One of the little surprises I enjoy every spring is seeing the sprouts of new life burst out of the ground. Some of you may have noticed the little crocuses by the front door of the church. Already before the snow was completely gone, I saw their green shoots breaking through the soil. And even though the temperatures are cold and some of the ground around them is still frozen, they somehow overcome all the barriers that should hold them back. It is as though they are seeking the sun so its rays can warm them and invigorate them as they begin their new life in the spring. They remind me of what happens in the lives of people who have experienced the resurrection, because they too are seeking the son – the Son of God.
Let me use another illustration. You may have had Boy Scout training or outdoor hiking experience and you have learned how to use a compass. Which direction does a compass seeks? A compass always seeks north. If you had been out in the parking lot of the church a couple of weeks ago, you would have seen me driving our car in a big circle and you might have wondered what in the world I was doing going in circles like that. I had just installed a new compass in the car and in order to adjust it, I had to make a circle so the compass could orient itself accurately. The compass was orienting itself by seeking a northerly direction. Only if that compass is oriented toward the north can it display the other directions correctly.
Now think about that image of orienting yourself as you read the first verse of Colossians 3. “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…” Did you notice that word seek? It doesn’t mean to look for something that is lost. It means to orient your life toward the Son of God, like a compass that seeks north, like a flower that seeks the sun. Only now, you are allowing the Son of God to shine on your attitudes and behavior. How is that possible, you ask? It is only possible because of the resurrection of Jesus.
Resurrection 101
When I was teaching college courses, sometimes I taught the basics and sometimes I taught higher-level courses. For just a moment, let’s go back to Resurrection 101 to review the account of this earth-shaking, life-changing event. I want to invite you to turn to the last page of the book of Matthew. The details of the resurrection of Jesus can be found in all of the first four books of the New Testament. In each of those accounts the author explains that Jesus, who came to earth as the Son of God, was nailed to a cross. As John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. But the cross is not the end of the story. Let’s read 28:1-10.
Later, in the book of Acts we read that Jesus stayed around for 40 days and then ascended into the heavens, where God received him back by his side.
You have probably heard this account before, even though you may not remember the details. And maybe, after watching a TV show or reading a book or talking with friends, you have wondered how much truth there is in this account. How do we know it isn’t just a story that those early Christians made up?
Resurrection 201
There are a lot of things we could say in answer to that question, but here are some facts to consider as we go to Resurrection 201.
1. Jesus’ execution was public. An angry crowd demanded it. Governor Pilate ordered it. Roman authorities completed it. As Paul said when he was defending himself and his faith before King Agrippa, “These things were not done in a corner.
2. Jesus’ grave was empty even though Roman soldiers had been guarding it. No one could have gotten to Jesus from the outside. We might say it was an inside job.
3. Jesus was seen not only by his disciples, but by over 500 people after he was raised, the Bible says. Any public information like that could easily be checked out.
4. Jewish believers changed their day of worship. Remember that the Jews had observed the Sabbath on Saturday through all of their history. They wouldn’t dare disobey the laws that Moses gave. But after Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, they began worshiping together on that day instead of on Saturday. It took a phenomenal event for them to switch days like that.
5. People’s lives were dramatically changed. You can read in the book of Acts to see how the lives of Jesus’ disciples changed from doubt to faith, from weakness to strength, and from fear to courage. Some of them traveled beyond their borders to tell the good news. Others put their lives on the line and died for their belief that Jesus rose from the dead. Not many people will give up their lives for a lie.
Resurrection 301
If we took the time for Resurrection 301, we could examine changes in the lives of many individuals, families, cities, and even nations since the time of Jesus’ resurrection. You may be one of those or at least know someone whose life has been changed.
Resurrection 401
The Bible goes beyond the facts of the resurrection to their implication for our lives. Here we move from the map to the road, from the blue print to construction, from the story to the application. And for this we are going to skip to Resurrection 401.
The Bible makes clear that the resurrection of Jesus is the decisive factor in getting our lives oriented properly. If we are going to live upright, productive, eternally-significant lives, we need to be seeking the influence and power of the Son. “If you have been raised with Christ, seek those things that are above…” our scripture tells us.
“Raised with Christ?” you ask. “How is that possible? I haven’t died yet. How could I be raised from the dead?”
Here is how. You probably know that behind the curtains on our platform is a big tank that we use for baptism. You may have been baptized in this baptistery. When you go down under that water, you face the real possibility of death, especially if we let you under there too long! But when you come up from that water, it is like you have been raised from the dead. The Bible says, through baptism, you have identified with the death and resurrection of Jesus.
In Romans 6, Paul says “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (3-4)
The point of this scripture is that our lives are no longer oriented toward the old way of living. Our attitudes change. Our actions change. Our motives and ambitions change. We are living in the light of the Son of God.
I read of two sisters who, after they became Christians, got an invitation to the kind of party they used to attend, but didn’t any longer. They wrote back that they could not attend because they had recently died!
When we identify with the resurrection of Jesus, we move from a life of aimless wandering to purposeful living, from being earthbound, to being heaven-directed.
Final Exam
My time is short and there is only so much I can say, so I’m going to leave you with an assignment and a take-home exam.
Your assignment: take time to read the first 17 verses of Colossians 3.
Question 1. After reading Colossians 3:1-4, what would you say your life is oriented toward? What goals are you living for?
Question 2. On a scale of 1-10, how strong is your desire to seek the light of the Son?
Question 3. After reading Colossians 3:5-17, list the behaviors of people who have been raised from the dead (in a spiritual sense).
Bonus question. Did you find any qualities that do not require community? For example, can you practice compassion by yourself? Or kindness? Or forgiveness? The Lord gives us plenty of opportunity to develop these behaviors in the life of the church. We need one another.
If you have experienced the resurrection of Jesus, I hope you are faithfully seeking the light of the Son. If your life is not oriented toward the light of Jesus, why not take steps in that direction?
