Assurance of the imperishable treasures in heaven through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Dr. Madana Kumar, PhD
I understand that the theme for this chapel during April is “Sharing with the Needy” based on the bible verse Luke 12:33. So let us start by reading Luke 12:33
Luke 12:33 (NKJV) Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
There are two parts to this verse. One is about giving alms. The other one is a compelling reason why we need to give alms. This morning allow me to focus on the second aspect; the compelling reason why we should give. In this verse, Jesus is asking us to not to focus on perishable treasures, but to focus on imperishable type. He is saying, give away all the perishable wealth you have, and ensure a treasure in heaven that is imperishable.
All of us have experiences with our refrigerators, right? Fridges are getting bigger and bigger. The problem with bigger Fridges is this. More stale food stored for more time. If we keep a perishable fruit at the back of the refrigerator and then forget about it , what will happen? . Soon, the fruit will perish, and then we will be forcibly be reminded of it when the smell hits our nostrils when we open the fridge. You are a medical fraternity, so you will understand the perishable nature of things easily. When I visited the Ortho recently he told me that my knee pain is caused by natural wear and tear of the knee joint. At my age, I am having all the B’s associated with the natural wear and tear of the body. I am close to becoming bald, I have bridges in my teeth ( I have false teeth). I wear bifocals, and I have a bulge in my stomach. This is because the body that I invested in for so long in my life is still not imperishable. It is a perishable commodity. Immaterial of how much I take care of my body, there is a perishable nature to my body. We understand that. Jesus is asking us through this verse, not to put our trust in perishable things like money bags that grow old, or things that can be stolen, or things that can be eaten away by moths. Instead He asks us to give alms to the others and needy so that we can build our treasures in heaven, treasures that do not fail.
If Jesus had just said this and left it at that, it would have a been a good advice and nothing more. But the fact is that Jesus did not leave it at that. He did not just mean it as a good advice. He meant business, as in the case of all teachings of Jesus. I am going to quickly examine few reasons how he meant business when He advised us on this.
1. He promised that He is going to take care of it personally. Jesus knew that He was going to suffer on the cross and die. He explained that to His disciples, and when the disciples were disturbed about it, He comforted them in John 14:1-2 (NKJV) "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. This is a clear promise about him going to be with God, His father. And the fact that He is personally going to heaven to make sure that all who believe in Him have a place there.
2. He wrote a Will before his death leaving all His imperishable treasures to us. All of us know the importance of a Will, in a person’s life when he/she is about to die. A Will is a legal document that bequeaths (leaves) all the wealth a person has to someone else after the person’s death. I have done a study on the whole Chapter of John 17 to establish that Jesus actually did write a Will leaving all his wealth to us. And what was His wealth? What inheritance did He leave us? Jesus describes the inheritance beautifully in John 17:23-26 (NKJV) I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." In these verses, Jesus is leaving a phenomenal inheritance , an assurance that his followers will be with Him in heaven and can behold the Glory of God. That is an awesome inheritance to have isn’t it? He is not leaving any perishable inheritance, but leaving an imperishable inheritance of an assured place in heaven with His Father.
3. To make His Will effective as per the laws of the earth, He chose to die on the cross. There was a very rich old man who could not hear anything. During one off his visits to the hospital, the doctor decided to try a new procedure on him. He was asked to observe the effects for a month and then report back. When he reported back for check up after a month, the doctor asked him if there is any change in his situation. The family members who accompanied him said that they could not observe any change. The doctor then asked the family members to step outside and decided to communicate to the old man alone. When the family members were all at safe distance outside, the old man burst into a big smile and told the doctor. “Doctor. I can hear very well. I have been quietly listening to what my family members were saying about me during the last month and I have changed my Will four times already.” You get the message right? A Will written before the death of a person is only worth the value of the paper till the person dies. This is the earthly law. The Bible confirms this in Hebrews 9:16-17 (NLT2) Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. I have always been amazed about the significance of Good Friday. This one stands out for me. Jesus chose to die on the cross on Good Friday, so that the Will he wrote for you and I becomes legally effective. So that the inheritance He promised will surely reach us.
4. To fulfill His promises, He had to rise from the dead and ascent into heaven. I am not sure about you, but if someone promises me that I can be with him where he is, and then dies and is placed in a tomb, I would not enjoy being in the tomb with him. Would you? That is what would have happened if the story of Jesus ended on Good Friday. But that was not God’s plan. God’s plan was for you and me to inherit heavens completely, a heaven that we can share along with the one who offered it to us. A heaven where we have the presence of Jesus at the right hand of God. That is the significance of today, the Easter day, the resurrection day. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-4 (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, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,. These verses tell us that for us to claim the inheritance that is reserved for us, the imperishable inheritance, Jesus had to be resurrected. That is what we are celebrating today. A fulfillment of all promises that God made through Jesus. A legal inheritance that is imperishable and that is reserved for us in heaven.
I hope that connects up. In Luke 12:33 Jesus is asking us to give to the needy, so that we can build up treasures that are imperishable. Through His promises, His death on the cross, His resurrection and His ascension to heaven, he is assuring us that He is enabling us to do so personally. This morning, let us trust in Jesus Christ, and give away our worldly riches, and focus on the imperishable treasures in heaven that He ensured through the resurrection.
On the night Jesus was betrayed He told His disciples Matthew 20:25-28 (NKJV) "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
And then He demonstrated His true love by exemplifying the greatest act of Service, when He knelt and washed the feet of His disciples. (John 13:1-17). He commended His followers to do accordingly. He said, I your teacher and Lord has set an example for you. And in John 13:17 He categorically said “ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do accordingly.
So let me close this message with that call from Him. I am not referring to physical feet washing here. I am referring to His call to give away everything we have, and serve others, because He set an example for us.
Happy Easter to all of you.
You can watch a video of this sermon at https://youtu.be/O1Zx56hP2Jg
