Implications of the Resurrection

Now why would you say that? Don’t you know that dead people have a tendency to stay dead? At least, that’s what skeptics would have you believe. Today we are talking about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are four implication I would like us to look at and those implication directly effect your life whether you believe its true or not. So if you are here and do not believe in Jesus, I would simply ask that you be willing to have an honest look at this with me today.

How many of you have spent any amount of time planning your own funeral service? Either on paper on even just in your head? Have you made any considerations about things you might want said, songs you might want done, or how you want things to be handled?

Skeptics would have you believe that Jesus couldn’t rise again because

To many people, this is a taboo topic. We don’t like to think about death. Even the Christian who has no need to fear death, can be hesitant to have conversations about arrangements to be made for the possibility of death.

But to ignore the the topic of death is really not a wise plan of action. The statistics prove:

10 out 10 people die.

10 out of 10 people die

Its an inescapable reality. If you know anyone who is over 120 years old, then I’d like to talk to you. We have a shelf life. An expiration date. Many people prepare for the worst by buying life insurance, or setting up a will. And those are good things to do. But many stop there. And when the time comes and pass away, your family and loved ones will have to make arrangements for your funeral. Have you put any thought into how you want that service conducted?

I have spent a little time thinking about my own death, not because I’m a particularly morbid person, but because I recognize that it’s unavoidable and I like to be prepared. When I die, there are some things I want my family to take note of, and some things I want communicated to those at the funeral. Some of it is serious, like letting people why its okay to grieve, and why death happens at all. Some of it is more trivial, like don’t buy an expensive casket. Get the cheapest one possible. My body will be dead! I don’t need to be comfortable! And some of my preferences are symbolic. I will share one symbolic request I have towards the end of the message this morning.

Tell people its okay to grieve.

Tell the people that my death happened because there is sin in the world.

Communicate the Gospel in a compelling way.

Spend the minimum amount of money as possible on my casket. I don’t need to be comfortable; By body will be dead.

There is one more thing I would like, but I will tell at the end of the message.

Consider yourself teased

Before we get into the implications, he need to lay us a foundation of why we are talking about this. I am going to be jumping around to a bunch of passages today, so I’ve put the verse on the screen for everyone’s convenience.

But

Today is Easter! Its the day we’re supposed to talk about life! And we will! Today I am going to talk about the implications of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those implications directly affect you in your life and directly affects what happens when you die.

1 Corinthians 15:2–4 CSB

2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: 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,

1 Corinthians 15:3–5 CSB

For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

We are talking about a resurrection because of a death. Jesus Christ was betrayed, brutally beaten and horrifically murdered. He hung on that cross until he died.

We can only talk about a resurrection because there has been a death. Jesus Christ physically died. Jesus Christ was physically raised to life again. Literally. Not figuratively. Not as a “nice story” but as a historical fact, this happened. If you find this hard to accept, listen to the first implication.

And because this happened, there are implications. Here are a four of them:

Here is the first implication:

Yes it is. But did you know that what happens when you die is directly connected with

Well, yes. In fact we are going to turn our attention to that topic now.

Number One:

1. If the Resurrection Happened, then Christianity is True

When it comes to Easter, we aren’t gathered here to celebrate the Easter bunny. We are here to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I don’t know where you all are coming from today. I know most of you and know that you believe in Jesus Christ, but if anyone here isn’t sure, or you know that you don’t believe, I want to say a few things.

If you’re here this morning and you’re not a Christian, or you’re not sure if you believe, or you don’t know what you think about Jesus, this is key. If you’re here and you struggle to defend the historical reality of the resurrection, this is key.

The Bible is very honest when it comes to the implications of the resurrection. The Bible itself says that if the resurrection didn’t happen, then your faith is worthless. If the resurrection didn’t happen, then Christianity is pure and utter nonsense. The Bible says that if the resurrection didn’t happen, then we who believe it did should be pitied more than anyone else in the world.

So while I have up here “If the resurrection happened, then Christianity is true” I could also give you the reverse: “If the resurrection didn’t happen, Christianity is false.”

