Easter 2007 [Glen Presley poem]
Matthew 28:1-10
On Friday Benjamin drew this picture of the cross with the devil saying “I can’t believe I won!” God says, “no you didn’t.” and the devil says “aw man!”
What looks like a defeat for Jesus is not a defeat. By going to the cross, paying for all that we ever did wrong, and taking away the power of sin, he actually disarms the devil and wins the cosmic battle for the souls of people and for creation. Because the cause of death is the presence of sin in the world, when he takes away the cause, he breaks the power of death, and death cannot hold even him.
This Cartoon from Reverend Fun has the same point
The Resurrection – a victory – the angel sitting on the stone. I love this image, because you don’t often think of angels sitting, but this angel was pretty satisfied with the outcome of things – he rolls the stone away and sits on it.
The Resurrection is a central part of our faith, and it gives us great hope.
The Resurrection – hope for those we have lost
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is arguing with people who said that there is no resurrection – he gives the eye-witness account in
1 Corinthians 15:3-9
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
1 Corinthians 15:20-27a – first fruits
Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.”
Force 10 From Navarone – very small explosion placed in the right place leads to the destruction of the whole dam.
Jesus resurrection may not have seemed small the disciples – to have their friend and leader back with them after the horror of the cross was beyond imagination – but in retrospect, we might wonder what the resurrection of a great teacher from 2,000 years ago has to do with us. But Jesus’ resurrection was the small explosion that will bring down the whole dam of death!
Robin -You’re arriving with the sound
of thunder and rain
You’re arriving in the calm
of the wind and the waves
You’re arriving in the glow
of a burning flame
Jesus resurrection was like the crocuses and snowdrops pushing their sprouts up through the melting snow. You see that, and you know that winter is dead, it might have one last gasp like this weekend, but spring is coming.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been going into the back yard to look where we planted the bulbs last fall, just to see if they are poking up yet. Just to see if winter has been defeated… For those of you who have been stung by death lately, I’d suggest doing the same thing – come to the scripture where we see the hope of the end of death – read the stories of the resurrection & know that while death is still trying to keep it’s hold on this world, on us, it is on its way out, there will come a day when the effect of the small explosion that happened 2000 years ago will have its full effect, and we will see our Lord and our friends and loved ones who have gone before.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 – the resurrection body
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
We look forward to that day when our bodies will be raised up and be imperishable. – we will see those that we have lost lately completely healthy, and with bodies that do not wear out – Bea with a heart that works and some good meat on her bones, Dan’s dad without the effects of Alzheimer’s disease or the pain of his early life, Dawn’s mom in full health, Dorothy with a body that never gives up…
Death has been swallowed up in victory!
The Resurrection – new life now
Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope for the future, but it also gives us new life right now! Not just pie in the sky by and by when I die, but as the old southern preacher said, God also gives us “Ham where I am.”
Often when we hear the promise of Eternal life, we think of the promise of heaven after we die, but the break down of the original word is the life of the ages. Jesus makes similar promises to his disciples for “life to the full” and simply, “life” as he does for this “life of the ages.” This tells me that we don’t wait for resurrection life to come only after we die, but there is a piece of resurrection life that we receive as soon as we receive the Holy Spirit by believing in Jesus.
Baptism is a picture of this resurrection life that we enter through Jesus. That when we place our lives in Jesus’ hands, he takes us and he kills off the old person that we used to be and he raises up the new person that he is making us into.
This is what Paul says about it:
Romans 6:3b-11
“We were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
The resurrection gives us hope for life after death, but it also gives us hope for real life now!
Holy Spirit – Sign and seal
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
This does not mean that we get our resurrection bodies now, what it does mean is that we can have the resurrection character now. We can be rid of the things that are killing us, and embrace the things that bring life.
Just as Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection, the Spirit, who is our deposit of resurrection life in us, gives us the fruit of that resurrection character.
Galatians 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
Call to receive the resurrection life
