Today we continue our series entitled, The ABC’s of faith. The larger idea is based on the idea that we learn over time through an exploration process of success and failure. Everything we come to know and understand is built over time on the foundation of trial and error.
We learned last week, the wooden blocks we have all played with were an idea in 1594, a practical concept 100 years after that, and only then it would take another 175 years to be mass practiced and produced as the blocks we know and love from Brooklyn, New York.
Last week, we talked about the cross and this week we complete our “C” alliteration by building on the ideas of creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, and the cross by talking about the most important aspect of our Christian witness: Consummation
On this Easter Morning, I’d like for us to get to the core truth of Easter and to do that we must ask the question, “What is the impact of Jesus’ rising from the dead mean for humanity? AND Why is Jesus’ rising from the dead considered Good News?”
To begin with, Let’s work backward from the end of the story. An end, told to us in the book of Revelation, where the apostle John shares a revelation of what happens at the end of the physical world as we know it. Each person is judged on a scale according to their good and bad deeds. It’s a scene many only glance at because of the difficulty we have with God who will judge the living and the dead (Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 21:6-8). After all, we all believe we are pretty good people and good people go to heaven right? Isn’t it logical to think if I behave on earth, then a good and loving God would be fair by letting me into heaven?
But how good is good enough? Is it graded on a curve? Do those who never heard of Jesus, or those who were brought up in abusive households, or those who are mentally ill, get a pass? Isn't good enough subjective, varying by degrees based on an individual's feeling of what is right and wrong?
We could say isn't that what the Bible is for Afterall, aren’t the ten commandments and all the other commands in the Old Testament the dividing line between heaven and hell? The simple answer is no. The Old Testament commandments and laws are a complicated system of laws and sacrifices created to provide a social and civil framework of the nation of israel. They were never meant to offer a promise of heaven.
On the other hand, The New Testament is full of references to heaven and hell and it’s references are clear on our condition when judged by Jesus:
We all have sinned and fall short (rm 3:23),
There is no one who is righteous, not even one (rm 3:10),
For the wages of sin is death (rm 6:23)
and if that weren’t enough, Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin (rm 3:20).
So if the pretty good people don’t go to heaven and we all are flawed, what’s the criteria for being with Jesus?
There’s a wonderful story from Luke 23 where Jesus and two criminals are hanging on crosses near one another. One of the criminals is hurling insults at Jesus and the other utters his belief in Jesus and repents of his own misdeeds to which Jesus offers the thief a place in paradise or heaven with Him. Now this is a scandalous moment for those on the side of “good people go to heaven” because the thief knew He wasn’t good and Jesus welcomed Him because of his belief.
Jesus never subscribed to the idea: Good people go to heaven. To call Jesus Lord and Savior you are subscribing to an entirely different idea: Forgiven people go to heaven.
Our primary tenet is that God came to earth as Jesus, lived, performed miracles, made unique claims about God, was crucified on a cross by the Romans and rose from the dead after three days. Those who were there believed Jesus was the “lamb of God” who came to be sacrificed for the sins of the whole world. In so doing, he affirmed the millennium old belief and jewish teaching that forgiveness from God requires sacrifice. So what sacrifice could be large enough to make up for all of humanity’s sins - past, present and future? Only Jesus (God incarnate) could bring about a solution so complete. A solution He willingly completed by dying and if that weren’t enough, He rose.
He Has Risen! He has risen indeed.
Why did He rise?
He rose as a:
verification of scriptures,
Jesus prophesied His resurrection (Mark 8:31 and John 11:24), and so did the prophets from the Old Testament (Psalm 16:10–11; Isaiah 53:12) and the angels. I love Luke 24:6-7 where they say to the ladies who came to the tomb,
"He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"" (Luke 24:6-7)
confirmation of His nature of love (1 John 4:15, 5:5; John 10:30)
our forgiveness (Romans 5:10–11; 2 Corinthians 5:21),
evidence of our eternal life for those who believe (salvation),
Through Christ’s resurrection, death has lost its sting. By his resurrection, he destroyed death and brought “life and immortality to light” (2 Tim. 1:10)
Romans 8:11; John 3:16–18; 10:28.
validation of the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual,
Theologian Harry Blamires offers a helpful illustration of the butterfly. As the caterpillar is to the butterfly, so our present body is to the resurrected body. There is continuity but there is also difference. Just as the caterpillar’s body is suited to the realm of the ground, and the butterfly’s to flight through the air, so our present bodies may be suited to this world of sin, but our resurrected bodies will be suited to the life of the Spirit, in a world that is eternal and without limit. And just as it would be difficult for even an intelligent caterpillar to imagine what life would be like as a butterfly, so we struggle to imagine the resurrection life.
Finally, it may be helpful to remember that when we think of the caterpillar we think of its life in terms of its becoming a butterfly. We define its present existence by its future. So too, our present existence is defined by the future God has for us. Source: based on Harry Balmires, “The Eternal Weight of Glory” Christianity Today, May 22, 1991
provide hope
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Cor 15:20-23)
and most importantly, He rose to give us a newness of life, or understanding of the meaning and purpose of life.
This newness is best detailed by the apostle Paul in his writings to Colossians. In chapter 3 details:
Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
And Paul goes on a little later, detailing how this applies to each one of us who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord …
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Many historians believe that central to the rise of Christianity was the simple fact that Christians generously loved each other and their neighbors. They point out that in the ancient world mercy was widely seen as a character defect that ran counter to justice. Justice demanded people get what they deserved and was seen as appropriate, where mercy extended grace, love, and kindness to people who had done nothing to deserve it. Yet the Christians valued mercy. Christian communities became places where people tended to live longer and healthier lives, for when they suffered sickness, poverty or mishap they had brothers and sisters in Christ who provided for their needs. And Christians extended love way beyond the boundaries of family and congregation to their pagan neighbors.
For example, a great plague struck the Greco-Roman world in 251 AD. Those who could afford it fled to the countryside. Those who could not remained in the cities. The streets were filled with those who had become infected, their families left with no option but to push them out the door. Christian communities however took an entirely different approach. They saw it as their responsibility to love the sick and dying, so they took them into their homes and nursed them. This action meant that many people recovered who otherwise would have died. The power of these actions were so powerful that when the fourth century Emperor Julian sought to restore paganism to the Empire he instructed the pagan priesthood to follow the example of the Christians.
Christ is Risen! He’s Risen Indeed.
I’m glad we agree.
Now your commission is clear to go and do like Jesus the risen Christ.
Rise to offer compassion
Rise to be kind
Rise to live humbly
Rise and be gentle
Rise showing patience
Rise to bear another’s burden
Rise to forgive
Rise to Love generously
Rise to bring peace unconditionally
Rise in gratitude. Because we, Christians
Rise to mark the end of life apart from God, the beginning of new life in Christ and a future with God in the Eternal.
Question: Why is His rising considered Good News?
Creative: Blocks on Stage, Reading of Scripture prior to preaching, Public reading John 20:1-18, video for lent, Easter Celebration - He has Risen, He has Risen indeed!
References: Warren Wiersbe Commentary
“How Good is Good enough?” Book By Andy Stanley. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-did-jesus-rise-from-the-dead/
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-rose-from-the-dead.html
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/four-reasons-jesus-was-raised-from-the-dead/
Historical data for the early church derived from Henry Chadwick, The Pelican History of The Early Church and Rodney Stark, the Triumph of Christianity
