He has risen!
I want to share some of the most profound words ever spoken. These are words that changed the history of the entire universe. When they were spoken, darkness and despair died; hope was born in the hearts of men. To find those amazing words that changed everything, let's turn to Matthew 28:2-6 (NIV)...
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. (3) His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. (4) The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. (5) The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. (6) He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Out of that paragraph, seven small words made all the difference in the world. They are - "He is not here; he has risen". Those seven words changed everything for eternity! Of all the events in the life of Christ, the resurrection – the fact that Jesus rose from the dead - is by far The most significant. Without the resurrection, none of the other events really matter, but with the resurrection - all of the events of His life take on an indescribable significance! The Apostle Paul explains it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (NIV)...
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (15) More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
(16) For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. (17) And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (18) Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. (19) If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
The fact that Jesus was resurrected in bodily form is essential to our hope. To demonstrate just how important those seven words are, let's explore the question of what our fate would be…
I. If Jesus had not been raised…?
If Jesus didn't rise from the dead; if we took those words out of the story of Jesus' life – what would that mean? What difference would that make for those of us who follow Jesus? If Jesus did not rise from the dead, that would mean that when we die…
A. We stay dead
If there is no resurrection, then this life is all there is - and nothing we do here matters. If there is no resurrection, the grave is the end of the road. If there is no resurrection, we have no hope. Jesus is our only hope of life after death. Again, Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (NIV)...
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51) Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - (52) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (53) For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
Paul talks about how this is not only possible, but essential. The resurrection of Jesus results in our resurrection as well, giving us the hope of eternal life! We won't just exist eternally as some formless spirit floating around in the clouds or out in space, but we will have a new body - an identity.
There are many people who focus only on this life. They'll spend countless hours taking care of their body and health. They'll spend thousands, for some, hundreds of thousands, on supplements and treatments, and therapies all designed to prolong this life without ever giving a thought to the next. It's like having a bottle in your medicine cabinet marked "Vitamin Eternal Life" and never bothering to open it. And if Jesus had not risen from the dead – none of that would matter.
We also need to understand the very real fact, that if Jesus had not risen from the dead…
B. The Church is worthless
Think about it – If Jesus was crucified and placed in the tomb and that's where He stayed – what's the point of the Church…? If Jesus remained dead – why follow Him? If Jesus remained dead – we have no Good News, no Gospel message to spread – no purpose. Let's look at Paul's words again in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 (NIV)...
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (15) More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
No resurrection means no church! No resurrection means we preach a pack of lies! Our message is based on the Gospel - on the fact that Jesus did die and rise again. No resurrection means I'm out of a job and you're wasting your time! If Jesus had not risen, then our faith, our hope, would be in vain. Continuing on in 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 (NIV)...
For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. (17) And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (18) Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. (19) If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
What good is faith in a dead man? If there is no resurrection - Heaven and eternal life become nothing more than a pathetic hope.
***Video: "Indeed"
Paul says, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." However – and this is a BIG however…
C. Jesus did rise!
The truth is that Jesus did rise from the dead! We can have real hope because our faith is in that which is eternal! Because Jesus is who He says He is - Christians don't stay dead!
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (NIV)
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Those whose faith is in Jesus will live forever! The resurrection is the power of life over death! Even those in Christ who have died will live again. We find mortality through Adam's sin, we find immortality through Jesus' perfection - and we claim the victory with Him.
There was a man named Dr. Simon Greenleaf – you can research online to confirm his story. He was the 'Royal Professor of Law' at Harvard University who wrote three volumes on the laws of legal evidence. Greenleaf was considered one of the greatest authorities on common-law evidence in Western history. At one point he was challenged by students to apply his own books to the resurrection of Jesus. So he did. He began to study the Scriptures and critique their statements according to legal evidence alone. And by his own high legal standards - the evidence was so convincing, he wrote, "The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best established facts of history."
Now, even though we have this amazing truth before us, we still have an issue with which to deal…
II. The problem
Since all of this is true, then why, many times, do we continue to live as if it isn't? I mean - going to Church service on Easter is great! And thank you to all of you who have made it a point to be here. But regularly going to the ones after that really makes all the difference!
Is it possible to know all about doctrine and facts or even attend Church services and still not know Jesus? There's a serious problem when our knowledge about Jesus surpasses our relationship with Jesus. You see, there's a vast difference between having knowledge about Jesus and...
A. Knowing Jesus
It's one thing to know 'about Jesus' and quite another to really 'know Jesus'. It's possible to know about Jesus without the truth of His resurrection ever truly impacting your life. To really know Jesus, you have to see Him as the resurrected Christ, your personal Lord and Savior.
