RESURRECTION! (John 3:14, John 12:32, I Corinthians 15)

Image via WikipediaBEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD
An Easter Series -- Part 6 of 7



I. Basic Facts About the Resurrection of Jesus

   A. Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection.
      Matthew 26:31-32: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, “I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.” [Quoting from Zechariah 13:7] But after I have been raised, I will go before you into Galilee.’” (He said this just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane.)

   B. It is a historical event.
      1. It happened - literal, physical, bodily.
         Without the bodily resurrection, you do not have biblical Christianity, but something else.
      2. It is attested -
         a. Tomb was empty
         b. Theories don't hold up - At the time everyone apparently agreed that the empty tomb was an incontestable fact.
            Swoon - How could he appear later in no need of medical attention?
            Jews stole body - would have created the rumor they wanted to stop
            Disciples stole body - Why would they be willing to die for such a hoax?
            Legend created by the church - reaction to early preaching was not denial of the resurrection as an event. Evangelists do not claim to have seen Jesus' resurrection. Preaching always connected the spiritual victory of the resurrection with the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
      3. Post-resurrection appearances over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3)
         People saw Him with their physical eyes, while they were awake, One they recognized as Jesus of Nazareth. (Sometimes delayed recognition)

         To Mary Magdalene -- John 20
         To the other women -- Matt. 28
         To Cephas -- Luke 24
         To the Twelve (Thomas absent) -- John 20
         To the Emmaus disciples - Luke 24
         To more than 500 at one time -- I Corinthians 15:6
         To James, the Lord’s half brother -- I Corinthians 15:7
         To Paul (Saul) - Acts 9

II. The importance of the resurrection

O.T. Scriptures - Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Zechariah 12:10, for example
   A. Christian faith rests upon this fact!
   B. It validates the gospel - It is an essential part of the gospel.
      Romans 10:9 Confess Jesus as Lord, believe God raised him from the dead....
   C. Vindicates Jesus' messiahship
   D. Vindicates Jesus' sonship
   E. Vindicates Jesus' work
   F. Further shows Jesus' humanity
   G. It demonstrates our own resurrection - OUR HOPE!
      “And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (I Corinthians 15:49)

      1. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. v. 50
      2. We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed. v. 51
      3. Final victory over death, vv. 54-57
      4. Our body shall be like His.
         a. perfectly responsive to the Spirit
         b. retains individual identity
         c. No longer bound by material and spatial limitations (Materialize / localize at will)
         d. Not subject to any weakness or indignity
         e. Beautiful, strong and healthy
         f. Not subject to corruption
         g. Having continuity with earthly body / seed - to - tree / sown - raised

III. Christ Lifted Up

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” John 3:14
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” John 12:32


   A. On the cross
      John refers to the crucifixion as glorification.
      We must understand what Jesus did for us on the cross.
   B. Lifted up “from the earth”
      1. The cross is “from the earth.”
      2 . The resurrection “from the earth.” He lives forever.
      3. The ascension “from the earth.” He is exalted forever.
      4. Seated at the right hand of God
         a. Mission accomplished
         b. In a position of honor
         c. In a position of authority
         d. In a position not shared

      5. Started his heavenly ministry as
         a. Our Advocate, our High Priest, our Intercessor, our Sustainer
         b. Head of the church -- The church must honor Jesus as Head of the body, manifesting his love and power, reaching out to the world.
         c. Preparing our place
         d. Preparing to return for us

      6. Proclaimed Lord and Christ
      7. Receiving great honor and glory

   C. Lifted up in the believers’ lives -- worshipped as Lord and Christ

    D. Lifted up in the church
      1. Early preaching lifted up Christ and always emphasized his death and resurrection.
      2. We can't give our life to a dead man. We can't expect anything from a dead man.
      3. Without the resurrection, our faith is futile.

   E. Lifted up In the world
      1. By the church, the Bible, and missionary effort
      2. By the Holy Spirit

   F. Lifted up by the power of God
      1. God's power raised Jesus from the dead
      2. God's power draws people to Him
      3. God's power gives us eternal life
      4. God's power is needed for the proclamation of the gospel
      5. God's power is needed to for us to live the Christian life. The same power that raised Jesus Christ is in every believer.

   G. Lifted up for the glory of God
      The resurrection glorifies Christ and God who raised him.
“I am the resurrection…” Jesus is the one who makes possible our own resurrection.
“ ... and the life…” Only through Him can we gain eternal life. He sustains us.
(John 11:25)

IV. For the salvation of man / eternal life, God allowed the crime of the crucifixion to
become the sacrifice to pay for our sin. Jesus bore our sins - He died in our place.
He lifts us up.

   A. Whosoever will may come
   B. Will share with Christ
      1. Eternal life / immortality
      2. Resurrection type bodily existence
      3. Glory and authority
      4. Serving and worshiping God forever

V. The Resurrection Process Starts Now

   A. The believer has eternal life now.
      1. This amounts to a moral and spiritual regeneration and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
   B. The bodily resurrection and exaltation happens later. By the resurrection, death is defeated!
   C. Christian faith governs the believer's a way of life.
      “I have come that they might have LIFE and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
      “Choose life, that you and your descendents may live.” Deut. 30:19
   D. Christian faith is the way to life.
       “… you must be born again” John 3:7

VI. There Is Another Resurrection -- to Judgment and Condemnation

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

   A. Retribution is not inconsistent with God's character or the Bible's teaching.
   B. Condemnation that is eternal
   C. Condemnation that is irreversible - no appeal to higher authority

VII. What Can We Do?

“There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

   A. Understand the importance of the Resurrection
      1. Part of the Gospel
      2. Part of the Christian's life now
      3. Part of the Christian's future

   B. Let God help you live the Christian life
   C. Lift up Christ / make Him known
   D. Help your church to lift Him up
   E. Celebrate the Resurrection!

