Jesus Claimed it ALL

Intro

Why is the Resurrection so important?

Jewish podcaster said the reason I’m not Christian is because when I read the New Testament and compared it to Orthodox Judaism I couldn’t really see the difference.

Can’t we just focus on the deeper truths? If you deny the resurrection but you live like Jesus, that’s the whole point anyway.

Story

Set the background: 2 storms crashing into each other, war everywhere, an assassin in all white that had never missed a target. Rain beating down on the tent where the commander coordinated battle. The commander’s son, guards, and other leaders are standing in the tent. The assassin appears.

The fight is ridiculous. They fight the assassin like children wrestling their father. The assassin cuts down the guards with supernatural speed. A fully armored warrior leaps forward completely missing with his attack. With a whirl the assassin touched the armored chest. A surge of power flowed into him and he flies into the air.

He turns to fight the commander’s son (the greatest duelist in the land). After a quick back and forth the assassin cripples the son with a single swing of his blade. Moments later the armored warrior, from before, falls through the roof of the tent, dead on impact.

The assassin walks coldly to the commander. Eyes open too wide and full of death. He touches the commander’s chest and fills his body with power. The commander flies into the air as if down was up and up was down. Into the storm. Into death itself.

“It is finished” the assassin whispered. “I am done”. His son and the rest of the guards stare into the darkness. The assassin begins to walk away, his work complete. Stunned the son sank to his knees. Waiting for the crash of his father’s corpse// the son sits waiting… listening… “father I’m sorry” he whispered.

Looking up he noticed something… glowing… floating like a leaf. His father. The commander fell slowly, gently landing on the ground beside him.

The assassin looked, stumbling back, eyes in horror. “No! No!” Then like a falling star, a blazing fireball of light and motion shot down in front of the commander. It crashed into the ground sending out a ring of stormlight like white smoke. At the center a figure in blue crouched with a blade in one hand and a stone in the other.

The figure spoke, “you sent him to the sky to die, assassin. But the sky and the winds are mine. I claim them, as I now claim your life”

When I read that I was shaking

This is the gospel, this is why the resurrection is important

Through His sacrifice Jesus claimed authority over sin, over death, over everything

In that moment I could see addiction, loneliness, depression, anxiety, death itself touching lives and sending them into the storm, into darkness - and assuming, like the assassin, it’s over. And Jesus says, “NO! Not this one. I’ve claimed the skies, I’ve claimed power over darkness. He’s mine.”

Have you ever wondered, what did Jesus do in the resurrection?

He healed before the resurrection, he raised Lazarus from the dead, he told a man his sins were forgiven.

You could say that being God, not bound by time, Jesus was working out of the power of the resurrection

Let’s look at the scripture

Hebrews 1:3 “3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 2:5–10 “5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”

Hebrews 2:14–15 “14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

John 19:28–30 “28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

If I could respond to the podcaster from before, I would say, “The difference between Orthodox Judaism and Christianity, is that the work is done.”

Look back at the scripture

Hebrews 1:3 “3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Jesus told the man who was lowered down through the ceiling that his sins were forgiven. But you know what happened the next day? The man sinned again. And his debt began to build.

But now… Jesus purifies His people of all sin. That means you are purified today, but when we sin the bill already says “PAID” on it.

Hebrews 2:5–10 “5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”

Hebrews 2:14–15 “14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Are you afraid of death? You might think, “no I’m not afraid to die” but we all know there’s a death worse than death.

Addiction: Are you afraid of the darkness that fills your mind when you’re sober? That’s why I drank. I just wanted the voices to stop. That’s death. That’s slavery.

Loneliness: Are you afraid that you’re going to be alone forever and your funeral is going to be a couple of people who felt obligated to come? That’s death.

Depression: Are you afraid that you’re going to wake up tomorrow more exhausted and less equipped to handle your day to day stress? Death.

Anxiety: Are you afraid that there’s a monster around every corner and every choice might spiral the rest of your days into misery?

LIFE - is walking hand in hand with God. It’s the garden of Eden, where we eat from the tree of life and speak with God. It’s purpose, and mission, and community.

DEATH- is anything other than that. It’s being disconnected from God, not able to hear Him or see His will. It’s purposeless agony and isolation.

John 19:28–30 “28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

What’s the difference? Why do we need the resurrection?

It’s the difference between religion and salvation.

Religion: Please God, make up for your bad choices, do the right thing

Salvation: Through Jesus - God is pleased, your sins are made up for, Jesus did the right thing - LIVE IN IT

Outro

The gospel: We were created to walk with God and partake in His rest. But it got screwed up. That part we know. You know things are supposed to be good, that’s why you call them good.

And we know things aren’t good. That’s why we get angry with the world for it’s injustice and our suffering.

But here’s the good news. There’s a hero. Just like in our story from before. Who has claimed power over death (addiction, loneliness, depression, anxiety, meaninglessness). And now He lives in perfect unity with God - and so can we.

Romans 6:4–6 “4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—”

I don’t know what you’re talking about but...

Play no longer slaves by zach williams