Of Utmost Concern Sermon Ii: Redemption Of God's Creation Series

OF UTMOST CONCERN TO GOD OUR CREATOR: REDEMPTION OF HIS CREATION

THUS, THE CRUCIFIXION THEN THE RESURRECTION

On June 18, 1815, British General Wellington faced Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo – a decisive battle which would determine England’s future

To communicate the outcome of the battle, the British Royal Navy would use its system of flags to send the news across the English Channel.

Standing in the watchtower on the English side, a designated watchman gazed anxiously across the channel awaiting the signals from a ship on the other side. He held his breath, as did all of England.

Finally, peering through his telescope, the watchman spotted the flagman as he began to send a message just as the fog was rolling in. The man in the tower could see only two words signaled by the flagman: “Wellington Defeated”.

A feeling of gloom and doom came over the watchman and also the villagers who had anxiously awaited to hear the news.

As the watchman continued to gaze, the fog lifted and the message from the other side was sent yet again. This time, the full message could be seen: “Wellington Defeated Napoleon!”

Sorrow turned to joy! England would be safe. The people could now rest in peace!

On that Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified and buried, the message appeared to be: “Jesus Defeated”.

On Sunday at the break of day, the fog lifted from the minds of His followers as the full message came through loud and clear: “Jesus Defeated Death!”

Death is inevitable. We’re all going to die – physically. Jesus told His Disciples that to live again we must be born again – spiritually (die to sin and be born of the Spirit with a new nature - symbolized by baptism) . . . for living a new life in Christ in the “here and now” . . . for going to Heaven when we die. Guaranteed by His Resurrection!

On the subject of “resurrection”, Jesus had a conversation with Martha sister of Lazarus in which we gain insight into His thinking: His resurrection would be the believer’s blessed assurance of their own resurrection unto eternal life promised to all who believe – John 11:25-27 . . .

Lazarus was dead. Earlier in the week Jesus had heard that his good friend was sick unto death, but Jesus “stayed where he was for two more days”. He told His disciples that his friend’s sickness was “for God’s glory, that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

As Jesus approached Bethany several days after Lazarus died, Martha met Him, saying, “If you had gotten here on time, my brother would not have died.” Jesus assured Martha that her brother would rise again, sooner rather than the “later” that Martha had in mind . . .

As mature Christians, we have grown accustomed to the way it is in the spiritual realm: God our Father through Christ our Lord “does all things well” based on His timing.

Good Friday reminded us that, by allowing His Son to willingly die on the Cross to save us from our sins, God did a good thing for the good of His people. Indeed, “God is working in and through all things to bring about good to those who love Him.”

Sometimes in life that which is good for us occurs sooner than expected – but, more often than not, God’s goodness in answer to prayers occurs later - at His appointed time or will occur beyond the sunset when we all get to Heaven.

In her temporary grief, Martha wished out loud that Jesus had been there when Lazarus was sick so He could have healed him. It’s as if she said to Jesus: “too late now . . . time for healing has passed.”

Then - “for God’s glory, that God’s Son may be glorified,” Jesus demonstrated that neither death nor time can prevent God . . . With God, all things are possible. With Christ, death is as if the dead person is simply asleep.

Martha thought of resurrection only as a future event – to be realized after the body spends a long period of time in the grave.

To a certain extent that is true – “The dead in Christ shall rise fist . . . be made alive . . . be joined with their souls . . . For sure, as Paul said, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and so shall we ever be with the Lord” . . . in spirit, until God’s appointed time when the dead in Christ shall rise, to receive a new glorified body to be reunited with that soul that left that old body at death.

Jesus brought resurrection into the present, making it personal by showing that resurrection also happens in the life of anyone who believes and lives in Him.