Those are some pretty serious implications. And the Bible itself is wide open about that implication!

1 Corinthians 15:14–15 CSB

and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised.

First of all, I’m glad you’re here. Genuinely, I’m glad you’re here. I’m going to be honest with you: my hope is that you leave here convinced of the resurrection of Christ, and you place your faith in Him. That’s my desire.

1 Corinthians 15:14-1

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, my preaching is worthless, your faith is worthless, and I’m a liar. That’s the Bible’s own testimony about the resurrection. The stakes simply could not be any higher.

Christianity rises or falls on the veracity of the Resurrection

So how do we know it’s true? In short, the historical evidence strongly favors that it happened. And when I say “strongly favors” I mean it’s practically indisputable.

From a historical

When it comes to knowing what happened in history, we are dependent upon historical documents that tell us what happened. However, not all documents are equally trustworthy. There are a number of tests that can be applied to any given document to see if it should be accepted. The case for the Bible is so strong that many scholars who do not believe that Christianity is true still struggle with how to explain away what is written about the Resurrection. Here are a few theories that have been advanced:

The disciples stole the body. During the night the disciples stole the body of Jesus and declared he rose again. Here’s whats wrong with this theory:

In fact, the

The bible paints the disciples as basically incompetent cowards.

There are armed Roman guards stationed at the tomb. If they fail to do their job, they are executed. They have a strong motivation to prevent theft of the body.

All the disciples were severely persecuted and ultimately brutally murdered for teaching the Jesus rose from the dead and none of them recanted. If you were spreading what you knew to be false information and were threatened under penalty of horrific death to stop, I think you’d stop. We all would. But the disciples were crucified upside, stoned, boiled alive, and beheaded, all because they refused to recant.

They went to the wrong tomb. All I have to say about this is if they went to the wrong tomb and started preaching that Jesus was alive, then all the authorities would have had to do was open up the correct tomb and display the body and Christianity would have ended right there.

Swoon theory. This is the most popular theory among scholarship recently, but it too has many problems. According to this theory, Jesus didn’t actually die, but merely fainted or passed out and then in the coolness of the cave he recovered, pushed the stone away, fought off the Roman soldiers, and made several appearances all over the place. The absurdity of this theory is evident just from that description. The problem with this theory is a medical issue. Here is what happened to Jesus and what happens to anyone who is crucified:

Swoon theory:

Having said that, I recognize that this thing we believe about a guy on earth 2000 years ago dying on a cross and then coming back to life a few days later, that can be a tough thing to swallow. It can be a difficult to accept that.

He was whipped, which tore the flesh from his back, he was beaten with clubs, he had a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. The trauma from those things along would have taken weeks to recover from. But then he was nailed to a cross, nailed through his hands and feet, and hung until he died. Medically what would have happened is that as he would hang, it would be increasingly difficult to breath. The hanging position would make it difficult to exhale and impossible to inhale a full breath. The loss of blood lack of oxygen, and strained position of his body would lead to severe cramps and spasms. In order to get a full breath, He would have to push himself up, pulling his weight off his arms and onto his feet. This would allow for a few breaths before the excruciating pain in his legs would cause him to sink down again. Eventually his lungs would begin to collapse and fill with fluid. To compensate for the lack of oxygen, the heart would beat faster. the end result: either death by suffocation when He would no longer be able to push himself up, or the heart would simply give out under the strain and there would be cardiac rupture.

He was whipped, tearing the flesh from his back and severely beaten. That alone would have taken weeks from which to recover. Then he was nailed to a cross and the process of raising the cross would have pulled his shoulders and elbows out of sockets. As he hung it would be increasing difficult to breathe and as a result the lungs would begin to collapse and full with fluid. as he lost blood and oxygen, he would have extreme cramps and spasms, and he heart would beat faster to try to compensate. The end result: either he would suffocate as the lungs filled completely, or he would suffer cardiac rupture from the added strain on his heart.

