Did you know that it was Sunday when God began creation? The first day of the week God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light! And God saw the light that it was good.
It was Sunday.
Did you know that it was Sunday when Jesus was raised from the dead?
The first day of the week those women went out to the tomb and found it empty!
It was Sunday morning when they saw the angels who said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here! Come and see the place where they laid him. Go tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead!”
It was Sunday.
Did you know that it was Sunday when the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles and the Church was born? That first day of the week Peter preached to the crowds that gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost and told them that the very Jesus whom they had crucified and buried had been raised from the dead and ascended to the throne in heaven.
It was Sunday.
Peter said, “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this very Jesus whom you crucified!” That first day of the week about 3000 souls were saved when, hearing this gospel, faith was stirred and confessing their sins, they repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It was Sunday! The first day of the week!
The glorious gospel message began to sound out and to save the world on Sunday. What wonderful events have happened and had their beginnings on Sunday! Perhaps, Jesus will return on a Sunday. He may even return today. Wouldn’t that be a glorious blessing!
Imagine that you have a card and on it are these words: It would be wonderful if the Lord returned right now! Check: “yes” or “no.” If there is anyone here that would not check “yes” and underline it and circle it with bold circles, then you really need to hear this message. The rest of us that check “yes” want you to be ready and be with us in glory when Jesus comes. Hear now the gospel:
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
We see that there are three great pillars of the gospel here: the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1. The first is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
In this sense the gospel begins at the cross. The cross, where our Savior took our place.
I suppose that most people in America have heard about the cross. But only a few have committed their lives to the Lord who died for them there.
Let us consider for a few moments the cross of Christ.
As we come to the cross of Christ and consider the work of God performed there, know this… Everything I am in Christ and everything I hope for in heaven I owe to what Jesus did for me there, on that cross. There is no power in preaching without the cross. There is no hope of heaven without the cross. All the faith, repenting, confessing, praying and being baptized in the world would accomplish nothing were it not for the cross. There is no real point in the New Testament, or Old for that matter, without the cross. Every sacrifice in the Old Testament points to the cross.
One of the first impressive statements about Jesus in the New Testament is made by John the Baptist when he saw Jesus and said to some of his disciples, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” And how did this Lamb of God take away the sins of the world? He was slain… sacrificed… on the cross.
Paul, who had once tried to destroy Christianity later said, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God for salvation.” I Cor. 1:18 Then he said, “2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In other words: "When I came preaching, I came preaching about Jesus and the cross."
It gets even more personal. He even wrote: Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.” And, 6: 14 “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Why would someone become so caught up with the death of Jesus on the cross that they would say such things?
To begin to understand this, lets go back to some things Jesus himself said in pointing to his ultimate death on the cross. In the gospel of John we find three times Jesus speaking of being "lifted up." Not for prayer or for popularity, but Jesus was "lifted up" on a cross to die.
1. Jesus tells us, describing himself as being lifted up: John 3:14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.
2. And John 8: 28 Jesus therefore said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
3. John 12: 31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.
32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."
33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
The Lamb of God was lifted up on an alter in the shape of a cross. There he was nailed, and there he died. But why?
Jesus’ death on the cross is for our sins and it is according to the scriptures and in fulfillment of the scriptures. He died for me and because of me.
Why? Listen to our condition before God according to Romans 5:6-10
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
As a sinner you and I are dead, doomed, and destined for damnation. Unless God does something about it, all sinners will face the wrath of eternal judgment in hell. But God, because of his love and grace gave his only begotten Son to die in our place and pay the awful price for sin. Through his death on the cross we are cleansed by his blood. As Romans 5:9-10 says.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Why did God do it? Because God loves you and me more than we can begin to know. The motive of the cross is love of God to save sinners doomed to hell. The cross is where the heel of God and the head of Satan met. It is where holiness and sin clashed in cosmic conflict. At the cross heaven and hell were at war. Heaven won! The cross! It demonstrates the amazing truth of how far God will go to save sinners.
2. Now let us consider the second pillar of the gospel, the burial of Jesus.
After Jesus died on the cross, they took his body down and placed it in a borrowed tomb.
The tomb of Joseph of Arimathia. Nicodemus and some others who were not consenting with Jesus’ death came to see Jesus buried also, and they brought spices to prepare Jesus body for the grave. They fully expected Jesus body to decay in the grave. There is no indication that anyone believed Jesus would actually arrise to live after this terrible crucifixion death.
After someone dies, it is customary in many cultures to bury the dead. Jesus spoke of himself in his death as a grain of wheat planted in the ground that springs up and bears much fruit. John 12:23-25.
