The Resurrection of Christ - A Truth with Consequences
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The Resurrection of Christ - A Truth with Consequences
The Resurrection of Christ - A Truth with Consequences
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
How we celebrate something “special” is usually a fairly accurate indication of what it means to us!
- Birthdays, anniversaries,
- Birthdays, anniversaries,
Birthdays, anniversaries,
Geography and history influences us - US versus CAD Thanksgiving, D Day Allies versus Europe and Holland, Length of time as believers or Christmas, Easter and special event church goers, Jamaica and Caribbean New Years, Gregorian Calendar Easter, Christmas and New Years.
Some religious groups regard all or most such celebrations - secular, not sacred, tainted and perhaps pagan - therefore to be avoided.
With regard to which warrants the most emphasis and time - Christmas or Easter?
What about the cultural extras that sometimes creep in? Have they remained secondary or have they displaced what must be our main focus and emphasis?
What is Easter? What does it and the resurrection of Christ mean to us?
The resurrection of Christ is the core of and fundamental to the:
Christ’s death, burial and resurrection are all central to the Gospel.
Remove any one of them and the Gospel ceases to be the Gospel
Christ died for us - believers in Calvary, in Goderich, in Corinth and around the world throughout the ages . Paul was not crucified for them. Peter did not die for us. Christ for us, once and for all. Paul reminded them of that at the beginning of his letter.
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
1 Cor 1:
Now at the beginning of this chapter emphasizing that Christ’s death is/was integral to the Gospel, Paul reminded them that was what he preached. Included in this reminder was Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
1 Cor 15:1-
The resurrection of Christ is fundamental to at least 6 things.
1. New Testament Gospel - 15:1-11
I preached to you, which you received - 15:1,11
THEY RECEIVED - V.1, WHAT HE RECEIVED - V. 3, THEY RECEIVED =BELIEVED - V. 11 - by which you are saved - 15:2
Unless you believed in vain:
While we cannot be sure what there was about some that prompted Paul to remind them that some, a few, who read his epistle had professed to have faith/believe but what they professed was empty.
They might have confessed the Gospel was true but had not taken the necessary step of individually confessing their sin, asking God for forgive and credit Christ’s righteousness to be applied to them.
Others might have affirmed that they believed but their words were empty, no death to self, no real love for Christ and His righteousness. Instead they affirm not they were dead and are now new creatures in Christ, but they live right lives and hold onto everything but Christ.
Believing in vain - nominally acknowledging the Gospel but not embracing it by faith warranted another warning by Paul, that was affirmed by Peter after he had listed several qualities, all of which were essential to demonstrate true saving faith.
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
2 Pet 1:9-
Salvation come only through believing the Gospel - not doing/behaving/associating.
Received from the Lord - 11:23
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
Gal 1:11-12
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
E
Ep
Preached by all of the Apostles - no other Gospel - ex Peter
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Acts 2:
Of first importance:
Life, death and hope are of the greatest importance.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures - 15:3
Of all of names applied to Jesus - Jesus of Nazareth, son of David, Son of God, the Saviour, the Messiah - Hebrew, the Christ - Greek - it is Christ - the anointed one who died for our sins - not your but our, ours as well.
Christ died for our sins. We must never forget that. In his epistle to the believers in Rome Paul wrote that this was only about sin but we are sinners and ungodly.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:
Speaking of the Lord’s coming salvation, Isaiah and Hosea both wrote, what some refused to believe.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Is 53:1
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Is 53:
“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
He was buried, He was raised according to the Scriptures - 15:4
While it was not explained, in the OT it was affirmed that those of faith did not cease to exist when they died. They continued into God’s presence. In Moses’ God affirmed that He continued to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Christ not only died, He was buried.
Christ in death suffered the separation from God that we deserve.
He was raised from the dead by the God the Father. Death and the grave could not hold Him. That same power works in believers, not only in a future resurrection but now.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Rom 8:
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:
He appeared to many - 15:5-8
An extensive list of post resurrection appearances - 40 days - cc - over 500 people, many who were still alive only a little more than 20 after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Last of all to me who by the grace of God I am what I am, an Apostle - 15:9-10
Paul affirmed - I saw Him and heard Him. He’s very much alive.
So we preached and so you believed - 15:11
That was why we preached, what we preached and who we preached.
Christ - died, buried, raised the third day
Foreshadowed in the OT - explained by Christ.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
Mk 8:
Mk
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
Mk 10:
Matt 12:
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Jn
2. Resurrection of the dead in Christ - 15:12-19
The resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the Gospel message and our faith are inseparable!
