He Is Not Here — He Is Risen

He is Not Here – Easter Sunday 2026 As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday and baptisms, we began at the Last Supper on Thursday, continued through to Good Friday street service, and now we come to the resurrection.

Mark 15.37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. 38Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. 42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

44Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.

45So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

46Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.

And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid. 1Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

2Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.

5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen!

He is not here.

See the place where they laid Him .

7But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him , as He said to you.”] Crucifixion and Baptism For those getting baptised today, let’s relate some of the events of the crucifixion to the baptism.

1- Jesus breathed His last, the role of the suffering servant, the Lamb of God and the effects of the crucifixion had been fulfilled and finished.

The past has been cut off .

For those getting baptised, before you are plunged into the water.

You must also take your last breath as Chirst did and die to your old life in your heart.

Then to be risen in the newness of life, a life led by the Spirit of God. 2- The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Showing that the way to God was opened.

Christ, the perfect and sinless Lamb, fulfilled the requirements of the law.

Because of this, we are no longer under condemnation, and the record of our sin, the handwriting that was against us has been nailed to the cross.

Col 2.11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism , in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses , 14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.

And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross .

15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.]

Deliverance 3- Make Sure to Die A Tomb Death Joseph of Arimathea handled the body of Christ. Jesus was not appearing dead.

He was truly dead.

He took Him down, wrapped Him in fine linen, and laid Him in a tomb cut out of rock.

A stone was rolled against the entrance.

Sealed.

This was not symbolic .

This was real.

Christ was certifiably dead.

And this speaks directly to us. Just as He truly died, we are called to a real death , a death to the old life, the old nature, the old ways.

Not half-hearted.

Not temporary.

But crucified with Him .

A tomb represents finality.

No return.

No going back.

The old life is laid down and left behind.

We don’t just die with Christ, we are buried with Him… and then raised to walk in the newness of life. 4- He is Not Here And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side ; and they were alarmed.

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth , who was crucified.

He is risen!

He is not here.

See the place where they laid Him.

7But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him , as He said to you.” Transformation – You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified— He is not here, for He is risen.

The same Jesus is now revealed in power, His true identity as the Son of God made known to all.

And for us it is the same. We are transformed. From the old life to a new creation. Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, we are no longer what we were.

Old people may come looking for you.

They may call your name from the past.

They may remind you of who you used to be.Your old mindset will speak.

Old thoughts will try to return.

Old habits will knock at the door.

But you must answer “That person is not here.” Just as it was said of Christ— “He is not here, for He is risen.”

You are not that person anymore.

You have been raised with Christ.You are now a son.

You are now a daughter of God.

Stand firm in the truth Do not be drawn back into your old identity.

Your transformation is not defined by what others say or believe, but by what Christ has done on the cross and how you now choose to live.

Finish 2 Cor 5.17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.