The Resurrection of Jesus

We’ve been considering the subject of resurrection for the past month. We saw:

Job

A man who suffered.

A man who admitted that he would die.

A man who had hope in a coming Redeemer who would resurrect hm from the dead, give him a new body and that he would see God in that body.

Widow of Zarephath

She was a Gentile woman who had one child.

A famine and a drought had depleted all her resources and she believed both her and her son would die.

God sent Elijah to her.

They were miraculously given what they needed to survive.

Afterwards her son died.

God resurrected her son from the dead.

Lazarus

He was a close friend of Jesus.

His sisters sent word to Jesus that he was very sick.

Lazarus died.

By the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had been dead four days.

Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb.

That brings us to the most significant resurrection in the Bible.

The truth is the widow’s son and Lazarus eventually died again. So strictly speaking the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the first resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead He ascended to heaven.

The church celebrates this.

We celebrate it every Sunday. That’s why Christians meet on Sunday and not on the Sabbath. Sunday is the Lord’s Day because that’s when Christ rose from the dead.

But we also have a special day each year that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. We call it Easter.

We ought to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

It means our sins are forgiven.

It means we have a home in heaven.

It means the Word of God is true.

It means death has been defeated.

It means we will be resurrected.

If you are saved you ought to be excited this morning that Jesus Christ is alive. In Revelation chapter 5 we see folks who are excited about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In fact, this is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible.

It has tears and cheers.

It has weeping and worship.

It has sorrow and celebration.

When it starts, questions are being asked and tears are flowing.

When it ends, questions are answered and every creature in heaven and earth is praising God. I want us to consider three things from this chapter this morning:

1. The Problem- God’s will needs to be executed on the earth (1-4).

2. The Solution- Jesus Christ has willingly come to our rescue (5-9).

3. The Response- All of creation is eternally indebted to Him (10-14).

1. The Problem- God’s will needs to be executed on the earth (1-4).

A. The scroll.

John sees a series of visions beginning in chapter 4.

His first vision is of a throne in heaven. Seated on the throne is God. John describes the glory of God and some of the angelic creatures that surround His throne.

In the right hand of God is a scroll.

It’s covered in writing on the front and the back. The Ten Commandments were written in the same way (Exodus 32:15-16). There is a lot written on it.

It’s sealed with seven seals. These were wax blobs that contained an imprint that represented the owner of the document. Normally a seal contained the imprint of a signet ring. Only the owner of that ring was allowed to open what was sealed.

This scroll had seven seals. These were separate scrolls rolled up into one scroll. The first one was sealed. Once it was opened and read you would come to the next one. Again, this is a lot of information.

B. The question.

A strong angel with a loud voice asks the question, “Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?”

The first thing we need to understand is what is written on the scrolls?

It’s God’s plan to reward the righteous and give judgment to the wicked. This is God’s ultimate plan in history. What is written on this scroll is how God ultimately reconciles all things to Himself and rids the world of sin and evil.

In chapters 6,7 & 8 the seals are broken.

This leads to the seven trumpets being blown in chapters 8, 9 and 11.

This leads to the seven bowl judgments poured out upon earth in chapter 16.

God’s goal for all of history is written on these scrolls. The seals must be broken. They must be read. The reading of the scrolls symbolizes the execution of what is written on them.

So the real question is who can execute God’s plan in history. Who can do all that is said on these scrolls? Who has that type of power and authority?

C. The dilemma.

Verse 3 says no man in heaven and earth could open or look upon the scroll. In other words, no person who had ever lived in all of history could execute God’s plan.

Not Moses

Not Abraham

Not Joshua

Not Samson

Not Alexander the Great

Not Napoléon Bonaparte

Not George Washington

Not Confucius

Not Buddha

Not Muhammed

John wept. He cried. John was already seeing major persecution against the church. Perhaps doubt was creeping in. Jesus had been gone for almost 60 years by the time John wrote this. Perhaps he wondered if Jesus would ever return and if Jesus would not return who would complete the plan of redemption?

The good news is, we know where history is headed. We have the rest of the book. We don’t have to weep like John wept.

All of history is headed toward a day in which Jesus Christ will gather His people to Himself and punish the wicked. We have no reason to weep.

2. The Solution- Jesus Christ has willingly come to our rescue (5-9).

A. His worth.

John is told to stop crying because One has stepped forth who is worthy to take the scroll.

So much is said about Jesus in this chapter.

He is omnipotent. Two things:

Verse 7 says the lamb of God has seven horns. This symbolizes absolute power.

Verse 5 says He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

This speaks of:

His Majesty- He is the King of Kings

His fearlessness- No one intimidates Him

His power- He has no equal

His fierceness- His enemies do not stand a chance.

We have all heard the stories of Christians in the first century being thrown to the lions. Paul himself said he escaped the mouth of the lion (2 Tim. 4:17). The Romans were known for having wild animals kill people for sport in their coliseum.

It’s ironic that the enemies of Christ will be thrown to the Lion. Not the lion in a coliseum. They will be thrown to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

He is omniscient- he has absolute wisdom. He knows everything. Verse 6 says he has seven eyes which symbolizes He sees everything.

He is omnipresent. Verse 6 speaks of the seven spirits that are gone into the earth. This symbolizes the fullness of the Holy Spirit which ensures that God is in every place. He is not limited to a physical body like we are.

We put all this together and we see the worth of Jesus:

There is not a thing He cannot do.

There is not a thing He does not know.

There is not a place He is not.

