Resurrection Day 2025 - The Horror, The Hope, The Herald, The Hero - Ezekiel 37

Today, we’re diving into Ezekiel 37, the Valley of Dry Bones, to celebrate the glorious truth of Resurrection Day. This passage paints a vivid picture of humanity’s hopelessness—dead, dry bones scattered in a desolate valley—yet God’s power brings life where none exists. We’ll unpack the horror of our sin, the hope found in Christ’s cross and resurrection, the herald of the Gospel, and the true Hero, God Himself, who redeems us. Without Jesus’ victory over death, our faith is empty, but because He lives, we have salvation! Join me as we marvel at God’s grace and look to Jesus, our true hope! 

Transcript

Resurrection Day 2025
The Horror, The Hope, 
The Herald, The Hero
Ezekiel 37

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please turn with me to the Old Testament book of Ezekiel and find chapter 37.
  • Today it seems fitting to pause our work through the Gospel of Mark and consider the importance of this day.
• It would not be an understatement to say that what we celebrate today…
  • The event that happened just a little less than 2000 years ago…
  • Is the most important event that has ever occurred in all of human history.
    • It is the event that changed everything and not only reshaped the world but also redeemed man, once and for all.
    • Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus, who perished upon the cross and was buried in the ground, rose back to life.
  • Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him, but He rose in Victory…
    • Though He died He now lives and reigns forevermore.
    • Not only that, but because of His sacrifice and His Glorious Resurrection we have been offered salvation that is found in His Name.
    • Again, this is the most important day in all of human history.
  • If you think that I have overstated the importance of the Resurrection of Christ allow me to share the words of Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers…
    • He wrote…
    • “The resurrection of our divine Lord from the dead is the cornerstone of Christian doctrine. Perhaps I might more accurately call it the keystone of the arch of Christianity, for if that fact could be disproved, the whole fabric of the gospel would fall to the ground.“
  • He is simply borrowing from the logic of the Apostle Paul who wrote this very same truth in 1 Corinthians 15 as he shared with the church the importance of the Resurrection.
    • Two verses stand out when reading through that chapter and considering the Resurrection of Christ…
      • 1 Corinthians 15:14 - “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”
        • Vain is a word here that means empty, foolish, and without purpose…
        • So Paul is saying that if Jesus did not come out of the grave then our proclamation of the Gospel is without purpose and our faith is empty. 
        • Worse still is what he shares in verse 17 of that same chapter. 
      • 1 Corinthians 15:17 - “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
        • Your faith is worthless if Christ was not brought back to life, and you are still in your sins.
        • Actually the word “still” means to a greater degree or even more.
        • In other words you are worse off than you were before you learned of Jesus.
    • I point this out at the start of our time together just simply as a reminder that everything we are as Christians is because the stone was rolled away and Jesus was risen.
  • Today we celebrate this reality and we do so with great joy because not only was Jesus brought back to life but we are told that He will one day come again and when He does we will be with Him forever.
• This is a glorious reality for those who are found in Him. 
  • However, what about those who are not found in Christ, what then?
    • then today is not a day of joy for you…
    • It is not a day for celebration and if Christ were to return at this moment you have nothing to look forward to…
  • I know we have just turned a very quick corner but I ask you to hang with me as we consider today not only the cross and the resurrection but also what kind of impact it should have upon us today.
  • To do that we will walk through what may seem to be a strange passage, Ezekiel 37.
    • Or as many know it, the Valley of Dry Bones.  
      • We have before us a story that illustrates the importance of the Resurrection of Christ in a very creative way.
• As we look at this story and these verses today we are going to observe four different points…
  • The Horror 
  • The Hope 
  • The Herald
  • The Hero
• Knowing where we are headed let us read the first 10 verses of this chapter together. 

Ezekiel 37:1-10

• Any time we open to a new book it is important we make a few flyover observations about it…
  • The book of Ezekiel was written by Ezekiel a prophet and priest and he lived during a very difficult time in Israel's history.
  • He lived and ministered during the Babylonian exile. 
    • Which means he witnessed the people of Judah being torn from their homelands, the temple destroyed, and the nation being laid bare.
      • This occurred nearly 600 years before the birth of Jesus.
    • To say that the people of Israel were a low point in their history would be a massive understatement.
  • As we step into these verses because even though Israel was at a low point, because of their sinful rebellion, God was not finished with these people.
• However before we can marvel at the fact that God offered hope we must deal with…

