He Is Risen (Easter Sunday 2026) | Benjamin Shanks

·20 min·2 clips

The preacher declares that because Jesus is risen, our sin is carried, debt cancelled, and powers defeated.

The episode is a sermon by Benjamin Shanks for Easter Sunday 2026 at NorthernLife Baptist Church. It opens with a declaration that Jesus is risen, linking this to themes of sin, debt, and defeat. Shanks explains the sermon will focus on the Gospel of John's account of the resurrection, noting its subdued nature compared to other Gospels, with no angels or earthquakes, just an empty tomb and folded clothes. He reflects on what Peter and John might have thought upon discovering the empty tomb, emphasizing John's belief. The sermon then transitions to discussing human struggles, termed 'it,' such as grief, fear, doubt, and regret, paralleling them with biblical characters: Mary's grief, the disciples' fear, Thomas's doubt, and Peter's regret. For each, Shanks highlights how Jesus appears and is present, offering comfort and second chances. He expands this to a broader theological framework, stating Jesus is risen, present through the Holy Spirit, and will return to make all things new. Shanks references a 2006 debate between atheist Richard Dawkins and Christian apologist John Lennox, where Dawkins criticized the resurrection as 'petty' and 'unworthy of the universe.' Shanks shares a personal anecdote about studying this debate in Bible college, expressing emotional reactions to Dawkins' words and countering with the hope the resurrection provides. He concludes by reiterating John's purpose for writing his Gospel—so readers may believe and have life—and ends with a prayer and call to worship. The sermon is structured as a narrative exposition of John 20-21, blending biblical analysis, personal reflection, and apologetics.

As heard by us

A pastoral Easter sermon on resurrection, doubt, regret, and hope after failure.

This Easter sermon begins in John 20 and treats the empty tomb as the central fact of Christian faith, then turns toward what the risen Jesus does for people carrying doubt, fear, and regret.

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Why you'd press play

You want Easter's central claim opened through John, with doubt and regret still allowed in the room.

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