Easter 2026: He Is Risen! | Pastor Shawn Johnson Sermon

Devotional

Day 1: The First Tree: Sin, Shame, and Death Entered

Before humanity's first choice, there was perfect, unbroken relationship with God. There was no shame, no hiding, and no fear of being unworthy. But a decision was made at a tree to distrust God's word and choose a different path. This single choice introduced sin, shame, and death into our world, separating us from our Creator and leaving us with a deep sense of unworthiness. This is the legacy of the first tree. [17:25]

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Romans 5:12 (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you most often feel the need to hide from God, as if you are not good enough to approach Him? What would it look like to acknowledge that this feeling of shame originated from that first tree, not from God's heart for you?

Day 2: The Second Tree: Jesus Conquered Sin and Shame

God’s response to our sin and shame was not condemnation, but a profound gift. He sent His Son, Jesus, to a second tree—the cross. There, Jesus willingly took the full weight of our sin upon Himself, paying the price we could never pay. His sacrifice was the ultimate act of love, conquering the power of sin and breaking the chains of shame that had bound humanity since the first tree. [25:35]

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

Reflection: Is there a specific sin or failure from your past that you continue to hold onto, allowing it to produce shame and keep you from God? What would it look like today to truly accept that Jesus’s work on the second tree has fully paid for it and set you free?

Day 3: The Gift of Forgiveness and New Identity

Forgiveness and a new identity are not something we earn through our own goodness; they are a gift received by faith. When we confess our sins and put our trust in Jesus, God is faithful to forgive us and purify us completely. We are declared righteous, not because of our own record, but because of Christ’s. In God’s eyes, we are a new creation, our old life gone and a new life begun. [27:06]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Reflection: How does your life look different when you operate from the truth of your new identity in Christ, rather than from the old narrative of your past mistakes?

Day 4: Living Free from Condemnation

Because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Him. This is a permanent state of being, not a fluctuating feeling. Satan’s strategy is to use shame to make us hide from God, just as he did in the beginning. But we have a choice: we can either agree with the accuser’s lies or stand on the truth of God’s Word, which declares we are free. [29:08]

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can “take captive” a thought of shame or condemnation this week and replace it with the truth of Romans 8:1?

Day 5: The Eternal Tree: A Future Free from the Curse

The story of the Bible is bookended by trees. It begins with humanity losing access to the tree of life and ends with that access being gloriously restored. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, built a bridge from the brokenness of the first tree to the eternal promise of the last. He is the only way to a future where every tear is wiped away, and we live forever in perfect relationship with God. [41:17]

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2 (ESV)

Reflection: How does the promise of a future with no more curse, pain, or shame—a future with the eternal tree of life—change your perspective on the challenges you are facing today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection form the hinge of redemptive history: one tree in Eden introduced sin, shame, and death, and another tree—the cross—reversed that curse. The narrative contrasts two decisive moments and two men: Adam’s choice at the first tree opened the world to condemnation, while Christ’s obedience at the second tree purchased justification, forgiveness, and life. Scripture frames the cross as God’s just and loving solution—sin required penalty, and God paid it through his Son so justice and mercy could meet. Faith and confession unlock that payment; believing sinners receive immediate forgiveness and a new standing before God, not because of moral improvement but because Christ’s righteousness covers them.

Shame functioned as the first and most insidious consequence of the Fall, driving humans to hide and avoid God. The power of shame still works to keep people from community, service, prayer, and the very grace that heals. Yet the redemptive story does not stop at the cross: the Bible bookends humanity with trees—the lost tree of Eden and the restored tree of life in Revelation—and places the cross as the bridge between them. That bridge invites a choice: God will not coerce love, but he has provided the path back to unashamed intimacy and eternal life.

Practical implications emerge clearly. Believers must choose which tree governs daily thought—replaying past failures or centering on Christ’s finished work—and actively reject shame that masquerades as humility. The gospel also calls each person into the local, embodied life of faith where purpose, accountability, and transformation grow. The resurrection proves Christ’s authority to forgive, sanctify, and restore; it reassures sinners that God’s plan moves from brokenness toward a healed eternity for all who entrust themselves to him.

