The Resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
-What is your concern? What is your anxiety and worry? Future, money, success, career, job, graduation, dating, marriage, and others might be your concern or worry. However, if you are the children of God, do not worry about your life. God is leading and protecting you.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
-The children of God have the eternal hope after death. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ show us what true hope is. From today passages, let us hold onto the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1.God’s Method for our salvation: The Incarnation, Cross, Resurrection
1)The Incarnation: God became the flesh in order to save us
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
①After the fall, human beings became dead, captive, and have the background of hell
-There is no hope to save ourselves on our own. It is because we become the slaves of sin, death, and Satan.
Ephesians 2:1-6 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
②Human beings as sinners and slaves of Satan cannot meet God by their own efforts.
-Sinners cannot meet holy God.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
③Therefore, God became the flesh and came to us
-There is no method in us to meet God. Therefore, God the Son became the flesh in order to meet and save us.
Philippians 2:6-7 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
2)The Cross: God died on the cross instead of us for our salvation
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
①God the Son took all our sin on the cross
-We cannot resolve problems of our sins. We are finite beings and have only one life on earth.
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
②In the Old Testament, animals like calf, sheep, dove were killed instead of human being for atonement
-These are the shadow of the blood of the cross. The faithful figures in the Old Testament held onto the type of Jesus’ blood (archetype).
Leviticus 4:4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord.
③In the New Testament, Jesus became our ransom
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
-Jesus Christ is our true ransom to die in the place of us.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
-Jesus Christ is our true offering and sacrifice to God. Therefore, we don’t need any sacrifice after the death of Jesus Christ.
3)Resurrection: God the Son resurrected after three days as the evidence of Christ
1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
①The resurrected God the Son is Jesus Christ
Romans 1:4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
-The resurrection of Jesus testifies that He is the promised Christ and God the Son.
②The resurrection of Jesus is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
-We as Christians have true hope for the resurrection.
③God gives a living hope to believers through the resurrection of Jesus
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
2.We must have the faith of resurrection
1)The faith of resurrection is the faith to survive
①The children of God must live in any situation.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
-In any situation, we can live and survive according to God’s grace and power. WE have eternal life in Jesus Christ.
②The divil puts the thoughts of death into our minds.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
-Do not be deceived by negative, destroyable, and miserable thoughts.
2)The faith of resurrection is the faith to save others
①The children of God should save anyone
Proverb 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
-We have the Gospel of Jess Christ. Share the eternal hope to the lost people.
②Start to think how I should save others! -We are called as the missionary and evangelist in our field.
3)The faith of resurrection is the faith to leave behind.
①Jesus left not buildings, money, and fame, but disciples behind.
Acts 1:13-14 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
②The resurrected Lord commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
-Our great commission is to go and to preach the Gospel to all people. Make a disciple system in our field.
Conclusion
1)Concentrate upon the Gospel!
-What you repeat and concentrate upon are your imprint, roots, and nature. Therefore, the Bible emphasizes to mediate upon the Word of God day and night (every single day).
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
