From eternity past that bloody day two thousand years ago was fixed. That singular day when humanity would show up focused and ready to go. That singular day when the people God created to live under his kind and generous hand would display who we had become. That singular day when, what we had been formulating for millennia, would finally move on the One who stood in our way. “If we can just pull it together and get this done we can finally be free.” That’s how dead people talk.

God would not turn his back on us even though we had turned our backs on him. Not only was our rescue fixed in eternity past, God was not quiet about it. Thousands of years ago God spoke to Satan about this:

Genesis 3:15 (NIV) – God promising Satan’s defeat
…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (You will wound him but he will kill you)”

Centuries before Jesus came, God created a people, an ethnic nation for himself – the Hebrews – a people God created to live his vision in front of the world. A people that were to point the way to the One who would deliver them perfectly. God delivered these people from slavery. He defeated their enemies. He gave them law to follow and punishments for those who violated the law – to show that God is holy and sin is serious.

God gave them a system of sacrifice – if they were to live a spotless, perfect lamb must die because God cannot look on sin – the wages of sin is death - the blood of the lamb covers their sin – Jesus would be the final and perfect lamb.

God designed a place where he would meet actually with his people – the temple. This was a massive, costly, sacred place, meticulously constructed from elaborate, detailed specifications – after all this was that completely unique place where the God of all that exists would meet his people – Jesus would be the perfect temple where God would meet his people.

In the Old Testament God required a there be a high priest – a man who would offer a sacrifice for his own sin and then would stand before God and represent the people – Jesus would be the perfect high priest who does NOT need to offer sacrifices for his sin. The list of examples like this go on and on.

As it is with you and me, at every turn, this people wanted to move away from God and be like everyone else – certainly religious, but at the same time godless. Even as God moved in with these people and longed for relationship the heart was hard.

Ezekiel 36:25-28 (NIV) God’s promise – There will come a time when…
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ²⁸ You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

So, when the time was right God took on human form and came to us as the perfect and eternal solution to our sin. Two thousand years ago Jesus came to save and not to judge. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, embraced the outcast, and raised the dead – the final rescue was at hand.

The problem was that Jesus came teaching about and living this new and wonderful Kingdom he was about to usher in – and things would be different. Those who live in this Kingdom will see and hate their sin – they will willingly repent and fall at the feet of the Christ. Those who would live in this Kingdom will love their enemies. In this Kingdom sickness and death are not life threatening so citizens will live as those who cannot die. God will be King here, not those with money or influence. The religious elite… gone. Here the last are first. True leaders serve because Jesus is the ONLY King – not money, not job, not power, not sex, not leisure, not pornography, not food – Jesus.

So, because this makes no sense to a self-centered, power-hungry, I-will- bow-to- no-one people, we killed him. ***And through his death all that God had planned came to life – the Kingdome is here. On the cross Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, gave his life for all those he would save – he killed sin for us.

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the death of death and the reign of King Jesus. How do we know Jesus accomplished all this? He rose from the dead in absolute victory – death is now dead because Jesus lives.

The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus has always been a necessary truth for Christians.

John 11:25 (NIV) – Jesus to Martha after her brother died
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies…

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NIV) – Paul asked his readers to check with the witnesses
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NIV)
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.

Jesus came the first time so that we could kill him and he could kill death. He is coming again not to save but to judge.

Acts 17:29-31 (NIV) – Paul speaking to
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-an image made by man’s design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Revelation 6:12-17 (NIV)
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Closing – - -

Romans 8:31-35a (NIV)
What, then, shall we say in response to [God's amazing love/salvation]? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…

Hebrews 7:24-26 (NIV)
…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. ²⁶ Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

1 Corinthians 15:14-20, “is the resurrection necessary?” [Listen]

Easter ‘08′

Is it critical that we believe Jesus rose from the dead? Isn’t it the death of Jesus that we must agree on?

The Death of Jesus

The death of Jesus is that singular event that displayed God’s glory like no other. In this one event we have the perfections of God being displayed for all humanity see and experience. The death of Jesus was a display of God’s perfect and pure love being poured out for a people that hated him and preferred self.

