The Reality of the Resurrection, Colossians 3:1-17 (Easter Sunday 2023)

Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV)

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Paul begins this section of Colossians with a conditional statement. He says, “If you have been raised with Christ…” This means that there are conclusions or conditions that serve as proofs to the truth of the hypothesis or proposition being made.

Paul is moving in his letter to the Colossians toward giving them instructions on how to live the Christian life. But, before he gives them instructions he reminds them and grounds the way that they live in the truth of their salvation… and he anchors the truth and reality of their salvation in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

It is common in the NT for the resurrection to serve as the basis or certainty of our salvation.

The Resurrection is the source of our certainty of salvation

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is so central to our understanding of what it means to be a Christian because it is the basis for a believer’s standing before God.

In fact the Bible teaches that without the resurrection there is no salvation.

It says in 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 (ESV):

“12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

The Bible says that without the resurrection we are a people to be pitied… but we aren’t here today to go through some meaningless religious rituals… no we are here because of the reality of an empty tomb and the truth of an ascended Savior! As Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 15…

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 (ESV)

“20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Adam sinned, Jesus didn’t.

Adam deserved death, Jesus didn’t. In fact…

The Resurrection confirms the innocence of Jesus

Death could not hold Him!

Acts 2:22-24, 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Mark 16:1–6 (ESV), “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

He is not here, because he wasn’t guilty of sin. Therefore the lamb who died, is not the lion who lives!

The Resurrection proves our salvation

The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead proved that Jesus’ gift was acceptable in the presence of God. He is holy… the sacrifice of Christ was acceptable, therefore our forgiveness is full.

Hebrews 9:11–12 (ESV) makes this point with clarity and simplicity, “11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

Jesus has secured an eternal redemption through His blood for all who believe in Him. And His resurrection is living proof of what He has accomplished through his death on the cross- the full and complete forgiveness of sin for all who believe.

The Resurrection is the source of our certainty of salvation

We have a sure, and secure, eternal future through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

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The certainty of our future in Christ is the basis for how we do everything in the present.

This is where Paul is going with the conditional statement in verse 1… let’s read on

Colossians 3:1-17

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

“5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

“12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The certainty of our future in Christ is the basis for how we do everything in the present.

Paul bases the Christian life on an “If”… not If Jesus was really resurrected… but “If you have been raised with Christ…” If you have been saved by the grace of God, forgiven for your sins, and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit… If you are a believer then your life in the present is different.

Why does it matter now? Because when Jesus was resurrected He inaugurated His kingdom and ascended to the right hand of the Father in Heaven… and He is reigning from heaven in the hearts and minds of those who are His.

Another way to say it is:

The Kingdom of Christ is an already and not yet, therefore, the Christian life is an already and not yet.

We are called to live now as things will be when Jesus returns.

Paul draws the line in the sand and says, if you belong to Jesus, then you should live like it.

Shane Pruitt, one of the best follows on Christian social media posted this a few days ago:

Anyone can say that “Christ is Risen” on Easter weekend, but do you live like "Christ is Risen” everyday? - Shane Pruitt

You might think that “everyday” is a little too much. But it’s actually where Paul is going with his conditional statement. He writes in verse 17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

So, How do we do everything in the present for Jesus?

Seek and set your minds on things that are above

Paul says we are pursue and to think on the things that are where Christ is… and where Jesus is it is holy and pure.

Seek things that are pure and holy. (Take this as far as it needs to go.)

Set your minds on things that are pure and holy.

Put your sin to death

This is what Jesus did with it. He took it all the way to the grave… and he didn’t do that so we would continue in it.

The language here is severe. Sin deserves death… and for those who’s sins have been crucified in Christ they are called to put it to death daily in the name of Jesus.

“Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” - John Owen

“He who kills no sin his way, takes no steps toward his journeys end.” - John Owen

I think this puts in such a clear perspective… If you are bound for heaven, then you are to put your sin to death… because that is where you will end up. And there is no sin in heaven… So, live not like you are heading there.

Put off your old ways and put on the ways of Jesus

For some this is a hard thought. You grew up in the church, you have always known the truth of the gospel, and you were raised to do what is good and right. Because of that you don’t really see your life as having a time of bad or “old” ways. But, you haven’t always been a believer. No one is born a Christian, we are all converted from sinner to saint, from death to live, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light… and as such when you hear “put off your old ways” it might don’t pretend to be better than you really are. Paul says, “9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”

You can live a lie by acting like you have put your sin to death when you really haven’t.