The Horror - Vs. 1-3

• That they faced…
• This is expressed clearly in the first two verses that we read just a few moments ago…
  • This is one of those times where it would do us well to imagine what Ezekiel was seeing as we read through these opening verses once more…
  • So let us read them again but this time I want you to imagine that you are seeing what Ezekiel saw.
    • Vs. 1-2
  • Can you imagine stumbling upon something like this?
    • We are not even talking about a cemetery here, it is not like we are even dealing with graves…
    • Ezekiel is brought to a site where it seems some sort of battle had taken place and all who perished were simply left behind.
  • So much so that we are told that it was “full of bones…”
    • The Hebrew word used to translate “full” could really be expressed as…
      • “Containing as much or as many as is possible.”
      • Giving us the idea that there is no room for any more bones.
  • The other important detail that we must not overlook when considering this story is the fact that they were “very dry”
    • Which means they have been there for some time, at a minimum two years but it could have taken as long as ten years for them to reach this level of decay.
    • This is important to remember because it is a reminder at how fractured and broken this nation really was at this time.
    • Years had passed and the valley had been left desolate without anyone to care for the deceased.  
    • More than simply that we must also realize that there was no hope of life found in these bones. 
    • It is not as if Ezekiel had stumbled upon a recent battle and was hoping to save some. 
    • There is no life found in this valley. 
  • This would have been a horrible sight to behold and Ezekiel is standing in the midst of it.  
• Now as we consider this valley together let us think about this moment in Ezekiel's life as an illustration for all of humanity.
  • You want to know the best that humanity has, the best we can offer on our own, then look no farther than Ezekiel 37:1-2.
    • What we bring to the table is death and decay brought on by the sinful choice of man.
  • The Bible tells us that man was created in perfection and placed in a garden full of all manner of food with the command to not eat from just one tree.
    • Adam was commanded to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…
    • Yet just three chapters in and he ate, along with his wife, and as they rebelled against their creator all of creation fell under the curse of sin.
      • Pain became a part of our existence, suffering a present reality, death is imminent. 
      • So much so that it is difficult for us to imagine a world without pain, suffering, and death, for us it seems as simply a part of our existence.
    • The fact is that we as people are so consumed with sin that even the good things we do are counted as impure before our perfect Creator.
      • Isaiah 64:6a - “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
      • The visual given in that one verse is difficult for us today to comprehend.
        • Isaiah is saying that even the good things we do are before God as a polluted garment.
      • This garment is one in which the leper would use to cover over the diseased part of his body.
        • Often the disease would be so bad that even bones could be exposed.
        • So this rag that covered him and soaked up this blood and puss, and full of this disease is a representation of how God views our righteous deeds.  
      • Which means, and this is so important to remember, that on our own merit none of us can stand as righteous before God.
    • For we are not judged on the good that is in us but we are instead judged on the wrong that we have done and none of us is without sin. 
  • It was not that way from the start but rather because of the actions of our first parents it has been intertwined into our existence.
    • Sin, suffering, disease, death, and decay are ever present realities to us today.
      • To the point that if Jesus tarries His return we will all pass from life to death sooner or later.
    • It may be a morbid thought but it is an accurate one and one that is worth considering as we dwell upon this point.
• It is important for what we are going to talk about next that we understand the horror of humanity.
  • We understand that all the evil that we see and that is a part of our existence finds its beginnings in the heart of all man. 
  • To say it differently…
    • All manner of wickedness, the most wretched thing you have ever heard of that even turns your stomach when you think about it…
      • That very thing is what all of us are capable of…
      • The very moment you say that you are unable to do this or that is the moment you make light of your own wickedness.
    • Within the heart of man is the potential for all sorts of evil and wrong and you are no different than any other man.
  • That’s a hard pill to swallow, it is one in which we want to push back against but the Bible reveals time and again that man is capable of all sorts of wickedness.  
• We are as this valley that Ezekiel is found in, please turn your attention back to the text for a few moments.
  • Just as Ezekiel is looking out and seeing this terrible place I hope you are able to do the same with the world in which we live and with your own heart.
    • You look out and dig down you will find nothing that contains life in of yourself.
  • Which brings us to a very important question asked of Ezekiel and one we must ask of ourselves…
    • Vs. 3
• We could reword that question, does there exist any hope?
  • If the Bible is true and if man really is that lost and depraved then this is a fair question.
    • So let us ask this today, does there exist any hope as we consider the backdrop of darkness that exists within our hearts and within this world.
  • Let us talk about… 