The death of Jesus was also a display of God’s justice. God cannot and will not ignore evil – he would not be good or just if he simply forgot about sin – that’s evil. So, Jesus took on flesh so he could face God’s judgment in our place – the perfect sacrifice for those who deserve to be abandoned. The death of Jesus makes the forgiveness of sin a reality.

Jesus’ death on the cross also guarantees that there will be a final judgment one day. The God of the universe does not die for no reason – he died to save us from a judgment that is surely coming. One day each of us will see God and be judged based on what we’ve put our hope in. If I am depending on my good works or my innate goodness, then that’s how I’ll be judged. That will not work for me – I’m not that good. I will depend on Jesus instead – he cannot fail. Please don’t depend on yourself.

The Resurrection

A great deal rests on the resurection of Jesus. The resurrection is the logical ‘next step’ after Jesus’ death. If Jesus really is who he said he is – God’s son – his breaking free of death should be expected.

Because the resurrection of Jesus is a critical and necessary reality, the authors of the Bible make a great effort to speak of the resurrection and its value. In short the truth is this; all of the benefits that might exist through the death of Jesus DO NOT EXIST if Jesus was not raised from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:14-20 (NIV)

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 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. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

If Jesus has not been raised from the dead:

• your faith is pointless – vs14
• Paul is a liar – vs15
• There is no reason to believe we really will live after we die – vs15
• We are still in our sins – vs17
• Those who have died before are lost in their sins – vs18
• We are stupid to do anything other than what feels good now – there’s nothing else – vs19

It was important that the resurrection of Jesus was a public event with over 500 people seeing him alive and well after his execution. Paul even encouraged his audience in Corinth to talk with those who saw Jesus after his resurrection – hundreds still alive.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NIV)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Paul is challenging his audience to check it out. Paul is challenging his audience to talk with the many, many people who witnessed a risen Jesus.

Four important realities from the resurrection of Jesus:

1) The resurrection of Jesus proved him to be the Son of God

Romans 1:4 (NIV)

… [Jesus] through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead:

2) While our sin is covered through the death of Jesus, our new spiritual life comes with Jesus’ resurrection and is seen as being raised from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you…

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

John 5:25 (NIV)

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

3) God’s power under the resurrection of Jesus is the same power available to all of his children

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NIV)

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has calledyou, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…

4) Jesus’ resurrection is a foretaste of our physical resurrection

1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

John 6:39 (NIV)

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV)

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The resurrection is necessary if Jesus is going to actually BE the Messiah. If Jesus is to have all power, and all authority to rule over his creation in victory, he cannot be dead! If Jesus is going to move powerfully through the lives of his people he cannot be dead!

Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Final Challenge

What do you do if you cannot die? How do you live if you cannot die? What do you do if you will live forever and the next phase will be unemaginably wonderful – forever?

Please do not spend your time living for self and focused on accumulating what this world values. Don’t live as if you have no hope!

I’ve been thinking a great deal about Easter this year – not in the conventional sense. Lately I’ve been troubled by my “programing” to see Jesus with blurred vision. This is what I mean. Many Evangelicals (I’m one of them) are so determined to see Jesus as God that we’ve lost our vision of Jesus our example. We specialize in worship and theology. We lift our emotions and minds to the heavens while we often fail to see the example Jesus lived for us here – in human form.

Good Friday is much more than simply remembering the death of Jesus for us. In his death Jesus modeled for us the extent to which we are called to commit to the mission – to the end, just as Jesus did.

Easter is much more than simply commemorating the victory of God as he sealed the death of sin for us. In this act of victory we are called to live lives that, through the Spirit, lean on the resurrection power of God in pursuing his heart, the rescue of the helpless with the message of Jesus. This is living by faith – just like Jesus did.

Christmas also is much more that celebrating the incarnation of Christ so he might die for us. In this act Jesus modeled for all who would follow him what it means to connect with those that need hope – we must go to them contextually. We must leave the “walls” we’ve built around our time and lifestyle for the sake of the lives we are called to impact – just like Jesus did.

The power of God that we see in the life of Jesus should compel us to give all we are to the mission while we have the breath to do so. Salvation is ours because God intends to save. Will we spend our lives aligning with God’s intention by following the example and heart of Jesus or will we relegate our connection to the easy path – worship and theology?

Do you need glasses to see the full scope of God’s vision?