Righteous For The Unrighteous Series

Baptism is not a physical washing. Though it is true that in being baptized all the way under the water your whole body will be immersed, the purpose is not a physical washing. The purpose of baptism is that your soul is immersed with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and comes out of the water cleansed of sin. When someone is baptized into Christ, Jesus pays for their sins and the Holy Spirit is given as a Constant Companion.

“Does that makes sense so far,” Peter asked the young man.

“Most of it,” the young man nodded. “You are right, I do not fully understand what Jesus did while He was dead, but I find it interesting that you believe He died physically. Do all Christians believe Jesus died physically on the cross?”

“Indeed my friend,” Peter responded with kindness and continued with a small warning, “You may hear many things about Jesus Christ. If any of them deny that He was fully God or that He died physically on the cross, these are not teachers of the Truth. Now, let’s get to your final question.”

The young man nodded.

III. WHAT IS JESUS DOING NOW THAT HE IS ALIVE? (VERSES 21b-22)

READ 1 PETER 21b-22

It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand-- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

It is indeed basic Christian belief that Jesus of Nazareth physically died on the cross. He died and was laid in a tomb. Jesus died on Friday, was in the tomb all day Saturday, and arose from the grave on Sunday. I want you to know that I physically saw Jesus of Nazareth with my own eyes and I touched His hands and his feet. I saw the holes where the nails were. I felt them. Jesus was alive. He walked and talked. He even ate food with us on more than one occasion.

Jesus Christ rising from the dead completed His victory over Satan. By Jesus rising from the dead, it proves once for all that He is truly God Incarnate. His resurrection proves that He conquered the penalty for sin and came out on the other side of it. His resurrection proves that death has no hold on Him and He can offer us eternal life. Only eternal life is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only source of eternal life and He offers that life to us when we believe in Him.

Jesus spent time with those of us who followed Him and He gave us a job to do. He said to us, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Then Jesus of Nazareth went back into Heaven. I have never seen anything like it before and I probably never will again. He went back to the Father in Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us.

He is in Heaven for two reasons that He told us. First, He is preparing Eternity for us. I am not sure what that entails, but Jesus said He was preparing a place for us and we believe that. He once said to us and I remember it so clearly, “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3). Second, Jesus went to Heaven that the rest of humanity might have an opportunity to learn about Him and confess Him as Savior. That is why He told us to go into all the nations. We are to share His message with everyone we come in contact with. Each person created by Almighty God has a soul that can choose to follow Jesus or choose to reject Jesus. There is no middle ground and it is my job and those who believe like me to share the message about what Jesus said and did. I happen to believe that Jesus Christ will return at the proper time for all who believe in Him and we will be with Him in Heaven.