Saturday Sermon: The Reality of the Resurrection

John 2:18-22

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and the key to answering most objections raised against the gospel. If you remove the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from Christianity, you don't have Christianity. What I want to talk about today are Reasons to believe the Resurrection, and Ramifications of the Resurrection.

Reasons to Believe in Jesus’ Resurrection (1 Peter 3:15)

1. Predictions – Both the Old and New Testaments contain predictions of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Many times in the Gospels, as with our text today, Jesus told his disciples and the Jewish leaders that He would be raised again to life after being put to death.

2. Power – Jesus’ resurrection was not simply a remarkable finish to a regular life. Jesus had consistently demonstrated His control over creation from turning water into wine, feeding the five thousand, walking on the water, healing the sick, raising Lazarus from the dead, and so on. His resurrection is consistent with the power He demonstrated during His earthly ministry.

3. Passion – John 10:17-18 – Jesus had avoided fatal confrontations numerous times before. (Luke 4:29-30 / John 7:30, 44, 8:59, 10:39, 11:8). He chose when to die, and He did die.

4. Politics – Matthew 27:62-66 – the Jewish authorities wanted to put a stop to people believing in Him. Even with support from the Roman authorities, they were never able to produce a body. The tomb was empty then and still is today!

5. Panicked guards – Matthew 28:11-15 – The guards knew their lives could be at stake if they failed in their duty, but on the third day Jesus was gone. No one has ever found any credible evidence that the body of Jesus was anywhere to be found on this earth. Jesus is risen indeed!

6. Puzzled disciples – Luke 24:13-32 – After Jesus’ arrest, most of His disciples fled. It is clear from their reaction that they were not anticipating the resurrection. Two of his disciples did not recognize the risen Jesus even as He was teaching them the Scriptures related to Himself. They clearly were not part of some preplanned story.

7. People – Acts 1:3 / 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 – After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over five hundred people. We do not have a record of anyone disputing their testimony.

8. Preaching – The Apostolic martyrs – People don’t die for something they know to be a story. Yet, many of these eyewitnesses accepted death rather than deny the resurrection of Jesus.

9. Pessimists – Non-Christian historians reported that Jesus was reputed to have risen from the dead and that his followers were willing to die rather than recant their belief in Jesus.

10. Paraclete – John 16:8-11 – Over the centuries, the Holy Spirit continues to convict unbelievers and assure believers that Jesus is the risen Son of God. Of course, it takes the Holy Spirit to make the reality of the Resurrection real to our hearts.

We don’t believe in the resurrection in spite of the facts, we believe in the resurrection in light of the facts. Now, the real question isn’t what proves the resurrection but what does the resurrection prove? What questions does the resurrection answer?

Ramifications of the Resurrection (1 Peter 1:3-4)

1. Is there a God who is active in the world? Jesus’ resurrection shows there is a power that transcends the physical universe, a power that can override decay and death. Jesus’ resurrection declares God’s active involvement in this world. He planned it from the beginning and He performed it at the appointed time (1 Peter 1:18-21). Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates Romans 8:21-23 – all creation is subject to decay and will be renewed.

2. What difference does God make to my life? Jesus’ resurrection shows that He lives into eternity and that we can too (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Knowing we have a soul that continues after death impacts our perspective on life (1 Corinthians 15:32). Matthew 28:18-20 / Ephesians 1:19-20 – In resurrecting Jesus, God declares His absolute sovereignty over life and death.

