One Single Truth

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients. They work together to perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help strengthen bones, heal wounds, bolster your immune system, convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage. Sounds pretty essential to me, if you want to live.

Last week, I missed Easter! I don't ever remember being in bed on an Easter morning! Fortunately for me - I may have missed Easter, but Easter didn't miss me! The event we celebrate on Easter is more than just a one day celebration! Just like vitamins and minerals are essential to life - Easter is essential to Christianity! You take away this one thing from Christianity and it goes from being the hope of mankind to the ultimate hoax. That one thing is of course…

I. The resurrection!

Larry spoke about Jesus' resurrection last week. One preacher wrote this about the resurrection…

"Of all the basic tenets of Christianity, the ONE single truth that holds all others together is the resurrection of Jesus. If there would be just one thing that Satan would love for us to doubt or deny, it is the resurrection of Jesus. Without the resurrection of Jesus, nothing else matters! It is upon the resurrection of Jesus that Christianity stands or falls. The resurrection of Jesus is more than a holiday to be celebrated. It is more that a once-a-year remembrance. Without the resurrection of Jesus, we have no hope, we have no purpose - we have no meaning… We live in a world that has put its hope in politics, government, wealth and power. That is a hope that is terribly misplaced." (attributes to my father, David Buche)

The resurrection is essential to everything we believe and practice. In all of the world's religions - there are no other historically documented accounts of God in the flesh coming down to give His life for the sins of the world and then coming back to life. There are many who have given their lives in the name of religion – but only ONE has conquered death. In light of eternity - the resurrection of Jesus is the single most important event, ever. If I'm going to follow anyone - it's the guy who can beat death!

When we understand the power of the resurrection…

A. It brings hope!

The Apostle Paul was instructing the Church in Corinth when he wrote the following, from 1 Corinthians 15:13-20 (NIV)...

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. (14) 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. (20) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The fact of Jesus' resurrection makes all the difference in the world and gives us hope! Because Jesus defeated death – those in Christ can defeat death! Because Jesus defeated death – the faithful will be reunited with those in Christ who have gone before us! Without the resurrection – this life is all there is, but because of the resurrection – we have hope beyond death! - A hope that those outside of Jesus simply don't understand.

When we believe the power of the resurrection…

B. It brings purpose!

If there was no resurrection – what would be the purpose of meeting here today? Or any Sunday, for that matter? If Jesus had not defeated death, would Christianity be any different than any other religion? If Jesus had not defeated death, we would have no authority in speaking the truth. If Jesus had not defeated death, our call to tell the world about Jesus would seem a little hollow. But because of the resurrection – we have a calling and a purpose!

Because of the resurrection, the Bible doesn't just contain God's Word – some good teaching - the Bible is The inerrant, authoritative Word of God! The resurrection is the exclamation mark of God's complete authority! And we have this message of hope to share with the world! Again Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (NIV)...

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. (54) When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory." (55) "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Because of the resurrection, we have a purpose and we can stand firm in the truth of the Gospel message! The resurrection brings hope and purpose, because…

C. It brought grace!

Previous to Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, the only way to follow God was through a series of complex laws and regulations and sacrifices. And even then, you couldn't really have a personal relationship with God – you had to go through a priest. You were constantly trying to atone for your mistakes, your sin; trying to do something to earn God's favor. Jesus' resurrection changed everything!

I love this story – I've shared it before - During a conference on comparative religions, experts were discussing whether any one belief was unique to the Christian faith. The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. His colleagues asked him his opinion on Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, "That's easy. It's grace."

Larry said it just last week - every other 'man made religious system' seeks to work their way up to God. Only in Christianity do we find God reaching down to man in the person of Jesus Christ. Again, let's look at Paul's words from Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)...

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (2) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

That means anyone in Jesus! It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done in the past - it doesn't matter at all - IF you are in Jesus! Through Jesus and His resurrection - because of God's grace - the responsibility for my salvation shifted from me and how 'good' I could try to be - to Jesus and His perfect Holiness. Something I don't deserve – that's grace!

