What Then?
By Pastor Jim May
At the darkest hour of history, on a little hill called Golgotha, three men were crucified for crimes against the state. Two were thieves, no doubt tried and convicted of terrible crimes, who had been sentenced to die to pay the price for their crimes.
But the man in the middle was Jesus of Nazareth, a carpenter’s son, who had never committed a crime worthy of death. He had been arrested illegally in the middle of the night because of the jealousy of the religious leaders and the High Priest of Israel. He had been brought before the Sanhedrin Council to stand trial and was falsely accused, convicted and sentenced to death according to Jewish law at an illegal trial. Then he was taken to the Roman authorities so that they could carry out the sentence of death. Pilate, the Roman governor, disliked the idea of being forced to execute anyone on the say so of the Jewish courts, but just to keep peace he passed sentence on Jesus.
Of course we know that Jesus death served a far greater purpose than to allow peace in Jerusalem between the Jews and the Romans.
Romans 4:25, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
Before the first pinpoint of light burst forth as commanded by God at the dawn of creation, and long before the first man was formed of the dust of the earth and given the breath of life, God ordained that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, would one day, die upon that cross for the sin of man.
God’s crowning touch of creation, man that he had created in his own image, had fallen into sin and become separated from God. But God’s love wouldn’t let it stop there. God loves us so much that he had formulated a plan to bring us back into right relationship with him. He bridged the gap that had been created by sin with a cross and with the blood of his own Son.
When Jesus hung on that cross, he took upon himself the sin of all men for all time. There is no sin that we can commit that Jesus hasn’t already paid the penalty for. We are under a death sentence, from the moment we are conceived into this world. We are destined, by default to die in sin. But Jesus made a way! He shed his own perfect blood as payment for our sin, and by his own blood he has redeemed us to himself.
Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
We hear a lot about the preaching of the cross, but not too many people want to mention the blood.
The cross was nothing more than an instrument of death and was used commonly in the Roman Empire to execute criminals. It was no more an object that we should worship than an electric chair or a lethal injection. Why should we worship the cross?
What makes the cross so special is that Jesus hung on it while he paid the debt for our sin. The cross means nothing without Jesus. Don’t put your faith in the cross; put your faith in Jesus and his shed blood. Jesus is the focus here, and the blood that he shed for you and me, is the only things that matter.
You can preach the cross all day long, and it won’t take away one sin. The preaching of the cross without the blood of Jesus is foolishness. But if you preach about Jesus and his shed blood, then souls can be saved and sin can be washed away! The power is in the blood of Jesus, not in the cross! Don’t put your faith in the cross. Put your faith in the Blood of the Lamb!
What can wash away your sin? The cross? The tomb? NO! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Now I realize that when preachers talk about the power of the cross that they are referring to the sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus upon that cross, but lately there has been a lot of talk about the cross, the cross, the cross – but you just don’t hear them mention the blood of Jesus as much. What good is the cross without Jesus? It’s nothing but a symbol. It’s almost as though the cross has become the center of worship.
Secondly, the preaching of the cross that we hear so much of today, seems to center upon believing that no matter what you do the cross will bring forgiveness and you can never sin enough to lose your salvation.
Let me say again that the cross cannot forgive sins. The cross is nothing more than a dead piece of wood. The cross has no power within itself. You can believe in the cross but it won’t save you. Your faith must be in Jesus Christ and his blood – nothing else.
Jesus sacrifice for our sin upon the cross is a wonderful thing. It gives us a pathway back to a right relationship with God. His precious blood can wash away my sin. His blood can make me whole again. Thank God for sending his only Son to die for us. Without Jesus we had no hope.
But it can’t end there. That’s only half of the plan of God for our salvation. The whole purpose of redemption was so that we could spend eternity with God in heavenly places and be called the Children of God. In order for that to happen, death must be forever defeated.
The death of Jesus upon the cross would have offered little consolation without his resurrection! Unless Jesus could rise again from the dead, come out of that tomb, and live again, where would that leave you and me? We could have our sin washed away but for what purpose – only to lie in the grave forever? That would be preferred above spending eternity in hell, but that would not be something to look forward to.
Thank God that Jesus didn’t just die on the cross and that was the end of it! Satan might have thought that he had finally won. He had killed God’s Son and had finally stopped God’s plan. Death still reigned and the grave still had the power to hold man in its cold, dark, eternal grip.
But on the third day – on the third day – it all changed! Jesus Rose from the dead! He is alive, alive forever more, and because He lives, I can live also!
Finally the plan was complete. Jesus overcame death, hell and the grave! He rose again by the power of the Holy Spirit; the stone was rolled away and out of that tomb he came, victor over death! And because he rose again, so will we!
That is the hope of all who believe in Jesus. It’s a hope that doesn’t leave us half way, but a hope that will take us all the way – all the way to Glory, to live with Jesus forever more and to be with all those who trust in the blood of Jesus to forgive their sins.