3. Is the Bible true? Jesus’ resurrection proves the Bible is true. Every religion has their holy books. Jesus’ resurrection confirms that Jesus is the source of truth. He declared which book is actually a revelation from God. Jesus affirmed the inspiration of the Old Testament. He promised that the Holy Spirit would lead the apostles as they shared His teaching through the New Testament (John 14:26). Peter in Acts 2 and Acts 4 (and Paul in Acts 13 and Acts 26) used the Resurrection as proof the scriptures are true. They knew the Scripture promised a resurrection. They knew Jesus in speaking New Testament scripture promised a resurrection, and when it happened, they believed the Scripture. The resurrection of Jesus Christ should affirm our faith and confidence in the truth and the inerrancy of Scripture. If Jesus doesn't rise, Psalm 2 is wrong, Psalm 16 is wrong, Isaiah 55 is wrong, any other Old Testament passage indicating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is wrong, and therefore the Bible cannot be trusted. But if Jesus rises from the dead, the prophecies are true, and the Word of God is true. Luke 24:25-27 – the OT is replete with the idea of a Messiah who dies and yet lives again, and in both testaments we see types and shadows of the resurrection. Typology of Elisha bones (2 Kings 13:20-21) Lazarus (John 11:25-26, 39-44) and those who came out of the graves at his resurrection (Mathew 27:52-53). 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 – this is why Paul says these things were according to the scriptures. This is why they made it central (Acts 4:2 / 2 Timothy 1:10, 2:8).

4. Does God love me? Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates God’s love for you (Romans 5:8-11)

5. What about life and death? We can trust Jesus’ testimony because of the resurrection. Job 14:14 – "If a man die, shall he live again?" remains the fundamental question haunting all men today. Job 19:25-26 / Psalm 17:15 / John 18:37-38 – The resurrection gives Him firsthand knowledge. He has been beyond death and returned. Jesus testifies to the truth regarding eternal life. John 14:19 / 1 Corinthians 6:14 / 2 Corinthians 4:14 / Romans 8:11 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 / Hebrews 2:10-15 – The resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to our own resurrection, a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike all other religions, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same.

6. Why should I believe Jesus is God’s Son? The Resurrection proves the deity of Jesus. Jesus conquered the grave, something no mortal can claim. He said, “I and the Father are one.” His victory over death confirms His claim to be the Son of God. In scripture you have many people proclaiming this fact, like Peter, Mark, Luke, Matthew, Nathaniel, Thomas, Martha, John the Baptist, the Roman solider at his crucifixion, the disciples and even the demons. But the primary testimony comes from God the Father. He had already said this is my Son in whom I am well pleased at his baptism, and had claimed Him again at the Mount of Transfiguration and again during the Passion Week (John 12:28-33). But the resurrection declares that God the Father says Jesus is God the Son and that His sacrifice is acceptable as payment for the sins of all who believe (Romans 1:1-4 / Acts 13:30 / Romans 4:25 / Romans 6:4).

7. Is Jesus the only way to God? John 14:6 / Acts 4:10-12 – Jesus’ resurrection clearly shows that He is the only way to God. If there were multiple ways, Jesus would not have gone to the cross. He allowed himself to be subjected to death because it was necessary for our redemption.

8. Can I be forgiven for my sins? Colossians 2:13-15 – Jesus’ resurrection validates His claim to have victory over sin and death. The ultimate result of sin is death, and Jesus conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Romans 10:9-10 – belief in Jesus’ resurrection is central to a saving faith.

9. What about all of the evil in this world? Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates a loving God redeeming a world degraded by evil. If there were no evil, Jesus would not have had to conquer death through the cross. If God was not loving, He would not have sent Jesus into the world to redeem us (John 3:16). Looking at His death and resurrection, we know without a doubt that there is evil in this world, yet we are still loved by a God with power over death. Once someone accepts the resurrection, many other barriers to accepting Christ are torn down. Whatever the question, the answer is the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord (John 2:22).