It also means don’t live like those who aren’t Christians. This is one of the biggest issues the church is facing right now. The biggest issue is that churches are filled with people who think they are saved but aren’t… and one of the next biggest issues is a large group of Christians who don’t really live any different than those who aren’t saved.

But we are called to put off that old way, or the world’s way… and put on the way of Christ. That’s why Paul says, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” You are saved by Christ, and your life is meant to be more and more the way that He lived and taught.

Colossians 3:12-13, “12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

We are called to imitate Christ.

Jesus is compassionate

Jesus is kind

Jesus is humble

Jesus is meek

Jesus is patient

Jesus bears with you

Jesus forgives.

You see it’s God’s plan and design that the people of God would act toward one another and the world like Jesus acted toward them. Or, to put it this way:

God calls you to live toward others the way the Jesus died for you.

It’s not just a catchy phrase or a cliche’… it’s what we are called to be. If you have been raised with Christ… then you are called to love one another

Love one another the way that Jesus has loved you.

Colossians 3:14, “14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Jesus said in John 13:34–35 (ESV), “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 John 3:16–20 (ESV) says, “16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

Jesus demonstrated love through the cross, and the by the power of his resurrection He saves us to be a people who love Him and one another… and to do it in such a way that it is the glue that holds our lives together… this means God’s love for us and our love for Him hold our individual lives together, and His love for us and our love for Him are what hold us together as a church.

And, when people look into the church, and see our individual lives and our relationships with one another they are to find an incredible display and demonstration of the resurrection power of Jesus.

They are to find a people who are ruled by the peace of Jesus.

A people who are united in the love of God and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

They are to find men, women, students, and children who know and rely on the Word and Spirit of God to lead them in all that they do.

They are to find love spoken through admonishment and teaching with wisdom.

They are to find love being sung to God and to one another.

And they are to find and see gratitude and thanksgiving. Which leads me to the next point on how do we do everything in the present for Jesus?

Be Thankful

Right at the end of verse 15 it says “And be thankful.” (15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.)

That seems so simple… but because it is a stand alone sentence it has always stood out to me when I reading and studying through Colossians. In this passage Paul says so much that is deep, profound, and exhilarating… and then he throws in what should be one of the most obvious truths about Christians… Be thankful.

Be thankful that you are saved! Be thankful Jesus was resurrected! Be thankful for the love of God!

Paul puts this in there because we need to hear it. It reminds me of when Jesus healed a group of lepers in Luke 17:11–19 (ESV):

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

It’s our sinful and selfish nature to get caught up in what we get to do or what we have received. But, if you have been raised with Christ… be thankful. Because you cannot do anything, much less everything, for God if not for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Colossians 3:17 (ESV), “17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

So, let me ask you this question: “What do you have to be thankful for?”

I am sure you can list out a host of people and things your are thankful for… but can you say with certainty that you are thankful for the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

(Ask Jasen and band to make their way to the platform and begin playing)

Do you have a salvation to be thankful for? Do you want to be in a position to spend the rest of your life with gratitude and thanksgiving for the resurrection of Jesus? Do you want to be forgiven of your sin and saved to eternal life by trusting in the work of Jesus on the cross?

Do you want to live out the truth? Do you want to quit lying to others about your relationship with God and be saved today? If so, with every person in the room bowing our heads and closing our eyes… take this moment to be real with God in a time of quiet prayer.

If God is calling you to the ministry or the mission field then say yes to Him and trust Him with the future.

If God is pulling you to him for salvation then pray… (confession of sin, confession of Christ as Lord, forgiveness, surrender to God, commitment of your life)

And with our eyes open… When God moves it happens in our hearts and in our lives… If you asked God to save you this morning would you just raise your hand? We want to celebrate and encourage you right now! We want to be thankful with you for what God is doing in your life. (Mention card… b/c we want to help you grow and we all need each other on this journey)

And, if you feel God calling you to serve him in some kind of ministry or to go to the mission field with your life… would you raise your hand at this time… we want to celebrate what God is doing and support you in His calling. (Mention card as well)

As you leave today, leave thankful! For the love of God, for the death of Christ, for the resurrection, for the life He has given you… and let your thankfulness be present in everything that you do today, and tomorrow, and the next, and the next… but start today with a commitment to seeking and setting your mind on the things that are above… and be thankful.

The certainty of our future in Christ is the basis for how we do everything in the present.