the ability to walk Unleavened is indeed a very, very high note in our lives. In only a few hours, we will be watching the sun go down, and these days this feast will be wrapped up for this year. But what it portrays continues on day by day as we live our life. We have the symbols of each day the Unleavened Bread, but it's a portrayal of our life each and every day under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Unleavened, and indeed set free.

I'd like to end on the high note today, so let's capture the high note of encouragement that God has extended to us through these days, and capture the high note of praise for the magnificence of our God and the plan He has worked out, and the high note of gratitude, indeed, for what it is He's extended to us through the life of His dear Son. This is a high note, honestly, in our lives, both physically and spiritually. Because when we consider the history of these days, we recognize that God's greatest works of salvation have taken place through the Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread. That plan of God, the salvation, continues to roll out through the remainder of the Holy Days, but this is the focal point of which everything else springs from. And as you consider what God will yet do and what He has done, again, the greatest works of salvation have occurred during the Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread.

And so because of that, the sum total of these days are all about our life, and not about our death. These days are all about our, say, our righteousness, and the righteousness that God imputes to us, not about our sin. And these days, indeed, brethren, are about our victory, not about our defeat. So these are very encouraging days and victorious days. And the high note I want to end on, on the last day of Unleavened Bread here, is victory. This day portrays, in many ways, victory for the people of God. And so we're going to consider victory today. We're going to look at a couple of occurrences that took place during the days of Unleavened Bread, occurrences of victory for the people of God, again, tied specifically to this day. And then I want to take it and take those lessons and equate them to the victory that God has won in our lives today. Because what we've portrayed through this feast, Unleavened, Walking Free, delivered from bondage, is indeed, brethren, victory. And it's a victory that God won for us long ago. So let's consider the victory today. The title is Embrace the Victory. Embrace the victory, because we don't just sit back and receive the spoils, the benefit of the victory. We, we actually participate. The victory has been won, but if we want to receive the blessing of it for ourselves, we have to embrace it. We have to participate and interact with it in faith. So, so the title is Embrace the Victory. Let's start in Exodus 14 today. Exodus chapter 14, and I want to look specifically at a victory that we have traditionally understood to have happened on the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Exodus chapter 14, and we'll begin in verse 1. This is following on the heels of Israel.

The Passover has taken place in Egypt, the first day Unleavened Bread, and now they are delivered out and they are walking free out of bondage. Exodus chapter 14 in verse 1, it says, Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they may turn and camp before a fie high wrath between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-Zephon, you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land. The wilderness has closed them in. It's like, they're just wandering about out there in circles and they really don't know where they're going.

They've wandered into a place with a mountain on this side and a mountain on that side and the sea at their back. And Pharaoh says, as Pharaoh Yul Brenner said in the Ten Commandments movie, This God of Moses is a poor general. But that's man's opinion. That's man's perspective. But what about God's perspective? As we read through the excerpts about this, maybe I should pull in verse verse three and four to start with. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land. The wilderness has closed them in. Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, God says, so that he will pursue them and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. I am Yahweh. I am the creator God of the universe.

I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am the God of Israel. And you know what? They're going to know I'm the God above all gods. They will know that I am the Lord and so Israel did so.

As we read through some excerpts of this great victory, there's a couple of concepts I want us to consider and that is recognize who it is that brings the victory into the lives of the Israelites, number one, who it is, and number two, what was their responsibility in this process.

So who brings the victory and what was their responsibility? These two indeed go hand in hand if they were going to embrace that victory for themselves.

Right from the beginning of God's intervention into their lives in Egypt, every step of the victory along the way was God's doing, was God's power. It was the victory that he was bringing about because the people of Israel had no power of him by themselves to free themselves from bondage. Right? They were under the oppressive boot of Pharaoh and nothing they could have done in their own power would have delivered them. So it was not by the hand of the people, but it was by the hand of God that they were delivered. And each step along the way, the plagues, the Passover, that bringing them out of bondage. This victory has been won by God, but you see the people also had to do their part. God gave them instructions and they had to look to him in faith and fulfill what it is he had given them to do if they themselves were going to embrace the victory and be recipients of it for themselves. And so as they come up to the Red Sea, it's going to be the same. Passover, you recall, was about the people carrying out the instructions from God and allowing him to work out the details. And frankly, brethren, that is what God does in our lives today through our calling. He says, this is how you're to live. He gives us the instructions in his word. And he says, you let me work out the details of your salvation. But you look to me in faith and you fulfill what it is I've given you to do, and I will win the victory for you.

