Resurrection Hope for Today

Open your Bibles at Is 52 (Rom 8)

The myth of progress

Do you believe in the myth of human progress?

Some people believe that human ingenuity can solve the world’s problems.

Mind you they have some substance to their beliefs in some areas if you look back through history…

In the 1700’s most parents expected to bury 3 or 4 of their children.

From 1800 to 1950 child mortality halved from around 43% to 22%; by 2015 around 4.5%.

That’s progress!

But of course that contributes to the earth’s population explosion. So we will have to lift our game. We’re running out of room and resources on planet earth… so we will have to go further afield.

But, even as we speak… very wealthy entrepreneurs are racing one another to conquer and colonise space.

So people simply say… look at how far we’ve come! We can do this!

Politicians tell us if we just elect the right ones (them) and they can finish the job and usher in Utopia for us.

Scientists tell us that we can do anything we set our minds too.

Entrepreneurs push the boundaries.

So perhaps smart people using science and logic can ensure a very bright future for humanity?

Many say yes: Utopia can be enjoyed by all… if we all play along.

But we don’t all play along.

The world and its inhabitants are both beautiful and evil.

They are right in saying evil can be fixed… but they are dead wrong, eternally wrong in thinking that ordinary humanity has it within our means to fix it.

We don’t. We haven’t… because we can’t. We’re the problem not the solution.

Ushering in Utopia takes more than education, courage, money and hard work!

Humanity has tried for thousands of years… but it can’t stop or fix evil.

Genocide and Hiroshima; Myanmar junta, Ukraine; ethnic cleansing and gossip and lies just keep right on marching on, making misery and death and hell the reality… to one degree or another.

Is Utopia possible? How can we get there?

For the last few decades Christianity has had a substandard definition of utopia... that unfortunately doesn’t intrigue the world very much.

The Wrong Question: How can people get to heaven?

If someone asked you… What is the point of being a Christian? what would you reply?

Well, it’s only Christians that go to heaven when they die. (Right????).

But when we try to tell them about heaven… it’s sounds boring. A bodiless eternal existence with endless harps and choirs and nothing to make life interesting.

People switch off and say they’d rather go elsewhere with their mates.

Do we actually believe that people should be Christian because God wants to save human souls to be with him forever in heaven?

That raises all sorts of questions:

What is going to happen to planet earth?

Is a human soul a human person?

Did Jesus come as a soul to rescue souls… was Jesus’ body left in the grave?

Is Jesus a human soul or person in heaven? Today?

Big Mac and wrapper

So let me ask this: What plans does God have for the material world?

When God made this creation (as we read in Gen 1) was it like a person buying a Big Mac from MacDonalds? When you buy a Big Mac it comes in a box lined with a serviette and in a big paper bag… but we just want the Big Mac inside.

The rest is baggage to be disposed of.

When God made the world he made the earth and everything on and in it and the moon and sun and stars. Was all of that just baggage that he discards when he gets human souls with him in heaven?

Tom Wright in his book “Surprised by Hope” says for too long, ever since the reformation really, we have asked an insufficient question about salvation.

We ask “How can sinners get to heaven to be with God?”

And the answer is: “Jesus died for our sins so we can go to heaven to be with God when we die.”

Now don’t get me wrong…

Heaven is important… but is it the end of the world?

What do you think… is God going to discard the physical creation… including our bodies?

More importantly… far more importantly… what do you think the Bible says?

What does the Bible say happened in Gen 1 and 2 after God brings order to every aspect of creation?

He didn’t say “Well, that’s got the packet done… shame it won’t last long!”

And there’s the box, not bad, but it’ll be gone soon!

NO WAY!

And God said, “It is good”. That’s amazing and beautiful and morally perfect.

I LIKE THAT! That’s very good!

A Better Question: How can God finish his Gen 1-2 project?

Instead of asking “How can the souls of sinners get to heaven when they die?”

What about asking a better question.

Given that man’s rebellion brought curse and misery and pain and suffering and death on the earth… How can God finish Gen 1/2 project?

How can God and mankind walk together on a pristine, glorious, holy, good creation once again?

Let’s think about the gospel records of Jesus’ ministry....

If Jesus came to die for our sins… why do the gospels contain the three year ministry of Jesus?

Each of the four gospels has essentially two parts.

(Two have birth records)

But all four have accounts of most likely a three year ministry of Jesus… and an untimely and early death.

They devote varying amounts of material to each part.

But all have accounts of his ministry and his death.

Why those two aspects? Are these accounts of a glorious social work that Jesus devoted himself to for three years preaching and teaching and healing and miracle working… that was tragically cut short when the religious leaders and the Romans collaborated to kill him?

Or was there four accounts of the untimely death of Jesus… with long introductions?

