Why the Resurrection Matters

Transcript

GRM 956
4/16/2006
Why the Resurrection Matters
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


It’s one of the great days of celebration and an even that is recognized around the world, celebrated in different ways and to different degrees, but it is an event that draws the attention of the world. And in our country there is great focus on the events of Easter. Churches are filled and celebrating the events of Easter. Some of the news magazines have as their cover story, stories on Jesus Christ. There have been events in the news and on some of the programs on Jesus Christ again, stories and accounts about Christ become focal points. We have to talk about the gospel of Judas these days and the discovery of an ancient manuscript that some people think sheds new light on the role of Judas. And of course the Davinci Code, the book has been a big seller and the movies gets some attention. And Jesus Christ is much talked about.

We celebrate an event like Easter, but I think it’s absolutely essential that we understand what the Bible says Easter really is. What is the significance of Easter, why would we celebrate Easter? Well we say it’s resurrection. But really what is entailed in that? What does it mean that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead? I mean that’s wonderful, that’s great. So what does that have to do with me 2000 years later? How does that fit in the plan of God? I think it’s important we be able to grasp for ourselves and then present in a clear, concise way what is significant about Easter. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so important? And that’s what I want to focus attention on today. I’ve selected just a few areas, three, that we can focus on that the resurrection settles and declares for all time.

Before we look at those, turn to Matthew 28 in your Bibles, the first book in your New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, and the 28th chapter which is the last chapter of the first book in your New Testament. It records the events associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Chapter 27 concluded by saying they went and made the grave secure and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. You’re aware they had a great round stone that they could roll in front of the entrance to the tomb and they sealed that so it would be evident if anyone broke the seal. Then they stationed guards there to be sure no one would come and steal the body and thus start rumors. And then chapter 28 as we have it in our Bible opens up, now after the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came, rolled away the stone and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, do not be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here for He has risen just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and behold He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Behold I have told you.

A remarkable event, has great impact on a few people. Some will go away not knowing what to make of it. These precious women are thrilled. Verse 8 says they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report it to the disciples. Can you believe it? The tomb is empty, the grave clothes are empty. He has risen! An angel of the Lord was there to declare it. Well what about the soldiers guarding the tomb? They are a non-issue, they were zombies. They just sort of went out of it. Then Jesus meets them and confirms the reality of His resurrection.

Then verse 11, while they were on their way some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. You know the denial of the truth of Jesus Christ began very early. Now these guards were entrusted with the responsibility for the body of Jesus Christ. The body is gone, they come in and report to the chief priests all that had happened. And the chief priests said to them, well here is the story you tell. You say we fell asleep, and while we were sleeping His disciples came and stole the body away. Couple of problems with that story, but #1, if you were sleeping how do you know what happened to the body? I mean you were sleeping and His disciples came and stole the body away, well how do you know it was His disciples if you were sleeping? Doesn’t matter if the story makes sense, tell it often enough and some people will believe it.

Now I used to wonder, well why would these soldiers—I mean they’ve been confronted with an awesome miracle—why wouldn’t they just say I have to tell the truth. I mean you understand an angel from heaven came and rolled the stone away. Now if your life was on the line and you were one of these soldiers how would you like to have to have your life depend on that story? Because then everybody else will say you fell asleep. No, no, an angel came and rolled the stone away and the body was gone. So in a sense it’s not surprising that they agreed with the chief priests who said that they would give them a large sum of money and also they would go before the Roman governor and be sure they didn’t get punished. Because they would have to give their lives for failing to maintain the security of the tomb. So it’s not surprising. We ought not to be amazed that there are all kind of stories that go around. Well Jesus didn’t die on the cross, He really continued to live and married Mary Magdalene. Since Mary was mentioned, Mary Magdalene in verse 1, and out of that people build all kinds of fantasy stories. But the reality of it is, Jesus Christ was buried and He was raised from the dead.

Verse 16, the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee. Remember Judas is no longer part of the picture. Now Jerusalem is in the southern part of Israel, Galilee is in the northern part, basically, up by the Sea of Galilee. So His disciples are going to leave the region of Jerusalem and travel north to Galilee to meet Jesus at the mountain He had designated. When they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some were doubtful. They can’t believe it is really Him. 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 the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Here will be your responsibility. Make disciples of all the nations, carry the message and the truth concerning Me to people everywhere. Tell them that I died, but I am alive. And that is the ministry of His disciples, and that ministry has been passed down. And we are gathered together today to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to tell that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and He was buried but He was raised from the dead and He is alive.

