Temporarily Dead
(Revelation 1:17-18) Resurrection Sunday
1. None of us have seen someone rise again from the grave.
2. But there is a fictitious story about one who recently did.
3. There was a certain man who often walked through a cemetery on his way home.
However, one night, though, unaware that a new grave had been dug in his path, he tumbled in the new grave. For some time, afterwards, he struggled to get out of the 7 Foot deep grave, until finally he gave up … and settled down … for the night.
An hour later, a farmer who was out hunting … for Coons and Possums … came walking through the cemetery … and he too fell into the grave.
The farmer started a desparate attempt to get out; unaware that there was anyone else in the grave.
The first man listened to him for a few minutes, … then he reached over in the pitch darkness … and laid a hand on the man’s shoulder saying, “You can’t get out of here,” … BUT HE DID. [Sermon Central]
4. Well, we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ did actually die and was raised to life on the third day. And that is what today's celebration is all about!
Main Idea: We worship a Risen Savior! Our text provides us with several reasons why He is worthy of worship.
First of all, He is worthy because
I. He is Compassionate Toward Our HUMAN Weaknesses (17a)
A. He knows our LIMITS
1. For a mortal to see a vision of Jesus in His glory is intimidating; He understands that
2. Some people exalt themselves about you, use words and abbreviations you do not understand, and leave you out to grope. Not God.
3. John was an apostle; he was only mortal; yet God revealed to him this amazing vision that blew his mind; 2,000 years later, our minds are still blown as we try to understand this book…but God works WITH humanity…
B. He tenderly ENCOURAGES us
• The ancient Ethiopic version renders it, "and he took hold on me with his right hand, and lifted me up"; as he does all who in a spiritual sense fall at his feet…" [John Gill]
Secondly, He is worthy because
II. He is TIMELESS (17b)
A. First and last implies ALL of time
If you have visited Pink lately, you know that he has been memorizing Psalm 121. He asked me a question about verse 6 that I could not answer off hand: "…the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night."
We understood how the sun could harm a person, but the moon? Commentaries: Sun and Moon are used for the totality -- all times of day. Same with first and last.
B. Neither OBSOLETE nor irrelevant
1. Sometimes I think of my faith as a discontinued model. I see people turning away from the Bible and pastors watering down the Bible -- and I feel like my beliefs are simply considered passe', rigid, and naïve.
2. Maybe you have that feeling, too. But because Jesus Christ cannot become obsolete, neither can the Word of God. We can stay the course with confidence.
Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Even when God the Son became man in the Person of Jesus (the incarnation), God remained the same in substance. His plan unfolded, and a human nature was added to the divine nature of God the Son, but that divine nature did not change. God has always been Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and thus He remains.
Isaiah 44:6, " “ Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘ I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."
Thirdly, He is worthy because
III. He Has Died But Has Been VICTORIOUS Over Death (18a)
A. Temporarily DEAD
When a group of churches advertised their Easter celebration, no reference was made to the cross. The omission was deliberate. One church official explained, "The cross carries too much cultural baggage." [Our Daily Bread]
B. Resurrected to LIFE
"The victim of Good Friday became the victor of Easter." [Our Daily Bread]
C. FOREVER alive
A lot of people who claim to be Christians are depending upon the mercy of God, but not the shed blood of Jesus Christ, for their forgiveness. They are really no different from an orthodox Jew in this regard, except they somehow acknowledge Jesus.
In his book, "Hebrews Through A Hebrews Eyes, " Dr. Stuart Sacks writes:
At a meeting of Jewish and Christian theologians in New York City, an orthodox rabbi explained the tension of this approach to life by saying, 'In the final analysis, I know I cannot perfectly obey the Law in its entirety; I must rely on the mercy of God. Yet I cannot with absolute certainty know that God will be merciful." (p. 15).
True Christians -- as opposed to those practicing Christian religion -- believe and know they have obtained God's mercy and grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I John 5:13--"know")
Fourthly, He is worthy because
IV. He Holds the Keys of Death and HADES
[Show ring of keys]
• Keys represent access. They also represent authority. When Marylu and I moved into the parsonage in 1983, we were presented with a key to the parsonage, a key to the church building, and a key to the garage. The keys Jesus holds speak of his authority.
• Keys and combinations are only valuable if connected with corresponding locks. Locks limit access. They discriminate: those who have the keys or combinations are the haves, those who do not have them are the have-nots. That is the intention.
From the Talmud: " Elijah prayed that the keys of resurrection might be given him, but was answered, Three keys have not been entrusted to an agent: of birth, rain, and resurrection." [Tractate Sanhedrin, Folio 113a].
A. Christ's AUTHORITY over death
He had authority over his own death and resurrection:
John 10:17-18, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
B. Authority over HADES
John 5:25-29, "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. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."
[note: only the regenerate can perform good works acceptable in God's sight [Eph. 2:10, 8:4; for the unsaved, Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 8:8 apply]
According to Rev. 20:14, death and Hades will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
CONCLUSION
1. We worship a Risen Savior! Our text provides us with several reasons why He is worthy of worship.
2. But true worship begins with surrender of our wills to Him, and surrender of our wills is an ongoing, daily choice. But it begins with salvation.