He was whipped, which tore the flesh from his back, he was beaten with clubs, he had a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. The trauma from those things along would have taken weeks to recover from. But then he was nailed to a cross, nailed through his hands and feet, and hoisted up to hang until he died. The process of erecting the cross would have pulled his shoulders and elbows out of socket. As he would hang, it would be increasingly difficult to breathe. The loss of blood, lack of oxygen, and strained position of his body would lead to severe cramps and spasms. In order to get a full breath, He would have to push himself up, pulling his weight off his arms and onto his feet which, again, were nailed in place. This would allow for a few breaths before the excruciating pain in his feet and legs from pressing on the nail would cause him to sink down again. Eventually his lungs would begin to collapse and fill with fluid. To compensate for the lack of oxygen and blood, the heart would beat faster, which strained the heart. The end result: either death by suffocation as his lungs filled with fluid when He would no longer be able to push himself up, or the heart would simply give out under the strain and there would be cardiac rupture. At the end of the day to check to see if he was alive, a soldier punctured his side and blood mixed with water came out. Medically this was an accurate indication that he was dead, because it meant that fluid had built up around his heart and lungs, and thus he could not breathe or pump blood.

Medically what would have happened is that as he would hang, it would be increasingly difficult to breath. The hanging position would make it difficult to exhale and impossible to inhale a full breath. The loss of blood lack of oxygen, and strained position of his body would lead to severe cramps and spasms. In order to get a full breath, He would have to push himself up, pulling his weight off his arms and onto his feet. This would allow for a few breaths before the excruciating pain in his legs would cause him to sink down again. Eventually his lungs would begin to collapse and fill with fluid. To compensate for the lack of oxygen, the heart would beat faster. the end result: either death by suffocation when He would no longer be able to push himself up, or the heart would simply give out under the strain and there would be cardiac rupture.

Part of the account is that

It is physically impossible for the even strongest man on earth to endure what Jesus endured and not die. Even if he didn’t die from the crucifixion itself, there is no way he would have had the strength to push away a giant stone away from the tomb and fight off the guards and then travel to various locations. Jesus Died. There is no way around that.

So those are the best theories scholarship has to offer to try to deny the resurrection. They don’t believe Christianity is true, but because of the historical evidence, they have to try to explain it somehow and those are best theories. The best theories don’t hold up upon examination.

If Christ hasn’t been raised, then our faith is worthless. But here is the response from Paul:

1 Corinthians 15:20a CSB

But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

And if the resurrection is true, which it is, then Christianity is true. That’s a significant implication. We will all be held accountable one day for the knowledge that we have.

Acts 17:30–31 CSB

30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 17:30

If you still have doubts or questions or want clarification on issues surrounding the historical accuracy of the resurrection, I would be more than happy hear you out on that. Hit me with your best shot.

But that’s the first implication. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that the Gospel message in its entirety is true.

Implication number two:

2. The Resurrection Secures Our Justification

Some aspects of this were already covered in the first implication, so there is some overlap.

Before we get into this one, we have to make sure we understand this word: justification. Justification is God’s legal declaration that someone is righteous in his sight. When someone is justified, they are declared righteous, or declared to now be in a right relationship with God. No one is born justified. It is something that happens at the moment of conversion. It happens when we repent of our sins and place our trust in Jesus Christ. This justification doesn’t happen if Jesus din’t rise from the dead.

That’s what Paul said in

1 Corinthians 15:17 CSB

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

If Jesus didn’t rise, we are still in our sins. If Jesus didn’t die, our sins are not forgiven. We have not been justified. But Jesus did rise! Justification is made possible for those who believe because of the resurrection.

How do we know this is true?

Romans 4:24–25 CSB

but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Romans 4:24

There’s the idea of righteousness credited to our account. See, we don’t have any righteousness on our own. We all sin and are bankrupt of righteousness. What happened on the cross was our unrighteousness was credited to Jesus. He had to pay our fine. He had to pay our penalty. And when he died, he shouted out

John 19:30 CSB

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

The Greek word that is translated “It is Finished” is an accounting term that means “paid in full”. Jesus’ death paid our debt to the Father. But how are we to know that the payment was accepted? The Resurrection. The resurrection is proof that God accepted the payment of Christ. Had Jesus not been raised from the dead, we would have no reason to believe that the payment was accepted. The resurrection is God’s receipt that the payment was accepted. And now when we believe in Christ, His righteousness will be credited to us. See its a transaction. He takes our sin-debt, we get his righteousness. This transaction can only be made complete through faith in Jesus who rose again.

the resurrection is God’s receipt that the payment was accepted.

