Talk

March Madness Up in Here

Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio
March 31, 2024

For this special Easter talk, Louie Giglio celebrates the greatest week in the history of the world and the empty tomb that saves us from empty lives and an empty eternity. He teaches that all roads end here, and it’s time to come and see what He has done.

Key Takeaway

The road ends here. Come sit in what Christ has done—step into the empty tomb. Your search for God is over. He’s alive. He’s here. And with a nail-scared hand, He’s reaching for you.

Easter is the crowning moment in the epic story of a God who is the epitome of grace and love, yet who is a holy God who would relentlessly find a way to extricate us from the darkness of death and the penalty of our willful rebellion against Him—and who would reunite us with Him by faith in the finished work of His Son.

The whole story is here at the end of Matthew’s eyewitness account of the life and death of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:1-10)

A week earlier (on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday) Jesus had entered Jerusalem. From his home base in Galilee, he had with thousands of others to celebrate the Passover Feast.

A crowd gathered around this “miracle man” from Galilee—as he entered he was fulfilling A prophecy from hundreds of years before (Matthew 21:1-11), so here comes the King, but his entrance doesn’t look like that of a King. Jesus is riding low on the colt of a donkey.

This is how Jesus chose to ride in what is called the Triumphal Entry. To fulfill prophecy, yes, but also because the symbolism is powerful. Maybe you know, but every donkey has a marking on its back…the sign of a cross.

So here is Jesus, knowing he’s not riding into Jerusalem to be crowned but to be crucified for the sins of the world. The innocent for the guilty. The just for the unjust. And now He’s sitting on the back of a donkey—not only riding to the cross but looking at a cross, the symbol of his death and our freedom.

The cheering crowds spread Palm branches on the road and shouted Save Us (Hosanna). And Jesus knew that on the cross (literally and symbolically) that’s exactly what he intended to do.

Save Us.

The angel said, I know you’re looking for Jesus, but he’s not here. He has risen, just as he said. (Matthew 28:5)

This is the Gospel.

Jesus died for our sins. Jesus was raised to give us everlasting life.

Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Romans 4:25 NLT

There is an invitation on the first morning of resurrection.

Come and see where he lay.

The angel didn’t move the stone to let Jesus out of the tomb but to let us in so that we could see what God has done.

Obviously, this requires faith. But God is giving us eyewitness accounts.

But what if it was all a hoax? What if His followers stole the body? What if Easter is a sham?

It was early in the morning. People were in shock. Bodies were tired. Minds stressed. Memory was shaky.

What if someone came up with a plot to perpetuate a lie?

Well, they did. Someone tried to pull a fast one. But not the Marys. The very ones who were trying to extinguish Jesus' existence and His message. (Matthew 28:11-15)

But it didn’t work. Why? Matthew 28:8-10—they saw the risen Jesus. And immediately they spread the news.

Matthew 28:16—all of them saw Him in Galilee. And He sent them out to the ends of the earth…and they went, because you don’t keep a miracle like this to yourselves.

Come and see. Go and tell.

Here’s the interesting part—make disciples of all nations (peoples). Where there are other ways and philosophies about how to be right with God and alive forever, He wanted to make sure they know the search ends here at the empty tomb.

This offer of mercy and life is unparalleled. Only One has emptied the grave and invites you by grace to come and see the finished work of Christ. While some would suggest all roads lead to heaven, Jesus was saying all roads to right standing with God end here. Not, “all paths get there. But, all paths end here.”

God has chosen a borrowed burrow and a borrowed tomb to unfold a once-in-eternity exchange. The righteous for the unrighteousness. To bring us to God. Not us trying to break our way out of a sealed tomb of sin and death. But a stone rolled away and an invitation to forgiveness and a relationship with God.

All the other roads end here.

The road of trying harder.

The road of hoping our good works outweighs the bad.

The road of rationalization.

The road of self-effort.

The road of not knowing for sure if heaven is our future.

The road of trying to drown out our guilt and shame.

The road of sticking our heads in the sand and hoping it all works out in the end.

The road of religious systems.

The road of assuming any path you choose will get you where you want to go.

The road of giving up because you feel like your past has locked you out of a relationship with God.

The road of a thousand prayers that you hope make it past the ceiling.

They all end here.

The price is paid in full.

On a donkey comes the Savior.

Christ came.

Christ lived.

Christ died in our place.

Christ was buried.

Christ was raised.

Christ is alive forever.

That’s why today Believers the world over are firing off the confetti cannons.

That’s why we’re cutting down the nets.

That’s why we’re playing the highlight video…and it is One Shining Moment.

It’s March Madness all right!

We’re hoisting the trophy.

Our KING is crowned.

Hosanna!

The One who was dead now lives.

Our Champion has conquered death, hell and the grave forever.

"Our champion has overcome death, hell, sin, and the grave forever."
Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

  1. Read back through Matthew 21:1-11, replacing the word "Hosanna" with "save us." How has this changed your understanding of the text?
  2. Have you ever thought of the significance of Jesus entering the city on a donkey? How has this visual changed your perspective?
  3. If you were honest, have you ever questioned the validity of Jesus' story?
  4. Jesus didn't just say that He would be resurrected three days later. He resurrected and came back to show everyone that the tomb was empty and that He was alive. How does this help solidify your own faith in Him?
  5. How have you lived out the call to "go and tell"?
  6. Do you struggle with telling others the Good News? Why or why not?
  7. Louie Giglio mentions the many roads many of us get stuck on. Which road have you found yourself stuck on?
  8. How has knowing that God is where all roads end helped your faith?
  9. Have you forgotten the goodness and faithfulness of God recently?
  10. Take this time to reflect on how God has been faithful to you in your life.

Scripture References

Jesus Has Risen

1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them.

“Greetings,”
he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them,
“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
2saying to them,
“Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.
3
If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.