Up From The Grave He Arose

Introduction

Good morning. In Matthew chapter 28, beginning in verse 1, Matthew writes, Now after the Sabbath, towards the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the woman, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen. As he said, come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee.

There you will see him. See, I have told you. It is that story, that understanding of Jesus not only being crucified and buried as we see in chapter 27, but that Jesus is risen, that we have reason to be joyous this morning. Praise God that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. And praise God that he was raised to newness of life, giving us a chance at being with him forever. When we consider the song, Christ arose in the lyric, up from the grave he arose, there’s a triumphal moment that we know in the song, and we can tell from perhaps the speed at which it’s led, or the volume at which it’s led. But most importantly, it is the content of the verse that shows Jesus rose from the grave.

1. Do We Believe the Resurrection Is Important?

That is so important and so critical. And this morning I want to consider three points, and they become progressively more difficult, and yet in understanding they are simple. First of all, this morning I want to think out loud. Do we believe the resurrection is important? Secondly, do we believe that we should be thinking about that important resurrection? And thirdly, and perhaps most challengingly, do I live like there was a resurrected Savior? And what that means for my life. Let’s examine that this morning. If you’ll turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we read what Paul writes as something that we know and understand when answering the question, do I think the resurrection is important? The answer is clearly yes. The resurrection is, as Paul writes, of first importance.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, beginning in verse 1, Paul says, Now I would remind you, brothers of the gospel, I preach to you which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved. If you hold fast to the word I preach to you, unless you believe in vain. Now I’ll stop for a moment and think, who is Paul writing this to? This is not some random group of Jews. This is not some random group of Gentiles. This is to the Corinthian church. And so while the question of Jesus being resurrected is one that we obviously know is of the utmost importance, let’s consider that Paul took the time to write this out to the Corinthian church and consider his words in verse 3 as follows.

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. And that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. And verse 12. Now, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.

Verse 15, we are even found to be misrepresenting God. Because we testified about God that he raised Christ, who he did not raise, if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those who also have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. This is a powerful scripture, not only because here is Paul the apostle saying that Jesus appeared not just to the apostles, not just the 500, but even to one untimely born, as he so aptly describes himself and being apart from the apostles who dwelt with Jesus day in and day out.

Jesus, the resurrected Savior, had appeared to him, and he’s teaching that these three things are of first importance, that Jesus died as the Scriptures had foretold he would, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead as the Scriptures also foretold that he would. This is a crucial part of Paul’s teaching, but he didn’t just teach it to an audience of Christians in Corinth. If you look in Acts chapter 17, consider with me the group that Paul brings this message to. As we consider the resurrection of Jesus, as we consider whether or not we think it’s a first importance, I wonder how likely would we be to bring up the resurrection to what we might call atheists, or agnostics, or polytheists, or literally anyone who doesn’t already take up the name of Christ, or acknowledge that they believe that Jesus was resurrected, because that’s the group that Paul brought this message to, this message that was described as of first importance.

If you note in Acts chapter 17 to see who he’s dealing with, begin in verse 22. So Paul standing in the midst of the Areophagus said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. I would love to hear the tone that originated behind that verse. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. This is the type of people that Paul was presenting this message to. Let’s see how it goes. He uses that as a springboard at the end of verse 23. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you, the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything.

Since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. He’s teaching them about who is the true God. You worship these variances of gods. You worship the unknown God even. I know who the one true and living God is, and that is Jehovah. But then consider in verse 29 the strength of his message, the so what of Paul’s delivery here. Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Why? Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Yet another way that the resurrection of Jesus is of critical importance, it is a confirmation that judgment is coming. We saw in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, if the resurrection of Jesus is in vain, our faith is in vain. We are still in our sins. And certainly that point stands here in Acts chapter 17. But here is Paul reasoning with these Athenians, reasoning with these foreigners in verse 21 who are described as spending their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. And he punctuates this message about who is the true God and how the true God isn’t isn’t confined to the ideas in the hands of mere man. He doesn’t live in temples made by man, he doesn’t need to be served by man. Our God created man, our God gives life.

But yet at the end of that message, there’s that unmistakable assurance that he has given to us by raising Jesus from the dead. Now note the reaction of those who heard this in verse 32. Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, We will hear you again about this.

