Meeting: Easter Sunday
Date: 5th April, 2026
Message: The Reality of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus
Minister: Pastor Laide Olaniyan
The very thought of Easter is a victory. Science has done a lot to erase the memory of Christ. Christmas was substituted for a holiday season of Father Christmas and Santa Claus, while Easter was substituted with Easter eggs and bunnies. If we are not careful, we will have a generation that does not know the resurrected Christ. We also must not get too spiritual to not celebrate, so that a generation that is cut off from the knowledge of God won’t arise. Our being too spiritual will deemphasize some of the pillars that hold the faith together.
There is an attempt in the world to beat down the reality of the truth of Jesus and paint Him as a fictional character. No fictional superhero saved anyone with their blood, but Jesus did. This attempt to downplay Jesus is to beat away the true reality of Jesus from our hearts.
The message of the cross is not fictional. Even though fiction about it is being painted to us through movies, we must be able to set forth Jesus as evidently crucified.
(Galatians 3:1) — O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Jesus was not crucified in Galatia but in Golgotha, but Paul preached Jesus so much that Jesus was evidently set forth; it became palpable to the Galatians; they saw His crucifixion and resurrection.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ) — Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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: — These are irrefutable pillars of the gospel. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected, all according to the scriptures. If any part of this pillar is missing or tampered with, then our gospel is void, and the whole framework of the Christian faith has been altered. Each one of these things has eternal significance and consequences.
We must come to the realization of not just Jesus’s death, but also His resurrection.
(1 Corinthians 15:5-12) — And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
The whole fabric of our faith rests on the truth that Jesus rose again.
(1 Corinthians 15:13-17) — But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Jesus’s death alone did not solely deal with the matter of sin. Reconciliation is not complete by death; it is complete by this life. If he did not rise from the dead, then the matter of reconciliation from sin would not have been dealt with. Jesus rose for a purpose, He rose into a ministry and for an essence.
(Romans 5:7-10) — For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Being reconciled is of more significance by his resurrection; there is greater reconciliation in His life than in His death. We believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, but there is a greater ministry. If Jesus did not rise, the issue of death can never be finished. Scripture says He ever liveth to make intercessions for us, which means He is still handling the issue of sin (Hebrews 7:25).
This doesn’t make the powers of the death on the cross inefficacious; it’s powerful, but it is the beginning of the work; the foundation for what He is going to be doing in His life. There is a reason Jesus is alive, there is a ministry He is fulfilling, and there is a reason the church is rejoicing. Jesus is raised to become a minister of what He has become to His body.
(Ephesians 1:19-21) — And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
The resurrected Christ was exalted above every name. There are names in this world and names in the world to come, but every name has been brought under His feet, and He has been made the head over all things to the church, which is His body.
(Ephesians 5:22-23) — “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
The church is the body; we are not yet a part of the church before we are born again. The church still needs to be saved. The reason He was made head of the church is so that he can minister salvation to the body. This is the essence of resurrection; He was made so high, not only in this world but in the world to come, so that He can minister all that He has become to His body.
(Ephesians 5:24-27) — Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The church is not yet glorious. This is a lesson for every husband; headship is taking the role of a saviour and a lover; it is to be a washman, one who can cleanse the body by the giving of himself. Being a washman over your wife is not only about giving gifts, but also about giving and laying down your life for her.
(Romans 8:27-32) — And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God gave all things, and also gave Himself. This is a pattern for husbands. God expects us to give all things alongside ourselves. Indeed, ourselves and everything. The most important thing a husband can give his wife is himself; we should give ourselves even to the shedding of blood. The reason why many wives have not been changing is that the husband has not been poured forth as an offering. There is no wife that cannot be washed or changed if the right sacrifices are made. What God instructs is for us to empty ourselves of our preferences, choices, and everything, in abandonment to our wives.
Resurrection was what raised Jesus to be the head over the church; His body. If he didn’t rise, He wouldn’t be able to save the body, or purify and cleanse it to present it blameless. This is the role of Jesus as the head of the church. It’s His present-day work. Jesus today is still labouring to raise a glorious church. It is His labour to see the Church in Revelation 21:2 arise. So while we are celebrating, Jesus desires that a church will arise. We should think of the labour of Jesus over our lives as members of the church, and His desire to raise a holy and blameless church.
(Hebrews 7:23-25) — And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
He continueth ever, He died and rose again, and His priesthood continues. Death did not limit Him; resurrection happened. Because of this continuity, He is able to save us to the uttermost. His intercessory ministry as the living Son of God is to save us to the uttermost; it is an ongoing work. To save to the uttermost is that He is able to bring us to the end of faith; we are able to experience the salvation of our souls; we will be able to end up like God is saved, this is Jesus’ ministry as the resurrected lord.
Jesus doesn’t just want to save us; He also cares for our natural life; He wants to take care of us. In the same vein, as husbands, we should love, cherish, and nourish our wives. A husband should be a raised man; a resurrected being. Caring for a wife is not giving her money alone; it is giving time, presence, affection, loving her more than your business, giving her confidence that she knows you’ve got her back. Loving her is knowing the rhythm and timing of heaven over her per season, and helping her receive all the resources and allocations of God for her per time. This is why Husbands should be spiritual, so they can know how to discern seasons of God upon the wives according to the timing of heaven. If a husband doesn’t want to know Jesus, he cannot truly care. He would do things based on pure natural and human emotions, which would only lead to death.
Resurrection made Jesus head to save the body. While He is saving the body, He is tender, He nourishes and cherishes the body. Even though the church is not perfect, He still loves and cherishes; He does not hate the body. He is able to overlook our faults and inadequacies and still believe the best in us.
(1 Corinthians 15:20-21) — But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Everyone who rose from the dead still died again. However, Jesus rose from the dead to die no more. It will take Eternity to fully unravel what Jesus did for us. In this time, God wants us to run with this consciousness so that, by any means, we can come into the fullness that God has for us.
(Philippians 3:9-11) — And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
What Paul was praying for here isn’t the resurrection of the last trumpet. At the last trump, everyone will rise, both righteous and unrighteous. It’s not an attainment. But there is a resurrection Paul wants to attain by any means. This is a resurrection to come into while being alive. He wanted to experience the power of resurrection.
(Ephesians 1:19-20) — And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, — God wrought a power which raised Christ from the dead, exalted Hil above all powers and names, in the present and world to come.
(Ephesians 6:10-12) — Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. — We haven’t been raised above principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in heavenly places. If we have, we won’t still need to wrestle against them. Christ has been raised above them all. There is a resurrection we can attain that can exalt us above this cadre of spirits. There is a reason why Paul was labouring to attain resurrection — (Philippians 3:10) — That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
The power that raised Jesus is what every believer should know (Eph 1:19). Jesus had risen above principalities and powers before his death. (John 3:12-13) — If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? [13] And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
To ascend into heaven isn’t a physical catching. Enoch and Elijah were caught up, but they did not ascend. “But Jesus had arisen, and was the Son of man which is in heaven. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25).
Paul had attained some resurrections, but he wanted more. He wanted to know the full power of resurrection. There are powers that can raise us above the earth.
Jesus has ascended, but He is working to make us experience a resurrection above these things. This was Paul’s prayer, to attain unto the resurrection of the dead.