B. His work.

John saw a Lamb that appeared as if it had been slain. John was a Jew. He had celebrated many a Passover. He knew what a slaughtered lamb looked like.

It’s throat would be cut.

It’s white fleece would be covered in red blood.

No doubt this symbolizes the suffering of Jesus.

The sufferings before the crucifixion.

He was spit upon

He was slapped

He was punched

He was crowned with thorns

He was beat with a rod on His head

He was beat with a whip on His back.

The sufferings of the crucifixion.

Nailed in His hands and feet with spikes.

He hung on a cross for six hours.

Splinters piercing the fresh wounds on His back.

Punishing Himself simply to get a breath. Six hours.

The suffering beneath the wrath of God.

1 Peter 2:24 says of Jesus “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed”.

Joseph of Arimathea climbed up the cross and took His body down. He draped Jesus body over his shoulder like a slaughtered lamb and carried Him down the road to be buried in his own grave.

Why did all this happen? Look at verse 9.

“For Thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by the blood!”

Christ paid the price we owed for our sin with His blood. And that’s what qualified Him to open the scroll. That’s what verse 9 says.

He did this willingly. Look at verse 7. He walked up to the throne of God and took the book from the hand of God.

This story of redemption and justice only happens if Jesus is willing to go to the cross.

This is why we call it Good Friday. It doesn’t seem good. When we look at the cross and we see a Lamb that is slain. When we see all Jesus went through on that Friday it seems odd we would call it Good Friday. But it’s good because God’s redemptive plan is executed only if Jesus Himself is sacrificed for the sins of the world.

C. His position in heaven.

The first thing I want you to see in verse 6 is the Lamb is standing. John is surprised at this. The Lamb looks like it has been slaughtered but it’s standing. It’s alive.

This clearly points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Folks, He ought to be dead!

When you consider all He went through, He ought to be dead.

When you consider that He was indeed dead, He ought to be dead.

When you consider His body lie in a cave for three days, He ought to be dead.

Thomas saw what John saw. He looked at Jesus and saw the nail prints in His hands. He saw the Lamb that was slain, bearing the marks of His execution, yet He was standing right in front of him.

Jesus Christ is alive. He stood on this earth after His death. He ascended to heaven. He is just as alive in heaven as He was when He rose from the dead.

Does He still bear the marks of death in heaven? I think He does.

Luke 24:40 says Jesus showed His wounds to His disciples. He was already in His resurrection body. Yet that body had the scars of crucifixion on it. We have no reason to believe that has changed.

When we see Jesus in heaven, we will see His glorious scars. He will be the Lamb that appears to have been slain yet is alive. Those wounds will remind us for eternity of the love He has shown for us on the cross.

In heaven we will see Jesus as He truly is.

We will see Him as a roaring lion- fierce and powerful.

We will see him as a Lamb- tender and humble.

He is the One who fought for us as a lion.

He is the One who died for us as a lamb.

3. The response- All of creation is eternally indebted to Jesus (10-14).

A. He has made us new creations.

The redeemed are singing a song in heaven that includes the line

“And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests, and we shall reign on the earth”

When we are saved we are no longer who we were. We are born again.

We are royalty. We are now in the family of God. Our Father is the King of Kings.

We are priestly.

We can pray and God will hear us.

We can serve the God of heaven.

These aren’t mere titles the Lord gives us. When we are born again, we become new creatures.

I’m so glad I’m not who I used to be!

Have you ever thought that when god could have made us anything He made us kings and priests?

We ought to praise God because we’re not what we used to be.

We used to be sinners, now we’re saints.

We used to be lost, now were found.

We used to be dead, now we’re alive.

We used to be hell bound, now we’re heaven bound.

I’m indebted to Jesus because of who I am in the Lord.

B. He has given us a home in heaven.

Look at verse 11. That’s a picture of heaven.

The angels are there.

The redeemed are there.

There are so many present, John couldn’t number them.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ all the redeemed will enjoy eternity with a resurrected body.

We will know one another in heaven. You say, “What will we look like in heaven?”

Well, I’ll look like Kyle.

I’ll have hazel eyes and brown hair.

I’ll be 5’11’’.

I’ll look like a glorified me and you’ll look like a glorified you. We won’t be spirits floating around. Heaven is home. It’s our home. We will be there together.

We won’t be disembodied spirits.

We won’t be nameless faces.

That wouldn’t be home.

When I go home at the end of each day I know the people there. When we get to heaven we will know the people there. We will know more people than we can imagine. They will know us. Heaven is the home of the redeemed. We’re going there because of Jesus. We ought to praise Him for it!

C. He has given us eternal joy.

Look at the worship in heaven in verse 12. The people are saying with a loud voice

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

They sound happy, don’t they?

There are three hymns in this chapter: verses 9, 12, & 13.

That’s a lot of singing.

Notice they are singing about the blood. In heaven we will sing about the blood!

Heaven’s hymnbook is filled with songs about the blood of the Lamb!

One of the glorious things about the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the joy it brings.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can give us hope at a funeral.

On the saddest day of our life we can have joy because of Christ. In Him we have hope. That’s why his resurrection is so much more important than any other resurrection.

The resurrection of the widow’s son doesn’t give us hope.

The resurrection of Lazarus doesn’t give us hope.

They didn’t atone for our sins.

They died again.

The resurrection of Christ gives us hope. He said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).

What a promise! What joy that brings!

We are indebted to Jesus for the eternal joy He gives us.