To know the resurrected Christ is to claim victory over sin and death. It's to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that your sins have been forgiven because Jesus has completely paid the price for your sins and you've been set free.
To know the resurrected Christ is to know that you have eternal life, and even if you die a physical death, you will not stay dead - you will live forever in the presence of God. To know the resurrected Christ is to know that loved ones who have died before you who have put their faith in Jesus, are alive and well and waiting for the day when you will join them in eternity.
To know about Jesus is to merely have access to information about Him, to have been exposed to some teaching. But to know the resurrected Christ is to have access to the throne of God. To know about Jesus merely requires our mind. But to know the resurrected Christ – that requires our heart, our mind, our soul and strength – it requires our emotions, our intellect, our spirit and everything we are!
To know about Jesus will affect you for the moment. To know Jesus will affect you for eternity. And others will be able to tell that we really know Jesus because of…
B. The difference in our lives
Our lives, our actions, will be driven by our beliefs and our attitudes. There is a huge difference in the lives of those who merely know about Jesus and those who know the resurrected Christ.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward The Church. Those who just know about Jesus will visit or 'go to church'. Everything will center on them and what the church can do for them. Those who know the resurrected Christ will see themselves as the Church. They will be servants, the hands and feet of Jesus and they will be more interested in giving than in taking.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward Worship. Those who just know about Jesus will look at worship as a religious obligation. They will be most concerned with traditions, music styles and their personal preferences. Those who know the resurrected Christ will look at worship as a privilege. They will be most concerned with praise and celebration and the presence of God's Spirit.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward Prayer. Those who just know about Jesus will look at prayer as a religious ritual or rite. They will leave it up to the 'clergy' or ministerial staff to pray for them or on their behalf. Those who know the resurrected Christ will look at prayer as a privilege, as an opportunity to speak with God. They will see personal prayer time as essential, not as optional.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward people. Those who just know about Jesus will look at the people in the church as the 'good ones' and those outside as the 'bad ones'. Those who know the resurrected Christ will look at people of the world with compassion, as those who need to be brought to Christ and those within the church as those covered in grace with whom they share in ministry.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward Heaven. Those who just know about Jesus look at heaven as a possibility, but they worry that they're not good enough to ever go there. Those who know the resurrected Christ believe that heaven is a certainty and they know they're not good enough to go there. But they are eternally grateful that Jesus has already paid the price for them, and that His sacrifice is sufficient to bring us eternally into the presence of God.
There will be a difference in our attitude toward - The Bible, toward sin and judgment, The Holy Spirit, life and death, Christian service, toward society and marriage and family.
Why is there such a difference in the attitudes of those who know about Jesus and those who know the resurrected Christ? A mere knowledge about Jesus doesn't change one's life, but a relationship with the resurrected Christ leaves one changed for all eternity.
So What?
Do you live like you believe in Jesus' resurrection?
This past Monday when Benji and I flew to Cincinnati, we found out our pilot with Angel flights was actually employed full time at Southwest Airlines – he does medical flights on the side. We got to talking about his plane, which he uses to 'commute' from Cincinnati to Chicago for work. It was the largest of the small planes in which we've flown so far. I told him how last month, on our flight home we got a flat tire on the runway and ended up driving home.
He shared, that one reason small planes like that can have issues is if they aren't flown enough. He said, "Planes like to fly. They're made to fly." Apparently even if a plane is stored in a hangar, in just a few weeks the gaskets can dry out, the fuel lines can become brittle and crack and corrosion can set in. If, however, the plane is flown on a very regular basis, many of those issues that can ground a plane can be avoided. Planes do significantly better if they regularly do what they're designed to do.
We were designed to carry God's message of grace, the Good News of Jesus, the resurrected Christ! If we are not doing what we were designed to do – we won't be doing much flying either.
- Look at your schedule for the average week. How much time and thought do you give to Jesus outside of our weekly worship as compared to what you give to the world? - How much time do you devote to prayer outside of this church building? - Look at your check book. Are you generous with the blessings that God has placed in your life? - Are you anxious for the return of Jesus and do you actually anticipate His return in your lifetime? Are you ready if He should return today?
Jesus wants all of you, and He wants you right now – as you are – this is where it begins. Right now, determine to give yourself over to Him. Surrender everything you have and everything you hope to be – over to Him. Be open to whatever He has in store for you. When Jesus takes over, you will become a new person! When the resurrected Christ is in control of your life, your life will be amazingly blessed – regardless of any of life's circumstances in which you find yourself.
Choose the resurrected Lord!