Benefits of the Ressurection
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Today is Easter Sunday. It is the Sunday that Christians have set aside to commemorate and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is a very real sense in which we do that each Sunday of the year. And yet, there is one day each year on which we particularly remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In past years I have taken the opportunity to set before you the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am not going to do that today. I am going to assume the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The reason I do so is because the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is in fact one of the most historically verifiable facts in all of history, and my purpose today is different.
RS: Today I would like to set before you three benefits of Jesus’ resurrection. I intend to draw my material from all of Scripture but, before I do so, let me read Matthew’s account of the resurrection of Jesus.
TS: Please listen as I read Matthew 28:1-10:
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
The fact is that Jesus is risen!
But what does that mean for us? Today, I want to look at three benefits of Jesus’ resurrection.
I. Forgiveness for Past Sins
I. Forgiveness for Past Sins
The first benefit of Jesus’ resurrection is forgiveness for past sins.
As we think about the resurrection in relation to our sins, we must recognize that only because of the resurrection of Jesus can we have forgiveness for our past sins.
The Bible says that Romans 4:25
who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
If we see Jesus as merely dying on the cross and being buried in the tomb, there is no hope and no forgiveness for us. It is his resurrection that gives us the assurance that Jesus has overcome death and won a great victory for his people. It is the resurrection that makes all the difference and puts us right with God.
IL: This truth can be illustrated by an incident which I understand is well-known in England. After the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 all England was waiting for news about the outcome of the campaign. The Duke of Wellington had opposed Napoleon Bonaparte in this battle. Of course, this was long before the telegraph, telephone, or television, and watchers were stationed along the coast to read the semaphore (i.e., flag) signals from the first returning sailing vessels.
It was a cloudy, foggy day but, finally, one watcher spied a sailing vessel beginning to signal a message. The message read: “Wellington defeated,” and then the fog closed in again.
This message was relayed all across England and the nation was gripped by discouragement and defeat.
Hours later, however, the fog lifted, and the entire message came through: “Wellington defeated the enemy!”
Discouragement was banished and the nation rejoiced in the good news.
This story perfectly illustrates the state of mind of the disciples when Jesus died. Jesus had made the claim that he was God.
He said that he had come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
He said that he had come so that his people might have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).
He said that whoever was thirsty—spiritually thirsty—could come to him and be refreshed (John 4:13-14; 6:35; 7:37).
He said that whoever would follow him would never walk in darkness, but would have the light of life (John 8:12).
He said that he had come to give eternal life to his people (John 10:28).
But then he was crucified.
It was a terrible day. At noon the sun suddenly disappeared and everything became frighteningly dark. There was an earthquake. Events took place that caused even the Roman centurion to exclaim, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).
Then Jesus died and his body was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-60). The message that rang out to all the world was: “Jesus defeated! Jesus defeated!” And all the disciples were gripped by discouragement and defeat.
But then, three days later on Easter Sunday morning, came the resurrection! Three days after Jesus was buried, he rose physically and bodily from the grave. Then the entire message came through: “Jesus defeated the enemy!” The discouragement of the disciples was banished and they rejoiced at the good news.
Jesus had conquered death and hell. Jesus had conquered Satan and sin.
When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, he paid the penalty for sin. When he died, he defeated Satan. On the cross he conquered our enemy.
The resurrection was God’s stamp of approval. The resurrection was God saying, “Jesus, I accept your death as a substitute for guilty sinners.”
The resurrection was God’s vindication of Jesus’ work.
And because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can be confident that Jesus paid the penalty for all the sin of his people. If there was one single sin not covered by the death of Jesus, if there was one single sin for which he did not die, then he would have never been raised from the dead; he would still be in tomb.
But his resurrection proves that his death covers every single sin.
And because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can be confident that God forgives us all our sin.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, (Acts 4:12).
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
So, the first benefit of Jesus’ resurrection is forgiveness for past sins.
II. Power for Present Living
II. Power for Present Living
The second benefit of Jesus’ resurrection is power for present living.
The resurrection of Jesus not only guarantees forgiveness for past sins, it also guarantees power for present daily living. Because Jesus is a living Savior, he is a Savior who is able to empower us to live each day for him.
