Some time ago, a cartoon appeared in Leadership Journal that shows a couple leaving church and shaking hands with the pastor. The man says to the pastor, “You're in a rut, Reverend. Every time I come here, you preach about the Resurrection.” (Wendell Simons, The Best Cartoons from Leadership Journal, Volume 1, Broadman & Holman, 1999)
I guess that man comes to church only once a year, at Easter. His wife probably drags him there every year, and look at her: she is totally embarrassed.
By the way, for those of you who are here for your annual Easter visit, welcome! We’re glad you’re here. This message is for you; but it is also for those of us who come to church more often; because if we’re not careful, we can all develop a rather jaded attitude when it comes to the resurrection of Christ.
“Sure, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. I’ve heard it all before. So what? What does that have to do with the way I live my life in the 21st Century?” It’s an important question: Just what IS the significance of the Resurrection? We preach about it every year, but what difference does it really make for us today?
Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 15, where the Bible is very clear about significance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:12-14 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (NIV)
If Christ is not raised from the dead, then everything we say and believe as Christians is useless. It’s empty. It has no value or benefit to anyone. You see, the entire Christian faith stands or falls on the resurrection of Christ. So if Christ is not raised from the dead, then our faith is worthless.
But since Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, we can live today with confidence. We can go about our daily lives with assurance. We can live our lives not with a tentative fear, but with certainty and conviction. First, since Christ is raised from the dead…
BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR FAITH IS USEFUL.
Be sure that everything you believe as a Christian is valuable and worthwhile.
In his book, Has Christianity Failed You, Ravi Zacharias talks about one of the greatest proofs for the reality of Christ’s resurrection: the changed lives of Christians.
This is what he says: “During the course of nearly 40 years, I have traveled to virtually every continent and seen or heard some of the most amazing testimonies of God's intervention in the most extreme circumstances. I have seen hardened criminals touched by the message of Jesus Christ and their hearts turned toward good in a way that no amount of rehabilitation could have accomplished. I have seen ardent followers of radical belief systems turned from being violent, brutal terrorists to becoming mild, tenderhearted followers of Jesus Christ. I have seen nations where the gospel, banned and silenced by governments, has nevertheless conquered the ethos and mind-set of an entire culture.”
For example, “In the middle of the twentieth century, after destroying all of the Christian seminary libraries in the country, Chairman Mao declared that… Christianity had been permanently removed from China, never to make a return. [But] on Easter Sunday in 2009, the leading English language newspaper in Hong Kong published a picture of Tiananmen Square on page 1, with Jesus replacing Chairman Mao's picture on the gigantic banner, and the words “Christ is Risen” below it.
Ravi Zacharias also talks about Matthew Parris, a British atheist who visited Malawi in 2008. After that visit, Parris wrote an article which he titled, “As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God.” This is what Parris said: “I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa… I used to avoid this truth… but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.” (Ravi Zacharias, Has Christianity Failed You? Zondervan, 2010, pp. 105-107; www.PreachingToday.com)
You see, the Christian faith is useful, fueled by the conviction that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. And let me tell you: Christ can make a difference in your life if you let Him. Since He rose from the dead, He is alive today to change you from the inside out and to make you into all He created you to be. Just trust Him with your life. Then you too can prove, in your own experience, the life-transforming power of His resurrection. Since Christ is raised from the dead, be confident that your faith is useful. More than that…
BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR WITNESS IS TRUE.
Be sure that the testimony about Christ is genuine and real.
1 Corinthians 15:15 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. (NIV)
Some false teachers in Bible days were teaching that the dead are not raised. They had a platonic view of the afterlife, which said that people’s spirits are freed from the prison of their bodies at death never to return again. In other words, they were teaching that there is no resurrection of the body after it dies. But if that’s the case, then Christ was not raised from the dead. And if Christ was not raised, then our witness about Christ is false.
Yet history clearly demonstrates that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. The evidence of the empty tomb and His appearances to over 500 eyewitnesses is irrefutable.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 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. (NIV)
Did they all imagine it? Was it some sort of group hallucination? I don’t think so, because Jesus’ body would still be in the tomb. But even Jesus’ enemies affirmed the fact of the empty tomb. They just alleged that Jesus’ disciples stole His body. But that doesn’t explain his appearances to all these people, many of whom who were killed simply because they would not deny that they had seen the risen Christ.
This is what Chuck Colson has to say about these eyewitnesses to the risen Christ. He was convicted for his involvement in the Watergate scandal and later came to faith in Christ. He writes:
“When I am challenged on the resurrection, my answer is always that the disciples and 500 others gave eyewitness accounts of seeing Jesus risen from the tomb. But then I'm asked, ‘How do you know they were telling the truth? Maybe they were perpetrating a hoax.’ My answer to that comes from an unlikely source: Watergate.
