Join us for a special Easter presentation from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. As we traverse through the narratives of the cross, we find ourselves immersed in the greatest story ever told – the story of hope, sacrifice, and salvation. Listen to this classic sermon from Billy Graham as he draws profound insights from Jesus’s journey to the cross and His victorious resurrection, providing a beacon of hope for a world yearning for security and redemption.
The following is a presentation of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He is not here. He is risen. That was the greatest news that the world has ever heard.
SPEAKER 02 :
Indeed it is. Happy Easter and welcome to this Billy Graham radio special, A Resurrection of Hope. I’m Jim Kirkland. The Bible says in Job 11, verses 18 and 19, that you will be secure because there is hope. You will look about you and take your rest in safety. Hope helps you feel secure. And when you wonder if you’ll ever feel secure in this world of uncertainty, Billy Graham has good news. The best step you can take toward hope is to look back at Jesus’s journey to the cross and ultimately to his resurrection. today we have two messages from billy graham that together will lead us along the path that jesus walked in order to find the hope that we can hold on to today we’ll also hear a few stories from the billy graham 24 7 prayer line stories of people who called and found that hope in jesus christ and she cried on this this call to the radio station letting them know that she just felt seen and she felt heard and loved If at any point while you’re listening to this program, you’d like to learn more about finding the hope you seek in Jesus Christ, we’re here for you. you can call the Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line at 855-255-PRAY. That’s 855-255-PRAY. Or if you’d rather, you can go online, get information and even engage in chat at findpeacewithgod.net. That’s findpeacewithgod.net. Now let’s listen to Billy Graham and his Easter message, A Resurrection of Hope.
SPEAKER 03 :
Among all the emblems of the world, none is admired, glorified, and worshiped as the cross. It was the instrument of Christ’s suffering and death, and it’s also the instrument of our salvation. There are four dimensions of the cross that I think about when I talk about it. I think about the breadth of the cross. God’s love extends to Africa, to Asia, to Latin America, to Russia, to China, to America, to Canada, to the whole world. It includes you, whoever you are, whatever your religion, or if you have no religion, God loves you, and He says from the cross, I love you. Then there’s the length of the cross. it has no measure it extends from eternity to eternity but how can you measure the end to end of god’s love in the cross the bible says paul said that god’s love surpasses knowledge there’s no way that our finite minds can even begin to understand the love of god that would give his son on the cross to die for you because you and i deserve that death we deserved hell and judgment And then I think of the height of the cross. It extends to the throne of God. It doesn’t matter how high heaven is. Through the cross, God draws all men to Him. How deep is it? The Bible says, oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. It can draw every sinner up to the exalted height of heaven. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me, said Jesus. Think of the cross a moment and think of His suffering for you and for me. And then I want us to look at the cross from another point of view. I want us to look at the sayings of Christ from the cross. There are 28 prophecies in the Old Testament about the cross, whole chapters. There’s Genesis 22 and Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 and Leviticus 16 that especially deal with the suffering of Christ on the cross hundreds and thousands of years before He ever went to the cross. And the first one comes from Psalm 22. Jesus was quoting scripture when he said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That’s a quote from Psalm 22. But then you go on a little bit further and you’ll see why he said it. Because the scripture says, Thou art God. You’ll never understand the Old Testament with all of its blood sacrifices. You’ll never understand the Bible. You’ll never understand the death of Christ on the cross till you understand that God is a holy and righteous and pure God, and He cannot even look upon evil. So in that terrible moment of the agony of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, He was lonely, forsaken by his friends. And then a shadow comes for the first time since eternity began between God the Father and God the Son. Because God cannot look upon sin because in that moment he was laying your sins and mine on Christ. And Christ was suffering for us. And in that mysterious moment, He was made to be sin for us who knew no sin. Do you know what that means? Made to be sin, had never known sin, never told a lie, never had an evil thought, never had any greed