(1 Pet 1:3 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(1 Pet 1:4 NKJV) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
From this brief but powerful text we are going to discover three things the Resurrection of Jesus Christ provides:
* A past forgiven
* A life worth living
* A future in heaven
1.) A Past Forgiven!
Most of us have done things that we now regret doing. As much as you have tried to put that thing behind you every now and then it rears its ugly head. Perhaps some of us have daily reminders of those things that have regretted doing.
I am reminded of that Volkswagen commercial where the man gets a phone call from himself in the future. His future self tells him not to take that job in Boston. Then his future self tells him to buy the Volkswagen Passat. And before he gets off the phone, his future self says to him, “When you meet Becky run!” He was trying to keep himself from doing things that he would regret in the future!
I have come to let you know today that because Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead that we can have a past forgiven.
The sinful woman of Luke 7:36:
(Luke 7:36 NKJV) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.
(Luke 7:37 NKJV) And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
The implication in verse two was that this woman was a sinner--she was a prostitute. She was literally "sleeping around." She had known and served many a man.
(Luke 7:38 NKJV) and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
(Luke 7:39 NKJV) Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
(Luke 7:44 NKJV) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
(Luke 7:45 NKJV) "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
(Luke 7:46 NKJV) "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
(Luke 7:47 NKJV) "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
(Luke 7:48 NKJV) Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
(Luke 7:49 NKJV) And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
(Luke 7:50 NKJV) Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
This woman, whose sins were many, was forgiven! Her past had been forgiven!
Zacchaeus, the Greedy IRS Tax Man
(Luke 19:1 NKJV) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
(Luke 19:2 NKJV) Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
Zacchaeus was rich because he had lined his pockets with kickbacks from people who paid his to keep their little secrets. He was also lining his pockets with monies he was allowed to keep as Rome allowed him to take a percentage of all the taxes he collected from the Jews.
(Luke 19:3 NKJV) And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
(Luke 19:4 NKJV) So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
(Luke 19:5 NKJV) And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
(Luke 19:6 NKJV) So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
(Luke 19:7 NKJV) But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
(Luke 19:8 NKJV) Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."
Upon meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus demonstrated the fruit of repentance. He had turned from his old ways and was willing to pay back everybody he had cheated.
(Luke 19:9 NKJV) And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
(Luke 19:10 NKJV) "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Zacchaeus was forgiven; his past had been forgiven!
Peter, the one who denied His Lord
Peter had hung out with Jesus and saw His miracles--feeding the five thousand, healing the blind man, making the lame walk and even raising Lazarus from the dead. One day he even told Jesus that he would give his life for the Master. However, when Jesus was arrested Peter ran. And when people began to accuse him of being one of Jesus' followers he denied it with cursing.
After Jesus was raised from the dead He has a meeting with Peter.
(John 21:15 NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
(John 21:16 NKJV) He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
(John 21:17 NKJV) He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
(John 21:18 NKJV) "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
(John 21:19 NKJV) This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Peter's past had been forgiven!
The Apostle Paul
The Apostle Paul, writer of several of the New Testament letters, had a past that he was ashamed of. There was a time when there was a young preaching named Stephen preaching his heart out concerning Jesus Christ.
Paul was called Saul at the time and hated Christianity and was given the responsibility for searching and seizing Christians. Paul came upon Stephen while he was preaching. Stephen says some things in his sermon that ticks the Jews off so much that the Bible says, "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth" and they stoned him.
(Acts 7:59 NKJV) And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
(Acts 7:60 NKJV) Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
(Acts 8:1 NASB) And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
(Acts 8:2 NASB) And some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
(Acts 8:3 NASB) But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Later Saul, whose name was later changed to Paul, would recount this day and others like it: (turn)
(Acts 22:4 NKJV) "I persecuted this Way (Christians) to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
(Acts 22:5 NKJV) "as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul regretted what he had done. Paul was ashamed at what he had done. But something took place in his life that would enable him to talk openly and freely about his “hall of shame.”