Romans 6:3-8, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:"
When we put our faith, trust and belief in Jesus Christ and his blood, we are baptized into him. Through his death, we die to sin. When we go through that baptism, we are buried with him in that tomb, where our old man is laid to rest once and for all, and we rise again as a new creation in Christ. Born Again by the power of the Holy Ghost. At that very moment we are given eternal life.
You have eternal life right now if you know Jesus as your Savior! You’ll never taste death. Oh, you might have to lay this old body down, but you won’t go into the grave with it. NO, your spirit and soul will be with Jesus while we await the resurrection at the appointed time. Your soul and spirit won’t be in that grave waiting.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
The hope of the resurrection is what Easter is all about. It’s not about chocolate candy, bunny rabbits and chicken eggs hidden in the grass. It’s all about life eternal that is ours because Jesus is alive again. He’s no longer in the grave. He’s alive again! And because he lives, we shall live also!
There will be a resurrection! In fact, every person who ever existed will rise again. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus will rise, but so will those who have not.
The prophet Daniel talked about the resurrection when he saw the visions of the end times and the things that would happen to Israel in the last days of history as we know it.
Daniel 12:1-3, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."
Resurrection power is not a blessing to those who continue in sin. In fact, it is a curse to them. They will be resurrected but it won’t be to receive eternal life, rather it will be to be sentenced to eternal death and separation from God.
Sinners can’t really get into the celebration of Easter and its true meaning because it has no good new for them unless they repent. That’s why we see their celebration turning toward rabbits, eggs and chickens instead of worshipping the risen Savior. They like the party, but they don’t like the reason for having it, so they want to change the name of this celebration from Easter to the celebration of the Festival of Springtime. Our society will try anything to get the name of Jesus out of the public mind. Without Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, there is no Easter.
John, the beloved disciple, spoke of the coming resurrection in John 5:28-29, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Thank God for the power of the resurrection! But after the resurrection comes, What Then? Since there will be a resurrection, and every one of us will rise again, we better be sure of where we will stand in that day. Will we stand before God, only to be judged and cast into hell, or will we be reunited with our glorified body and then forever be with the Lord?
Yes, there will be a resurrection, but what then? Where will spend eternity?
Jesus paid the price on the cross for your sin, but unless you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, recognize him as your Savior, confess that you belief and trust in him, then his death on the cross will only serve as a witness against you in the resurrection.
Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
It takes more than just believing in Jesus as the Son of God. Satan believes that; in fact he knows that without a doubt. But Satan’s belief and knowledge of Jesus won’t save him.
It takes more than just a confession that Jesus Christ is Lord to be saved. Many will confess that and still face eternal punishment.
Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Every sinner will be forced to kneel and confess that Jesus is Lord, but not that he is their Savior, because he won’t be. They will know him, believe in him and confess him, but that won’t save their eternal soul.
So, if just confessing that Jesus is Lord, believing that he is the Savior and the Son of God and believing that he has risen from the dead won’t save us, then what’s missing? Can we just take that verse out of context and depend upon that alone? NO!
You have to read the whole thing. Just add the next verse and you’ll see what I mean. Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
It’s more than just a belief in the resurrection of Jesus, but it’s a belief that I shall rise again with him because Jesus paid the price for my sin. It’s more than just a belief that he is the Savior and the Son of God, but it’s a belief that accepts the fact that Jesus’ blood washed my sin away, and that he has made me a new creature; that I have forsaken the old way of sin and risen again with Jesus to a new life in Christ; a new life filled with righteousness. My heart believes and my will concedes that there is a new me and my will is for the new “me” to follow Jesus in all that I do. Then, and only then, can I truly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord in my life. After his blood has been applied to my heart, and I die with him and I am born again with him to new life – that’s when I can truly say that I am saved.
I’m glad that we can celebrate Easter. Our hope is anchored in the power of the resurrection, and there will be a resurrection. But what then; where will you be then?
Will you be resurrected to only be condemned forever, or will you be resurrected to join Jesus forever? What a terrible thing it will be to be resurrected only to face death a second time! What a wonderful thing it will be to rise again to be with the Lord!
Make sure that you are ready for the Resurrection. Make Jesus the Lord of your life today!
On that sad day, as Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus, and watched Mary, Martha and all the mourners crying and mourning the death of Lazarus, he saw the sadness in their hearts. He felt the pain in their souls. He had compassion for them and there Jesus wept for them because he felt their hopelessness.
That’s when he made a profound announcement.
I’ve stood beside the graves of loved ones who had passed from this life. We stood there in those final moments, with mixed emotions. On one hand, we want this ordeal of death and burial to be over for it is so hard to face, and yet we don’t want to leave because we know we will never see that loved one again, as long as we live on the earth.
As we stand there, or sit there in the family seats, with tears of sadness and sorrow, filled with grief over the loss we feel, Jesus stands beside us, and I believe he still cries with us at every funeral.
But there is still that profound announcement that we can anchor our hope upon, and it’s found in John 11:25, "Jesus said … I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
That’s why we celebrate Easter! Thank God for the great hope of the Resurrection! One day, we will rise again to a new life in Christ. AMEN
