The Resurrection
Originally published March 29, 2006
Although I am not one for overemphasizing one day over another, let us take this Sunday and celebrate our Lord's resurrection as if it happened that very morning!
There can be a crucifixion with no resurrection, but there cannot be a resurrection without the crucifixion. The resurrection substantiates, vindicates, and illuminates the cross. Without the resurrection Golgatha is a dead Jew on a cross. With the resurrection He is the Savior of the world! Without the resurrection death is the victor. With the resurrection death is defeated! Every Sunday, not just once a year, is a celebration of the resurrection. The resurrection is the most powerful event in history. The strength of the natural was broken by the strength of the supernatural. Look what Paul says in I Corinthians 15 about witnesses. He doesn't provide witnesses to the crucifixion, he lists witnesses to the resurrected Christ. And finally he substantiates his own apostleship based on the fact that he himself saw the risen Jesus. The entire chapter is an essay on the resurrection of Jesus Christ which is the foundation of our faith and provides the subsequent resurrection of every believer.
The moment my spirit separates from my body I go to be with my Forerunner until the final resurrection of the church. Let us put morality, abortion, homosexuality, and the myriad of other talking head issues on the back burner, and let us lift high the glorious message that "The Lord has risen! He has risen indeed!
THE RESURECTION
The defining moment in eternity
Even the Romans didn't dispute His birth, His miracles, or His death, but they attacked His resurrection.
Matt.27:62-66 - Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
The Jewish religious leaders went to Pilate and actually admitted that Jesus had prophesied His own resurrection. Incredibly, Pilate puts a military watch over the sealed tomb. The Scriptures teach that God catches the wicked in their own snare. You see, in the attempt to keep anyone from stealing the body of Jesus, they have proven no one did!
Matt.28:11-15 - Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him while we slept And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
They even paid the soldiers to keep quiet about the resurrection. How awful! But how awful it is when we keep quiet about Jesus' resurrection and we're not even paid, we do it for free! Without the resurrection Jesus is dead. If a basketball player hits a last second shot at the buzzer to give his team a one point victory, but after review the basket is not allowed, then all the baskets that his team had scored are meaningless - THEY LOST. If Jesus did not resurrect than everything else is meaningless - WE'RE LOST. But hundreds of people saw Him alive by "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3). Paul says He is "declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom.1:4). The message of Pete's first sermon in Acts chapter two makes the resurrection the focal point, as did the entire ministry of the apostolic martyrs.
Now in revelation chapter one Jesus Himself refers immediately to the resurrection saying, "I am He that liveth, and was dead!" (Rev.1:18). Paul says that in order to be saved you must "believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead" (Rom.10:9). We must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, it is the foundation of our faith. Now when Paul says He was "declared to be the Son of God", He was clearly stating that Jesus was God. While we recognize our limited ability to comprehend the Trinity, hence the name Son of God, we can fully embrace that there is a God and Jesus IS GOD. And based upon that truth, everything He said was and is absolute and unchangeable truth, to be studied, listened to, believed, and obeyed!
How about you and me? How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ affect us on Tuesdays? Thursdays? Saturdays? You see my point? The early church used to greet one another throughout the week with the salutation "The Lord is risen!", and the other would reply, "He is risen indeed!". When do we hear about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Sometimes Easter - sometimes not. Why do we meet on Sundays? To celebrate the resurrection! Here is something that I personally haven't tried yet, but I am going to soon. Next time you witness to someone begin like this, "You may think that I'm little strange, but have you ever thought about whether Jesus really did rise from the dead, you know, the resurrection?". That question is the door to salvation and many skeptics have tried to disprove it and in so doing became followers of Christ! I loved "The Passion of the Christ" movie but it only gave a small time at the end for the resurrection (I'm glad even for that!). Now the world discussed the excessive violence and the wrongly perceived anti-Semitism, but there didn't seem to be much discussion about the resurrection because the part was so small.
