Three Declarations of Christ’s Resurrection
Easter 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
Lazarus had been dead for several days. His sisters were beside themselves with grief. They sent for Jesus, but he arrived too late, and as a consequence, they lost their brother. To their defense, they believed Jesus was a powerful rabbi who could heal the living, but they were squirrelly on if he could do anything for the dead (John 11:37). But Jesus says to Martha
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus says
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
All of us have a natural fear of death. When someone we know or love passes away, we feel as though death has won once again. Death always seems to be victorious, sending a message that it will come for us and we will be defeated. This message is so loud that the idea of resurrection seems foolish to many people. Jesus asks the sisters, “Do you believe I am the resurrection and the Life? Do you believe everyone who believe in me, even though he die, yet shall live and never die? Do you believe?
This morning I want to help you believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life by offering you three truths the ressurection declares about Jesus. Keep in mind, Jesus does not simply give you resurrection. He is the resurrection. You cannot simply know about him. You must be in him. What you believe about him makes all the difference to your salvation.
The resurrection of Christ declares his Sonship (Romans 1:4)
The resurrection of Christ declares his Sonship (Romans 1:4)
The apostle Paul makes three declarations about Jesus in verse 3-4. In verse 3, Paul says that Jesus was fully human. He also makes the point the Jesus was a descendent of David. Its is the last declaration we are concerned about this morning. Paul says in Romans 1:4
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
In declaring Jesus as the "Son of God," Paul affirms his divinity. However, some people have been confused by this title. For Jesus to be God’s son, surely he was begotten, or was created somehow. In our world, sons are born through the womb of a woman. Was Jesus somehow “born” in heaven? This idea was floated around in the 4th century. The theologian Arius of Alexandria believed that God is unchanging and self-sufficient, while the Son is a created being with a beginning, implying that God created him. This heretical belief has its roots in an old Jewish sect called the Ebionites. The Ebionites believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but to them, the Messiah was just a man. They considered him to be a great man who had been anointed by the Spirit of God for the messianic office. Despite this, he was only a man with a human nature. The Ebionites found "support" for their beliefs in texts such as John 3:16 where Jesus says he is “begotten” and Mark 1:9-11, which describes Jesus being anointed with the Holy Spirit during his baptism. (Early Denials of Christ Divinity, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/early-denials-of-christs deity#:~:text=Arianism%20was%20the%20second%20major,that%20the%20Son%20is%20uncreated.)
Although I can appreciate Arian’s confusion on the language begotten or “son,” the reality is Jesus was not created by God. Jesus has always existed with God as the second person of the Trinity. God is one, but has three persons. We refer to this as the Godhead. There is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three persons possess the same attributes of independence, unchangeability, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, love, ect. All three are equal in divine essence, one is not greater than the other. Thus, the Son is fully God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. (Allison, Gregg R. 2018. 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group. )
Furthermore, God does not show up in different modes or forms. They folks believe the persons in trinity are not three distinct people, but rather three modes or forms of activity, or ways, under which God manifests himself. Barry Cooper describes it this way, “Modalism says that there are no personal distinctions within the Godhead. Instead, God has, as it were, three different “masks” which He puts on, depending on whether He is operating as Father, Son, or Holy Spirit.” The problem with this view is recognized at Jesus’ baptism, when all three show up at the same time. The Father affirms the Son, who is standing in the Jordan, as the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus (Mark 1:10-11). I agree that Jesus was anointed at his baptism. He was anointed with the Spirit by the Father.
So why does Jesus say in John 3:16 that the Son of God is begotten, and why do some take that to mean he was created? Begotten does not mean created in this context. It means eternally generated of the Father. That is, God the Father grants Jesus sonship life, or the person of the Son. This is what makes Jesus distinct from the Holy Spirit and the Father. This distinction also accounts for his role in the trinitarian relationship as the son. This why Jesus could say,
30 I and the Father are one.”
Jesus is equal to God the Father, And Jesus can also says,
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
The Son, in his role as Son, willingly and joyfully submits to His Father, even to death on a cross. And when he arose from the dead he was declared the Son of God in power. How? It is by the resurrection. Jesus did not become the Son of God by the resurrection. No, the resurrection proves Jesus is the Son of God. The Son was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection. The resurrection removes all doubt that Jesus was the divine Son of God. Only God can conquer death, and both the Father and the Son participated in the resurrection.
