Because He Lives
The Gospel Truth (Easter) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsThe resurrection of Jesus is the corner stone of Christianity. His resurrection guarantees ours.
Notes
Transcript
Because He Lives
Series: The Gospel Truth (Easter)
Texts: Jn 11:17-25;38-44; 1 Cor 15:1-28;50-58
Introduction: (What?)
The Resurrection is the event that separates Christianity from all other religions. There is no other religion that has a “living Savior”. Even some non-Christians have recognized that the Resurrection really happened. Some who started out to disprove it wound up surrendering to the Living Christ and becoming fully devoted Christ followers. Among them are Josh McDowell who as a law student and non-believer set out to disprove the resurrection. The result of his extensive research were the books “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” and “More Evidence that Demands A Verdict” in which he presented legal proof that the resurrection actually happened. In an appearance on the 700 club Josh said, “The promise of the resurrection is this: What happened to Christ can happen for us. Like Him, we will die, but His resurrection is a promise that death is not the end. His resurrection is the prototype for our own. He blazed the trail through death to eternal life, and He tells us that we can follow in his footsteps with His hand leading us the entire way.”
Another was Lee Strobel, a journalist with the Chicago Tribune and an avowed atheist who also set out to disprove the basis for Christianity. The result of his research was the books “The Case for Christianity” and “The Case for Christ” He said, “The Resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus’ divine identity and his inspired teaching.”
Examination: (Why?)
1. Believing is Seeing
Jn 11:17-25 “When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem (less than two miles away). Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”
One enigma surrounding the death of Lazarus was just what Martha said. If Jesus had been there, He quite likely would have healed Lazarus and he would not have died. However, Jesus waited around until the news came that Lazarus had died. He did this because He had a greater truth to teach, not only to the sisters, but also to you and me today. He is not only the Divine Healer, He is also the Divine Victor over death. He knew what He was going to do when He got to the tomb of Lazarus. When He wept (v 35) He was not weeping because Lazarus died, He was weeping out of compassion for His friends. Paul wrote in Rom 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”
Jn 11:38-44 “Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.””
You have heard, and perhaps have quoted the saying “Seeing is believing.” In this case Jesus turned that around and said to Martha “Believing is seeing.” It is only when we believe that Jesus is the Victor of Death that we see the reality of that victory. Dr. Michael Guillen wrote a book entitled “Believing is Seeing” in which he recounts the fascinating story of his journey from Atheism to Christianity, citing the latest discoveries in neuroscience, physics, astronomy, and mathematics to pull back the curtain on the mystery of faith as no one ever has. Once he began to believe what the scriptures say, he then began to see that there is no conflict between science and the Bible. As a matter of fact he discovered that The Bible and Quantum Physics have a lot in common.
Scripture tells us that faith is the catalyst to miracles. When Jesus admonished Martha to believe and then she would see, He moved her from “an abstract belief in resurrection “on the last day” to a personalized trust in the One who alone can raise the dead.” (J. McArthur)
2. The Eyewitnesses
1 Cor 15:1-8 “Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.”
Without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is just one of many religions. The Gospel is incomplete without the resurrection of Jesus because there would be no “good news”. Faith that does not include the resurrection can’t be “saving faith”.
The resurrection of Jesus was prophesied in the OT. The resurrected Jesus was walking along the road to Emmaeus with two of His followers who were mourning His death. In Luke 24:25-27 “He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.”
David wrote in Psa 16:10-11 “For you will not abandon Me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” The was referring to the resurrection of Jesus.
In vss 5-8 of 1 Cor 15, Paul listed the eye-witnesses to the resurrected Christ. Peter Lk 24:34 “who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!””
The Eleven (plus Mattathias) Mk 16:14 “Later he appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen.”
500 believers at one time, (this is the only mention of the 500, however it is possible that they were among those present at the ascension of Christ. Matthew mentioned that “some doubted”. This “some” would certainly not have referred to the 11, but rather to others who were present there in Galilee.)
“James” would not have been either of the 2 who were among the 12, but rather refers to the half-brother of Jesus who became the key leader of the Jerusalem church. We don’t know the details of this appearance.
“All the Apostles” would include Mattathias who was later appointed as one of the Twelve. Acts 1:3 “After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
And finally, Paul himself saw Jesus in the flesh on the Damascus road. Many of these eye-witnesses, were martyred for their faith. It is highly unlikely that they would have died for a myth or a lie. That Jesus appeared in the flesh is proven by His asking for food and eating a piece of broiled fish. Also, the marks of the crucifixion were visible to those who saw Him. The crux of the Gospel preached by the Apostles during the first century was the resurrection. Without it there is not “good news”.
3. Victory in Jesus
1 Cor 15:12-19 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.”
One of the chief differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees was their view of resurrection. The Pharisees believed in it and the Sadducees did not. The fact that the Pharisees believed in resurrection made it all the more difficult for them as they tried to stifle the story of the resurrection of Jesus. They could only say “Yes, but...” and try to explain it away.
Paul begins this section by painting a dire picture for Christianity if Jesus was not raised from the dead. If Jesus did not rise from the dead Paul said, “we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that He raised up Christ...” Then he expanded his message of gloom to include those who believed the gospel, saying, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.” In other words, our guarantee of Eternal Life with Christ is totally dependent on the resurrection of Jesus.
Then Paul shifted gears and filled in the blanks regarding Jesus’ resurrection and ours.
1 Cor 15:50-58 “What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the LORD’s work, because you know your labor in the LORD is not in vain.”
Now we get to the good part. Because Jesus lives, and if I have surrendered my life to Him we are enveloped in one another (Christ in me and me in Christ) then I all will live eternally with Him. The truth is that everyone is created for eternity. The difference in the Christ follower and those who reject Christ through all their physical life is the final destination. For the believer the destination is Paradise with Jesus. Everyone who has not surrendered to Christ is on a downhill route to Hell.
In the Gospel of Luke we find the fate of the repentant thief. Luke 23:42-43 “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” In a sermon Alister Begg wrote: You know, I always think about this in relationship to the thief on the cross when he arrives at the portals of heaven. You imagine that interview process?
“What are you doing here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, who sent you here?”
“What? No one sent me here. I . . . I . . . I’m here!”
“Well, are you . . . Have you been justified by faith? Do you have peace with God?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, do you know anything?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you know?”
“The man on the middle cross said I could come here.”
If you have surrendered to the Man on the middle cross, then you have been re-routed. Immediately your destination has been changed. Paul wrote in Eph 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,”
Application: (How will I respond to this message?)
The question for you to answer today is, What is your current destination?
If you have never surrendered to Christ, your destination is Hell, a place created for the devil, his angels and all who have rejected Christ as LORD and Savior.
You can surrender right now. Pray with me “Lord Jesus, I give you my life.”
Make your surrender known by coming down front and telling me.