“Watergate involved a conspiracy perpetuated by the closest aides to the president of the United States – the most powerful men in America, who were intensely loyal to their president. But one of them, John Dean, turned state's evidence, that is, testified against Nixon, as he put it, ‘to save his own skin’ – and he did so only two weeks after informing the president about what was really going on – two weeks! The cover-up, the lie, could only be held together for two weeks, and then everybody else jumped ship in order to save themselves. Now, the fact is that all those around the president were facing was embarrassment, maybe prison. Nobody's life was at stake.
“But what about the disciples? Twelve powerless men, peasants really, were facing not just embarrassment or political disgrace, but beatings, stonings, execution. Every single one of the disciples insisted, to their dying breaths, that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead. Don't you think that one of those apostles would have cracked before being beheaded or stoned? That one of them would have made a deal with the authorities? None did. Men will give their lives for something they believe to be true; they will never give their lives for something they know to be false.
“The Watergate cover-up reveals the true nature of humanity. Even political zealots at the pinnacle of power will, in the crunch, save their own necks, even at the expense of the ones they profess to serve so loyally. But the apostles could not deny Jesus, because they had seen him face to face, and they knew he had risen from the dead.
“No, you can take it from an expert in cover-ups,” Colson says. “I've lived through Watergate – that nothing less than a resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and is Lord. Two thousand years later, nothing less than the power of the risen Christ could inspire Christians around the world to remain faithful – despite prison, torture, and death. Jesus is Lord: That's the thrilling message of Easter. It's a historic fact, one convincingly established by the evidence – and one you can bet your life upon.” (Charles Colson, BreakPoint Online Commentaries, 4-29-02; www.PreachingToday.com)
Our witness is true! The empty tomb and Christ’s appearances after he died together give us irrefutable evidence of His resurrection.
Long before John Adams became the second U.S. President, in 1770 he was a respected lawyer in New England, where the Boston massacre had just occurred. No lawyers would defend the British soldiers involved for fear of the American public, which had now grown even stronger in its anti-British sentiments. But Adams believed that everyone was entitled to a fair trial. He took the case, the public turned against him, and he lost more than half of his clients.
In a courtroom that was described as crowded and “electrical,” Adams argued that the soldiers were innocent… He then added, “Facts are stubborn things and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictums of our passions, they cannot alter the state of the facts and evidence.” (Michael R. Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus, InterVarsity Press, 2010, pp. 609-610; www.Preaching Today.com)
That’s what we must conclude when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Facts are stubborn things and whatever may be our wishes… they cannot alter the state of the facts and the evidence.” Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. That’s what the facts clearly show, so live your life with confidence. 1st, be confident that your faith is useful. 2nd, be confident that your witness is true. And 3rd…
BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR SINS ARE GONE!
Be sure that God has forgiven all your sins and has set you free from their power over your life.
1 Corinthians 15:16-17 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. (NIV)
You see, the resurrection of Christ was God’s sign that He had accepted Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Without the resurrection, there would be no certainty that God had received Christ’s payment for our sins and accepted it. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so we can be sure that God has forgiven our sins, those of us who have trusted in His Son. We don’t have to live with the guilt anymore. Instead, we can live guilt-free lives, confident that God fully accepts us in Christ.
On New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech was playing UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game, Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, he lost his direction and ran sixty-five yards toward the wrong goal line. One of his teammates, Benny Lom, ran him down and tackled him just before he scored for the opposing team. Several plays later, the UCLA had to punt. Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety, demoralizing the UCLA team, with Riegels shamefully bearing the nickname, “Wrong Way Riegels.”
That was just the first half. At half-time, the UCLA players filed off the field and into the dressing room. Riegels put a blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, and put his face in his hands. The UCLA coach, Price, was quiet.
Then the timekeeper announced that they only had three minutes left before the start of the second half. Coach Price looked at the team and said, “Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second.” The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He didn't budge. The coach looked back and called to him. Riegels didn't move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, “Roy, didn't you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second.”
Roy Riegels looked up, his cheeks wet with tears. “Coach,” he said, “I can't do it. I've ruined you. I've ruined the university's reputation. I've ruined myself. I can't face that crowd out there.”
Coach Price reached out, put his hand on Riegels's shoulder, and said, “Roy, get up and go on back. The game is only half over.” Riegels finally did get up. He went onto the field and played hard and well the second half. Wayne Rouse, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Baker, www.PreachingToday.com)
The Bible says that all of us have run a long way in the wrong direction. Romans 3:23 makes it very clear: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But Christ died for our sins and rose again, and because of His resurrection, we don’t have to let that sin disgrace us any longer. We can live with the confidence that God has forgiven our sins and wants us on His team. The game is only half over. Now, because Christ is risen, we can play hard and well the rest of our lives; and we don’t have to let a shameful past ever define us again.