Because Christ was raised from the dead, how can some you say that there is no resurrection of the dead - God raised Christ but He cannot raise believer in Christ? Because God’s power to raise the dead was already evident in raising Christ, some saying that there was no resurrection of the dead might have stemmed from:
“Influence of pagan philosophies and religions - dualism taught that everything physical intrinsically evil, therefore a resurrected physical body repulsive - - in Athens some mocked Paul when he mentioned the resurrection of the dead - Some Jews might have been influenced by the Sadducees.” (MacArthur Study Bible)
Jesus clearly taught the resurrection of the dead.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Jn 5:
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
Christ’s resurrection was the theme of Apostolic preaching.
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Acts
7 crushing implications if there is no resurrection of the dead - 15:13-19:
Our preaching is vain/empty - 15:14
Our faith is vain - 15:14
The witnesses and the preachers of the resurrection and the Gospel are liars - 15:14
We misrepresent God re raising Christ - 15:15 - If the dead are not raised, Christ was not raised.
We are still in our sin - 15:17 - no forgiveness, no hope
All believers who died have perished - 15:18
Christians are the most pitied people on earth - 15:19
3. Delivering the Kingdom to God the Father - 15:20-28
BUT Christ has been raised - 15:20
Not open for discussion!
In Christ ALL shall be made a alive - 15:21-23
As in Adam all die - spiritual - separation from God - does not mean cease to exist after physical death.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Those in Christ all made alive - Christ having been the first fruits - all = those who belong to Christ.
WHEN - at His coming - Christ will come again.
This does not mean that those not in Christ will resurrected. They will. Christ taught that
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Everyone is his own order - 15:23 - order dose not mean series but a well ordered multitude - divisions of an army, a cohort- raised in successive periods
When the end comes Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father - 15:24
At second coming of Christ, the dead in Christ raised, the end come when He - Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father.
Kingdom - varying thoughts - restored creation - new heaven and earth referred to by John in - or the dominion given the Son of Man referred to by Daniel or the revelation of Christ as the Sovereign of God’s kingdom - the all power and authority spoken of by Christ will be fully realized.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
Dan
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Understanding Scripture portions like this one increase when instead of a following Paul’s simple flow and connection of future events we stop at each event truth and do our best to align the event with a preconceive template of how future events will unfold. Templates help but everything does not always fit the way that we might think. We must allow Scripture to have the first and final say.
He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet - last enemy death 15:25-26
In the end when Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, Chris will do so having destroyed every rule and authority.
Christ will finally defeat every enemy and rebel, every rebelling faction and take back creation.
He must reign until He has put all things under His feet.
Two portions come to most of our minds.
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Phil 2:
All things subjected to the Father including the Son - 15:27-28
4. Gospel Ministry - 15:29-34
Baptism - 15:29
Verses
Grossly misinterpreted and therefore misapplied.
In the Scriptures, Baptism is commanded and confess that we are Christ’s and trusting in His death, burial and resurrection.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Col 2:
Baptism in not necessary for salvation. Baptism does not save or add merit. Some would say what about Peter’s reference to being baptized for the remission of your sins. Peter’s complete statement was this.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts
No one was ever baptized for someone else
We are left with only one possible explanation, it is only the hope of the resurrection that motivates new believers to be baptized, even as those who died in the Lord had came to faith had been baptized.
Self sacrificing ministry - 15:30-33
Paul risked death every day
If this is all there is - party!
Godly living - 15:34
Live with the resurrection in view.
5. Resurrection body - How are the dead raised? - 15:35-49
A foolish question - what you sow does not come to life unless it dies - 15:35-41
Illustration from nature - a planted seed must die and change before there is new life - 15:36-38
All flesh is not the same. That is true of bodies both physical and terrestrial - 15:39-41
What is sown natural is sown spiritual - 15:42-49
Differences between the perishable natural pre resurrection body and the imperishable spiritual resurrection body - 15:42-44
How the present body differs from the resurrection body - 15:45-49
Natural living being as compared to life giving spirit - 15:45
From the dust of the earth as compared to from heaven - 15:46-48
Image of the man of dust as compared to the image of man of heaven - 15:49
6. Mystery and victory of the resurrection - 15:50-56
The mystery - we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed - 15:50-53
Mystery - truth previously hidden now revealed
Mystery - truth previously hidden now revealed
Whether we die in Christ or are alive when He returns our bodies will be changed.
Mentioned
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Explained
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thess
The victory - Death is swallowed up in victory - 15:54-56 - THANKS BE TO GOD WHO GIVES US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
What written words of and
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
I shall redeem them from Death.
O Death, where are your plagues?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
With the truth of the resurrection of Christ, there are several “THEREFORES”:
The New Testament Gospel is true!
Those who deny that Christ was raised misrepresent God and the Gospel!
2. CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD! THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL BE RAISED!
Christ died. Christ was raised - passive. No other leaders were raised by God from the dead - not Paul, Peter, the Apostles, not the prayers of His family - His Father raised Him.
“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.
1 Cor 15:
3. The kingdom will be delivered to God the Father and Christ must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet!
The kingdom will be delivered to God the Father and Christ must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet!
4. Thanks be to God who give us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!
5. Be steadfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord!