Pastor Luther Walker teaches on Resurrection Sunday, emphasizing that it is not Easter, which mixes pagan elements like bunnies and eggs into Christianity. He focuses on the biblical truth that Christ was raised from the dead. He explains the precise timing of events: Christ died on Wednesday, spent three full days and three nights in the grave (fulfilling Matthew 12:40 and Jonah), and rose before sunrise on Sunday. This aligns with the Jewish calendar that year, featuring a high Sabbath on Thursday (start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) and a regular workday on Friday, avoiding the common error of a Friday crucifixion that cannot yield three days and three nights.
The sermon traces the final week: Jesus’ triumphal entry on a donkey fulfilling Zechariah 9, which Israel failed to recognize despite clear prophecies (Micah 5:2 on Bethlehem, 2 Samuel 7 on the Davidic throne, Psalms 2 on ruling the nations, Daniel 9:26 on the Messiah being cut off). He details the betrayal by Judas (motivated by greed, with Satan entering him), the agony in the Garden, the illegal nighttime trial before Annas and Caiaphas, the morning council where Jesus declared “I am the I AM,” the trials before Pilate and Herod, and the crucifixion on Wednesday.
Pastor Walker explains the two deaths on the cross—spiritual separation from the Father (the single stripe of Isaiah 53, three hours of darkness) paying for Adam’s trespass, followed by physical death and the shedding of blood for remission of sins—fulfilling Isaiah 53. He notes the veil tearing, burial before sunset Wednesday, the high Sabbath Thursday, spice preparation Friday, weekly Sabbath Saturday, and resurrection Sunday morning. He highlights that before Christ, all went to Sheol/Hades (with paradise for the righteous), and Christ’s body saw no corruption.
The message concludes with the gospel from 1 Corinthians 15: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day according to the Scriptures. Salvation is by grace through faith alone—believing God’s word, not works, repentance for salvation, or any exchange. The resurrection provides overwhelming evidence of these truths.
