Resurrection

With the last throes of winter hanging on to some extent, and the month of March coming up, most people are looking ahead to spring. Although here in Oklahoma we are in what is infamously called, “Tornado Alley,” most of the people still pine for the rebirth of life that spring so much symbolizes.

The things that looked dead during the winter months come back to life. They resurrect. The dry brown dead looking grass becomes green again. Lifeless looking tress whose branches are bare start coming forth with lively looking green leaves. Flowers begin to bloom. Not many things can compare to a warm spring day with a gentle breeze, blue skies and bright sunshine. Life just seems to burst forth in the spring.

Although Easter is not during the month of March this year, the first day of spring always is. Even if the first day of spring is not very spring like as sometimes happens, we still know it is spring and the winter is pretty much a thing of the past. In effect, we have passed from death to life.

Ever since I began my relationship with Jesus, the event in the Bible that captures me the most is when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. I'm sure many would be shocked that I feel that way about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as compared to His birth. I understand that. Without Jesus birth, there would be no resurrection. However, with no resurrection there would be no point to Jesus' birth. He was born in order to remove sin from us and take it upon Himself, be judged by Father God for all humanity for all time. He died and was judged by the Father as if He were the most reprobate, despicable human to ever live. Jesus then rose from the dead so that whosoever believes on Him would not just one day go to heaven, but to also receive His resurrection power so that we could live as He did. The Gospel is about the King of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus Christ. The Kingdom is that we not only go to if we pass away before Jesus returns, but a Kingdom that we are to advance here on earth until Jesus returns for His glory.

The point I'm trying to convey here is that Jesus resurrecting from the dead was so that He could give us His power to do as He did in order to advance the Kingdom of God/Heaven. That is what the “Great Commission” is all about.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...'”

Matthew 28:18-20 NASB (New American Standard Bible)

The wording of the “Great Commission” shows it is not about just getting people saved to go to heaven when they pass on. Making disciples is causing people who get saved to become like Jesus as we become like Jesus. He said to make disciples of all nations. Sounds like advancing the Kingdom of God/Heaven on earth to me. Jesus also said, “teaching them to observe all I commanded you...” The words teaching and disciple are interchangeable words.

Jesus also said, “it is enough fo the disciple that he become as his teacher...” Matthew 10:25 NASB.

Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the Father.” John 14:12 NASB. How clear can that be? We can do greater works because Jesus went back to the Father. Interestingly enough, Jesus made this statement after He had risen Lazarus from the dead. None of what has just been mentioned would not be possible without the resurrection.

When Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem he had found out that His dear friend, Lazarus was ill. The Scripture mentioned that Jesus loved Lazarus, and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Yet, although Jesus heard the news of Lazarus' illness, He stayed where he was at for two more days. Most of us would think that's a peculiar way of showing love.

As Jesus then starts to make His way to go the Lazarus, He receives news that Lazarus had died. Martha arrives to where Jesus was at and spoke with Him.

“Martha therefore said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother shall rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.'”

John 11:20-25 NASB

Jesus declared Himself as being the resurrection and the life. He is the personification of the resurrection power. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives and allow Him to do a transformative work in us by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, it not only changes us, but as we become more like Him, we can be more effective in advancing the Kingdom of God/Heaven.

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the gloryof the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection...” Romans 6:3-5 NASB

Paul the apostle who wrote these verses in the epistle of Romans, stressed the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, and your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all most men to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits, of those who are asleep.”

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 NASB

It is the resurrection the proves Jesus is the Son of God. It is us yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit that proves Jesus has risen and is indeed the Son of God.

“And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, even to the remotest part of the earth.'”

Acts 1:6-8 NASB

The word for witness, in which Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses, has in it's meaning to testify of the truth, to be proof and evidence. The best way to be His proof and evidence is for us to have such a deep intimate relationship with Him, that we are His proof and evidence that He resurrected from the dead, that He is alive, and the proof that He is alive is that His transformative power resides in us. It is His life in us, and exhibited through us that proves His resurrection. I'll tell you, I am as much challenged by what I am writing as you may be as you read this. Do not come under condemnation if you feel that you have fallen short. God is not a God of condemnation. He is a God of love, and a God of conviction. He does not convict to show us how badly we fall short. Father God's conviction is always redemptive.

As spring once again brings about life, we should keep in mind the resurrection and how it relates to us. It is God's gift to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.