Resurrection:

March 23^rd 2008

Today we are looking into the theme of resurrection. Some of the sermon is going to come from a series of articles that were written in The Quarterly and I have made some copies for those who would like to read the full articles at a later time.

God has prepared us to connect to the theme of resurrection. The mystery of the resurrected life has been demonstrated to humanity since the beginning. Each day saw the "burial" of the Sun, only to have a new day dawn. In Papua New Guinea many people thank the Lord each day for "raising them from the death of sleep." Each generation is a resurrection of the dying generation that precedes it, carrying on the inheritance. Each season of the year would begin with fallow fields and emptiness, only to see life spring forth to life, bear fruit, and die again; only to raise again the next year. Each seed the farmer plants is planted in death and then raised to a transformed life.

When Jesus came to bring life from death, it was an event that God had already shown in His creation and now shows in us, His conversions. Do you see Jesus’ teaching on this before it even happens? "Then He said to all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desire to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.’" (Luke 9:23, 24). Jesus fully intended His death, burial, and resurrection to be carried on in the transforming of his believers from the world of sin to a walk in righteousness. His resurrection impacts our lives.

Today as we look at a variety of scriptures about resurrection I want us to see a couple of things. One main point that I want us to catch is that the resurrection of Jesus is the central event of the Bible and history. The second main point that we need to connect to is that the resurrection of Jesus changes everything including our own lives today because we are now called to live a resurrected life.

The resurrection of Jesus the Son of God is central to the Bible. Genesis, the book of beginnings, gives us a passage that foretells that Jesus death on the cross would not be the end. Genesis 3:15 records the curse to Satan after he had tempted Adam and Eve and in his curse we read "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

As we go through the Old Testament we see teachings and predictions about the coming of a savior in every book. When we get to the Psalms we can read Psalm 2 about the coronation of the King and in Psalm 22 we read a passage that Jesus quotes from the cross that starts with anguish and ends in victory. Another powerful OT passage is Isaiah 53 and the talk of one who would be led as a lamb to the slaughter and it ends with exultation and joy because He made intercession for the transgressors.

The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the turning point in human history. At His human, physical birth, at Bethlehem Jesus enters the world that He created. His purpose was to be the savior for mankind and it was at the cross of Calvary where He offered himself. To appreciate the resurrection we need to see the pain and the loss that occurred at the cross. Without the cross the resurrection has limited value and that is true in our own lives as well.

Jesus death as a sinless, willing sacrifice, changes everything. We, humans, now have a way to be right with God again. We can come to God and receive His blessings because of Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection.

It is the resurrection, because of His sinless life which appeased the needs of the righteous Father, that changes human destiny. Numerous people lived, died, and were buried before Jesus and many people have lived, died, and been buried since. The Bible even records a few people who were raised from the dead but they were raised to demonstrate God’s power and they all died again. Jesus was raised and remains alive today.

Side Note: If the issue of the crucifixion and resurrection leave questions for you then I would recommend that you take some time to read Lee Strobel – The Case For Christ which is very well written and not too over your head with technical terminology.

I said that I wanted us to see a couple of things with the first point being that I wanted us to catch that the resurrection of Jesus is the central event of the Bible and history. The second main point that we need to connect to is that the resurrection of Jesus changes everything including our own lives today because we are now called to live a resurrected life.

It is true that Jesus came and lived a life without sin and He was raised again but does that have any impact on us today? Is His resurrection just His resurrection?

We will look at 2 Corinthians 5:15 which reminds us that "he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." His resurrection impacts our eternal destiny and the life that we live here and now.

Jesus’ death and resurrection calls us to die to our selfishness and sinfulness and be raised to a new life that focuses on bringing glory to God. When we make the choice to put our old life on the cross and surrender our lives to the direction of Jesus our new master and represent that commitment by our burial in water and a full immersion for the forgiveness of sins and dedication to a life led by Christ we partake in the transformation of resurrection. This transformation only occurs through the pattern and the power of the one who has been raised from the dead.

Being resurrected means being changed. Because we rely on Jesus for the changes that we need to make we can echo the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." We have a responsibility to live the best lives we can in response to what Jesus has done for us. That is quite different than trying to live a holy life so that God would owe us our salvation. Only Jesus was able to live a perfect sinless life and only He can cover us in His holiness. Without the holiness of Jesus we will face the full wrath of God for our sins.

Despite the fact that I cannot achieve my own holiness, I have been called by scripture to be transformed. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 reminds us that: "It is God's will that you should be sanctified (in the process of being changed): that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."

The resurrection of Jesus leads us to a changed life. It is a life that is committed to putting to death the sins that keep us from being what God wants us to be. It is a life that is focused on surrender to God’s guidance rather than adding God into the areas that we want His help with.

God is making progress in transforming my life and I am glad that He has my whole life to work with and I am committed to joining Him in the process. I have come to learn that His way is always better than my way. He knows the danger of living according to the flesh and He knows the power of living in step with the Spirit. God wants the best for my life and the best from my life.

As his servant I owe Him both the best of my life and the best for my life but this is a limited time offer. The time will come when I transition from this world and leave the flesh behind. At that time I will see myself as God sees me now. I will see the spiritual perfection that He has always seen, and wanted me to press on towards.

We will all face death and if we are right with God in the way that He teaches us from the scriptures we can face death looking forward to a resurrection. If we remain connected to the Lord and enter heaven we will not rejoice over our work of sanctification and our efforts to change ourselves, we will only be able to rejoice in the work of Christ in our lives. The transformation, from the flesh to the spirit, will have nothing to do with our work of sanctification…the truly changed life is all the work of Jesus, so to Him be the glory for the great things He has done and glory to Him for calling us to be more spiritually connected to Him than we are.

Jesus shows the way to a resurrected life and He provides a resurrected life to those who commit to dying to self and being raised for Christ’s purpose. His resurrection changes how we live our lives and it changes our priorities and our eternal home.

We are here to help one another know God and make Him known. We are here to help one another connect to God so that He can change us. Take time this week to think of where you are at in your relationship with God and His word. Have you died to self, been fully buried as the scripture teaches and are now living a resurrected life with God as your guide? If you need help or clarification about any of these steps I am here for you.

If your life is not as changed as you want it to be then take heart. Today is the day that you can change that. I am not what I used to be, but I am not yet what I will be, and I celebrate the work of Christ for the truth in the both of these statements. Take time to celebrate as well.

Next Week: Wisdom During Transition.