What is the significance of that? Why should that thrill my heart? What difference does it make to me 2000 years later, living in a modern world, what difference does it make that Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross and was raised from the dead? Even if it’s all true, so what? What is its importance to me?

We’re going to look at three matters. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans. Now you’re in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans. So you go through the gospels, and you go through the book of Acts which tells the overview of the history of the early church. You come to the book of Romans, chapter 4. The book of Romans talks about our sin through the first three chapters, basically, that we are sinners, all of us, every single one of us. The most callused and indifferent and agnostic or atheistic person and the most religious person are all characterized by one thing—sin. We have rebelled against God and we are guilty before Him. The penalty for our sin is death. The wages of sin is death. Now the Bible in the book of Romans proceeds to tell us how we who are condemned as sinners can have God’s righteousness credited to us so that our sins are cleansed and we are viewed as righteous in Him.

And so at the end of Romans 3:22 we read, if the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So whatever differences we recognize among ourselves or emphasize or see, and in Paul’s day the great difference was between Jew and Gentile. You understand there is one thing that unites us all. We are all sinners, we have all sinned, we have all fallen short of the glory of God and his requirement of perfection. But, verse 24, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God publicly displayed as a propitiation in His blood through faith. Propitiation—satisfaction. God provided His Son to satisfy the demands of righteousness, justice, on His blood. Why? The penalty for sin is death. Jesus Christ shed His blood, He died to satisfy the requirements of justice and righteousness. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, God passed over the sins previously committed for the demonstration I say of His righteousness at the present time. Note this, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. That He would maintain, the word just and justifier and righteous all come from the same basic Greek word. To justify is to declare righteous, to be just is to be righteous. And God, to maintain His own righteous character, and also be able to provide righteousness for sinful people had His Son pay the penalty for sin. That’s God’s plan. People today think they can be saved by their good works, by being religious, by attending church, by doing all kind of things. But you understand God has to maintain His just character and also be able to declare people justified, righteous. And the penalty for sin is death. That’s why His Son came and died.

So there is nothing for us to boast about if we get saved because verse 28, we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Isn’t it amazing—2000 years after God had this written people still think they are going to get saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. But here we’re told that we become righteous apart from the works of the law. The Ten Commandments are part of the law and Paul has already established in Romans that by works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight. Because the penalty for sin is death, not works. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith, and this God is the God of the Jews and of the Gentiles. And justification for Jew and Gentile is the same—by faith. There is only one God, there is only one way of salvation. That’s the way that God has provided—through the death of His Son.

So come to the end of Romans 4. He’s using an example in chapter 4 of Abraham who believed God and God credited it to Abraham as righteousness. Now God wrote this about Abraham who lived about 2000 years before Christ walked the earth. Verse 23, now not for his sake only was it written, that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited (God’s righteousness credited to us) as those who believe in Him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. This Jesus who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. He was delivered over to crucifixion because of our sin, He was raised because He had provided righteousness for us, our justification.

The first thing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ is it is God’s evidence, God’s proof, God’s seal of a finished work—righteousness for sinful mankind has been provided. He was raised because what was necessary for us to be declared righteous by God had been accomplished. It was a success, if you will. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. How do I know that the death of Christ really paid the penalty for my sin? The tomb is empty, the tomb is empty. He was raised because everything necessary to provide God’s righteousness for sinful human beings had been done. Think about that. Is it any wonder we want to celebrate the resurrection? But you understand you don’t understand the significance of the resurrection if you don’t it, Why did Jesus Christ need to be raised from the dead? What in the world was He doing in a tomb? Why would He die on a cross a horrible death. In fact the Bible said cursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree. When He hung on a cross He was a curse and cursed in the sight of God, because He was paying the penalty for our sin.

I’ve shared with you before, crucifixion was such a terrible event that if you were a Roman citizen you didn’t die in capital punishment by crucifixion. They viewed that as too low a death for a Roman citizen. Even a Roman citizen who deserved capital punishment didn’t deserve to be crucified. But Jesus Christ was crucified and then He was buried. But the resurrection completes the story of the providing of redemption, because according to Romans 4:25, He was raised because of our justification.

