Scriptures: Matthew 27:15-26, 28:5-6, Romans 1:4, 3:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:10, Galatians 3:13, Hebrews 10:1-4, Genesis 3:15

For literally thousands of years the people of Israel were searching--waiting--for a warrior. They expected this warrior to come and not only defeat Satan, but take over this world and usher in a kingdom where Israel would be restored to their rightful place as the dominate nation on the planet. God did send that Warrior in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. To Israel's great shock and surprise, this warrior would not fight the battle, nor would He finish the war by killing, but rather by dying. When you understand why Jesus died on the cross and what happened after His death on the cross, then you understand why only He could be the Warrior. Only He could give every one of us the ability to win our war over the two greatest problems this world faces: sin and death. In this Easter Sunday message, Dr. Merritt shares the unique and powerful message of Christ, the Warrior--the one who rose.

"You cannot go to heaven by being a good person, because you will never be good enough. You can’t earn your way to heaven by being religious; you will never be religious enough. You can’t pay your way to heaven; there is not money enough, because God doesn’t grade on the curve. He grades on the cross. It is not just any cross, but the cross of the warrior who rises." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: warrior, battle, Jesus, Savior, cross, resurrection, Easter, risen, life, death, rise, risen, wrestling, Barabbas, substitute