The Must Tell News of Jesus’ Resurrection (1 John 1:1–4)

1 John 1:1-4

GBCCR AM (3/31/24)

APTAT

Admit that without christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), Pray, Trust particular promises from devotions in morning, Act as a human agent for God's glory serving in the strength god supplies[1 peter 4:11], Thank God as the end

Introduction

Opening comments- For those who do not know, that was my hard working wife singing

Prayer

Don Jon, larry, and Bob

Lord, on this easter morning, may we remember your resurrection is real and should have an impact on our lives

Catch- In a world of misinformation, what would make you believe something you heard?

We don’t even need to use the word misinformation, lies, or propaganda now as there are Global Disinformation Indexes

Those groups get it very wrong too, so how do we protect from spreading misinformation to others?

A friend of mine would always say check your source if someone says they heard something where did they hear it from… what is their perspective?

I still think one of the wisest things I read about news from Apologists Sean Mcdowell was watch or listen to the same story from different new sources and notice how they spin it their own way

And that takes us to one of the most amazing pieces of news in history

Today we celebrate that around 2000 years ago a man named Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead

I want to remind us why that truly happened, and why we should spread that news far and wide still today

We’ll be looking at the book of 1 John, its on page ________

1 John is a letter written by the Apostle John, who also wrote the gospel of John and Revelation

Unlike most modern books, the purpose of the book comes at the end at 5:13: "I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."

He wants us, his readers to understand Jesus and thus have a life that will never come to an end… what a better focus on Resurrection Sunday Morning

4 truths to define what Christians tell others about the Resurrection

In greek verses 1-4 are all 1 sentences

The main verb that dominates the whole thing is “proclaim” in verse 3

Thus, this is the message of what Christians tell others about Jesus

How we were Told (1)

Explanation- This is how we heard the message

There is something from the beginning

This thing is not just the beginning of the story but the beginning of everything

As john wrote something similar in his gospel

John 1:1–4- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The word of life, another name for Jesus, existed before anything else.. in fact always existed and was the one who created all things

And they actually heard him, saw him, like really saw him and even touched him… after the resurrection in upper room

Let me give you 4 reasons to believe we were given eye witness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in an easy Acronym- ROSE

R- reliability of biblical story

Some say that the resurrection can not be proven scientifically.-I’d respond

-I’d respond by saying that’s the wrong criteria, we are trying to prove it historically.

Ancient non-Christian historians write about Jesus as an actual historical person.

Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55?–117), wrote: “a wise man who was called Jesus … Pilate condemned Him to be condemned and to die”6 and that Jesus’ disciples “reported that He had appeared to them three days after His crucifixion and that He was alive.”

The famous Jewish historian Josephus wrote:

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; (64) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day

O- Overcame the disciples fears

The early disciples did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead

When the guards game, they ran, and after his death they were afraid

John 20:19- On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews….

The resurrection wasn’t something expected in the Jewish mindset

John 11:23–24- Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

we read

Martha did not believe someone could come back from life now.

But what happened after the resurrection?

They went onto all but one die a martyr’s death.

One theory says that the disciples faked the resurrection and wanted their easy jobs of preaching still.

Many people will die for what they believe in.. (Suicide bombers)

But no one dies for what they know is a lie.

But it wasn’t just the 12 either

S- Seen by many eyewitnesses

1 Corinthians 15:4–6- and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

More than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive

It wasn’t just the Apostles who saw Jesus, but many others

If you said 500 people saw Jesus, it would be pretty easy to verify or disprove.

Remember, the Jews were trying to destroy this new religion

But they couldn’t stop it because people were convinced

E- Empty tomb

Jerusalem is not the place to start a made up story of a resurrection

The religious leaders could have just gone up to the right tomb and shown everyone the body to kill this Christian movement from the beginning.

Some say they went to the wrong tomb… well, maybe they would have checked twice

Others say grave robbers took his naked body and left all the valuable linens and spices there…right?

How about Matt 28:13?

His disciples stole him while the guards slept? Then how did they know it was his disciples who took the body?

