Three Important Realities about the Resurrection

John Crit Jones II

Holiday • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented 2 months ago

1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension

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Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of the resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.

John Stott

Turn with me to I Corinthians 15:1-20

CHRIST IS RISEN!

This morning's Easter Services are a celebration

of the fact that Christ is risen from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:20 NASB95

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Looking at this verse we will Look at

It tells of:

The Immediacy of the Resurrection

Live in a Society that wants every thing now

There is one thing we don't have to wait for.

We are not waiting for the resurrection of Christ to take place.

We are not hoping that one day Jesus will come out of the grave.

He has already come out of the grave.

Verse 20 says, “But now is Christ risen from the dead”

The fact that Christ is already risen from the dead is important because it shows us that

God accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins.

The immediacy of Jesus' resurrection is important because of where Jesus is

He is in Heavenly Places!

Acts 1:9–11 NASB95

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Hebrews 1:1–3 NASB95

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

What do we know about heavenly places

God the Father is in Heavenly Places

Ephesians 1:3 NASB95

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Jesus Christ is in Heavenly Places

Ephesians 1:20 NASB95

which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

And We are in Heavenly Places

Ephesians 2:6 NASB95

and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

The one who died for you,

sits at the right hand of the throne of God to represent you!

He is the advocate of the Born again Believer!

1 John 2:1–2 NASB95

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

If you are a born again Christian, Jesus died for your sins.

Because you are a Christian God does not want you to sin.

However, If we fail God we know that We have an advocate, a lawyer, "one called along side to help", sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.

He is there to represent us.

Colossians 2:14 NASB95

having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

As Christians, we should strive to live holy lives.

1 Peter 1:15–16 NASB95

but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

And when we sin, we are to confess that sin, and forsake it.

1 John 1:9 NASB95

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But isn't it nice to know that we have a risen Savior, who's there representing us when we sin.

Not only is Jesus in Heaven now as our advocate,

He's there as our High Priest.

Hebrews 4:14–16 NASB95

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In Heaven, you have a high priest that not only speaks in your behalf to the Heavenly Father,

but He knows just how you feel and what you are going through.

He was tempted just like we are, yet He did not sin

Because Jesus is alive now and sitting at the right hand of God,

You are encouraged to "come boldly before the throne of grace to find grace to help in time of need."

So, when you worry, come to Jesus.

When you want to quit, come to Jesus.

When you are tempted to do wrong, come to Jesus.

When we don't know which way to turn because problems seem so great, come to Jesus!

He is there for us.

All of the great work that is done is by the Lord Jesus Christ is done by a resurrected Jesus Christ!

For NOW is Jesus risen from the dead!

The Importance of the Resurrection

But now is Christ risen from the dead

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is important because

The death of the Lord Jesus is important.

Every one of us will face death

unless Jesus comes back before we die.

For most of us,

when we die it will not be international news or even national or state news.

Our death will only be significant to a few people.

Jesus death was important because of who He was.

He was God in the flesh.

He was God in human form.

John 1:1–4 NASB95

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

John 1:14 NASB95

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The evidence that God gave to confirm the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God is the resurrection.

R. C. Sproul

Jesus' death was also important because of why he died.

Ezekiel 18:4 - …the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Yet, Jesus did not sin

Therefore Jesus was not required to die.

So why did He die?

He died to pay for your sins and mine.

Isaiah 53:5–6 NASB95

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB95

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When Jesus died on the cross He had accomplished everything He was supposed to accomplish in this life.

That's why He cried "It is finished!

So we know why Jesus died. He died for us.

His death is important.

But

His resurrection is also important.

When Jesus rose from the dead,

it proved that God had accepted Jesus' sacrifice for sin.

Isaiah 53:10 NASB95

But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

The resurrection of Christ from the dead is also important, because it is a living Savior who offers us eternal life.

It is a man who conquered death

that is offering us forgiveness and a life in Heaven!

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 NASB95

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where 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.

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 568: Resurrection

In 100 Meditations on Hope Wayne-A. Lamb writes:

In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, “Shake me off; I still have wings.”

Because of Christ’s resurrection, each Christian can look the experience of death in the face and confidently say, “Shake me off; I still have wings. I’ll live anyway.”

It is a living Savior who says in

Revelation 3:20 NASB95

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

It is faith in this living Savior that brings us forgiveness and eternal life.

Romans 10:9–10 NASB95

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Have you placed your faith and trust in Christ?

The Implication of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20 NASB95

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

According to John MacArthur,

when it was harvest time in Israel, the Israelites were to bring some of their crops as an offering to the Lord before they harvested the crop. This was called the "first fruits".

The implication of the resurrection for us is that

Christ is the "first fruits" of them that slept

Those who sleep are those who know Christ as Savior but are dead.

The fact that Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection implies that

Others will follow

In fact this resurrection is promised right in

1 Corinthians 15:22–23 NASB95

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,

What does this mean for us?

It means that one day we, who are Christians,

will have a new, resurrection body.

It means that not only need we not fear death because our spirits go to Heaven,

we need not fear death because we, like Christ, will rise out of the grave.

This also means that all those Christians whom we have loved

who have passed away will also have resurrection bodies.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 NASB95

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

We are not, therefore, to regard the cross as defeat and the resurrection as victory. Rather, the cross was the victory won, and the resurrection the victory endorsed, proclaimed and demonstrated.