So it's by the hand of God that the victories come. And it was God who gains these things for them. So he led them right up against the Red Sea. And again, it's a position of vulnerability with the sea at their back, mountain to the right, mountain to the left. And Pharaoh says, I'm just going to swing in and close that gap up with my army and the jaws are going to close upon Israel. And it'll be a slaughter. But certainly God had a different plan for them. And from God's perspective, again, God is not a poor general. He has a plan and purpose. And from his perspective, the battle was already won. And that's part of the concept as well. I want us to absorb today that the battle was won before it ever began. Because this is what God would do. And this is what he had purposed. And so before Pharaoh even went out in pursuit of Israel, the battle was over before it started. They just simply had to go through the steps. And Israel had to trust that God had the victory firmly in hand. Verse 13, carrying on, Exodus chapter 14 and verse 13, And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians, whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. For the Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. And the Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. God said, Go forward.

Because Israel had their part to play as well. But at this point, the sea wasn't open yet, and Israel could have said, Well, why go forward? There's nothing there but a sea. But God said, You do your part as I command, and I indeed will do my part, and the victory will be yours. They had to embrace the victory by faith. And so must we. Have you ever felt like Israel at this point in the story? Challenge, trial in your life, backed up against the Red Sea, closed in on both sides, in the adversary of whatever it is you might be facing, closing in. There's many people going through different challenges right now, because we talk. And there's a lot of things that people have faced in recent times, and they've felt in many ways like they're backed up against the Red Sea with no way out. But let us understand, brethren, the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are about victory. They're about God providing the deliverance. They're about looking to God and faith, realizing that the victory is already won before the battle is even taking place.

The victory is won. And we worship a God who opens the sea for his people. And no matter what it is we are going through, no matter how difficult to trial, take confidence in knowing the victory is already in hand. We simply need to look to God and faith to open the way before us. When God says, stand still, we stand still. And when he says, go forward, we go forward. And he provides the open way that leads to victory. Verse 21, continuing on with the story, then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night. And he made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on their left. This wasn't just tiptoeing through the shallow marshes of the Red Sea. They went down into the midst. And it says the water was at the wall on the right hand and on their left. Verse 23, And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Now it came to pass in the morning watch that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he troubled the army of the Egyptians. And he took off their chariot wheels so that they drove them with difficulty. Kind of like Mr. Oliver's comment, you know, Christ fasted 40 days, and afterwards he was hungry. You know, God took off their chariot wheels and they drove them with difficulty.

I'm sure. I am sure. But here God is intervening.

And the Egyptians said, Let us flee from this place. Verse 25, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. So understand, the Egyptians knew, they understood at this point now, who it was that stood against them. It was the God of Israel.

And the Israelites, as they walked through on dry ground with a wall of water to the right and to the left, understood who it was that was fighting for them at this moment. It was the God of their fathers. And, brethren, I hope we never lose sight of who it is that fights for us as we go through trials, as God provides the deliverance, recognize it's not by might of our hand that the victory and the deliverance comes. We have to do our part. We have to look to Him in faith.

But it is God who fights the battle and delivers the victory. Verse 26 says, Then the Lord said, The Moses stretched out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, on their horsemen. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them, not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And so the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.

And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore, and thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt, which God had done, and they believed the Lord and His servant, Moses. Again, an important thing about this account I want us to recognize is that God had the victory secured before Pharaoh ever came out in pursuit of Israel. The victory was won before the battle even took place. And how can I say that? Oh, because God had made promise.

He made covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and said, your descendants will go into captivity, but after a prescribed period of time, I will bring them out and will bring them back to this land of promise. I will settle them here. I will be their God, and they will be my people. So this was God's plan and purpose in calling them out of Egypt to deliver them unto victory. The sea wasn't going to stand in His way, and the army of Egypt wasn't going to stand in His way.