10. The resurrection is the cause for sending the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) – The indwelling empowering convicting blessing life of the believer and of the church! The full ministry of the Holy Spirit was dependent upon the resurrection of Christ. No resurrection, no ascension, no ascension, no Holy Spirit, no Holy Spirit, no church. When you talk about the resurrection proving the completion of the saving work of God, you're talking about the heart of Christianity. He had to rise to give us eternal life, to rise to go back to the Father to send us the Holy Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explains the that if there were no resurrection: 1) preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14); 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14); 3) all the witnesses and preachers would be liars (v. 15); 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17); 5) all former believers would have perished (v.18); and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19). But Christ has risen from the dead and “has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen sleep” (v. 20,23), assuring that we will follow Him in resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead proves the steadfastness of the Word of God, the sovereignty of the Son of God, the success of the salvation of God, the start of the church of God, the surety of the judgment of God (Acts 17:31), and the eternal satisfaction of the people of God. His resurrection is the guarantee of our eternal heaven (John 14:1-3). Everything in the Christian life depends on the resurrection. Thank God it is a reality.

I Want To

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:13)

Most believers, and especially those that have been a Christian for more than a couple of years, will certainly identify with the ongoing struggle for sanctification. It just doesn’t happen overnight, and all the secrets, keys, steps, and principles, all the seminars, conferences, churches, books, and preaching we have heard never seems to quite get us over the hump. Or perhaps it seems to for a while, but then we fall back down, get frustrated, and we wonder what to do next until the new thing comes along, and we go right back on the boom and bust bicycle.

We can articulate it like this. We start out with what we might call “riotism”, where the operative phrase describing our pursuit of sanctification would be “don't go, forget God”. However, when we find that our distaste for life and our desire for God increases, we want our “want to” to increase more. Not knowing what to do next, we start by trying harder. We then move on to pietism, where we strive to serve King Jesus with all the discipline we can muster, with the operative phrase being “go and get God”. Eventually, all our meager efforts at self-sanctification are just that, meager, and we meet someone who introduces us to the concept of “absolute surrender”, or a promise of a deeper life, or some sort of thing. This is when we have entered the realm of quietism, its operative phrase being “let go and let God”.

Finally, hopefully, we mature to the truth about sanctification, with its operative phrase being “don't let go of God”. We see Him as more beautiful than anything else, and we foster and feed this into our minds, and it sinks down into our hearts, it comes out of our mouths, and it is what we increasingly want to be all about. It is less and less a fight to get there, and only a fight to keep other things at bay, until we see them as less also, and when they arrive on the scene they are more easily dismissed. We progress and develop into maturity, using flawed means until we get the picture and enter in to the resting of the Gospel.

We start out, when we are serious, with a patterned discipline and measured devotion, which most often leads to a boom and bust spirituality, we try next to "absolutely surrender", which seems closer, but is still not there yet. When we get the real picture of our sorry state, and have glimpses of what TRUE fellowship is like (not Schleirmacher's "feeling of absolute dependence" but a cleansing of our will in conformity to God's), then we "want it".

When we finally realize that fellowship with God is incomparable with anything else, it has a pronounced effect. Not so much that people don't see us sin, we probably already had that licked, the outside that is, but that now, to our own hearts, we know that we just don't "want" that stuff anymore, at all, its rubbish. Our “want to” has changed.

Its like, for a crude example, having a toy that is deteriorating, a car, lets say, and then getting a car that is new, and runs on batteries, and makes noises, etc. We have no DESIRE to have the old car anymore. Of course that is a weak example, in that Christ is not just a "better car", He is in a totally different category than anything else, as we said, incomparable. Oh, that we might find this in our daily walk, EVERY DAY! To God be the glory, as we become light bearers, and more than just a dimmer switch.

If you act in accordance with God’s “want to”, and you “don’t let go of God” (cf. Philippians 2:12), then you will find that He will increase your “want to” because as our text above says, not only does God cause us to do His good pleasure, He gives us the will to do it. Do you want to?

Stress-Free Sinning?

The following post is a reply to questions asked in
this

post by Dan Phillips of Pyromaniacs




But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

(2 Timothy 2:19 – ESV)

Not every true Christian will experience the same degree of personal, practical sanctification. The thief on the cross was saved but since he died that same day he didn’t have the time that the Apostle Paul had to show forth the fruits of righteousness. We instinctively and interpretively understand that some believers will progress further into the sanctification process, they will press on to the mark in a more pronounced fashion than some others. On the other end of the spectrum, some might seem to be acting like unbelievers, while they may truly be born again.