What if the entire community of American followers of Christ had an orchestrated attempt to spread the message of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? I mean bumper stickers, tracks, TV, church campaigns, all proclaiming the resurrection. In every city there were believers on every main intersections holding posters saying "JESUS HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!". Ministries across the country joined to purchase prime time television slots to preach and proclaim the resurrection. Churches began to have special prayer meetings to ask God to fill us with His resurrection power as we preached it. Talk shows begin to address it and Americans become increasingly confronted with the one issue that matters - eternally. Not abortion, not homosexuality, not school vouchers, not school prayer, not any moral or political issue. The question that begins to rise on the horizon of American culture is:
DID JESUS RESURRECT FROM THE DEAD?
OK, now come back to earth. Does it strike anyone how far we have moved "off message" or am I the only one? I will tell you one thing, I am personally asking/begging God to resurrect my Spiritual life and part of that is reacquainting my heart with the dynamic truth I've always claimed to believe - The Resurrection! Would I be more exited about Jesus' resurrection if it had happened yesterday? There it is, how can I convince someone in 2007 about the resurrection when it isn't powerful and fresh to me because it happened so long ago that it has found a comfortable place on a shelf in my theological library? If a man stood on top of his car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and hollered "There are hundreds of twenty dollar bills blowing in this parking lot!" everyone would come running. But if that same man hollered "Jesus has risen from the dead!" people would call the police. But what if millions hollered out on a given day that Jesus had risen from the dead? When I became a follower of Jesus in 1975 I would ask people if they knew that Jesus was real (polished approach?). Many would casually reply yes, thy did. Not being instructed in the finer points of personal evangelism, I would press them with "No, I mean He is REAL!". At that point people would become uncomfortable with the perception that the dialogue was not only getting too personal, but my provocative zeal seemed out of place. People don't seem to be uncomfortable with me anymore because I have grown uncomfortable with them. It's time to preach the reality of the resurrected Christ to anyone and everyone - again! Reaching beyond the fear, lethargy, and worldliness into the realm of the Spirit and proclaiming Jesus to people, who just like I was, are heading for eternal disaster. Am I willing to become a fool for Jesus and by His amazing power lift up the Risen Christ? If Jesus has risen from the dead...somebody needs to know!!
What a novel and fresh idea, preach the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ like the early church did no matter what the culture. Think about it this weekend, did Jesus really resurrect from the dead? And if you and I get a new and powerful revelation of that truth and its far reaching implications, let's see what it does in our lives. See you at Wal-Mart!!
THE RESURECTION
The defining moment in eternity
Even the Romans didn't dispute His birth, His miracles, or His death, but they attacked His resurrection.
Matt.27:62-66 - Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
The Jewish religious leaders went to Pilate and actually admitted that Jesus had prophesied His own resurrection. Incredibly, Pilate puts a military watch over the sealed tomb. The Scriptures teach that God catches the wicked in their own snare. You see, in the attempt to keep anyone from stealing the body of Jesus, they have proven no one did!
Matt.28:11-15 - Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole Him while we slept And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
They even paid the soldiers to keep quiet about the resurrection. How awful! But how awful it is when we keep quiet about Jesus' resurrection and we're not even paid, we do it for free! Without the resurrection Jesus is dead. If a basketball player hits a last second shot at the buzzer to give his team a one point victory, but after review the basket is not allowed, then all the baskets that his team had scored are meaningless - THEY LOST. If Jesus did not resurrect than everything else is meaningless - WE'RE LOST. But hundreds of people saw Him alive by "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3). Paul says He is "declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom.1:4). The message of Pete's first sermon in Acts chapter two makes the resurrection the focal point, as did the entire ministry of the apostolic martyrs.
Now in revelation chapter one Jesus Himself refers immediately to the resurrection saying, "I am He that liveth, and was dead!" (Rev.1:18). Paul says that in order to be saved you must "believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead" (Rom.10:9). We must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, it is the foundation of our faith. Now when Paul says He was "declared to be the Son of God", He was clearly stating that Jesus was God. While we recognize our limited ability to comprehend the Trinity, hence the name Son of God, we can fully embrace that there is a God and Jesus IS GOD. And based upon that truth, everything He said was and is absolute and unchangeable truth, to be studied, listened to, believed, and obeyed!
How about you and me? How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ affect us on Tuesdays? Thursdays? Saturdays? You see my point? The early church used to greet one another throughout the week with the salutation "The Lord is risen!", and the other would reply, "He is risen indeed!". When do we hear about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Sometimes Easter - sometimes not. Why do we meet on Sundays? To celebrate the resurrection! Here is something that I personally haven't tried yet, but I am going to soon. Next time you witness to someone begin like this, "You may think that I'm little strange, but have you ever thought about whether Jesus really did rise from the dead, you know, the resurrection?". That question is the door to salvation and many skeptics have tried to disprove it and in so doing became followers of Christ! I loved "The Passion of the Christ" movie but it only gave a small time at the end for the resurrection (I'm glad even for that!). Now the world discussed the excessive violence and the wrongly perceived anti-Semitism, but there didn't seem to be much discussion about the resurrection because the part was so small.
What if the entire community of American followers of Christ had an orchestrated attempt to spread the message of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? I mean bumper stickers, tracks, TV, church campaigns, all proclaiming the resurrection. In every city there were believers on every main intersections holding posters saying "JESUS HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!". Ministries across the country joined to purchase prime time television slots to preach and proclaim the resurrection. Churches began to have special prayer meetings to ask God to fill us with His resurrection power as we preached it. Talk shows begin to address it and Americans become increasingly confronted with the one issue that matters - eternally. Not abortion, not homosexuality, not school vouchers, not school prayer, not any moral or political issue. The question that begins to rise on the horizon of American culture is:
DID JESUS RESURRECT FROM THE DEAD?
OK, now come back to earth. Does it strike anyone how far we have moved "off message" or am I the only one? I will tell you one thing, I am personally asking/begging God to resurrect my Spiritual life and part of that is reacquainting my heart with the dynamic truth I've always claimed to believe - The Resurrection! Would I be more exited about Jesus' resurrection if it had happened yesterday? There it is, how can I convince someone in 2007 about the resurrection when it isn't powerful and fresh to me because it happened so long ago that it has found a comfortable place on a shelf in my theological library? If a man stood on top of his car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and hollered "There are hundreds of twenty dollar bills blowing in this parking lot!" everyone would come running. But if that same man hollered "Jesus has risen from the dead!" people would call the police. But what if millions hollered out on a given day that Jesus had risen from the dead? When I became a follower of Jesus in 1975 I would ask people if they knew that Jesus was real (polished approach?). Many would casually reply yes, thy did. Not being instructed in the finer points of personal evangelism, I would press them with "No, I mean He is REAL!". At that point people would become uncomfortable with the perception that the dialogue was not only getting too personal, but my provocative zeal seemed out of place. People don't seem to be uncomfortable with me anymore because I have grown uncomfortable with them. It's time to preach the reality of the resurrected Christ to anyone and everyone - again! Reaching beyond the fear, lethargy, and worldliness into the realm of the Spirit and proclaiming Jesus to people, who just like I was, are heading for eternal disaster. Am I willing to become a fool for Jesus and by His amazing power lift up the Risen Christ? If Jesus has risen from the dead...somebody needs to know!!
What a novel and fresh idea, preach the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ like the early church did no matter what the culture. Think about it this weekend, did Jesus really resurrect from the dead? And if you and I get a new and powerful revelation of that truth and its far reaching implications, let's see what it does in our lives. See you at Wal-Mart!!
Jn.11:25 -
I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE.
He is risen!
ReplyDeleteRick Amen! HE HAS RISEN, HE HAS RISEN!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to be back online and I have a lot reading to catch on.
Happy Resurrection Day day to you and yours.
Romans 6 8-11 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen Rick,
ReplyDeleteHe is risen indeed! Leaving that out of most preaching has created a very fleshly version of the gospel. Let's get back to preaching the miracle!
In Christ
Mike Ratliff