The resurrection secures our justification.

Third implication.

3. The Resurrection Secures Our Sanctification.

What does the resurrection have to do with our sanctification? Turns out quite a bit.

Romans 8:12 CSB

So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh,

First of all, what is sanctification. I know I’m using bigger theological terms today, but these are biblical terms so we should learn them and understand what they mean. Sanctification is the process by which God makes us holy. Its the process by which we grow as Christians. It speaks of how we act. The more sanctified we are, the more we behave the way Jesus would want us to behave.

And we can grow in holiness, we can grow in our Christian lives because of the resurrection of Christ. How so?

I will show you.

Romans 8:

Romans 6:1–5 CSB

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

Romans 8:11 CSB

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans

Followers of Jesus Christ: Jesus did not die on the cross and the rise from the dead so that you could live in sin. The very idea that a Christian could live in sin was so reprehensible to Paul that he used the strongest possible terms in his language express his thoughts: Should we continue in sin? No no no no no no no! Don’t you know that Christ died for this? Don’t you know that Jesus rose from the dead so we can walk in newness of life? Jesus didn’t rise from the dead and give us new life so that we could live like we’re still dead!

So that sin in our lives? Jesus died and was raised to life to free you from that!

Romans 8:11 CSB

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

Jesus rose again so you could free from speaking falsehood. He rose again to free you from your porn addiction. He rose again so that gossip would become a think of the past. He rose to rid us of our pride, our anger, and our anxieties.

We are commanded in various places of scripture to put these things to death within ourselves. Put of the old man and it’s practices. On one hand that could be a depressing command. Jesus died and rose again so that I could live a new life, but if I feel that I am alone in my responsibility and have to do it all myself, this can be discouraging. But that’s the best part! You don’t have to do it alone. Yes, Jesus died and was raised to free you from the sin in your life and you are commanded to remove that sin from you, but there is wonderful power for the Christian to actually accomplish it and that power was also at work in the resurrection. Check this out:

You know, on one

This is Paul’s prayer for the church:

Ephesians 3:18–20 CSB

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—

Ephesians 1:18–20 CSB

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—

Whoa! Did you hear what that just said? The same power that was exercised to bring Jesus Christ back to life, that resurrection power, that same power is at work in us who believe. This is incredible. Yes, we’re commanded to rid sin from our lives, but it’s on the basis that we have the resurrection power of God at work inside of us! If that’s not good news I don’t know what is!

Jesus died and rose again to free us from our sin and He gives us the power to actually accomplish that. Have you experienced that power in your life? Do you find that you no longer do some things that were once dominant in your life? That’s God’s resurrection power at work in you! I can think back on my high school years how I was addicted to pornography. Seemed lie I could just not break free. But by God’s grace and resurrection power, that sin is no longer present in my life! I don’t say that as a point of pride, because I know that my flesh is still weak and would go back there in an instant. But it’s God’s grace and His resurrection power at work within me that has broken those chains!

If you haven’t experienced that, if you find that you still have life dominating sin in your life, I encourage you to at least consider if that is because you don’t have new life. At least consider that you may need to repent and trust the savior. That’s not me judging you, but simply an encouragement to do what Paul said in : examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith.

So the resurrection secures our justification, our resurrection secures out sanctification, and finally,

4. The Resurrection Secures Our Glorification

Part of the great hope that we have as Christians is what is known as glorification. When we die, our spirit separates from our body and goes into the presence of God in heaven. There is coming a day when God will resurrect the bodies of everyone who has placed their faith in Christ and glorify or transform those bodies and our spirits and bodies will be reunited to live forever with God.

