April 09, 2023 - Ressurection Sunday

Intro:

Video from CMU (80 sec.)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that central moment in human history that serves as the foundational doctrine of Christianity. After having truly assumed human nature and submitted to an agonizing and shameful public death, the eternal Son of God was truly raised from the dead in his glorified physical body, no longer subject to decay and death. His resurrection validates his identity as the divine Son of God, demonstrates his irrevocable victory over death and the grave, and secures both the present salvation and future physical resurrection of believers.

Link:

Lexham Survey of Theology (Jesus’ Resurrection)

The resurrection of Christ holds a central place in Christian theology: everything is built upon this foundational event. Without the reality of the resurrection our salvation is nothing but a sham, the proclamation of the gospel is utterly pointless, and Christians are to be pitied

1 Cor 15:14–19 “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (miserable).”

So, I’d like to look today, not so much on His resurrection story, but as to what His resurrection Story means to You, to Me.

It was once stated:

Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection as a space-time occurrence in history. All four Gospels highlight it, focusing on the empty tomb and resurrection appearances, and Acts insists on it. Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Resurrection: Jesus Christ Was Raised from the Dead)

Speaking of Acts, please turn in your Bible to Acts 2:24

Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated His victory over death.

Acts 2:24 “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

Within this passage, Peter gave 4 proofs:

Peter preached that Jesus was a real person & folks knew this from their experience with Him.

We can tell our stories to others, our experiences with him. Share Him w/ others through your experiences, the more we do this, the more they will hear this from other witnesses and thus validating the truth.

Peter preached the prophecy of David, he quoted Psalm 16:8-11 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

He used Scriptural proof through prophecy.

Peter preached the proof was found in the witness of the believers.

Do we still do this today? This is what God wants us to do.

Peter preached the resurrection of Christ was proven through the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus’ resurrection vindicated Him as righteous.

John 16:10 “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;”

300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church (The Resurrection Christ’s Sufficient Credential)

Our Lord Himself deliberately staked His whole claim to the credit of men upon His resurrection. When asked for a sign He pointed to this sign as His single and sufficient credential.

3. Jesus’ resurrection indicated His divine identity.

Romans 1:4 “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Jesus resurrection declared He was who He said He was.

4. Jesus’ resurrection lead to His ascension & enthronement.

Acts 1:9-11 “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 2:34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,”

Phil. 2:9 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,”

Isa. 53:10-12 “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

5. Jesus’ resurrection lead to His present day heavenly reign.

And this goes with #2, where Jesus is today enthroned at the right hand of God where he now reigns in Heaven.

6. Jesus’ resurrection guaranteed the believer’s present forgiveness and justification.

Romans 4:25 “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

1 Cor. 15:17 “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!”

Praise the Lord He is Risen as He said.

7. Jesus’ resurrection is the basis of resurrection life in Christ for the believer here and now.

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?””

GOSPEL SPOTLIGHT

Col. 2:9-15 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Col. 3:1-4 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Its amazing how were hidden in Christ. Where He goes, we some day will go too.

Romans 6 Look Up At Home

Ephesians 1:18-2:10 - Look Up At Home

8. Jesus’ resurrection is the basis of our eternal life.

1 John 5:13-15 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (More Beyond)

For centuries Portugal’s motto was “Nothing More Beyond.” Their world was limited to the familiar dimensions of the area around the Mediterranean Sea. They believed that to sail beyond the horizon, their border, would be to drop off the edge of the world. Eventually, voyagers discovered worlds beyond and brought back evidence to substantiate their claims. Decision makers were compelled to alter their motto to read, “More Beyond.”Easter assures us there is more beyond the grave. We do not have a chart to guide us, save Jesus Christ; details are sketchy, but our destination is certain.

Conclusion:

It's insulting to God to suggest that all religions lead to Him. If that were true, then why would He have allowed His Son to go through the suffering of the cross? Jesus knew there was no other way for our sin to be dealt with. There was no other way for us to experience fellowship with God, from whom we were separated by sin. So, Jesus had to taste death for everyone. He had to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. He died for our sins. - Greg Laurie

Unsaved:

If you are uncertain of your eternal destination, know this, what Jesus did was for “YOU”, and that He loves you and made a way for your salvation. ABC. Romans 10:13 “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Saved:

If you have trusted Christ, although details can be sketchy, your destination is certain, you are secure in Christ. Thus make sure “Living For Jesus” is the motto of your life.

Closing Song: Up From The Grave He Arose