This was a people who worshiped all kinds of gods, certainly idle gods, which is why Paul took the time to address that false notion of a God anyway. And yet here he is preaching about the resurrection of the dead, receiving mocking in return. Undoubtedly, Paul was scoffed at, criticized, laughed at, scorned, and ridiculed for his belief that someone could raise from the dead. Perhaps there was a problem if there even is life after death with those he was reasoning with. That there is no such thing as an afterlife. There is nothing more than what we see, hear, feel, and experience in this life. By the way, that same type of experience that Paul says, if that is us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we are above all to be most pitied.

If you consider this worthless life where we are stuck either no longer existing, or if we do exist in the afterlife, we have no hope without the resurrection of Jesus. Certainly we can say this is a grim existence indeed. Without God, we lose all sorts of bearings. We lose the ability to call evil evil and good, rather being like the people of Judah in Isaiah chapter 5, who had been reduced to the point of calling evil good and good evil. Consider that we need God, but Paul didn’t just teach this. We need God as Peter preached it. And he preached it to two critically different groups. Now we’ve seen Paul write it to the Corinthian church. He preached it in the Areopagus to people who spent their time telling and hearing just about anything under the sun.

Now note who Peter preaches the resurrection to. In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, consider the strong meat of Paul’s message. Certainly was focused around Jesus. And if you were to take a summary, perhaps verses 22 through 24 would be sufficient. In verse 22, beginning, as Peter is reasoning with the Jews who had come to Pentecost, or come to Jerusalem for Pentecost in verse 22. Men of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. 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.

Can I point out an observation here for a moment? First of all, this would not be an easy message to give, because not only was he saying, Hey, there’s this man named Jesus, he was God, he came to earth, and he did miracles, and he was put to death and raised again. No. This is Jesus whom you know. This is the Jesus who did miracles by the power of God, whom you know. And in knowing him, you crucified him. You lawless men. I think if we were preaching the story, sometimes our language betrays us. I think we like to say that the resurrection is of critical importance as we know that it is, as Paul underscore it, as Peter makes clear, certainly as even Jesus foretold of in his life on this earth, that he would raise from the dead, and that is a critical component of Christianity.

But how often would we stop the sermon short at verse 23? Jesus, according to the definite plan of God, was crucified by the hands of lawless men. We focus on God’s plan. We certainly focus on Jesus. We focus on Jesus being killed, being the ultimate sacrifice. But we need to make sure that our language doesn’t betray what is in our minds and our hearts, that we constantly dwell on and openly speak of.

Jesus changed the world, and he did it not just with his death, but with raising up from the grave. God raised him up. No one can do that. But God could. Jesus did. And verses 29, continuing, brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the Patriarch David, that he both died and was buried in his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, the realm of the dead, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses.

Again, it is a witness event. It is a powerful event. It was the plan of God that Jesus not only die but be resurrected. So as we’re tallying this up, Paul preached this message to what you might say a random assortment of skeptical Gentiles. He gave this message of the resurrection to the Corinthian church. Peter preached this message to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. And consider also who Peter taught in Acts chapter 10. The first Gentiles to convert to Christ. In Acts chapter 10 and verse 34, we read the great news. So Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Well, what is that story?

In verse 38, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. But God raised him on the third day and made him to appear. Not to all the people, but to us who have been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. How? The whole story of Jesus, that he came to this life, that through the power of God, through the power that he had, being one with God, he could do miracles, he could heal the masses, but that he also died, being crucified on the cross, being the perfect sacrifice once for all, and that God raised him up to whom Peter, among many, many others were blessed to be witnesses of. This is a powerful, important moment. I think this is the easiest question to answer this morning. Do I think it’s important? Do I believe that Jesus was risen from the dead? Absolutely. We must believe that Jesus not only was raised from the dead, but that he currently, as Acts 2 finishes in Peter’s sermon, is sitting at the right hand of God today.

2. Do I Think About My Future Resurrection?

But now it gets a little bit more tricky. Do I actually think about my hope? My future resurrection. If Jesus died on the cross for our sins, if Jesus was raised from the dead, and it was at the plan of God, it was for salvation, it was so that through his name, as Peter reasons with Cornelius and the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10, we might have forgiveness of sins. How would that be? Why would that be? Certainly it would be in sharing in the body and blood of Jesus. It would be sharing in his resurrection, and that is exactly what the scriptures teach. We have a future hope, and not just a hope like we hope it won’t rain. Or we hope that we’ll get some rain in the case of Orlando.

