Behold, Your Resurrected King
Romans 1: 1-7, Psalm 2
Romans 1: 1 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Resurrection Sunday! Resurrection Day! Resurrection! Physically we haven't experienced it, although many of us have experienced it in a spiritual sense: We know that THROUGH “resurrection” is transformation: We have been raised from being “dead in sin” and dead to God BECAUSE of sin, to being alive in Jesus Christ, hearts that have been washed clean by the Holy Spirit on account of Christ’s sacrifice FOR SIN. We have been transformed from being a sinner and rebel AGAINST God, to being a saint devoted TO GOD
In the Greek, “Anastasis” is the word translated as "resurrection”. The name, and its male counterpart, were often given to Greek children born around December 22 or around Easter during the early days of Christianity, signifying that a “NEW BIRTH” had occurred. In 2008, “Anastasia” was the most popular name given to girls born that year, in all places, Moscow. LOOK! A NEW BIRTH.
Only King Jesus has the authority to bring Life from death.
Resurrection is more than “just” coming back to life—that was an Old Testament and Greek understanding: that resurrection was like resuscitation or restoration. “Resurrection” to Jesus and New Testament believers begins now and lasts forever! It is a radical transformation. When Lazarus was raised from the dead, he was raised from the dead, he was resuscitated. He was brought back to ordinary, physical life——Later on he died again. Lazarus’ resurrection was a sign by Jesus that Jesus indeed was the Savior who had the power over death to eternal life.
He claimed it by the tomb of Lazarus, but PROVED IT BY walking out of His Grave and leaving His grave clothes behind. No one had to UNWRAP Jesus like they had to do with Lazarus. Jesus did not need any help in being raised from the dead.
Only HE TRULY RESURRECTS people because He IS the resurrection and the Life!
Look at Romans 1:3-4 again , Paul refers to God's gospel "regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." Literally translated, that last phrase is "by resurrection of the dead." LISTEN:
Jesus' resurrection and the resurrection of believers IN THE LORD JESUS are of the same category of resurrection.
Listen to these examples that God gives us in His Word: 1 Cor. 15:20 says: "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep". If your life and your faith are IN HIM NOW, you will continue to follow Jesus after you have died and are resurrected on His return. He was the first fruit, and the rest of the fruit is sure to follow in the same way. It’s God’s promise and it is even proven in the natural order of fruit today.
Our resurrection is going to be a total transformation, just like that of Jesus. In Phil. 3:21 says that “Christ will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body". We may not grasp all that that entails, but we KNOW that this earthly body of ours is going to one day die. It happens to everyone, but those who BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus will one day receive a body just as glorious as the body of the Lord Jesus. We trust and hope in Jesus for forgiveness of sins and for the hope of our own resurrections. We follow Him to the cross, die to self and sin and are raised with Him to new life, death being conquered IN HIS VICTORY, and join Him to eternal life.
King Jesus’ Resurrection took Him from Humiliation to Exaltation
Look again at the phrase in Romans 1:4: "and who according to the Spirit of holiness was declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead." With respect to the flesh, God's Son was a descendant of David, but, with respect to the Spirit of holiness, he was declared to be the Son of God. What the apostle Paul is saying is that the Son of God became the incarnate Son according in the flesh: He was a descendant of David, a “son” of David—“born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4). Jesus' humanity was real: You can trace His family tree in Scripture. Jesus, the Son of God, became—"according to the flesh"—the seed of David.
He Humbled Himself from His Heavenly place of authority to come here. His so-called “humiliation” reached its climax in his obedience in His sacrificial death on the cross. Romans 1:4, describes the stage of EXALTATION, that he was "declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead." So King Jesus’ Resurrection took Him from Humiliation, His humbled state, BACK to His position of Exaltation!