Another way this can be put is in the book of Hebrews 10, you may want to turn to Hebrews. Keep something in Romans, unless you’ve already lost it and then you get to practice going back. Hebrews 10:10, he’s contrasting what Christ did in the sacrifice of Himself in dying on the cross with all the sacrifices that have been offered through the Old Testament. Verse 10, by this will, the will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But He, Christ, having offered one sacrifice for sin for all time sat down at the right hand of God. Now you’ll note the importance that He sat down after that sacrifice. ??????? There were no chairs provided for the high priest in the Old Testament when he went about his ministry because his work was never done. When Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of His Father in heaven, it is the demonstration that everything that would ever be done to provide salvation for sinful human beings had been done. So you read in verse 14, for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Now sanctified means you have come to believe in Christ and been set apart by God for Himself as a forgiven one, one that He has declared righteous. That’s it. I think it is the greatest of tragedies that multitudes of people think that they are going to become acceptable to God by their good works, trying their hardest to do their best, going to church, being baptized, having their children confirmed, trying to serve in their churches or places of worship. But you understand that Jesus Christ has done everything there is to be done. The resurrection that we are celebrating today is God’s statement to the world that Christ by His death on the cross paid in full the penalty for sin. And now God gives His righteousness as a free gift.

Back in Romans 3:24, being justified as a gift, being declared righteous as a gift by His grace. a gift is something you didn’t earn. His grace is something you don’t deserve. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. All because He satisfied the requirements of a righteous God in paying the penalty for sin.

Turn over to Romans 10. Paul was burdened with a great tragedy. Paul was a Jew and he had spent much of his life trying to become acceptable to God by His good works, by His religious works. And when he gave his testimony to the Philippian church in Philippians 3 he said, you know I had to realize that all the righteous things I had tried to do had to be put on the dung heap, they were worthless in making me acceptable to God. I found righteousness by turning in faith to Jesus Christ and believing He died for me. He writes about this in Romans 10 also. The chapter begins, brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them, for Israel, his fellow-Jews, is for their salvation. I testify about them, they have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. These poor, dear Jewish people were working so hard, they’re trying to keep the law and to keep the Ten Commandments, to do all the other 603 commandments in addition to the Ten Commandments, and on it goes. And they don’t understand. They’re trying to get their own righteousness before God, when you have to have God’s righteousness. They don’t know about God’s righteousness. This is like most of the religious people in the world today. They’re trying to establish their own righteousness and they are ignorant of God’s righteousness.

What does the scripture say? This is the word, the end of verse 8, the word of faith which we are preaching. It’s the message that you are saved by not your works, but by believing what God has done. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, with the mouth he confesses, resulting in justification, salvation. Now we say the mouth and the heart, what do you mean? Well Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised from the dead, and you confess that with your mouth. That’s how people know what’s in your heart, and you are saved. Well whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved, verse 14 says. So how do I get saved? Oh God I am a sinner, I believe that your Son died for me, I want Him as my Savior, I’m trusting Him.

Verse 14, how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed, how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher, someone to tell them. How will they preach unless they are sent. Verse 17, so faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Isn’t it amazingly simple? How can a person be forgiven and cleansed from all their sins no matter what they’ve done and become righteous in God’s sight? Well join this church, get baptized, take communion, give your money and work hard. Well as a preacher I might say sounds pretty good to me. We add to that, give your money so the preacher can be paid well and that of course will move you along. The problem is none of that is true, because you can join this church and get baptized and give your money and take communion and die and go to hell. Because the wages of sin is death, not church membership. The wages of sin is death, not baptism. The wages of sin is death, not communion. The wages of sin is death, fill in the blank. That’s it. You must hear the message of Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection and you must believe that He died to pay the penalty for your sin and trust Him as your Savior. That’s how the death of Christ gets credited to your account. So God says the penalty for your sin is paid and now I will take the righteousness of my Son, Jesus Christ, and credit it to you so His righteousness becomes my righteousness. So I’m now acceptable to God. That’s the provision God has made. That’s why Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. So His resurrection is God’s seal of a finished work, the work of salvation is done, righteousness has been provided. And it becomes yours when you believe in Him and Him alone.

