Remember: Jesus is alive and still at work

Introduction

On the cross, Jesus cried out: "It is finished." Then he gave up his spirit. The tomb is empty, he is risen, and this victory is not a distant memory to celebrate once a year. This Easter Sunday, the sermon at Hillsong Paris calls for a recalibration: to constantly remember that Jesus is alive, that his Word, his ways, and his works are still at work in your life today.

Message Outline

1.It is finished: the victory of the cross

In John 19:30, Jesus declares "It is finished" and gives up his spirit. It is not we who take his life from him, he gives it for us.
This word was the one servants pronounced at the end of their task. Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, accomplished exactly the mission the Father had entrusted to him.
Just as the priest presented the blood of the lamb on the mercy seat, Jesus presents himself before the Father: the debt is paid, everything is satisfied, nothing remains to be added.
It is a turning point: the passage from the old to the new covenant. Jesus conquered everything, death has been defeated, the tomb is empty.

2.Remember: recalibrate to the resurrection

At the last meal, in Luke 22, Jesus encourages his disciples to remember him. "Remember" is not just recalling a past event, it is constantly recalibrating your life to what God has accomplished.
At the tomb, the women are told: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen. Remember what he told you" (Luke 24).
The resurrection is not a distant historical moment, it is a powerful God who wants to act today, in your Monday, in your Tuesday, in your daily life.
Perhaps you have let challenges occupy all your thoughts. Today, the power of the resurrection wants to take its place in what you are living through.

3.Remember his Word

The Word of God instructs you, guides you, speaks over your future, and gives you hope. Perhaps you have let other voices speak louder than his.
On the morning of the resurrection, the women needed to remember what Jesus had announced. He did what he said he would do.
When others were walking away, Peter answered Jesus: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
His Word lifts you up, sets you free, gives you a future. These are words to declare every day over your life.

4.Remember his ways

Hebrews 13:7 exhorts: "Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
In Isaiah 55, God says that his ways are above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. This is not to say they are out of reach, but to invite us to draw closer to them.
In Hebrews 12, it says that Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. He saw the situation differently.
On the cross, in Luke 23:34, he did not say "Father, forgive me," but "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." No bitterness, only forgiveness and love.
As Proverbs 14:12 reminds us, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Jesus reverses the order of things: he came to serve and to save.

5.Remember his works

When facing situations, we are often aware of what we cannot do. Remembering his works means remembering what God can do.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No tomb could hold him. He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, called his own into mission.
Today he still speaks to the storm, restores prostitutes, touches lepers, heals the blind, provides for the crowd, delivers from fear, from anger, from rejection, from failure, from fear of the future.
In 2 Timothy 2:8, Paul writes to Timothy: "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, according to my gospel." This is not a historical fact to file away in a drawer, it is the daily presence of a living Savior.

6.Holy Communion and the road to Emmaus

In Luke 24, two disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus. Jesus approaches and talks with them, but they do not recognize him. Their hearts were burning while he spoke to them.
When he breaks bread with them, their eyes are opened. They realize that the risen Lord is there.
The broken bread represents his body given for us. The cup represents his life, his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. "By his wounds we are healed."
Every time you take Communion, you proclaim the death of Christ until he returns. May your eyes be opened, like those of the Emmaus disciples, to the presence of the Risen One.

Key Takeaways

"It is finished" means the debt is entirely paid and the mission entirely fulfilled. You have nothing to add to the work of Christ.
Remembering Jesus is not a simple historical recollection, it is bringing his presence and his will into today's situation.
His Word speaks louder than the voices that try to bring you down. Receive his words of life, they set you free and give you a future.
His ways are not yours: the path that seems wide and easy is not always his. Choose the narrow path of service and forgiveness.
No tomb could hold him. He is alive, he is at work now, and he invites you to recalibrate your life to his resurrection.

Personal Application

What has Jesus accomplished for you on the cross that you are still trying to accomplish by your own strength?
What word of God do you need to remember today to recalibrate your thinking to his truth?
In what area are you choosing your own ways rather than God's? Where is the narrow path calling you today?
What work of God in the past can you remember to rekindle your faith in your present situation?
If you were taking Communion this morning, what situation would you entrust to the Risen One so that he acts now?

Cited Verses

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does "It is finished" that Jesus said on the cross mean?

The Greek word behind this statement (John 19:30) was used to say that a task was completely finished, that a debt had been entirely paid. On the cross, Jesus declares that the mission the Father entrusted to him is totally fulfilled: the sacrifice for sin is offered once for all, there is nothing to add to his work.

How does "remembering" the resurrection change my daily life?

Remembering, in the Bible, is not recalling a distant event, it is bringing into the present the reality of what God has done. Remembering the resurrection means letting the power of the Risen One act now on your thoughts, your situations, your fears. It is a recalibration: his victory becomes the filter through which you look at your week.

What if I want to invite Jesus into my life today?

At the end of the service, a simple prayer was offered to those who wished to receive Jesus. You can say it quietly: "Eternal Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins and risen to give me a new life. Today, Jesus, I accept you into my heart. I ask you for forgiveness for my sin and my past. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Help me to follow you all the days of my life. In the name of Jesus. Amen." Then, tell a Christian about it, open the Gospel of John, and join a local church.

to take notes and ask questions.