Key Takeaways

1. Sin entered at one tree Sin began with a single, decisive choice that introduced moral guilt, relational shame, and the prospect of eternal separation. That event explains why brokenness persists in human life and why moral effort alone cannot erase the penalty of sin. Understanding this origin resists simplistic self-improvement schemes and points to the need for a solution that addresses guilt, not just behavior. [09:22]
2. Jesus built the bridge The cross functions as a legal and relational bridge: justice met mercy when Christ bore sin and rose again, proving authority to reconcile sinners to God. This act changes a person’s standing instantly—righteousness is imputed, not earned—so identity becomes a gift, not a performance. The resurrection validates that the bridge works and invites people to cross by faith. [42:58]
3. Shame aims to keep away Shame pressures people to hide, isolate, and avoid the very grace that heals, often masquerading as humility or realism. Recognizing shame’s tactics allows a conscious refusal to let it determine spiritual decisions or attendance in community. Freedom begins when confession replaces concealment and when truth about forgiveness shapes daily thoughts. [20:48]
4. Receive the gift by faith Salvation operates as a received gift: confession and trust in Christ bring immediate forgiveness and a new standing before God. This reception is not moral rehabilitation prior to acceptance but the means by which ongoing change becomes possible. Choosing to believe rewires identity and opens access to God’s mercy and grace. [25:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - Resurrection: Proof and Proclamation
[03:40] - The First Easter Eyewitness
[04:46] - Imperfect People, Welcomed Community
[08:14] - Romans 5: The Big Picture
[09:22] - Two Men, Two Trees
[15:29] - Eden’s Choice and Its Cost
[21:45] - Sin, Shame, and Death Defined
[23:40] - But God: The Gift of Life
[25:58] - How to Receive the Gift
[39:56] - Three Trees: Genesis to Revelation
[42:58] - The Cross as the Bridge
[43:29] - Prayer and Invitation
[47:26] - Song: The Lord Is With Me

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Romans 5:18-19 (ESV)
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Observation questions

According to Romans 5:18, what was the result of one trespass and what is the result of one righteous act?
What two men are being contrasted in these verses and what specific action did each one take?
The sermon described shame as "the first and most insidious consequence of the Fall" [20:48]. What was the first thing Adam and Eve did after they sinned, according to Genesis 3:8?
What does 1 John 1:9 promise will happen if we confess our sins?

Interpretation questions

Why is it significant that our standing before God changes instantly through faith in Christ's work, not through our own moral improvement?
The sermon stated that "shame pressures people to hide, isolate, and avoid the very grace that heals" [20:48]. Why does shame have this isolating effect, and how does it masquerade as something else like humility?
How does the resurrection of Jesus prove that His sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to pay the penalty for sin and grant eternal life?
The concept of the "tree of life" appears in both Genesis and Revelation. What does this tell us about God's ultimate plan for humanity from the beginning to the end of the biblical story?

Application questions

What does it look like practically to "replay past failures" versus "center on Christ’s finished work" in your daily thought life? Which one do you find yourself doing more often?
In what specific area of your life do you most often feel the urge to "hide" from God or others because of shame [20:48]? What would it look like to take a step out of hiding this week?
The gift of salvation is received, not earned. How can you remind yourself this week that your identity is a gift from God, not a performance to maintain?
The local church is described as a place where "purpose, accountability, and transformation grow." What is one practical way you can engage more deeply in community to experience this?
If "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1), what is one old thought or lie you need to stop rehearsing and replace with this truth?
The bridge to God was built by Jesus at the cross. Who is one person in your life that needs to hear this message, and how can you share it with them this week?

Sermon Clips

33s

#ChooseJesusFreedom

“Sin, shame, death, it's real. But it doesn't have to be for us. We can choose Jesus. But the same thing that happened in the garden, God says, love you enough. I won't force you to choose me. I won't force you to love me. I won't force you to wanna do life with me. But if you choose, if you put your faith in Jesus, if you just repent of your sins and let the gift take over, I'll forgive your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. I will take away that shame. There will be no more condemnation.”

28s

#JesusPaidThePrice

“And so he says, I don't want you to pay for it. I'll send my own son and I'll let him pay for it. Our sins were never ignored. They were nailed to the cross. Jesus bore our sins for us on the cross and understand this church, sin may have entered the world on the first tree through Adam, but sin was conquered for the world on the second tree through Jesus.”

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Easter 2026: He Is Risen! | Pastor Shawn Johnson Sermon | Red Rocks Church