Paul alludes to the Father’s work in raising Jesus from the dead and his ascension to the right hand of authority in Ephesians 1:19-22
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
It was the Father who also gave him the name above all names at which every knee will bow in heaven and earth, and under the earth (Phil 2:9-10). (Keller, Timothy. 2014. Romans 1–7 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company.)
Jesus also participated in the resurrection. Jesus said, John 10:18
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Perhaps you are currently struggling with doubts about the resurrection. It's important to remember that even Paul, the man who wrote this letter, once doubted the resurrection of Jesus. Prior to his encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was a zealous persecutor of the church. He was even highly regarded among the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees. However, after his encounter with Jesus, Paul became a champion for the church, transforming from a hater to a true believer. Paul describes it himself, with his own words,
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
No man in Paul's position, prestige, and power would give it all up for a hallucination or a lie. He met the living risen Jesus, the resurrected Son of God, and his encounter changed his life. Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth as a human being. He lived a perfect life with two natures - one fully divine and one fully human. Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for sinners to atone for their sins completely and impute his righteousness to them. He stayed three days in the grave and if he had been a normal human being, he would have remained in the grave. But since he was the Son of God, he was resurrected with a new glorified body that would never suffer death again. He ascended into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of the Father, reigning as King. He promises that all who confess their sins, repent, and put their trust in his life, death, and resurrection will enjoy the fruits of his salvation and resurrection.
The resurrection of Christ declares his lordship (Romans 14:9)
The resurrection of Christ declares his lordship (Romans 14:9)
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
The context of Romans 14:9 is helpful to understand how Christ’s resurrection reveals his lordship. In tis passage, Paul is addressing the tension between weak believers who have a tender conscience toward food and drink ceremonial laws, and the string believers who are convinced Jesus fulfilled these things, and their conscience is clear toward eating and drinking things are are not ritually clean.
Paul lays the foundation for his teaching on Christian liberty with this fundamental point: all of us are slaves unto the Lord Jesus in verses 4-9. In verse 4, Paul addresses the weak believer asking, “Who do you think you are to condemn the strong believer when they eat with a clear conscience? By doing this you make yourself master over the string believer. Christians only have one master. That is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word Lord in the greek is kurios which can be translated as Lord or master. As a noun it denotes one who owns and controls property, including especially servants and slaves. Keep in mind, Paul uses the term slave or servant to describe the relationship between disciples and Jesus. Paul, when teaching the Corinthian church about the proper use of their body, said,
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
So, we are not surprised by the slave/master language in Romans. We have a Lord. His name is Jesus. He is our Master. He paid our ransom and bought us with a price with his own blood. He secured that payment with his resurrection and ascension.
In verses 6-9, Paul makes it clear that no Christian should act for their own interests. We also think of Jesus first and foremost. We think of the one who died and rose again to be our Lord, the Lord of the living and he Lord of the dead. So in whatever state we find ourselves, weak or string, living or dead, Christ expects us to obey him. Once again Paul says,
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
How did the resurrection declare Jesus’ Lordship? In verse 9, it says, “For this purpose Christ died and was raised.” For what purpose? To be Lord of both the living and the dead. A master on earth has limited authority. A salve can only be a slave as long as he lives. Once the slave dies, the master looses all authority. Even more, the master is limited by the law. If the law allows slavery, the master has authority. If the law forbids it, the master looses all authority. Jesus is master over the law. life, and death. He lived a perfect life securing God’s righteous approval. God is happy to subject everything under his feet, that is under his authority. His death appeased God’s wrath. God accepted His sacrifice and raised him from the dead. Jesus declares after his resurrection,
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Paul affirms this once again in his letter to the Philippians when he says God raised him from the dead,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The resurrection declares that Jesus is Lord. There is no authority like his authority. Jesus has a God-given, blood wrought, resurrection authority that rightfully rules over sin and Satan and judges the living and the dead.
Paul says
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Paul is appealing to the resurrected ascended Christ who will return one day as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to judge the world by his righteous authority. In light of this, we preach the word in season and out of season, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort.
In light of Romans 14, Jesus is the rightful judge of all. Therefore, weaker Christians are not to judge stronger Christians because of their liberty. Likewise, stronger Christians are not to hold weaker Christians in contempt, looking down on them. Instead, let the Lord do the judging, and you love our neighbor as yourself. Jesus says
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
He also says you know a tree by its fruit, so bear good fruit. For,
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Maybe you say, “Pastor, this is a hard thing to do. You are asking me to lay down my rights, my opinions, my pride. How do I let love cover a multitude of offenses or misconceptions?”