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so live your lives with confidence. 1st, be confident that your faith is useful. 2nd, be confident that your witness is true. 3rd, be confident that your sins are gone! And 4th…
BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR LOVED ONES ARE SAFE WITH THE LORD.
Be sure that every believer who has died is in heaven with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. (NIV)
If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then all of our dead loved ones would be eternally lost. Literally, they would be ruined; they would be destroyed. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so they are not lost. They are right now with the Lord in heaven awaiting the resurrection of their bodies from the ground.
The Bible makes it very clear: to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). And “we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
Three years ago, this month (April 2010), New York Police informed Alfred and Geri Esposite of Mastic Beach, that their son, Freddy, had been killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer on a Pennsylvania highway. As it turned out, it was a case of mistaken identity, because the man who died was carrying Freddy’s driver’s license even though he was not Freddy himself.
Freddy was living with his brother Chris at the time; so when Chris got word of his brother's death, he raced home. He ran downstairs into his apartment and saw something on the couch. Chris poked at the lump under the blankets, and his brother woke up. Chris screamed, “You're dead! You're dead!” And Freddy, a little annoyed says, “I'm sleeping!” (“NY Police Tell Parents That Son Is Dead—But He's Not,” Associated Press, 4-29-10; www.PreachingToday.com)
That's the story of all those who have died as believers in Christ. Thanks to the resurrection of Christ, their bodies are not forever ruined and destroyed when they die. In a sense, their bodies just sleep. Their spirits are at home with the Lord while their bodies await the day Jesus comes again and reveille is sounded. Then their bodies will awake to be reunited with their spirits. We will see them again, and together we will be with the Lord forever!
We didn’t say “good bye” to Ralph Rogers earlier this month at his funeral. We said, “See you later.” Sandy and I didn’t say “good bye” to her father at his funeral last May. We said, “See you later.” None of us said “good bye” to our believing loved ones when they died. We said, “See you later.”
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so live your life with confidence even if your loved one is gone. 1st, be confident that your faith is useful. 2nd, be confident that your witness is true. 3rd, be confident that your sins are gone. 4th, be confident that your loved ones are safe with the Lord. And finally…
BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED.
Be certain that you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, are to be envied more than the richest man on the face of this earth.
1 Corinthians 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (NIV)
But we don’t have hope only for this life. We have hope, i.e., the assurance of a glorious future, because Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Sure, we as believers may have it hard on this earth sometimes. Sure, we may experience persecution and some of us even death. But don’t pity us. Pity the person who has no hope, the one who has lost his own soul, even if he has gained the whole world.
In the 2007 film The Bucket List, two terminally ill men – played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman – take a road trip to do the things they always said they would do before they “kicked the bucket.” Before the film's release, Parade Magazine published an interview with Nicholson, who reflected on his own personal life.
He said, “I used to live so freely. The mantra for my generation was ‘Be your own man!’ I always said, ‘Hey, you can have whatever rules you want – I'm going to have mine. I'll accept the guilt. I'll pay the check. I'll do the time.’” Nicholson said, “I chose my own way. That was my philosophical position well into my 50s. As I've gotten older, I've had to adjust.”
His own mortality has gotten his attention. Later in the interview, Nicholson adds: “We all want to go on forever, don't we? We fear the unknown. Everybody goes to that wall, yet nobody knows what's on the other side. That's why we fear death.” (Dotson Rader, “I want to go on forever,” Parade magazine, 12-9-07, pp. 6-8; www.PreachingToday.com)
Jack Nicholson has gained it all. His acting career has brought him wealth and fame; but now, towards the end of his life, he lives in fear of death. Pity that man.
Pity the man who has treasures to hold
And he owns not the Pearl of Great Price.
Pity the man tho’ he live long on earth
And he knows not the Giver of life;
Doctor or lawyer, trav’ler or merchant,
Builder who builds on the sand,
Pauper or king, to be saved is the thing;
If he's lost, then pity the man. (Joel Hemphill)
Don’t pity those of us who KNOW what’s on the other side, because we KNOW that our Redeemer lives.
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, so live your life with confidence. Be confident that your faith is useful. Be confident that your witness is true. Be confident that your sins are gone. Be confident that your loved ones are safe. And be confident that you are truly blessed as a believer in Jesus Christ.
And if you’re not a believer in Jesus Christ, what’s keeping you from putting your faith in Him? Do it today. Trust Christ with your life, then you too can live your life with confidence.