The Hope - Vs. 4-6, 7b-9, 10b

• Of this passage and the hope that is found in Christ…
• Personally I love how Ezekiel answers God, he does not outright tell him “no” but simply responds with, “Lord, you know…”
  • It is as if he is saying, I do not want to say no but if there is any chance of these living again it is simply by your hand and to your good pleasure.
  • We find throughout this passage that it was to God’s good pleasure that these bones came together…
    • And that flesh was formed, and life was breathed into these soldiers once more.  
  • Read with me again in our passage…
    • Vs. 4-10
• This is one of my favorite stories because it so clearly illustrates that God is able to take the most hopeless of situations to bring about life.
  • I think it would do us well to once again imagine what Ezekiel witnessed as he spoke as he was commanded.
  • He is in this valley and he hears bones begin to rattle together and reattach to where they belong…
    • He begins to see sinews and flesh form over these bones that moments before had no life in them…
    • He witnesses entire bodies form and then gets to see the light of life come back into these men as breath comes into them once more.
  • This is a powerful scene as the people of Israel at this time were down and out, but the Lord reminded them in this miracle that even now, even now, there is hope.
• This exists as an illustration for us today as well…
  • It is true that we are as that valley filled with bones but we have not been left without hope.
• Let us turn our attention to the cross for a few moments as we consider the life and person of Jesus and why we remember and celebrate His death.
  • Jesus stepped into Creation completely different than all who came before Him.
    • Everyone else born before and after is a part of Creation.
    • However, Jesus came not as a part of Creation but as the Creator Himself.
      • Paul, writing about Jesus in the book of Colossian writes…
        • Colossians 1:16 - “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
    • As the Creator He came in perfection and lived a life free of sin…
      • Not only was there no fault found in Him but He also did all things well.
      • He perfectly obeyed the Father in every aspect of His life.
    • Though He was tempted in the same way as all of us He maintained purity and faithfulness before God the Father.  
  • Though He did everything in perfection, though He healed the sick and cast out demons and fed the multitudes, He was hated by the religious authority of the day.
    • They sought His life and they finally succeeded in accomplishing what they wanted.
    • We must remember though that Jesus was not tricked into death but He willing laid down His life.
      • They would have had a greater chance of convincing a lion to be a vegetarian rather than forcing death upon Jesus.
      • Yet they foolishly thought it was by their hand that He perished.
    • They would have done well to consider Isaiah 53…
      • Truly we could consider the whole chapter but I want to share with you just two verses…
        • Isaiah 53:10c - “...it was the will of the Lord to crush him;...”
          • You see, the only reason He was nailed to the cross was because it was what the Father desired.
            • It had been put into place before the foundations of the Earth were laid.  
          • From eternity past the cross was the plan to bring salvation to man.
          • Which is what Isaiah 53:5 reveals to us, speaking of Christ he writes…
        • Isaiah 53:5 - “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
      • What a marvelous truth is found here as we consider the wonders of the Cross.
    • When Jesus died He did not die for His own sins but rather He died as a substitute paying for the sins of man.
      • Paul tells us this marvelous truth plainly in the book of 2 Corinthians…
        • 2 Corinthians 5:21 - “For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
      • I have heard people try to express this exchange as someone paying your fine so that you can go free.
        • Where this is certainly true for that is what He has done it does not express the gravity of what happened upon the cross.
      • Jesus took upon Himself the sin of man and died under the wrath of God.
        • It was poured out on Him completely though undeserved.
    • When considering this we have to understand that what man deserves because of our sin is eternal wrath.
      • And for any who consider that punishment to be unjust on God's part I would say…
        • That you have drastically misunderstood the depths of God’s holiness and purity and have understated the state of man’s wretchedness.
          • The only just action for God to take toward sinful man is His unrelenting wrath for all of eternity.
        • Much like before this is a hard pill to swallow…
          • In our day where we are taught that man is mostly good.
        • Friend, this is just simply not the case…
    • God would be completely justified in His condemnation of all man.
      • Yet out of his love for His Creation He set a plan of redemption in place that required the ultimate sacrifice.
        • The Son of God in exchange for sinful man, all this done out of His Great Love.  
        • John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
• Consider again our story that is before us and this illustration that is playing out across Ezekiel 37…
  • I take you back to the question asked, “...can these bones live…”, let us ask this in light of our current topic.
  • Looking out at our world, looking within at our own wretchedness and knowing that we deserve the full wrath of God, we ask…
    • “...can these bones live…”?
  • To that question we have a resounding YES.
    • However, just as the hope of the bones in the valley was not in something they could do so is also the case for us today.
    • The hope is not found in us but is found outside of us and in the completed work of Christ upon the cross verified by His Glorious Resurrection.  
  • The bad news is that you cannot be good enough, you cannot be righteous enough, the great news is that He has not commanded that of you.
    • Instead, He knew that you would not be able to stand and that you would stand condemned so He sent forth His Son to die in your place.
    • So that even though…
      • Romans 3:23b - “...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”
    • We can now stand… 
      • Romans 3:24b - “...justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
  • Not of ourselves but because of what Jesus has accomplished through His perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His Glorious Resurrection.
• Take note though these bones are a perfect representation of those who are outside of Christ.
  • Unable to come together, unable to move, without life, and in of themselves without hope.
  • They are in need of…