The apostle Paul said to the Philippians 4:10-13
. Because of Jesus’ resurrection the apostle Paul affirmed that he had power for daily living.
IL: Years ago there was a missionary in the country of Turkey who was having great difficulty getting Muslims to understand why they should believe in Jesus Christ. One day he was traveling with some Muslims along a road that had no road signs. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road. Not having a map with them, they did not know which road to take to get to their destination. Right beside the road was a tomb of a Muslim “holy man.”
While they were trying to decide which road to take, the missionary said, “Let’s go over to the tomb and ask the ‘holy man.’”
“But the man is dead!” his Muslim companions protested. “He cannot give us any information! See that house over there? Let’s go there and ask someone who is alive!”
“You are quite right,” said the missionary. “Never forget that Mohammed is dead. He can give you no help or information. In him there is no life. But Jesus Christ is alive, and he will not only give you eternal life if you will trust him as your Lord and Savior, but he will also empower you for daily living!”
Listen to how the author of the letter to the Hebrews put it:(Hebrews 4:14-16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus’ resurrection guarantees power for daily living. No matter what difficulty, no matter what trial, no matter what the hardship, Jesus empowers his people for daily living.
III. Hope for Future Destiny
III. Hope for Future Destiny
Finally, the third benefit of Jesus’ resurrection is hope for future destiny.
The resurrection guarantees forgiveness for past sins. It guarantees power for present living. And it also guarantees hope for our future destiny.
If Jesus was not raised from the dead, we would have no hope for the future. But because he is alive, we do have hope. We know that all that he said is true.
The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, (1 Corinthians 6:14).
And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
What a magnificent promise that is! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead will one day raise believers back to life as well!
Jesus said to his disciples (in John 14:1-2) just before he was crucified, ..
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
Right now Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for us.
He is preparing a place only for those who trust in him with a real, live, vital faith. And one day those of us who wholeheartedly believe in Jesus will die and go to him and live with him in heaven for all eternity.
IL: Eric Barker was a missionary who spent many years in Portugal preaching the good news of the gospel, often under adverse conditions. During World War II, the situation became so critical that he was advised to send his wife and eight children back to England for their safety. His sister and her three children were also evacuated on the same ship. Although his family was forced to leave, he stayed behind to finish the work before going to join them in England.
On the Lord’s Day after their departure, the Rev. Barker stood before his congregation and said, “I have just received word that all my family arrived home safely!” Then, he proceeded with the worship service as usual.
It was not until after worship service was over that the full meaning of the Rev. Barker’s words became clear. You see, just before the worship service started he had received a telegram informing him that a submarine had torpedoed the ship on which his family was sailing, and everyone on board drowned.
Eric Barker knew that because everyone in his family had trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they had in fact arrived safely home—their heavenly home. And although he was overcome by grief, he knew that by God’s grace he had a sure hope of one day being reunited with his family.
This is the hope that the resurrection gives to those of us who know Jesus Christ personally as Lord and Savior. We will be raised back to life and we will find ourselves at home with Jesus in heaven for all eternity.
Conclusion
There may be someone here today who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You know that your sins are not forgiven. Or you are not sure that they are forgiven. You know that Jesus is not real to you in your daily life. And you know that if you were to die today, you have no sure hope of going to heaven.
I say to you today that because of the resurrection of Jesus you can have your sins forgiven. You can know the power of Jesus in your daily life. And you can have a hope for your eternal destiny.
Let me share with you how you too can have what I and many others in this room have today. It is very simple.
First, you must acknowledge that you are a sinner.
You must recognize that your sin has offended Almighty God. You must believe that it was your sin that sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross.
Second, you must believe that Jesus died to pay for your sin.
You must believe that he paid the full penalty for all your sin. You must put your trust in Jesus alone for the gift of eternal life.
And third, you must confess your sin.
You do this by asking God to forgive you of your sin. And you do it by repenting of your sin. Repenting means that you forsake all your sin, everything that offends Almighty God.
You ask, “How will I know that God has forgiven my sin?” The Bible says that God will give you an assurance that he has forgiven you. I urge you to plead with God for his forgiveness until you know for sure that you have it.
Then, you too will be able to sing these familiar words from Because He Lives
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Let us pray