Resurrection Past, Present, and Future
Notes
Transcript
This morning we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact you will find that many of us refer to today not as as Easter but rather as Resurrection Sunday. We celebrate this day directly after passover. Some call passover a Jewish holiday, but it is really more than that. For the passover celebration symbolizes that one day a more perfect sacrificial lamb would come, Jesus, the lamb of God would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.
But why do we as the church make such a big deal of the Resurrection? Why does the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ matter?
Today we are going to talk about three types of resurrections mention in the Bible. But before we do let’s first look at the the definition of the word “resurrection”.
The Word “resurrection” according to the Lexham Bible dictionary comes “From the Latin resurrectio, meaning “rising again.” A return to life after having died.
J. Lanier Burns, “Resurrection,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Through out scripture there are instances of people being risen from the dead. In the Old Testament, God occasionally rose people from the dead through His prophets, In the New Testament we see multiple occurrences of Jesus raising people from the dead. But in all of these accounts, no one had risen themselves from the dead. This is what makes Jesus resurrection unique. In the other accounts the resurrection was carried through by someone else praying, laying on hands, etc. It was only Jesus resurrection that was self-actuated. It is the only resurrection where the person who died brought themselves back to life. It is the only Resurrection that can ensure eternal life. This is a true Resurrection. In fact, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from which all future resurrections come and is our hope. If Jesus did not raise from the dead then there is no hope of eternal life.
Paul said this.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”?
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;
14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.
15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact 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 worthless; you are still in your sins.
18 Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished.
19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
Without the resurrection, there is no Hope.
but as I just mentioned it is not the only type of resurrection mentioned in scripture but Jesus resurrection is the foundation from which all future resurrections are built.
I. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ..
I. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ..
..Is important because in it Jesus Christ defeated death.
10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
..Is important because it defeated sin.
13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.
The word trespasses is referring to our sin!
Because of Christ Resurrection we see a present resurrection. Something that takes place in us.
II. We see a Spiritual Resurrection
II. We see a Spiritual Resurrection
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
The minute that mankind sinned something in us died. A part God created in us to be able to commune with himself died. The human race We has become spiritually dead and blind.
And if you are listening to me today. I know there are some in audience that you can feel that death inside of you . You can sense that there is a part of your being that is missing. It often expresses itself in wondering if there is more to life than what I can see, because what I can see seems empty and bleak. For some people they chase a false spirituality to replace what is missing through the occult, new age movement, and witchcraft. IF you were to allow yourself a few minutes of silence, you’d find your mind intuitively asking, what is missing from my life? I will tell you there is a part of you that is missing. A part that God originally created within man and although maybe you have never been able to quite describe it, the scripture does for you. It is called being spiritually dead.
Yet unlike many other books that will diagnose your problem and give you trite unhelpful solutions. The scriptures go from diagnostic to the perfect solution. The Answer is found in Jesus Christ.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Isn’t that beautiful? Listen, Too many regard the Bible as a book of criticism, yet the Bible is the exact opposite. We see through the law of God and His word that sin is diagnosed. Just like a loving physician will tell you the truth about your health. So the scripture tells us the truth about us, but it doesn’t stop there. It gives us a real solution to the problem. Allow Christ to make you alive again. Allow Christ to resurrect you to life. A life that can now hear from God, A life that can rest in the knowledge of knowing the hope of Jesus Christ. It is in Christ that what once was dead in now made alive. Through Christ a person can be saved through his grace.
So then maybe you are here today and you believe the word you have heard. Maybe you asking the question, What then should I do? Jesus told us in Mark 1:15
15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
repent, turn away from you rebellion against God and believe the good news that Jesus Christ has porivded a way for you to be forgiven and restored through his death on the cross (taking the punishment for your sin) and the resurrection(defeating death). Scripture tells us that if you will hear believe and obey the message of repentance, the gospel than
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But you see there is still one more resurrection that we need to talk about.
III. We see the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust
III. We see the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust
A. The resurrection of all those who believed in Christ.
Revelation 20:4–6 (CSB)
4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
B. The resurrection of all those who rejected Christ only for them to experience eternal death.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.
14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Because of God’s perfect love and justice, all sin has to be tried and condemned. We see in this passage the Jesus Christ as the judge of all those who would not receive his gift of His death and Resurrection. In essence those who have chosen to pay for their sin themselves instead of allowing Jesus to pay it for them will be condemned. It is these who have rejected the messiah that will be sentenced to eternal death and hell.
Yet the good news is that while you still have breath there is still time for you to repent. You do not have to go to the eternal lake of fire. You can be redeemed.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near.
When you take your last breath it will be to late. Jesus love is great! he loves you. He died for you. He rose from the dead for you. Won’t you stop rejecting Him and accept his gift of salvation?
If your here today and you would like someone to talk too…You can talk to me or any of our staff and they would be overjoyed to walk along side you as you choose to follow Christ. Or if you have chosen to receive the gift of salvation, please tell us. We’d love to help you with what is next for you in your new walk relationship with God.