Who Needs the Resurrection?
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Who gets to celebrate!
Who gets to celebrate!
The whole world gets to celebrate.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Why do we celebrate? Because Jesus conquered the power of death. In the famous resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes,
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
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.
Jesus opens the way for us all to celebrate the Resurrection!
Who needs the Resurrection?
Who needs the Resurrection?
There are three characters that are highlighted alongside Jesus in the account of his crucifixion that I want to use to illustrate that we are all in need of the resurrection.
The first person is Peter. During this section of scripture Peter has a few highlights to note.
He cut off a guys ear. John 18:10
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
He denies Jesus three times. Luke 22:54-60
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance.
55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.”
57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.”
58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”
59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
He weeps. Luke 22:61-62
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
The second person is John.
John flees with the other disciples but then follows the mob. John 18:15.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,
John gets Peter let in to the courtyard of the high priest’s house. John 18:16.
16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.
John is present at the cross and is given care of Mary, Jesus’ mom. John 19:26-27
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
The third is a thief. Luke 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
He was being justly punished for his crimes.
He trusted in God.
He got saved.
Three Men:
The brave failure.
The trusty follower.
The undeserving Thief.
With or Without the Resurrection.
With or Without the Resurrection.
Without the resurrection the story ends.
Without the resurrection the story ends.
The failure never finds forgiveness.
The follower is left to wander aimlessly.
The undeserving is simply abandoned to the grave.
With the resurrection the story continues.
With the resurrection the story continues.
The failure finds forgiveness, restoration, and a future.
The follower finds a purpose to live for.
The undeserving finds paradise.
What will your story be?
What will your story be?
Will you choose to let all of your excuses, failures, and pride stop you from coming to Jesus?
Will you lay it all down, in the face of overwhelming evidence, and believe in the resurrected Savior of mankind?
Believe today and be saved.
Believe today and be saved.