But a hope, a definite, fixed point that we know God will deliver because he already delivered Jesus. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, consider the rest of that text or more of it. I’ll have to say in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Beginning in verse 45. How often do I think about my own resurrection? Well, Paul’s including this in that great chapter that we have. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 45 beginning. Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it’s not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As with the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also those who are of heaven.

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. That’s confusing speak for saying we can be like Jesus. And why is that so important in verse 50? I can tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you, a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet was sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on the immortal body.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? This is what comes with being in Christ. The victory spoken of in the next two verses. The sting of death is sin, and the power of the sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we live for. This is what we have hope for. This is where the victory has been won. We can be resurrected with the imperishable body. We can be with God. Because Jesus was raised. I have to say, that’s a pretty remarkable passage.

It’s almost unfathomable to understand based on our concept of what it’s like to have an immortal body. To no longer be shaped as the man of dust, like Adam was formed by God, but to be of spirit, to be of the immortal, imperishable body like that of Jesus who is from heaven. This is a powerful teaching, and I have to ask myself, of all the lessons in my case that I’ve taught or listened or been a part of. How many times do I think about my resurrection? Not just the judgment day, not just that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, but that I will be raised. With the same assurance, we can believe Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verses 3 and following that the resurrection is crucial, it is pivotal, it is necessary, and that of first importance is Jesus being crucified, buried, and raised.

Paul says what in verse 50 of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Jesus has won. The question is, will we be with him? Will we join him in the victory? And when I go back to my question, do I think about it? Do I think about victory? Do I think about Jesus being raised from the dead? And no, I can do that too. If we don’t think about it. How important really is the first question. That I know everyone in this room thought, I already believe. I already acknowledge. I already know that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. I know it’s of crucial importance. If that is the case, why are we not dwelling on our future hope? That is a biblically defined hope. It is an expectation that is there because God fixed it there. He appointed it to us that yes, we will be judged, but we know that will happen.

We will be judged by the same Jesus who was raised from the dead, who gives us a chance to defeat death. We can live. Choose Jesus today. This is what we are living for. This is our everything. If I don’t think about that, what does it say about me? Because Paul was a great example of someone who left all for Christ. He left all of his baggage, all of his victory. He was focused on moving towards Jesus and the victory that he offered. In Philippians chapter 3, turn there with me. In Philippians chapter 3, you see the level of commitment, but also the level of expectation and understanding that Paul had. And if I don’t have this faith, the problem is not with God. The problem would be with me.

Paul’s faith in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 12, let him say, not that I’m already obtained this or I’m already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. How did Paul get there? In verse 8. Indeed, I count everything as lost because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. That is the goal to which Paul is aspiring. That is the goal to which Paul laid all things aside, counting everything as lost, counting everything as rubbish for the sake of Christ. Why? That he may attain the power of the resurrection, that he may share in that eternal life that Jesus made possible. If I believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that God raised him, then I would live a resurrected, centered life.

I will live as though I know, because we do, that I can have victory in Jesus. I can share in the resurrection of our Lord. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, note the certainty that Paul had, perhaps as he’s coming to the end of his life. In 2 Timothy chapter 4. If you wonder what a great apostle might be thinking as his life is drawing to a near, you see perhaps those words here. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, beginning in verse 6. As Paul notes his status, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. And the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

And by the way, let’s remember for a moment, in Acts chapter 17, when Paul was dealing with those at the Areopagus, what did he say about the resurrection? He said, Jesus’ resurrection was an assurance that who will be our judge? Jesus. In 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 10, what does he note? The righteous judge, Jesus, the resurrected Lord, will award to me on that day that crown of righteousness. I think perhaps sometimes we look at this type of passage and we say, of course, Paul says that. Have you ever thought that? Have you ever thought, you know, Peter, for all his mistakes, Paul, I mean, even doubting Thomas? I mean, they were apostles. They could do miracles. And in the case of the apostles who lived before Paul, who were around Jesus, at least you might say, they saw Jesus, they saw the miracles.

Of course they can be confident. Of course they can know. Peter was able to speak in tongues on the day of Pentecost to talk about the resurrection. But do I think about my resurrection with any grain of certainty? Or do we think of it as something that, well, maybe I can get to. Or if I can just get through. What does God teach about the certainty of our resurrection? If we are in Jesus, our resurrection is as sure as his. And we’ve already read, already acknowledged, and are already made aware of the fact that Jesus’ resurrection has happened, and we can all benefit from it. We can all have the victory that Jesus alone offers and gave us by offering himself up for our sins, knowing that God would and did raise him from the dead.

