Easter Leads to Resurrection
Death, where is your sting?
April 17, 2011
1 Corinthians 15:50–58
I don’t know of anyone here invited to the royal wedding in a couple of weeks. Is anyone here going? It sure would be an honor to be there. But there’s a much more important king that we will face one day. He sent out this grand invitation to come to Him. Those who accepted it already have a meeting date with Him. We don’t know the exact day or when this will happen. But it will happen.
The King I’m talking about is Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. On the day He comes back in all His glory, can we stand in His presence just as we are? The Bible text we’re looking at today tells us we can’t, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Human beings as we are currently built cannot enter into the presence of the King of kings on the new Earth. We need to undergo serious physical transformation. We can’t do it. We need someone else to change us.
How are the dead raised?
April 10, 2011
1 Corinthians 15:35–49
Jesus’ resurrection is tied to our resurrection. If there is no future resurrection then there was no past resurrection. Our faith is meaningless. We are still in our sins. The dead in Christ are eternally lost. We deserve all kinds of pity because we believe a lie. If the dead are not raised, then we might as well eat and drink and live for today because tomorrow we may die.
But Christ has certainly been raised from the dead. We must be careful when we’re around people who deny the physical resurrection of the dead. They only live for this life and might lead us down that path. Instead, we need to live for the resurrection life to come.
But how in fact can this happen? How in fact are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come? How could God do that? Will He reconstruct our bodies?
If there is no physical resurrection...
March 27, 2011
1 Corinthians 15:12–34
If there is no future physical resurrection of the dead, would that make any difference in your life this week? If we could somehow prove without a doubt that once a person dies, their body will forever remain in that grave, would that matter to you? Maybe you believe that our souls survive forever but once the body dies, it’s done. Maybe the thought of the resurrection of the dead scares you. It scared our kids. In the past, when we drove by cemeteries, our older two would pray out loud, “please don’t come back now Jesus! Please don’t come back now!” We asked why they didn’t want Jesus to come back. They said, “When Jesus comes back, the dead will rise. So all these zombies will suddenly come out of their graves!” Is that what the Bible is talking about when it comes to resurrection? Or might we have let our culture dictate our understanding of resurrection more than God’s Word?
Why Jesus’ Resurrection matters today
March 20, 2011
1 Corinthians 15:1–11
Does Jesus’ resurrection matter in your life today? Imagine that tonight on the news there is a major announcement from Jerusalem. Archaeologists discover a new set of tombs. One of them is labeled, Jesus of Nazareth. Inside, they find bones. The scientists along with several religious leaders issue a joint statement – “Jesus of Nazareth never physically rose from the dead. But He was still an inspiring teacher and is alive spiritually. So Christians continue in your faith today.”
Would this stunning announcement affect your view of life after death? Some people’s lives are dramatically affected by their belief about the next life. Some Muslims allow themselves to be killed in war or blown up as suicide bombers believing martyrdom speeds their way to heaven. Mormons try to work their way up the ladder of extra-terrestrial privilege and power. Jehovah Witnesses hope that sufficient obedience will enable them to be one of the 144,000 who get to enjoy the new heavens as well as the new earth. Eastern religionists hope for nirvana – some absorption into cosmic consciousness.
So what about you? Does your belief about the next life affect your life today? Does it depend on Jesus’ resurrection? So if He didn’t rise, would that bother you?