Direct Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible.

Victorious Faith

Image via WikipediaI. THE NATURE OF FAITH

   A. What faith is ...
“the substance of things hoped for” Heb. 11:1 (KJV)
implies hope - enables the believer to understand that the things hoped for are a present spiritual reality.
“the evidence of things not seen” (KJV)
having faith, in itself, provides evidence of the reality of the unseen things and faith enables the believer to understand that these things are real.

     1. Faith is the opposite of unbelief.
      “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Rom. 14:23 (KJV)
      Unbelief is really the worst sin, since it results in ultimate separation from God.
     2. Faith is equated with righteousness: “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Rom. 4:3 (NASB) (quoting from Gen. 15:6)
     3. Belief / Assent - involves knowledge
     4. Trust - entrusting yourself to Christ

   B. Christian faith is not blind faith,
 but is rooted in historical events and a real person who lived on earth at a specific time and place. It is based on the assurances of God's Word, which is accepted as His supernatural revelation of Himself, and thus is entirely trustworthy and reliable.

Faith is not an attempt to believe something reason tells us is untrue. The early disciples knew they had good grounds for their belief.

   C. Where faith comes from: God, through the Holy Spirit
     1. You have enough faith to be saved.
     2. You need to act upon your God-given faith (“seeking” faith that drives one to prayer)
      Examples: Jacob - Gen.32:26 “….I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(NASB)
        Nobleman - John 4:49-52 “…Sir, come down before my child dies.”
        “…Go your way. Your son lives.”
        “….Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.”

     3. Faith grows from prayer, fellowship with God, hearing God's Word.
      Example: Samuel “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.” (I Sam. 3:9, KJV)
     4. Faith leads to obedience: Example: Abraham
     5. Faith leads to victorious accomplishments for God: Examples: Paul, Samson, Gideon

   D. Faith is not understood or accepted by the world.
It is misunderstood, identified variously as superstition or misguided idealism.
The “scientific” or secularist world view which gives rise to this misunderstanding is essentially a failure to understand the nature and reality of God. God doesn't think like they do! But God created out of nothing the things the materialists know.

Heb. 11: 3 - “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (NASB)

II. THE TESTING AND RESULTS OF FAITH

   A. Faith leads to
     1. Salvation
     2. Obedience
     3. Good works
     4. Power to live the Christian life
      "Walk with God" - Enoch
     5. Final victory in Christ

   B. Faith is tested and proven.
     1. Without adversity, there is no test of faith.
     2. Faith does not demand signs and wonders, but instead is what there is when the miracle doesn't come.
     3. The faith of the Christian will be tested.
      Examples: Job, Stephen, Paul

   C. Faith is the victory which overcomes the world. (I John 5:4)
    Overcoming = not compromising
    Example: Noah

   D. Hindrances to faith
     1. Lack of prayer
     2. Lack of participation in church
     3. Demand to see signs and wonders
“An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign…” (Mt. 12:39, NASB) Presumably, if no sign is given, there is an excuse for unbelief.

Example of not requiring a sign: Daniel's friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Hebrew names), a.k.a. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Babylonian names):

Dan. 3:17 -18 - “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (NASB)

        a. Must see quick results
        b. Must have right feeling
        c. Must be delivered immediately from all troubles

     4. Failure to observe what God has done
        a. Offer of salvation
        b. Blessings of life
        c. Answer to prayer

III. THE REWARDS OF FAITH

   A. Jesus' healings often were acknowledgments of faith.
      Mt. 9:20-22 - Woman with a flow of blood: “….Be of good cheer, daughter. Your faith has made you well…” (NKJV)
      Mt. 9:27-29 Blind men: “….According to your faith let it be to you.” (NKJV)
      Lk. 7:2-9 Centurion's servant: “….I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in  Israel.” (NKJV)

   B. Faith enables a person to find God and to please God.
      Heb. 11:6 - “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God  must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (NKJV)

   C. Eternal rewards listed in Revelation include
      Eat of the tree of life (eternal life) 2:7
      “….Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (2:10, NASB)
      Hidden manna 2:17
      White stone / new name 2:17
      Authority to rule 20:6
      Be a pillar in the temple of God 3:12
      Sit down with Jesus on His throne 3:21

IV. BUILDING YOUR FAITH

   A. Build your faith by practicing it.
     1. Continue in prayer.
     2. Don't give up.  “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15, KJV)
     3. Practice obedience.
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:14-15, NASB)

   B. Share your faith with others, especially your own household.
      1. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31, KJV)
      2. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.” (I Tim. 5: 8, NASB)

   C. Faith affects all relationships.

   D. Don't spare the effort.  Let your actions demonstrate faith!


Illustration: Title page to the 1611 first edition of the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible. Public domain.