And the victory was won before the battle even ever took place. The lesson for us, I believe we should take from this, brethren, is don't stress over how God will work out the details of our salvation, because He has put a plan in place, and He has already won the victory for us. I'll explain what that means in a little bit, but God has already won the victory, and the victory is secure.

I would submit to you that walking unleavened is a victory, because what it required for us to do that. So the victory is already won. It is secure as long as we do our part. If we want to partake of the victory and embrace that victory for ourselves, we respond to God in faith. And that starts with our baptism and our covenant commitment, but it continues on each and every day of our lives as well. It's standing still when He says to stand still, and it's going forward when He says to go forward, and it's seeing the salvation of the Lord that He will work out for you.

But we still have our part to do, but understand God has won the victory. We simply have to do our part to embrace it as it is He desires. You remember that when the cloud moved, they moved, and when the fire moved at night, they moved, and they had to obey His instructions. And for us today, let us know that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God said, I called you out of Egypt to make it to the Promised Land, so that victory is secure.

No matter what happens between here and there, let me work out the details, God says. You follow in faith, and if in your heart you never turn back to Egypt, then you can embrace this victory which has already been won for you. It's your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And it's interesting, I've, this is really the first year I've kind of began to process it so much this way, the fact that the victory is already won.

But consider, right, this is in Exodus. This is near the beginning of the Bible, and there's so much what is history to us that we read through that God did on behalf of His people. Yet at the other end of the Bible, there's the book of Revelation that's written, and for us that's future.

But how is that book written? It's written from the perspective that the victory is already won.

God's just filling in a few details for us along the way, so we have some insight as to what He is doing, but the victory is already won. God who declares the end from the beginning has both the will and the power to bring about that which He has declared. And so the battle is won before the actual scrimmage has actually even taken place. Jesus Christ was slain before the foundation of the world and the adversary was defeated before He ever even showed up in the Garden of Eden. But there's a process to walk through, and again we have our part to play in that as well. So let's understand these days of Unleavened Bread are all about celebrating victory. Victory over sin and death, victory over the adversary, and again any victory that would stand between us in or obstacle that would stand between us in the kingdom of God because God said, I brought you out of here to bring you there and my purpose will stand as long as you do your part and embrace the victory and follow me in faith. Another victory event which has traditionally been taught on the last day of Unleavened Bread is found in Joshua chapter 5. So I want to go there next.

Joshua chapter 5. Hereby time we come to this point, Israel has had their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because they did turn back to Egypt in their heart. They came right up to the brink of the promised land and they saw the giants, they saw the cities walled up the heaven, and they said, let us select a leader and return to Egypt. You know, why should we die in the desert and why should our children be victims? So that generation perished. God said, I cannot use you. You will not look to me in faith, so I'll use your children. And they wandered for 40 years until that generation died except for Joshua and Caleb. And God brought their children along. They weren't 40 years of wasted time. This was training ground for the children of Israel then to grow up and to enter into the promised land. Again, let's secure what it is that God had already given them.

Joshua and Caleb came back with the other spies and they gave a different report. They said, God's given the land into our hand and they're our bread. We'll just go eat them up because they could see the victory was already won even before the battle took place. But now we have them coming up once again and entering into the land now to begin the conquest. Joshua chapter 5 and verse 10 says, Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. So we have our time stamp here of when these events are taking place. Verse 11, and they ate the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. Verse 13, and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold a man stood opposite him with the sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and he said, Are you for us or for our adversaries?

And so he said, No, but as the commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped and said to him, What does my Lord say to his servant? And the commander of the army of the Lord, commander of the Lord's army, said that Joshua, take the sandal off your foot for the place where you stand is holy. Mr. Oliver talked to us today about what constitutes holiness comes from God in his presence. Take your sandal off your foot for the place where you stand is holy, and Joshua did so. So understand, this holiness meant Joshua was in the presence of God. This is what we would call a theophany. It was a God appearance. This was the one who would become Jesus Christ, who has now appeared as the commander of the Lord's army. And what we understand about this appearance is that a victory is at hand.