Jesus burial provides proof of his death. When they put Jesus body in that tomb and rolled the stone against that opening, everyone believed his life was history. The disciples were scattered. The chief priests and Jewish leaders only worry was that someone might steal Jesus’ body and claim that he was alive. So to make sure that didn’t happen they arranged for a Roman guard to seal the tomb and guard it! Just imaging! Jesus was not just crucified and buried, but they wanted him to stay buried!
Personally, I believe that Jesus was buried on Thursday instead of Friday. When Jesus spoke of his burial he said, Matt 12:39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE Great Fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Three nights: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. But that’s another lesson...
Jesus was buried and remained in that tomb for three days. His burial was proof of his death. And his burial provides the meaning for entering Christ through baptism today. The scriptures are clear on this: it is Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection that informs our understanding of baptism.
See handout. (For those reading this online this consists of drawings: First: Jesus on the cross, Jesus buried in the tomb, and Jesus raised from the dead.
Then beside that is a duplicate drawing of Jesus on the cross as background to a man standing in water confessing Jesus as the Son of God who died for him.
Then, the drawing of Jesus in the tomb is background for this man being buried in the water as Jesus was buried. Then finally, the drawing of Jesus’ resurrection as background for the man coming up out of the water of baptism with Jesus Christ in resurrection life).
Romans 6: 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Col. 2: 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Here the scripture simply says that we who were: baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. By being: buried with him through baptism into death.
When and how are you and I buried with Christ into his death? Can you see it there? Baptism is nothing if it is not what the Bible says it is. The Bible says baptism is a burial with him into his death.
We know that we are justified by the blood of Christ. Interestingly, Jesus shed his blood at his death and this is where we meet Jesus in baptism. Can you see it? Am I making this up?
We who find ourselves dead in tresspasses and sins need to be buried with Christ into his death. It is here that we enter into Christ’s death. If we die in our sins we are doomed. If we enter Christ’s death we receive the benefits of his work of grace. Baptism finds its meaning in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We embrace his saving work by faith, are buried with Jesus into his death by baptism, and are raised with him through that same faith into his resurrection life.
I can hear it now: What about the theif on the cross! He was saved without baptism. Indeed he was! He also died with Jesus and was buried with him that day, so that he entered paradise with Christ. How can you and I die with Jesus today? How can we be buried with him today? Unlike the theif, we can not die with Jesus on the cross. But just like the theif, the Lord has provided a way so that we may enter Christ’s death. He, from the cross, and we from our baptism in Jesus name.
No wonder Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved…” No wonder over 3000 men and women who believed the gospel on that first Sunday of the church were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins.
No wonder the Eunich said, "Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?"
No wonder the jailer and his believing household all were baptized in the middle of the night.
No wonder Ananias told Saul of Tarsus, "Why do you wait? Arrise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
No wonder Peter wrote, "Likewise baptism also now saves us, not the washing of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience."
Since we were dead in our trespasses and sins, Jesus came and died for us and was buried among us to bring to us this gracious gift of life! You see, Jesus died a sinner’s death too! Not for sins he had done, but for sins we had done. But Jesus didn’t stay in the grave. Praise the Lord!
3. Let’s look at this final pillar of the gospel: Jesus was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures!
He’s alive! Jesus Christ rose from the grave and he’s alive! We serve a risen Savior!
Listen to what John saw:
Rev. 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus rose from the grave! Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords! Jesus lives today!
And Jesus is coming back!
Are you ready for his return? Let’s sing together the song: “It is Finished.”
There’s a line that’s been drawn through the ages,
On that line stands the old rugged cross;
On that cross a battle is raging,
For the gain of man’s soul or his loss.
On one side march the forces of evil,
All the demons and devils of hell;
On the other the angels of glory,
And they meet on Gogotha’s hill.
The earth shakes with the force of the conflict,
And the sun refuses to shine;
For there hangs God’s Son in the balance,
And then thru the darkness he cries:
It is finished! The battle is over,
It is finished! There’ll be no more war;
It is finished! The end of the conflict,
It is finished! And Jesus is Lord.
In my heart the battle was raging,
Not all prisoners of war have come home;
They were battlefields of my own making,
Didn’t know that the war had been won.
Then I heard that the King of the Ages
Had fought all the battle for me;
And the victory was mine for the claiming,
And now, praise the Lord, I am free!
It is finished! The battle is over,
It is finished! There’ll be no more war;
It is finished! The end of the conflict,
It is finished! And Jesus is Lord.
Are you in Christ today? Are you ready for his return today? God is calling you to come! Hear his call and answer. Today may be your last opportunity to heed the call.