3. Do I Do Anything About a Resurrected Jesus?

I said we’d examine three questions. We come to the third question now. First of all, we examine is it important, do I believe in the resurrection? The answer is, of course. Secondly, do I think about it? That’s a challenge we need to take home and go through this week. Am I thinking every day about being resurrected like Jesus was? But thirdly, and perhaps in a most pivotal way of application, do I do anything about a resurrected Jesus? Perhaps when I ask that question, your mind goes to evangelism, that would certainly be a point of this. But consider again with Paul. What did he do living a resurrection-centered life? In Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20, see that with me. It’s not too far over from 2 Timothy chapter 4.

In Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20, first of all, we see that Paul did what? In verse 20. Do you see this with me? I have been crucified with Christ. See this. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Doesn’t that verse say at all? Why did Paul crucify himself? What does it mean that he has been crucified with Christ? It means that he lives a resurrection changed life as Jesus lived, as Jesus died. Paul died with Christ. He also lives with Christ. And that changed the way he acted. It changed the way he reasoned. It changed everything about Paul.

And if we believe in Jesus, if we think we are in him or we want to be with him, it will change everything for us too. There is no other way. There are two sides. We have crucified self, and Christ lives in our place in our stead, or we have not done that. There are just two options. The good news is sometimes life is hard and we create some sort of middle ground. But with Jesus, there is no middle ground. There is the narrow way that leads to life. There is the broad path that leads to destruction. There are those who will not enter the kingdom of heaven, and there are those who do the will of the Father who will enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Which side am I on? Which path will I choose? Perhaps that’s the easy point. We have to put to death the man of sin. But can we see something that’s plain and simple in the Bible text in Colossians chapter 3? We don’t just need death. We don’t just need to stop doing some bad things. We need to live. We need to be resurrected. In Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Yes, verse 3 talks about if we have died, but verse 1 says, if you have been raised with Christ. We need to be raised with Christ, but that doesn’t just mean one time. It means a life that has changed. A life like Paul that says, I count all things as rubbish for the for the sake of Jesus. If I think about what Jesus has done for me, if I consider that he died, yes, as the scripture said, that he was buried, but that God raised him from the dead. He changed everything for me. The resurrection is of great focus and importance around this time of year in our country and perhaps others, as we call it Easter Sunday, we think about the resurrection. But to the Christian, to Paul, to Peter, to each and every one of us, we must see the resurrection as not something to be considered once a year, but to remember it every single day.

Not just because Jesus died and we needed that, not just because he was raised from the dead, defeating the one who had the power of death through his death, but because my life needs to be changed too. Has my life changed at all since following after Jesus? Have I even crucified the man of sin? Have I put to death the fleshly instincts that my body continually gives me? If I have done that, have I put on Christ? Can I say it is not I, but Christ who lives in me? If I’m living a resurrected life, my mind, verse 2, will be on things that are above. My mind will not be in verse 5 on that which is earthly in me. But rather it’ll be focused on verse 12.

Put on then as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has complained against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so also must forgive. And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. What are we living for? Not just to put to death sin, not just to stop doing some bad things, but to change our life. Jesus offered us everything. Jesus offers us victory. And the million dollar question is, how do I live a resurrection-centered life? In Romans chapter 6, beginning in verse 3.

Paul writes, Do you not know that all of those 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.

Conclusion

Our lives should be changed every single day, not just because Jesus died on the cross for our sin, but because he lives. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because Jesus lives, I will change my life. I will be the type of person that God commands me to be. I will no longer escape by, I will no longer take anything for granted. I will live every day in complete subservience to my King, to my master, to the resurrected Lord. If we can help you in any way this morning, consider that we need to be under our Christ. We need to take advantage of the body and blood. Yes, that he sacrificed for us, but likewise to share in a resurrection like his, so our bodies can be freed from sin and we can live as slaves to righteousness.

Perhaps you’ve been a Christian and we’ve considered that while I know that I should be different, and I’ve tried to crucify the man of sin, I haven’t been successful. No that we can pray with you. We can pray for you. Our God is merciful. Our God is so merciful, so loving, so wonderful that he already sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And he raised him from the dead, that we too might walk in newness of life. And we can, if we can help you in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.