Our Glorious Resurrection

Temple Baptist Church - 4-16-2017

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Introduction: 

A.  Today, we celebrate Resurrection Sunday.  The resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is often called the “Capstone of Christianity,” because the eternal hope of the believer rests entirely on life with Christ after death.

B.  The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the “bridge” between the of Christ’s Propitiation and eternal work of Christ’s Priesthood.

1.  Propitiation - 1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

a)  Expiation – the payment or removal of sins.

b)  Propitiation – the appeasement of the wrath of God against sinners.

2.  Priesthood - Hebrews 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

a)  The ascension of our High Priest.  Ephesians 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.  (Christ ascended to heaven twice, once to present His precious blood and place it on the mercy seat in heaven and then His visible ascension from the Mount of Olives in Acts, chapter one.

b.  The act of our High Priest.   Hebrews 9:11-12  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  (12)  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  (The shed blood had to be applied by the purified High Priest, Jesus Christ.)

C.  Therefore, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ became the “bridge” that connected these two things.  Without the resurrection, the blood would have been shed in vain and, without the resurrection, there would be no High Priest to offer that shed blood.

1.  The Importance of the Resurrection: 

a.  If Christ be not risen, then our preaching is all in vain.  Vs. 14 – “if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain.” What I am doing this morning is the greatest time waster in the world.

b.  If Christ be not risen, then our faith is in vain.  Vs. 14 – “and your faith is also vain.”  You would be better off doing something better this morning.

c.  If Christ be not risen, then we are liars!  Vs. 15 – “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.”  Faith in Christ would be the greatest deception that the world has ever known.

d.  If Christ be not risen, then we are still in our sins.  Vs. 17 – “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”  There could be no peace because of the sins that we have committed if they remained.

e.  If Christ be not risen, then our loved ones who have died have perished with no hope.  Vs.  18 – “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”  We would have no hope of ever seeing those whom we love again.

f.  If Christ be not risen, then we are one miserable bunch this morning!  Vs. 19 – “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”  We have given up the things of the world when we should have eaten, drank, and spent our life in merriment.

2.  The Declaration of the Resurrection:  Romans 1:1-4  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,  (2)  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)  (3)  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  (4)  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

a.  Jesus Christ declared to be God!  Ephesians 1:17-20  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  (18)  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  (19)  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,  (20)  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Only God would have the power to both will His own death (Christ dismissed His spirit on the Cross) and gloriously raise the body from the tomb.  There has never been a man of “god of this world” with that kind of power!)

b.  Jesus Christ declared to be Holy.  1 Peter 1:18-19  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  (The only acceptable sacrifice for the complete remission of the sins of the world would be on of impeccable holiness!)

c.  Jesus Christ declared to be Alive.  Revelation 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  (Our Lord Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of God and “ever liveth” to make intercession of the saints of God.  Thank God for a resurrected, living Saviour!)

3.  The Pr0mise of the Resurrection:

a.  An Eternal Hope.  John 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (God has promised eternal life to those who come to Him by faith.  God breath into the nostrils of Adam the “breath of life” and Adam became a “living soul.”  All men will live forever in one place or the other: heaven or hell.  Someone once said that life is full of choices but eternity only has two!  I am glad that my Saviour lives and, because He lives, I will live with Him forever!)

b.  An Eternal Body.  Philippians 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.  (This corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.  A body fashioned like unto His glorious body that will be perfectly fit for eternity.)

c.  An Eternal Joy.  Jude 1:24-25  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  (25)  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.  (There are 7 “no mores” mentioned in Revelation 21.  Heaven will be heaven for all of eternity and our joy surpassing our comprehension!  Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, I live also!)