One the promises of the Bible and one of the great hopes of

1 Corinthians 6:14 CSB

God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.

2 Corinthians 4:14 CSB

For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you.

It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that serves as a guarantee of our own resurrection.

We read several verse from earlier. In the context of that passage, Paul is addressing the claims that some people were making that there is no resurrection. Paul was basically saying “whoa whoa. If there’s no resurrection, then not even Jesus has been raised, and if Jesus hasn’t been raised, then we’re toast”

But then he goes on to say that Jesus HAS been raised, and it is His resurrection that guarantees ours. Check out

1 Corinthians 15:20–23 CSB

But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.

:20

The concept of firstfruits has the idea of a harvest. When a crop is beginning to become ripe, the very first part of the harvest would be called the “first fruits” and was considered a harbinger of what was to come. If the firstfruits were great, the overall harvest was great. If the firstfruits were poor, then the overall harvest would be poor. This term was also used to describe something that was the first of many.

When Jesus’ resurrection is called the firstfruits, it is harbinger of what is to come: at the coming of Christ, there will be a great resurrection of those who belong to Him. And if that doesn’t excite you, listen to this:

1 Corinthians 15:42–43 CSB

So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power;

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 CSB

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

1 Cor 15:4

1 Corinthians 15:50–56 CSB

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 CSB

Isn’t that beautiful?

1 Cor 15:

Isn’t that beautiful?

Arthritis: gone. Back pain: gone. Vision problems: gone. Hearing issues: gone. Migraines, plantar fasciitis, bad knees, bad shoulders, cancers, illnesses, allergies all gone! And its the resurrection of Jesus Christ that guarantees that all who trust in him will reap those benefits! It’s a beautiful thing.

When I was talking about planning your own funeral at the beginning of the message, and I said there was one symbolic thing I want done if possible. If possible, I would to have an open casket. Not so people can come say goodbye, but I want the imagery that my body is waiting for something. As it lays there with the appearance of sleep, it awaits the resurrection when my body will be reunited with my spirit. I want that imagery, and I want it explained.

So those are four implications of the Resurrection. If the resurrection is true, then Christianity is true. If you still have doubts and questions, come talk to me. I’m all ears.

The Resurrection secures the justification for those who believe. It is proof that God accepted Jesus’ payment on our behalf and those who respond in repentance and faith are credited the righteousness of Jesus.

The Resurrection Secures the Sanctification of all believers. Jesus didn’t die and rise again for us to remain in our sins. He died and rose again that we would walk in newness of life. But he also provides the Resurrection power for us to accomplish that so we are stuck trying to do it all ourselves.

And finally the Resurrection secures our glorification. On day this mortal, corruptible, decaying body will transformed. Death will be defeated and sorrows will be no more. And it’s the resurrection of Jesus that serves as the guarantee that this will happen. This truth is what makes the song “I will Rise” so powerful to me.

“I will rise when he calls my name. No more sorrow; no more pain. I will rise on eagles wings. Before my God fall on my knees and rise. I will rise!”

So for the Christian: take heart! Praise the Lord for the Resurrection! The fulness of your salvation is wrapped up in this one truth! Praise the Lord that it is verifiable history and we don’t have to wonder or tiptoe around this issue, but can have confidence and coldness.

If you are not yet a Christian, I plead with you. Do not delay. Place your faith in the resurrected Savior today. These promises of a right relationship with God, a new life of holiness, and the future experience of a resurrected body can be yours as well. But you must repent! Do not harden your heart today is the day of salvation! Repent of your sins and trust the savior. He died, was buried, and resurrected that you might have life. But you must repent and believe or you will perish. Consider once more the words of “ God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Please do not let the day end until you have trusted in Jesus for your salvation.

The resurrection is a marvelous truth. I pray we can all rejoice in it together. Let’s pray.

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1. If the Resurrection Happened, then Christianity is True

Christianity rises or falls on the veracity of the Resurrection

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2. The Resurrection Secures Our Justification

3. The Resurrection Secures Our Sanctification.

4. The Resurrection Secures Our Glorification