He was forgiven!
One day Paul was on his way to murder more of those followers of Jesus Christ. He recounts this day in verse 6:
(Acts 22:6 NKJV) "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.
(Acts 22:7 NKJV) "And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
(Acts 22:8 NKJV) "So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
(Acts 22:9 NKJV) "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
(Acts 22:10 NKJV) "So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.'
(Acts 22:17 NKJV) "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance
(Acts 22:18 NKJV) "and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'
(Acts 22:19 NKJV) "So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
(Acts 22:20 NKJV) 'And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'
(Acts 22:21 NKJV) "Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'"
A man who had a past of hunting and tracking down Christians was forgiven!
A man who had a past of having Christians murdered was forgiven! Paul's past was forgiven!
Jesus specializes in forgiveness—this is why He went to the Cross. The first benefit of the resurrection is a past forgiven. Notice I didn’t say a past forgotten.
* I can remember when I was a liar.
* I can remember when I had a hot temper.
* I can remember when I was a womanizer.
* I can remember when I was a boozer.
* I can remember when I was a thief.
I can remember all the things I did that were against the Law of God---but this memory just makes the grace of God all the more sweeter for me because:
* I’ve been forgiven for my lies.
* I’ve been forgiven for my hot temper.
* I’ve been forgiven for my fornication.
* I’ve been forgiven for my drinking.
* I’ve been forgiven for my stealing.
Because of the resurrection I, like so many others, have a past forgiven!
How did God do this? Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Pet 1:3 NKJV)
Peter tells us that it was because of God’s mercy—no, His abundant mercy, that we can be born again…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
The Apostle Paul says it this way:
(1 Cor 15:14 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
(1 Cor 15:17 NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
(1 Cor 15:19 CEB para) If our hope doesn’t extend beyond this life to a resurrected Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
(1 Cor 15:20 NKJV) But now Christ is risen from the dead…
Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we can have a past forgiven. Never to be brought up by God again.
Others may bring it up but God won't. Others may remind us of it but God doesn't!
(Isa 38:17b NKJV) … I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
(Psa 103:12 NKJV) As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
(Heb 8:12 NKJV) "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
(Micah 7:19 NKJV) He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we can have a past forgiven. Never to be brought up by God again.
2.) A Life Worth Living
(1 Pet 1:3 NKJV) …has begotten us again to a living hope…
Peter writes that we who have trusted in Christ for salvation have been “born again to a living hope…”
Greek Scholar Kenneth Wuest writes that this living hope is:
“A “lively hope”…actively alive, an energizing principle of divine life in the believer, a Christian hopefulness and optimism produced in the believer yielded to the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is both an attitude of expectancy as the Christian looks forward to the inheritance awaiting him in heaven, and a hopefulness of present blessing from God in this life…
A child of God has no right to look on the dark side of things, and to look for the worst to happen to him. As the object of God’s care and love, he has the right to look for the best to come to him and to look on the bright side of things.”
(Prov 4:18 NKJV) But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
(Prov 4:19 NKJV) The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
There are not too many days when I don’t wake up and thank God for being merciful to me
There are not too many days when I don’t wake up and thank God for keeping my family as we slept through the night and allowing us to see another day.
We have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and as a result have a life worth living.
This does not mean that Christians do not have some of the same problems that unbelievers do.
This does not mean that Christians do not experience pain and suffering in their lives as others who know not Christ.
This does not mean that Christians do not have the challenges that come with living and marriage and raising kids and working their jobs.
Christian’s cars break down too.
Christians lose their jobs.
Christians get sick too.
Christians lose loved ones to accidents and illnesses.
The difference is that Christians have been born again to a living hope. The “living hope” is based on the living resurrected Christ. Our life worth living is based on the living resurrected Christ.
What this means is that the Christian’s hope and assurance during this life is as certain and is as sure as the fact that Christ is alive! Peter used the word “living” six times to stress this point (1:3, 23; 2:4-5; 4:5-6).
