In recent weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time studying Jesus’ death on the cross. On Easter Sunday, we took a brief look at the resurrection. One aim of Sunday’s message was to help us see how the resurrection completes the work and the message of the gospel. I pray you were able to draw that conclusion. I did not go into much detail about the actual resurrection, so I want to use this email to share several observations about it that help to establish the validity & the value of the gospel.
1. The Bible teaches us that we dare not consider the cross in isolation from the resurrection. The cross and the resurrection are both instrumental to the good news of the gospel: Jesus had to die if our sins would be made right before God; He had to rise if the cross would give hope. Unless the resurrection is true, the cross leaves us empty of hope – it becomes just a historical account of a good man wrongly killed.
In very simplistic language – the cross & the resurrection are two sides of one gospel coin – one side deals w/our sin, the other side deals w/eternal hope of our salvation
2. The resurrection consummates the New Covenant – we talked about the New Covenant on March 24th. God promised to write His law on hearts of those who would follow Him. That is language of relationship – we cannot have a relationship with a dead person – Jesus rose from the dead. And, all who follow Him sing “hallelujah” because our Savior lives.
3. The resurrection validates Jesus mission and ministry – His death was not the end of His story. He is who He claimed to be; He accomplished what He said he would do. He had to die to pay for our sins; He rose again to show us that our debt has been paid in full; the wrath of God is satisfied; the promise of everlasting life is made true and real in the resurrection of Jesus.
4. The resurrection opened a door of understanding for the disciples (and for every believer). The resurrection completes the gospel – it gives the gospel power & hope
The disciples had seen Him die like He said He would. Initially, the resurrection had been beyond their ability to comprehend. John wrote: “for as yet they did not understand the Scriptures, that He must rise from the dead” (20.9). I used modern lingo when I said they could not “connect the dots”. Yet, once they saw Jesus alive, what they had heard began to make sense; not fully at first, but sufficiently.
There is a progression to every journey of faith. No one gets it and accepts it at first exposure. There is a time of searching, and discussing, and evaluating – coming to Christ is a multi-phased process
5. The resurrection connects Jesus pre-death body to His post-resurrection body. The biblical teaching about the resurrection (of all believers) is that it will be a physical, bodily resurrection. Jesus did not come back as a ghost-like figure; neither will believers be ghost-like creatures in heaven. This is for our encouragement: every follower of Jesus will have a physical body in heaven. It will be different, and similar – oh the mystery of this truth makes us very curious! (Bible scholars call this sameness-yet-difference, “continuity”.)
6. An earthly resurrection preceded Jesus’ return to His Father’s side. The ascension of Jesus reminds believers they too will one day ascend into the presence of God (1 Thess 4). The ascension verifies that God’s plan is certain and that death did not remove God from His eternal throne.
Sunday’s message was crafted so that those who are not saved would be able to see how one might react to the empty tomb/the resurrection. Intentionally, I did not delve into some of the greater truths and hopes that are connected to the resurrection. The above observations are meant to fill in some of those details.
I offer them as one more thing about Resurrection Sunday to encourage you and equip you in your faith.
Pastor Gary