The prophet Isaiah says that the Servant of the Lord, comes to bring heaven on earth.

They types and shadows will disappear when the Servant comes to bring Utopia to earth.

Right in the middle of the Servant of the Lord passages…

Isaiah 52:7–9 NIV84

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.

As Jesus walked around Israel ministering and healing… he is perfect Israel relaunching the plan God began in Gen 1 & 2.

He is the Lord returning to Zion, God’s holy city in Is 52:7 when he goes to Jerusalem.

His are the beautiful feet that bring Good News!

What Good News?

Peace, glad tidings, salvation… Your God reigns!

Not evil. Not Rome. Not Satan.

Messiah has arrived! Hear the angels at his birth. Watch his miracles. Hear his teaching.

See the blind… see. Hear the deaf… hear. The cripples walk. The dead are raised.

God’s kingdom has come on earth!

The disciples ask, Lord, teach us to pray. This is how you should pray.

Our Father in heaven, holy is your Name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

That’s the kingdom launched.

When rebels start obeying God’s law… the kingdom has come. God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven!

That’s what the gospel records are saying about Jesus’ three year ministry.

It wasn’t simply social work.

It was a foretaste of the wholeness and peace and joy that comes when God’s kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.

When we look more closely at the three year ministry of Jesus before his death and resurrection… we see Jesus moving people away from temple and food laws and ceremonial cleanliness… they were mere shadows, pointers… but now THE REALITY HAS ARRIVED in the Person, work and ministry of Jesus.

So the gospel writers put in the 3 year ministry of Jesus to show us that in his coming and ministry… the KOG had arrived.

Give up the shadows and signs.

The land flowing with milk and honey… now ruled by pagans!; the temple, animal sacrifices; circumcision; ceremonial holiness and food laws.

They’re finished.

The reality has come.

But… But… But… that raises the problem that we started with!

What about evil? What about the human rebellion against God that has lead to squabbles and fights, relationship breakdowns, suffering and misery… jails that are overflowing, domestic violence, starvation and bullying, murder and genocide. Wars without end, Hiroshima and Auschwitz… all the sin and misery and disappointments and disease and death endured for thousands of years?

What about evil?

Human beings have no answer?

Politicians say more laws.

People say more police. Bigger jails. Better education.

Hasn’t worked yet! Do you think it ever will? Of course it won’t.

Evil is too pervasive, too ingrained. Too personal and intimate… right within us!

Isaiah 52:10 NIV84

10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

If God’s kingdom is to come on earth and God’s will done on earth the way that God’s will is done in heaven then something decisive will have to be done about all the rebellion of humanity… someone will have to pay for the carnage that has resulted!

To pay for all that rebellion and damage will take the life, death and resurrection of the only Man who never rebelled against God.

He took our sin, took on Satan and death and God’s wrath… and by suffering and sacrifice, in love and mercy, when it looked like evil had won, death had triumphed… he was gloriously raised to life.

Bodily raised. The same person that went into the tomb… but transformed.

The Church: Restored humanity; restored mission in collaboration with God’s Risen King!

Jesus spent three years relaunching the project to rebuild earth as a place where God could dwell with his people forever. The project continues to today.

Then he died/rose again to deal with the problem of evil.

Then he gave us his Spirit so we can be part of the solution… working with God on his project to renew and restore the world to the original glory.

Romans 8:19–23 NIV84

19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

No it’s not the end of the world! God will finish his Gen 1 project.

God’s people are the kingdom of God NOW!

We work with God in finishing his project… excitedly, filled with hope and joy in the midst of pain and suffering for creation to be redeemed.

The whole creation is in the pains of childbirth.

Of course, some know this more intimately than others!

Childbirth pain is about as bad as pain gets. But it brings new birth, new life, great hope and joy and potential.

And so we groan too, we groan inwardly as we wait… how… eagerly… what for?… the redemption of our bodies.

You see flying off to heaven when we die is a temporary state of affairs. That’s where our loved ones who have gone before us are this morning.

But it’s not the end of the world

At the end of the age God is not going to throw away the Big Mac wrapper.

Creation is good! God said Very Good!

When will all this be fulfilled?

Revelation 21:2–4 NIV84

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

What’s the point of being a Christian?

Well, we want to be part of the Kingdom of God that is eternal relationship with God in glorious holiness.

Not strumming harps in the clouds.

But doing all the things that we would like to do now on earth. But we’re either to frightened because of danger or we run out of life!

So God’s people are God’s people now. When we die our bodies are buried and our souls go to be with God in heaven.

But when Jesus returns our bodies resurrected and changed to be like his glorious resurrected body… and we’re whole persons again… living on planet earth with God’s presence personally, gloriously, wondrously with us… as we get on doing what we were created to do.

That’s something to get excited about!

That’s something to work towards!

Let us pray…