The Resurrection: Hope in this life and after
Notes
Transcript
The Resurrection: Hope in this life and after
The Resurrection: Hope in this life and after
1cor15.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
The idea of resurrection is a central theme to the Christian believer. We believe in a resurrected Christ, our savior.
One this Sunday, as on every Sunday, we worship a resurrected Savior… Jesus is alive! The story of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is unlike any other human in the history of the world because he is no simple Human… He is the God-man Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man.
We must get this right. Jesus is God the Son, who on the cross died for our sins. He took our place for our sins and gave us freely his righteousness. But the story does not end there. Once he died on the cross, he was laid in a tomb. He was physically dead and in the grave, yet the Father raised him from the dead, and he proved to have victory over death.
For the Christian we have a hope in this life that others cannot claim. We have nothing and no one to fear because Death itself is nothing more than a servant to our master in delivering us to him eternally! But perhaps it is hard to believe this statement… Before I expound on what the Apostle Paul was talking about here to the Corinthian church, I want us to see what Jesus said about this resurrection. And if you are still a skeptic to this while Christianity thing, I would encourage you to listen and ask yourself, “what Do I believe?”
Jesus was clear when he taught, that to believe in him meant he would raise us to life on the last day. That this was the will of the Father in sending Jesus. God ‘s will is for us to experience resurrection.
john6.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
And if Jesus just made this statement and you didn’t believe him I would encourage you to read in its entirety… Because he doesn’t just say it once...
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
but not just twice...
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
or even just 3 times...
54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
4 times Jesus told them, and us, that he will raise to life those who believe on him.
Meaning, all true believers in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead at the last day. But there is more to believing in Jesus than to have a future oriented hope of eternal life and being raised from the dead, just as he was raised. there is a life here and now that we are to have much hope in.
In our opening text we read Paul respond to the Corinthian church, who was struggling to believe that they would be raised from the dead. In fact they were believing what was prevalent around them at that time, a Greco-Roman world view that did not believe in a real after life and rejected a resurrection from the dead.
Just like them, there are many today who believe that there is no purpose in this life, that we are cosmic accidents, with no real eternal purpose. We simply live and die and do our best to make a positive impact on others while here. Still others believe that we will keep re-living this life as different creatures until we attain some sort of special revelation and divine nature.
Christianity takes issue with all these ideologies and calls them false on their face. Christianity makes no room for any such mythical beliefs that deny any true material life after death, and any subjective way to this life other than belief in Jesus Christ.
Paul was telling these new believers, who had been mixing their hope in Christ with their own worldview that they cannot do that with the gospel.
The Resurrection is exclusive to Christianity
The Resurrection is exclusive to Christianity
There is no other world religion that believe what we as Christ followers do. We believe in a physical resurrected Jesus that is alive and promised to raise us who believe in him.
We believe that even death cannot defeat the purposes of God in saving people, for death is only a servant of God in delivering people to him eternally. And being a truly good God he passed through death himself to secure the way for us, and comfort us by experiencing everything that may cause us to fear.
But the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not a story, it was an event that you either believe or you do not. Your belief in it will either include you in his people or exclude you from his people. You cannot be a christian if you do not believe that Jesus is alive. The resurrection really happened and he he promised to raise us on the last day as well. But jesus not only experienced a resurrection… his claim as the God-man was far greater than just able to go through death and experience a resurrection…look at what he said to Martha when her brother Lazarus died...
john11.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Brother and sister, do you believe this? Jesus was asking her, but I am asking you, right now… Do you believe this?
Jesus didn’t just have a resurrection, he is the resurrection. And he didn’t just have life… He is life!
See Martha was saying that she knew her brother would be raised at the last day, as Jesus had taught them, but she missed an important claim that Jesus made. For Life. Real life, true life found only in him. And to have this life means that we will never die, but that our life will continue.
The claim of Christianity is that those who follow Jesus will find new life and that life is eternal. Meaning it is 2 part… Here and now and after passing through death eternally. We are going to look at this today and see how we have hope in this life and in the resurrection to come!
But you may say, I am alive? what do you mean, true life. What the bible declares to us is that we are actually dead and in sin, and everyone born is born dead and in sin.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
See humanity has the same problem no matter who you are. We are all sinner when we are born and we all need a savior. Our sinful state is likened to being dead, and to be able to believe in Jesus and have this new life is likened to true life.
eph2.1-
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
But you may ask, “how were we dead in sin?” “I have always felt alive and I am living.”
But we have had a deadness to God, an inability to believe in him and see him and have not experienced true life until we know him who created this life. Our sin is our turning away from being able to see God and know him. It is death compared to the life in Christ, and so God saves us by pure grace. And he made us alive together with Christ! By Grace!
Before moving on I need to point out to you that if you haven’t believed this before but you are seeing it now, then you must stop and ask God to forgive your sins and to save you by the work of Christ. You and I need this life in Christ, and we cannot get it on our own, it must be gifted to us by God. That is what Paul goes on to explain in .
But it is this life that I want us to focus on today. What does it mean to life in Christ today? What was it that Martha had missed when she told Jesus that she knew her brother would be raised in the last day that Jesus needed to respond to her with, “I am the resurrection and life, whoever believes in me though he die yet shall he live”.
Jesus was telling us about this life. When he taught about himself he told them he was the bread of life, that gives us what we really need.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
john6.
Don’t tell me that being a Christian is only fire insurance against the flames of hell… To be a christian and follow Jesus means to live a life in which you never hunger and thirst for more with, an appetite that cannot be quenched or satisfied.