God is going to engage in battle. And when God has a purpose, it's accomplished, frankly, before it even takes place. This is his purpose, to secure the land for his people. So they have a victory at hand, but they have to do their part. Joshua 6 and verse 1, Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, its king and the mighty men of Valor. He says, You shall march around the city, you and all your men of war. You shall go all around the city once. You shall do this six days. So again, on the heels of the Passover, now we have these six days of walking around the city of Jericho once. And it's our belief, and I believe it's correct with the timing. These are six days of unleavened bread. And again, if we noticed in verse 2, the Lord said to Joshua, I have given Jericho into your hand. This battle is over before it's even started. But you, my people, have to have faith. And again, you're going to have your part to play.

Verse 4, And the seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ramsorns before the ark, but the seventh day, last day of unleavened bread, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. Then it shall come to pass when they make the long blast with the ramsorn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout.

It says, shout with a great shout. And what's going to happen? It will shout with a great shout. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before them. Brethren, this would be the first of many victories that God would bring in the conquest of the Promised Land. The walls of Jericho fell down flat, and they took the city, and it gained them now a foothold in the Promised Land. But understand, this wasn't by the might and power of their hand. This is a victory brought by God.

But they still had to do their part. And it wasn't that marching around the city for seven days accomplished anything in its fall. And it's not like their shout was so great that it simply just brought the walls down. But God wants us to participate in the victory that He hands us, because we have to own it as well. We have to embrace it as His people, and we have to show forth our faith and our desire in obedience to God to receive what it is He wishes to give us.

But again, God knocked the walls down, and they had to shout, trusting that the victory was theirs. It's the same in our spiritual lives today. If you and I want to embrace the victory that God has to offer us, then don't doubt Him. Don't doubt Him. Don't second-guess Him. Don't thank God foolish if He leads you up against the Red Sea, and there's a wall on this side of mountains and a wall on that side, and the adversary is closing in. Don't question Him when He brings you to the bitter waters of Mara. Don't question Him when He brings you to the brink of the Promised Land, and you see there's fortified cities and giants in the land. Don't question Him because God says, you look to Me in faith, and the victory is already won, and you let Me work out the details of your salvation. You just focus on what it is I've given you to do. When I say, stand still, stand still. When I say, go forward, go forward. When I say, march, march. And when I say, shout, shout, the victory is yours. And that's the God we serve, the God who declares the end from the beginning and has claimed the victory already. The battle is won, brethren, as we will see. The battle is won for our salvation, at least in terms of what God would need to do to provide it. This Passover and these days of unleavened bread, these incredible works of salvation have been performed already. And for us to walk out of spiritual Egypt, unleavened today, which we are, is to be partakers of that great victory. We just continue following in faith unto the Promised Land. Let's notice the New Testament illustration for our lives today. Okay, we've seen Israel. And again, God defeated Pharaoh before he went after him. He gave them Jericho even before the battle took place. And let us notice the victory that God has won, frankly, long before you and I ever came on the scene. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14.

Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14. Let's consider what God has already fought and won for our salvation. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14 says, "...inasmuch then, as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same." It's referring to Jesus Christ, the fact that he came in the flesh, and he lived in the flesh, and he died in the flesh, and he understands what it means to be human, what it means to struggle in the flesh, what it means to experience loss in the flesh, what it means to go through pain and death, ultimately, in the flesh. But he did it for a purpose.

He himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Understand our victory is already secured. Our victory is already secured. It's not like we're called into a relationship with God in the hopes of one day securing and receiving a victory. No, the answer is that we are already recipients of that victory today because Christ, our Passover, has died for us already. He has led captivity captive already. He has defeated Satan the devil already, and he has set us free from bondage by God's mercy already. Brethren, the victory of our salvation and what needs to take place to win that victory in terms of what God would do has been done. But we have to look to Him in faith, and we have to do our part if we're going to embrace the victory for ourselves. So if we're going to reach the promised land, we have to move and the cloud moves. We have to go forward when He says go forward. We have to march around the city when He says march. We have to shout when He says shout. But understand the battle is already won. We must do our part, though, faithfully to embrace the victory, never turning our hearts back to Egypt again.

So often we have God's people struggle with challenges as we come up to the Passover in the days of Unleavened Bread, and it seems like so often during this time of the year, again, we talk, and I know what a number of you have faced in recent times. And it's not a surprise. It's not a mystery. The fact that this time of the year in the run-up seems to be, shall we just say, extra intense.