This brings an interesting question. Why are there so many genuine Christians who persist in the same patterns of sin, apparently without pangs of conscience, and without repentance, apparently hard-hearted against the communion of Christ, the conviction of the Spirit and the commands of the Word? Why do they sin without stress, without struggle, and seemingly without significance?

Well, first off, the inward sins of the heart that perhaps do not manifest as overt, “big time” sins that everyone condemns are sins nonetheless. We all have sin; it is just that Christians are supposed to be striving toward holiness, wanting to be blameless while realizing they will never be completely sinless in this lifetime. Still, what about those who don’t even try? How do you tell the Christians from the non-believers, in that some professing believers live “worse” moral lives than some non-believers? Why would God even allow this?

We know this for sure; it is all a part of God’s plan. Jesus said it would be so, and that we won’t know until the end who the real believers were, and also that many think they are true believers but they aren’t. The answer is in our personal valuing of practical sanctification, both temporal and eternal. God is giving us opportunity.

Peter says to make your calling and election sure by growing in fruitfulness (2 Peter 1:5-10). Now when he says this he is not saying that you are making your calling and election sure to God, but to yourself, because the Lord knows those who are His, and because the second inscription on the sure foundation of God says that those who are His, those who claim the name of Christ are to depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19). We also make our calling and election sure to others we know (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4), others we meet (1 Thessalonians 1:6-9), and perhaps even to Satan and the demonic realm (2 Timothy 2:26).

Those that are doing this are being made useful and ready for every good work by cleansing themselves from sin (2 Timothy 2:20-25). Here in 2 Timothy Paul speaks about a cleansing that isn’t just something God does for us as we sit passively. This is a self-cleansing for service that goes beyond a general cleansing for sin. 1 John 1:9 would be speaking of the general cleansing from the guilt and penalty of sin, but Paul and the Bible talks of another type of cleansing. We sanctify, or set apart ourselves because He has sanctified us (Leviticus 20:7-8 / 1 Corinthians 1:30).

It is not a salvation issue but an assurance of salvation issue. It is not a “make it to heaven” issue, but a “rewards in heaven” issue. It is about fruitfulness and usefulness in this life. It is about working out from our cleansing from sin, and cleansing ourselves in God’s power so that we are separated for service. It is about being prepared for production. It is about our cooperation with God’s Spirit so that we are set apart and made useful and closer to God.

However, what many do not realize is that this voluntary, temporal cleansing has eternal consequence as well as temporal aspects. They don’t go for it because they don’t see the worth; they haven’t realized it, made it real, cashed in on this truth. There are temporal aspects, such as an assurance of salvation and communion with Christ by the Holy Spirit, and eternal aspects, as with rewards in heaven. We have not stressed the practical presence of God and rewards in heaven enough.

In sanctification, God allows us to store up treasures in heaven, and allows us to win crowns that we may cast at the Master’s feet. To some, that may not seem to be all that big a deal, as long as they make it, but believe me, and believe the Bible, it will be a great big deal on that day, and you, me, and all of us will want to have more to give than we will then. We need to see this as it really is, and stress to believers the importance of the eternal state, not just as the resting place from wrath, but the place where we make an eternal statement about how we honored the glory of the Lord with our lives. For some this isn’t enough motivation, but we must endeavor to renew our minds to this truth.

To be a servant of the Lord, a vessel of honor for Him, we must be empty, clean, and available. If we refuse to empty ourselves, clean ourselves, and make ourselves available to the Lord, we will find ourselves captive to the devil in one sense or another. When you commit a sin, you let the devil win. If someone does not have the desire or the actions to depart from iniquity at all, it is fair to ask if they really belong to Jesus or if they have just deceived themselves. The sanctified, feeling God’s love, imitate it, and the more they imitate it, the more they feel it. It is worth striving for. At best, stress-free sinning is success-free sinning.