Secondly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pledge of a coming resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ means some day I am going to be raised from the dead. This life is not all there is, this life does not end it all. There is a coming resurrection. Turn over to I Corinthians 15. We ought not to be surprised that some people think they’ve come up with all these insights and additional understanding which in effect end up denying the truth of the resurrection of Christ. It started very early. The Apostle Paul is writing about 55 A.D. He’s writing about 20 years after the crucifixion of Christ and already people are denying it. Even in the church at Corinth there were those who were saying there was really going to be no resurrection of the dead. Look at verse 12, now Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead. How do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Paul said I came to Corinth and preached to you that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, now some there are saying there is not going to be any bodily resurrection for us. If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain, your faith is vain. That ties to what we just said—the resurrection of Christ is the seal of a finished work, salvation has been provided. And if Christ has not been raised, then everything we’re preaching about is empty and worthless. And everything you believe about Christ is worthless. This idea that Christ was some kind of great person and a marvelous example even though it’s not true He was raised, that is a lie. Christ was a horrible liar and deceiver if He wasn’t raised from the dead, because He built everything on that.

Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of Christ because we testified 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. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. You understand if Christ was not bodily raised from the dead you cannot be forgiven your sins by believing in Him. It’s a hoax. That means those who have fallen asleep in Christ, believers who have died, have perished. There is no future for them. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. Paul did not agree with those who would say that religion is a crutch for those who can’t get by life on their own. He thinks it’s pitiful to believe a lie.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. Now note this, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. The firstfruits. For example in the Old Testament in Leviticus 23, that’s the first ears of grain, the first part of the harvest that was brought in and presented to the Lord. It’s called the firstfruits because it’s the evidence that there is more to come. Here is the evidence that there is a coming harvest. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. He is the guarantee that you and I as His people are to be raised from the dead. We will be raised like He was raised, we will have a body like He had when He was raised from the dead.

For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive. But there is an order—Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, and there is the order of resurrections that we have talked about on other occasions, and we won’t pursue now. The last enemy that will be abolished is death, in verse 26. And that is an enemy we still face. But Christ is alive. You know what? If this physical body of mine experiences death, you know what? It’s going to be raised from the dead. By the time we get to the end of the chapter he’ll be talking about the fact when Christ comes, if you haven’t experienced physical death, you will experience transformation, because in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet this body is going to undergo transformation, a metamorphosis, and become glorified to be like the body of His glory, the body He had after His resurrection from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of His people. In John 14, the last night Jesus had with His disciples that will culminate in His betrayal and crucifixion, He told His followers, because I live, you will live also. His resurrection guarantees our coming resurrection. That’s a blessed hope. Those loved ones that we have who are believers in Jesus Christ, they haven’t perished, they have fallen asleep. They are absent from the body and present with the Lord. The body without the spirit is dead, they haven’t ceased to exist, they’ve moved out of their bodies. II Corinthians 5 says the body is like a tent, when you die you move out of it and it gets folded up. But you know what, at the resurrection that body is going to be called back to life and the person is going to move back in. That body will be glorified, suitable for the glory of God’s very presence. And we are encouraged in I Thessalonians 4 with the reality that we will be joined with loved ones in the glory of God’s presence. We will be joined with them when Christ comes.

The resurrection is a hope, a blessed hope for us as God’s people. And the resurrection of Christ that I’m celebrating today tells me that I’ll see loved ones, family members again who believed in Jesus Christ. And we will enjoy together the glory of God’s presence for all eternity. Oh that’s just something to comfort your heart. I was watching a program the other night, a biography of a movie star, television personality who died of a drug overdose. Lived by everybody’s testimony a dissolute life, drunkenness, drugs, immorality and died, sadly in his early 30s of a drug overdose. But you know what they said, friends of his? We’re just comforted to know he’s gone to a better place. You know that’s empty sentimentalism. He’s perished, he’s gone to a worse place. There is no hope. Because only in Christ is there hope.

Now let me tell you the resurrection of Jesus Christ not only assures the resurrection of His people, although that’s what the Word of God is emphasizing, but the Bible tells us that every single person is going to be resurrected from the dead. But there are two kinds of resurrection—there is a resurrection to life where this body comes back to life in a glorified state to enjoy the presence of God forever, and there is a resurrection to judgment where this body is resurrected so they can be sentenced to an eternity of suffering in hell. The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees our resurrection as His people, but it is an assurance of coming resurrection of all. So it is a pledge of a coming resurrection. Turn over to Revelation 20, then we will go to the third point and we will be done. Revelation 20 talks about two kinds of resurrection. Again, we’ve done the order of the resurrections, perhaps you were not here when we did that, in our bookstore you can pick up a tape on that and it will walk you through the different resurrections and when they occur. In Revelation 20 there is a division of those, the last statement in verse 4, they came to life and reigned with Christ for 1000 years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. So you see there are two basic resurrections—the first resurrection which is a resurrection to life. Everyone who is part of the first resurrection is going to get a glorified body and be in glory with God for eternity. The rest are raised 1000 years later. So we have blessed and holy is the one who has part, verse 6, in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power.

