Today Christians all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross—history records this as an actual event. The Bible also teaches that Jesus Christ was raised from death and the grave—history also records this as an actual event.
It is not my intent today to convince you of the authenticity of the Resurrection. The evidence for the resurrection has been scrutinized for 2000 years. Men have tried and failed to invalidate what the Bible teaches and what history has recorded.
If you are a skeptic, I challenge you to investigate the evidence. But I warn you, you may yourself become a follower of Jesus Christ as many have after studying the evidence. Christ is raised from the dead! He is risen!
Today we are going to look at several benefits resulting from the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
1 Pet 1:3 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,
The Benefactor of the Resurrection
The Mercy through the Resurrection
The New Birth in the Resurrection
The Living Hope from the Resurrection
1.) Benefactor of the Resurrection
A benefactor is a sponsor, supporter or backer. It is someone who “aids an individual or cause.” Our Benefactor is God.
Peter begins verse 3 by blessing God for what He has done. The word “blessed” comes from the Greek word, eulogetos, yoo-log-ay-tos'. From it we get our English word eulogy. When you eulogize someone you say something good about them.
Peter is in essence, “speaking well” or “praising” God for who He is and what He has done.
Peter is blessing or praising God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Peter is blessing God as the Father who loves us and has given us His only Son.
God as Benefactor, came to our rescue. When we needed His help He came to our aid and gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ!
Why did God give His only Son? How does giving His Son Jesus aid us and support us?
In the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings teaches that we dissed God’s holy Law; we broke His commandments. God tells Adam not to eat of a certain fruit and Adam disobeyed—his sin now runs through our veins.
Not only that, but we ourselves choose to sin just like our father Adam.
When God said in the Bible, “Don’t have any other gods before me,” we love ourselves first.
When God commanded us, “not to make any idols and worship and serve them,” we make cars and homes and clothes and American’s idols and worship and adore them
When God said, “Don’t use my Name in vain…” we call His Name when we really don’t mean it and some of us use His holy Name as a cuss word.”
When God said, “Honor your father and mother…” we talk back to them and don’t do what they say and when they are old we ignore them.
When God said, “Don’t kill” we murder, if not with our hands then with our words and in our hearts.
When God says, “Don’t commit adultery—don’t have sex with someone other than your wife or husband” we jump in bed with people we aren’t married to. Some have even jumped in bed with someone of the same sex.
We’ve broken His holy Law; we’ve broken His commandments—this is what is called “sin.” Sins are crimes against God. As a result of our sin, we’ve condemned ourselves to an eternal death.
The picture the Bible gives is of a courtroom scene. We are the defendants—caught red-handed; guilty before God.
As Judge, God has to pass judgment—death—spiritual death—separation from God. But He was not only our Judge, He was our Benefactor! God gave up His only Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8) Peter says, “Blessed be God!”
This leads us to our next point.
1 Peter 1:3 - “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…”
2.) Mercy through the Resurrection
We did nothing for ourselves; we could do nothing for ourselves. Content in sin; miserable but content we were. We were sinking deep in sin but love, His merciful love, lifted us.
You know, mercy holds back what we deserve. We deserve execution.
It is easy for us to condemn a man like Scott Peterson who murdered his wife Luci and unborn son Conner.
It is easy for us to condemn a cannibal and serial killer like Jeffery Dahlmer.
It is easy for us to despise those who abduct and sexually assault little children like nine year old Jessica Lunsford.
Not many of us would disagree that Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, the defendants of the Enron scandal, should get the book thrown at them.
Q: Where do we get that burning outrage when someone commits these kinds of crimes against humanity?
A: We are all made in the image of God who hates sin and if you believe that thieves, extortionists, rapists and murders should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, then you would also agree that before a holy God, who is Judge, we all stand condemned for violating His laws and ordinances.
Each of us has the spiritual DNA of a criminal just waiting to get out. Each of us stands condemned; we are on death row, awaiting execution. The punishment is to be thrown in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.
By the way, I was thinking about the common from of execution today—lethal injection. This idea probably comes from the devil himself. Think about it, not only does lethal injection serve as a painless way of punishing a criminal and not only does it remove any deterrence to committing crimes, it also makes the transition from the realm of the living to eternal punishment more abrupt.
In the past criminals would go to their deaths through the pain and anguish of an electric chair or a gas chamber but now they fall asleep and wake up in hell.
Whether it is by lethal injection, illness or a horrific accident, if you are not a follower of Jesus Christ you will close your eyes to this life and wake up in a fiery hell.
But God has shown us mercy. But don’t get me wrong; He didn’t wink His eye at our sin. We are all guilty of sin. The Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “The wages of sin is death.” “The soul that sins shall die.”
Crimes have been committed against God and someone has to die and Someone did. Somebody satisfied the Law’s demand for judgment. Somebody paid the price. We did the crime and Jesus paid the fine.
Jesus paid the price for “our bad” with His own life. Because Jesus was our substitute who took our punishment upon Himself, we are spared the punishment. In other words, we are shown mercy.
Peter goes on to tell us what God’s mercy permits Him to do…
The NIV version of 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth…”
3.) New Birth in the Resurrection.
Man is born a sinner; he is born condemned. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is given new life. The Bible describes “new birth” as new life.
The holiday of Easter occurs in the spring of the year when the flowers have emerged and the fragrant smell of spring is in the air. The warm temperatures and the color of green have returned after what oftentimes has been a cold and harsh winter.
This is not the life the Bible is referring to. It is not the life that comes with the spring season. It is not the “born again” experience that Billy Preston sang about when he said, “Woman when I’m with you I’m born again.”
Here is how the Bible describes this “new birth.”
