The Resurrection: Our Living Hope

Introduction: We live in a fallen world, a world filled with evil, death and despair.

In Christ, we have reason for hope that is eternal: It far outlasts the temporary pleasures and pains of this world, reaching across the cosmos to the depths of the human soul. It has power to transform any sinner, to turn the soul’s night into glorious day and to sustain us through even the darkest of times. Today we celebrate that hope as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5

Pray

HOPE - desire with expectation, confident anticipation

Resurrection Hope is the handle of saving faith

(“...through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”)

Resurrection the fact on which all of Christianity hangs

1 Corinthians 15:16-19

How is this salvation gained? By faith alone.

“protected by the power of God through faith” v.5

1 Peter 1:18-23

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”

God is the one that did the work, you must grab ahold of it by faith

Faith is not simply a leap into the dark, but believing what you cannot fully see, based on the partial knowledge you have at your disposal

Belief doesn’t make something true. Belief does, however secure God’s mercy by His grace.

Romans 10:8-10

It is a fact - a true message that must be believed (v.23)

How do we know? 5 “E’s”

Execution (Jesus really died.)

Early Accounts (Not legend, no refuting evidence, corroborating.)

Empty Tomb (Where’s the body?)

Eyewitnesses (They saw Him!)

Emergence of the Church (She’s alive and well!)

It is true! He is Risen! Have you grabbed ahold of this truth by faith? Are you holding Him, being changed by Him, saved through Him? Do you have the Living Hope of Jesus Christ?

Resurrection Hope is God’s Mercy on display

(“...according to His great mercy”)

Hope is so needed because sin is so pervasive.

It’s effects reach from the fall to eternity

It has corrupted and fractured all of creation, the entire cosmos

It has corrupted and fractured man

our relationships: with God, with others, with ourselves

It has so corrupted us that we cannot truly see what is right, nor do we want to. Instead we insist that God is wrong, that we are right - all the while suppressing the truth that our own conscience as well as all of creation bears constant witness to - that we are sinners, guilty and hopeless apart from God’s mercy.

Ephesians 2:12 NASB95

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Sin’s reach and impact is massive, but the Hope that we have is even greater.

God acted, satisfying both His divine justice and His great mercy towards us

1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Titus 3:5-7

Mercy - not getting the bad we deserve - compassion, forbearance. Grace - getting good we don’t deserve.

Friend, if you fail to see your guilt before God, your need for mercy, then you are left in your sin and without hope to escape it’s penalty, power or presence.

There is mercy - in the resurrection God put a once and for all certificate of authenticity on Jesus’s sin-covering work on the cross for us who believe.

There is Great Hope because of God’s great mercy.

Resurrection Hope runs wide and deep

Deep (“...caused us to be born again to a living hope”)

Wide (“living hope… an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, protected by the power of God, ”)

Must go as deep and wide as sin.

Ex. Insurance that doesn’t cover all of the events isn’t wide enough in scope. Insurance that only covers a portion of the cost isn’t deep enough

Salvation that isn’t available to all, doesn’t cover all sin, or isn’t effective for eternity is not enough. We need salvation that transforms our corrupted hearts and renews our darkened minds.

Wide reach of our Living Hope

Eternally kept

(v.4) inheritance reserved by God for you - imperishable: cannot spoil or go bad, undefiled: pure and perfect, will not fade away: will not diminish in quality or quantity

(v.5) You are protected by the power of God through faith

The salvation, redemption, and preservation of your soul is secured and guarded by the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.

Who can overcome God’s power? Who can outlast Him? He never sleeps. He never quits. He has no weakness or fault.

John 10:27-29

Hebrews 7:23-25

Our salvation is eternally secure in Him

Universally available

Ethnicity: Jew and Gentile

Social status: rich and poor, slave and free

Sex: Male and Female

No matter what you were, what deeds you have done, the blood of Jesus Christ is enough to cover it and to cover it for all eternity

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

Just as sin affected all creation, so the results of the gospel stretch to all creation - when upon His return there will be a great renewal of the cosmos (New Heavens and New Earth). Sinful corruption, tragedy, sorrow, pain and death will be no more and those who are in Christ will abide with Him forever. Such is the wide reach of our hope.

Deep reach of our Living Hope - new birth (v.3)

Because sin has so corrupted our hearts and minds, it is not enough for us to have our sins forgiven. What about the sins of tomorrow? What about the brokenness in our relationship with God? With each other? We need salvation that reaches into the core of our being, that transforms, that heals.

“[He]… has caused us to be born again”

New birth - renewal

Again - Titus 3:5-7

John 3:5-8

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Isaiah 42:3 - Not erasure, but spiritual regeneration and renewal according to His mercy.

How much credit can you take for your own birth? Salvation is indeed of the Lord! He can do it by His power. He made all things, and he can remake all things, including your sinful heart.

He has proven it in the resurrection of His Son, and our Savior, our Living Hope.

Conclusion:

The resurrection is proof that the Gospel is true. It is the handle that faith grabs hold of. It is through this great act in history that we know God’s mercy towards us is real, that our soul’s salvation is certain, and that our place in His eternal Kingdom is secured. In the resurrection, we have hope to endure in this broken world.