Now you come down to verse 11, I saw a Great White Throne and Him who sat upon it, and 1000 years have passed. Now we’re ready for the second resurrection, if you will. These are qualities of resurrection, kinds of resurrection, a resurrection to life and a resurrection to judgment. A Great White Throne and Him sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them. I saw the dead, the small and the great standing before the throne, the books were open and another book was opened which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged from the things which were written in their books according to their deeds. But no one is going to be saved on the basis of their deeds. It’s only if your name is in the Book of Life. Because verse 15 will tell us, if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life he was thrown into the lake of fire. Your deeds just show you as a justly condemned sinner.

Verse 14, death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire. People say, I don’t believe in hell, my God wouldn’t sentence people to hell. Well the only way we know about God is that He told us. He is serious about His holiness, He’s serious about His righteousness, He’s serious about sin. He is a merciful God, He is a loving God, He is a kind God, He is a patient God. You understand the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a guarantee of coming resurrection.

So we’ve noted two points—the resurrection of Christ is the seal of a finished work. That is God’s demonstration that the work of salvation has been accomplished, that righteousness has been provided for sinful human beings. Secondly, the resurrection of Christ is the pledge of a coming resurrection. You’re celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ today, that is God’s pledge, a down payment if you will, the firstfruits assuring that we, too, will be resurrected from the dead.

And the third assurance of the resurrection is it is the guarantee of a future judgment. Few people today consider that in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are celebrating an event that God gave as the guarantee that He is going to judge the world in righteousness. And if you don’t repent of your sins that judgment will send you to an eternal hell. Turn back to the book of Acts, just before the book of Romans where we spent some time. After the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—we have the book of Acts, and we want to look at chapter 17. Now we pick up in verse 30 with the second statement, for time. Acts 17:30, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent. Repent means to turn from their sin to God. Why? Because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Now note this, through a man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. That’s an awesome thought. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s guarantee, you can take it to the bank, we would say. There is not room for one little bit of doubt on this. God has fixed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness through a man that He has appointed. And He’s given proof by raising this man from the dead. Who are we talking about? Of course, Jesus Christ. He’s the judge of all men, He was the one seated on that Great White Throne in Revelation 20, from whose presence everyone would want to flee. Everyone being those who have not become His children through faith. That’s an awesome statement. He has furnished proof to all men by raising from the dead.

How many people celebrating Easter today are giving any serious consideration that I am celebrating an event that guarantees God’s judgment on sin and on every single person who does not repent of their sin and turn to Christ. He will judge the world in righteousness. That’s bad news for those who have not believed in Jesus Christ. Well I’ve done my best, I’ve tried my hardest, I’ve been the best person I can. Yes, but Isaiah the prophet told us 700 years before Christ, all our righteous deeds are like filthy, polluted rags in His sight. The best that we can do is viewed as defiled and polluted in the sight of a righteous God. I cannot stand in the presence of God with my righteousness. I will only stand in His presence with His righteousness. How can I get the righteousness of God, that is the issue. In Jesus Christ I can be justified, declared righteous, have His righteousness credited to my account. I have to have that because apart from that I will be judged. And we read in Revelation 20 what happens to those who come before the Great White Throne and are judged on the basis of their works. They are cast into the lake of fire.

Do you know what Revelation 14 says concerning this lake of fire? There is no mercy mixed in, no mercy mixed in. Today is a day of mercy. God in love offers you mercy, He offers you forgiveness. You understand on that day of judgment there will be no mercy. It will be pure wrath. Those who are guilty of their sin and have not turned to His Son, the Bible says God views it as they’ve trampled underfoot His Son, regarded Him as unclean, worthless. And God will judge them in fierce wrath. Think about the wrath of God. In order for salvation to be provided for sinful human beings, the Son of God had to come to this earth, be born into the human race, be hung on a cross and suffer the horror of the death of crucifixion and be a curse of God, so He could provide righteousness for sinful people. What a terrible thing it’s going to be to stand before God and have to bear the brunt of His wrath yourself.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the guarantee of coming judgment. Turn back to the gospel of John, chapter 5. Jesus spoke of this during His earthly ministry. John 5:21, and this is in the context of the Jewish religious people having a problem with Jesus Christ making Himself equal with God at the end of verse 18. Then in verse 21, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life. There is the beauty of the simplicity of that. How can I have God’s righteousness credited to my account? I can believe in whom God sent.