Even in the early church, they had trouble denying Jesus was placed in there dead and then unexplicably was no longer there

Illustration

We have received this message from accurate sources

Jesus was seen with actual eyes

I was out a College lecture in the sciences years ago who pointed to a painting of an abstract art painting by Monet or someone and said that religion is like this, it doesn’t have to be precise or actually match the world like science does,

But Maybe not all religions, but Christianity is based on real history.

Christianity is not abstract art, but a court painting that is must present accurate information

The message we have received about the resurrection is right

Perhaps an application of belief I can call us to

Truth matters…You must believe this is true because it is

There are issues these days of not trusting the bible’s teaching on who you’re attracted to and whether two men or two women should be married… it’s a old book afterall

But if Jesus rose from the dead, then everything is different… then we can trust him

Christians, you know you believe this, but doubts rise up in your mind

There are people in your life who you trust would never lie to you… remember that is true of the biblical story

To those who are not sure

Even you kids… you sometimes ask, who do I know God is real?

I’d encourage you to follow that questioning and find there is evidence to support the call to faith

But let’s talk about this Jesus.

Who we must Educate others about (2)

Explanation

John continues to call him the life

But remember this is not just personification of a life force but creator of all life-- Jesus

Jesus is not just as the “Word” (from John 1), but the “Word of life.

Jesus is the one who has life in Himself, and who came to dispense it to all who believe in Him.

This life was made visible to us by the incarnation

the great theologian Athanasius (AD 296-373) taught that the full humanity of Christ was necessary because God could save only what Christ became, so if Christ were not fully human, humans could not be fully saved.

We understand this when we say you need to walk a mile in my shoes… God did that

It is this Jesus who gives eternal life

Not a life that just goes on and on in heaven

John 3:36- Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;.

It’s right now if you’re a Christian you have a life that will never end

But even though it’s already, there is a not yet part

John 5:24–25- Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Jesus seed of life is waiting, growing until it becomes a giant oak tree when he returns

That is why Christians often struggle in this life, the promise is not complete yet

And we should be shocked at who he was

Look in your bible that the one who was manifested was with the father

We "get an important truth that clarifies the true God of Christianity from all other forms of monotheism (one God like Islam) or polytheism (like Hinduism)

First, he is equating Jesus with God in terms of deity. As Luther said, “Where the Son of God is, there Christ is; where Christ is, there the Father is.

Second, He is saying they are not one person… there is one divine nature, but distinctively three persons- Father, son and Holy Ghost

Illustration

An imaginary Jesus is no more helpful than an imaginary fireman

He might be able to comfort you but if there is a real fire, he won’t be able to do much.

JI Packer rightly stated, “An imaginary Christ will not bring a real salvation; and a half-truth presented as the whole truth is a complete untruth.”

Application

So, The purpose your life is not simply

to know God , or enjoy him , or reflect him ,

but to do so through Jesus :

And this is eternal life , that they know you the only true God , and Jesus Christ whom you have sent ” ( John 17 : 3

I know it’s common to mock people’s wrong views of Jesus as the republican Jesus, the democratic Jesus, the CEO Jesus, the hippie Jesus

But Christian, you must get to the real Jesus found in the pages of scripture

A Jesus that is not quite easily explained and no way controlled.

If you’re a church member, you should care about the doctrine of the church because doctrine defines Jesus for us

The great preacher D. Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote "Are we primarily concerned about the size of the church or the purity of the church, both in doctrine and in life?"

Trans: So why do Christians want to tell everyone about this Jesus?

Why we proclaim for Linking together (3)

Verse 3 and 4 are fascinating reasons for evangelism

He repeats again that we’ve seen it

You have seen Jesus in the pages of scripture

You have seen Jesus in your life- not just in giving you what you wanted, but, like the women, showing you what you’ve done wrong

Jesus then gives all Christians the responsibility of the great commission to make disciples

Peter points out that we’ve been saved to state this

1 Peter 2:9- But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But look at the So that in verse 3

Their goal is mutual fellowship,

meaning “partnership” or “sharing.” The basis for fellowship is salvation

Because they are united to the Lord Jesus in faith, they are united to one another in love

True fellowship is based around Doctrine… which is only proclaiming who God really is:

Doctrine is often discounted in interest of supposed unity… we might say, why does it matter if someone believes in physical resurrection if he loves Jesus?