We have an adversary who hates these days, an adversary who does not want to admit defeat. You know, God has bound Satan in your life already. I've discussed that on the day of Atonement. He is bound. He has no more leeway than God would allow him, and frankly, we can bind Satan in his influence today by resisting him and drawing close to God.

But see, he still thinks he's important, and he wants you to think he's important. And he wants you to come up to the Passover in the days of Unleavened Bread, somehow feeling defeated already, because these are days of victory, but not for him. He'd like you to be as miserable as he is and as defeated as he is, and to come up to the Passover feeling, I'm not somehow worthy. None of us are worthy, but Jesus Christ died for us anyway. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And as enemies of God, he sent his only begotten Son for us.

So it's not a matter of worthiness. It's a matter of God's love, and he wants us to partake of the Passover and the blessings, and he wants us to see this day as a victory, not as a burden. These days are about victory. So when we come to God's Word, we can't escape the reality that he has already defeated the power of Satan in our lives, and that challenge that he may seek to stir up is real, but understand he has already lost.

There's nothing you need to fear. Again, you can go to the book of Revelation, and this is all future forward, looking from our perspective. From God's perspective, it's as good as done. Again, we just have to walk through the process, and what he's looking to see from us is, will we faithfully follow and obey and embrace that victory for ourselves?

He's led captivity captive, and he gives gifts to men, and salvation is that gift. And now God and Jesus Christ stand ready to offer aid to those who are the heirs of salvation. Verse 16, still in Hebrews chapter 2, says, for indeed he does not give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

And for in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. And that is you and I, right? We struggle, we stumble, but we can cry out to God for help. And he gives us aid through the power of his Holy Spirit, and the Son Jesus Christ at his right hand gives us aid as our high priest, our intercessor, as one who actually lived this life in the flesh, and knows intimately what it is that we struggle with.

They help us to embrace the victory which has already been won long before you and I ever came on the scene. God the Father and Jesus Christ have done their part to ensure our salvation, but we have to do our part again to embrace that victory. First John chapter 5 verse 1. First John 5 and verse 1. Let's understand the importance that our faith plays in truly following God and receiving what it is he has to give us. First John chapter 5 and verse 1, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, right, the anointed one who was sent, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves him, who begot, also loves him who is begotten of him.

By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and we keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. You see, we still have our part to play in this as well.

Even though the victory has been won, we absolutely must faithfully do our part. Verse 4, for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Our faith. God has won the victory, but the part we play that makes the victory ours that allows us to overcome the world and follow the cloud and follow the fire and go forward when he says to go forward and march around when he says to march and shout when he says to shout is our faith. It's the looking to God and trusting. If we do our part, he's working out the details.

Indeed, this battle is won from the beginning. Jesus Christ slain from the foundation of the world. Adversary was, frankly, defeated before he ever got a start, but the process had to take place for the point of our salvation. So this is faith we're talking about here, brethren, and it must be exercised. If you didn't paint the lamb's blood on your doorpost for the Passover in Egypt, you didn't embrace the victory, and your firstborn then was dead. When the cloud led the way through the parted Red Sea, if you didn't follow, you didn't embrace the victory, and the result would have been you died on the Egypt side of the shore. And if you have not come under the waters of baptism to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you have not yet embraced the victory.

You're still in your sins, and the wages of sin is death. God says, I've won the victory for you. My son has come and died. The adversary is defeated. Wrap your arms around this victory. Come in the covenant with your God, and then follow him faithfully until the end, and the victory will be yours. That's what these days of unleavened bread portray, walking out of spiritual Egypt unleavened with the victory in hand, following God's lead to the Promised Land.

Verse 4 again, first John chapter 5 and verse 4. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? So we understand there is salvation in no other, and there's no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved. And we must look to that sacrifice and embrace that sacrifice.

Jesus Christ died on the Passover so that we can have victory over sin and death, but brethren, he did not stay dead. And this is another part of the victory of these days of unleavened bread. Jesus Christ did not stay dead. He was in the grave for three days and three nights, and his father resurrected him unto life, unto a glorified existence. And he said, Restore to me the glory I had with you before the world was. And his father brought him forth after three days and three nights. And this is another part of the victory, again, which took place during these days, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let's go to Luke chapter 24 in verse 1.