or lust. All of a sudden, all of that filth and dirt from your life and my life descended on Him. It was God’s great love for you that allowed His Son to take that suffering. And then the second thing from the cross that we hear is when he said, I thirst. And that’s a fulfillment of Psalm 69, 21. And when he said, I thirst, they gave him vinegar and drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink it. Why? Because it would have been a sedative. It would have taken away some of the suffering. And He was there to do, to take all the suffering in absolute consciousness for you and for me. And if you had been the only person in the whole world, He would have died for you. And then in Luke 23, 34 is another thing that He said from the cross. He said, Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they do. Now, he was talking about those soldiers that were nailing him, the crowd out there that was yelling and screaming. 72,000 angels pulled their swords, ready to come and rescue him, and he said, no, I’m doing it because I love them. You see, you and I had sinned against God. We’d broken his laws, and he said, in the day that you break my law, you will suffer and die. He said that to Adam and Eve. They broke his law. They sinned. That’s what sin is. You see, God never meant that anybody would ever die. And God did not create hell for us. But we deliberately rebelled against God. And God would not be God. He wouldn’t be just and righteous and holy if He came along and patted us on the back and said, you’re forgiven. We had to die for our own sins, or somebody who was qualified had to die for us, and that person that was qualified was Jesus Christ, and He volunteered to do it. He died in our place. And then there was another statement from the cross. He said, it is finished. It is finished. What did he mean? In John 17, he had said, I finished the work that thou hast given me to do. God gave him a job to do, and the job was to die on the cross. To this end was I born, he said. He came to die. He’s the only man ever born to die. And that’s why the cross is so important, because there you’re dealing with eternity. You see, the body is going to go to the grave, but your soul, your spirit, that part of you that lives forever, that lives inside of your body, is going to live on and on and on and on. Where is it going to spend eternity? Heaven or hell? It’ll be decided by the cross, what you do about the cross. Because from the cross, He’s asking you to repent of sin and receive Him as Lord and Savior. And then He said something else. In Luke 23, and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. They did not take his life from him. He laid it down voluntarily. And he said in a loud voice, into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. He gave up his spirit to God the Father. And in saying this, he conferred upon every one of us the possibility of the gift of eternal life. You can have eternal life tonight. We were lost, confused, without purpose and meaning in life, no assurance of a future life, and Jesus from the cross reached out by death and rescued us. And we say to him today, Lord and Savior. Are you sure he’s your Lord and your Savior? And then lastly, there was the statement that he made to a thief on the cross. Both of the thieves were criticizing him. You see, he was on the cross for six hours, and the first three hours they were both criticizing him and making fun of him like the crowds down below. But one of them, began to look at Jesus, and he began to see something he’d never seen anywhere else before. He saw that Jesus was different, and he began to say to himself, he must be the Son of God. He must be Lord. And he rebuked the other thief, saying, don’t you fear God? We deserve what we’re getting, but he’s not, he hasn’t done anything wrong. Then he turned to Jesus and he said, Lord, remember me when you come to your kingdom. What an act of faith! And Jesus said, today you will be with me in paradise. And the angels of heaven were watching to see who would be the first one that he would take to paradise. It was a thief that deserved hell. Two thieves. Which are you? Which cross are you on? The one that’s rejecting or neglecting or even making fun? Or are you the one that receives and accepts
SPEAKER 02 :
You’re listening to the Billy Graham radio special for Easter, a resurrection of hope. If you find yourself curious about wanting to know more about Jesus Christ and beginning a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, his son, give us a call or visit us online. The phone number is the Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line, 855-255-PRAY. That’s 855-255-PRAY.com. And you can chat with us and find information at findpeacewithgod.net. That’s findpeacewithgod.net. We’ll return to Billy Graham in a few minutes as he takes us from the meaning of the cross to the hope of the resurrection. First, though, we have some stories we think you’d love to hear. They’re from the team at the Billy Graham 24-7 Prayer Line. The director is Walea Welsh.
