A Living Hope!

Today Christians all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross—history records this as an actual event. The Bible also teaches that Jesus Christ was raised from death and the grave—history also records this as an actual event.

It is not my intent today to convince you of the authenticity of the Resurrection. The evidence for the resurrection has been scrutinized for 2000 years. Men have tried and failed to invalidate what the Bible teaches and what history has recorded.

If you are a skeptic, I challenge you to investigate the evidence. But I warn you, you may yourself become a follower of Jesus Christ as many have after studying the evidence. Christ is raised from the dead! He is risen!

Today we are going to look at several benefits resulting from the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

The Benefactor of the Resurrection

The Mercy through the Resurrection

The New Birth in the Resurrection

The Living Hope from the Resurrection

1.) Benefactor of the Resurrection

A benefactor is a sponsor, supporter or backer. It is someone who “aids an individual or cause.” Our Benefactor is God.

Peter begins verse 3 by blessing God for what He has done. The word “blessed” comes from the Greek word, eulogetos, yoo-log-ay-tos'. From it we get our English word eulogy. When you eulogize someone you say something good about them.

Peter is in essence, “speaking well” or “praising” God for who He is and what He has done.

Peter is blessing or praising God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Peter is blessing God as the Father who loves us and has given us His only Son.

God as Benefactor, came to our rescue. When we needed His help He came to our aid and gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ!

Why did God give His only Son? How does giving His Son Jesus aid us and support us?

In the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings teaches that we dissed God’s holy Law; we broke His commandments. God tells Adam not to eat of a certain fruit and Adam disobeyed—his sin now runs through our veins.

Not only that, but we ourselves choose to sin just like our father Adam.

When God said in the Bible, “Don’t have any other gods before me,” we love ourselves first.

When God commanded us, “not to make any idols and worship and serve them,” we make cars and homes and clothes and American’s idols and worship and adore them

When God said, “Don’t use my Name in vain…” we call His Name when we really don’t mean it and some of us use His holy Name as a cuss word.”

When God said, “Honor your father and mother…” we talk back to them and don’t do what they say and when they are old we ignore them.

When God said, “Don’t kill” we murder, if not with our hands then with our words and in our hearts.

When God says, “Don’t commit adultery—don’t have sex with someone other than your wife or husband” we jump in bed with people we aren’t married to. Some have even jumped in bed with someone of the same sex.

We’ve broken His holy Law; we’ve broken His commandments—this is what is called “sin.” Sins are crimes against God. As a result of our sin, we’ve condemned ourselves to an eternal death.

The picture the Bible gives is of a courtroom scene. We are the defendants—caught red-handed; guilty before God.

As Judge, God has to pass judgment—death—spiritual death—separation from God. But He was not only our Judge, He was our Benefactor! God gave up His only Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8) Peter says, “Blessed be God!”

This leads us to our next point.

1 Peter 1:3 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

2.) Mercy through the Resurrection

We did nothing for ourselves; we could do nothing for ourselves. Content in sin; miserable but content we were. We were sinking deep in sin but love, His merciful love, lifted us.

You know, mercy holds back what we deserve. We deserve execution.

It is easy for us to condemn a man like Scott Peterson who murdered his wife Luci and unborn son Conner.