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

It's all about what Jesus did on the cross! Through God's grace…

II. We are redeemed!

That's not a word we use a lot - it means we we're purchased, Jesus paid the price for us!

We were destined for separation from God forever, because of our own actions. Now, we have been bought with a price and our destiny has changed completely! But there's something many tend to forget. We are given grace, redeemed, not because of anything we do – but because we are redeemed – there is something we are called to do. Many see 'grace' as a 'get into Heaven free card' – which it kind of is – however, that gift requires a response from us.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (20) you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

People like to hear that Jesus loves them – and it's true! And if they simply see Jesus as just a nice guy who lived a long time ago – what's not to like? But if you accept that Jesus died and then rose from the dead and is still living and active and wants you to follow Him, in everything – sadly that message is then viewed by some as completely different.

I've talked about all the positive things the resurrection brings - hope, purpose, grace... But there's something else that comes with the fact of Jesus' resurrection...

- It is divisive

Despite the historical fact that Jesus walked on this earth, died on a cross and rose from the dead – not everyone has chosen to follow Jesus. For those of us who believe, the resurrection makes all the difference, but many others simply reject Jesus. Or accept only the parts of His message that fit with what they believe.

On one occasion, Jesus told a story to the teachers of the law about two men who had died, one rich and one poor. The poor man, named Lazarus, was carried to Abraham's side and the rich man ended up in Hell. The rich man was in torment and was even denied a sip of water from Lazarus. Let's pick up the story in Luke 16:27-31 (NIV)...

He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, (28) for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' (29) Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' (30) 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' (31) He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'

Now there's an irony here – this was a story, but later Jesus actually raised a real man named Lazarus from the dead. A bit of foreshadowing from Jesus perhaps. And even then many still didn't listen to Jesus. In fact, some planned to kill Lazarus again in order to stop people from following Jesus. And Jesus told this story knowing that He, Himself, would rise from the dead very shortly after telling this story – and that people would still reject Him.

Why doesn't Jesus' resurrection bring unity? Why is it divisive? Why would people reject it? Because the fact of Jesus' resurrection demands something of us, If a person accepts that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead – they would feel compelled to listen and Jesus demands all of us who are redeemed, bought with His blood, to change. Jesus loves everyone enough to die for their sins – but Jesus also demands repentance. He demands that we turn from our ways and follow Him.

When everyone was ready to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery – Jesus did extend grace…

John 8:10-11 (NIV)

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (11) "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus demonstrated grace, but He also expected a response to that grace.

Many people love to quote Jesus when He said 'love your neighbor' and not to condemn people - and we should show love to our neighbor and we shouldn't condemn people. We should live as people saved by grace. But many of those same people frequently forget the part where Jesus also tells us to leave our life of sin.

So What?

Compared to the perfection of Jesus Christ, I'm just a sinner who certainly doesn't deserve Heaven. But because of grace, because of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection – my sin is gone! None of us deserves God's love, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, through the gift of grace – God pours out His amazing, endless love on those who enter His family!

That's Good news! It's not just about following rules but about a relationship with a living person – Jesus! But many still reject Jesus. And then in rejecting Jesus, they also reject His followers.

We're seeing it play out in the news. It used to be that 'traditional Christian values' were embraced and celebrated in the mainstream of our nation. No longer, now they're seen as hateful and even dangerous. The time of 'comfortable Christianity', 'safe Christianity', 'Christianity that doesn't cost you' - that time is coming to an end for us. Following Jesus is going to become more and more costly.

We're here to celebrate, to remember Jesus' incredible sacrifice for us. We're here because of His resurrection – and that one single truth has made all the difference! Now we are called by a living Savior to turn from sin, follow Him and tell His message to the world! How do you respond?

We know that Jesus' resurrection is true! For "We are the Easter people, and Hallelujah is our song!" (Pope John Paul II)