“What happened to Jesus in the Resurrection? It is not just that his flesh and his spirit reunited, so that he became alive again. Jesus moved from one stage of his ministry to another—from humiliation to exaltation. He was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, where he was seated on the throne of God. Jesus, by his resurrection, is invested with kingly power, so that all authority is given to him. Jesus could stand on a hill in Galilee after his resurrection and say, "All power is mine" (see Matt. 28:18). "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Oh yes, he had those titles before. It is not that he BECAME God, for he was God before that. But, because he was obedient as his servant, the Lord granted Him the fulfillment of the promise, saying: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet" (Ps. 110:1). That enthronement scene began in Jesus' resurrection from the dead.” (Jack J. Peterson New Horizons, March 2002)
Jesus is the Resurrected and Ruling King
Look at Psalm 2: 1 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing ? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" Anyone who has rejected God’s authority has made themselves as LITTLE kings of the earth. They not only reject God but they fight against His Anointed one, the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't want God’s chains, His authority. They don't want to be bound by his power, and they say, "We will break away from him."
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain." 7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD : He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware .' "10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; (WISE UP!) Take warning, (LISTEN TO THE WORD MADE FLESH) O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence (because Jesus IS LORD! He is King!) and rejoice with trembling.”
“Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling.” In our scripture, in verse 4 as well as 7 (as well as many other places in the New Testament it said: “Jesus Christ our Lord!” And again: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ is LORD. “The word is “Kurios”, used 665 times in the New Testament, referring to JESUS the SON.
Jesus lives today and sits at the right hand of the Father, and yet who through his Spirit, He is present with us now: He alone is the all-glorious, all-powerful, Incarnate Son of God. There is a sense in which we speak of the meek and mild Jesus in His humanity. But now by his resurrection, He rules with authority and power and might. His love is there, and He still invites sinners to come to him. He still calls to sinners, "Come to me, you who are weary, who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (see Matt. 11:28). But he is the embodiment of the DIVINE saving power of God! As Paul sums it up, he is "Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:4). Savior! Master! Messiah! King!
Lastly, we look at verse12 of Psalm 2: “Do homage to the Son,(“Kiss the Son”) that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” The kings of the earth take counsel against the Almighty and against his Anointed One They don't want his chains. They don't want to be bound by his power, and they say, "We will break away from him." At first the Lord laughs! But then that laughter turns into anger: "I have set my King on Mount Zion." This is King Jesus, who is enthroned when, by his glorious resurrection, he enters the exaltation stage of his ministry.
God declares Jesus to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead. Jesus is the Resurrected and Ruling King. He rules as Savior, as Lord, as Shepherd, as the Way, as the Truth, as the Resurrection and the Life, and says, "Follow me. I will be with you in every trial, in every triumph, every step of the way, through death, and through the other side of death, when I return, I will give you your new body. Trust ME ALONE.
This is also the Jesus who, if you reject him, will reject you when He returns. To any sinner who wants to be paid the wages for his own sin in hell, Jesus will say, "Go!" But that is not what He offers today. Jesus, is the all-powerful Messiah, Prophet, Priest, Savior and King: This risen Savior and King cries out, "Come to me! Come to me and I will give you rest!"
If you are a child of God, you are anticipating your own resurrection, and you can expect a rather radical transformation. It is not just that you will get rid of your glasses and your aches and pains but you will receive a glorified Body like that of the person of Jesus, but far better than that, is the fact that we will enjoy His unbroken PRESENCE forever, because He was Broken and then RESURRECTED FOR US.
I would much rather trust the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who followed Him and died bringing the testimony of His truth and testimony, than trust the word of anyone else.
“Kiss the Son, the Risen and Resurrected Son, The Son who Rules, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him!” He is Risen. He is Risen INDEED!
Outline: Intro: “Anastasis”-"Resurrection”- “New Birth”
1. Only King Jesus has the authority to bring Life from death because He IS the Resurrection and the LIFE.
2. King Jesus' resurrection and the resurrection of believers IN THE LORD JESUS are of the same category of resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:20, Phil. 3:21
3. King Jesus’ Resurrection took Him from Humiliation to Exaltation.(Gal. 4:4, Matt. 28:18, Acts 2:36, Ps. 110:1)
4. King Jesus is the Resurrected Ruling King! (Ps. 2)