Friend, you need to let the resurrection declare to your soul, Jesus is Lord over your rights, your opinions, and your pride. Your Lord is alive and risen. He hears your prayer and knows our concerns. He is intimately involved in the affairs of your life. He is the risen Lord over all the affairs in your life, and he promises to work all things for your good (Romans 8:28). Surrender to His Lordship and cooperate with the Holy Spirit to live by the power of the resurrected Christ whose Holy Spirit lives inside of you.
Norman Geisler wisely says to us,
“Life in this world will be better if it is lived by the power beyond this world, the power of the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Christ.” Norman Geisler
The resurrection of Christ declares He is the resurrection life, and the end of death’s power over you (Romans 6:9)
The resurrection of Christ declares He is the resurrection life, and the end of death’s power over you (Romans 6:9)
I have always been bothered by churches that have a crucifix with Jesus either dead or dying displayed in their sanctuaries. Jesus dying on the cross is not the gospel. All men die. If Jesus simply died, he is not God’s son, nor is he Lord over the living and the dead. Furthermore, if Jesus is still in the grave, then you have much to fear over death. In Romans 6:9, Paul makes it clear that Jesus defeated death with is resurrection.
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
Death has dominion over us
Death has dominion over us
As I stated earlier, death sends us a message: I always win. I know the two greatest assurances of every American are death and taxes, but that is not true for Christians. Death is not natural. Death is the result of sin. God promised Adam that if he ate of the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil he would surely die (Gen 2:17). When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden, God kept his promise, and Paul says in Romans 5, death came to all men through Adam.
Paul also says death has a sting. We fear death because of the law. The law condemns us as sinners who have exchanged God’s glory for worthless idols. We have broken his law and the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23), both physical death and spiritual death. The Bibles says its appointed for man to die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The judgment is the second death, the spiritual death where God condemns those in their sin to hell. John says,
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Jesus defeated death for us
Jesus defeated death for us
In Romans 6:9, Paul gives us hope that death has no power over Jesus. Despite death being an inevitable part of human life, Jesus, being fully human, is not subject to its dominion. How is this possible? Through his resurrection, Jesus broke the power of death and sin through his perfect blood. God accepted his sacrifice and raised him from the grave three days later. At this point, you need to realize that Jesus' resurrection was not like Lazarus' resurrection, as Lazarus was raised back to life with his earthly flesh. In contrast, Jesus was raised to a new eternal life with a glorified body that will never die again. The good news is that Jesus offers the same resurrection to all who repent and trust in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
Jesus says,
John 11:25 (ESV)
25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Faith says to Jesus, “I believe you!” For those who believe, we are no longer slaves to sin and death. We have a new master, a new Lord. Jesus, the Son of God, is our victor who gives us eternal life through his death and resurrection. That is why Paul screams with joy
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our savior displayed on a criminal's cross
Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That's when death was arrested and my life began
As a child, I was so fearful of death. I lay in my bed overwhelmed by panic attacks because I was sure I would not wake up in the morning, and I dreaded the thought of standing before a holy God. I had every reason to fear. I was dead in my sin, an enemy at war with God. Paul describes me in Romans 8:7-8. I was was hostile to God in my flesh and could not please him. How all that changed on a bridge in Louisiana when God revealed Jesus to me as my Savior, my resurrected Savior who conquered death so I no longer have to fear. Death has nor dominion over me!
Released from my chains I'm a prisoner no more
My shame was a ransom He faithfully bore
He cancelled my debt and He called me His friend
When death was arrested and my life began
Oh, Your grace so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with You
It's your endless love
Pouring down on us
You have made us new
Now life begins with You
The resurrection of Jesus proclaims that death has no power over those who are in Christ Jesus. Death is merely a passage, a gateway, into the joy of our Lord. For those who believe in Christ, when they close their eyes in death, they will instantly open with Jesus. Before Jesus died, the thief on the cross repented and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom. Jesus replied, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." This word offers great freedom to those who are free from the chains of death. As Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life." Do you believe this?
Furthermore, Jesus' resurrection also promises your resurrection. Though you die, you will live. You will live in the new heavens and earth with a new glorified body like Jesus’ resurrected body. You will taste and see and smell and feel and hear and dance and sing and be in awe of the Lord’s goodness to those whom He has redeemed. By the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, that power lives in you now and will raise you from the dead. Jesus truly is the resurrected life. Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
Friend, Jesus is the Son of God who has always existed as the second person of the Trinity. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will judge all the living and the dead by his righteous authority. He is your only hope for resurrection and eternal life. All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. The empty grave declares these truths to you this morning. Do you believe this?