1 Corinthians 15:17–19- and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But we read for 1 Corinthians 15 earlier The apostle says that it is as important as this, that if it had not happened, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain

Jesus is inviting people to be part of this partnership that he purchased with his own blood

But the message of Easter is that Jesus’ power overwhelmed not just His own death, but the spiritual debt of all who follow Him

Many religions teach us that we need to reform, and some of them give us the great prototypes we should emulate: Abraham and Moses (Judaism), Jesus (liberal Christianity), Muhammad (Islam), Buddha and the Dalai Lama (Buddhism), Confucius (Confucianism), etc.

But only the bible teaches us that someone else has already, in our place

lived that life that we should have;

taken the punishment we deserved for all our sins;

attained resurrected life and exalted status, so that we are, spiritually speaking, already seated at the right hand of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21- For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Illustration

There is only one way for true friendship and fellowship- a single vision on Christ

Disneyland has been a massive success

But do you know that November 1953 the Disney company got together all the experts of amusements parks for a “highlight of our feasibility analysis”

They got nothing but bad feedback saying Walt Disney’s plan was crazy and would be an utter failure

And one of the biggest critiques would be a single entrance would be a kiss of death creating a bottleneck… there need to be multiple ways in

But they were assured a single entrance with that beautiful castle as you walked down main street would put people in awe

Sometimes Christians are not as aware as secularists like Disney in that we need to give people a single focus to bring ase

Application

So to those of us who are often hesitant to preach the gospel to others

maybe you’re worried about ruining the relationship with your friend or child or husband

They are afraid that things will become awkward or that their relationship will be damaged in some way.

The damage the Gospel can bring to any earthly relationship pales in comparison to the massive separation between Heaven and Hell that will last for eternity

There is nothing more short-sighted than valuing an earthly relationship to the expense of an eternal one

But if you’re not a christian

Can I let you know that Christians keep talking to you about Jesus because we want you to join us.

The problem is that following Jesus means picking up your cross and denying yourself

Jesus offers forgiveness, but he also calls for obedience

This obedience is worth it for the second reasons

Why we proclaim for Loving joy (4)

Explanation

This letter is being written by the Apostle John for the sake of Joy

Joy, a happiness based on eternal life matters

This joy is nothing less than the joy that comes from abiding in Christ’s love, j

The Christian life is not supposed to be one of “no and no” but one of joy

John 15:10–11- If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

By obeying God’s commands to speak the truth there is joy

that he is writing for himself and the rest of the apostolic witnesses. Still, does his statement not smack of selfishness?

No way- the joy is likely mutual as well

Illustration

Joy is a great motive for Telling others about Jesus

John Piper argues the pursuit of the joy in doing good is actually an essential component of virtue.

Could you imagine me taking my wife out for a very special date

If she says, “Thanks so much; why did you do this?” I said oh, it’s only my duty

she is not going to feel very loved!

But I said, “Because I love being with you and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,”

she feels loved and honored. So also in all the good we do

Loving to tell others about Jesus shows our love for Him and them

Application

The greatest joy is found not “What will serve me?” but “What will serve them?”

Men, we need this mission in a world that says work hard, then play hard, find your joy in what you accomplish or do

But brothers, notice that John’s joy was in found in people

Speaking of Jesus can be scary at times because Jesus message is that He’s the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except by Him

But in a world of misinformation and lies, its’ joyful to speak the truth

Therefore

If these things are true (Cohesion)- We Tell

Told the truth by trustworthy sources

Educating others about the eternal Jesus is our goal

Linking together with them in worship of Jesus is our reason

Loving Joy motivates us to continue

We know we must (Resolution)-

There are many reasons to believe the bible is accurate.

Charles Colson was known as President Nixon’s hatchetman who later became a believer and founder of prison ministries. He said

"I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How?

Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true.

Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks.You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible

What You think about Jesus’ teaching doesn’t matter, but if he truly rose from the dead, then we must listen to this book

Closing prayer- Lord, we pray for salvation, and greater longing for it