Luke 24, verse 1, says, Now on the first of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb, bringing spices which they had prepared. Remember, they quickly put the body of Jesus in the tomb because sunset was coming, and it was going to be the beginning of the high holy day, the first day of unleavened bread. So now, some time has passed. They've come back now in the first of the week. And verse 2, it says, But they found that the stone rolled away from the tomb, and they went in, and they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. This is then a couple of angels that have come to deliver a message. Verse 5, And as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? For he is not here, but is risen. He's risen.

And if you've been out and about in recent times, if you went out on Sunday, you probably saw a lot of churches because they had their Easter sunrise services, and a lot of church signs would say, He is risen. Okay, that is true. He is risen. But let's understand as well, it is his father who resurrected him from the grave. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob glorified his servant Jesus. It was prophesied, and it was fulfilled, and he is risen. And sometimes in our culture, in our society around us, he is risen as sort of like, well, he had the power and brought himself forward. But in the grave, he was truly dead, and relied fully on the deliverance his father would bring. But again, the victory was decided long before the events even took place. But he, again, is risen. Verse 6, he's not here, but he is risen. Remember how he spoke to you. I mean, he was still in Galilee saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again, and they remembered his words. You know, the concept here of a resurrection from the dead, it's not completely unique. They saw Christ resurrect Lazarus from the dead. The Psalm resurrect others from the dead. But frankly, the concept of a resurrection from the dead into a glorified, now spiritual existence was unique. This was a birth, if we can say, a first kind of a birth of this kind, into the glorified likeness of God from the flesh in the grave, resurrected into the likeness of God. So when it says Christ is risen, this is more than just he's received now back his life. No, he has transformed into the likeness of God through the resurrection. As we understand, during the days of 11 bread, he ascended into the presence of the Father in heaven to be accepted as the first of the firstfruits. And that points back to the wave sheaf of the Old Testament. The wave sheaf offering on the day after the Sabbath which falls within the days of 11 bread, when that first shock of grain was cut and lifted up and waved before God, the wave sheaf offering pointed to Jesus Christ, the first of the firstfruits to be accepted by God. He ascended into the heavens and was accepted. So the question then for us, brethren, is what significance does Jesus Christ's resurrection... what does that play in our victory?

Because this is a multifaceted victory, multi-layered. He died. That is a victory through his death that we achieve, but he did not stay dead. And the fullness of our victory comes to the fact as well that he lives. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3. What is the significance of his resurrection in our victory? 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 3, Apostle Paul writing, and he says, For I deliver to you, first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. It was all prophesied, and he fulfilled it by God's power working according to the prophecies. Verse 5, and that he was seen by Cephas and by the twelve. Jumping down to verse 12, it says, Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there's no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty also. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that he has raised up Christ, whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise.

For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, notice, brethren, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. You can't embrace that victory if Jesus Christ still remains in the grave. If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Verse 18, Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. And everybody that's in the grave, that's the end of the story.

Nothing further to come if Jesus Christ was not raised in victory.

in victory during these days of, as we celebrate, unleavened bread.

Verse 19, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

And so the resurrection of Jesus Christ during the days of unleavened bread is a magnificent victory, because although we're reconciled to God by his death, we are saved by his life.

And the full completeness of the victory that God has won long before you and I came on the scene was brought to fruition through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then you would not be truly unleavened.

Right? You're still in your sins. If Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, then he could not live in you, that unleavened bread helping you day by day to overcome. He would not be the bread of life if he did not live. But we partook of him each day during this feast, and it portrays his living life in us by God's Spirit. If Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, you have no high priests making intercession for you at the right hand of God. So, brethren, our eternal salvation and our unleavened lives today very much depends on the victory of the resurrected Christ who lives and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He had to live to send us the Holy Spirit, and he had to live in order to be the resurrection and the life who will raise us up at the last day.

That is indeed the promise in the Word of God. Without a risen Savior, we would be doomed.