In Peter's letter “living” means that the believer’s hope is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers.
* When the Christian’s car breaks down he knows that God who gave him the car knows and is concerned about it..
* When the Christian loses his job he knows that the living God who gave him the job has promised to supply his needs. He knows that His heavenly Father knows what he has need of. He knows that God has promised that His children will not have to beg for bread.
* When the Christian gets sick He knows that God is a healer. He also knows that though God may not take the sickness away that God's grace is sufficient.
* When the Christian loses a loved one he knows that nothing is by accident but under the watchful eye of a sovereign God. The Christian who has a "living hope" knows that, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” He knows that he will see his loved one again on the other side!
We have a life worth living!
This doesn't mean that we have a life without problems. It means that we know the One who is our Problem Solver.
This doesn't mean that all of our days will be sunny and bright. It does mean that you can still walk in the light because you know the Light of the World.
Having a life worth living doesn't mean that everyone will be our friend. However, it does mean that we have a Friend in Jesus, who sticks closer than a brother.
It doesn't mean that we will have a life without care. It means that we know the One to whom we can cast all of our cares.
It doesn't mean that we won't experience suffering and even death. It means that we have a living hope in the One who has promised to be with us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Because of the resurrection of Jesus our sins are forgiven and we have a life worth living!
3.) A Future In Heaven
(1 Pet 1:3 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(1 Pet 1:4 NKJV) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
Science has been responsible for bringing us many benefits over the centuries but there is one question that science still has not discovered the answer to: After death, what then?
A cemetery has a tombstone which bears the following epitaph:
Pause Stranger, when you pass me by,
As you are now, so once was I; As I am now, so you will be,
So prepare for death and follow me.
An unknown passerby scratched the following reply underneath:
To follow you I'm not content, Until I know which way you went!
Peter in his writing tells us where the Christian goes when he or she dies. Because of the resurrection not only do we have a past forgiven and a life worth living, we have a future in heaven!
I attended two Good Friday services over the weekend and one of the preachers spoke on how some aging parents have children who have hidden agendas when it comes to caring for their parents. They are caring for their parents but in reality are positioning themselves to be at the top of the list when it comes to the will.
Peter writes that because of the resurrection Christians already have an inheritance. Let me tell you something about this inheritance.
If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your King and Deliverer Peter says in verse three of our text that you have been begotten again. You have been born again--not of flesh and blood but by the Spirit of God. If this is true of you are a child of God, being born again.
If you are a child of God then the Bible says you are an heir of God and a co-heir with Jesus and have come into an inheritance.
The Bible says this inheritance is incorruptible. It is incorruptible because it is in the eternal realm.
Not only is it incorruptible, it is undefiled. It is as undefiled as Jesus is. The same Greek word is used to describe Jesus in Hebrews 7:26: For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens…
Not only is our inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, it is non-fading.
* It is not like some of the garments we wear that fades after so many washes.
* It is not like some of the sodas we drink that lose their fizz after a while.
* It is not like some of the things we buy that we lose interest in after the novelty wears off.
* It is not like that bouquet of flowers that looked so beautiful when you first bought or received but lost its beauty after only a few days.
It is our inheritance--incorruptible, undefiled and non-fading.
Then Peter says it is "reserved." This is the Greek word, tereo, tay-reh'-o, which means to guard (from loss or injury; by keeping the eye upon. It means to guard, protect and set aside. In other words Heaven is the safe-deposit box where God is guarding our inheritance for us under constant surveillance.
The participle is in the perfect tense, speaking of a past completed action having present results.
In other words, when a person trusts Christ he is given an inheritance that is presently under the watchful eye and guard of God Himself.
If you are a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ, you have a past forgiven, a life worth living and a future in heaven and it is all because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
One day this life will be done with for you. Death for some comes so suddenly. For most it comes too soon, no matter what your age.
I am reminded of Dr. Atkins of the Low Carb diet fame. For some thirty years he has been preaching his diet of eating most of what you want just cutting out the carbohydrates. And it was only until recently that his controversial diet has taken off.