Truly I say to you, verse 25, an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself. And He gave Him authority to exercise judgment because He is Son of man. The one before whom all will stand is not only the Son of God, but He is the Son of man. He’s the God/Man, uniquely prepared and qualified to be the judge of all humanity.
Verse 28, do not marvel at this for an hour is coming in which all who were in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth. All. Those who did the good to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil to a resurrection of judgment. You say well see, I’m doing good, I’ll be saved. You understand that all our righteous deeds are like filthy garments in His sight, menstrual rags, literally. Polluted before God. We can’t be saved by our own works of righteousness. Your works will only demonstrate you to be worthy of judgment. Now when a person experiences God’s righteousness, he’s transformed within, then his life is changed and he does those things which are pleasing to God, as a result of being born again.

So the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the seal of a finished work, it’s God’s assurance that the work of salvation has been done, there is nothing more, there is nothing else you can do to add to or take away from the work that Christ has done. All you can do is repent of your sins and believe in Christ to be saved. It’s the seal of a finished work.

It is a pledge of a coming resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the guarantee that we, too, will be raised from the dead. We as those who have believed in Him have hope beyond this life. But you understand the resurrection of Jesus Christ is, thirdly, also the guarantee of future judgment. That all some day will be raised, some to a resurrection of life because they have believed in Him, the rest to a resurrection of judgment because they have not believed in Him. Their name is not in the Book of Life and they will be sentenced to an eternal hell.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a wonderful, awesome event. Understand what it means. It means there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. This is the great demonstration of God’s love, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Don’t talk about the love of God if you don’t talk about the death of His Son. And you don’t understand the real impact of His death if you don’t realize He is alive, He’s been raised from the dead.

The only issue to be dealt with is where are you in relationship to Jesus Christ. What has your response been to the resurrected Christ? Well I don’t know, I’m thinking about it, I’m sorting through a lot of things. Jesus said he who is not with Me is against Me, He that has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him. There is no middle ground. There are no people here in the middle trying to decide. There are the people who by God’s grace have responded to God’s love and believed in His Son and experienced His salvation. There are those who are the enemies of God who have rejected His Son, who have refused. The hope is, this is a day of salvation, this is a day of mercy, grace and kindness. It is a day when you can repent. God is commanding all everywhere to repent. He calls you to salvation. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. When you have a God of such love and mercy and kindness who would sent His Son to die for you so that you could be forgiven, so that you could have His righteousness, so that you become His child and have hope not only in this life, but for eternity, why would you reject such love. Why would you say no to one who would do so much. The only answer is we love our sin more than God. We are rebels against Him, and we do deserve hell. But I trust this will be a day of salvation and the resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring to your heart the message of salvation and hope in Him. And it will be a day when you believe.

Let’s pray together. Lord, you are the only one who looks into our hearts today. You see us as we are, you know every thought that we’ve thought through this time together. You know what is going on in each heart and mind, you know those who belong to you and those who have rejected your Son. Lord, it is awesome to celebrate the resurrection of your Son and to understand it was a provision for us individually so that by your grace we might repent and turn from our sin and trust in the One who loved us and died for us. Lord, I pray for those who are here. Perhaps they attend this church faithfully every Sunday, perhaps they’ve come as a visitor, and Lord they don’t know you. Perhaps they’ve put on a façade, perhaps they were baptized here, perhaps they’ve taken communion here, but they have never experienced the power of your salvation through faith in your Son. Lord, I pray this might be a day of salvation for them so that they can rejoice and have the joy in their heart that they’ve never experienced before in knowing that their sins are forgiven, their guilt is cleansed, they have your righteousness and they are your child. Lord, for those of us who have believed in Him, it’s because of your mercy and grace and kindness that we are saved. And we rejoice today that our Savior is a Savior, because He is alive. The penalty for our sin has been paid, we look forward to glory in your presence and we have been spared coming judgment for sin. We praise you for a living Savior. In His name, Amen.