Preparation for Eternity
Matthew 27:62-28:7
What a wonderful day this is, as all over the world people are celebrating Jesus as the Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, alive forever more! But really, we do that every Sunday don’t we? We gather together with fellow Christians to celebrate the First Day of the week. The resurrection day. Early Christians seem to have celebrated the resurrection continuously. Even in greeting each other.
We serve a risen Saviour and look forward to that day when we shall stand with Him in a glorious heavenly home which He has prepared for all who have loved and served Him. At the end of his life, the apostle Paul said, “ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (II Tim. 4:6-8)
Notice that the great apostle who wrote the resurrection chapter in the book of I Corinthians looked forward with some positive anticipation to the day when he would go and be with the Lord and ultimately have a new resurrected body like Jesus. He said in his second letter to them: “Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (II Cor. 5:6-8)
Just yesterday an older person said to me words to this effect: “Life is really hard these days and as the days go by the harder it becomes.” I rather automatically responded. “I really love life. I really do enjoy what God has called me to do.” But as much as many of us love life, we too long for the day when we shall see Him face to face. That great 3Getting Up Morning,2 when we will be with Him and all those people of God who have gone on before, forever more.. The real joy and blessed hope of this season is that we are reminded that ultimately we shall see Him as He is and we will all be like Him. Those who left this earth after their body deteriorated or was afflicted and stricken by illness and disease, shall be in a new place in a new body! I want to see my father and mother once again. I want to see my brothers and sister once more. I look forward to seeing many friends who have gone on before me. Those I have known in the pastoral ministry in a number of churches
We who know the Living Saviour and the truth of His victory over death, hell and the grave, should not look upon death with fear and trepidation, but with a peaceful anticipation. We should rest in the great climatic burst of praise Paul pens at the end of his resurrection chapter: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 15:53-57)
Now don1t get me wrong. I1m not wanting to die. I1m trusting the Lord to give me more days to enjoy life and serve Him, if it is His will. My days are in His hand. I guess I could rightfully say to some degree what Paul said the church at Philippi: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you.” (Phil. 1:23-24)
As I think on this, an incident in my own life comes to mind. I was in my early thirties and we had four very young children. I was taken to the hospital with a very severe bleeding ulcer. The loss of blood was tremendous and I was given transfusion after transfusion. It was touch and go for a few days. They could not easily stop the bleeding. I well remember one night when the night nurse checked me. It seems my blood pressure was dangerously low and my pulse was scarcely detectable. I faintly remember her cry for emergency assistance. The doctor standing over me, surrounded by other medical staff, and my wife standing behind them. I remember his desperate actions as he gave an adrenaline injection and said something to effect, 3If he doesn1t respond in ninety seconds, he is gone.2 I also remember the peace I had with God. But I recall as well my concern for my lovely wife and children. I did not want to leave them. I wanted to see them grow up. Although I was ready to meet the Lord, I asked Him to spare me if it was His will. Praise Him, He did!
A couple of nights later a purpose for it all became crystal clear. God blessed my witness. I recall as yesterday that beautiful young night nurse kneeling by my bedside in the wee hours of the night and pouring her heart out to the Lord, in true repentance and faith and arising to her feet, with her face shining and a new song in her heart!
Yes, I have a zest for life and would not mind seeing as many of my offspring as possible grow up a bit more. Just yesterday I spoke with that older someone God brought to my door about spiritual matters. He told me that, contrary to what I have been told was possible, that a particular bank had given him a 30 year mortgage to purchase a house. He went on to say that it made him feel good because if he lived to pay it off he would be 100! So who knows? Don1t ever be guilty of saying, “But he or she had a good innings didn1t they?” Implying that we reach an age at which we no longer have the God-given desire to live and that the love of life leaves us.
No, I think we should, as Paul, prepare to meet the Lord and then PLAN TO LIVE FOR HIM!
