No one slept well that night in Jerusalem
• Caiaphas, the high priest, tossed and turned
• Everything was going according to plan, they had received permission from Pilate to kill him, and those arrogant Romans had even done their dirty work for them
• Everything seemed to be falling into place until that unusual darkness came at midday and interrupted the slaying of the lambs for the Passover feast
• Then that crazy man Judas came storming into the temple and threw the 30 pieces of silver onto the temple floor
• But that was nothing compared to the shock of the earthquake that shook Jerusalem around 3:00pm and there were reports that some of the dead had risen from their tombs and walked into the city
• But the most unusual occurrence as he tossed in his bed trying to put the disturbing events of the day behind him was the report that the temple veil had been rent from top to bottom
• He even witnessed the event himself as he was there organising the sacrifice of the Passover lambs
• What did that mean?
• He put the events out of his head and smugly consoled himself that at least that upstart from Galilee was out of the way and despite what had happened that day, things could now get back to normal
Just a few blocks down the road, Pilate too tossed and turned
• The ramblings of his superstitious wife about her crazy dream warning him off this innocent man rattled around and around his head
• Normally, the decision to end someone’s life didn’t phase him, it rarely caused him any loss of sleep
• But this time, it was different, he was filled with doubts and even some regret
• He shouldn’t have caved into the Jews request as he knew they only wanted to get rid of Jesus for political reasons
• He would show them next time they came asking for some favor
On the other side of town the scene was pretty much the same
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, quietly sobbed as she tried to get the horrifying impression of her son being crucified out of her mind
• Some of the other ladies sat around trying to console her
• The disciples sat a safe distance away with their heads bowed in shame as they had run off and hid when their Lord needed them the most
• Now he was dead
• When he died, their dreams of a Messianic takeover died with Him
With the passing of time, Jerusalem would have returned to normal
• in fact it was beginning to return to normal just a few days later
• sure, the rumors were still circulating about what had happened on that fateful day, but people had to make a living and get on with life
• Caiaphas even had a better night
• That is until another earthquake rocked the city early on Sunday morning
• Caiaphas hurried to the temple to see if it had been damaged just in time to meet the Roman guards who had been assigned to guard the tomb
• They rushed in looking like they’d seen a ghost
They passed on the fateful news which caused Caiaphas to turn a deathly grey -“Supernatural beings had come, causing them to collapse on the spot, they pushed aside the stone like it was a pebble, and that Jewish King they had crucified a few days earlier walked out of the tomb right past them, He even smiled at them”
• Caiaphas was shocked but not stupid enough to imagine the implications
• He paid a huge sum of money to the guards to say his disciples had stolen the body
• But it was useless, the news began to spread from other sources all over the city
• The cry – “He is risen” echoed across the city
In heaven too it was the scene of jubilation
• Something momentous in God’s plan of sharing eternity with humankind had just occurred
• After leaving Mary in the Garden, Jesus had ascended to present Himself to the Father and the Father had welcomed Him with open arms
This embrace symbolized two powerful truths
1. For the first time a human had crossed the divide between mortality and immortality
• At the miracle of the Incarnation, with Jesus’ birth, it was God who had crossed this great gulf between immortality and mortality
• Jesus took that momentous step of crossing that divide and joining himself to fallen humanity in order to redeem us back to the Father
• God laying aside his glory and stepping into the corrupt world of time and space
• Now with the miracle of His resurrection and ascension to the Father, Jesus, the first genuine human being in the “image of God” crossed from “time and space” to “eternity”
• This is why the temple curtain was torn open symbolizing man’s direct access to the Father
• So right now sitting on the right hand of the Father for all eternity with a glorified body is a human being, Jesus Christ
• As Timothy tells us,1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
• And the promise that is held out to you and I is, other human beings are going to join him because of His saving work
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
• What is the implication of “firstfruits”?
• Now in v.21-22 we are introduced to a very important principle
• 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
• As Adam is representative of the fall of man, so Christ is representative of the redemption of man
Some commentators will fall over themselves trying to explain this verse doesn’t really mean what it says
• They accept Adam is representative and responsible for the fall of ALL mankind, but they cannot bring themselves to admit Jesus Christ is representative and responsible for the redemption of ALL mankind
• They seem to conclude it is too close to Universalism, the belief that ALL will be saved
• God wish IS that all will be saved, each person is one of his precious children 1 Timothy 2:3-5 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
• It is also true that Jesus has paid the price for every sin committed – “heaven will be populated with forgiven sinners and hell will be populated with forgiven sinners”
• But as we have learnt in the parables, it appears some are such knuckleheads they refuse the gift offered to them
• But by denying Christ is representative of ALL mankind, what they are really saying is the sinful act of Adam is more powerful than the redemptive act of Jesus Christ and that is plain nonsense
• 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
• Paul goes on to confirm this promise
• 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• One day the cry, “He is risen” will be replaced by “They are risen”
• Richard Dawkins when asked if he believed in an afterlife on the ABC’s Q&A answered, “life doesn’t get any better than this”
• He may fly around the world in first class comfort and stay at five star hotels and people bow and scrape before him acknowledging his superior intellect, but there are poverty stricken groups around the world who may take exception to his comment
• I’m sure their hope along with the vast majority of humanity is there is something better out there
• And we can believe there is because Christ has personally demonstrated he can walk away from the tomb and we will live again
• Christianity is the only faith which has the empty tomb
2. By embracing Jesus, the Father showed not only his love for Jesus, but also his acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice of sin on behalf of all mankind
• 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
• So if Christ is representative of all mankind and is accepted by the Father, what does it tell us about our acceptance?
• Our acceptance of course is contingent on our being “in Christ”
• And this is where confusion seems to reign as scripture is obscure on this issue
• Traditional Christianity has taught we have to accept Christ in this life or we’re trundled off to hell
• But this belief is slowly being challenged as it conflicts with the nature of a loving God. What parent would arbitrarily consign some of his children to heaven and some to hell
• John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
• The nature of a loving God would suggest all, at least, be given the opportunity to accept Christ
• And as we learnt in Jesus’ parables, none is excluded before being included (Wedding Supper, 10 Virgins, Talents)
• So this is one of those theological questions we need to leave in the hands of a loving God and accept He will somehow make just provision for all men
• The point is if we are “in Christ” we are accepted by the Father in the same way He accepts Christ
• We too are embraced by the Father and can have that “blessed assurance” we are the Father’s children and nothing can change that
• We are reassured that "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43)
• And if Christ is accepted as the Beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased, what status does it confer on us?
• We get to share in his Sonship – we are embraced as sons of the Father, that is a small “s” as there is only one capital “S” “begotten Son”
• And if we are sons, that also makes us brothers with Jesus Christ
It’s a shame men like Richard Dawkins go around bad mouthing Christianity
• Isn’t it amazing how they portray themselves as being so superior to naïve Christians who believe all that Sunday School stuff
• While they cling to this position, they can never experience the richness of a Christian life,
o the relief of having ones sins forgiven
o of being accepted by the Father as one of his children
o of having our Saviour as a brother
o and knowing we will live again in splendid glory experiencing the life and love of the very Trinity itself
• Fortunately, they too have a Father who loves them and hopes they too will lay aside their resistance and allow themselves to be embraced by His love
The Fathers embrace symbolized two powerful truths for us today and gives us a wonderful hope for the future
1. For the first time a human had crossed the divide between mortality and immortality
• We will live again with a new glorified body
2. By embracing Jesus, the Father showed not only his love for Jesus, but also his acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice of sin on behalf of all mankind
• We have the assurance that we that we too will be welcomed and embraced by our loving Father in the same manner Jesus was
