The King Is Alive | The Last Kingdom – Week 10 (Easter Sunday)

Every kingdom rises.
Every system promises.
Every life builds on something.

And eventually…

Everything we trust is tested.

Because history—and experience—keep proving the same truth:

Everything we build on our own eventually fails.

But Jesus made a different claim.

He didn’t just offer wisdom.
He didn’t just teach a better way to live.

He announced a kingdom that would never fall.

A kingdom not built on power, politics, or control—
but on His authority.

And then He did something no one expected.

He died.

Which should have ended the story.

But in Luke 24, everything is interrupted.

An empty tomb.
A message that changes everything:

“He is not here. He has risen.”

The resurrection wasn’t anticipated—
it disrupted every expectation.

Because the cross looked like defeat.

But it was never the end.

It was a divine interruption.

A moment where heaven stepped in and rewrote the outcome.

And that interruption validates everything Jesus ever said.

In Matthew 28, the risen Jesus declares:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Not influence.
Not inspiration.

Authority.

Because the resurrection isn’t just proof that Jesus lives—

It’s proof that He reigns.

1 Corinthians 15 calls Him the “firstfruits”—
the beginning of a kingdom that death itself cannot stop.

And Daniel 7 points even further back—
to a promised King whose dominion would never end.

This is the King who stands alive.

Which means…

Before the resurrection, you could debate Jesus.
After the resurrection, you have to decide about Him.

Because if He really rose—

Then He is not just a teacher.
Not just a Savior.

He is King.

And that leaves no room for neutrality.

This is where the tension becomes personal.

Because the greatest barrier to entering His kingdom
isn’t just sin we struggle with—

It’s control we don’t want to surrender.

Like the rich young ruler,
we can want what Jesus offers…

without wanting to release what we’re holding onto.

For him, it was wealth.

For us, it might be control.
Comfort.
Security.
Reputation.
Plans for our own lives.

But the resurrection confronts all of it.

Because if Jesus is alive—
then His kingdom is real.
His authority is final.
And His invitation requires a response.

Not just belief—

Allegiance.

So this Easter, we’re not just celebrating an empty tomb.

We’re standing in a moment of decision.

Because the King is alive—

And His kingdom still stands.

The question is no longer:

Do I believe this is true?

It’s:

What is he asking me to surrender?