Resurrection Sunday

He is risen! He is risen indeed!! What a powerful and wonderful statement. Today I want to talk about why the resurrection is important. Some scoff and say that the resurrection never happened and that it was clever story or a hoax. Jesus is indeed risen from the dead and he is living today. No other religious leader or religious movement has made the claim to be risen from the dead and has actually followed through on that claim. Buddha lived and died, Joseph Smith lived and died, and every other prophet and religious leader was not able to conquer death. Only Jesus Christ who is God was able to do this.

Please turn to 1 Cor. 15. The resurrection is not just an event in history but the biblical cornerstone of our faith. In 1 Corinthians 15:14, Paul states, 'And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith.' Christianity itself hinges on the reality of the resurrection, making it the most important event in history which impacts our lives and beliefs. Many articles have been written speaking to the importance of Jesus’ literal bodily resurrection from the dead and if somebody could be a true Christian if they did not believe in it. There are many people who claim to be Christians and even churches who do not believe in a literal, physical, bodily resurrection, but instead believe that the resurrection is just a metaphor for spiritual life or the enduing teachings of Jesus. I remember a time in my life, close to resurrection Sunday that I asked my father: “So, I understand why Jesus had to die on the cross to pay for our sins, but I don’t understand why he has to rise from the dead?” What is the significance of the resurrection? Perhaps you may have the same question this morning. We know that without Good Friday when Jesus died that we would not have a Resurrection Sunday when we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Today I want us all to leave with joy in our hearts as we understand that our Savior lives today.

Let’s first look at some Bible passages related to the resurrection of Jesus that will encourage us and build our faith.

1.Old Testament: Although the word resurrection never occurs in the Old Testament, the Old Testament has much in the way of prophesy about Jesus. The book of Job, which is the oldest book in the Bible, contains a wonderful Bible passage that talks about a future resurrection in Job 19:25,26.

I know that my redeemer[c] lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[d] 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet[e] in[f] my flesh I will see God;

We do not know how totally Job understood the concepts of his redeemer rising from the dead and Job’s own future resurrection, but it is clear that Job longs to be set free from his current circumstances and expresses faith that one day he will be vindicated by God and that death itself will be conquered. So, we can see that even in early Biblical history, the concept of a resurrection from the dead is demonstrated.

In Acts 2:24-32 Paul who is speaking at Pentecost draws from the prophecy of King David in Psalm 16:9-11.

24 God raised him (Jesus) up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

King David is clearly talking about how Jesus would rise from the dead. Even hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, people were telling about Him and His resurrection from the dead that was going to happen in the future.

So, it is clear to see that the fathers of the faith with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit could foresee a future resurrection. The resurrection is not just a concept that is talked about in the New Testament church, but was God’s plan from the beginning.

For this reason, the resurrection is first important, because it was prophesied before the birth of Jesus in the Old Testament. The next reason the resurrection is important is that Jesus himself predicted that He would rise from the dead. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Jesus speaks to his disciples and others about how He will rise from the dead. In Mark 8:31 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Similarly in 9:30-32, and 10:32-34 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection three separate times to His disciples directly.

John 2:19

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

In Matt. 12:39 Jesus speaks about the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days but was released back to life, so Jesus will die, be buried for 3 days and then be risen from the dead.

Finally, Jesus made a direct claim to his being God and to His resurrection in John 11:25 as he talked with Martha before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””

It is only through belief in the resurrection of Jesus that we have the opportunity to also be raised to life eternally with Him.

Right after Jesus’ death the religious leaders wanted His tomb guarded because they remembered the claims of Jesus. Matt. 27:63 “Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'

- Despite their best efforts to stop Jesus, the empty tomb was found and Jesus showed himself alive to the disciples and over 500 other people.