But yet, one of these days we will all go to what the wise man called our “long home.” But the wonderful thing is that we as Paul, can say, ”I am now ready to depart . . .” Why? Because Jesus is my Savior and my Lord. For some reason this week as I was thinking of my Easter message, my mind went back to events of the past. In particular, the times when my four children were quite young. I thought of how cute my daughters were. I thought of the family times. The outings. Camping out. I could envision in my mind’s eye the good times fishing with my sons. As we drove down Springbrook Road to have a cuppa at one of our favourite places after our Easter Friday services, I thought of the times I drove my little granddaughter down that way to let her go horse back riding. How cute and innocent she was at the time. I thought, “Wouldn1t it be nice if time could stand still? How wonderful it would be if we could stay exactly as we are and be happy and enjoy each other just as we do right now?” But, of course, that doesn’t happen. That is not God’s plan for man. In fact, it would be an effort in futility even to wish it, because we can1t stop the inevitable.
My mother went to be with the Lord when I was fifteen. My father, two brothers and two sisters have all gone on to be with the Lord since our arrival in Australia, over 44 years ago. I did not have the privilege of being with my family during the time of their departure. My oldest brother was a committed Christian. But his wife had gone to be with the Lord a number of years before he did. I’ll never forget what my other brother and sister-in-law told me about his passing. He was in normal good health and spent most of the day with them. Along in the afternoon it seemed he was having a headache and some problems. At a certain point, unexpectedly, he began to weep a bit and said, “Why do we have to die?” Then he spoke of how much he missed his wife who had gone on before. They talked of the resurrection hope and a heavenly reunion. Before the evening had passed, he had also gone on to meet his wife , and so to ever be with the Lord.
The chief priests and Pharisees were brought face to face with the inevitability of man’s mortality. After they had crucified Jesus they came to Pilate and said, “We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 1After three days I will rise again.1 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” (Paraphrase)
Take a guard,” Pilate answered, “Go, make the tomb as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. I don1t know if you see the humour in that or not. But I think God must have. Can1t you just see all the hosts of heaven looking down, watching these priests and Pharisees in their positions as petty tyrants, officiously issuing orders? Then, just imagine the omnipotent Creator and the untold legions of powerful angels looking on as those little soldiers grunt and strain to finally roll the stone into place. Then visualize God and the heavenly hosts, perhaps becoming increasingly amused at their futile effort, watching as they with great pomp and ceremony placed the seal of the Roman Empire on the tomb. Then they see the relatively pitiful little band of soldiers standing guard to make sure that nothing happens!
Can you imagine the God who took the sun and flung it into space being thwarted by a mere stone in front of a tomb? Can you imagine the God who created the power of the atom being stopped by a few Roman soldiers armed with swords and spears? But a hundred years went by and people still remembered. And then 200 and 500 and now, some 2,000 years later, God1s people still gather to worship a risen Savior.
We remember the soldiers who slept, the seal that was broken and the stone that was rolled away. And if the Lord tarries another 2,000 years, God1s people will still be meeting to remember; because Jesus is alive and you don1t forget something like that. You don1t forget the fact that sin and death were conquered that day. Overcomers don’t forget the victory that was won on their behalf. Even the world cannot ignore the difference a Living Savior has made in bringing civilization to a cruel and barbaric world.
THE RESURRECTION CHANGES THE WAY WE LOOK AT LIFE AND DEATH. The resurrection also changes the way we look at life and death and the hereafter. When God talks about death and beyond in the Scripture, He uses different words than we use. Jesus talked about a great Wedding Day. I have been to a lot of weddings and so have many of you. Since being on the Gold Coast and being in this beautiful building, I have been involved in many dozens of weddings and have seen many brides walk down the aisle. In all my years of performing wedding ceremonies, I have never seen an ugly bride and if I ever do I am not going to say a word to you about it. All brides are beautiful. Jesus said that there is great wedding in our future. Those who love Him and are prepared, as a bride, wait for the coming of the bridegroom and that glorious moment when she will be with Him for ever and ever.
Jesus speaks of a day when His people will sit down to a banquet with God. A time God tells us we will feast with Him for all eternity. Banquets are times of joy and happiness and fellowship. Death and beyond is like that for His children. God also says, “Death is like going home.” Two of the greatest words in our language are the words “going home.” At the end of a busy day it is wonderful to be able to say, “I think I1ll go home.” It is time to go home and relax and feel the love and the warmth of hearth and home and to know that you are a part of all that happens there. And God says, “Dying is like going home again.”