The Herald - Vs. 7a, 10a

• It’s the role of Ezekial throughout these verses…
  • He is brought to the location, he is commanded to speak to the bones, and he obeys…
  • Again, imagine this scene, he is speaking to an empty field full of bones yet, verse 7 we are told…
    • Vs. 7a - “So I prophesied as I was commanded…”
  • Then after he is commanded to do the same once more, down in verse 10 we see again…
    • Vs. 10a - “So I prophesied as he commanded me…”
• Here is the amazing part of this story, did Ezekiel have any power in himself to bring these bones back together?
  • Of course not!
    • Nor would it have come into his mind to even try such a thing…
    • The power was found in God and displayed in Ezekiel speaking the Word of God to these dry bones.
  • In this story is an illustration of the mystery of salvation…
    • The Bible is clear before Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sins lacking the ability to make any meaningful changes to our eternity.
      • Then something marvelous happens when the Gospel is proclaimed, just as marvelous as these bones rattling together.
    • When the Word of God is proclaimed the Spirit of God draws men to the Father and illuminates the truth of the Gospel.
      • Anyone that is found in Christ today knows what this is like…
        • As I am sure you remember becoming aware of your sinfulness and aware of how Christ died for you.
      • You became convicted of your sins and you believed in the Name of Jesus…
    • You placed your trust in Him and repented of your sins and you were born again.  
      • Not because of what you did but because of what Christ has done and what the Spirit has done.
  • So in this I want you to know that if you are outside of Christ today and you are being drawn to the Father that it is not of your own doing but it is a gift from God.
    • Therefore I urge you to yield yourself to that drawing and submit yourself to Christ believing upon Him and repenting of your sins.  
• Today I have the privilege of being the herald of this good news which we call the Gospel, and it is no power in myself but simply am speaking as the Lord has commanded.
  • If today you are born again and redeemed from your sinfulness then it is not my doing but rather…
    • It is the God who Created you, the Son who died for you, and the Spirit who has drawn you to Himself.
  • This is where I want us to go to our final point of this passage as we see…

The Hero - Vs. 11-14

• Look with me once more at our verses this time go down to verse 11…
  • Vs. 11-14 - Emphasis “I will”
    • Five times across these verses we see God proclaiming that he will do these things.
    • I think it is important to note that this passage also began with God telling Ezekiel that he was going to bring this army back to life.
  • Throughout this passage there is one hero and it is not the bones that lay dead, it is not even the prophet who was brought out, it was the LORD.
    • He is the Hero and this is His story, and throughout human history He has proven this time and time again.
    • All Creation bows before Him and all Creation is headed toward Him.
      • None can escape, none can hide and flee, but all will one day stand before the Great God.
  • Here is what I want you to remember…
    • This God who is the Hero of His Story is able to bring life back into these long dead and dried bones.
      • Friend, He is able to do the same in your life as well.
    • It matters not what you have done, it matters not how far away you seem to be from God…
      • He is able because it is not about you but about Him and what He has done for you.
    • Try and wrap your head around this…
      • Before you were born, before you parents knew about you, before their parents even knew about them…
        • Long before this nation exited…
        • Long before Jesus hung upon the cross…
        • Long before Ezekiel stood in this valley…
      • Before even Creation itself God set forth a plan to Redeem a people for Himself by the blood of His Son.
    • Before you sinned against Him, before you plotted wickedness, He had already stood in your place bearing the wrath that you deserved.
  • Today we marvel at the fact that our God is able to bring life to bones, to bring His Son back to life, and to Redeem even the most lost among us…

Closing

• As we close today I urge you to consider what we have talked about, I urge you to consider the Gospel.
  • That though you have sinned…
  • Christ has died in your place and Risen back to life so that you can be forgiven…
• The question today is not “can you live…”, it is clear that you can but it is not because of you but the One who stood in your place…
  • The question is have you placed your faith in this Jesus and repented of your sins and been born again?