SPEAKER 01 :
The Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line started almost exactly six years ago. It was during COVID when people were struggling to reach out and pray with one another because they were isolated in their homes. They weren’t able to go to work or church or Bible studies. And so Franklin Graham felt a need to have 24-7 prayer available to those in this country as we walked through that time. We say we are really looking to answer every call with a live voice, the love of Jesus and the gospel message. We had one caller who reached out and said he cannot go to church because his family is Muslim. Our phone representative prayed for him, and the gentleman said, I want to cross the bridge. He said, I believe in Jesus. They talked specifically about John 3.16, and this gentleman confirmed that he wanted Jesus to be Savior of his life. So he was led in the prayer of salvation, and then the rep encouraged him to continue reading his Bible and praying daily. We offered on that call our outbound team to do a call back like we normally do for discipleship in a few weeks. And he declined our call because it would put him in danger with his family because they’re Muslim. It reminds us that this is always a frontline ministry and the battle is real. And folks who are receiving Jesus even in 2026, their lives could be on the line physically in this world because they make a choice for Jesus. We had a call come in, and the call started with a recording from a county jail in Texas. And the recording asked the rep to press 1 if they would receive the call. And so our rep did this, and a young man came on and asked for prayer. He was in the jail, and he had just watched Franklin on television in the gospel spot. And he prayed that prayer of salvation with Franklin while he said it. And so the rep had a chance to talk about what he had just done and asked who he might tell. And he said he wanted to call his parents next and tell his parents about making this decision. And they talked through and prayed through his prayer. past addiction and his desire to go home quickly from the jail and to truly start a life where he was able to stay away from drugs and alcohol and walk what he called the straight and narrow with Jesus. And so it was an awesome call for us in that we recognize that these gospel spots are going forward into so many places and God’s word never returns void.
SPEAKER 02 :
There is an average of over 2,800 calls a day to the Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line. Each call represents a soul, a soul in need of prayer. If you ever find yourself in need of prayer, know that someone is always available to pray with you at 855-255-PRAY. That’s 855-255-PRAY. This is A Resurrection of Hope, the Billy Graham radio special for Easter. We have heard Billy Graham share the meaning of the cross. Now we continue on that journey to Jesus’ resurrection and the hope that you can find in that. Here’s Billy Graham.
SPEAKER 03 :
South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, about the size of Germany, France, and Italy combined. The Cape at the extreme southern point of South Africa used to be called the Cape of Storms. It was a dangerous place where many vessels were lost. The time came, however, when the voyage was successfully made and the name of the Cape was changed to the Cape of Good Hope. Adventurers and sailors found that once they had rounded the Cape, they came into a quieter and more peaceful sea. Something like this happened to the world when Jesus returned from the grave, victor over death. The Bible always links sin and death together. The Bible further says that as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned. Many of you are asking, is there any hope? Is there any way out? Is there a possibility of immortality? I’m going to take you to an empty tomb in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea. Only a few hours before, Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome had gone to anoint the body of the crucified Christ. They had been startled to find the tomb empty. An angel stood at the head of the tomb and said, whom do you seek, Jesus of Nazareth? Then the angel answered his own question. He is not here. He is risen. That was the greatest news that the world has ever heard. It was the news that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead as he had promised. The resurrection of Christ is the primary truth of the Christian faith. It is the one truth that lies at the very foundation of the gospel. Without a belief in the resurrection, there can be no personal salvation. The Bible says, if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved. In other words, we must believe this fact or we can never be saved according to the teachings of the Bible. To many, Easter has become little more than a symbol of immortality of the soul, which appeals to them as a comforting thought. This is as it should be. But Easter means far more. In reality, the thought of immortality, unless it is accompanied by a sure conviction that an eternal existence in the glorious presence of God is guaranteed by a personal knowledge of Christ as Savior, could be a tragic and awful thing. The meaning of Easter can only be understood in its fullness as we start with the fact that on the third day, the body of Jesus Christ came out of the tomb and appeared to the discouraged and amazed disciples who had lost all hope of seeing Him again. Without the acceptance of that reality, Easter becomes nothing more than wishful thinking. And as Paul wrote long ago, if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain. Your faith is also vain. With the acceptance of the resurrection of Christ as a historic fact, Easter becomes the day of the greatest victory and should be recognized and celebrated as such. His rising from the dead is the guarantee that for us also the tomb has been unlocked and that we too shall be raised. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Just as in Adam through the power of sin all have died, so in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit shall we all be made alive. The resurrection was also a victory over sin. Death and sin go hand in hand, for the wages of sin is death. As a result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, guilt, condemnation, and separation from the presence of God all came in. The penalty of sin has been removed. The power of sin in our lives today has been broken. And now there is possibility of daily victory. And even the presence of sin is eventually to be completely taken from us. This constitutes the victory over sin and death which was brought about through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection also marked a victory over doubts. There are thousands of Christians listening to my voice who are slaves to the habit of doubting. I do not mean doubts as to the existence of God or the truths of the Bible. You may accept all that. But doubts as to your own personal relationship with God in whom you profess to believe. Doubts as to the forgiveness of your sins. Doubts as to your hopes of heaven. And doubts about your own inward experience. Every step of their spiritual progress is taken against the fearful odds of an army of doubts that are forever lying in wait to assail them at each favorable moment. Their lives are made wretched, their usefulness is effectively hindered, and their communion with God is continually broken by their doubts. In fact, many Christians have settled down under their doubts as though it were an inevitable disease that cannot be helped. All you doubters, come with me to the empty tomb today. The resurrection dissolves all doubts as to the validity of the promises Christ made. During his earthly ministry, Christ made a number of tremendous statements and promises to his followers, which must have appeared to them while he was in the grave as little more than hollow mockeries. He had said to them, I come that they might have life and may have it abundantly. And he had stated to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. But now the one who had promised thus had himself been done to death by cruel and lawless men. And the tomb was sealed on him who had promised eternal life to all who believed on him. Had he not been raised, we would have grave cause to doubt the validity of his promises. But when he came out of the tomb, all of his promises and his words came out with him and are today alive with glorious life, power, and authority. The resurrection is also the assurance of victory over our fears, very closely allied to doubts or fears. Even Christians have become reluctant to follow a course if it isn’t popular, even if deep inside we know it to be right, because we are afraid. If the odds attend to one in our favor, we will take a stand. But if there is any risk involved in standing up for what we know to be right, we’ll play it safe. We’re afraid of a thousand things. You that have fear of death, loss of health, loss of friends, come with me to the empty tomb and listen to the words of Paul. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. If God be for us, who can be against us? And lastly, The resurrection guarantees victory in our daily living. The victory which He won for us when He rose from the tomb should be seen in our lives today and should be seen every day and should be manifested in and through us in all places and under all circumstances as His resurrection power is at work in and through us to the glory of God. We should be conscious daily of His victorious power working for us, in us, and through us to His glory. We should be able to shout with the Apostle Paul, Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. A few years ago, it was Easter Sunday in Moscow. A public lecture was being given by the Commissar for Public Education attacking the Christian faith. This faith, he said, was not only obsolete, but was a product of the capitalist class. His address seemed successful, and the lecturer was so pleased with his own eloquence that feeling complete confidence in himself, he brought it to an end by inviting a discussion of his theme, but with the stipulation that no speaker was to occupy more than five minutes. Anyone who wished to address the meeting was to give him his name. There came forward a young man of homely appearance, shy and awkward. The speaker looked at him scornfully. Remember, not more than five minutes. Yes, certainly, I will not take that long, said the young man. He mounted the platform, turned to the audience and said, Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! In Russia, this is the solemn Easter greeting exchanged by all on Easter night. As one man, the great audience in Russia stood and shouted back, verily, he is risen. The young man turned to the confused and angry speaker and said, I have finished, I have no more to say. The meeting was at once closed. Jesus Christ, said Michelangelo, not dead but risen. From such a conception of Christ as the risen victorious Lord of life comes the dynamic for Christian faith and service. God’s last word in human affairs is not the cross but the resurrection, not defeat but victory. Ladies and gentlemen, do you believe in the resurrection? Has Jesus Christ come into your heart and brought new life? On this day, your heart can be changed and transformed by the new life that Christ died and rose again from the dead to give you. It’s yours if you receive by faith now Christ. He can change your life and give you hope where there’s despair, can forgive the sin where now you’re under the condemnation and judgment of God, and give you a peace where there’s confusion and frustration. Let Him come into your heart today. Shall we pray? Our Father, on this glad day, in a confused and bewildered world, we pray that men and women will come to know the Savior and may know the life and the joy and the peace that Christ brings. For we ask it in his name. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
We pray that prayer for you, that if you haven’t yet, you will come to know the Savior, Jesus Christ, and to have eternal life because of Him, and therefore an everlasting hope here on this earth and for eternity. We’re here for you if you have any questions whatsoever about making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. Call the Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line at 855-255-PRAY. 855-255-7729. Or if you’d rather, go online and head to findpeacewithgod.net. Your choice for Jesus Christ is the most important decision you will make in your life. Call us. I’m Jim Kirkland. Happy Easter. And thank you for listening to A Resurrection of Hope, a production of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Always good news.