In the past year he published two bestsellers and has been appearing on everyone's talk show. That is, until a few weeks ago during an unexpected ice storm, upon leaving his office he slipped on some ice and hit his head leaving him in a coma. A few days ago he died.
Dr. Atkins did not expect to die so suddenly. But death comes and when it comes nothing else really matters.
As each new year begins, there are usually several books and magazines that publish a retrospective of the previous twelve months, including who was born during that time, and who died.
And death is universal. It's democratic; everybody dies.
* Tough people die - Sonny Liston is dead.
* Athletic people die - Roy Campanella and Don Drysdale are dead.
* Country and Western singers die - Conway Twitty and Bob Wills are dead.
* Famous politicians die - John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman are dead.
* Funny people die - Jack Benny and Lucille Ball are dead.
People from all walks of life die. Their lives are remembered by some, but forgotten by most; others take their places. Shakespeare said, "we occupy our brief time on life's stage and then we're gone.
And as we go what do we think about--it all depends on where you are going.
A well known engine-driver on the Pacific Coast, who was no less notorious for his profanity than his skill, lay in delirium on his deathbed. Clutching at the bed clothes, he cried, "I am going down a grade, but I cannot find the brake."
Edward Gibbon, who wrote the "History of the Roman Empire," and was no friend of Christianity, died in 1794, with the words on his lips, "All is dark and doubtful."
Napoleon Bonaparte, dying in exile in St. Helena in 1821, said to Count Montholan, "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth to become food for worms. Such is the fate of him who has been called the Great Napoleon!"
"I'm dying," said one who knew not Christ, "and I don't know where I'm going." "I'm dying," said another, "and it's all dark." "I feel," said another, "as if I were going down, down, down!"
"A great and a terrible God," said another, three times over; "I dare not meet Him!"
"Stop that clock!" cried another, whose eye rested intently on a clock which hung opposite his bed. He knew he was dying, and he was unready. He had the impression that he was to die at midnight.
He heard the ticking of the clock and it was agony in his ear. He saw the hands, minute by minute, approaching the dreaded hour, and he had no hope. In his blind terror, he cried out: "Stop that clock!"
And then there is the death of the righteous:
An old minister of the19th century. At his bedside, were several of his beloved brethren watching his departure. Opening his eyes, he spoke to them these singular words: "Fellow passengers to glory, how far am I from the New Jerusalem?" "Not very far," was the loving answer; and the good man departed to be with Christ.
A dying sailor was near his end, and the death-sweat stood upon his brow. A friend said, "Well, mate, how is it with you now?" The dying man, with a smile, made the answer, "The anchor holds! The anchor holds!"
A few hours before Dwight L. Moody died, he caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him. Awakening from a sleep, he said, "Earth recedes, heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go!" His son who was standing by his bedside said, "No, no father, you are dreaming."
"No," said Mr. Moody, "I am not dreaming; I have been within the gates; I have seen the children's faces." A short time elapsed and then, following what seemed to the family to be the death struggle, he spoke again: "This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! It is glorious!"
A devout Christian girl was dying. She had just about passed the realm of consciousness. Her brothers and sisters who had gathered at her bedside one after another said, "Sister, do you not know me? I am your brother," or "I am your sister." But, with eyes set and glassy, staring as into empty space, she replied, "No, I don't know you."
Her father and mother spoke to her with the same result. The young husband spoke kindly and kissed her affectionately, saying, "I am your husband. Don't you know me?" With the sad, far away look she replied, "No, I don't know you. I have no husband!" The minister drew near to her and asked, "Do you know Jesus?" Then, seeming to come back with regained consciousness, she smiled and said, "Oh, yes, I know Jesus. He saved me years ago. He is with me now."
And it is all because of the resurrection! Because He lives, we live. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we have a past forgiven, a life worth living and a future in heaven.
Here is the question? Have you trusted Him? No? Is that your final answer? It doesn’t have to be.
