Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Risen Lord from the dead (Romans 1:1-4)
“Paul, a servant, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:1-4 ESV)
Almost everyone here, if not all, belongs to a religion called Christianity. The word for religion in Chinese (??) - we Koreans also use the term (??) for that matter - means basically the highest teaching. Some define it as the utmost teaching, and others the ultimate teaching concerning the life and the world, or the most important teaching, etc. Various dictionaries define religion in Chinese term (?? ??) in variant manners, but all to the effect that religion means the superlative teaching.
As religious text, the Bible also has a lot of the important teachings or lessons. Without doubt, teaching is very significant part in the Bible. However, there is more important and fundamental factor in the Bible than teaching. Can you imagine what that is? I am referring to (historical) event. In fact, the very first chapter of the Bible describes how God created the heavens and the earth and all other creatures and human being in His image.
All the teachings of the Bible are based on the fact that God created the heavens and the earth and all the creatures and man in His image as the central figure in His creation. Therefore, the creation is the basis of all the teachings of the Bible and the foundation for all the biblical beliefs. For this reason, should turn out all the world and human beings are as products of natural process called the evolution, for example, all the Bible teachings would be not only pointless, but fraudulent and lies, no matter how meaningful and truthful they might sound.
On the other hand, since God's creation is the basis for all their beliefs, the Bible believers are commanded to remember God as the Creator. The Israelites kept the Sabbath as commanded by God because God rested on Saturday, the seventh day, after the six days of creative ministry.
For us Christians, though we realize the need to remember God as creator, we don’t necessarily keep the Sabbath. Rather we traditionally gather to worship in Sunday. We do so because Jesus rose again from the dead on Sunday. And we Christians gather every Sunday to commemorate and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. By celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, we remember God’s new work of creation because God restored His relationship with the fallen world, thus making the new creation in Jesus’ death as atoning sacrifice and Jesus’ resurrection as evidence His atoning sacrifice was accepted. (Col 1:20; 2 Co 5:17) Thus, I would say, Jesus' resurrection is the root and core of our Christian faith. All the teachings and lessons of the New Testament are based on the resurrection.
If Jesus, on the other hand, had not risen from the dead, then all the New Testament teachings are baseless; they are lies and frauds or at the most wishful thinking. The birth of Jesus, the teachings, ministries, and miracles of Jesus, yes even the death of Jesus on the cross don’t mean a thing, but outright nonsenses.
(My Confession: I do believe everything that Jesus said and did since I believe He has risen from the dead. But I can’t help but believing in His resurrection because of His marvelous teaching, ministry, and character as described in the books of the gospel. I believe that unless He is the Son of God, he cannot give such marvelous teachings, live such a compassionate life and die such sacrificial death as Jesus did. )
Nevertheless, the Bible says, "If Christ had not risen, all that we teach, believe, and preach is in vain and we will still be in sins (our sins not forgiven), and we are of all people most to be pitied." If in fact Jesus had not been resurrected, what are we doing here in this beautiful Sunday? As the Bible says, if the dead cannot rise again, we will die tomorrow, and we will eat and drink.
Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important? Why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so essential and at the core of our Christian life? Let’s see what the text today has to say about our question.
“Paul, a servant, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:1-4 ESV)
Paul used to persecute the followers of Christ now identifies himself to be a servant set apart for the gospel of God, which is about His Son. His Son has two nature: according to the flesh He was a descendant of David; according to the Spirit of holiness, He was the Son of God as proved by His resurrection from the dead.
If He hadn’t been resurrected, he would have turned out just one of so many David’s descendants, but no more. But, His resurrection proved His is the Son of God just as He always asserted about Himself, which implies He didn’t die because of His sins, out of His weakness, nor as victim, but with the purpose.
Jesus rose from the dead to prove He is the Son of God.
1. This in turn proves God loves us so much that He gave His only Son. If Jesus was the risen Lord from the dead and really the Son of God, what would have been the reason that He was and lived and died in the world to begin with.
John explains the reason: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 Jn 4:9-10 NLT)
That’s why John wrote a book, the gospel according to John, to prove that Jesus is the Son of God so that he could help people believe in God who loved the world and sent His only Son.
2. Jesus rose from the dead to prove He is the Son of God, which means Jesus as the Son of God shares the same nature as the Father, God. This why Thomas having encountered with the Risen Jesus from the dead, responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!?” (Jn 20:28) Why He being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant? (Phil 2:6 NIV)
Few hours before He was crucified on the Cross, Jesus said to the disciples: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you... 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5 NLT). If Jesus had known He would not rise from the dead He wouldn’t have said such thing. Yet, He knew and wanted that He would continue to have personal relationship with His disciples as He does with us today. He died not only to forgive our sins but also to have a fellowship with us: “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” (1 Th 5:10 NIV) and God who is faithful called us into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Co 1;9)
Just few hours ago before Jesus was crucified, Jesus also said, “Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13) Jesus laid down His for us, His friends. Would He continue His friendship with us after He rose again from the dead? Of course He does.
3. Jesus rose from the dead to prove He is the Son of God. This in turn proves Jesus as the Son of God has the authority to give the eternal life.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.” (Jn 10:27-29; 5:21) Jesus as the Son of God knew He has authority to give eternal life to those who follow Him.
Jesus also said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying..” (John 11:25 NLT) Paul said, “if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” as a way to emphasize our sure hope of the life after death in Christ. Our physical death in this world is not the end of our lives, but beginning of the endless hope in Christ.
Conclusion: “If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
If you believe Jesus was raised from the dead, proving Himself to be the Son of God,
then you also believe God loves you so much that He sent His own Son to save us;
You also believe Jesus as the Son of God wants to have personal relationship with you;
You believe Jesus as the Son of God wants to give eternal life to you
You can demonstrate that you believe in Jesus by accepting Him as your Lord. God bless you.