Death and beyond might be looked at as a graduation ceremony. I remember at a certain graduation
ceremony a certain acquaintance mounted the platform and received what looked like a diploma. But a few close friends knew he did not graduate. He did not have his diploma. He had not handed in all his work, but had committed to complete it later. But he had received a fake diploma; a blank piece of paper to avoid embarrassment.
I was spared the risk of serving in the armed foces during WWII. I was yet a bit young. The Korean conflict was in my time of service. But I believe WWII did occur. Why? First of all, through the years I have heard the testimony of those who were there and I have read their accounts. They fought the battles. They saw the victory achieved and they passed on the good news. I believe their eyewitness accounts and testimonies.
Second, I also believe because I realize that if we had not won that war our world would be greatly different today. We would not be a free country. We would be an oppressed people. Our society would be different. Our world would be vastly different, if Germany had won that war. If Japan had won, we in Australia might be speaking Japanese!
I wasn1t there when Jesus rose from the dead. But I believe it with all my heart. I have good reasons for believing that He arose. I believe it because reliable people who saw what happened passed it on: many times paying with their life1s blood in order to give a bold eyewitness account of His resurrection. The appearances of Jesus Christ in a resurrection body is an irrefutable evidence of the validity of His bodily resurrection. In the days that followed His resurrection, His numerous appearances to His disciples irrefutably confirms the truth of the matter.
But maybe more important than that, I believe it because our world is greatly different because Jesus is alive. Paul said, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.” (I Cor. 15:13-14) Do you realize that we wouldn1t be here this morning if Christ were not alive? Do you realize that thousands of Christian institutions and agencies across the land would not exist today, if Jesus were not alive?
A cartoon depicted two Roman soldiers standing by the empty tomb. The stone was rolled away and one soldier was looking very worried because they had failed in their responsibility. But the other one shrugged and said, “Don1t worry about it. A hundred years from now, no one will remember.”
As I thought about this Easter message I wanted so much to paint a beautiful picture of an empty tomb on a beautiful spring day in Jerusalem. I wanted to lift up the glorified Christ and say, “That is what it is all about.” Christ is risen and all is right in His world. But I am fearful. I am so fearful, people, that on an Easter Sunday I might paint a picture of false hope. I might tell you that it is all beautiful and it1s all wonderful because it is Easter. That everything is going to be all right for everyone. You see, everyone doesn’t always graduate. They don’t complete the necessary work. I’m afraid that as I have listened and watched again and again this season, and in previous years as well, that I have consistently and constantly been given the impression that many believe that because they live in a so-called Christian country that does permit and even promote the idea of Easter, that everyone who believes about it or celebrates it in any way will be alright. Hot cross buns. An Easter meal. Easter chocolates and eggs. Easter bunnies.
But this is not the case. You see, some homes are peaceful while others are not. And some weddings succeed but others do not. Some banquets are occasions of joy but some are not. And some do not graduate because all the requirements are not fulfilled.
Even so, while the cross is a blessing for those who come and kneel at its foot and accept its sacrifice, it is a curse for those who turn away and never accept the love that is there. The empty tomb is the greatest source of joy for those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior. But, it also becomes the greatest source of judgment and condemnation for those who do not. I am sure you may have seen the bumper sticker that reads “If you go to hell, don’t blame God.” (John 3:18)
You see, you can1t stop the march of God. Not with stones in front of tombs or seals or soldiers. You can1t stop what God is trying to do in our world because God will conquer. God will be victorious and you will either be on His winning side or you won't.
That is the message of Easter. God is preparing us for something much better. Just as He prepares a tiny little fetus inside the womb of a mother. Just as He weaves together joints and bones and flesh. Just as He makes eyes to see and ears to hear and a mouth to speak; preparing that little body to be born into a new world, He1s preparing us for a new world. A better world. A greater world. Our God marches on. He is alive this morning and He comes to reach out to all who would respond to His invitation. So we offer that invitation with great love. With heartfelt compassion we offer it, realizing that maybe there is someone in our midst who has never ever accepted Jesus as Savior.
We plead with you. We appeal to you not to let this moment escape. If you are without Jesus, then come now, repent of your sins, accept Him as your personal Saviour, call upon His name, be faithful to Him in baptism, arise to walk in the newness of life. God1s invitation is offered to you. Will you come as we stand and we sing? (Matt. 11:28-30 Rev. 22:17)
