Up From the Grave

Do you believe the word of the Lord? vv. 1-12

Jesus did exactly what He promised.

Does Jesus’ words interest you? (The ladies went and told)

Does Jesus’ words seem like nonsense to you? (The disciples’ response)

Does Jesus’ words make you marvel? (Peter was moved to see for himself and marvel)

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

1. Jesus had to die so we could live (Isa. 53)

(Read selected verses throughout Isa. 53).

All have sinned (Rom. 3:23), the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), but victory for us came through Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57 “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”).

John 11:25 NASB

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus had to die so we could live (Isa. 53)

If Jesus stayed dead then faith is worthless

Luke 24:6 ““He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,”

Luke 9:18-22, Christ clearly stated that He would have to suffer, die, but would raise again the third day. If He did not raise, then He did not tell them the truth or was powerless to do it. Either way, we would have nothing to have faith in.

Gen. 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.””

Ps. 16:10 “For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.”

In these verses God promises in the OT that Jesus would live beyond the grave. If Christ stayed dead, then God did not tell the truth or was powerless to do it. Either way, we would have nothing to have faith in.

If we have no resurrection to truly believe is real, then Christ is dead and we are still trapped in our sin.

1 Corinthians 15:17 NASB

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus had to die so we could live (Isa. 53)

If Jesus stayed dead then faith is worthless

If Jesus stayed dead, this life is all we would have

This life and all it offers is finite and futile:

1 John 2:16-17 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”

Rom. 8:20-23 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

If this life is all there is, how desperate we would be.

1 Corinthians 15:19 NASB

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus had to die so we could live (Isa. 53)

If Jesus stayed dead then faith is worthless

If Jesus stayed dead, this life is all we would have

Jesus had to rise so we could be justified

Romans 4:25 NASB

He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Heb. 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (no purchasing our sins from us). But Rom. 4:25 reminds us that without the resurrection, we would have no declaration of being just, no legal claim to being without that sin. Since Christ is raised, Rom. 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That is all because Jesus Christ rose from the grave.

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus had to die so we could live (Isa. 53)

If Jesus stayed dead then faith is worthless

If Jesus stayed dead, this life is all we would have

Jesus had to rise so we could be justified

Jesus had to rise so we would have hope

1 Peter 1:3 NASB

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

There are only 2 responses to the teaching and realization of Christ’s resurrection:

Nonsense v. 11

++Believe v. 12

++Which response describes you?

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Do you believe?

Jesus is not simply a popular, mighty prophet vv. 13-27

V. 21, what do you hope for from Christ?

He didn’t come just to perform great acts in this life, but to secure entrance into eternal life v. 19

He didn’t come to preserve the greatness of this present life, but to promote the greatness of eternal life v. 20

He didn’t come to die like all the other prophets, He came to live again v. 23

He didn’t come to show the glory of man through his death, but to return as the living unto the glory of God v. 26

Christ was not just a mighty prophet, He was God…in the flesh.

Phil. 2:6 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,”

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God.All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Christ does not offer to make the things of this life great for you, but rather to offer you that which is eternally great.

There are two different levels of understanding:

++Understanding only the facts

++Understanding what it means to you (the darkness did not comprehend it (Jn. 1:5)

++Which understanding describes you?

Jesus is not among the dead vv. 1-12

Jesus is not simply a popular, mighty prophet vv. 13-27

Do you believe?

Do you understand?

Open your eyes and see the truly risen Savior vv. 28-35

If your heart has never burned with Christ’s resurrected presence, then you have not seen Christ for who He truly is vv. 28-32

If your lips have never testified of the resurrection of Christ, then you have not seen Christ for who He truly is vv. 33-34

If your relationships have never known mutual identity in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you have not seen Christ for who He truly is v. 35

The angels testified that Jesus did exactly what He said. Do you believe and understand the witness of the angels?

The women testified that Jesus did exactly what He said. Do you believe and understand the witness of the women?

Peter testified that Jesus did exactly what He said. Do you believe and understand the witness of the women?

Disciples testified that Jesus did exactly what He said. Do you believe and understand the witness of the disciples?

The Apostles testified that Jesus did exactly what He said. Do you believe and understand the witness of the Apostles?

There are two different realities to the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

++Closed eyes that do not see the risen Christ for themselves

++Open eyes that see (accept) the risen Christ with a burning heart, a testimony of faith, and an identity with others who believe

Do you believe?

++Do you understand?

++Do you see (accept) the risen Christ for yourself?

Faith in Christ is not for the purpose of making the things of this life great, but rather to offer to those of this life that which is eternally great.

Mere belief in the facts of Christ’s resurrection is not enough, one must see that it is personally for them and accept it.

Personal acceptance of Christ’s presence with you leads you to a peace that is eternal.

Luke 24:47-48 “and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.“You are witnesses of these things.”

Christ rose from the dead so that you might have forgiveness of sins and be justified before a holy God. Is that your testimony; are you a witness to that reality?

The greatness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not simply that He physically rose from death, but that in doing so provided you and me with life that is eternal.

Praise the Lord that, He is not among the dead, “He has risen.”

Do you accept God’s work through Christ for your soul?

Accepting the risen Christ as your Savior brings, “Peace to you.”