Jesus’ claims that He would be raised from the dead speak directly to His character. The fact that His resurrection happens gives credibility to His message and is a proof to His claim to be God Himself. Had He not risen then everything else He said would be of no consequence for who would want to believe a liar or a crazy person? Other religious leaders have claimed that they would rise again from the dead, but only Jesus conquered death and showed himself publicly to prove His claim.

III. Impact after resurrection

The fact that Jesus is alive must be important because it seems to be a central theme throughout the book of Acts and the Pauline letters. Preaching Jesus’ resurrection was a cause for alarm and anger against Peter and Paul to the many that they preached to. They were placed in prison and beaten for preaching the resurrected Christ. Jesus’ resurrection was denied by some religious leaders because if it were true, it would mean they must believe His claims to be the Messiah and that Jesus was God himself. The resurrection is mentioned in several introductions to letters to churches and was a unifying call to the new church.

Turn back to I Cor. 15. This passage by Paul is one of the most compelling regarding the truth of the resurrection.

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. (The resurrection was the stand and the battle cry of the new church which cost some their lives) 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (According to the scriptures: we just talked about how the scriptures foretold Jesus resurrection and this now justifies it) 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time. (Paul then goes on to talk about other witnesses and his own encounter with the resurrected Christ).

Go to verse 12: 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

(Paul makes it clear here, the resurrection is everything to a believer in Jesus!Without it our faith means nothing! We need the saving sacrificial death of Jesus to pay for our debt of sin but the fact that Jesus is alive from the dead makes our faith true.)

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

The power of sin is death and death affects every person. How did we end up this this situation? God is our creator and He is holy and without sin. We as people are created by God and accountable to Him to obey his laws and to follow Him. But we have all missed God’s requirement of perfection and no sin. We have all sinned and done wrong. The payment and consequence for sin is death. Death of our physical body, but also a death that separates us forever from the holy God who cannot have evil in his presence. But God in His grace and love sent Jesus to live a perfect and sinless life. Jesus freely offered his life on the cross in payment for our sin, that if we put our full faith and trust in Jesus as our sin bearer and savior of sin, then we will not experience judgement, punishment and separation from God, but we will be with God forever in paradise in Heaven. Jesus offers us this hope through His death on the cross for us and through his conquering of sin and death by his resurrection.

Death will affect every person, but because Jesus is alive from the dead it proves His victory over sin and death. The passage also says, Jesus is the first to be resurrected from the dead. It is through His resurrection that we have the hope and the opportunity to be raised with Him with new perfect bodies to be with God forever in Heaven.

There is much more that is said in this chapter 15, but I want to read the last 5 verses of the chapter as an encouragement to us:

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

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.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

The resurrection is the hope and confidence of the believer in Jesus. It gives us hope for the future and joy and confidence in our lives now. This is how Paul is concluding this section.

IV. Influence today and into future

So why is the resurrection important? The Old Testament foretold about the resurrection hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. Jesus told about His own resurrection while he walked and talked as a man on Earth. If He did not rise from the dead then He would have been proved a liar and discredited. But Jesus is alive indeed, justifying His claims of being equal to God the Father. Only God Himself has the power over death. God is the creator of life and is the only one with the power to raise the dead. Jesus’ resurrection shows that God the Father saw His sacrificial death for our sins with approval and therefore Jesus was raised by the giver of life. So finally, Jesus’ resurrection proves that He is God. Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope that, as Jesus promised us, if we are his followers then we will also be raised from eternal death apart from Him to eternal life in Heaven with Him. We serve the one and only true God who is alive, who had conquered death, and who is even now preparing a place for us.

Rejoice in the fact that Jesus is alive! As a result of the resurrection we as Christians have hope, we do not have to fear death, and we will also be with Jesus forever in Heaven.

I would like to finish by asking you a question which Jesus will ask for me:

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””

Jesus offers everyone the same question and invitation today. Jesus has clearly shown who He is and that he is the resurrection. He offers the hope of a future resurrection from the dead and eternal life in Heaven to all who believe. Jesus asks you this question today as well, do you believe this?

-Let’s pray.