Having passover with Jesus one day

“I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Today is the Lord’s day just like any Sunday is the Lord’s day.

Tell me why do the church call Sunday the Lord’s day?

Well it is because Jesus Christ the Son of God rose from the dead on a Sunday morning. So we as Christians celebrate every Sunday because our Saviour is risen from the dead on this day. But, today we celebrate this day even more with the rest of the churches in the world.

The resurrection what a blessing indeed this is to the true Christian. This is the centre of Christianity.

Now, I don’t want to make light of the cross and death of Jesus in anyway at all. The death of Jesus is and was very important to our faith. Christ paid for our sins with his own blood. Our sins are forgiven because of the death of Jesus in our place.

But, do you know that we would have been still in our sins if Jesus did not rise from the dead?

Open your bibles to 1 Cor 15:14-17

1 Corinthians 15:14–17 (ESV)

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.

We will look at why our preaching is vain and why we are still in our sins if Christ was not raised from the dead.

If we will not be raised one day in the future it means that Christ was not raised also.

1. So why is preaching useless and why are we still in our sins without the resurrection of Jesus?

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 15

The principal argument of the first preachers in support of Christianity was that God had raised Christ from the dead

Listen to Peter preaching of the resurrection of Jesus of which the apostles are witnesses.

Acts 1:21–22 (ESV)

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

Acts 2:29–32 (ESV)

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Listen how Paul later spoke about the same prophesies David made of Jesus resurrection.

Acts 13:35–39 (ESV)

35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,

“ ‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

So here I have given you words from Peter and Paul in how they are preaching and witnessing about the resurrection of Christ from the Psalms about the risen Christ. So do you see why Paul is saying if Jesus is not raised from the dead why their preaching is in vain. This was the main mission for these apostles in those days. They were witnesses of the resurrection of the Lord. Using the old testament to show everyone how God has spoken of the resurrection of his Son. Remember they also have seen the Lord with their own eyes.

John 20:19–20 (ESV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Why did Jesus say Peace to you when they saw him in their midst?

Answer; the doors were locked.

John 20:26–28 (ESV)

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Do you know that resurrection of Jesus is the declaration of God that he is satisfied with the sacrifice that Jesus made for his people. This is God saying he is honored by his Son. His Son has paid the full price for his people. If God did not raise Jesus from the dead it means he is still in anger and fury about his peoples sins. it means Jesus is not the Saviour. It means Jesus is not God. It means everything Jesus and the old testament prophets every spoke is a lie. It means the word of God is a lie because the old testament testifies about the Messiah who will make all things right.

But...

Romans 10:8–11 (ESV)

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 10:13–14 (ESV)

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Did you here what Paul is saying here?

Paul is saying that with the heart one believes and is justified. He qualifies the object of the faith that justifies and says “believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead”

Romans 4:23–25 (ESV)

23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

So Paul here speaks of the faith of Abraham in how he believed in God and it was counted as righteousness. If we believe in our hearts, truly believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead we will be saved.

To be saved means to have our sins forgiven and given the righteousness of Jesus. To be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus means we are forgiven for our sins and declared righteous by God and therefore we are justified in God’s eyes.

So do you see why Paul says if Christ is not risen we are still in our sins?

Look at verse 1 Cor 15:16 “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.”

2. Christ has been raised from the dead which mean we will be raised from the dead one day.

1 Corinthians 15:20–23 (ESV)

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. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

You see today we are not just celebrating the fact that Jesus resurrection has caused us to be justified. We are also celebrating the fact that we will be raised with new bodies. We will have bodies that will be eternal. It will not decay, it will be holy forever.

1 Corinthians 15:35 (ESV)

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”

English Standard Version (Chapter 15)

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.

1 Corinthians 15:51–55 (ESV)

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?”

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

John 21:9–14 (ESV)

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Luke 24:36–43 (ESV)

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

So here we can see Jesus ate with his new body but he also appeared in room while the door was locked.

How amazing is that new body?

Now last question for today. Do you see why Jesus said to the disciples at the passover meal before He was crucified that He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until He can drink it with them in the kingdom of God?

“I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

In one verse Jesus is promising his people that He and his people will be raised from the dead and will be able to drink of the fruit of the vine in celebration of the love and grace of God in his kingdom.