To be a Christian and partake of the bread of life in Jesus Christ, means to be fully satisfied with whatever may happen in life, knowing that My God will meet your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
The resurrection life recieved in Jesus is the only life that can truly satisfy
The resurrection life recieved in Jesus is the only life that can truly satisfy
Jesus wasn’t just telling us that he would save us, but that he came for us to have true life, which we wouldn’t be defeated by. That is why he made these claims about himself.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The enemy wants to destroy you but Jesus gives you an abundant life.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
When we are weary and in need of rest he says Come to me… He is not a cruel task master, but a gentle savior in which your soul will find rest. Rest from striving to be good enough and strong enough, rest from trying to earn a position with God, and rest from trying to be something for other people in your life.
Jesus offers you true life. But this is so much more than the eternal life we will inherit...
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
Jesus is our peace in this life. Peace first of all with God, and then peace also with those around us.
To be a believer in Jesus means to have an abundant life full of Peace and rest, where we no longer hunger and thirst, where we no longer struggle and strive.
But what about this tribulation we are facing in the world right now… this doesn’t feel like an abundant life pastor Dave… Please understand that this doesn’t mean that we will not have trouble in this new life, but quite the opposite as Jesus spoke to this as well...
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
If all this wasn’t enough to convince you that the life we have in Christ is better than anything the world can offer us, if this current place of quarantine has you discouraged, and if you are fearful of what you see happening to this world around you, then listen to Christ warn you and comfort you all at the same time. This world will have tribulation but take heart! He has overcome this world!
That is why we celebrate the resurrection, because even death couldn’t hold him down, he has overcome everything in this world including death. We have so much to live for in Christ and this life is one of great Joy and satisfaction when you live for Christ!
This is the life he promised and the life that Martha failed to see when she answered Jesus. He is our bread of life that truly provides all things for us. And when we think we are providing for ourselves, God is gracious enough to allow our idols to be stripped away to see that it is him who provides for us… That was the reminder that Paul gave Timothy to share to with the rich...
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
See it is God who provides us with everything to enjoy. When our 401k’s and our retirements get destroyed, God still is the one who provides us with everything to enjoy. Because being in Christ is of such great value, for the believer our hope is never to be set on ourselves or others but only on God, who in Christ did for us something that we could never do for ourselves.
He lived perfectly and died innocently, in our place for our sin. And once he was dead they took him off the cross, on the Friday that we call GOOD... and laid him in a tomb where he stayed on that Black Sabbath day… But early Sunday morning, God raised Jesus from the dead proving that he had defeated death once and for all.
When we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus and call on his name, he gives us this life that is so rich, and and it can never be taken from us. The resurrection was the final exclamation point on this life that Christ secured for us… And we need to understand that in order to see the beauty of the text we started off with this morning.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1cor15.12-
See their message was one of hope for this life… And yet, if Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, then it isn’t true. Our faith is in vain if Christ hasn’t been raised. Why?
Without the resurrection we have no hope
Without the resurrection we have no hope
Death would be the ultimate enemy that God was not able to defeat. If God was defeated by death, then anything we have in this life that they preached to us in Christ would not really matter. The joy and peace and hope and rest and abundance wouldn’t mean a darn thing if it had been defeated by death.
Christ’s claim to be life would have been wrong and our faith would be ruined. Not only that but everyone who has ever preached this gospel would be a liar...
15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
1cor15.15
If the resurrection isn’t true, then even we as his people, are not really his people. But it is worse than that… because the implications go on...
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1cor15.17
Without the resurrection we would still be in our sins.... Which means that we would still be enemies of God and under his wrath. We would have no expectations in this life except to perish when we would have to stand before a holy God as we have broken all his laws. Not only that but then everyone who has ever died as a believer would be lost forever.
All those saints that went before us would be eternally lost and their life would’ve counted for nothing.
And Paul gives it one more push to help us see the depth of our need...
19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
I have gone to great length to show you from God’s word why we have hope in this life, but if it was only for this life, and we could not have an eternal hope… Then we are the most pitiful people on the planet. Heathens who worship false gods would have more to live for than we do, if this were true. We are ruined without the resurrection.
And yet, this is not true… there is Good news! The resurrection did happen, and Christ has been raised… There is hope not only in this life abut beyond!
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
If you are in Christ… you will die… Yet shall you live! For ALL in Christ shall be made alive! Not one believer will be left in the grave, not one person will be left behind in the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns. But we will be changed by our resurrection from the dead, we shall bear the image of Jesus like we have never known while here on earth.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
1cor15.
We will even look like Jesus who conquered death. What we failed to do on earth, the sin that has tainted our hearts, and the weakness of our bodies will be no more. We are to inherit an eternal life with a new glorified body that is far superior to this temporary shell that wastes away.
And yet we will all have to pass through death in this life to receive this new body. BUt we have great hope in that even because Death has lost its sting.
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.
1cor15.
Do you fear death? If you are in Christ, you should not! It is the servant of our master meant to carry us to him.
It has no sting, because it is not final, it has no victory over the saints because it is not final.
When we know this we will be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing our labor is not in vain.
Christian brother and sister, we worship a risen savior that has given us so much more than we can ever fully know, unless we willing experience the trials of this life and see his redemption drawing near, even in death. May our testimony be like that of Paul...
phil1.
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Because Jesus is alive, to die is gain, even though we have much to live for in him.
What an awesome God we serve. Let us worship him now for he alone is worthy of our praise!