We would be in our sins. There would be no victory. But indeed now the victory has been won, and God has called us to embrace that, to look to him in faith, and to follow his lead because indeed his Son lives. Verse 20, 1 Corinthians 15, but now Christ is risen from the dead, and he has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by men came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order Christ the firstfruits. So, you know, understand even this word firstfruits by implication means there will be more fruits. This is the first fruit unto resurrection, but there are more to follow. He was not the only fruit, but he is the firstfruits.

Each one in his own order Christ the firstfruits. Afterward those who are Christ at his coming.

Jesus told his disciples in John chapter 14 and verse 19, he said, because I live you will live also. Because I live you will live also. It's the promise of what God will yet do as we embrace by and through resurrection our ultimate victory. Jesus Christ said, I have achieved the victory, but not only mine, it will be yours as well. Because I live you will live also. And that is the guarantee, that is the promise that God has resurrected his son from the grave, and indeed he lives. As we continue through 1 Corinthians chapter 15, it bears out the reality of this victory in our lives, ultimately yet to come, ultimately in victory to be as he is. Because when he is revealed we shall see him as he is. Because we will be as he is. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 54. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and that's what Christ did, right? Through his resurrection, put on incorruption, put on glory. When this corruptible is put on incorruption, and this mortal is put on immortality. Let me back up, I apologize. Verse 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible is put on incorruption, and his mortal is put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in... Finish the sentence for me, please. Victory.

Death is swallowed up in victory. It is a victory, brethren. Verse 55. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, or the grave, where is your victory? It has none. The grave has no victory over the people of God. It will not contain the people of God. Jesus said, because I live, you will live also. Verse 56. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So God has already, brethren, won the victory for us. He has already defeated Satan through Jesus Christ. He's already defeated sin and death and the penalty of death through Jesus Christ. And what this is telling us as well is that God has already defeated the power of the grave through Jesus Christ. And because he lives, we will live as well. And that indeed will be a great victory, not only for us, but all of mankind. It's a victory, frankly, that starts with the Passover and the Daisel and Leavened Bread and carries through in symbolism and type all throughout God's holy day plan. Indeed, the victory starts here. So just like the victories at the Passover in Egypt, just like the victory at the Red Sea, just like Jericho, God has already secured this victory for us long before we were ever born, long before we came on the scene. Jesus Christ slain from the foundation of the world the prophecies of David, you will not leave his soul in Hades. You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. It is a victory that has been won for us already by God the Father through Jesus Christ. And what it requires is for us to continue to do our part in faith. Stand still when he says, stand still. Go forward when he says, go forward. Circle and march around when he says to march around and shout when he says to shout. Respond to God in faith according to his commandments and his word. And indeed, you will embrace the victory.

But again, we must do our part. Verse 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, he says, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain in the Lord. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Your faith will bring this victory to your life. The victory that has been won the way to the promised land is open and God is leading the way. We merely must respond in faith, never turning our hearts back to Egypt. So Paul says, it's worth the effort. It's worth the effort crossing hundreds of miles of desert to the promised land. It's worth the effort of walking through the sea that God has opened before us.

It's worth the effort of marching around the city, of facing the giants, of whatever it is in your life that is the challenge physically, maybe, or maybe even the challenge of your faith. Know the victory has already been won, and it is worth the effort, Paul says. It's worth the effort, and our work in the Lord is not in vain. Brethren, the Passover and the days of 11 bread are days of victory. God's greatest works of salvation have taken place through these days, and because of that, the sum total of these days are all about our life, not our death. These are days are about our righteousness, and the righteousness God imputes to us, not our sin.

These days are about our victory, not our defeat. As we wrap up the days of 11 bread again for this year, let's rejoice in knowing that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, and that the victory is indeed ours. It was won by God the Father and Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, but it has been extended to us in our time today. God says, I go before you, I lead you, and there may be obstacles, there may be challenges, and frankly, there may be some of us who die in the faith before we see in full fruition the revealing of this victory, but understand the victory is won. When God says, stand still, stand still.

And He says, go forward, move forward. And when He says, to march, you march. And He says, to shout, you shout. And brethren, the promised land before us indeed will be the victory that we will realize because it is His gift. And my prayer for each and every one of us is that we will indeed be victorious in faith to the very end. Have a wonderful remainder of the days of Unleavened Breath.