In John chapter three Jesus talks to a man who sought to speak with Him under the cover of darkness: Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus says in return, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Jesus answers, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'”
The new birth that Jesus is talking about here is not physical birth. New birth comes when one is washed from their sins by the Spirit of God and given new life.
You see, you don’t evolve or phase into becoming a Christian.
You don’t become more and more of a better person and then one day someone declares you to be a Christian.
You don’t stop drinking and smoking and shooting up and sleeping around and then one day notice that you have become a Christian.
But being “born again” is something that happens in an instant of time when you turn from your sins and trust Jesus Christ as your Master and the Forgiver of your sins.
“New birth” is what happens when one passes from death to life
From condemnation and judgment to forgiveness
From a state of bondage to freedom.
From spiritually poor to spiritually rich
From a child of the devil to a child of the living God
This is why Peter eulogizes God, says something good about God when he writes in 1 Peter 1:3 - “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…”
Peter remembered that he once was lost but now he was found.
He remembered that he once was blind but now he could see.
In the uterus, it is all dark but when the baby is born it is brought into the light. This is how it is for those who are born again. Before trusting Christ, it is all dark. Sin is darkness. Satan and his demons are called “rulers of darkness.” (Ephesians 6:12)
But after trusting Jesus Christ and becoming a follower of Christ, the light has come! The Bible calls Christians, “children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8)
We have a Benefactor in the Resurrection. We find mercy in the Resurrection and there is new birth in the Resurrection. Lastly, Peter says we have a “living hope.”
4.) Living Hope in the Resurrection
The number of those who believe in Jesus Christ in the United States has constantly decreased over the years while percentages of those who are experiencing depression and despair have exploded. Antidepressant drug sales have increased and I believe there is a direct correlation to disbelief in Jesus.
The Apostle Peter is teaching in our text that Christians, those whose sins have been cleansed away by Jesus Christ, have a living hope. The Christian is full of hope for both the present and the future.
The Christian has hope for the present:
* Jesus is with him. Hebrews 13:5 says, “He will never leave me nor forsake me.” In Psalm 23 God has promised to be with us as we go “through the valley of the shadow of death.”
* The Christian has power for living. Luke 24:49 Jesus promises His followers that they will be “endued with power from on high.” Phil 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
* The Christian has no need to be anxious or to fear. 2 Tim 1:7 - “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
* The Christian is promised both God’s provision and protection. - Phil 4:19 - “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Because of the resurrection, the Christian has hope for the present; but it doesn’t stop there. The Christian also has hope for the future.
A hope for heaven. A hope to be with Jesus for eternity!
John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
One of the reasons people are experiencing more despair and depression today is that they’re putting all their “eggs in one basket.” Their basket is this life. But the Bible says that your life is like a vapor—it is here today and gone tomorrow (James 4:14).
But the Christian has a living hope. The Apostle Paul calls it a “blessed hope.” (Titus 2:13) Jesus is coming back to get His followers and to take us to heaven.
In heaven, the Christian will permanently be gathered away from the power and the presence of sin.
Rev 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
Rev 21:6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Rev 21:7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
Rev 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
The Christian will be given a new body…that is a living hope!
As hard as we try we will never create a drug that will do away with death. Some of us will be trying until the day we die to lose weight and others to gain weight. Others will have so much plastic surgery they will look like a mannequin and still others will stretch their skin until it rips.
I’m going to keep trying to lose weight but this body is not where my hope is. I have a living hope in a new body. 1 Cor 15:52-53 says “…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
In heaven there will be no more pain and suffering…
Rev 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
The resurrection provides the believer with a living hope! Jesus said of Himself, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Because Jesus has been raised from the dead and now lives, the Christian lives! We have a living hope!
Peter can speak from experience about this “living hope.” A few weeks ago we told his story. He had denied Jesus Christ. When someone pointed him out as one of those who had been with Christ, he denied it and swore up and down that he “didn’t know the man!”
After Jesus was crucified, Peter and some of the other disciples just returned home. It was all over; the Jews and Romans had conspired together and had killed Jesus.
In John 21:3, Peter tells the disciples, “I am going fishing.” Like Peter, so many in our day in an attempt to avoid pain and loneliness, immerse themselves in their jobs and other activities. Busying themselves seems to anesthetize the pain. If work doesn’t keep their mind off the pain, alcohol, drugs and sex are tried.
After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead it is another story. Peter is a changed man!
In the book of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the church. A large crowd is formed from the spectacle and someone accuses the believers of being drunk.
This time Peter doesn’t run and hide and deny his Lord and Savior. He stands up in the crowd and begins to give an explanation for what is happening:
Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know;
Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
Acts 2:24 "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead changed Peter from one who cowardly denied Jesus to one who courageously declares Him. Do I have a witness?
30 years ago as a shy 18-year-old I would have never thought I would be standing before you declaring the liberating truth of the resurrection. He lives! Jesus lives!
Something has got a hold of me and it is like fire shut up in my bones. I cannot keep it quiet.
I have a Benefactor because of the Resurrection. I bless God as Peter did who loved me enough not to leave me in my sins.
I have experienced Mercy through the Resurrection. I was a guilty sinner, worthy of condemnation. I had broken all the Law of God but was shown mercy. The penalty for who I was and what I did was paid for in full when Jesus absorbed the wrath of God for sin in my place.
I was given a New Birth in the Resurrection. I was born again. I was spiritually lost and a child of the devil but then something happened. Jesus shed His blood on that cross, I trusted in Him and His finished work and was washed in His blood and made clean. I came out of the wash clean as a child of God.
Because you have a Benefactor who’s had mercy on you and has given you new birth, you have a living hope from the Resurrection! You can spend each day knowing that you are a child of God and have the confidence that He loves you and will take care of you, now and forever!
Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? He is risen!
