The Hinge Of Resurrection-2

The HINGE Of RESURRECTION-II

Attention:

When I was an older teenager I can remember our family visiting uncle Wolfe & aunt Peggy who lived in a subdivision in the suburbs of Atlanta.

FYI—Our family always had a grand time when Momma’s side got together, & there was NEVER any hint of alcohol or similar mischief in our gatherings. We all regularly went on vacations together.

This time we were in ‘the big city’ of Atlanta & it was fascinating to me because I lived in a small town. I can remember uncle Wolfe driving us to this fancy restaurant. We went to the top floor—the 72nd floor—of the tallest building in Atlanta, something which I had never done before! Wow!

But the restaurant was not just ‘swanky’, it was a very unusual even for a ‘swanky’ restaurant. You see the draw for the restaurant was the fact that the entire restaurant continuously rotated! No matter where you sat in the restaurant, you eventually got to see all of Atlanta in thirty minutes! I don’t know how they engineered such a thing, but it was the ‘coolest’ thing this guy had ever seen! Somehow it rotated around a central axis. Everything in the restaurant rotated together on the top of the tallest building in Atlanta!

Everything was hinged upon & rotated around the center. Everything depended upon the center.

Likewise, Christian faith hinges upon the central axis of Christ’s resurrection.

Christian faith hangs upon Jesus’ Resurrection.

Christian faith hangs upon the resurrection.

How is Christian faith hinged upon the resurrection?

We have found that Christian faith Hangs upon the Resurrection...

1. PROMISE(Mat. 16:21; Mat. 17:22-23; Mat. 20:17-19)

2. NEED(Jn. 19:31-37)

3— Christian faith Hangs upon...

The RESURRECTION REALITY(Rev. 1:4-7)

Explanation: (Rev. 1:4-7)

:4—“John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you & peace from Him who is & who was & who is to come, & from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,”

:5—“& from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, & the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us & washed us from our sins in His own blood,

:6—“& has made us kings & priests to His God & Father, to Him be glory & dominion forever & ever. Amen.”

In John’s introduction of the Revelation which he has received from God via “His angel”(1:1), the audience’s attention is called to the return of “Jesus”(our one-&-only eternal Savior) in :5. He is introduced to us as “Christ”(Anointed of God), “Faithful witness”(the unwavering witness both of heaven--all things Divine, & of earth--all things created), “Firstborn from the dead”(firstfruit & promise of of resurrection for the faithful), & “Ruler over the kings of the earth”(the ultimate sovereign authority of all earthly authority for all time).

Jesus is qualitatively presented as the One who Himself alone “loved” mankind so much so that He [voluntarily]“washed us” “from” the “sin” in which we are born. This “washing” from sin has already been accomplished “in Jesus’ “own blood.”

This Jesus, who died, became the Way, Truth & Life(Jn. 14:6; 1Cor. 3:11) for all mankind(Jn. 1:12-13), attained individually by personal faith(Eph. 2:8; Eph. 3:17; Php. 3:8-11) & referred to as the church().

—:5—

“Faithful”—martuv—Noun Masc.—1) A witness—1a) In a legal sense, 1b) An historical sense—1b1) One who is a spectator of anything, e.g. of a contest, 1c) in an ethical sense—1c1) Those who after his example have proved the strength & genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A witness(literally [judicially] or figuratively [genitive case]); by analogy--A “martyr.”

“Witness”—pistov—Adj.—1) Trusty, faithful—1a) Of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties, 1b) One who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust, 1c) That can be relied on; 2) Easily persuaded—2a) Believing, confiding, trusting, 2b) in the NT--One who trusts in God's promises—2b1) One who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead, 2b2) One who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah & author of salvation. Strong—objectively--Trustworthy; subjectively--Trustful.

“Firstborn”—prwtotokov—Adj.—1) The firstborn—1a) of man or beast, 1b) of Christ, the first born of all creation. StrongFfirst-born(usually as noun, literally or figuratively). Used 9X.?From—prwtov—Adj.—1) First in time or place—1a) in any succession of things or persons; 2) First in rank—2a) Influence, honor, 2b) Chief, 2c) Principal; 3) First, at the first. Strong—contracted superlative of pro["fore", i.e. in front of, prior or superior to]; Foremost(in time, place, order or importance).—& the alternate of—tiktw—a strengthened form of a primary tekw(which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); To produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively.

“Ruler”—arcwn—Noun Masc.—1) A ruler, commander, chief, leader. Strong—present participle of arcw[to be first(in political rank or power)]; A first(in rank or power).